Zoicite looked frantically around the battlefield.
"Where's Malachite?!" she all but shouted. Not a single senshi would answer her. Jedite, unable to look her in the eye, finally pointed to the fallen Malachite. Jedite's minion had done her job. He was fallen, but thankfully, he was not yet dead.
"I'm sorry, Zoicite," Jedite managed to murmur. "I didn't know Titus could do so much damage. Well, I did, but I thought she'd obey me." He gently slipped his arm around Ami's waist as Zoicite ran to Malachite's side.
"I want to help," Ami whispered to Jedite, holding back tears, "but I can't. Not even I can tend to those wounds."
"I know, but Zoicite will understand. She knows that fate can be cruel, but everything happens for a reason," Jedite replied softly.
"Malachite? Oh God, please be alive," Zoicite whispered fearfully as she knelt by her lover.
"Zoicite?" he asked weakly. "Is that you?"
"Of course it is. Who else would it be?" she replied, trying to joke, so she wouldn't cry.
"Zoicite, my love, do not conceal your emotions. I see the tears within those emerald eyes. It is best to let them flow and stain your beautiful face rather than keep them within, so they stain your soul," Malachite's voice was soft as he replied, and weal, very weak. His eyes shone with pain, but they held an odd joy. The joy was from being with Zoicite in his final moments.
"Please Malachite, stay with me," Zoicite pleaded, tears streaming down her face. "Usagi and Mamoru have fallen. To them I swore my services, To you, I have sworn my heart. I will die without you."
"No," Malachite said gently. "You are a senshi, your place is with them."
"You are wrong. My place is with you. The others are fine without me."
"Zoicite, just as you had me promise you something on your deathbed, I have a promise you to make."
"Anything Malachite. I shall promise anything, and shall keep the promise," Zoicite said. Her eyes were red, her face tearstained, and no more tears could come at the moment.
"Promise me you will stay with the others. They are your friends, and they need you." With that, Malachite managed to lift his hand so it rested against Zoicite's cheek.
"Very well, I can deny you nothing. I promise," Zoicite whispered. Malachite's gentle hand pulled her face to his and the two shared a perfect, final kiss before Malachite's hand dropped, and his body went limp. His eyes rolled back. He was dead.
"Oh Zoi, I'm so sorry," Lita said gently as she walked to Zoicite, kneeling beside her. Lita opened her arms, and Zoicite collapsed into them, crying once more. Lita hugged Zoicite, just letting her cry. Rei's head bowed in silent prayer while Jedite hugged a weeping Ami close to him.
"Someday," Zoicite whispered, as though speaking to Malachite, "we'll be together again. Even if it is in death."
"I hate to say this, but perhaps we should leave. The sorrow in the air is unhealthy to wallow in," Jedite said, talking to Ami, but loud enough so the others would hear him.
"Jedite's right. No amount of mourning will revive the dead," Zoicite said quietly, once more unable to cry anymore.
"But," Rei chimed in, "It is not healthy to place it all behind us and strive to forget everything."
"They will always be remembered," Mina said quietly. "All three of them were our friends, so they shall remain in our hearts."
Lita got to her feet and helped Zoicite stand, keeping an arm around he shoulder. Zoicite was glad for the touch, it helped her know she had friends who would stick by her.
"I still can't believe Zoi, of all people, is Sailor Death," Styx mused as she hopped onto Zoicite's head.
"I agree. I remember everything, but it still is amazing. Who would have though that I was Usagi's bodyguard?" Zoicite said, unusually polite to Styx. Neither gave the other a bad time, or even a hint of an argument. Zoicite was grieving, and Styx respected that.
"Well, I know something you could do, Zoi," Styx said gently, her eyes gleaming with kindness. "Although," she added, "it's quite dangerous."
"Do you think I care about danger?!" Zoicite replied quickly.
"If you transform into your ultimate form and says 'Demise of Death!' then the person's name, then how much life force you want them restored to, you will bring them back to life. But be wary about the life force part because it will be taken from you," Styx explained calmly.
"In other words," Lita said, thinking it over, "to ensure Zoicite's survival, she can only restore one person."
"Yeah," Mina agreed, also contemplating the issue. "The real question is who to bring back."
"It should be Malachite," Jedite said swiftly. "If Usagi or Mamoru is brought back, they'll mourn their dead lover. Malachite, however, would be able to rejoin the one who loves him so deeply."
"I agree with Jedite," Lita said as she nodded.
"So I do I," Rei and Mina answered in unison.
"Mm-hmm, he has a point. No need to cause un-needed pain," Ami said quietly.
"Thank you," Zoicite said as she flashed a smile. "Death Power-up!" Zoicite's cry rang out and all fell silent.
Zoicite's short black skirt lengthened until it reached her ankles. It then snapped clear of pleats and the top began to change. It sprouted sleeves which wound around Zoicite's arms. Zoicite's face changed next. Her soft cheeks were wiped clear of tears and her eyes lost their red. Her lips were now blood red. A beautiful ruby brooch appeared on Zoicite's dress. Her hair broke free of its loose ponytail and flowed gently to her back. At last, the transformation was complete.
"Demise of Death!" Zoicite shouted as she felt a breeze rush past her cheek gently. "Restore to me Malachite with as much life as I can spare." Zoicite lurched at the sudden draining of energy. Her life force was swiftly ebbing away. As soon as the life had been drawn, she collapsed. Before she hit the ground, however, Malachite's strong arms caught her and lifted her up.
"It worked, my love," he cooed as her held her close as walked over to the senshi.
"Is she going to be alright?" Ami asked worriedly after a moment of uneasy silence.
"She should be. She only said as much as she could spare, so she shouldn't die," Styx explained.
"Malachite?" Zoicite murmured as her eyes began to flutter open.
"I'm here, Zoicite. I'm right here," he said gently as he kissed her forehead. Zoicite sighed happily and rested her head against his chest.
"Malachite," Jedite finally said. "I'm sorry, about everything. Titus, Usagi, and Mamoru."
"We were on the same side once, Jedite. No matter what has happened, we are on the same side once more," Malachite said quietly, smiling a bit at Jedite.
"We're finally all working together. Now we'll be unbeatable!" Mina said happily.
"Damn! We're too late," Sailor Uranus muttered as she, Pluto, Neptune, and Saturn appeared.
"Who have we lost?" Pluto asked calmly, surveying the landscape.
"Usagi and Mamoru," Rei informed her.
"Pity, but at least you all are alright," Pluto said softly.
"Can we please detransform?" Neptune asked impatiently. The girls nodded to each other and went out of senshi form.
"Sorry to sound rude, but who are you four?" Jedite asked the Outers.
"I am Hotaru, Also known as Sailor Saturn, senshi of destruction," the youngest replied.
"My name is Setsuna," Sailor Pluto said calmly. "I am also known as Sailor Pluto."
"I am Sailor Uranus. I go by Haruka," Uranus stated firmly.
"I," the last said quietly, her voice soft as music, "am Michiru, senshi of Neptune."
"Where's Malachite?!" she all but shouted. Not a single senshi would answer her. Jedite, unable to look her in the eye, finally pointed to the fallen Malachite. Jedite's minion had done her job. He was fallen, but thankfully, he was not yet dead.
"I'm sorry, Zoicite," Jedite managed to murmur. "I didn't know Titus could do so much damage. Well, I did, but I thought she'd obey me." He gently slipped his arm around Ami's waist as Zoicite ran to Malachite's side.
"I want to help," Ami whispered to Jedite, holding back tears, "but I can't. Not even I can tend to those wounds."
"I know, but Zoicite will understand. She knows that fate can be cruel, but everything happens for a reason," Jedite replied softly.
"Malachite? Oh God, please be alive," Zoicite whispered fearfully as she knelt by her lover.
"Zoicite?" he asked weakly. "Is that you?"
"Of course it is. Who else would it be?" she replied, trying to joke, so she wouldn't cry.
"Zoicite, my love, do not conceal your emotions. I see the tears within those emerald eyes. It is best to let them flow and stain your beautiful face rather than keep them within, so they stain your soul," Malachite's voice was soft as he replied, and weal, very weak. His eyes shone with pain, but they held an odd joy. The joy was from being with Zoicite in his final moments.
"Please Malachite, stay with me," Zoicite pleaded, tears streaming down her face. "Usagi and Mamoru have fallen. To them I swore my services, To you, I have sworn my heart. I will die without you."
"No," Malachite said gently. "You are a senshi, your place is with them."
"You are wrong. My place is with you. The others are fine without me."
"Zoicite, just as you had me promise you something on your deathbed, I have a promise you to make."
"Anything Malachite. I shall promise anything, and shall keep the promise," Zoicite said. Her eyes were red, her face tearstained, and no more tears could come at the moment.
"Promise me you will stay with the others. They are your friends, and they need you." With that, Malachite managed to lift his hand so it rested against Zoicite's cheek.
"Very well, I can deny you nothing. I promise," Zoicite whispered. Malachite's gentle hand pulled her face to his and the two shared a perfect, final kiss before Malachite's hand dropped, and his body went limp. His eyes rolled back. He was dead.
"Oh Zoi, I'm so sorry," Lita said gently as she walked to Zoicite, kneeling beside her. Lita opened her arms, and Zoicite collapsed into them, crying once more. Lita hugged Zoicite, just letting her cry. Rei's head bowed in silent prayer while Jedite hugged a weeping Ami close to him.
"Someday," Zoicite whispered, as though speaking to Malachite, "we'll be together again. Even if it is in death."
"I hate to say this, but perhaps we should leave. The sorrow in the air is unhealthy to wallow in," Jedite said, talking to Ami, but loud enough so the others would hear him.
"Jedite's right. No amount of mourning will revive the dead," Zoicite said quietly, once more unable to cry anymore.
"But," Rei chimed in, "It is not healthy to place it all behind us and strive to forget everything."
"They will always be remembered," Mina said quietly. "All three of them were our friends, so they shall remain in our hearts."
Lita got to her feet and helped Zoicite stand, keeping an arm around he shoulder. Zoicite was glad for the touch, it helped her know she had friends who would stick by her.
"I still can't believe Zoi, of all people, is Sailor Death," Styx mused as she hopped onto Zoicite's head.
"I agree. I remember everything, but it still is amazing. Who would have though that I was Usagi's bodyguard?" Zoicite said, unusually polite to Styx. Neither gave the other a bad time, or even a hint of an argument. Zoicite was grieving, and Styx respected that.
"Well, I know something you could do, Zoi," Styx said gently, her eyes gleaming with kindness. "Although," she added, "it's quite dangerous."
"Do you think I care about danger?!" Zoicite replied quickly.
"If you transform into your ultimate form and says 'Demise of Death!' then the person's name, then how much life force you want them restored to, you will bring them back to life. But be wary about the life force part because it will be taken from you," Styx explained calmly.
"In other words," Lita said, thinking it over, "to ensure Zoicite's survival, she can only restore one person."
"Yeah," Mina agreed, also contemplating the issue. "The real question is who to bring back."
"It should be Malachite," Jedite said swiftly. "If Usagi or Mamoru is brought back, they'll mourn their dead lover. Malachite, however, would be able to rejoin the one who loves him so deeply."
"I agree with Jedite," Lita said as she nodded.
"So I do I," Rei and Mina answered in unison.
"Mm-hmm, he has a point. No need to cause un-needed pain," Ami said quietly.
"Thank you," Zoicite said as she flashed a smile. "Death Power-up!" Zoicite's cry rang out and all fell silent.
Zoicite's short black skirt lengthened until it reached her ankles. It then snapped clear of pleats and the top began to change. It sprouted sleeves which wound around Zoicite's arms. Zoicite's face changed next. Her soft cheeks were wiped clear of tears and her eyes lost their red. Her lips were now blood red. A beautiful ruby brooch appeared on Zoicite's dress. Her hair broke free of its loose ponytail and flowed gently to her back. At last, the transformation was complete.
"Demise of Death!" Zoicite shouted as she felt a breeze rush past her cheek gently. "Restore to me Malachite with as much life as I can spare." Zoicite lurched at the sudden draining of energy. Her life force was swiftly ebbing away. As soon as the life had been drawn, she collapsed. Before she hit the ground, however, Malachite's strong arms caught her and lifted her up.
"It worked, my love," he cooed as her held her close as walked over to the senshi.
"Is she going to be alright?" Ami asked worriedly after a moment of uneasy silence.
"She should be. She only said as much as she could spare, so she shouldn't die," Styx explained.
"Malachite?" Zoicite murmured as her eyes began to flutter open.
"I'm here, Zoicite. I'm right here," he said gently as he kissed her forehead. Zoicite sighed happily and rested her head against his chest.
"Malachite," Jedite finally said. "I'm sorry, about everything. Titus, Usagi, and Mamoru."
"We were on the same side once, Jedite. No matter what has happened, we are on the same side once more," Malachite said quietly, smiling a bit at Jedite.
"We're finally all working together. Now we'll be unbeatable!" Mina said happily.
"Damn! We're too late," Sailor Uranus muttered as she, Pluto, Neptune, and Saturn appeared.
"Who have we lost?" Pluto asked calmly, surveying the landscape.
"Usagi and Mamoru," Rei informed her.
"Pity, but at least you all are alright," Pluto said softly.
"Can we please detransform?" Neptune asked impatiently. The girls nodded to each other and went out of senshi form.
"Sorry to sound rude, but who are you four?" Jedite asked the Outers.
"I am Hotaru, Also known as Sailor Saturn, senshi of destruction," the youngest replied.
"My name is Setsuna," Sailor Pluto said calmly. "I am also known as Sailor Pluto."
"I am Sailor Uranus. I go by Haruka," Uranus stated firmly.
"I," the last said quietly, her voice soft as music, "am Michiru, senshi of Neptune."