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Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sailor Moon!! The show, the characters, and the story belong to Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, and Toei Animation... come to think of it, I'm glad I don't own that story. This is merely fanfiction, meant only for readers' enjoyment and nothing else.
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Author's Notes: This is gonna be a sad fic about Rei and Usagi(in the beginning) and there's another main pairing at the end, ChibiUsa/Hotaru(both grown-up). No other pairings make any definite appearances. It's going to be pretty short, only 2 chapters long. In order to find out anything further, you're just going to have to read the story. On with the fic!
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Chapter 1: Lost...
~Dark Room~
A figure walks into the room and closes the door, holding some elongated item(about 11 inches long) in their right hand. The person walks across the room to a crystalline sarcophagus(coffin), which is up to the figure's waist. The person kneels down next to the sarcophagus and places their left hand on the clear, smooth surface of it.
"Rei..." the person says. A beam of light shines through an opening in a wall and illuminates the person's features... feminine countenence, a long white dress that drags the floor, sapphire-blue eyes and long golden-blonde hair, fixed-up in two odangoes.
Neo-Queen Serenity looks through the clear surface of the sarcophagus at the lifeless countenence of the once Sailor Mars. The raven-haired woman looks as if she is at peace yet, she appears as though something is missing from her achievence of said peace. A tear falls from the Neo-Queen's eye and trickles down her cheek, then falls onto the surface of the sarcophagus. She lays her head down on the smooth surface and her arms across the sarcophagus, tears roll from her eyes.
"I miss you so much, Rei!" Serenity says through her sniffles and tears, "Why!! W-why did you leave??"
"I still remember... when you died, eight years ago..."
Flashback...
"Why Mars!?" demands Sailor Venus, "Why have you betrayed the Queen!?"
Standing across the battle-field, Mars holds her sword forward, pointedly, toward Venus and the other injured senshi(Moon being the only one uninjured), "I have NOT betrayed Serenity!! I am merely carrying out my role!"
"Wha--" starts Venus but, is interrupted by Sailor Moon.
"What are you saying, Rei?" asks the Neo-Queen.
The use of her name by Serenity causes a smile, albeit emotionless, to cross the senshi of mars' lips. The smile quickly fades, "Isn't it obvious, Serenity?" she replies, "You and I are opposites... in every possible way! So, Shouldn't it also be obvious that with your happiness comes my PAIN!?" her sword de-materializes just before she throws a fireball into the ground at the Neo-Queen's feet but, Serenity doesn't so much as flinch... knowing Rei would never harm her.
However, The other senshi believe Mars was threatening the Neo-Queen and immediately retaliate. Jupiter throws a bolt of lightning toward the senshi of fire. Mars easily knocks the bolt away with her right hand, causing it to eliminate several of the youma accompanying her. Mars then, runs toward Jupiter so fast that the other senshi can barely even see her movements. By the time Jupiter realizes what Mars is doing, she attempts to raise her arms in a guard-stance, however, Mars thrusts her left shoulder into the brunette's sternum. After the intial attack, Mars straightens and hits Jupiter in the face with a left back-hand punch, knocking her around then Jupiter falls face-first onto the ground.
From Mars right, Venus fires a Cresent Beam at her. Without turning her head, Mars raises her right hand and the beam deflects off, piercing a youma's chest and killing it. Mars pulls her arm back, curling it to place her hand next to the left side of her head and then turns toward the senshi of love and beauty, swinging her arm in a sweeping-motion as she does. The action causes a streak of fire to explode up through the ground, beneath Venus' feet, knocking her backward.
Mercury throws her Ice Bubbles at Mars, from behind, and freezes her... temporarily. In seconds, A flaming aura enshrouds Mars and melts the ice.
"Pathetic attempt, Mercury." calmly states Mars, then she teleports(?) from where she's standing to just about a foot infront of the senshi of ice, slightly to the woman's right with her back still facing the blue-haired woman.
Mars thrusts her left elbow back into Mercury's abdomen, with added force by pushing with her right hand. Mercury crumbles to the ground and Mars stands back up straight. She looks back over toward Eternal Moon, who has a half-confused and half-terrified look on her face. Mars also notices tears starting to fill the Neo-Queen's eyes.
"You are 'not' going to cry, are you?" asks Mars, sarcastically.
Eternal Moon can't reply as she's too busy wondering what's happened to the fire senshi.
Mars closes her eyes, "You can all come out now..." she says, "Outer Senshi!"
Uranus, Neptune and Pluto jump down, placing themselves between Mars and Eternal Moon, their backs to the Neo-Queen.
"What has happened to you, Mars??" demands Uranus.
"You truly want to know..." Mars says, with a grin, "Then, You just have to defeat me."
"Fine!"
"Then, Let us get this over with." says Mars, calmly.
"Uranus World Shaking!!"
Uranus' blast heads straight for Mars, but she easily leaps the attack and dashes toward the three at a normal speed. Pluto dashes to meet her.
"Setsuna! Don't!" Uranus attempts to warn her but, the warning falls of deaf ears.
As Pluto and Mars near one another, the senshi of time swings her staff at Mars. Mars easily dodges, darting around behind Pluto and grabbing the older woman, hooking her right arm under Pluto's right arm(at her shoulder) and her left arm around Pluto's neck.
"Mistake, Pluto. I bet you thought you knew what I was going to do, huh?" Mars says, "I am no longer bound by your so-called 'set' timeline."
Mars then leaps into the air, carrying the time senshi with her. Mars backflips in the air, releasing her hold on Pluto as she does, throwing the senshi of time down onto the ground, hard. The senshi of fire then lands near the spot she was standing when Pluto swung at her and folds her arms.
"Which of you wants to be next?"
Neptune throws her Deep Submerge attack at the confident Mars but, as soon as the attack nears Mars, it evaporates.
"Foolish, Neptune." Mars says, unfolding her arms and holding her right hand out toward the senshi of water, "Allow me to demonstrate the power of fire."
Mars releases a fireball that flies at Neptune too fast to dodge and hits her in the chest, knocking her backward and onto the ground.
Mars lowers her arm and says, "You're the last one, Uranus."
"Why you!"
Uranus dashes at Mars and swings a right punch, Mars moves her head back slightly and avoids the contact. Uranus follows through, fluidly, with a left roundhouse thrust-kick(targeting the fire senshi's abdomen), however, Mars arches back out of the way. Uranus continues, though, coming around with a left backhand punch which Mars ducks. Immediately after Uranus' arm passes over Mars' head, the fire senshi comes up with a fierce right uppercut, nailing Uranus in the chin. Uranus uses the force to spin on her left foot and attempt a right roundhouse kick at Mars head. Mars blocks with her right forearm and Uranus reverses her spin and tries a right front-roundhouse. Mars ducks the second kick-attempt and spins clockwise, performing a right leg sweep which knocks Uranus' left foot out from under her. Finishing her spin and standing up before Uranus falls, Mars hits Uranus' solar plexus with a double-palm strike, knocking Uranus to the ground with force.
Mars walks over to the now petrified Eternal Moon and Aomizuchi suddenly appears, off to one side.
"Yes, Finish it! Kill Neo-Queen Serenity!" Aomizuchi says.
"No." Mars says, "I will fight Eternal Moon in a fair fight..." she materializes a flaming sword in her right hand. (Eternal Moon is already holding her sword in her right hand).
"I-I won't fight you, Rei!" Eternal Moon states, "I won't!" she throws her sword to the ground between herself and Mars.
"Are you sure, your highness?" Aomizuchi says, "Afterall, By fighting her, you *may* be able to save her... perhaps."
"Besides," Rei says, "It is the only way to end this."
"A-alright. I will. To save you, Rei."
"Very well, then." Mars says, moving her foot under the blade of Serenity's sword. She throws the sword up and Eternal Moon catches it, blocking Mars' downward swing by holding the blade up horizontally.
Mars brings her sword back and swings it horizontally from her left. Eternal Moon counters by dropping her arms down to place the blade of her own sword in the strike-path of Mars' sword. So Mars spins around and attempts a sword-sweep at Moon's legs but, the Neo-Queen jumps and lets the sword *swoosh* beneath her feet. Eternal Moon finally swings her sword at the fire senshi offensively and, as easy as it would be for Mars to parry the horizontal slash, the blade connects... cutting a gash across the fire senshi's abdomen and Mars drops to one knee.
"Oh no! Rei!!" Eternal Moon cries as she drops her sword and starts to kneel next to Mars.
"Stay your ground, Serenity." Mars says, with her left hand held out toward the Neo-Queen, "This is how it has to be." she forces herself to her feet, now covering her wound with her left hand, "Now, Let us finish... we shall play out our alloted destinies."
"But--" Moon starts to say but then there's a bright light off to the side(Moon's right, Mars' left).
Suddenly, Mars shoves the Neo-Queen out of the way of a blast from Aomizuchi, just as the attack hits the fire senshi's torso. However, Mars throws her flaming sword with her right hand and, as the sword pierces Aomizuchi's chest, Mars falls. Eternal Moon catches the fire senshi in her arms as the youma slowly burns.
End Flashback(long one, ne?)...
"I remember..." Serenity says, "I held you in my arms, just before you died." she raises her head and forces a waining smile, "I remember what you asked of me..."...
Flashback...
Eternal Moon is now on her knees, holding the dying fire senshi in her arms... The other senshi are recovering(none have any serious wounds). Mars is coughing and shivering slightly, her right hand is being held by the Neo-Queen's left.
"Rei..."
"It's alright... Usagi." Mars manages, she coughs again then swallows, "This is how it had to play out... Usagi, I've done alot of... bad things to you and--"
"Don't Rei." Eternal Moon interrupts, tears flowing freely from her eyes, "You... You don't need to apologize. I know you wanted me to be strong, I understand."
"I don't think... you do..." Mars says, then swallows again, "You don't understand h-how... deeply I love you, how deeply I... always have..." she forces a weak smile, looking up at the odango-atama, "Looks like my duties end here..."
"Why?... Why do you have to die?" questions Eternal Moon.
"I already told you... We are complete opposites, you and I. Thus... your life equals... my death." Mars says, then coughs, "But... There is... something. Just one time... just one time, I wish I-I... could have tasted your kiss. Just... once..."
"Just once..." Moon repeats, and adds, "You can." she leans down, her lips trembling slightly as she presses them to Mars' lips and... for the briefest of moments, Rei feels whole and finally experiences what she has so long desired, to taste her true love's kiss. At the same time... Usagi, at last, understands fully how the fire senshi has felt for her for so long and how deep that love runs. During which, Mars intwines her fingers with Usagi's and then... it's over. Mars' hand falls limp in Usagi's and her lips grow cold.
End Flashback...
"I granted your last request." the Neo-Queen says, "I gave you your dearest wish and... have discovered, lost the dearest wish *I* ever had... you."
She sniffles once, "Not for much longer, though. You were wrong, you know... there is one thing that is not opposite about you and I... with your death, I too died, inside." she continues, "My daughter is now old enough to take over my position as queen." she lifts the object that is in her right hand, revealing it to be a dagger, "Do you remember, Rei? You gave me this dagger during the Silver Millennium." she raises the dagger up, "Now I shall use it to try to find you." 'I love you, Rei.' she thinks 'And... hopefully, I shall see you soon.' she thrusts the dagger toward her chest ~*black screen/flash of red*~...
Next day...
~Outside the Crystal Palace~
"Where could she have gone?" questions Jupiter, to no one in particular.
"I wonder, as well." Mercury says.
"We have got to find her!" states Endymion.
Venus begins to say something, but is interrupted by a scream, "That sounded like it came from Mars' tomb!" she states, instead. The senshi and king go to the tomb to find out the reason for the scream. They enter the tomb to find the caretaker crying and why she screamed...
"The Queen!"
There, laying partially on Mars' sarcophagus is Neo-Queen Serenity, a dagger in her chest(obviously through her heart), dried blood around the blade and on the sarcophagus. Mercury turns and buries her face in against Jupiter's shoulder(she's standing closest to Mercury), Jupiter hugs the other woman to comfort her. Venus walks over to the Neo-Queen's body and confirms all the senshi's worst fear... Usagi is, indeed, dead. The love senshi then notices, in Usagi's left hand is a note. She collects the note and opens it.
"What does it say, Venus?" asks Uranus, just after wiping a tear from her right eye.
The senshi of love fights to choke-back her own tears and proceeds to read the note aloud...
*:Greetings, My friends.
I know you are sad about me but, I ask you not to grieve. I now find that eight years ago, upon Mars'... no, Rei's death, I too died. These years since, I have been like a walking corpse, an empty shell... as if my soul had died but my body was alive. Tell Endymion: I am sorry but, although I love him, I cannot continue with this pain. My daughter is old enough now to accend to Queen and I implore you all, please, follow her and teach her... help her as you have all helped me. I believe she may indeed be a better queen than I ever could have been. I love you all, my friends... but I know, now, that I belong with Rei, she is my other half and one cannot live missing half of themself... I have gone to be with her, my true love... because, only together can she and I be whole. I wish all of you well, my dear friends and... Goodbye...
Love, Tsukino Usagi:*
After wiping fresh tears from her eyes, Venus looks at the faces of the two and comments, "They do look as though they are both finally at peace."
"She was missing her true love and, she was lost..." Uranus says, then she looks beside her at Michiru, "She did the same thing I would have to be with my true love."
"She may still be *lost*." Pluto says, stoically(as always), "But, It was inevitable."
"What do you mean, inevitable?" asks Mercury.
"History always repeats itself..." Pluto explains, "Especially when it is such sad history. She is not the first Serenity to fall in love with one of her senshi... nor is she the first to have chosen duty. However, It is also true that she did not know of her feelings or those of Mars'. That is because Mars did not want to repeat that sad history. Unfortunately, As it happens, she failed to prevent it."
"Not the *first*...?" wonders Venus, out loud.
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To Be Continued...
Well? The first part's over. The next part will be mostly about ChibiUsa/Hotaru. However, In the beginning, there is some more about the *first*. Anyway, Hope you tune in to read it... Rei and Usagi will probably make an appearance near the end of the next(also last) chapter. Well, Be sure to read and review, ne? Ja!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sailor Moon!! The show, the characters, and the story belong to Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, and Toei Animation... come to think of it, I'm glad I don't own that story. This is merely fanfiction, meant only for readers' enjoyment and nothing else.
_______________________________________________________________________
Author's Notes: This is gonna be a sad fic about Rei and Usagi(in the beginning) and there's another main pairing at the end, ChibiUsa/Hotaru(both grown-up). No other pairings make any definite appearances. It's going to be pretty short, only 2 chapters long. In order to find out anything further, you're just going to have to read the story. On with the fic!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~----------------------~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 1: Lost...
~Dark Room~
A figure walks into the room and closes the door, holding some elongated item(about 11 inches long) in their right hand. The person walks across the room to a crystalline sarcophagus(coffin), which is up to the figure's waist. The person kneels down next to the sarcophagus and places their left hand on the clear, smooth surface of it.
"Rei..." the person says. A beam of light shines through an opening in a wall and illuminates the person's features... feminine countenence, a long white dress that drags the floor, sapphire-blue eyes and long golden-blonde hair, fixed-up in two odangoes.
Neo-Queen Serenity looks through the clear surface of the sarcophagus at the lifeless countenence of the once Sailor Mars. The raven-haired woman looks as if she is at peace yet, she appears as though something is missing from her achievence of said peace. A tear falls from the Neo-Queen's eye and trickles down her cheek, then falls onto the surface of the sarcophagus. She lays her head down on the smooth surface and her arms across the sarcophagus, tears roll from her eyes.
"I miss you so much, Rei!" Serenity says through her sniffles and tears, "Why!! W-why did you leave??"
"I still remember... when you died, eight years ago..."
Flashback...
"Why Mars!?" demands Sailor Venus, "Why have you betrayed the Queen!?"
Standing across the battle-field, Mars holds her sword forward, pointedly, toward Venus and the other injured senshi(Moon being the only one uninjured), "I have NOT betrayed Serenity!! I am merely carrying out my role!"
"Wha--" starts Venus but, is interrupted by Sailor Moon.
"What are you saying, Rei?" asks the Neo-Queen.
The use of her name by Serenity causes a smile, albeit emotionless, to cross the senshi of mars' lips. The smile quickly fades, "Isn't it obvious, Serenity?" she replies, "You and I are opposites... in every possible way! So, Shouldn't it also be obvious that with your happiness comes my PAIN!?" her sword de-materializes just before she throws a fireball into the ground at the Neo-Queen's feet but, Serenity doesn't so much as flinch... knowing Rei would never harm her.
However, The other senshi believe Mars was threatening the Neo-Queen and immediately retaliate. Jupiter throws a bolt of lightning toward the senshi of fire. Mars easily knocks the bolt away with her right hand, causing it to eliminate several of the youma accompanying her. Mars then, runs toward Jupiter so fast that the other senshi can barely even see her movements. By the time Jupiter realizes what Mars is doing, she attempts to raise her arms in a guard-stance, however, Mars thrusts her left shoulder into the brunette's sternum. After the intial attack, Mars straightens and hits Jupiter in the face with a left back-hand punch, knocking her around then Jupiter falls face-first onto the ground.
From Mars right, Venus fires a Cresent Beam at her. Without turning her head, Mars raises her right hand and the beam deflects off, piercing a youma's chest and killing it. Mars pulls her arm back, curling it to place her hand next to the left side of her head and then turns toward the senshi of love and beauty, swinging her arm in a sweeping-motion as she does. The action causes a streak of fire to explode up through the ground, beneath Venus' feet, knocking her backward.
Mercury throws her Ice Bubbles at Mars, from behind, and freezes her... temporarily. In seconds, A flaming aura enshrouds Mars and melts the ice.
"Pathetic attempt, Mercury." calmly states Mars, then she teleports(?) from where she's standing to just about a foot infront of the senshi of ice, slightly to the woman's right with her back still facing the blue-haired woman.
Mars thrusts her left elbow back into Mercury's abdomen, with added force by pushing with her right hand. Mercury crumbles to the ground and Mars stands back up straight. She looks back over toward Eternal Moon, who has a half-confused and half-terrified look on her face. Mars also notices tears starting to fill the Neo-Queen's eyes.
"You are 'not' going to cry, are you?" asks Mars, sarcastically.
Eternal Moon can't reply as she's too busy wondering what's happened to the fire senshi.
Mars closes her eyes, "You can all come out now..." she says, "Outer Senshi!"
Uranus, Neptune and Pluto jump down, placing themselves between Mars and Eternal Moon, their backs to the Neo-Queen.
"What has happened to you, Mars??" demands Uranus.
"You truly want to know..." Mars says, with a grin, "Then, You just have to defeat me."
"Fine!"
"Then, Let us get this over with." says Mars, calmly.
"Uranus World Shaking!!"
Uranus' blast heads straight for Mars, but she easily leaps the attack and dashes toward the three at a normal speed. Pluto dashes to meet her.
"Setsuna! Don't!" Uranus attempts to warn her but, the warning falls of deaf ears.
As Pluto and Mars near one another, the senshi of time swings her staff at Mars. Mars easily dodges, darting around behind Pluto and grabbing the older woman, hooking her right arm under Pluto's right arm(at her shoulder) and her left arm around Pluto's neck.
"Mistake, Pluto. I bet you thought you knew what I was going to do, huh?" Mars says, "I am no longer bound by your so-called 'set' timeline."
Mars then leaps into the air, carrying the time senshi with her. Mars backflips in the air, releasing her hold on Pluto as she does, throwing the senshi of time down onto the ground, hard. The senshi of fire then lands near the spot she was standing when Pluto swung at her and folds her arms.
"Which of you wants to be next?"
Neptune throws her Deep Submerge attack at the confident Mars but, as soon as the attack nears Mars, it evaporates.
"Foolish, Neptune." Mars says, unfolding her arms and holding her right hand out toward the senshi of water, "Allow me to demonstrate the power of fire."
Mars releases a fireball that flies at Neptune too fast to dodge and hits her in the chest, knocking her backward and onto the ground.
Mars lowers her arm and says, "You're the last one, Uranus."
"Why you!"
Uranus dashes at Mars and swings a right punch, Mars moves her head back slightly and avoids the contact. Uranus follows through, fluidly, with a left roundhouse thrust-kick(targeting the fire senshi's abdomen), however, Mars arches back out of the way. Uranus continues, though, coming around with a left backhand punch which Mars ducks. Immediately after Uranus' arm passes over Mars' head, the fire senshi comes up with a fierce right uppercut, nailing Uranus in the chin. Uranus uses the force to spin on her left foot and attempt a right roundhouse kick at Mars head. Mars blocks with her right forearm and Uranus reverses her spin and tries a right front-roundhouse. Mars ducks the second kick-attempt and spins clockwise, performing a right leg sweep which knocks Uranus' left foot out from under her. Finishing her spin and standing up before Uranus falls, Mars hits Uranus' solar plexus with a double-palm strike, knocking Uranus to the ground with force.
Mars walks over to the now petrified Eternal Moon and Aomizuchi suddenly appears, off to one side.
"Yes, Finish it! Kill Neo-Queen Serenity!" Aomizuchi says.
"No." Mars says, "I will fight Eternal Moon in a fair fight..." she materializes a flaming sword in her right hand. (Eternal Moon is already holding her sword in her right hand).
"I-I won't fight you, Rei!" Eternal Moon states, "I won't!" she throws her sword to the ground between herself and Mars.
"Are you sure, your highness?" Aomizuchi says, "Afterall, By fighting her, you *may* be able to save her... perhaps."
"Besides," Rei says, "It is the only way to end this."
"A-alright. I will. To save you, Rei."
"Very well, then." Mars says, moving her foot under the blade of Serenity's sword. She throws the sword up and Eternal Moon catches it, blocking Mars' downward swing by holding the blade up horizontally.
Mars brings her sword back and swings it horizontally from her left. Eternal Moon counters by dropping her arms down to place the blade of her own sword in the strike-path of Mars' sword. So Mars spins around and attempts a sword-sweep at Moon's legs but, the Neo-Queen jumps and lets the sword *swoosh* beneath her feet. Eternal Moon finally swings her sword at the fire senshi offensively and, as easy as it would be for Mars to parry the horizontal slash, the blade connects... cutting a gash across the fire senshi's abdomen and Mars drops to one knee.
"Oh no! Rei!!" Eternal Moon cries as she drops her sword and starts to kneel next to Mars.
"Stay your ground, Serenity." Mars says, with her left hand held out toward the Neo-Queen, "This is how it has to be." she forces herself to her feet, now covering her wound with her left hand, "Now, Let us finish... we shall play out our alloted destinies."
"But--" Moon starts to say but then there's a bright light off to the side(Moon's right, Mars' left).
Suddenly, Mars shoves the Neo-Queen out of the way of a blast from Aomizuchi, just as the attack hits the fire senshi's torso. However, Mars throws her flaming sword with her right hand and, as the sword pierces Aomizuchi's chest, Mars falls. Eternal Moon catches the fire senshi in her arms as the youma slowly burns.
End Flashback(long one, ne?)...
"I remember..." Serenity says, "I held you in my arms, just before you died." she raises her head and forces a waining smile, "I remember what you asked of me..."...
Flashback...
Eternal Moon is now on her knees, holding the dying fire senshi in her arms... The other senshi are recovering(none have any serious wounds). Mars is coughing and shivering slightly, her right hand is being held by the Neo-Queen's left.
"Rei..."
"It's alright... Usagi." Mars manages, she coughs again then swallows, "This is how it had to play out... Usagi, I've done alot of... bad things to you and--"
"Don't Rei." Eternal Moon interrupts, tears flowing freely from her eyes, "You... You don't need to apologize. I know you wanted me to be strong, I understand."
"I don't think... you do..." Mars says, then swallows again, "You don't understand h-how... deeply I love you, how deeply I... always have..." she forces a weak smile, looking up at the odango-atama, "Looks like my duties end here..."
"Why?... Why do you have to die?" questions Eternal Moon.
"I already told you... We are complete opposites, you and I. Thus... your life equals... my death." Mars says, then coughs, "But... There is... something. Just one time... just one time, I wish I-I... could have tasted your kiss. Just... once..."
"Just once..." Moon repeats, and adds, "You can." she leans down, her lips trembling slightly as she presses them to Mars' lips and... for the briefest of moments, Rei feels whole and finally experiences what she has so long desired, to taste her true love's kiss. At the same time... Usagi, at last, understands fully how the fire senshi has felt for her for so long and how deep that love runs. During which, Mars intwines her fingers with Usagi's and then... it's over. Mars' hand falls limp in Usagi's and her lips grow cold.
End Flashback...
"I granted your last request." the Neo-Queen says, "I gave you your dearest wish and... have discovered, lost the dearest wish *I* ever had... you."
She sniffles once, "Not for much longer, though. You were wrong, you know... there is one thing that is not opposite about you and I... with your death, I too died, inside." she continues, "My daughter is now old enough to take over my position as queen." she lifts the object that is in her right hand, revealing it to be a dagger, "Do you remember, Rei? You gave me this dagger during the Silver Millennium." she raises the dagger up, "Now I shall use it to try to find you." 'I love you, Rei.' she thinks 'And... hopefully, I shall see you soon.' she thrusts the dagger toward her chest ~*black screen/flash of red*~...
Next day...
~Outside the Crystal Palace~
"Where could she have gone?" questions Jupiter, to no one in particular.
"I wonder, as well." Mercury says.
"We have got to find her!" states Endymion.
Venus begins to say something, but is interrupted by a scream, "That sounded like it came from Mars' tomb!" she states, instead. The senshi and king go to the tomb to find out the reason for the scream. They enter the tomb to find the caretaker crying and why she screamed...
"The Queen!"
There, laying partially on Mars' sarcophagus is Neo-Queen Serenity, a dagger in her chest(obviously through her heart), dried blood around the blade and on the sarcophagus. Mercury turns and buries her face in against Jupiter's shoulder(she's standing closest to Mercury), Jupiter hugs the other woman to comfort her. Venus walks over to the Neo-Queen's body and confirms all the senshi's worst fear... Usagi is, indeed, dead. The love senshi then notices, in Usagi's left hand is a note. She collects the note and opens it.
"What does it say, Venus?" asks Uranus, just after wiping a tear from her right eye.
The senshi of love fights to choke-back her own tears and proceeds to read the note aloud...
*:Greetings, My friends.
I know you are sad about me but, I ask you not to grieve. I now find that eight years ago, upon Mars'... no, Rei's death, I too died. These years since, I have been like a walking corpse, an empty shell... as if my soul had died but my body was alive. Tell Endymion: I am sorry but, although I love him, I cannot continue with this pain. My daughter is old enough now to accend to Queen and I implore you all, please, follow her and teach her... help her as you have all helped me. I believe she may indeed be a better queen than I ever could have been. I love you all, my friends... but I know, now, that I belong with Rei, she is my other half and one cannot live missing half of themself... I have gone to be with her, my true love... because, only together can she and I be whole. I wish all of you well, my dear friends and... Goodbye...
Love, Tsukino Usagi:*
After wiping fresh tears from her eyes, Venus looks at the faces of the two and comments, "They do look as though they are both finally at peace."
"She was missing her true love and, she was lost..." Uranus says, then she looks beside her at Michiru, "She did the same thing I would have to be with my true love."
"She may still be *lost*." Pluto says, stoically(as always), "But, It was inevitable."
"What do you mean, inevitable?" asks Mercury.
"History always repeats itself..." Pluto explains, "Especially when it is such sad history. She is not the first Serenity to fall in love with one of her senshi... nor is she the first to have chosen duty. However, It is also true that she did not know of her feelings or those of Mars'. That is because Mars did not want to repeat that sad history. Unfortunately, As it happens, she failed to prevent it."
"Not the *first*...?" wonders Venus, out loud.
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To Be Continued...
Well? The first part's over. The next part will be mostly about ChibiUsa/Hotaru. However, In the beginning, there is some more about the *first*. Anyway, Hope you tune in to read it... Rei and Usagi will probably make an appearance near the end of the next(also last) chapter. Well, Be sure to read and review, ne? Ja!