Everything was cold. Usagi awoke in sunshine and a beautiful grassy field where flowers were blooming. But it was cold, so cold. There was no winds but the cold sunk in, clinging to her.
⌠What is life without darkness?■ A voice asked from behind her. She turned and pulled back in shock.
It was... her.
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⌠I will not give in!■ Lambda shouted at herself. Indeed, there was her self, a clone in her front who smiled.
⌠You didn▓t even realized that you live in a paradise. There was never a need for you.■ The clone said loftily. ⌠You do not need to be. Why fight? Why hope?■ Lambda▓s eyes welled up as confusion filled her.
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⌠Mankind is nothing but doubt and chaos,■ Mamoru▓s clone laughed boisterously. ⌠You say you have love for your Earth? Why? It▓s plagued by your pains, by your own sufferings. Why do you love it when it hates you?■
⌠Our Earth is our home. It is our life! We love her and she loves us!■ Mamoru shouted back, angry at himself as doubt crawled in his veins.
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⌠You so beautiful, Minako,■ The Minako look-alike smiled brightly. ⌠You could go so much farther if only you would realize the true potential, the true dark self that you have always hidden.■
⌠I don▓t have darkness within me! I fight for truth, love, and justice. Not for evil and bloodshed,■ Minako protested, unsure of herself.
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⌠You▓ll be alone from here to forever. You alienate yourself from all those that you say you love. But is it truly love? Or is it jealous?■ Ami stared at herself in angst. ⌠You are born of jealousy, aren▓t you?■
⌠No, I do things for my friends! I▓m not alone when I have them..■ Ami added hesitantly.
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⌠You lose and you lose, never to gain,■ Makoto looked up to see her other self smiling so coldly. ⌠You▓re never meant for the light.■
⌠I believe in life, in the light we all carry.■ Makoto said through gritted teeth.
⌠And yet you cry yourself to sleep each and every night,■ Makoto▓s eyes widen as pain washed through her.
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⌠The fire that dwells within in uncontrolled. You think you can be a divine creature?■ Rei▓s copy smiled thinly. ⌠You▓re shallow and heartless. That is your true self.■
⌠I▓m not like that!■ Rei wailed.
⌠But you only love yourself, you favor all of you besides even those that you love, even your husband.■ Rei▓s copy smirked.
⌠No...I love him..■ But her face was white as she struggled with those words.
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⌠A being of darkness has always lived in you,■ Hotaru tried to block the voice from her ears. ⌠You think others care for you now? You can never be good, never be a true self with worth. You were even rejected from darkness.■
⌠I▓m not rejected. I▓m somebody! I do things for the good of others, not for you!■ Hotaru choked on her sobs.
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⌠You rely on your confusion. Man or woman? Person or soldier? What is the real you?■ Haruka tried to punch at her self only to find herself missing again and again. Her clone laughed loudly and coldly. ⌠You would rather hide in the shadows of the dead.■
⌠You will never know me!■ Haruka screamed.
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⌠Your visions of darkness are so perfect that you seek perfection in yourself,■ Michiru▓s clone smiled happily. ⌠You try to tell yourself, I will save everyone but yet you are willing to sacrifice.■
⌠I will save everyone..■ Michiru began.
⌠But you can▓t even save yourself...■
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Usagi stared at her self in silence. It looked just like her, in all aspects but the others eyes were...
...Dead.
⌠Who are you?■ Usagi whispered.
⌠I am you, I am the darkness.■
⌠No!■ Usagi shouted fervently.
⌠Don▓t you get it? Why do you think others hunger for the Silver Crystal? It feeds on the darkness.■
⌠It▓s for the good of mankind..■
⌠It is the worst of mankind.■ Her self smiled. ⌠Made in the blood of the murdered, fueled by the darkness of loneliness and doubt that no one can escape from. It is the embodiment of true darkness. And it all comes from you..■
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⌠Hope is an illusion, a path that will lead you no where,■ Lambda▓s self said coldly. ⌠Hope is what kills you.■
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⌠Earth is dying because of your kind!■ Mamoru▓s self stated. ⌠It is your blood, your pain, and your darkness that burns it into scars.■
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⌠True beauty doesn▓t come from within,■ Minako▓s self shook her head. ⌠It is created by the dark forces of foolish wishes of those who long to be ▒beautiful▓. Just like you.■
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⌠Everyone is alone. They were born alone and they will die alone,■ Ami▓s self pointed to the blue haired girl. ⌠You will never be free of loneliness.■
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⌠Light will never come! Only death and destruction is all that we are meant for. We will fight until we are all dead,■ Makoto tried to speak but felt something close around her throat.
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⌠We are all empty shells, to be pooled into darkness. It rules us, fills us with the power we seek.■ Rei tried to clear her head but the clouded feelings grew. She whimpered as coldness set in.
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⌠You cannot save yourself, let alone anyone else. You can and will always fall into the darkness because as much as you resist, you want it even more.■ ⌠NO!■ Hotaru shouted, frustration written all over her face.
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⌠You are confused because you want to be darkness. You like the idea of bloodshed, of people suffering and the pain of glory, don▓t you?■
Haruka shook her head violently. ⌠I.. I like peace!■
⌠Peace of darkness...■
⌠No!■
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⌠Darkness is perfection, why do you refute it? It is all that you ever wanted, isn▓t it?■
⌠Because I see the perfection in life,■ Michiru tried to say. Her self laughed only louder.
⌠There is no perfection in life, only chaos..■
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Setsuna, though she was also in the field, stood with her eyes closed. Her self stared at her in contempt.
⌠You think you know everything? All that will happen? It won▓t you know!■
⌠I know,■ Setsuna answered, her eyes still closed.
⌠You were born to eternal loneliness. All that you have sought for will not come to pass.■
⌠That might be true.■
Her self glared angrily. ⌠Time will never go right for you!■
Her eyes opened slowly. ⌠And it shouldn▓t. But time does not control us. We can how and who we are without it.■
⌠Foolish dreamer!■ Her self hissed.
⌠I dream... because I know that whatever future we have, it▓s what we will make!■ Setsuna▓s Garnet Rod appeared. ⌠I know who you are. You are all of my loneliness. You seek to put me in but is that what you want?■
⌠What...■
⌠I can make you better, I can save you.■
⌠You can▓t save me.■
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⌠You can▓t save me..■ The voice echoed all over the plains. Each person heard it and felt it▓s pain. Each looked at their clones and realized something. These creatures of so-called darkness, was themselves.
⌠People are given doubt and fears,■ Usagi said quietly. Her bosom glowed as her dress reformed and her crystal appeared once more. The others slowly came to view and Usagi▓s self began to back away. ⌠It▓s what we were given, this free will.■
⌠You are all lonely...■
⌠You▓re right, we cannot deny that fact. And while we may make friends, find lovers and start family, we will never shed that. Not until we believe in ourselves.■
⌠Believe...■ Usagi▓s other self faded as she whispered those words.
⌠Something is trying to mess with our mind!■ Rei began angrily. ⌠Who is it?■
⌠It is Mother Earth..■ Everyone turned to Setsuna in shock.
⌠Setsuna-mama?■ Hotaru whispered.
⌠She has long since watched over us. Unknowingly we have been killing her, filling her with our own loneliness, our own doubts and fears. She drinks the blood that has fallen, feel each one▓s pain as it grows each day. She is dying because of us.■
A figure appeared in the front of them.
⌠No...■ Lambda cried out.
It was the one who came from her dreams. The one who gave her the Crystal of Light.