Crystal Shards

Title: Crystal Shards

Author: kazeko

Chapters: 13

Show: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon

Series: no

Couples: Usagi/Mamoru, (Uranus/Neptune)

Time: SMR immediately following Every Cloud

Summary: The last seven episodes of Sailor Moon R, but a little different.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon, Takeuchi Naoko, Toei & Kodansha do.

Chapter 11: Serenity

Mamoru fell to his knees, eyes wide. "Usako . . . no. I can't believe I couldn't get there in time. Usako . . ."

Mamoru grunted as he landed on something hard and unyielding, finding himself in the darkness of his mind once again. "Oh no. I thought I got out of here."

In a shadowed throne to one side, leaning back and cleaning his sword nonchalantly, Prince Endymion snorted. "Oh, you did. But you failed, so I brought you back."

"I wish you'd quit doing that. I need to be out there."

"Whatever for? You can't save Serenity. You've already failed once."

Mamoru hung his head, then something inside him snapped. Jumping to his feet, he grabbed Endymion by the front of his shirt and lifted him into the air, his voice strong and sure, echoing in the confines of his mind. "That is quite enough of that! I did not fail! I saved Usako from the Black Crystal. When she saw that sword, some memory that the Black Moon could not erase came forth and freed her. I don't know what she saw, but when she looked back up, she was my Usako again. And I have to save her!"

Surprisingly, Endymion was smiling. "There's that spirit. Now that I have you back, I have a plan."

Mamoru groaned and lowered Endymion to the ground. "What?"

"We have to wake Serenity. Usagi, like you, has little to no power of her own. Only Serenity has power, and she's still asleep. We have to wake her up."

"And you know how?"

Endymion smiled, brushing himself off. "You may know Usagi, but I know Serenity, and my princess never realized her full potential before the end. For the final ascension to Crown Princess, she needed to be infused with the powers of all of the other planets. So, I think that if we send the powers of the Inner Planets and maybe Pluto, if she'll cooperate, into Usagi, Serenity will wake up to see what's going on. When I searched your memories, I was able to see that Serenity always emerges in times of great power and when the ginzuishou is needed."

"The ginzuishou is lost, Endymion, but this power idea might work. Of course, there's only one problem. The Black Crystal absorbs all energy—we know that already. If we just throw power at the power encasing Usako, the crystal will absorb it."

"Good! I was so afraid I had been given an idiotic Human body." Mamoru glared at Endymion, and the prince shrugged. "Sorry. Anyway, we have to channel the power through someone inside the power, beside Serenity, preferably with a link to her mind."

Mamoru instantly understood his alternate self's insinuation. "Me? You want me to go in there?"

Endymion waved his hand, and an image of Usagi appeared between the two men. She looked up at Mamoru, absolute love and trust in her blue eyes, and Mamoru reached out to touch her cheek. "Do you love her, Mamoru, as much as I love my Serenity?"

"Yes."

"Then you know the right thing to do."

Mamoru opened his eyes, glancing at the nine senshi gathered around him before leaping towards the column of black lightning, pulling out his gold-white sword as he ran. He heard the others call his name, but he would not stop. "Send me your power," he called, "as soon as I enter the crystal!" He vanished.

The senshi exchanged a confused glance, wondering what the prince meant. Shrugging, they formed two circles, the Inner Senshi inside, as all called on the power of their planets. There was enough power from the planets that each Senshi was able to take as much as her body could handle without having to worry about overload. The columns of energy twined together to make a single pillar, pausing for a moment as the senshi looked for a sign from the prince where they should send the energy.

A caped spirit stepped out of the pillar of black lightning, waving for the senshi to send their power. They recognized him as Prince Endymion, though they had no idea how he and Mamoru had been able to separate. Without a second thought, the eight senshi sent their gathered power to Endymion.

Mamoru walked slowly through the black lightning, sword held ready, as he sensed his Tuxedo Kamen persona take over. He used his enhanced link with Usagi to listen, praying he could find the woman before something else happened. He heard the echo of a sob, and he followed it into the center of the energy field. "Usako?"

"Mamo-chan?" Mamoru stopped still at the sight of his girlfriend chained to a long, tall pillar that seemed to be made of a piece of the black crystal, lightning dancing across her body every now and then to steal her energy. She was barely conscious, tear lines on her cheeks, tears exhausted. "Why are you here?"

"I came to save you," he whispered, sensing an energy field encasing the girl. She was dressed in her civilian clothes again, no more moon mark, lacking the power to maintain the princess form any longer. "But I need your help."

"I'm no help to anyone," she whispered, refusing to look at the tall man. "I can't believe I attacked my friends. I can't believe I joined Prince Demando. I would have killed you, Mamo-chan, without a second thought."

"That's not true. You hesitated, Usako. You could never have hurt me."

Usagi turned to face Mamoru, her eyes haunted and full of a pain her boyfriend had never seen. "Why did I give into him so easily? He was evil! I'm supposed to fight evil. But I became the thing I hate the most. I don't deserve to be saved, Mamo-chan."

"That's not true! I love you, Usako, and your friends love you, too. If you don't let me help you, you'll break our hearts."

"How could you possibly love me after all I did? And now he's using me to destroy the world. That's the only fate I deserve."

"Mama?"

Usagi's head shot up at the soft cry as a familiar pink-haired little senshi appeared beside Mamoru. Chibi Moon held out her gloved hands and walked through the barrier, her gold moon mark glowing fiercely. She stopped beside Usagi and touched the chain binding the older girl's legs. "Chibi Moon," Usagi breathed.

"Mama, why are you all tied up? What did that evil Wiseman do to you?"

"I did this to myself, Chibiusa. I betrayed my friends and I betrayed you. I deserve this."

Chibi Moon clenched her little hands into fists and glared at the girl who would one day be her mother. "I don't believe you. Mama always told me that as long as somebody loves you, there's something worth fighting for. No one who is loved is truly evil and no one who has good in them deserves to be in pain. You were brainwashed, Mama, and I know you can be strong again and help me save the world. I'm only a little girl and I can't do it by myself."

In her mind, Usagi watched as a hidden part of her stirred, reaching for something that was no longer there. "Where is the ginzuishou?"

"Gone," Usagi whispered to the familiar voice. It had to be Serenity. "It left us."

"Then we must find another way to save our daughter."

"Daughter," Usagi whispered. "You're my daughter." She closed her eyes, searching deep within her mind, and found herself facing Serenity, resting on a low couch in what looked like her old room on the Moon. Unlike Endymion, her mental voice was already strong, the personas locked inside carefully balanced. "Serenity, you have to go forward in time and wake up our future self."

"One, I do not believe that this plan is possible, and two, why?"

"Please, just do it. I'll get us out of here in the meantime."

Serenity stood and looked at her human counterpart, eyebrow raised. "Very well, but you must find one of the two ginzuishou. I cannot save the queen without it, and I doubt I can even save the queen with it."

Usagi nodded as the gold-haired princess vanished. She opened her eyes and jerked at her chains, tears flowing from her eyes again as she desperately struggled to escape. Chibi Moon grabbed the nearest chain and pulled, red eyes locking on Tuxedo Kamen. He held his sword out, pouring all of his power into it, and swung it down. All three flinched at the screaming sound the barrier made as it fell, Tuxedo Kamen recovering and touching his sword to the black chains holding his beloved. The metal screamed, much as his manacles had when Endymion touched his sword to them. He paused, thinking, and poured his own power into the sword, watching as it turned white. The chains let out a terrific screech as they vanished, Usagi falling to her knees, exhausted.

Mamoru leaned forward and caught Usagi, holding the young woman to his chest. "Oh, Usako. Are you okay?"

Usagi closed her eyes, enjoying the warm, secure feeling she always got in Mamoru's arms, tears in her eyes again. "Mamo-chan," she sighed. "I thought I would never see you again. I thought I had lost you forever."

"You'll never lose me, Usako." Chibi Moon moved into the embrace, taking Usagi's hand with one of hers and Mamoru's with the other. Tuxedo Kamen sensed Endymion move into position, and he stood, Usagi limp in his arms. "Usako, Endymion and I have an idea for defeating Wiseman. Can you do me a favor and . . . drop all of your mental and magical shields? Please?"

Usagi nodded. "I trust you." The blonde closed her eyes, and Mamoru felt her relax, ready and waiting for whatever he was planning. Praying that he wouldn't hurt the woman he loved so much, Mamoru closed his eyes and told Endymion to send the gathered power of the planets to him. He gasped as the mana of Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter filled him, flowing through him and into the slight woman in his arms. Her fists clenched, fingers digging into the fabric of his tuxedo as more and more power flowed into the princess. He felt a fifth . . . sixth . . . seventh and eighth . . . planet join the huge burst of power, then Endymion rejoined him and Earth's energy joined the other eight planets. Usagi spasmed in his arms, screaming at the overflow of power, and her eyes suddenly opened, staring at something her prince could not see.

Princess Serenity appeared beside the coffin that held her future self, laying both hands on the smooth crystal. She focused her will on the shards of black crystal imbedded in the clear stone, pulling with all her might, praying that they would come out. She felt warm hands on her shoulders, and the power of the King of the Earth and the Moon flowed into her. Slowly, the tiny crystal shards moved closer to the surface, the sleeping queen stirring slightly. Serenity poured more power into the queen, but without the ginzuishou, there was little she could do. She was about to give up when she felt a huge surge of power shake her frame, burning, consuming, energizing . . . the crystal shards flew out of the crystal and crumbled as the golden crescent moon reappeared in the center of the sleeping queen's forehead. Serenity poured more and more power into the coffin, screaming as the world exploded in brilliant light filled with every color of the rainbow and she was pushed out of the future.

Mamoru covered his eyes as Usagi glowed more fiercely than the sun, backing away from his girlfriend as she screamed again. When he opened his eyes, the woman standing before him was not Usagi, Sailor Moon, or Princess Serenity. She looked like . . .

"Mama?"

Neo-Queen Serenity looked around, wondering where she was, wondering why her daughter was wearing a Sailor fuku. "She's Sailor Chibi Moon," a soft voice informed her from the back of their mind. "She came to the past to find me to save you."

"Usagi, tell her about the crystal!"

"Oh, yeah. Neo-Queen Serenity, we lost the ginzuishou. When I tried to use it to free you, it vanished."

"You should have called on me," Princess Serenity scolded. "Queen, do you know how to get it back?"

"I'll have to find a way, won't I?" Serenity looked at Chibiusa, and she smiled. "Hello, Small Lady. I see you made it to the future. From what Usagi tells me, you were very brave. I'm so proud of you." Sailor Chibi Moon smiled as Serenity took a second to glance at her surroundings, easily recognizing the Black Crystal. She glanced at Mamoru and smiled at the strange glint deep in his dark blue eyes. "I need your help, my king. Come forward."

Mamoru jerked as King Endymion, who must have followed the Queen and Princess Serenity back through time, joined his body, a lavender suit replacing his black tuxedo, a sword on his waist. He stepped up in front of Serenity and placed his hands outside hers, staring into the space between her palms. The moon on Serenity's forehead began to glow, and the symbol of Earth appeared on Endymion's as both rulers poured their power into the space between the queen's hands. Chibiusa watched, entranced, as Serenity searched desperately for the crystal.

"It's not here! Where did that blasted crystal go?"

"I don't know, queen," Usagi whispered, appearing in the empty field of Serenity's mind. She was wearing her school uniform, eyes sad. "It must really be gone."

"It can't be," Princess Serenity argued. "Mother always had it, no matter what. It is bound to the royal family and can only disappear into one of us for its own protection. But I never learned enough about the crystal from Mother to know how to use it."

"The broach is gone," a new voice added as Sailor Moon appeared. Usagi's blue eyes widened in shock, and Moon grinned. "Hi, girl! I guess you thought I was gone for good! I didn't vanish with the crystal, which means it still must be here."

Queen Serenity sighed. "Mother, I wish you were here. I could really use your guidance right about now."

You don't need me, daughter. You need each other. One of you knows the answer.

The two Serenitys exchanged a glance as Sailor Moon shrugged and all eyes turned to Usagi. She sighed and held out her hands. "What can I do? I don't have any power. All I know how to do is call on my friends for help."

Sailor Moon's eyes widened. "Of course! Princess, Queen, Usagi; all of you give me your hands." The four joined hands, forming a small circle, and Usagi began, knowing her other-self's plan. Her voice echoed strangely, ringing with power.

"I am Tsukino Usagi, daughter of Ikuko and Kenji, older sister of Shingo, best friend of four wonderful girls, girlfriend of Chiba Mamoru. I love this world and I need the power to save it."

"I am Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, daughter of Queen Serenity, Heir to the Moon Throne, High Princess of the Silver Millennium, betrothed of Prince Endymion of Earth. I love this world and I need the power to save it."

"I am Sailor Moon, the Sailor-suited soldier of love and justice who will punish all evil in the name of the Moon, partner of the Sailor Senshi, girlfriend of Tuxedo Kamen. I love this world and I need the power to save it."

"I am Neo-Queen Serenity of the Earth, the Moon, and Crystal Tokyo, mother of Usagi 'Small Lady' Serenity, leader of the Sailor Star Senshi, beloved wife of Neo-King Endymion. I love this world and I need the power to save it."

As one they repeated, "I love this world and I need the power to save it."

A brilliant light surrounded them, encasing the three youngest and melding them together, making them one. They stepped back and let the future queen take control as she opened her blue eyes. The ginzuishou was glowing from between her hands. "Kami-sama," she breathed. "I found it. We found it."

She looked up and found herself outside the column of black energy, Chibi Moon and Endymion by her side, the senshi gathered around her. They stared at her, waiting for orders, knowing that the time for reunions was later. She took her crystal and turned to face the column of energy as Wiseman appeared, laughing. "Let's get rid of him once and for all," she growled. Her senshi nodded.

TBC