XX.

Rebirth

Queen Serenity watched in horror as Serenity stepped in the middle of the broken patio. The earthlight shone brightly at her, like a spotlight, her skin was as smooth as milk. She knew what her daughter was about to do as soon as she saw the menacing gleam of a sword that she recognized was Endymion's. For a few seconds, she stood frozen at the spot, too stunned. Then she tried to make her way through the heap of dead bodies to her daughter.

"No!" she called out. She called her daughter's name but her voice was drowned out by a soldier's scream. She quickly avoided the man swinging his sword to her, injuring him so badly that she wasn't sure if she actually killed him or not. Her head whipped just as Serenity plunged the blade in her chest.

"Serenity! No!" she screamed once again, tears had poured freely down to her cheeks. "No!"

Serenity stumbled a bit, her footing uneven, but then her body slumped beside Endymion and her head was on his chest. She muttered something before closing her eyes and did not move any longer. At that moment, the Queen's heart died along with her daughter.

A black light had resonated from the sun's spots and lighted Beryl just like the earthlight was like a spotlight to Serenity. Beryl had closed her eyes once again and when she opened them, a taunting sneer had stretched on her face. She mumbled something beneath her breath and a black light had swept among the kingdom once again, much more powerful than the last one. She watched as Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, and then Venus fell lifeless on the ground where they were standing. The Earth Soldiers too slumped on the ground, dead.

The Silver Millennium Crystal had vibrated under the Queen's touch and as the light came towards her, a form of shield had wrapped itself around her but it wasn't enough to keep her safe. She felt her skin tearing at different portions of her body, leaving her bloody. But she was still alive, a miserable feeling when everything you love is gone. Yet she knew she had a reason why she was still alive instead of Serenity.

She glared angrily at Beryl, limping towards her. Beryl was laughing, a screeching laugh that made her blood boil with anger. "Beryl! I'm still alive!" she screamed.

"What?!" Beryl's eyes widened in surprise but her taunting sneer was back on her face after a few seconds. "That doesn't matter. You'll die soon, anyways, Serenity. Do not worry, I'll make it quick. I can't assure you that it would be painless, though. But at least you'll be with your daughter."

Queen Serenity tried to keep her grief at the surface but it was too much for her. Yet she knows what she has to do.

"With the power flowing within my body, with the blood remaining in my veins, and with the goodness that keeps my heart pumping until this very second, I direct the Silver Millennium Crystal. Give me the power to seal the evil that threatens the balance between good and evil. Help me conquer the worst of the evil that had come upon us. Vanquish it and let peace once again rule this land!

"Moon Healing Escalation!"

Queen Serenity directed the power she had to Beryl who recoiled back in fear and terror. She told herself not to look at anything else but she caught sight of her dead daughter in her peripheral vision and grief had flowed freely from her fresh wound. For a moment, the white light coming from the Silver Crystal weakened. But Beryl and Metallia both screamed in unison. With a final blow of the blinding white light that filled the whole space, the light dispersed and silence engulfed her.

She felt her knees unbuckle and she was falling free on the ground. She crawled to a large slab of concrete that was once a part of a proud column that held her castle. Her energy was gone. She only had enough to breath in and out. Slowly, the star's lights flickered friendly at her, bidding her to go to sleep. She wanted to, badly.

"Queen Serenity!" two small voices came from somewhere in the distance. She opened her eyes reluctantly. Two small figures were coming to her. She recognized them as the loyal advisers, the royal cats: Luna and Artemis.

"Your highness," Luna murmured, her voice was breaking.

"Luna, Artemis, you're safe," she said so softly it was a whisper.

Luna nodded. "We were trapped beneath rubble but luckily Artemis found a small gap between the rocks so we were able to crawl out."

Queen Serenity smiled. "Well done, Artemis." Then she looked around at the dead bodies. "I can't feel the life forces of the Guardians of the Outer Planets. Saturn must have been awakened in the midst of all of this chaos. She must have wanted a fresh start for those three."

Luna and Artemis didn't say anything. They didn't knew what the Queen was talking about. Luna stared at the Queen, concerned. She was bloody and injured but she will heal quickly. But the wounds of the heart aren't like the wounds of the skin. The wounds in the heart will take centuries to heal.

"Your Highness, perhaps you should rest. You should start healing soon," Luna suggested hopefully. "Artemis and I can hunt for anything soft and you could lay there." But the Queen didn't hear them. She stared at the stars, her breathing was heavy and labored.

"There must be a way for them to live once again. I cannot remember the exact ceremony and I know the sacrifice will be great." The Queen seem to be speaking to herself.

"Your Highness," Luna said once more with the obvious trace of panic and grief.

The Queen lifted the scepter on her right hand. It seem to take even more of her little energy, but she has to do it. "Luna, please make sure my daughter will be safe." Luna exchanged an uncomfortable glance with Artemis but the Queen did not notice. "I want you to be there for her all the time. She may not remember anything at all but she will be happy. Make sure she will not grow to violence. Make sure she'll be the same Princess she was here."

"Your Highness, what are you talking about?" Artemis asked, fear in his voice.

"I'm going to use the Silver Imperium Crystal to revive everyone but not into this time. This time, they have died and they need to complete the cycle before living once again. I'll make sure I'll send them to the most peaceful era of the Earth Kingdom. Guide them and do not let them stray."

"No! Your Highness, if you use the Silver Imperium Crystal, you'll die! It's the curse of having the stone!" Luna screamed.

Queen Serenity shook her head slightly. "It does not matter if I live or die. As long as Serenity will be alive and happy, that's all I could ask. She has so much in her life with Endymion. I cannot let that be wasted." She focused her remaining energy to the Silver Crystal and muttered, "Moon Healing Escalation."

She did not see the bodies of the Guardians, Endymion, and Serenity being lifted by bubbles but she directed the power. She stretched it even longer to the Guardians of the Outer Planets. Someday, they will meet each other. Someday, there will be no heavy responsibility placed upon them that will keep them from each other. In the back of her eyelids, the Queen saw the eras of the Earth Kingdom. Each era grew more and more alien to her but the peacefulness did not linger. Finally, she saw the most alien era of all but it was peaceful enough. She decided her daughter could start from there. It was the least she could do. She sent the bubbles and her eyes never opened again.

It was a funny sensation, dying, I thought. I couldn't feel anything, I couldn't see anything, I couldn't hear anything. There was only darkness and numbness. I didn't realize right away that I was lying down on the floor but when I did, I sat up. The floor was neither cold nor warm. It wasn't solid or liquid or gas either. It was just there. I looked down and realized once more that I was naked. But the funny thing was, I couldn't feel anything. I just know I was naked.

I saw a faint light in the distance. Curiosity got hold of me. I stood up slowly and walked towards the light. As I got nearer, the light divided into two. They weren't lights, they were tunnels and at the end of each tunnel was a light. I looked at both of them and I actually felt something. One of the pathways smelled of burning rubber and was extremely hot. The light of that tunnel was glowing orange. The other was neither hot nor cold. Its light was plain white and I could actually smell the faint smell of flowers. I was about to walk to the tunnel with the pleasant smell of flowers when another choice had opened. This one was not a tunnel but more like a huge hole. I looked inside. It was wet, really wet and warm. Its warmth was not like the heat in the burning tunnel but cozy.

Somehow this hole was calling me more than the others. I shrugged and stepped inside the wet liquid. Everything left me, from my memories to my perceptions. I could only feel basic emotions and no words came to my mind when I felt them. I just did. I stayed there for a while when I realized that this wet place had a tunnel too. There was a light beginning to form at a very long tunnel. I liked staying here but I wanted to go to that light even badly. I swam and swam towards the light. I thought I wouldn't be able to get any nearer to that light. But soon I was moving with speed until...

"Uwaaaaaah!!!!"

Ikuko felt tired and pained but when she heard that noise, the discomfort was gone right away. She wanted to see the child. She tried to prop herself to her elbows but the nurse pushed her down, back to the soft bed. She had been in labor for eighteen hours. It had been a painful eighteen hours. But now, she felt much lighter. She wanted to see her first child.

"You did great, Ikuko," Kenji, her husband, whispered as he pressed his lips to her sweaty temples. "You did great."

"It's a girl!" the nurse said, approaching the bed with a small bundle of cloths. Wrapped in it was a small child with startling blue eyes.

"She's beautiful," Kenji muttered in disbelief. Ikuko smiled. Kenji wasn't the type who cries but she could hear his voice breaking.

"What will you name her?" the nurse said out of curiosity.

Ikuko thought about it for a second. Kenji and Ikuko had a deal that if their child was a girl, then Ikuko will name her. If it was a boy, then Kenji will name him. She looked uncertainly at her husband but he just gave her a watery, encouraging smile.

"I like the name Usagi."

Kenji smiled. "Usagi Tsukino. Moon rabbit. It has a nice ring to it."

Maybe it was just her imagination, a trick of the light, or her tired brain playing tricks on herself but she thought her child with the startling blue eyes actually smiled at the sound of her name.

Kenji stroked the child's soft head as gently as he could. "She'll affect a lot of people. She'll be someone who'll be looked up to."

Kenji was just saying that because he was just like any other parents, thinking their child was special, but he had no idea how accurate his prediction was. In the age of fourteen, Usagi Tsukino grew into the infamous, legendary, Sailor Moon.

`i'm finally done with Moon Princess! thank you guys for reading this and for your reviews! i don't own sailor moon but like i said, i loooove it! :D