Hello everyone. I promised once a long time ago that I would finish it and here it finally is. I might make an epilogue? But only if many of you ask for it. I hope you enjoy the end of this story...I know quite a few of you might not be happy with it but I did the best I could to tie up as many loose ends as possible. There were also hints to this happening awhile back... But well, I hope you enjoy. Please leave a comment if you want an epilogue or if you liked it. Thanks so much for reading!
xoxo
Everyone was busy. Mamoru was taking care of Usagi, Rei and Ami were with the Shitennou and the Black Moon clan, and Mako was cooking a meal for 15 people. Arguably, Minkao should have been with Rei, questioning the Black Moon clan and coming up with a plan. But she was not.
Instead she was in the park, on her favorite swing set. The white cat she'd had since she was 16 was with her, watching over her silently. Her clear blue eyes were set on the sky. She wished she could cry. As usual, Minako was enveloped in memories she couldn't control.
"Serenity! You have to get out of here!" Venus looked at her princess desperately. The army had already gotten past the fourth gate, they would be on them any moment. She was desperately holding on to that one hope that she could get Serenity out. She didn't have the same hope for herself.
"Venus, no! I can't leave you!"
The leader of the princess's guard made her face go hard, even though her heart was breaking. She grabbed Serenity's wrist tightly, painfully.
"This isn't the time, Serenity. Endymion is waiting for you in the gardens." Lie, her mind shouted, lie. As always, it came easily. "I'll meet you on Earth. We can take the moon kingdom back! But you need to escape, first."
It should have worked, but Serenity was still there, staring at her with those big beautiful eyes. Venus loved her more in that moment than she had her whole life. She leaned forward and kissed her, pledging her life and loyalty. "I'll be fine." She said, with more confidence than she felt, handing her princess her sword.
Serenity turned and ran, and Venus felt the pressure in her chest recede. There. She would be safe with Endymion on Earth. There was a clicking noise behind her and she turned.
"Kunzite!" She exclaimed, relieved. "It's Beryl—"
"I know." Said the soft voice of her sometimes lover. But it sounded different. Cold. Like stone. Minako hesitated.
"They'll be here any moment. The army. We have to hold them back, before Endymion and Serenity…" She trailed off, trying to place the expression on Kunzite's face. Perhaps she couldn't place it because it was blank. "Help me hold them back." She said in a small voice. She didn't know it but there was a hint of pleading in it.
"It would be a waste." Kunzite said into the silence between them. The din of the battle was getting louder. "It would be a waste for you to die at their hands. My love."
It was the way he said love that made it finally click.
"You've betrayed us." She said it with certainty, and a kind of shocking bottomless sorrow.
"So have we all." Kunzite murmured with a small smile. He raised his sword. Minako didn't remember calling forth her chains. She only felt them burning in her hands.
—
The footsteps behind her were ones she knew well, but she didn't turn around.
"She's asleep." Came the quiet tenor of Mamoru's voice. Minako didn't respond. Didn't know how to. The man she had most hated, the man she had blamed for the death of her princess…had died to protect her.
"She told me to come talk to you." He offered hesitantly, staring at the blonde before taking a seat on the other swing. His gangly body looked comical in it.
"Did she tell you?" Minako finally said, turning and staring at him flatly. "Did she tell you how she died?"
"Somehow it didn't come up." Mamoru said dryly, causing a small smile on Minako's lips. "Beryl—"
"No. It wasn't Beryl." She cut him off.
"Then who—" He stopped, sensing Mina was a bout to speak.
"All these years. All these years I thought it was you." Her voice was far away, and Mamoru was frozen in his seat. "Do you know how I died, Mamoru?"
The prince of the Earth blinked and looked away, ashamed of the answer. "Kunzite."
Minako laughed, seeming to genuinely find it funny. "No. That's not right. Is that what he told you?"
"I just…assumed." Mamoru said uneasily. He didn't like talking about this, but he sensed that she needed to. "If it wasn't him, then how did you die?"
"I never did."
—
Kunzite's shattered sword was next to him, broken into millions of pieces by a gold chain. Across the white floors there was blood, and bodies. The army had managed to penetrate the castle, but not many had found this room. Only five or six. Minako had killed them all as they entered, easily. Mindless as they were it wasn't difficult. The majority of her attention was taken up by Kunzite. He feinted, he dodged, he came in for close attacks because he knew at a distance she'd cut him to pieces with those razor sharp chains.
But Minako was fast, so much faster than him. She slid away from his sword easily, felt breaths of air on her arms as the weapon that was meant to kill her narrowly missed that pale white skin. She felt each of them fall. Mercury was first, then the absence of Jupiter and last…Mars.
And then she saw it— her opening. There it was, in that fractions of a pause. She brought her hands down fast and hard. The gold chain wrapped around Kunzite's sword and snapped it in half. In a practiced motion she moved again, and watched the chain cut across his chest like butter. He fell.
It wasn't until then that she noticed the wetness on her stomach. She looked down and blinked, almost not comprehending the large gaping hole left there by Kunzite's last jab. She was on her knees and she was bleeding.
A cold icy hand ripped her heart out of her chest. She screamed involuntarily.
"NO! Serenity!"
It was over. There was no hope left.
—
"After that guards came into the room to kill me, but suddenly…" Minako paused, as if unsure what to make of the next part. "We were floating. All of us were floating. And that's it. That's all I remember."
Minako gave herself a little push on the swing, hearing it squeak as she swayed back and forth.
"Minako…"
"No, don't. All this time. Since I was sixteen." Her voice was coming out strained, "I thought it was you. I hated you so much." A solid lump was forming in her throat and she tried to choke it down, tried to distract herself by digging her fingernails into her legs. It didn't work. She let out a choking noise and tears started flowing down her face. Mamoru knew better than to reach out to comfort her.
"No…I didn't kill her." He said, causing her to look over at him. His own hands were clenched.
"She took her own life." Minako whispered. "You never failed her. I did. I never taught her to keep fighting. She took…she took her own life. I blamed you and it was never your fault. I'm sorry."
She didn't expect the warm hand over hers and she looked up through her tears. Mamoru had an endlessly gentle expression on her face that she hated. "I'm glad you did."
"What?"
"If I had seen you any less fierce about protecting her I would have stolen her away a long time ago." He said with a smile that was a little ashamed. Minako glared at him and then rolled her eyes.
Mamoru's face turned serious. "Serenity died by her own hand…but it was only because I was too weak to save her. Too eager to die for her. I should have known…with how things were…How could something so delicate survive?" Mamoru looked away and thought of Usagi glowing pink as she walked into the room with Demand. "Let's stop this Mina." He squeezed her hand and pulled her offf the swing. "The battle isn't over yet…"
"We will not let the past repeat itself." Minako said automatically, wiping her tears away. For the first time, Mamoru agreed.
"No. We wont."
—
Rei's apartment was full of smells she wasn't used to. Mako had opened the door and the windows and the heady smoke smell that usually permeated her apartment was gone, replaced by the smell of food. The shitennou were sitting at the table silently, not quite comfortable with the presence of senshi who weren't Rei in the room. Rei considered startling them out of their stupor, but everyone had had a long day. They had to enjoy these peaceful moments while they could.
"I need someone to go get more onions!" Came an announcement from the Kitchen. Mako looked out over the small island at Nephrite with her eyebrows raised. He looked around a little helplessly and got up to go do as she asked. "And you two— make yourself useful. Start washing the dishes I've already used. Jadeite, set the table."
In the kitchen, Mako spoke with easy authority, sounding like a mother getting all her ducklings in order. Without waiting to see if they complied she turned back to her stew, tasting carefully. Ami was on her computer, clicking and typing quietly every once in awhile but Rei could see the small smile on her face. Who didn't enjoy the sight of four grown men obeying someone wearing a frilly pink apron?
Where had she even gotten that thing? Rei certainly didn't own it.
Nephrite came back with a bag of onions. He tried to hand the bag to Mako but she looked at a knife and a cutting board pointedly and he started chopping them instead. It was a little cramped with the four of them in the kitchen.
Rei felt them before she heard them, and she looked at the door. It opened with a quiet click, in came Mamoru and Minako. The house seemed to still, expectant and unsure. Mamoru had said he was going to talk to her, which to the shittennou had seemed like a death wish. But he had insisted on going alone, and told Rei to threaten them with bodily harm if they followed him. They knew better than to try. The raven haired beauty wouldn't hesitate to follow his suggestion.
The two stood awkwardly on the threshold, before Minako looked up, her eyes searching until they locked on Rei's. Shit.
"My….GIRLFRIEND!" Minako shrieked, leaping across the room and pouncing on Rei Hino, covering her face with overly amorous kisses.
"MINAKO GET OFF ME! Jadeite help!"
"No, no, I don't want to get between your love." Jadeite said with good humor, watching Minako's kisses with more than a little interest.
"Minako I swear to mmff—" Minako was kissing her mouth now and Rei pulled her hair to get her off. Ami had gotten up to help, Mako was laughing in the kitchen and the Shittenou were grinning.
"I got thirty on the blonde." Kunzite said to Nephrite, who shook his hand.
"Bet. Rei can handle her."
The shrieking and the wrestling continued.
Unnoticed in the commotion, Mamoru went into the room Usagi was sleeping in.
—
She was an angel, he thought as he closed the door to the noise behind them. Even if she did drool on the pillow and was currently snoring loudly. His princess, disturbed by the sudden noise, opened her eyes groggily. He sat on the bed next to her and she encircled his waist comfortably. Mamoru ran his hands through her hair, marveling that he was finally allowed to do it. That they could share this moment, that there was nothing to struggle against, and she wasn't being kidnapped and she was just here. She was real.
He let out a shuddering sigh and put his head in his hands, trying to slow the beat of his heart, to still the sickening anxiety that threatened to overwhelm him when he thought of Demand with his lips on her neck, when he thought of her tears.
"Chiba-san…"
The voice brought him back to reality. "Tsukino-baka." He replied, with the trace of a smile on his face, his eyes roving over her restlessly. Usagi buried her face closer to him and then leaned back, inviting him to lay with her. He took off his shoes and they both shifted positions, but instead of encircling her in his arms, he found she was wrapping hers around him. Protecting him.
From outside the room they could hear banging, & what sounded like 'MINAKO IM GOING TO KILL YOU' being shouted by Rei's unmistakeable voice. Usagi snorted and Mamoru grinned, then closed his eyes, leaning into her neck as she ran her fingers through his hair.
"I guess you talked to Mina."
"I guess I did." He mumbled, his back tightening, his hands imperceptibly drawing her closer. "Why didn't you tell me?" His memories of the silver millennium were hazy, but he would never forget that last night. Beryl, before them, furious that he would not leave his princess for the earth. Furious that he wouldn't love her. And then, her hand coming down, towards Serenity. He winced unconsciously from the memory. The ghost of pain flitted over his chest for a moment.
"First I didn't know…and then…" Usagi paused, drawing small circles onto his skin with light gentle touches. "I didn't want you to change your opinion of me."
"Usagi—"
"I was a coward." He heard anger in her voice for the first time. "But I had never been taught to be anything else. Who was I without my protectors?"
It was too much. Who was she without her protectors? Only everything. He let out a slow strangled noise and tried to fight for a moment before succumbing to tears. He wept into her chest and she held him tightly.
"I can't lose you." He whispered through his tears, uncaring that she was seeing him break down. And then, what he didn't want to tell his soldiers, "I'm afraid."
She was kissing his hair, then, and he looked up, and then she was kissing his eyes and his tears and his face and he couldn't help laughing. She was so real. She wasn't a dream, or a memory. He met her lips, and a sudden surge of happiness burst through him like a star. It didn't take long for him to become completely involved, in her smell, her body, the way she held him like she needed him closer than mere physicality allowed.
He only noticed he'd taken her shirt off and his hand was in her bra when the door opened and Ami yelped, turning crimson before banging the door closed. It didn't take long for the door to open again, it was Minako.
"YOU BETTER NOT BE DOING ANYTHING UNTOWARD, CHIBA!" She was shouting, only being held off by Rei, and then deftly carried off by Mako. Rei looked in the room and winked.
"The food's ready. I'd come out if you want any, the boys haven't had ever had real food and I doubt they'll be willing to save you some."
"I make real food." Nephrite whined from behind the door, somewhere in the kitchen. Mako objected strongly in the form of some choice curses. Rei rolled her eyes and shut the door again.
Mamoru and Usagi stared at the closed door for a moment before Usagi started laughing and Mamoru groaned, trying to get his brain together. She pulled his hands down, grinning at him.
"Let's go eat."
"I know what I could eat." Mamoru growled, causing Usagi to blush. He grinned and kissed her, but she managed to extricate herself from another embrace.
"I would never miss one of Mako's meals, for you. Sorry." She said without pity, with a small smile on her face. She paused though, and kissed him again. This one was slow and sweet. "I love you." She murmured into his face.
"I love you too."
—
Usagi quietly contemplated the table they were at as she ate (she could do both things at once). It amazed her, this small family of hers. She had gone from being alone, to being surrounded by people she loved. A somewhat dysfunctional family, to be sure (she noticed Minako was still not speaking to the Shittennou, and perhaps she never would, but at least she wouldn't kill them if they were in the same room as her), but a family nonetheless. For a brief moment she could forget about Beryl.
After the meal she sighed. They were in one of those moments where the chatter had ceased and everyone was just quiet. She almost didn't want to break the silence.
"I'd like to say something." Usagi said, causing everyone to turn to her. She blushed, not really liking the attention and not sure if she was ready to make a speech. She plowed on anyway. "I just wanted to say thank you… for coming to get me. I couldn't ask for better friends. I only hope I can repay the debt I owe you." She raised her hands at their on coming protests. "I know you think it's your duty, and I know I am…I was the princess, in our past lives."
Usagi trailed off for a moment. "But I'm not anymore. I'm Usagi now. And you are my family. And I'd like to protect you, too. If you give me the chance."
It was as close as she could get to a speech and she blushed, sitting down. Mamoru kissed her on the cheek and everyone started ooooing. Kunzite started chanting "kiss kiss kiss" and everyone joined in until they did again. The evening quietly dissolved into laughter and talk.
Usagi only hoped they didn't catch on to her true meaning. It wasn't time for grim thoughts. Let them have this happy moment.
—
It was 4 in the morning when she woke up, blinking sleep away from her eyes as she moved out of Rei's bedroom and crept out into the kitchen, past the hallway and to the front door. She had put her shoes in the specific place she had because she'd known she wouldn't be able to find them in the dark. She reached down and was relieved to find them there. She put them on without a sound and reached for the door.
"I didn't believe them when they told me."
Usagi almost shrieked but held herself back at the last moment. Her heart was pounding. The light clicked on and she squinted against it. Makoto Kino was leaning on the wall, looking at her with as much disapproval as she could muster.
"Mako? What are you doing up? I'm just going out for a walk." Usagi whispered, trying to still the beating of her heart.
"Don't bother whispering, no one's here." The brunette said. As Usagi's eyes adjusted to the light she finally noticed that her strongest friend was fully dressed. Alarm raised the hairs on her neck. The sleeping bodies of her other friends weren't on the floor where she'd left them after she went to bed.
"What do you mean no one's here? Where'd they go?"
"They went out ahead of us. You weren't really going to go fight Beryl in your pajamas, were you?"
"Fight Beryl— I don't—"
"Don't, Usagi." Mako cut her off. "You and I are the worst liars in the group, so I don't know how you thought you could get away with the whole 'give me a chance to protect you' thing, but everyone saw right through it."
"I don't know what—"
"Well, except me. I didn't. But I'm kind of trusting, ya know. So they've all gone ahead without you. Go get dressed and we can catch up if we're quick enough."
"Mako-Chan." Usagi's head was beginning to hurt, "Tell me you're lying."
"You'd know if I was." Mako said casually. "I'll wait for you in the car. And don't try to give me the slip. Don't know why you'd want to anyway. All of your friends have headed into danger, we'd never let you go alone."
"I didn't think you would." Usagi mumbled bitterly, going back to the room she'd been staying in to dress. She didn't think they would, which was the whole point of sneaking out. She pulled on some warm socks, pants, a comfortable shirt, and borrowed one of Rei's leather jackets. It smelled like her friend, which brought her some comfort. A small, un-annoyed part of her was grateful that her friends had seen through her trick. She'd made up her mind to face Beryl as soon as she could— confident she'd have the power to overcome the ancient Queen, but that didn't mean she wasn't scared.
She locked Rei's door as she left and got into Mako's car. Mako already had the heater on. Balefully, she noticed none of the bikes were there. They really had gone on without her.
"Oh, stop looking so miserable." Mako said with what a snort. It only made Usagi pout harder. "Frankly you're lucky I talked Rei out of staying. She would have given you a real tongue lashing. And Ami would have just broken your heart with those little eyes of hers."
Usagi grunted. She knew her friend was right, but it was VERY early, and she was in a VERY bad mood at having been caught.
"There's donuts in the back." Mako supplied. Usagi held out for a few moments before sighing and reaching back for the donuts. She was in a considerably better modo after she'd eaten a few of them.
"Mako I'm sorry. I just..If you had seen Mamoru this afternoon…" She looked out of the fogging windows and drew a small figure on the glass. It was a heart. She hastily rubbed it away.
"You're just lucky he doesn't know you tried this." Mako said quietly. "He'd be angry as hell."
"He doesn't know?"
"Minako kept it from him."
Of course she had. Some things never changed, but for once, Usagi was grateful.
"He was so scared."
"And you aren't?"
Usagi set her mouth mullishly, staring out into the hazy darkness.
"Usagi, the rest of us have the right to fight this with you. It's our world too. You're our family too." Mako shifted gears and they drove on in silence, with only the purr of the engine to drown out their thoughts.
It was almost time.
—
Ami had brought the portable x-ray (much more useful than she had anticipated when she "borrowed" it) and had hooked it up to Kunzite's car. Correction. To Kunzite's ex-car. She was pretty sure it was Mina's now. At least, he hadn't said anything when Minako demanded the keys (without looking at him) prompting shocked expressions from the other Shittennou. They knew that car was his baby.
Now it was Minako's baby.
They had been working since Usagi had gone to sleep. Minako had sent Mamoru and his soldiers to Terra, and she had remained behind with her senshi where she had carefully explained Usagi's plan and how exactly they would counteract it.
It didn't matter. When Ami had heard her friend speak at dinner she'd noticed a trace of sadness, but had pushed it out of her mind. Luckily, Minako had better instincts than she did. Ami sighed, tapping her machine & wishing it had more expansive capabilities. Minako was next to her with her feet on the dashboard. She had switched the radio to what could only be described as "stakeout music" and was sipping a cup of coffee.
"Anything?" She asked in a gruff voice, and Ami was sure she was imitating what she thought a cop might sound like.
"Nothing, boss." Ami replied in an equally hard boiled voice, causing Minako to snort with good humor. Ami knew it was all for show. Both of their nerves were humming with anticipation. They'd gotten as much as they could out of the members from Black Moon, and Ami had been given a short chance to study the stone Demande had carried… but it wasn't nearly enough time. The problem was, they had to strike fast if they wanted to catch Beryl unawares…and even that was doubtful. Usagi had let off such a strong energy signal that it was practically impossible Beryl didn't know the silver crystal had awakened.
They had pulled up to this hundred year old church, the place where she felt the strongest pull from the black stone and stopped outside of it. They'd been here since 2, sleeping for brief 15 minute breaks before getting up and continuing their vigil.
"I don't know how Usagi thought she was even going to find this place." Ami said, more to herself than to Minako.
"She's a resourceful girl, our princess." Minako was flipping through one of her favorite mangas idly. "I'm sure she'd have managed it."
Ami blinked when she heard the sound of a car and turned around. It was Mako. Right on time. "How'd you know the exact time she was going to get up, anyway?"
"It's Usagi. She wouldn't be able to wake up without getting at least 5 hours of sleep." Minako snapped her book shut. "I'll be right back."
Ami watched her walk to the other car and talk into the window. She came back shortly. "She's doing the whole silent treatment thing."
"Well." Ami murmured and sighed. "Mina, I'm glad you've been my friend…"
"Let's not start with that." Minako said, glancing into her rearview mirror and suddenly grinning. "Rei is here."
"With the boys?"
"With the boys."
xoxoxo
Rei skidded to a stop and parked her motorcycle with ease. She heard the rest of her companions stop behind her. She pulled her helmet off and shook the mane of black hair that inspired so much envy from other girls. The air was cold, she thought she could begin to feel hints of the coming season. Summer was almost over. The sun was going to rise soon. The shittennou murmured to themselves behind her. They had come up with such a sketchy plan that it was almost embarrassing. This was what the great warriors of the moon had been reduced to.
17 year old kids with a penchant for mischief. It wasn't much of an army. She supposed it'd have to be enough. The nearness to their objective made Rei's breath hitch, and she could feel the stone's presence like a cold hand reaching towards her brain. She frowned and pulled a cigarette out of her pocket nervously.
"You really should quit. I don't think Usagi likes it much that you smoke." Said a voice in a familiar tenor behind her.
"I don't think it's Usagi's business what I do, Jadeite." Rei retorted curtly, "Or yours. How are the boys?"
"Nervous. Kunzite is…I've never seem him look so serious." The blonde looked towards the church uneasily and sighed, running his hand through his hair. "We're afraid."
"Don't be." Rei said with more certainty than she felt. "You wont fall. We wont let it happen."
Jadeite smiled hollowly and watched the smoke rise from Rei's cigarette. He cleared his throat. "You remember…the promise—"
"I remember." Rei snapped. That's right. The promise to kill him if it looked like he might betray his king again. To kill all of them. She didn't want to think about that promise. "But it wont happen." She hissed fiercely, and then winced when Jadeite leaned his head on her neck.
"I love you." He murmured into the fabric of her shirt, before kissing her and walking back to the rest of them. Whatever happened would happen. That was just how it had to be.
Rei felt her heart thump painfully in her chest and let out a deep sigh. She threw her cigarette on the ground and stomped it out hastily. It was almost sunrise. It was almost time.
xoxoxo
Minako was staring fixedly at the sky. It was uncharacteristic of her to be still for so long, but this was a special occasion. They were either going to die or make things right. There was no other option. It brought her a sense of calm that she hadn't felt since before her memories came back. It would be over soon.
The plan was this: Wait for dawn, when the moon and the sun would both be in the sky. The boys would go out back. The girls in front. Usagi behind them. It would be an ambush to kill the queen they had hated for so long.
She should have known not to count on Usagi's cooperation. This was the thought she had a split second after she saw two gold pigtails stream past her car window. Makoto was running behind her.
"Looks like we're moving ahead of schedule!" Minako quipped as she hopped out the car. She caught up to Makoto, "I thought you were supposed to watch her."
"She gave me the slip." Makoto grumbled. "And she's fast. When she wants to be."
"Honestly why do we even make plans anymore." Ami groaned from behind them. She wasn't a fast runner, but adrenaline was definitely helping.
"It's good to have structure." Minako said, speeding up and doing a quick flip over a car. Behind her she heard motorcycles being started and circling back behind the church. Excellent. At least 1/2 of the plan would go right. Minako narrowed her eyes. Usagi was nearly to the front gates, but surely she wouldn't be strong enough to pull the door open by herself.
"Since when can she do that?" It was Rei, suddenly besides her, glaring at the pink portal that Usagi had formed in front of her.
"I guess after her practice at the apartment?" Minako said breezily, trying to hide the increasing anxiety she was beginning to feel. How had that girl gotten so damn fast?
"It's actually quite impressive." Ami called from behind them.
"No offense guys, but shouldn't we have reached the gate by now?" Mako barked. Her face was red and she was sweating heavily. "And I'm like 100% sure I'm faster than Usagi. Something's going on."
"Look. The gate is just as far as when we started." Ami murmured, slowing down and putting her hands on her knees, panting.
"Shit." Minako spat out. "How are we going to—"
"It's Usagi." Rei interrupted. "Usagi's doing this. Remember the calming thing she did? She's doing this."
"Shit!" Minako said again, glaring at the door as the portal shut. "Well. She'll have to stop sometime. Let's hope she didn't think to include the shitennou in this stupid plan of hers. C'mon. Start walking."
The girls sighed and started walking towards the entrance, though it got no closer.
xoxoxox
Usagi had been sitting in Makoto's car for over an hour without talking. Mako had been happy to keep up the silence, which left plenty of time for Usagi's thoughts to wander. How could she get out of this situation? It wasn't that she didn't appreciate her friends help, but this really hadn't been part of the plan. She was tired of all of it. She was sick of being the frail princess, sick of having to be saved. For once, she wanted to do the saving. It was only fair. All those millennia ago she had wasted her life. She had killed herself, ignoring the sacrifices of her guardians. Of her lover.
She had been staring out the window when the beginning of a plan took root in her brain. It might not work…but then again… there was nothing wrong with trying. She was out of the car in 30 seconds, and already extending her mind to her guardians. Slowing them down, lulling their brains. They wouldn't know until it was too late. Already she was tired, her legs pumping her forward burned as she reached the gate. Without thinking, she opened a portal and stepped through, into blackness.
The portal closed behind her and Usagi blinked, trying to see. She could hear nothing but the sound of faint dripping. The air was still, almost dead. She felt cold and clammy. Her breath seemed to make too much noise in the air. She almost felt afraid to speak. Her eyes adjusted to the dark slowly. For a second, she couldn't believe what she saw. Then, she felt a scream tear out of her throat.
xoxoxoxo
Mamoru had been unnerved by what Usagi had said at dinner. She had sounded so…self sacrificing. Had he ever cared about anything beyond himself? Beyond his own wants and needs? He didn't let himself complete the thought. Instead he had walked out into the night and dialed a number from his cell phone.
"Mamoru."
His mothers voice always sounded crisp and ready. She never seemed tired, even now at 1 in the morning.
"Hey ma." He said warmly, pulling a cigarette out and lighting it. He blew a cloud into the night air.
"Are you alright?" He could tell by his mothers disembodied voice that she was worried. He rarely called her, and when he did it usually meant trouble.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just…wanted to hear your voice." He said with an easy smile. He knew she'd be able to hear the lie. The pause on the other end of the line told him so.
"I see." His mother said dryly.
"I'll let you go back to sleep, ma. But…uh. You know. I love you." Mamoru cleared his throat awkwardly. It was as close to a goodbye as he could get.
"I love you too Mamoru." Her voice was tired now, "Please. Be safe. And don't do anything stupid."
"Okay ma." He hung up the phone and put his cigarette out. Looking up at the moon he quietly contemplated his life. His earth. His friends. Usagi. All of them were so important to him. Maybe it was true that he was selfish. And like the selfish person that he was, he wanted all of it to be safe. Without a second thought he sent his soldiers a message, and walked towards the bus station. No point taking his bike. He knew this was a journey he might not return from.
xoxoxoxo
"Hey beautiful." Came Mamoru's weak voice from in front of Usagi. He looked terrible. He had dark circles under his eyes, his skin was pale, and it looked like he was having trouble breathing. He was chained down to a stone table and his chest was glowing weakly.
Usagi had barely opened her mouth to ask what had happened when she heard a low laugh behind her. The hair on her neck stood up.
"You know, I never thought I would see you again. And yet here you are. After all these years." The voice was cold and ancient and angry. Usagi knew who it belonged to without even looking back.
"Beryl. Let him go!" Usagi's voice was edging towards hysterical. The room felt oppressively large. Her fingers felt stiff. If she had seen herself from above she might have noticed she and Mamoru were the only light sources in the entire church.
"No I don't think I will." The queen said with a thin smile. She gathered up her first and drew darkness to her, until it seemed there was a black hole in the air. It was an exaggerated version of what Usagi had seen Diamond do. It was terrifying. Beryl aimed her hand at Mamoru and struck him with the dark energy. Usagi screamed and ran towards him, before stopping wretchedly.
Mamoru was getting up. He was unharmed, and his body looked better. His eyes though, were blank.
"My dear prince." Beryl drawled.
"My queen." Mamoru's voice came out sounding alien. He pushed roughly past Usagi and bowed to the redheaded woman. She put a long pale hand with glittering red nails in his hair, stroking thoughtfully.
"Metallia is almost awakened, Princess. I used up most of his energy to do it…but it wasn't enough. And I did so want him alive. I'm very attached to him"
"What is it with you people & your weird hypnosis fetishes! He doesn't love you!" Usagi spat out, getting genuinely angry for the first time. The anger combated her fear and she felt braver.
"How do you know? You know he came here all by himself?" Beryl purred.
"To kill you." Usagi ground out.
"Kill me? No…he's loyal to me. Just like the shittennou. In the end, all I have to do is…" Beryl snapped her fingers. The four shittennou materialized next to her, looking slightly disoriented. Jadeite was the first to snap out of it.
"Usagi—"
"ENOUGH!" Beryl screamed at them. "The charade has gone on long enough. I believe there are four women out there that you promised me you'd take care of."
"You can't hypnotize everyone to do your bidding, Beryl!" Usagi spat. The shittennou still hadn't moved.
"Hypnotize?" Beryl sounded genuinely amused. "No… They are here of their own free will."
"Don't lie—"
"Usagi." Zoisite cut in quietly. "Enough. It's better if you do as she says. It will end faster that way."
Usagi felt as if her breath had been stolen away. "What do you— you can't be serious!" Her blue eyes looked wildly from one to the other. They couldn't meet her eyes.
"Go. Take care of the other senshi, wont you?" Beryl said with relish. They vanished from the room. Usagi felt sick.
"I still don't believe it." The blonde murmured, although her legs felt like jelly. Her friends were outside.
"You always did have too good a heart. And now…for my final act…My dear prince…will finally kill the princess!"
Two ocean eyes turned towards her slowly. A small pocket knife flipped open.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
The effect of whatever Usagi was doing wore off soon enough, and the four senshi stood outside the locked door angrily. Makoto had been kicking at it for 5 minutes. Minako was pacing, on her phone. Rei was smoking & thinking about lighting the door on fire. Ami was unsuccessfully trying to get Mako to please stop kicking the door, it's an ancient carving Mako-chan can't you see that?
"They're not picking up." Minako said, trying not to betray the worry in her voice.
"I'm sure there's a good reason." Rei said quietly. Distantly, the sound of motorcycles began to get louder. The shittennou circled around and screeched to a halt. Kunzite was the first to take his helmet off. Jadeite the last.
"I'm sorry it has to be this way." Kunzite said.
He had barely said "I'm", and Minako was already moving into a position of combat. It felt like she had been born ready for this moment. Mako was a fraction of a second slower, then Ami. Rei was last.
"What?" She had barely gotten the syllable out when Jadeite drove towards her at breakneck speed. Intending to run her over.
Rei had time for one last bitter thought: At least we're together, this time.
xoxoxoxo
Usagi stood very still as Mamoru approached her. He didn't seem troubled or in a hurry, he didn't even seem like he was fighting himself. The way he was walking was almost casual. It reminded her of when she had first met him, his movements so like a snake. Ready to strike when she least expected it.
"Mamoru." She said with a calm she did not feel. "I love you."
He was closer to her, suddenly, so close she could smell him. He put the blade on her throat.
"I love you too." He whispered. With a movement so fast she didn't even see what happened, Mamoru had turned his body and thrown the knife with the engraved rose with as much force as he could.
xoxoxox
The battle was over quickly— if it could be called that. Each of the girls had done what they were trained to do. At the first sign of attack they struck fast and hard. What they hadn't expected had been no resistance besides the first move. Jadeite lay on the ground, his body broken. Zoisite lay smoking on the ground, a result of electrocution. Kunzite had died of asphyxiation— either that or his neck had broken, a result of the chain Minako always carried with her.
It was only Jadeite that was still breathing, though not for long. His breaths were shallow and labored. The corner of his mouth was laced with blood. He had a sword stuck fast in his belly. Rei's hands shook as she removed them from the hilt, her face was ashen.
"Why." She whispered hoarsely. "Why would you do this. Jadeite why?" She lost the strength in her legs and fell next to him. Minako was the first to arrive next to her, Ami and Makoto shortly followed. The blonde general held them back, watching for any sign of danger.
"My beautiful raven." Jadeite's voice was so broken it almost didn't sound like him. He sounded strange— almost happy. He raised a hand and ran it through Rei's hair. She caught it in her hand and he winced as she held on painfully tightly. "I'm sorry it had to be this way. We couldn't warn you…or else…you might not have…gone through with it."
Rei was having trouble breathing. "Gone through with what— jadeite why didn't you fight? You could have dodged me easily I know you could have."
"We made a promise…." Jadeite was using the last of his strength to stay alive, "A promise…we would not let history repeat. So we must die at your hands."
"Why must anyone die at all!" Rei snapped, "You idiot— why did any of us have to die for this?!"
"The shittennou…were not meant to be reborn…." A gurgling noise, which came painfully from Jadeites chest, "It was her…it was Beryl…she brought us back. We have…a piece of the dark stone within each of us… to defeat her… we had to die…it was the only way" The soldier coughed blood and sighed, slowly beginning to close his eyes.
"Jadeite no!" Rei screamed. His eyes fluttered open.
"I'll always love you. Even after death." He whispered, before slumping forward. Rei threw her arms around him, weeping openly now. Seconds later she was holding air, as the man she loved vanished into smoke, leaving a small stone behind which grew hot and then quickly turned to ash.
xoxoxoxo
The knife stuck in Beryl's throat before she had even blinked and she fell backward gracelessly. An echo of a scream began to reverberate in the church, and it grew louder and louder. It seemed to be coming from the stone.
Usagi turned and gasped in horror. The blackness in the back of the room that had been a stone had turned to smoke, and it was slowly crawling over the walls. Usagi thought she could hear words in the screaming. Something like: I'lltakeyouwithmeI'lltakeyouwithmeI'lltakeyouwithmeI'lltakeyouwithme.
The death cries of an ancient and old evil, intent on shutting away the light that had defeated it.
Usagi put a hand on Mamoru's chest, shielding him from the dark force.
"Usagi—" His voice was strained.
"It's okay Mamo-chan. I know what to do."
"Usagi please don't—" He was having a hard time getting it out, "I can't lose you."
His angel turned around and he saw her eyes were already beginning to glow pink. She smiled at him sweetly.
"You'll never lose me. We protect each other." She pressed her lips on his and they both began to glow brightly, combating the darkness that was enveloping the church.
xoxoxo
Rei felt a warm hand on her shoulder. It was Minako.
"Don't. Don't say you were right." Rei whispered harshly.
"How can I, when I was so wrong?" Minako said quietly, tears in her own eyes.
"Mina! Rei! The church!" Ami shouted. She pointed at the cathedral, which appeared to be undergoing some kind of transformation. A flickering pink light, intensifying as time went on, filled the windows and spilled out into the morning.
Minako held her hand out to Rei, who took it and didn't let go. They walked slowly to Makoto and Ami and linked hands with them as well.
A burst of light seared into their eyes, blowing out the glass and blowing open the doors of the church, bathing them in pure sweet energy.
When it was over and their eyes had cleared they entered the church.
"Oh girls…Look." Whispered Makoto, her hand trembling as she pointed to the center.
Two tiny newborns lay there naked, looking up into the rafters. The girl made a gurgling noise. Even now they could see the fading moon on her forehead. The boy stared fixedly at the new women with his ocean blue eyes. His expression was almost stern.
"They say the third time's the charm." Minako said hoarsely as she approached the two babes. She lifted up the girl and handed her to Rei, who trembled in amazement. Her pain was still fresh but just looking at this child it felt like it would melt away…some day. Minako paused a moment before lifting up the boy and handing him to Mako, who immediately started cooing.
And there it finally was. The ending they had been waiting for. The beginning they had all needed for so long. It was finally over, and…it had finally begun.
The end.