ACT 24
"It's getting closer, it is getting closer. This world is . . ." Mamoru heard the voice that somehow he knew belonged to Queen Neherenia say within his mind as he clutched at the sheets covering him. "Master," Shirai said as Hanako squeezed his hand with her own while Hirose silently watched on, and Akai pounded his right fist into his open left palm. "Mamoru-sama," Diana said worry clear in her voice as she drew closer to the ill prince of Earth. "What in the world is happening to Mamoru right now," Luna asked after glancing for a moment at Hotaru who silently stood by the window looking out at the tent of the Dead Moon Circus as if waiting for something to happen, she had not said or done anything else ever sense Usagi and the other Senshi had left. "And that eclipse," Artemis said putting his arm around Luna in comfort as Diana drew closer to his other side for the same reason. "What in the world is this Dead Moon," he said looking out the same window that Hotaru was at the sun that appeared more like a thin crescent moon within a darkened sky.
"A black moon covering the sun," Luna said in a whisper. "That reminds me. I think I heard something about that a long, long time ago," Luna said glancing up at the eclipse while Artemis and Diana gazed at her. "A story about she who was sealed inside the black new moon." "She who was sealed," Diana asked as Luna simply nodded her head his a simple, "hm," escaping her lips. "I think I have heard of that story as well," Artemis said gazing seriously at Luna. "But she was sealed away with Queen Serenity's powers," Artemis said. "There should be no way that she could come out into this world," Artemis added though Luna remained silent not so sure of what Artemis was saying as the light of the sun slowly continued to fade.
{ PGSM SuperS }
"Dream, dream, don't doubt it. A dream of dreams that dreaming children have," Neherenia whispered to herself, repeating the words again and again as she thought of the day that the laughter of four children placed within a beautiful jungle . . . "Ouch, I've fallen," Pallas said as tears threatened to fall from her eyes having chased after her three friends in a game of tag. "Here," Vesta said holding out her hand to Pallas. "We're waiting for you," Ceres said kindly. "Let's go," Juno said as Pallas with a smile nodded and took Vesta's hand helping her to her feet before the glow of a strange light attracted the attention of the four young girls who turned to find a small lake of water upon which pink lights were descending upon the surface causing it to ripple. "What is that," Juno asked as she and the others gathered around the small lake of water to gaze within.
"What is that," Pallas said a bit of fear in her voice. "A mirror," Ceres said as both an answer to Pallas but a question to why a mirror would be in such a place to begin with. "It looks rather old," Vesta said as she took it in her hands before the black edged mirror glowed pink for a moment before a voice from within spoke, "Hello, young ladies . . ." making all of the four girls eyes widen in surprise.
{ PGSM SuperS }
"We can get out now, we can't," CereCere said plucking the petals from a yellow flower that she had summoned to her hands even from within her mirror prison. "CereCere's fortune telling is always fixed," VesVes said from within her own prison with a shake of her head. "It's alright! It says we can get out," CereCere said having said, "we can get out now," with the pull of the last petal, meaning she had not heard or simply ignored what VesVes had said. "That's so unreliable," JunJun said with a disbelieving look upon her own face. "Through Ball," she yelled taking out her dark green orb and trying to escape from her mirror only for the mirror to simply move to where she had been sucking her back within the glass. "We don't have to rush so much. Our Lady Neherenia will let us out," ParaPara said confidently. "But you know," Jun Jun said setting down Indian style within her mirror. "Maybe she is mad at us for trying to steal Pegasus," JunJun added more quietly.
"Impossible. She is not that old hag Zirconia," VesVes said with a shrug of her shoulders, "your thinking to much," VesVes added but JunJun said nothing simply looking down at her orb as if in deep thought of a time long ago . . .
"Hello small ladies," the voice within the mirror said speaking to the four young girls. "The mirror spoke," CereCere said with surprise. "That is a surprise," VesVes added. "A magic mirror," ParaPara asked leaning past JunJun's shoulder whom she had been hiding behind. "Yes. I am a user of magic," the mirror said to the four girls. "I have woken up for the first time in a while with those happy laughs of yours," the voice within the mirror said a hint of sadness within her otherwise steady and cold voice. "As a reward for waking me up, I will give all of you an exceptional gift," the voice said the light coming from the mirror seeming to enchant the four young girls who gazed upon it. "A wonderful gift, so that those happy dreams of yours last forever," the voice said as four orbs appeared floating just over her outstretched hand . . .
"Lady Neherenia," ParaPara yelled out from her mirror breaking JunJun out of her thoughts. "I'm repenting just a little. So do hurry and get me out of here," she asked though no voice answered. "Neherenia-sama," she cried out again actual tears falling from her eyes and JunJun, CereCere and VesVes all wished they could comfort her, and perhaps in a way comfort themselves as well.
{ PGSM SuperS }
Neherenia turned her gaze from the sleeping child of the white moon towards Zirconia a cold hardness coming into her eyes. "I will remove Pegasus from this little one right now," she said to Zirconia. "Make sure those of the white moon make it no closer," she said to the silent Grand Master who had her head hung, and eyes shut out of respect. "Don't think about using them, by casting another spell on them," she said turning away from Zirconia. "Their existence in itself, is impossible," but Neherenia stopped herself before speaking those last words remembering all to well feeling even in what was to be her eternal slumber that power, her power coming from the moon, its light engulfing all, sending her mirror from its place outside of time and space to a small body of water within a forest that would one day be called the Amazon. "Yes," Zirconia replied breaking Neherenia from her thought.
"Come forth," Neherenia whispered as the sleeping figure of Chibi-Moon bound by spider threads appeared from the shadows where the queen of darkness had hidden her while speaking with Zirconia. "It is finally here. The time for light to come into the shadows! I can't let you go anywhere anymore," she said. "Come out," she said as the threads vanished from around Chibi-Moon her form simply floating in the air, "Come, Elios," she whispered," a wind picking up from seemingly no where as a dark purple light, tented on its edges by black shot through Chibi-Moon's chest causing her to awaken with a scream as the Golden Mirror appeared and a single tear fell from Neherenia's eyes knowing that she was closer now than she had ever been to fulfilling her own desires. "Now, you finally show yourself," Neherenia said unable to look at the small one she had caused pain and simply focusing upon the mirror.
"Heart of Elios. If you do not want the little one's mirror to be broken by the darkness of this realm, return to your original body," Neherenia said as the cage holding Elios's body floated closer to the platform where herself and Chibi-usa now laying upon the ground looking with an unfocused gaze upon the Golden Mirror as tears fell from her eyes . . .
{ SuperS }
"You shouldn't," I begged trying to look as best as I could even with my eyes so unfocused towards where I was almost certain Elios's body was hanging. "Elios," I said whispering his name tears falling from my eyes at the thought that he might be hurt. But as a golden light filled the room coming from my mirror I knew he had not listened to my pleas as the neighs of a horse filled the air and Pegasus appeared standing between my prone body and Neherenia. "If you don't listen to what I have to say, that girl will die," I heard Neherenia say to Pegasus adding, "now, come here," she said as Elios's body was freed from the prison holding it and floated down hovering just before Neherenia. "Under me," Neherenia said again as Pegasus glanced at me seeing the Golden Mirror returning to my chest and giving me back the life that had slowly been leaving me sense my dream mirror had been taken from me and for a moment it looked as if he was going to come check on me before Neherenia yelled, "Elios," stopping him in his tracks.
"Come," was Neherenia's simple command and with sadness in his eyes I watched Pegasus turn from me and walk towards his body and Neherenia stopping just inches from his floating body. "Good," Neherenia whispered as Pegasus looked at her anger clear in his gaze, before turning into a golden orb that floated through the air and into the horn upon Elios's head bringing life back to his body and causing his topaz like eyes to open…
{ PGSM SuperS}
Following Ami-chan who was furiously typing away upon her computer, stopping when she did. "There is a response further up over here for Chibi-usa," she and Michiru who had been gazing into her Deep Aqua Mirror said at the same time, giving each other a look as the rest of us smiled. "Chibi-usa," I whispered before Zirconia's familiar voice filled the air seemingly all around us. "So you have come this far," she said sounding slightly impressed. "Where are you," Rei-chan asked even she unable to tell with so much darkness filling this place exactly where Zirconia was. "I will make this place your graves," Zirconia said. "I can't sense her," Minako-chan said glancing over at Rei for a moment the Shinto nodding her head to show it was the same for her, until suddenly we found ourselves no longer in the dark but surrounded by candles that where arranged in a circle around us and going out in a spokes like pattern to another circle just like old wagon wheels of long ago the pattern repeating over and over again.
"You from the white moon," Zirconia said appearing at the edge of the circle causing me and the others to turn to face her from the innermost circle of candles. "The grudge our clan held for such a long time," Zirconia said with a dark smile as she seemed to multiply all around the outer edge of candles until we where surrounded on all sides Zirconia continuing to speak. "Will be avenged here! Prepare yourselves," she yelled. "Everyone watch out," Haruka said. "This is an illusion," Setsuna added. "Now with you unable to call for the Pegasus, will you be able to win against me," all of the Zirconia's asked. "Chibi-usa," I said in a silent prayer, "please stay safe . . ." I added preparing like all the other girls for the battle about to take place.
{ PGSM SuperS }
Still to weak to move I watched as Elios's eyes opened and Neherenia spoke to him. "Finally, the time has come to exchange words," she said with a smile that seemed to me to be sad in a way. "You understand that you are already mine," she asked him looking down at his hovering body. "I thought I told you before," Elios said to her. "That I can not be yours," he added as Neherenia simply smiled. "Are you dissatisfied being the servant of someone as beautiful as I," Neherenia asked, as Elios turned his gaze towards her making her eyes widen, causing her to back away holding her hands over her face. "Stop," she said pain clearly in her voice. "Stop it," she added as the spell on Elios was broken and he was able to stand upon his own two feet again. "Stop looking at me with those eyes," she said seeming to almost be begging making me wonder just how he was gazing at her, "Elios," I whispered in a questioning manor.
"Stop," Neherenia said simply repeating the words as deep wrinkles formed under her eyes, repeating that simple word at least three more times before yelling out that simple word causing a gust of dark energy to blow towards Elios who was knocked off of his feet, and in a moment of panic I stretched out my arms catching him, and resting his head upon my legs that where folded underneath me. "Elios," I said his name again and again while Neherenia breathed heavily the wrinkles underneath her eyes slowly vanishing with each deep breath she took, until she finally turned to me, seeing me draw Elios closer to my chest as he began to stir, opening his eyes. "Elios," I said tears in my eyes as I released him and he drew himself up the two of us leaning towards each other simply staring into each other's eyes forgetting completely were we where. Not even thinking about it I drew him to me in a hug, glad that he was ok and cried tears of happiness when I felt him relax into my embrace, knowing he was happy that I was ok as well.
"Both of you . . .," Neherenia whispered looking upon us. "So young and yet, but I am to close to give up now," she yelled out her eyes glowing with a malicious red energy before a large spider web formed over mine and Elios's head both of us to lost within our own minds to sense the danger before the threads tightened around us drawing us away from each other. "Chibiusa-chan," "Elios," we cried out at the same time as he clutched my left arm with both of his own. "This is the first time," I said tenderness in my gaze causing Elios to look at me in surprise. "This is the first time," I repeated as the threads slowly pulled us apart no matter how much we both tried to hold on. "That you called me by my name," I said to him our feeling for each other clearly written upon both of our faces as we gazed into each others eyes before the threads separated us Elios's and my grips giving way. "Elios," I yelled out to him at the same time he cried, "Chibi-usa . . ."
{ PGSM SuperS }
"Lady Neherenia is upset after all," CereCere said as herself and the other members of the Quartet now found themselves sharing the same mirror as a prison for all four of them. "Don't cry," JunJun said to ParaPara who seemed close to tears. "That's not true," VesVes said looking at CereCere. "Let's see if its true," VesVes said with determination before yelling the words, "See-through Ball," making her red orb turn into a camera like device. "Oh, this is the wrong channel," VesVes said disappointed to see an image of the Sailor Senshi facing Zirconia instead of their Lady, Neherenia. "But," JunJun said as she CereCere and ParaPara gathered around, "this is getting pretty exciting," CereCere added all four nodding as they watched the battle that was taking place . . .
{ SuperS }
"Jupiter Oak Evolution," Mako-chan cried out launching her attack towards a group of Zirconia's only to watch as they shattered like glass, Minako-chan's "Venus Love and Beauty Shock doing the same thing along with Rei-chan's "Mars Flame Sniper." "Useless, useless," the Zirconia's said reappearing once again all of those not destroyed simply laughing at our misfortune. "Does this really have no end," I heard Setsuna whisper as the Zirconia's held out a single hand a blast of dark energy striking us from all sides knocking us all to the ground. "I will kill all of you slowly," the Zirconia's all said. "The real body has to be around here somewhere," Ami-chan said taking out her computer once again typing furiously on the keyboard while Michiru with a nod began looking within her Deep Aqua Mirror once again, while the rest of them watched over the two to give them time to work.
"If we can figure out which one," Haruka said looking around as Michiru stopped looking into her mirror smiling at the same time as Ami-chan stopped typing. "That's it," I heard Ami-chan whisper as Michiru nodded her head in agreement. "The real body, is you," the two said pointing at the only figure of Zirconia who had the strange winged eye called Zircon upon its staff. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody," she said the water based attack slamming into Zirconia and causing her illusions and the candles to vanish, showing that they had never truly been there to begin with. "Damn you," Zirconia said still recoiling from the attack . . .
{ SuperS }
"Pretty good," the quartet who had been watching the fight said impressed by the skills of the Sailor Senshi. "Serves that hag right," JunJun said as the other three nodded in agreement before the mirror they where within glowed blinding the four with its dark blood red light.
{ Super S }
"It's over," Minako-chan said. "Prepare yourself," Haruka added as Zirconia looked up into the air and begging asked, "Lady Neherenia, please help me," as a dark light filled the room and the Amazoness Quartet appeared before our eyes. "I see," VesVes said looking at us. "So it's our turn now," CereCere added all four of them smiling at us. "I'll do my best," ParaPara added in her childlike manor. "Leave the rest to us old hag," JunJun said looking towards Zirconia whose eyes narrowed at the four. "Idiots," she said, "what," was what the four replied as spider threads shot out wrapping around the four sending energy from them to Neherenia. "What? Are they fighting against each other," Rei-chan said just as surprised as we all where by what was happening. "Power," VesVes said, "Draining," JunJun added he voice just as weak as VesVes's had been.
"Oh, what lovely energy," Zirconia said with a dark smile. "Power, power is flowing into me," she said looking up towards the top of the tent. "Zirconia," VesVes said to her distain in her voice. "I'll tell Lady Neherenia on you later for doing this," ParaPara said though both of them sounded far to weak for their words to be taken seriously. "Lady Neherenia, I thank you. I, Zirconia shall make sure to make good use of this energy for your sake." "Take care of this. Understand that, Zirconia," a voice that could only Neherenia's replied from all around us seeming to be coming from the very shadows themselves. "Lady Neherenia," CereCere whispered. "What does all of this mean," JunJun asked. "The Quartet, a jewel truly to be treasured," Neherenia's voice said. "It was your carefree powers that became good energy to support the magical powers of our Dead Moon. But, there is no more need for it," Neherenia said all of us unable to believe the words coming from her towards those that where suppose to be her own alias.
"What," JunJun said. "You were fooling us this entire time," CereCere asked. "How horrible," Minako-chan said and unable to watch what was going on any longer I rushed towards the Quartet the cries of the others saying, "Usagi," coming from behind me. "What are you going to do," VesVes asked me as I grabbed the threads that tried to drain me of my powers just as it was draining the four of them. "It's all right, I'll save you right now," I said looking up towards her trying to fight this feeling of my powers wishing to leave me as I tugged harder and harder on the threads only to be knocked back by a bolt of energy coming from the threads. "Is this the time to worry about others," Zirconia said as the girls rushed towards me and surrounded me. "You are all going to die right here," Zirconia added launching a dark black and blue fire from Zircon towards us all causing us to have to scatter or be burned by the evil flames.
"I've got it," Michiru said her mirror pulsating with energy as Ami-chan who had been doing something with her computer nodded in agreement. "Those orbs, they are what are draining energy from all of you," Ami-chan said. "If you can break them, you can be free," Setsuna added as the four looked down at the orbs in their hands. "We can't, we can not break these," VesVes said. "Why not," Haruka asked of the four. "These Amazon Stones are the crystals of our dreams," VesVes said. "So, if they break, we will turn into adults," she added gazing into the red orb within her hands and not at us. "We won't be able to use magic anymore," she said looking at us at last with tears in her eyes. "It's all right," I said looking at all four of them. "The truly beautiful dreams can never be taken away from you," I said with a tender smile, "even when you become adults," I whispered looking with respect and love at the four who where surprised by my concern for them.
"Foolish! If you become an adult, you no longer need any dreams," Zirconia said launching an attack towards me only for the others to gather round me forming a shield that was shattered by her dark energy sending us all flying backwards. "You lose," Zirconia said holding out her staff as if ready to attack again. "There is no where to run now," she added that dark sinister smile coming to her lips. "No need to worry," Mako-chan said. "We would never run away from this," Haruka added. "There is no reason for us to escape to a world without dreams," Minako-chan declared. "That's right," I said as we all stood to our feet once again. "We are not going to run away," I said with determination all the other girls at my side nodding in agreement.
"Break, don't break," CereCere said doing her flower fortune telling. "CereCere," VesVes said looking at her. "Break," CereCere said pulling the last petal from the flower in her hands. "Oh, what should we do? I ended up on break," she said as JunJun scoffed. "CereCere's fortune telling is so unreliable," she said with a smile as sharing a look all four nodded. "To get our real dreams back," VesVes said. "There," all four cried out smashing their orbs upon the ground causing them to shatter, Zirconia no longer able to take their power from them. "Hey Zirconia," JunJun said. "It looks like the situation has reversed," CereCere added. "Little winches, Just you wait," Zirconia said vanishing into the shadows of the tent. "Wait," I yelled out as CereCere who like the other members of the quartet where slowly glowing the colors of their orbs spoke. "She is probable at the other end of this corridor," "Because that is where she sleeps," JunJun added as the circus cloths the four normally wore where replaced by sailor fuku's.
"You are," Setsuna said as the four nodded a red, green, yellow and blue light went around their necks turning into necklaces that resembled the girls Diamond Bracelets, but had a star not heart shape holding their jewels that each turned into a choker around their necks. "You should hurry guardian's," CereCere said. "Princess you must save Small Lady as quickly as possible," VesVes added as the four slowly began to fade before our eyes before at last they where gone. "The Sailor Quartet, to think she used their powers to awaken from her eternal sleep," Setsuna said. "Don't worry I will explain everything on the way," she said looking towards us and I nodded as we all ran to the other end of the tent as Setsuna told us of those meant to be my daughters guardians in the future, the Sailor Quartet . . .
{ PGSM SuperS }
"O Holy Crystal," Neherenia said looking at the horn upon Elios's forehead as I struggled to free myself from the threads holding me Elios trying to do the same on the other side of the room from me. "Now, time to come into my hands," she said reaching out towards the horn wrapping her hand around it. "Elios," I cried out as a golden glow emitted from the horn as Neherenia whispered, "forgive me," as she began to pull. "Please, stop it, stop it," I yelled out as Neherenia turned towards me a sadness in her eyes . . .
{ PGSM SuperS }
"Mamoru," "Mamoru-sama," "Master," first Luna and Artemis and then Diana and the Shitennou unable to use their powers cried out as Mamoru clutched his eyes tight in pain gathering around him, none of them noticing the soft, calm magenta pulse slowly beginning to form around young Hotaru's body . . .
{ PGSM SuperS }
"What's wrong," "Usagi," "Usagi-chan," first Minako-chan, then the other girls asked me as I stopped and turned having sworn I felt something, and I knew something, somewhere had changed . . .
{ PGSM SuperS }
"I have finally gotten it," I heard Neherenia whisper holding a Golden Crystal within her hands the horn that had once been upon Elios's head no longer their as he was now slumped forward held up only by the threads wrapped around him. "The Golden Crystal," Neherenia said as I yelled out, "Elios," causing her to turn towards me that sadness I had seen before once again in her eyes. "You can't," I said my voice breaking as tears threatened to fall from my eyes. "Don't, Elios," I said as sparkles began to surround his body and he slowly started to fade away. "Open your eyes," I begged of him as his body completely vanished. "Child of the white moon. Can this be compared to the pain I have endured from losing her. Forgive me little one, you will receive my curse, and go to sleep forever," Neherenia said looking at me as her eyes glowed with a sinister blood red energy. "But at least in your dreams, you will not feel the pain of loss," where the last words I faintly heard as consciousness slowly left me.
{ SuperS }
"Lady Neherenia," Zirconia said appearing before the mirror that held her queen, stumbling a bit upon the staff held within her hands. "That you have in your hand, can it be," Zirconia said seeing the crystal her queen held. "Oh Zirconia," Neherenia said. "What is your greatest happiness," Neherenia asked her grand master. "Of course it is to see you with my own eyes your true form which currently shows only in mirrors," Zirconia replied with bow as Neherenia simply smiled. "Then you remember what my greatest sadness was as well, right," Neherenia asked once again making Zirconia look at her queen confused by her words. "I no longer want to see you as an image in the mirror," "Neherenia-sama," Zirconia said in a questioning manor.
"I don't have to see it anymore," she said making the Golden Crystal emit its glow as she reached a hand towards the mirror causing it to slowly pass through causing that same hand upon Zirconia to glow and slowly begin to vanish. "No longer do I exist only within reflections, now, begone" Zirconia said the rest of her body passing through the mirror causing Zirconia to scream out as her entire body vanished just like her hand. "The seal has been broken," Neherenia declared as the glass behind her shattered. "The world," Nehelenia said as outside of the tent the sun was at last fully eclipsed by the darkness of the new moon . . .
{ PGSM SuperS }
At that exact moment within Mamoru and Usagi's home Hotaru's body that had been faintly glowing magenta, brightened wrapping her small body in light, until a figure holding a glaive, and wearing a deep purple almost black fuku appeared. "Princess," she said vanishing from the room in the same magenta light. "Saturn," Hirose whispered. "She has been awakened," Shirai added. "Are things truly that desperate," Hanako asked whipping a tear from her eye while Akai went to the window that Hotaru-chan had been gazing out of. "Ami," he whispered hoping she the other Senshi and the princess and Small Lady would all be ok . . .
{ PGSM SuperS }
We entered the back room of the tent of the Dead Moon Circus to find a large mirror the glass shattered laying around a familiar prone figure that almost stopped my heart cold. "Chibi-usa," I cried out rushing towards her the others not far behind me as I knelt down taking her into my arms. "Chibi-usa," I said feeling her pulse and hearing her breath as the ground around us began to shake. "What in the world is happening," Haruka asked as outside the tent lightning began to strike as tent after tent began to come from the darkened sky above, drifting slowly to the ground . . .
{ To Be Continued }
{ N O T E }
And so ends Act 24.
The end of the SuperS arc is upon as, as the next time we meet I will be presenting you all with the Final Act, of this story which of course will be followed by the Special Act. I hope after what has been a long, but worthwhile journey you are ready true believers.
So until The Final Act;
I remain a . . .
KuRSeofTime
PGSMAddict96: Thank you for your continued support of my story, and I am glad that you took Nehelenia's little secret (why she wants the Golden Crystal) so well. C'est La Vie! ; )