It's about time, but now, the story is finally reaching a peak. It's far from over, though.

Enjoy the story.


"Ruka-chan!"

Eternal Sailor Neptune's shout roused the sandy blonde back to the battle, and the Senshi of Uranus spun around just in time to cleave her Holy Talisman through a shade. "Michi-chan, you alright?" Uranus shouted, expertly twirling the fancy hilt of her weapon between her gloved hand as she glanced over to her partner, her dark eyes worried. Dicing her weapon through another shade that charged at her, the blonde took in the situation of the battle, thankful she ahdn't been killed while spacing out due to her mother.

The battle seemed to be progressing smoothly, though it didn't seem to be changing in any of the Senshi's favour. Cosmos, Neptune, and Mercury were fighting back to back, with the pale blue Senshi working to provide cover while the Senshi of Harmony and the Senshi of Neptune fought to kill the shades that attacked them. Pluto held her own effortlessly, sending her powerful attacks through the battlefield to help Venus with the still rampaging monster that, so far, hadn't left the building. Venus herself was still keeping the beast at bay rather effectively, cracking her metal-light whip at it every other minute.

Don't become a slave to Serenity, huh?

"Haruka-san, your outfit! It's changed!" the blue-eyed blonde called as she sent a vibrant orange attack in the shape of a heart towards the spider monster.

Uranus' gaze snapped back to herself, examining her appearance in surprise, suddenly feeling the burn on her brow that signaled her planetary sign. Her outfit was a minute replica of Neptune's own, except coloured in navy and yellow, her signature colours. The white boots were not heeled though, unlike the others. The Eternal Senshi realized what had just happened — she had received an upgrade. Her eyes darting over to Venus, the blonde frowned. "Venus, over here!" she shouted. "I have a plan!"

The blonde sent a shower of orange sparks towards the spider beast, looking over at the Senshi of Uranus. "Setsuna-san, hold on!" she shouted, leaping over a shade to blast it apart, landing cleanly next to Uranus. "What do you have in mind?" Venus asked, wiping the thin red streak that had formed on her cheek from a missed block with her hand, leaving a red smear on her pristine white glove, along with some smeared foundation and makeup. She pulled a face in disgust. "This would be a pain to clean if I had to do it myself," she complained. "Good thing I don't."

"Focus." Uranus gave her a pointed glare. "It's a simple plan, we repeat the idea you had, but this time, I will strike, and you're going to be the distraction. If I attack with this," here, she brandished her Space Sword and stabbed into a shade that tried to rush them, "maybe the impact will be different. You have long-distance weapons, you can distract it better than I can because of your weapons." The sandy blonde ducked when Venus spun on her heel to plant her heel firmly into the face of a shade behind her. "Good aim."

"Thanks." The bow-wearing girl tightened her grip on her heart-linked chain, the crisp clinking of metal against metal clear even above the chaos of the battlefield. "Alright, let's get going!" Her hand fisted in determination, and the soldier of love and beauty charged up bright orange light at her fingertips. "I'm ready, Haruka-san!" Bracing her right hand against her left arm, Venus gathered the light together. "Setsuna-san, out of the way!" she shouted, alerting the woman with the long, dark green hair.

Sailor Pluto slammed her Garnet Rod into a group of shades, vaporizing them with a blast of magical energy. "I'll go and help the others!" the garnet-eyed woman shouted. "Haruka, Minako, be careful!" Spinning on her heel, the Senshi of Time and Space sent her next attack smack into the middle of a group of shades, dissipating most of them instantly. "Dead Scream!"

"Venus," Uranus shouted. "Now!" The sandy blonde ran at the beast, preparing herself by charging up energy into her blade. Let's see what I can do. Her Space Sword was glowing yellow with her power. "Eye of the Storm!" she shouted, slicing her blade through the air while she ran at the beast. The first cut left a tear in the air, glowing brightly as it rushed out in a violently rushing storm of miniature cyclones. "Take this! Turbulence!" One final slash through the air sent a vortex of yellow energy surging at the monster.

"Love Shower Burst!" Venus' glowing orange drill plowed through the air, taking down several shades on its way, and exploded spectacularly when it impacted the spider, making the mutated creature unleash a roar of pain when the two attacks impacted one after the other in rapid succession. "Venus Crescent Beam Laser!"

As the searing hot beam of orange cut through the air, Uranus took the chance and leaped high, charging her blade again so the sharp edge was glowing. When her fall started, the woman twisted her body around so that her sword would be the first thing impacting the monster. The tip of the Talisman pierced through the head of the beast, and the Senshi of Uranus turned to pull in down, cutting an opening in the monster's skull. "Turbulence!" The path she had cut open started glowing again, and when the woman's feet hit the ground, the light burst outside in a blinding explosion, the monster's shrieks of pain making her ears ring.

For a moment, it seemed like everything had fallen silent.

"They're all gone," Cosmos said from a distance, sounding amazed. "All of them, even the shades!"

Venus broke out into a cheer, rushing over to her two friends and tackling both Mercury and Cosmos. "We did it!" she cheered with a bright laugh and smile. "We so did it!"

Pluto and Neptune walked over, both smiling faintly at the scene of the Guardian Senshi. "They're all gone," Neptune affirmed when she could no longer see them through her mirror. "Great job, Ruka-chan."

Uranus smiled, but inside, she was feeling confused still.

What do you mean, mother?


Hotaru smiled at her friends as she walked inside the shrine with the other Senshi, tuning out the tense discussion to focus on the mental argument going on inside her head. Her purple eyes swept across the shrine as she walked along, hiding the faint pain throbbing in her side from an attack that unfortunately landed.

Hotaru-chan, I'm not so sure that we can handle this, Usagi was voicing anxiously. We took so long to get this situation under control... they'll just get stronger and stronger, right?

The soldier of death and rebirth was silent for a beat. You're right. It won't get any easier, Usagi-chan. All we can do is fight harder to protect our friends. There is also the matter... that we are no longer in control of this body... wouldn't you agree, Cosmos? Or shall we call you something else, if you do not want to be known by my human name, nor your own?

The Senshi of Harmony was surprised by the direct address, as she had never been spoken to directly before. No... Cosmos is fine with me, Saturn, she said slowly, not sure of how to speak to one of the consciousness that made up her mind. And yes, you are right. I am no longer just an extension of you two, but I believe that I myself have gained a level of... sentience, oddly enough. She pursed her lips together. What of it?

So we're no longer in control, huh? Usagi wondered innocently. I'm sorry, Cosmos-chan! I'm forcing you to fight for my friends even if you don't want to! Somehow, the sable-haired soldier got the mental image of the sweet blonde bowing in apology to her. I truly didn't mean that!

No, no, Usagi-chan! Cosmos — for the Senshi of Harmony wasn't sure if she could be called Hotaru any longer — quickly said, mortified by the blonde princess' apology. I want them to be safe too! You're not the only one, I promise! They're my friends, even if they don't know I am not either of the two of you. Please, don't apologize, Usagi-chan!

Hotaru — the real one — spoke up. We can't keep this up, Cosmos-san, Usagi-chan. If this keeps on, I fear that our minds will grow more distinct and eventually tear you apart. We must settle this issue immediately. Purple eyes appeared in Cosmos' mind's eye, and pain shot through her head almost instantly. We must separate, or we must become one. We have to choose, now!

Cosmos opened her mouth to protest, even if it was mentally, but her world spun and the girl quickly lost touch with the rest of the physical world... or at least, she lost control of her physical form. The sable-haired girl looked down at herself, seeing herself dressed in her white and purple hued Senshi garb, her white staff held in hand. Her entire form was pale, transparent-looking, and she was also intangible, unable to interact with her surroundings. The sable-haired girl watched anxiously as the other Solar System Senshi rushed to her, calling her name. "I'm fine!" she shouted, but they didn't seem to hear.

Well, except for Michiru, who turned to her with sympathetic eyes. It's time to resolve your issues, her eyes conveyed, and the woman smiled gently at the Senshi of Harmony. Go.

The Senshi pursed her lips together and nodded at the aquamarine-haired woman, turning around, only to see two shimmering figures standing under one of the trees of the courtyard. Were those... they were! She started running towards the duo, slowing down when she reached the tree. "Usagi-chan? Hotaru-chan? What's going on?"

Usagi, dressed in the loose, flowing dress of Princess Serenity, smiled warmly at her, boldly taking her hands and giving them a gentle squeeze. "Hi Cosmos-chan," she said brightly. "It's nice to finally meet you, even if you might be, or might not just be myself."

Hotaru was garbed in the white and purple of her Senshi outfit, her Silence Glaive in one gloved hand. "Hello, Cosmos-san," she greeted with a faint smile. "Finally, we meet. It is time to resolve our problems, do you not think?" The pale, sickly girl, lowered her glaive a little, not letting the fearsome weapon touch the ground, and her other hand extended out towards the center of the group, palm facing up. "I think... I think it's time that we make a decision."

The blonde frowned. "I... hate to admit it, but Hotaru-chan is right." She clasped one hand over her heart, reaching out her other hand towards Hotaru's. "I love my friends, and I would like to meet with them again, but at this point, I will not make a choice. Cosmos-chan, it's your time to see what you would like to be." Her blue eyes stared earnestly into Cosmos' purple ones. "It's time for you to choose."

"I don't... choose what?" the girl asked, hesitant.

"Choose, whether you want to live by having us merge fully," Hotaru said seriously.

"Or if you would like to be broken back up into a fragmented conscious, and let the two of us separate into two people once more," Usagi said softly.

There was a pause between the trio, and Cosmos didn't speak for a long while. Then, she made her decision.

"I choose..."


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