The Princess that Never Was

by PSVT

The world seems to be abandoning and turning its back on the Princess of the Moon. She decides to fight to regain lost love and friendship as best she can, growing in ways never imagined, but is it enough? And what of the fate of the earth and the moon?

35. Existence No More

Chapter 35: Existence No More

Tears flowed unabated from Usagi's vacant eyes as she kneeled on the cold stone floor of Queen Beryl's throne room. They were tears that represented the abject misery she felt seeing her parents and younger brother die before her very eyes without any power to save them. Those were scenes that absolutely sickened her. The only vision that compared in her mind was the carnage that befell her prior kingdom, a slaughter that resulted in the deaths of everyone she ever knew and loved. Even though that was an ancient event in the course of history, its memory was fresh within her mind and it tore at her at that very second. Needless deaths of innocents, every last one of them.

However, mixed in with those depressed tears were tears of sweet relief borne from the knowledge that there was a way to make all the suffering of the past and present disappear. The longer she reflected on those two eras the more she was convinced Beryl's words were true. The one constant in all of the tragedies was her very existence. It started at the very beginning: her existence during the Silver Millennium destroyed the engagement and eventual marriage of Beryl to Endymion, thus prompting the conflict that continued into modern times. In the present it was her pathetic existence as a clumsy, ignorant, useless senshi that truly never should have been that ultimately broke apart her relationship with the other senshi and resulted in Ami's death. It was her reincarnation as the daughter of Ikuko and Kenji Tsukino and as the brother of Shingo that lead to the deaths of those lovely innocents. She resolved her mind and her heart to make one last, eternal promise to correct the past and the present and to never bestow such suffering upon others ever again. This was to be her most vital mission ever in life as a senshi, as a princess, and as a normal girl who never wished any of those roles for herself in the first place.

After several minutes of crying she pushed herself to her feet, wiping the heavy droplets from her cheeks with the back of her hand. There would be no more crying. Not anymore. She needed to be strong. Every fiber of her being needed to be tenacious to carry out that singular momentous task or else she would fail everyone once again. After all, it was her propensity for failure, among other disastrous traits, that brought immense anguish upon her loved ones in the current time, something that absolutely was untenable.

She walked to a corner of the spacious but dimly lit room and slowly studied every minute detail of the circular chamber she could perceive. Naturally, the most opulent object was the queen's throne, an obsidian structure trimmed with deep red and pale blue crystals that appeared to glow. It was an awesome effect of the cut stones refracting and reflecting the torchlight, causing some of them to shimmer when viewed at the proper angle. That powerful throne was perched upon a raised platform that irrefutably communicated her dominance over her subjects and her minions. Nothing else within that room was quite as unique or, honestly, as beautiful as that preeminent seat. She had approached the chair to more deeply examine it when the initially mutated taps of heels against stone she could sense behind her progressively grew louder. It and the bright red light from the amulet hanging from her neck drew her attention and prompted her to turn to the red-haired woman attentively standing nearby.

"Do you like what you see?" Beryl asked. Her voice contained no malice or disdain for the blonde she cordially addressed but instead genuine curiosity. That was not to suggest her feelings for the girl had changed.

"It's… interesting," she slowly replied, stating the first word that came to her mind.

The woman took a small step closer to the considerably younger girl. "Are you having second thoughts about your promise?"

Usagi determinedly shook her head but continued to stare at the throne. "I was just thinking that all of this was constructed because of me," she soberly whispered, her pitch slightly lower than usual.

For her part, Beryl allowed herself to experience a modicum of pity for the girl she willingly steered toward that self-destructive mindset. She was careful to not to let her mind or heart delve too deeply into that potent emotion. Her loathsome enemy was all but determined to perform for her a major favor and, if the erratic side effects of using the crystal were avoided, her sacrifice would have reignited her relationship with the prince she still desired. She was not about to discard all of that because the brief moment of pure agony the girl would endure as soon as Kunzite could retrieve the Silver Crystal caused her to feel undue sympathy for the princess.

"It truly is the right thing to do," Beryl said evenly.

"I know," Usagi replied with equivalent calm in her voice. She finally turned to face the woman, staring at her with dim but otherwise lively eyes. "There is nothing more that I want to do right now than correct my mistakes and resolve this conflict—no, prevent its very start," she said with unmistakable steadfastness despite her soft tone. "However, I also want to see my senshi one last time before I do this, if only to apologize for the pain I forced upon them."

Initially, and quite reasonably, Beryl considered her request with suspicion. Why would she ever allow the senshi into her kingdom when the princess was armed with the only object that could defeat both her and Metalia? However, as she stared into the steely blue eyes of the girl standing before her she could perceive extraordinary sincerity. She was not constructing a trap but planning her farewell. With that knowledge in hand she figured she could be lenient enough to allow the princess that last wish.

"Very well, Princess," Beryl graciously replied. "I will instruct Kunzite to retrieve both the crystal in your brooch and the remaining senshi." She paused momentarily as she carefully considered her next words. "Furthermore, I will order him to spare them injury to the best of his ability, although given their understandable distrust of me, and of you, I don't know how well he will be able to carry out that command."

"That's fine," Usagi said gently. "As long as I can see them one last time, it's okay." A warm smile, one that while small was full of hope and honesty, slowly found its way to her lips. "After all, none of this will matter anymore. This fighting, this hatred… none of it will exist," she confidently added.

Beryl nodded and returned a similar grin. In her usual manner it was mostly false and deceitful, but in the fringes were the tiniest hints of the first genuinely warm smile she had given or even had the pleasure of experiencing in ages. She walked up the steps of the platform and sat upon the throne from which she had directed the mission to eliminate the princess and her senshi, revive Metalia, and reclaim her rightful authority to rule over the planet as queen—with Endymion as king. She profoundly believed her difficult struggle would conclude in her victory that day. No, it would be something greater than mere victory. She would be queen of Earth in the absence of Metalia and the myriad of severe issues that accompanied its enviable power. She would reign over the planet secure with the knowledge that it and the remainder of the solar system would be well-protected by the senshi. No victory would have been obtained, because no battle ever would have been fought. To ensure that precious outcome, she decided to send her new orders to Kunzite with great haste. Everything else, including a seemingly urgent message from one of her generals, would have to wait.

—|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|—

Kunzite stood at the doorway of the jumbled mess that formerly was the living room for Rei and the primary meeting location for the senshi while wearing a humongous smirk. He had Sailors Venus and Mars at their most vulnerable and likely was a few well-placed strikes away from sending the two detested girls to oblivion. It was a fervent desire of his, especially since the beating he endured at the hands of the princess the previous evening. Capturing the princess and killing the senshi in one day would have been an extremely worthwhile accomplishment. Unfortunately it was a triumph that had to be delayed on the orders of his queen.

"Kunzite," he heard the woman abruptly yelled within his mind, causing him to wince in pain. Through the agony he managed to peek at Sazaratha and spotted the blonde displaying an identical reaction. "Have you obtained the transformation brooch yet?"

"No," Kunzite disappointedly replied. "We have encountered some resistance from two of the senshi who are guarding the brooch." His tone became more hopeful. "However, the good news is we are very close to eliminating the two and returning with the item."

"Well, whatever you do, don't kill the senshi," Beryl bluntly commanded. "I want you to bring them to me alive."

"As you wish, your highness," Kunzite resignedly began, "but I don't know if that would be possible given the injuries they've sustained. Furthermore, they haven't revealed to us the exact location of the item, and I doubt they would do so without prompting."

"In that case you'll have to invent some way to convince them to surrender the brooch without further harming them," Beryl said in a voice that was both respectfully authoritative and ominous. "It is just as imperative that they live as it is that you return with the brooch and the crystal."

"I will try my best," Kunzite nervously replied.

"No, you will succeed," Beryl curtly advised before swiftly discontinuing the telepathic link.

Kunzite glanced at Sazaratha and exchanged a fleeting look of apprehension and displeasure before returning his gaze to the two battered foes lying prostrate on the floor before him. One of them was slowly pushing herself back to her feet, staring at him with widened violet eyes, while the other remained on the cold hardwood surface and appeared to be completely unconscious. Clearly, neither girl was in a proper condition to continue the battle. He hoped that they would capitulate and hand over the brooch, if only so he could comply with the ridiculous order his queen sent him.

"Now do you feel like stopping this little charade and surrendering the brooch?" Kunzite disdainfully asked the raven-haired senshi. "Because it's obvious you're not winning this fight."

Rei managed to climb to her feet, a momentous struggle given her excruciating pain and dwindling energy and stamina. Despite her hardships, she was not about to yield to an abominable foe. She was a Sailor Senshi, after all.

"Who said I was losing?" she shakily asked while attempting her best imitation of a wry smile.

"Come on! Look around you!" Sazaratha scathingly interjected. "Your so-called leader is knocked out, and one more hit will all but kill her. You're not looking all too great, either."

"All you have to do is give us the brooch and we will ensure you two will survive," Kunzite added in a solemn tone.

The shrine maiden's eyes widened further upon the reminder of the sorry condition of the one person she still considered a friend and ally. She turned a quick glance over her shoulder at the comatose blonde. It was blatantly obvious that the words of her mysterious female enemy rang true. One more direct hit, or maybe even a glancing blow, would result in Minako sharing a fate similar to Ami's. Yes, she was a senshi, but the loss of the young genius and beloved comrade was a large enough shock for her when the three girls were able to comfort one another. Seeing her dear friend and leader die before her eyes, especially with the knowledge she could have prevented it, would have utterly destroyed her psyche, and she would have had nobody to console her. Usagi's brooch and the crystal thought to reside within were important, and she believed it was vital that the Dark Kingdom did not possess either, but was that truly the most important thing to her? She began to feel great uncertainty about the answer to that question.

"I… I…" Rei nervously stuttered before stopping whatever it was she was about to say. Her attention was drawn to the glowing hands of the sinister woman in front of her.

"Now, this is your last warning," Sazaratha threatened. "I strongly doubt she will survive this new attack, so think very hard about what you want to do."

Rei looked over her shoulder one last time before settling upon her decision. It was far from her preferred option but the terrible circumstances forced her hand. She framed it within her mind as a tactical maneuver, the only one that made any sense. So, with a heavy, resigned sigh she reached into her pocket and removed the flawless gold brooch.

"Here it is," she whispered as she tossed the round object into the waiting hands of Kunzite.

"Thank you," he said evenly as he slipped the item into the inner pocket of his jacket. He turned to Sazaratha and slightly nodded his head, a signal that prompted the woman to suddenly rush toward Rei and envelop the stunned girl in a tight but far from loving hug.

"Hey!" Rei loudly protested as she struggled to free herself from the restrictive and painful grasp that pinned her arms at her side.

"The brooch was only one of the things we're after," Kunzite said while glaring at the irate girl, whose face was progressively turning a dark shade of red to match her eyes.

"You said you weren't going to hurt us!" Rei furiously shouted while continuing to twist her body and kick at the woman holding her from behind but to no avail.

"I'm not going to hurt you, and if you'd quit struggling she won't find a reason to hurt you either," Kunzite forcefully replied while pointing toward Sazaratha.

The silver-haired general then slowly walked past Rei's violent stare and crouched next to Minako's motionless body. Despite her unconscious state she was still transformed into Sailor Venus, although Kunzite could plainly tell that she was not going to be a threat to him for quite a long while. The minute rise and fall of her chest indicated that she was breathing, albeit shallowly. Nevertheless, that was sufficient for his purposes as he placed his gloved hand ominously close to her forehead.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Rei yelled with ferocious anger at Kunzite, who merely shrugged off her demand and slowly lowered his hand until it gently touched the girl's head, only slightly shuffling her disheveled blond hair.

"Now, you might feel slightly nauseous for a very brief moment, but otherwise the trip should be smooth and relatively painless," Kunzite matter-of-factly said as both he and Minako started to emit a bright gold light that filled the room.

"It'll be even easier on you if you'd just relax!" Sazaratha harshly said to Rei as the girl maintained her futile resistance. The pair soon released a similarly intense glow. A moment later, neither the senshi nor their captors were within the shattered remnants of the once lively room.

—|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|—

Only a few seconds had elapsed since Beryl sent her order to Kunzite to capture the remaining senshi before a bright flash of light erupted in the center of the throne room. There, before a very stunned red-haired woman and equally astounded pigtailed blonde materialized Zoisite and his quarry, the vaunted Prince of the Earth. Beryl rose from her seat and smiled brightly at both of the men while Usagi opted to remain more tranquil in her expressions.

"You're highness, I have brought to you the prince, as you requested," Zoisite said while genuflecting deeply. "It took a bit more energy than I predicted it would, and I have the sense that there's something wrong."

"You have done well, Zoisite," Beryl excitedly replied. She gestured to the man, telling him to stand erect. "If you wish to investigate the issue, you're free to do so. Now, please leave us alone with the prince."

"Us?" Zoisite uttered in confusion. He didn't know how he failed to notice the young blonde standing near the queen until the very moment the queen mentioned her. "What is she doing here?" he asked in perplexed anger that primarily was directed at the person he had a great desire to kill.

"Don't worry about her," Beryl curtly replied. "She's here at my own request, and she's not a threat."

Mamoru turned his disbelieving eyes to the girl that stood in such treacherous proximity to the deadly queen. His first instinct was to run to her and snatch her away to safety. What 'safety' was in a place like that he couldn't immediately determine, but his mind was certain that its definition did not include standing next to one's hated enemy. However, he was suffering enough by merely standing twenty feet away from Beryl. He inferred that closing the distance would only increase the excruciating pain he felt. His mind briefly pondered how Usagi could remain so calm standing next to the queen and not share his palpable distress before quickly dropping the subject. There were far more important things to consider, such what he would possibly say to the queen that could win her release, and possibly his as well.

"Mamoru," Usagi whispered with only the slightest intimation of joy in her tone, shaking him from his thoughts.

He blinked in surprise, alternating between his dismay of Usagi using his civilian name and not knowing how to respond to the girl he once deeply loved.

"It's okay," the blonde morosely said. "She knows who we are, so we don't need to hide our identities anymore."

Mamoru's shoulders slumped and a depressed sigh slipped from his mouth. "Usagi… are you alright?" he cautiously asked. The girl slowly nodded her head in response, prompting him to ask his next question. "Did they harm you in any way?"

Usagi closed her eyes and reflected on the torture she endured prior to speaking with Beryl. That experience was something she never wanted to have happen to her or anyone, no matter how passionately she loathed them. However, her conversation with the queen rang loudly in her mind, and she realized that whatever pain she felt must have paled in comparison to the agony she inflicted upon others.

"It was nothing that I didn't truly deserve," she dejectedly answered as a lone tear threatened to slip from her eyes. She wiped it away with the back of her hand and smiled widely at Mamoru. It seemed an odd smile to his eyes, one that was not quite cheerful but neither was it forced. It was a sincere smile that relayed the tremendous relief that she felt.

"Usagi…" he began to complain but was cut short.

"Don't worry. All of this will be over as soon as I get the Silver Crystal," she said with muted enthusiasm.

"What do you mean?" the thoroughly confused prince asked.

"This fighting against one another… we won't have to do it anymore," she said evenly as she unhurriedly stepped down from the raised platform and approached Mamoru. "You, the other senshi, Beryl and her generals… everyone will live in peace."

"What about you?" Mamoru anxiously questioned.

"I will get the opportunity to correct the mistakes I made all this time and the suffering and heartache I caused everyone to feel," Usagi replied in a tone that carried an eerily familiar strange sense of calm.

A large lump formed in Mamoru's throat as he had an inherent sense of what she was planning to do. "Please don't tell me you're going to do something to hurt yourself with the thought that it'll help everyone," he pleaded, staring into the hauntingly vacant eyes of that miserable young girl.

"I have to do it," Usagi said more emphatically. "I have to make everything better for everyone."

"But not like this," Mamoru whispered. He tried to put his arm around Usagi and bring her closer to him, but she roughly pushed him away.

"It's the only way, so please don't try to stop me," Usagi harshly countered.

He dropped his eyes to his feet, disappointed at the self-destructive mindset that Usagi somehow had developed since her capture. "Usagi… what caused you to think that such a foolish sacrifice would benefit anyone besides the people who most want you dead?" he sadly pondered.

"Yes, I strongly suggest that you let her carry out her wishes," Beryl smugly said.

"Don't tell me you made her like this?" Mamoru angrily asked as he turned a vicious glare to the regal yet fiendish woman.

"I did nothing of the sort," Beryl innocently replied as she stepped down from her throne. "I merely reminded her of what the truth was. She was the one who decided her own fate and her own way to resolve the problems of that truth."

Mamoru could feel the fury mounting within his soul as he knew the queen had manipulated Usagi's emotions. He didn't know the extent to which that evil woman had influenced the girl or the situation that made the otherwise tenacious young princess vulnerable. It frustrated him that in the scant time between her capture and his arrival she had changed so drastically. He had hoped that she would have been able to resist whatever machinations Beryl had planned for her, but all hope was quashed by that depressing sight.

"If I find that you've done anything to—"

"Stop, Mamoru!" Usagi exasperatedly shouted, interrupting his threat and drawing his gaze once again. "Stop doing this! Everything she said was right. So, don't prevent me from doing what I need to do, okay?"

"Usagi…"

"No!" Usagi resolutely shouted, startling the man with her sudden outburst of anger. She shoved Mamoru away from her and stomped back toward the throne and toward Beryl while wearing a fierce scowl. He extended his arm to grasp for her, to attempt one last futile plea, but she had slipped beyond his reach. By then he knew it was too late to save her, for her stubbornness had dominated her emotions and the prince could do nothing to dissuade the young princess from completing her sacrificial task.

"Endymion, don't you see that it's useless to try talking her out of doing the right thing?" Beryl asked in a voice that contained a trace of derision. "It truly is the one thing that will bring closure to our struggle and to yours as well."

"You lie!" Mamoru bellowed. "Having Usagi kill herself would only suit your self-serving mission of revenge and of destroying this very planet!"

Beryl hung her head and shook it in disillusionment. "The destruction of this planet is the absolute last thing I want," she replied in a whisper that progressively grew louder and angrier as she spoke. "This planet is my home. It is my only home. It is also my kingdom, and I am NOT going to obliterate my own kingdom for any reason! Such a thought is unfathomable!" She paused for a brief moment to collect herself and her emotions. "It is true that I desired revenge against her," she said forcefully while looking toward the princess, "but it is not for the reason you suspect."

"Why could you possibly want revenge for anything other than her ancient mother sealing you away before you could completely destroy any remaining trace of the Silver Millennium?" Mamoru skeptically asked.

The red-haired queen sighed heavily to release her immense frustration. "You truly don't get it, do you?" she asked. "The revenge I seek in the present is nothing more than a continuation of that which I almost completed in the past."

"You mean…" he hesitantly started to ask, though for some reason never found the will to complete.

"Yes, I mean when she stole your heart from me and destroyed our future together!" she furiously interjected. "We were supposed to be husband and wife, not to mention king and queen! I loved you with all my soul, and you loved me the same. But somehow she demolished that cherished bond we have and took you from me, leaving me a miserable wreck and allowing the seeds of hatred to grow within me."

Mamoru glanced at Usagi and noticed the grim look of guilt she held on her face. He slowly deduced what had occurred to the tiny blonde that sapped her of her strength and self-confidence. Somehow, that evil woman got to her, convinced her that everything was her fault, and informed her the only way she could atone for it all was to kill herself. However, that theory remained woefully incomplete and he needed much more information to answer the questions burning within his mind. The most important of them all: what broke Usagi? She had grown to be amazingly mature and capable not just as a warrior but as a young woman. He briefly considered the recent events involving him dumping her and her friends completely abandoning her. However, that horrible circumstance was the impetus for her growth. Maybe it was her failure to restore her friendships with the other senshi and their rejection of her, punctuated by their forceful seizure of her brooch. If so, it was the worst mistake they ever could have made. It also possibly was their last ever mistake. More likely was Ami's sudden, tragic death that she failed to prevent despite her best efforts. Nevertheless, it was indefensible for that fiendish woman to manipulate the young girl's emotions, especially given the tremendous consequences of doing so.

"You know damn well that it was not her fault that happened," Mamoru said with an intensity of rage he never knew he possessed. His body trembled while his face and narrowed eyes were swathed by an ominously dark shade of red.

"Don't you remember the profundity of our love?" Beryl irately retorted with a low, measured tone. "Almost nothing in the solar system could separate us, certainly no other man for me and no other woman for you. That was, until she found you." She sighed once again, a breath that was even heavier than the last, hoping to control her fury before it derailed everything she accomplished that evening. "However, that soon will not matter anymore, for she will rectify the damage she did in the past."

"She will do nothing of the sort as long as I am here," he said as he dashed up the steps and lunged at the queen.

Beryl did not flinch when she spotted the raging man leap up the steps to her elevated throne. She didn't have to. The negative energy she naturally emitted was beyond sufficient to subdue him once he was within mere feet of her. He fell to his knees and began to writhe in agony. She reflexively stepped away from the man to alleviate his suffering, as despite her fury and disappointment she still wanted him, and a part of her soul still loved him. But the last thing she was going to do was allow him the pleasure of breaking her heart and ruining her destiny once again.

—|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|—

The four women stared at each other in bemusement immediately after noticing the murky and dank conditions surrounding them. Visibility was severely hampered by a thick fog that settled close to the floor of the uncomfortably warm and humid chamber. Because of that they could only see objects within a few feet of them. Fortunately the quartet had firmly grasped each other's hands while they hid within the temple and thus were teleported to that mysterious room as a single unit. None of them desired to know what would have befallen them if they were separated, as all of them soon realized they were lost deep within the bowels of the Dark Kingdom.

"Okay, so… what do we do now?" Michiru hesitantly whispered. She took great pains to ensure she did not give away their presence, as far as she knew.

"I guess we somehow have to find where they're holding our princess," Setsuna anxiously replied.

"But where the hell are we right now?" Haruka asked with a combination of apprehension and genuine curiosity. In her enthusiasm her voice was slightly louder than a whisper.

"Be careful, Uranus," Setsuna scolded in a terse whisper. "We don't know who might be nearby who could hear us."

"I'm not worried about them finding us. They should be worried about us finding them," she responded with her typical bluster, although she did humor the woman by lowering the volume of her voice. "Anyway, I believe our primary task is to find our princess and rescue her as quickly as possible."

"But I can't even see more than a few feet in front of me. How are we going to fix that?" Makoto nervously asked.

"I was thinking of stealthily walking through this chamber in one direction until we find a wall, and then following the wall to some sort of exit," Setsuna calmly replied.

"We don't have time for that," Haruka said irately. "Who knows what's happening to the princess while we wait."

"I'm with Uranus. We shouldn't be too cautious here," Michiru eagerly added.

"Fine, fine…" Setsuna resignedly uttered. She lifted the Garnet Rod above her head as the orb lodged within dimly glowed with a faint red color. "I hope this works to remove some of the fog."

She closed her eyes and slipped into deep concentration. While she did so the light radiating from the Garnet Orb slowly grew brighter and the fog within their immediate vicinity began to dissipate. Foot by foot the air began to clear and the four women could more easily discern their surroundings. If they knew where they were, they probably would have opted to keep the fog.

"What is this?" Makoto tensely asked as she surveyed the dull gray stone that composed the walls and floor of the circular room.

The drabness of that round chamber was punctuated by dozens of light blue cylinders that lined the wall, each one discharging a light silver mist from its base. Dark shadows could be seen through the translucent blue exteriors, each one revealing a different shape. Some of the hazy shadows appeared human-like, while others clearly were unfamiliar figures that evoked images of beings seen in more esoteric horror movies. Nonetheless, each of the senshi inherently knew what those tubes contained, even though only one of them had the experience of seeing the contents first hand.

"Youmas," Setsuna matter-of-factly replied. "It seems we're in a youma containment room."

"Maybe an incubation chamber for developing youmas," Michiru suggested.

"We could take them out now while they're stuck in those tubes," Haruka smugly said as she slowly pivoted around on her heels. "It shouldn't be too difficult."

"Maybe, but I think we should try to get to the exit and out of here without being detected," Setsuna offered while pointing the tip of the Garnet Rod at the large steel door gracing the far end of the room.

"That sounds like a good idea to me," Makoto tentatively replied while looking toward her blond- and turquoise-haired partners with prodding eyes. The other two senshi nodded, although it was obvious Haruka still preferred a more aggressive strategy.

The quartet carefully made their way to the massive door, all the while trying their best to minimize the resounding clacks that occurred each time their heels struck the floor. That, ultimately, was the easy part of their journey. Opening the steel barrier and freeing themselves from the room proved far more difficult.

"Is there some way to actually open the door?" Michiru asked. A cursory glance around the rust-colored structure found no switch or lever that one could use to remove the obstacle from their path.

"Could we blast the door open with our attacks?" Haruka outwardly pondered with a slight shrug of her shoulders.

Setsuna lightly rapped the door with the base of her Garnet Rod before sullenly shaking her head. "I doubt it. Who knows how thick this steel is," she replied.

"Well, we have to try something," Michiru said while turning her eyes back to her lover. "If the steel is thin in some spots, maybe we could punch through it."

"But what do we do if that doesn't work?" Makoto asked with a worried tone. "We'll probably be stuck here forever, or at least until they open the doors for the youmas."

Despite the brunette saying the tail end of her last sentence with a lowered pitch and softer volume, the words piqued Setsuna's imagination. "Wait, you may have stumbled upon a way out of here," the enigmatic senshi of time said to Makoto with optimism.

"Really?" Makoto perplexedly asked.

The other two senshi, who at the time were examining the door for weak spots, looked over their shoulders at their younger compatriot. "Now that I think about it, if what I suggested was correct, then that may be the perfect way to escape from here," Michiru said while delivering a wry grin.

"And I finally get to blow off a little steam," Haruka said while delivering a similar smirk.

"If they're actively monitoring what's happening with their youmas, then creating a situation for them to come here and figure out what's going on may not be such a bad thing after all," Setsuna said with the faintest of smiles on her otherwise tranquil face.

The four senshi walked a few paces away from the door and examined the cylinders once again, looking for the few that contained the most powerful-looking youmas. None of them knew the particular capabilities the youmas possessed or even the stages of their development, so whichever ones they chose effectively were at random. Either way, they were intent on ensuring some of the figures within those cylinders never would live long enough to bother them in the future.

Naturally, Haruka was the first of the quartet to begin her attack. She raised her hand above her head, forming a golden sphere enclosed by a gold ring at the tips of her fingers that grew larger and glowed more intensely as she closed her hand into a fist. With a shout of "World Shaking," she then swiftly brought her hand down, hurling the massive globe through the earth and straight into one of the containment vessels. The pale blue glass shattered and the creature incubating within immediately vaporized in an explosion of yellow light, leaving behind a pile of sandy dust as the only proof of its existence. The strike was so powerful that the glass within the cylinders directly abutting the target also shattered, leaving those youmas to suffer a much slower demise as their carefully controlled atmospheres were permanently disrupted.

"Not bad," Haruka said with a pleased smirk on her lips as she enjoyed performing her first ever attack as a senshi.

"I guess I should go next," Michiru quickly followed, a similar smile tugging at the edges of her mouth. She lifted both arms over her head and formed a ringed sphere similar to that her lover had created except in cyan. Once that orb reached its maximal size she brought her arms down to her side she yelled "Deep Submerge" and fired the luminescent ball at the incubating youmas directly across from the one Haruka destroyed. Likewise, the specially designed chamber exploded, irreparably damaging nearby vessels and instantly disintegrating the targeted youma.

"Now I can see how you can enjoy doing this," Michiru teasingly said to Haruka as she gave the sandy blonde a mischievous smile.

"I think we should hide next to the doors, so that whenever someone comes by to investigate the damage, we'll be able to ambush them and sneak out," Setsuna said evenly but with a faster cadence to emphasize the sense of urgency.

The other three senshi nodded before sprinting to positions on either side of the large door. Not even a minute later the room shuddered and a loud groan echoed through the chamber as the door slowly lifted open. A human-like creature with light red and purple skin ran through the threshold and dashed a few feet past the waiting women. Its face was contorted into an expression of outright horror as it spotted the incident that created the alarm to which it responded. At no time, until it was woefully too late, did it realize there were interlopers within her domain.

"Dead Scream," Setsuna whispered as a light purple sphere of energy shot from the orb contained within her Garnet Rod. The blast vaporized the youma before it could turn its head and detect the source of the strange voice.

"I guess we can go now," Michiru said as she was already on the other side of the entryway and had physically dragged Haruka alongside her by her arm. The other two senshi nodded and jogged out of the room.

They emerged into a long, darkened hallway that was cooler and drier than the room from which they escaped. It was a welcomed change in atmosphere as they sprinted to whatever awaited them at the end of the corridor. What they found, after breezing past the multi-hall junction they correctly assumed connected that incubation chamber several similar rooms, was a fork. The larger hall was unobstructed whereas the smaller was blocked by a simple door, one they could easily open on their own.

"Which way do we go?" Makoto asked. She turned her eyes to Setsuna and gave her a quizzical look. In the short amount of time she had known the enigmatic green-haired woman she had come to expect answers to practically any question from her elder.

"I don't know," Setsuna started, and Makoto could feel her spirits deflate ever so slightly. "However, I have a feeling that we should take the door," she said more animatedly.

"Well, in that case, let's go!" Haruka exclaimed as she pulled open the simple metal door.

The four senshi burst into what they realized was a control room for all of the youma incubation chambers. It was a place that combined technology and magic in the way the computers precisely controlled the flow of dark energy to each of the containment vessels. A crescent-shaped table stood in the center of the room from which an attendant could monitor several large information screens. None of the senshi could understand the text that scrolled across the display, but from the images they could infer that there were hundreds of youmas that were at various stages of development in that small section alone. Clearly, Beryl was creating an army of youmas with the assistance of Metalia's energy.

"This does not look good," Setsuna nervously uttered.

"No, it doesn't," Michiru concurred, with Haruka nodding for effect.

"Can we do anything about it?" Makoto asked while peering about the dimly lit room.

"Maybe if we destroy the control center we can stop them," Haruka suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea, but how about sabotage instead of outright destruction," Setsuna said with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"But whatever we do we have to do it quickly. Our princess is waiting for us," Michiru warned.

"I still say just destroy this place and they won't be able to control their little youma nursery," Haruka said with derision targeted at the whole machine they wished to disrupt.

"Besides, how can we sabotage this place when we don't know what anything here does," Makoto added.

"Ah well, you have a good point," Setsuna resignedly acknowledged, still wishing to do something more subversive. Her disappointment rapidly disappeared when she lifted her Garnet Rod and pointed it at the console while displaying a tremendous smile on her face. "Let's hurry up with this, shall we?"

"Absolutely!" Haruka exclaimed with an even greater smirk pulling on her lips.

A few seconds later, no part of the control room was recognizable from what they had seen when they entered. The large screens attached to the wall were shattered and broken, with some of them detached from their fasteners, while the center console was a melted, smoking mass. It was complete and absolute destruction, and it made the four women ecstatic. At least, up to the moment when the floor beneath their feet started to rumble.

"I think we should get out of here," Michiru anxiously stated. She found no argument from any of the other senshi.

"Through here!" Setsuna shouted as she opened a door across the room from where they entered. She allowed the other three women to dash through the opening before she followed them into yet another dark hallway.

The four senshi ran as quickly as they could, although it was extremely difficult for them to maintain their footing as the ground continuously shook and threatened to topple them. If the quaking unnerved the intruders, it absolutely had to have alerted the other youmas that must have guarded certain sections of the cavernous lair. Indeed, before they could reach the end of the hall a bright-red beam of negative energy shot toward them at head level.

"Duck!" Haruka shouted as she leaped head first to the stone floor. The other three senshi did the same, rolling over their shoulders and landing in a low crouch.

"I think we've been discovered," Michiru said dryly.

"It took them long enough," Haruka grumbled. She started to push herself to her feet but stopped when another laser-like stream of dark energy flew over her head.

"Okay, I've had enough of this," Makoto said as she narrowed her eyes in fury. The antenna within her tiara rose and sparked with green electricity as she gathered the energy for her attack.

"Jupiter, watch out!" Setsuna yelled in panic as yet another red blast headed down the hall, aimed squarely at the chest of the green-skirted senshi.

"Supreme Thunder!" Makoto exclaimed with unusual passion as a cascade of green lightning flowed from her fingertips and down the hall. It collided with the beam of negative energy, causing the youma's attack to dissipate mere feet before it could strike her. Her own assault continued down the hallway and crashed into the unseen youma, eliciting a raucous shriek that echoed through the hallway.

"I… I think it's clear now," Makoto said. She couldn't help but smile after defeating a youma on her own for the first time.

"Okay, enough gloating," Haruka dryly said as she sensed the brunette's pleasure without turning toward her. "We have to hurry and get to the princess."

The four senshi continued their sprint to the end of the hall and were thrilled to find no more surprises waiting for them. The quaking that had slowed their escape and alerted the Dark Kingdom to their presence had waned considerably since their decision to obliterate the control room. All they had to do from that point was locate their princess within the labyrinthine base. A difficult task that inadvertently was made much, much easier by someone who usually knew better than to lose awareness of his surroundings.

—|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|—

Mamoru struggled to turn furious eyes that at one point were dark blue to the woman he wished would suffer a horrifically painful demise. His former identity may have loved the self-appointed queen, but he wasn't that person anymore, and it was obvious she wasn't the same individual either. At that specific moment, he hated Beryl with all his soul, and it had nothing to do with her desire to conquer the Earth. He detested her for that too, but it was more businesslike, a consequence of his role as prince of the Earth and its primary defender. However, having witnessed the extent to which that patently evil woman had manipulated Usagi's emotions to the point of convincing her to commit suicide, he wanted her dead. Even if she weren't a magically enabled human driven by an extraterrestrial being, he would have wanted Beryl dead, and by his own hand no less. He would not allow anyone to get away with doing something so atrocious to a girl he cared for so deeply, if not loved.

It was not to say his feelings for Ami had changed one bit, even after her death. He loved the girl for her intelligence and her demureness and maturity relative to the childishness that Usagi had displayed. The fact they had similar aspirations helped develop their relationship beyond their initial acquaintanceship and burgeoning friendship. They had spent so much time together studying for a future career in medicine, and with his advanced position in school and her natural brilliance, it resulted in a perfect match. Their relationship blossomed from there, with the pair spending so much time together doing activities other than studying. Eventually, he determined that there was no point in pretending that he cared for Usagi the same way. As far as he could tell, the blonde just would not grow up and possess any semblance of responsibility. The only problem with that reasoning was that Usagi eventually did mature and become a far more responsible—and far more intriguing—young woman.

"Don't you see that you cannot stop that which is destiny?" Beryl pleaded in a tone that was less angry than before.

"I am not going to give up! There is too much to lose to let you have your way!" Mamoru resolutely shouted as he rose to his feet, an incredible feat given his proximity to the queen's dark energy.

Before he could lunge at the woman once again, he was disrupted by a ferocious roar and bright flash of gold light that filled the entire room. A cold wind that accompanied the explosion of sound and luminescence quickly faded after rustling the few loose items in the room. Mamoru turned his head toward the source of the blast of light and immediately sank back to the ground in disillusionment. In the middle of the expansive throne room was a tall, silver-haired man with whom he was intimately familiar crouching over the unmoving body of Sailor Venus. Next to him was an utterly exotic but unknown blond-haired woman who had enveloped Sailor Mars from behind in a tight bear hug. He inferred that she was associated with the Dark Kingdom in some way, elevated to work with the Shitennou given that they were short two members. Whatever her relationship to them, he could tell that she was enormously powerful and darkly evil. Nevertheless, their presence signaled to him that his situation was far worse than it appeared even seconds earlier.

"Ah, Kunzite," Beryl eagerly began as she greeted the confident man, "do you have the brooch?"

"Absolutely, your highness," Kunzite answered as he reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and withdrew the gleaming gold ornament. He walked over to Beryl and gently dropped the brooch into her waiting hand.

"And I see that the two of you have successfully brought the remaining senshi," she said with curious glee and a wide smile. "I am very happy with both of you."

"What do you want with us?" Rei angrily asked as her eyes were locked on her red-haired foe.

"Me? Absolutely nothing," Beryl wryly responded. She then turned and pointed an open hand to the pigtailed blonde standing on the other side of the throne. "Your princess, however, seems to want a word with you."

"My princess?" Rei disbelievingly asked as she ogled the girl. The only way she could recognize her was through her trademark pigtails and odangos and her short stature, as the dowdy black robes had concealed her figure. Her incredulity morphed into anger. "What the hell are you doing here?" she irately asked as she glared viciously at Usagi.

Mamoru interjected before Usagi could open her mouth. "She was captured by them," he furiously replied, "partially due to your stubbornness and unwillingness to see the truth."

"Captured? Hell, it looks like she went with them willingly!" Rei shouted as she intensified her glower. The hatred that boiled within her was revealed by the remarkable transformation of her normally violet eyes to blood red. "She's probably the one who sent those bastards to capture us, almost killing Mina— Venus in the process," she added with just enough self-control to catch the slip she almost made.

"Mamoru, Rei… please stop," Usagi said calmly, almost with melancholy but for the slight edge to her voice that lingered from her earlier bout of irritation at the raven-haired man. Just like before, it was a peculiar form of tranquility, one that combined abject depression with a steely sense of determination. Whatever it was, it—along with the use of her real name in the presence of the enemy—startled Rei away from her unbridled loathing of the blonde.

"Usagi…" Rei softly muttered.

"There is no need for you to be angry at me anymore," Usagi stated while gazing serenely at the understandably perplexed senshi of fire. She stepped down the platform and walked toward the girl and to the woman who continued to tightly wrap her arms around her.

"Please release her," Usagi requested of Sazaratha, who merely replied by shooting her fellow blonde a quizzical expression. It took a stern nod from Beryl to convince the woman to loosen her grip of the shrine maiden and back away.

Seemingly natural for Rei's temperament, she rapidly slipped back into her angry stance. "Why the hell shouldn't I be angry at you after what you did to me?" she asked with a withering tone.

Usagi shook her head. "You should be angry at me," she evenly replied. "I deserve every bit of anger and hatred you have for me, and I'm so sorry for all the pain I caused you. But I promise I'll make it up to you."

"How?" Rei curtly asked, although with waning anger that gradually was replaced by befuddlement as she slowly realized Usagi was acting quite differently from the girl she remembered.

"I'll tell you soon, once Minako wakes up," Usagi gently responded while casting a glance at the prone girl.

"Whatever! I'm not going to sit back and let this bitch make Usagi kill—" Mamoru bellowed, his fury directed at Beryl once again. However, he was rudely interrupted by the target of his outburst.

"Silence!" Beryl shouted as she abruptly fired a violet blast of negative energy at Mamoru that struck him squarely in the chest and knocked him to his knees. Rei was left aghast at the eruption, while Usagi only lowered her head and sadly shook it. Beryl was shocked at herself for openly attacking the man she wished would have peacefully joined her in the present. Given the irrevocable closure of that avenue, she held solace in the fact that he would be hers in the corrected past, courtesy of the princess.

"Now, I know such words may sound awkward coming from my mouth, Sailor Mars, but you should be giving your princess the utmost respect for what she plans to do," Beryl said to Rei with an initially harsh tone that calmed with her next sentence. "It is true that she did a lot to hurt the girls she called her friends and guardians, with you in particular taking the brunt of the pain. However, you must understand that she will atone for your suffering, and will do so freely."

Rei's eyes, having since returned to their normal violet hue, caught the guilty expression that Usagi fleetingly displayed upon Beryl's insinuation of the incident during which she accidentally exposed the fiery girl to severe injury. It was a face that she had seen many times and, in her rage, dismissed as either fake or pointless. This time was different as she fully sensed and appreciated the tremendous sincerity behind the look despite its transient nature. It confused her to no end, as she was still furious at her for that and for allowing Ami's death—Mamoru's explanation notwithstanding. Furthermore, a large part of her mind refused to accept Usagi's legitimacy as princess. However, with both Mamoru and her abhorrent enemy referring to the blonde as the princess, she started to ponder the possibilities that either everyone but them were misguided or that they were the mistaken ones. She had no idea what she would think if it turned out to be the latter. Either way, she was perplexed by the queen's words as the woman seemed to sympathize with her pain. She never imagined Beryl as the compassionate type. It completely disrupted any train of thought that may have lead to a response.

Fortunately for the befuddled senshi, her partner chose that moment to finally return to consciousness. Minako's light groans and slow stirring attracted everyone's attention and released a significant fraction of Rei's pent-up stress.

"I see you're finally starting to awaken, Sailor Venus," Beryl said to as the girl gradually opened her eyes and blinked several times, as though she was trying to reacquaint herself with the sense of vision. "Try not to be frightened about where you are right now."

"Your highness, it may take her a few more minutes before she's fully awake," Sazaratha said with a trace of arrogance in her voice. "I did hit her with a fairly powerful attack, after all. I'm just amazed she survived."

"Don't gloat," Beryl said as she firmly admonished her newest general. She then turned her red eyes back to the groggy blonde.

"W-where am I?" Minako tentatively asked as she attempted to scan her surroundings, both sets of them. Another minute would pass before she could properly focus her eyes.

"You're in my throne room," Beryl coolly answered. "As for my identity, I am Beryl, Queen of the Kingdom of Earth."

Minako reflexively cringed when she heard the name, but as she slowly comprehended the information her eyes and Beryl's words told her, she felt even sicker. How could she have found herself inside of the Dark Kingdom? Was she captured? The last thing she remembered, barely, was fighting that haughty blond woman while trying to assuage a massive headache. Also, why were Usagi and Mamoru there? Especially Usagi. Unlike Mamoru, she didn't seem to be in pain or trying to resist the enemy at all. Was she a traitor after all, as she had suspected? Those were the questions that swam about her brain, during the brief moments it didn't feel like it was on the verge of exploding. However, she opted to ask a far simpler question.

"What's going on?" she asked as she finally found an object onto which she could focus her eyes and clear her vision. That object happened to be the queen's dark throne.

"Your princess requested your presence here," Beryl said while pointing toward a somber Usagi.

Minako directed her heavy eyes to the blonde standing on the other side of the obsidian throne from Beryl. "She is not my princess," she harshly uttered.

"Oh, but I assure you she is, Venus," Beryl retorted. "She very much is your princess. If you had remembered that, then we might not be having this conversation right now." She briefly paused as a tiny smile appeared on her lips. "On the other hand, it's probably the best thing for all parties involved," she eagerly added.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Minako hesitantly asked.

"That explanation is best left to your princess," Beryl replied as she slid behind her throne and, with a curt nod, ceded to Usagi the unbroken attention of everyone within the chamber.

—|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|—

The four senshi dashed down the almost pitch-black hallway as quickly yet as quietly as they could. They had no idea where it lead, only that it shuttled them farther away from the control room they had destroyed. It seemed that most of the Dark Kingdom was nothing more than a maze of poorly lit corridors with the occasional odd room that connected to yet another darkened corridor. One of those rooms became an unexpected blessing for the women as Setsuna shuttled them into it at the last minute, closing the simple wooden door with a light thud.

"What are—" Haruka's question died on her lips when she felt a hand slide over her mouth.

"Get to the back of the room, and fast," Setsuna whispered as softly as she could before pushing the group toward the back wall.

All four women crouched in the rear of the small chamber that, fortunately, was not occupied by any other creatures. It was painfully obvious they were hiding within someone's living quarters. They didn't know whether the normal occupant was a youma or something closer to human, but the small details scattered about the place seemed to point to the latter. Quite strongly, actually, but they weren't about to concern themselves with that when they had a more pressing issue to handle. It manifested itself as a loud series of taps that suspiciously slowed immediately next to the door.

"What's going on?" Makoto asked with a voice that barely was audible.

"Zoisite," was Setsuna's lone whispered reply.

Indeed, the blond-haired general was standing outside the door, his curiosity piqued by a strange sensation he detected on the other side. It was an amalgamation of faint and completely unfamiliar energy signatures. Had he opened the door and peered within the room, he would have learned they belonged to a quartet of Sailor Senshi. Instead he was distracted by yet another rumbling in the distance, and he departed from the door, walking away from the very people who unknowingly created the quakes.

"How did you know it was him?" Michiru innocently asked.

"I could feel him," Setsuna calmly answered as she swiftly stood. "He emits a distinctive negative energy that I can feel from quite a distance." She paused and briefly closed her eyes while a veil of concentration covered her face. "It must be an effect of being here that I can feel him from much farther away than normal," she added as her eyes reopened.

"What's normal?" Haruka bluntly asked.

"Approximately ten meters," Setsuna plainly answered. She carefully walked to the door and opened it before tentatively peering into the direction she felt the general travel. "He has to be about one hundred meters away now," she whispered over her shoulder.

"Cool," the sandy-haired blonde replied in turn. She pushed herself upright and walked to the door beside Setsuna. "Anyway, we should probably get out of here now that he's gone," she said impatiently.

"Wait, Uranus," Setsuna emphatically whispered. "I think it's better that we stay here just a short while longer."

"Why?" Haruka responded with more annoyance evident in her tone. "We have to hurry and get to the princess." That sentiment was echoed by the other two senshi behind her.

"I know. However, I think it may benefit us to follow Zoisite when he returns," Setsuna said more evenly.

"What? Do you sense that he'll lead us where we want to go?" Michiru intently asked with widening eyes.

"I'm not entirely certain, but while he stood there I could gather a series of probabilities of what he would do in the future," the enigmatic senshi tranquilly replied. "The highest of them was that he would rush by here a few minutes from now, heading toward someplace important."

"And that place is where the princess is being held?" Makoto gently asked.

Setusna shook her head. "I'm not sure. That much I wasn't able to ascertain," she said more sullenly.

"What if he doesn't come back?" Haruka skeptically asked. "Then we'll just be sitting here wasting time as who-knows-what happens to our princess."

"There's always that possibility," Setsuna candidly responded.

Indeed, when she said that Zoisite's return held the highest probability, she purposefully neglected to inform her fellow senshi of the incredibly slim margin between that and the next highest alternative. That one, where Zoisite remained at the control room and merely communicated with his queen via telepathy, had a lower chance of occurring, but only by a few percentage points. Furthermore, neither option had a majority relative to the sum of probabilities. But that was the type of information upon which Setsuna usually had to base her predictions, and so she was unfazed by the possibility of guessing incorrectly.

Fortunately for the senshi of time her forecast was spot on as she rapidly felt the surge of Zoisite's dark energy long before she heard the approaching footsteps. The group slowly ducked back into the room as the general bolted past them, this time oblivious to their presence. Setsuna cautiously opened the door and glanced in the direction of the waning echoes.

"Okay, let's go," she said evenly as she stepped out into the hallway.

The other senshi followed suit, and soon all four were shadowing the general through the myriad of corridors as they progressed deeper into the heart of the Dark Kingdom. They were careful to evade any youmas or other guards they found while staying within the wide field of energy that Zoisite emitted. A fight at that juncture only would have slowed them down and alerted others to their presence, further hindering their mission. Eventually, they found the young Shitennou general standing at the grand entrance of a large, round chamber.

"What is that?" Haruka cautiously whispered. She wasn't one to be so careful, but the situation she could see in front of her forced her to shelve her typical cockiness.

"Our destination," Setsuna dryly replied in an equally soft voice.

"But… how do we get in?" Michiru asked as she warily pushed her body off the wall she tightly hugged in order to obtain a better view before quickly pressing herself against the rough surface once again.

"I guess we can't just walk in?" Makoto hesitantly asked.

"You must not be able to see what we see," Haruka matter-of-factly answered.

What she and Michiru could somewhat see, what Makoto from her vantage point could not observe, and what Setsuna could more readily witness was a large circular hallway that directly abutted the room they wished to enter. There was a pair of large doors that appeared to be constructed from solid granite that were polished well enough to reflect the torchlight. The walls of the chamber also seemed smoother than the barrier against which the women closely stood in an attempt to conceal their positions. However, what interested and concerned the senshi—excluding Makoto—the most were the guards that lined the hallway.

Setsuna estimated that there were dozens of guards just on that hemisphere of the circle. They wore uniforms that were similar to the gray suits the Shitennou wore except the jackets and trousers were steel blue. Most of the guards were holding halberds whereas a few others, the ones equipped with thick white belts, were armed with swords. All of them were standing attentively and indubitably were prepared to deal with an intruder at a moment's notice. They were so skeptical about anyone approaching that they even stopped and inspected Zoisite before allowing him to enter the chamber. However, the one detail that gave the senshi pause was that all of the guards were human. Most clearly were men while a few were women, but all of them appeared to be as well versed in physical combat as Haruka and superior in skill to Makoto. The brunette fully understood and appreciated her fellow senshi's hesitation once the information of the layout filtered down to her.

"So… dozens of human guards," Haruka whispered in a pensive tone. "I guess it's better than dozens of youmas. If we charge with full attacks we may be able to break in before reinforcements can help them."

"We can't kill fellow humans," Makoto firmly protested.

"If you haven't noticed, they're our enemy, and they have our princess," Michiru heatedly retorted, although she was thoughtful enough to continue whispering.

"Th- there always is a better way," Makoto uttered. Her voice wavered slightly as she spoke the words that seemed to come not from her rational mind but from someplace deeper within her soul.

"What the hell does that even mean?" Haruka exasperatedly asked.

"It's the old senshi mantra," Setsuna quietly answered as she turned her head over her shoulder to gaze at her partners.

"Well, it's a silly mantra in this situation," an annoyed Michiru said.

Makoto turned away from the older senshi and closed her eyes as she contemplated what she should do. She desperately wanted to rescue Usagi, but at the same time she did not want to kill people in the process. She felt no sympathy for any youmas she destroyed, but slaying humans, even if they were evil and worked with the enemy, was a different matter. An ironic notion, to be sure, given that not even twenty-four hours ago she was attacking the most important human being on the planet. Maybe it was her immense regret for trying to kill Usagi that made her shun the desire to wantonly slaughter the guards. In any case, the guards weren't going to leave anytime soon, and they needed to find some way inside that room.

"Maybe we could just stun them," Makoto timidly suggested with a tentative shrug.

"You do realize even our weakest attacks are utterly lethal to humans, right?" Michiru asked with an air of disbelief.

"Maybe not stun, but distract," Setsuna calmly proffered. "If we can create a reason for a few of the guards to leave, then it would make our progression to the door much easier."

At that moment the entire cavernous complex seemed to quake violently for several seconds, to the point where stone debris fell from the ceiling. The senshi ducked and covered their heads with their arms to avoid injury, and from the corner of her eyes Setsuna could see many of the guards doing the same thing. Their first supposition was that whatever they had triggered when they destroyed the control room wasn't quite finished. However, they hadn't felt any rumbling for several minutes. Furthermore, that control room was distant, whereas the shaking they felt seemed to come from a much closer location. That sudden eruption unnerved them, but it also stimulated the creativity of a certain blonde.

"What if we take out the ceilings?" Haruka excitedly whispered while pointing to the large cracks that appeared overhead. "I'm certain my attack is strong enough to blast enough of the rock from the ceiling to create a pretty large barrier."

Setsuna's eyes widened and a tiny smile tugged at her lips. "That might actually work," she replied. "It also wouldn't require us killing them. There would still be the two guards at the door, but that's a much easier fight," she said while gazing directly at Makoto.

"We'll leave those two to you, Jupiter," Michiru said with a wink, leaving a thoroughly startled brunette before turning to face her partner and lover. "I'll take the left side, while you take the right," she said with a commanding tone.

"Whatever. Either way those ceilings are coming down," Haruka replied more arrogantly. She stealthily rolled over her shoulder to the other side of the hall, pressing her back against the wall as before to hide herself from the guards.

Setsuna shuffled past Michiru and stood next to the still anxious Makoto. "I'm sure you'll know what to do in order to not kill them," she said while gently placing a hand on the girl's shoulder to reassure her. "In any case, once you take care of them, I'll blast open the door."

Makoto slowly nodded and closed her eyes as she searched for a way to attack the human guards without taking their lives. She gasped as she found the answer much more quickly than she expected. In fact she felt silly for almost missing such an obvious solution.

"Is everyone ready?" Setsuna asked. All three senshi resolutely nodded in reply.

After a count of three and a pair of loud shouts that indubitably attracted the attention of the closest sentries, two spheres of positive energy, one gold and the other cyan, raced toward the ceiling at opposite ends of the door. Immediately after the twin impacts, large slabs of dark gray stone collapsed to the floor and fell atop one another. The piles didn't quite reach the ceiling, but they were tall enough to hinder any rapid attempt to intercept the senshi. It also completely surprised and discombobulated the otherwise professional sentinels as evidenced by their raucous shouting. The outer senshi completed their task of impeding the bulk of the guards. As planned, only two completely stunned guards remained. If they knew any better, they would have felt eternally grateful that the opponent they would face was Makoto and not any of the other senshi.

The senshi of lightning stepped into the middle of the hallway and appeared to stare at the two men. They were quite formidable opponents once the initial shock wore off and they resorted to their immense training. The two sentries hesitantly approached the darkened corridor with their swords drawn and leveled at the girl who stood about fifteen feet away. They were cautious as she had already extended the antenna from the jewel of her tiara and was gathering the green lightning within her hands. It was an obvious sign to them to not risk close combat but instead employ ranged attacks using the magic within their blades. Unfortunately for them they would not have the time to initiate their attacks.

"Supreme Thunder!" Makoto yelled as the intense bolt of lightning leapt from her hands. Unlike a normal assault she did not aim the lightning at either individual. Instead she allowed the lightning to strike evenly between both men. The resulting impact and explosion tossed the guards sideways and into the stone barrier, knocking them out cold. However, the minute rise and fall of their chests indicated their survival.

Makoto didn't have much time to celebrate before she saw the massive violet orb rush past her head and slam into the granite door, creating a giant hole.

"Let's go!" Setsuna emphatically yelled with a lowered pitch to her commanding voice, and the four senshi burst from the hallway and into the room via the improvised entrance she had provided. Only when they passed the threshold did they know they found exactly who they were looking for. And the discovery horrified them.

—|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|—

Usagi slowly stepped away from the obsidian throne, her calm eyes alternatively directed at the befuddled stare of the raven-haired shrine maiden or the disbelieving gaze of the blonde. She knew the girls did not believe in her legitimacy as the princess, her skills as a senshi, or her abilities or intelligence as a normal girl. Deep within her soul those doubts made her feel absolutely dreadful, and the emotion heaped extra pressure upon an already stressed individual. Her unwavering determination to do what she believed was the proper thing drove her up to that point. The presence of her former friends reminded her of why she needed to successfully accomplish her goal and simultaneously frightened her of the prospect of failure. She absolutely could not fail in front of them. Not again. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled the air to settle both her mind and her heart.

"Rei… Minako…" Usagi hesitantly began with a tone of dejection. She knew exactly what she wanted to say, but suddenly found it incredibly difficult for her to spit out the words. "I'm sorry… I'm truly sorry for all the pain I caused you to feel ever since. Especially to you Rei," she said as she focused her gaze on the startled girl. "I have been nothing but a terrible senshi and as a result I put you all in situations that have hurt you, and maybe could have done worse."

"Usagi, I…" Rei said in a surprisingly sympathetic tone, but was interrupted by the raised hand and shaking head of the pigtailed blonde.

"It's absolutely true," Usagi continued as tears welled at the base of her eyes. Her cadence slowed and became agonizingly hesitant. "I did push you into the path of that laser. I did almost kill you. I didn't mean to. I absolutely didn't mean to, but I did." She paused as she took yet another deep breath, but there was no sign it helped calm her. "And then, Ami. I could have saved her from her horrible death, but I didn't," she melancholically said. "I couldn't. I failed because I didn't know that I could have left much earlier than I did, because I'm a horrible senshi."

If Usagi wasn't intently focused on the senshi in front of her, and if her vision hadn't become blurred by tears, she would have detected the wide smirk on Kunzite's lips. Maybe she wouldn't have continued with her depressed speech, but by then it was a moot point.

"The thing that connected your suffering, Rei, and Ami's death was my presence," Usagi said, by then the tears streaming unabated. "My very existence. If I weren't such a klutz at the time you wouldn't have been hurt. If I were smarter I would have known I could have saved Ami much earlier. Both of those incidents entirely were my fault."

She lifted a hand and softly brushed away the tears from her reddened cheeks. The last thing she wanted to do was cry, especially in front of them. She needed to be strong so that she couldn't fail them at that juncture the way she did in the past. Her body trembled almost imperceptibly as her fervent resolve to overcome her pesky apprehension combined with a mysterious dull pain within her chest. She had endured it for the past several minutes, and it only worsened despite any attempts to assuage the pain. Nevertheless, she desired to hide her agony as she deemed it unimportant.

"It seems I only exist to bring absolute misery to others no matter what I do," Usagi morosely continued. "Almost everyone I know and love was hurt in some way that I either caused or could have prevented. In fact, all of this—" she waved her hands around to emphasize her point— "this conflict, this needless fighting, this death… all of it was my fault. If it weren't for me destroying Endymion's engagement to Beryl in the past, she wouldn't have attacked the moon in the first place."

Both Rei and Minako stared at Usagi in stunned silence, their mouths partially agape. Whether or not they considered her the princess, whether or not they liked her, both were moot points at the moment. They were totally enraptured by the remarkable statement the girl had just uttered. Usagi was blaming herself for the collapse of the Silver Millennium. At almost the same time they wanted to say that it was an impossible circumstance as she wasn't even alive then. Even if she was the princess—and they still had doubts—she was the reincarnation of the princess's soul and not the actual woman. In other words, she was still just a fourteen year-old girl despite her alternate identities. And now she was a horribly misguided fourteen year-old girl who was confusing the hell out of them with every word she spoke.

Usagi placed both hands on her chest, mainly to clutch at the spot where she felt the worst pain. "However, I know I can correct all of my mistakes," she said softly with a weak smile on her lips. She wanted to show enthusiasm despite the acute distress that partially debilitated her. "I know how to make it all better, so that nobody will have to suffer anymore because of me… so that nobody has to fight anymore because of me."

She couldn't take the throbbing pain within her chest anymore and abruptly collapsed to her knees. Before anyone could rush to her side to assist her, a brilliant pink light exploded from her body and flooded the room. A tremendous wind accompanied the sudden blast and swirled about the round chamber. Usagi had experienced both phenomena before as they were the typical side effects of her transformation to Princess Serenity. However, she immediately recognized that this was something different as she managed to glance at herself and see that she still wore the dark robes her captors had given her. Because of that she reasoned the incident had nothing to do with that conversion. Furthermore, she never caused the entire room to shake whenever she adopted the appearance of the princess. The violent quaking lasted for seconds and forced everyone to crouch as it was physically impossible for anyone to remain standing. It also caused extensive damage to the façade and the underlying structure of the throne room.

However, not a single person noticed the destruction as every eye in the room was transfixed upon the gleaming object that hovered in front of Usagi's chest. It was the item the Dark Kingdom had desired and waged war over ever since its creation. It was the entity that the two senshi lying on the stone floor thought they had captured, safeguarded, and then lost. Most importantly, it was the thing that Usagi thought she had given up to preserve her life and her future at the cost of her friendships: the Silver Crystal. She tenderly clutched the lotus-shaped crystal in the palms of her hands, causing it to release a dazzling white glow. The light seemed to soothe her corporeal pain, but the anguish within her heart remained. That would only disappear with her impending use of the crystal.

"I guess I don't need this thing anymore," Beryl said as she idly tossed the brooch aside and pushed herself to her feet. It clanged against the hard floor and rattled about the room until the wind that carried it pushed it against the wall near the set of double-doors that stood opposite the throne.

The crouching Mamoru turned a morose stare toward Usagi and attempted one last-ditch plea to convince her to stop. "Usagi! Don't do this! Please!" he implored her, shouting as loud as he could so she could hear him over the roar of the wind. He successfully caught her attention, but his heart sank in his chest when her only response was to slowly shake her head and mouth the words "it is better this way."

Usagi then closed her eyes and slipped into her deepest concentration yet. She needed every bit of her skill and energy to correctly relay her intent to the crystal she caressed in her hands. Any mistake or disruption, no matter how tiny, would halt the spell and cause her to fail at the single most important task she ever attempted. The pink aura flared around her petite figure once again and the ongoing wind strengthened, making it all but impossible for anyone to approach the girl.

"Dear crystal," Usagi began to chant with curious tranquility, almost as though the words spilling from her mouth were not her own. "I beg you to listen to my request and to grant me the power to complete my wish."

The white light intensified and gathered a secondary hue of pink that shone from the center of the flower-shaped crystal. She smiled as she bathed in the warmth and positive energy that the cherished crystal provided, secure in the knowledge that it would heed her vital command. Everything was working, and she felt as though nothing could disturb her. Not even the massive blast and tremors that emanated from the other side of the massive doors.

"Please, crystal, grant me the power to atone for the mistakes I have committed and the anguish I caused others to endure in the present," Usagi prayed. The crystal responded by ushering the creation of a faint pink sphere that eventually would completely envelop the blonde.

A second after the words escaped her lips a gargantuan hole suddenly appeared within the substantial double-doors, accompanied by the random distribution of granite shards across the floor. The explosion that produced the opening shook the room once again, immediately drawing the attention of everyone except the blonde. She was almost completely oblivious to the action occurring right in front of her as manipulating the Silver Crystal took a tremendous amount of her concentration.

"Grant me the power to reverse the conflict that I had initiated in the past and to prevent the hatred and warfare that lead to the deaths of many and the collapse of the once-great kingdom you protected," Usagi said more fervently, eliciting yet brighter light from the crystal and a more solid appearance to the sphere surrounding her. "Dear Silver Crystal, please give me the energy I need to prevent the needless suffering of everyone I have encountered in the past and the present by entirely removing my existence from the streams of time."

That was it. She had informed the crystal of her purest intentions. To the horrified stares of Mamoru and her fellow senshi, especially the four newcomers, she had declared her wish. All she had to do was give one last magical incantation and the work of the mystical crystal would begin. She opened her mouth to deliver those crucial words.

"Princess Serenity! Hear my words and open your eyes!" she heard a woman's voice shout over the howling wind.

It was an eerily familiar voice, one that felt almost ancient to her ears despite never having seen or heard the owner. Yet it compelled her and overcame her own resolute complaints to ignore the curious distraction. She slowly opened her eyes and peered through the light-pink haze that contorted her vision. At the very rear of the chamber she perceived a quartet of women in short skirts evocative of the senshi uniform. One of the women appeared intimately familiar to her mind while two others were complete strangers. However, the senshi that immediately attracted her attention was the most esoteric woman from the group, the one who stood out from the rest. She was the one who held a suspiciously recognizable key-like staff that emitted an intensely bright garnet light capable of overpowering the almost blinding white and pink light of her crystal. At that exact moment she recalled the evocative words of an enigmatic being whose burgeoning presence she felt for the last time.