By Yohann DeSabrais
a.k.a. Technuma Saturn
Prologue...
And to such things it came to be that the end came to the earth and
its child race humanity, nearly wiping them out lest its champion
daughter came forth and put a halt to this almighty force of pure
darkness.
The primeval force of darkness is not one that can be easily put
down, and neither can its endless horde of minions. Humanity will
once again be put to test by the very same force of evil, and the
daughter champion will have to face it without its greatest weapon
of light this time around.
Hope yet lives for the child race however, as in all things lies
the concept that they have simplified into a beautiful symbol they
refer to as "Tao" or "Tai Chi". Opposite forces swirl into an a
seemingly eternal flux, neither totally pure in its form and
sharing some aspect of its polar opposite.
Should they be able to understand the full implications of this
concept, they might stand a chance to survive their impending
doom... but it is not my place to judge upon their chances, as my
task lies in greater plans within a cosmic game of chess which
might be won by no one while Chaos takes all.
I am become Gallagher, that is my name, it is also my fate.
- exerpt from the Book of Gallagher
* * *
CYCLES OF LIFE: EPISODE 52
HOLY TRINITY REAWAKENED
"It`s been a long time since we last met." growled the evil voice
of Metalia using Crystallite`s body as a channeling conduct. It`s
massive presence was getting more and more overwhelming in the
sky as it grew in size at a maddening speed and filled the dark
energy shield raised by Crystallite to keep intruders out of
the Poldzer Triangle. The dark crystal seemed to pulse in her
hands, teeming with unholy life born out of countless death
spanning several aeons.
"I`ll never let you destroy this planet... or any other world for
that matter." calmly said Usagi, lifting her head to meet the
dreadful gaze of the great force of evil.
"Aren`t you cute... powerless and still willing to fight... I`m
almost touched by that foolishness! Rending your soul will be
every bit as satisfying as I imagined while I was trapped in the
Voyd all this time." replied Metalia.
Usagi felt a long chill go down her spine- she had really bitten
off more than she could chew this time.
* * *
"So what do we do? Stand around here like helpless dolts while
Usagi gets shredded by whatever nameless evil force is behind
all this?" violently protested Makoto as she rubbed her sore
fists which had failed to breach through the dark shield.
"It would certainly seem like it. My computer`s unable to get
any readings, the signals must be getting blocked." said Ami,
closing her laptop in defeat.
"It`s not nameless. I know that feeling, I experienced it before
from up close... both in this life and in my last." observed
Endymion.
"You don`t mean..." whispered Minako, horrified at what she
thought he meant.
"Metalia." he finished.
"I`m afraid so..." said Sailor Saturn, her fingers squeezing her
sacred weapon Silence just a little bit tighter. She did not wish
to destroy the earth even if it meant the ultimate survival of
the rest of the universe... but it was her duty, and she would
fulfill it if it came to that.
"I don`t know about you, but I`m NOT going to let ANYONE destroy
this world, for whatever reason it is! I may have lived in it less
than a year, but it`s my home and I love it!" protested Robin.
"Who said anything about giving up?" said Seiya, clenching his
fists. "We may be stuck behind this stupid shield, but there HAS
to be something we can do!"
"Indeed there is, Seiya." came a soft soothing voice emerging from
the nearby shadows of surrounding buildings. Everyone turned around
and saw a young and elegant girl with long red hair braided with
delicate care. Her soft silk robes complemented to perfection her
alabaster complexion, as did the golden royalty symbol adorning her
forehead. Her eyes spoke volumes of the great love she carried in
her heart and soul.
"Princess..." muttered Seiya.
"...Kakyuu..." followed Yaten.
"...you`re here!" finished Taiki.
"Yes indeed, my dear sisters." she replied.
"SISTERS?!?" facevaulted Usako, Robin and Ami.
The three boys looked at each other- they felt this required some
explaining and trusted their newfound allies enough to reveal about
their painful past.
"You see, we were all orphaned at a very young age after Metalia
destroyed our planets and wiped out our respective races..." said
Taiki.
"We were each found as the last survivor of our devastated worlds,
and Queen Kakyoku welcomed us to Kinmoku, her kingdom, caring for
us as her own daughters, raising us along with Kakyuu." said Yaten.
"Yes, and I love each one of them equally." said Kakyuu, racing to
the three boys and hugging them. "You look charming as men, you
know that?" she observed, giggling.
"Please don`t rub it in... I already feel awkward enough as it is."
said Yaten, blushing.
"I don`t know about that, this body is great for sport!" replied
Seiya.
"I had a feeling you`d appreciate it... you always complained that
boys had the muscle advantage in competitions." said Kakyuu.
"That never stopped Seiya from beating every guy who ever
challenged her at anything!" commented Taiki.
"Got that straight!" agreed Seiya.
"So if I understand correctly... you are the princess of the
kingdom of Kinmoku?" asked Endymion, to which she nodded. "Then,
as prince of Earth, it is my pleasure to welcome both you and your
sisters... you will always be welcome here."
"I accept your hospitality graciously, prince." she replied.
"Please call me Endymion." he replied.
"This is all well and good, but we have a primal force of evil
about to break loose here!" protested Makoto.
"Which brings us to the reason of my presence..." explained Kakyuu,
reaching in her long flowing sleeve and pulling out a small crystal
sphere golden in color, sparkling along its seemingly endless
facets.
The senshi and the Starlights were astounded by the sight of the
gold crystal. It beamed energy from within, pleasant and soothing.
"It`s... marvelous..." uttered Michiru.
"It feels... powerful..." observed Haruka.
"I haven`t seen it in over a millenium." said Setsuna, in one of
her rare moments of surprise.
"It is for you, Endymion." said Kakyuu, handing the artifact over
to Endymion who hesitated to pick it up.
"Such a great crystal... I am not worthy of accepting your gift,
princess!" he objected politely.
"It is not mine to give, it never was. This, Endymion, is your
birthright, entrusted to the royal family of Kinmoku following
your death facing Metalia... it was sealed in our deepest vaults
until our scryers found that were reincarnated, and had need of it
to fight Metalia again. Please accept it... it is yours." said
Kakyuu, urging him to take the crystal, which he did.
The instant he closed his hand on the crystal, he felt a great
surge of power infuse him, granting him the strength to do great
things now and in the future, to help his dear love Usagi forge
a better world for all of humanity. Lifting his arm intuitively,
he unleashed a large flare of golden light which swept over the
senshi and their allies. Within seconds, their wounds began to
close and heal, the unconscious Umino and Naru slowly starting to
regain their senses while Ronmar and Quartzite found themselves
able to get to their feet again, albeit very slowly.
It was the greatest feeling he could experience... and it also
allowed him to extend his sense further than ever before to feel
Usagi`s presence, the danger she felt and the fear that gripped
her soul- but he could tell she was still alive.
"She`s safe... for now... I don`t know how she`s resisting to the
power of Metalia!" said Endymion, goldne energy flaring from the
crystal into his hand, through his arm and to his whole body.
Four forms appeared in front of Endymion, ethereal and diffuse, but
nearly everyone present recognized the four generals of Beryl.
"It is because we have been protecting her from the evil attempting
to crush her soul." said Jedite.
"We have been using whatever spiritual energy we have at our
disposal to shield her soul from Metalia." explained Kunzite.
"We will not be able to hold on for very long though, but once
the princess finds her true power, she will have the strength to
defeat her enemy once again... provided she does not escape before
that can happen." said Zoisite.
"Why are doing this all of a sudden? You always tried to destroy
us!" objected Minako. The others agreed.
"We must appologize for this, my prince... in your last incarnation,
we were your bodyguards... your friends even. We were seduced by
the evil of Beryl, and fell into her trap, turning into her tools
to bring destruction to your worlds." said Nephryte.
"We can never atone for all the sins we commited, but at least
allow us to give part of our essence to right some splinter of the
evil we were responsible for." added Jedite.
"Thank you... for protecting the woman I love... I can never repay
you for what you have done today, I`m afraid." told them Endymion,
his heart saddened that the deceased generals could only find their
redemption in death.
"Your kind words are more than we could have hoped for... we must
forfeit our visible forms now, so that we may extend our spiritual
shield over Sailor Moon for just a few moments more... we will
never meet again, but the memory will live in our hearts, my
prince." said Zoisite, a graceful smile gracing his face, a smile
devoid of any malice that made him look like an angel.
"You will be remembered forever, old friends... I promise you..."
said Endymion, saluting his former allies from a lifetime ago.
Naru stepped forward timidly, making herself seen by the slowly
vanishing spirits. She hesitantly reached forward, trying to touch
the hand of Nephryte who smiled as his own hand touched hers. Naru`s
fingers went right through his, but she still felt the gentle touch
she hadn`t experienced in so long.
"I`ve missed you Naru..." he whispered, his form fading away into the
night.
"I... I still..." she tried to say, her silent tears choking the
words in her throat.
"No need for words, my lady... I feel the same." said Nephryte.
Seeing Umino approaching him as well, he smiled. "Is he your
chosen one?" he asked Naru.
She sniffled and nodded. The general smiled and looked at the
brave young man who had risked his life to save the woman he loved
from a horrible death.
"Take good care of her... she`s more precious than anything in this
universe." urged Nephryte to Umino.
"I swear to you that I will give my life again to protect hers."
he replied, hugging Naru and holding her close. She cuddled to him
and felt sorrow fill her heart as her old flamme vanished forever.
"I believe you..." were his last words as the four spirits
disappeared.
* * *
"And now... to end this once and for all!" threatened the voice
of the monstrous entity through the frail body of her puppet. The
immense shadow looming overhead that was now filling the entire
space defined by the black shield moved towards Usagi.
"I`ll resist you to the end, Metalia, in memory of all those you
killed!!!" screamed Usagi, her soul chilled beyond anything she
ever felt.
"It doesn`t matter... your death will only take a few seconds
longer." replied Metalia.
Forming hands out of its shapeless mass, it reached out for the
young blonde girl and engulfed her in total darkness. This was
nothing like the night she knew of when she slept, for this gentle
veil was adorned by sparkling stars, silvery moonlight and the
promise of delightful dreams.
This darkness was a total absence of light, a crusher of hope,
the ultimate harbinger of death and destruction. The very concept
of evil incarnated in all its terrifying simplicity.
Usagi lost consciousness- or at least she thought she did. This
darkness around her and the comatose state she had experienced
on a few occasions were virtually indistinguishable from each
other.
Falling at a speed she couldn`t evaluate, soaring to some hellish
death she dared not imagine, her soul yelled out for help, her
hands flailing in a vain attempt to hold on to something that could
slow her fall.
"HELP MEEEEEEE!!!" she yelled out, but there was no one to hear
her.
She was alone against a massive evil, and her powers were gone.
* * *
"USAGI! HOLD ON, WE`ll SAVE YOU!" yelled Endymion as he heard the
pleas for help his one true love was sending out in a frantic
manner.
"She`s not holding up, I`m afraid... if she cannot find the
strength to defeat Metalia, I will have no other choice but to
fulfill my destined role." said Sailor Saturn, holding out her
sacred glaive in a dramatic pose to give more weight to her words.
"But she can still do it! She has the generals protecting her soul,
she`ll live long enough to do it!" protested Makoto, horrified that
Hotaru would destroy the world already before her friend was given
a chance to prove herself. She remembered that a few years before
when she had gotten to know Usagi, the entire team was doubting
her ability to be leader, questionning her right to hold the moon
crescent wand, but she had stuck by her, insisting that she be
given a chance.
In the end, Usagi had proven herself by defeating Metalia.
"That is not the problem." replied Saturn. "Metalia has swelled
up to the extent of being restricted by the dark energy shield`s
size- she will break out at any second now."
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" objected Endymion. "But
I`ll need everybody`s help for this."
"You got it!" assured Rei, speaking on behalf of everyone.
Holding tight the crystal in his hand, Endymion raised it high
and summoned all its strength.
"GOLD CRYSTAL OF EARTH, GIVE US POWER TO HOLD BACK THE TIDES
OF DARKNESS FROM CRASHING ON YOUR CHILDREN!" he called forth,
a brilliant surge of golden energy flaring around him like an
aura whose glow matched that of the messiah during her awakening.
"LET THE POWER OF THE CRYSTAL BE YOURS TO USE!"
The senshi knew intuitively what to do. They stepped forward
boldly, the Starlights powering up and standing behind waiting
to see what would happen. The power surging through Endymion
went right to the twelve senshi who applied their hands to the
dark shield- in an instant, the dark barrier turned a brilliant
color of gold under their touch, and this golden hue spread to
the entire shield surface within moments, fueled by the power of
the crystal.
Kakyuu and the Starlights gasped in awe. Umino and Shingo felt
their hearts fill with pride over the remarkable achievement of
the women they loved. Even Quartzite and Ronmar were taken aback
by this remarkable display of power.
From within the shield, Metalia bellowed in anger as it realized
its clever defensive wall had been turned against her, becoming
the proverbial golden cage.
Although she said nothing and showed no sign of emotion, Hotaru
was smiling on the inside. Maybe humanity stood a chance after all.
* * *
Her throat began to feel wracked from screaming so much, so Usagi
stopped. She felt like she was lying on the rooftop again... or the
ground... or some kind of plateau, wherever she was.
She took a look at her body, and realized that her clothes were
gone, her soft skin covered with goosebumps as the warmth of her
wool sweater and tight denim jeans was gone. Her feet were chilled
to the bone, as were her shivering hands.
Alone in absolute darkness, she wasn`t sure if she was still
conscious, or even alive.
Then, huge glowing red eyes opened before her, staring at her,
filled with pure hatred. The young girl knew she had to still
be alive at that point, although whether this was a good thing she
couldn`t tell.
"You resist me..." growled a booming voice echoing in the void.
"I`ll never give up..." replied Usagi, trying to cover her naked
body with her arms as best she could.
"Why do you fight me so? It`s a futile effort, one that no one is
strong enough to gain anything by." mocked Metalia.
A young shrill scream of pain pierced the darkness and chilled
Usagi`s soul. She recognized the voice, and she was joined in this
null zone of reality by another young girl, one she had fought only
minutes before.
The young Crystallite fell down out of nowhere in front of Usagi,
her frail form stripped of all clothing as well. She was shivering
too, but not out of cold, rather from an inconceivably terrible
fear that warped her wounded spirit. Usagi knelt next to her and
hugged her tightly, noticing the horrible scars on her chest. She
shed a tear for her enemy who was no more in her arms than a
frightened child searching desperately for some human warmth.
"What have you done to her?" she asked Metalia, her courage slowly
returning.
"I molded her to my purpose using that wolf man she calls her
lover, and now that she served her purpose, she has become useless
to me. Her miserable life is worth no more to me than yours."
"Help me... make the pain go away... please make this pain inside
go away..." cried Crystallite as she held on to Usagi for dear life,
tears flowing from her eyes.
Usagi looked back and forth between Crystallite and Metalia,
feeling sad for the woman whom she hated just seconds before she
came to realize how wounded she was inside and wondering how she
could possibly defeat the force of evil.
She knew there had to be something, her intuition was screaming
to her that there was an answer, a single beautiful, luminous
and perfect solution to this.
If only she could put her finger on it.
* * *
The power flowed with nearly no limits from the small gold crystal
in Endymion`s hands, flowing through the senshi and their messiah
and out of their hands to stregthen the gold energy wall that was
halting the further progress of Metalia and buying Usagi that much
more time to triumph.
It was rapidly becoming apparent though that the primal force of
evil was growing in strength and would overpower them soon if
nothing was done.
"Seiya, Yaten, Taiki... our new friends need our help!" said Kakyuu
to her sisters who agreed. In a flash of brilliant light, they
transformed into their female Starlight forms again.
"FIGHTER STAR POWER MAKEUP!"
"HEALER STAR POWER MAKEUP!"
"MAKER STAR POWER MAKEUP!"
Their bodies slimming and becoming more feminine, the three boys
were once again sailor senshi ready to fight against evil. Knowing
what their princess had in mind, they immediately went into
action. Taiki moved behind Ami and placed her hands on the smart
girl`s shoulders. Seiya did the same with Usako, and Yaten with
Robin. Immediately, Kakyuu began chanting in her native tongue,
a sweet symphony of life and love relating the story of her people
and her homeworld. Soothing golden energy flowed from her body
as her aura expanded and reached out for her sisters.
Allowing themselves to feel their love for Ami, Usako and Robin
flow freely towards the women they love, the Starlights thus
gave this energy to the young girls who felt this love caress
their heart and energize their spirit, strengthening them and in
turn the shield itself.
"I love you..." whispered Usako.
"I need you by my side..." said Robin.
"You make me feel whole..." said Ami.
The Starlights replied silently by moving their hands from their
shoulders down to their waists, encircling them gently and hugging
them lovingly, giving them even more energy as they felt their
newfound loves` emotions as though their spirits were now one.
Seeing this touching scene, Umino and Shingo did the same. They
hugged their girlfriends and within this field of energy, their
emotions were transferred directly to them. Naru returned her love
to her boyfriend, although it was also laced with sorrow, the
memory of her first love reawakened by the encounter of the
spiritual form of Nephryte.
"I`m sorry... even though I love you more than life, I can never
stop loving him as well..." she whispered to Umino, feeling
ashamed of her feelings.
"I would never ask you to do such a thing, my love... hold his
love preciously in your heart... it`s what makes you so precious
to me." he replied, holding her close to him. As he said so, the
amount of energy flowing from Naru more than doubled.
Shingo looked at all the other couples, their love flowing back
and forth, and he knew that his poor Laurella was not capable of
feeling anything since her deadly encounter with Black Baron
who overloaded her empathic senses with his monstrously vile
presence.
"Laurella... I know you can`t tell right now, but I love you
very much... we rescued each other from our inner demons and
we grew stronger for it, and it doesn`t matter to me if you
never feel anything again... I`ll always be there for you!"
he told his girlfriend, hugging her close even though she felt
cold to his love.
Shingo`s love energy flowed from him all the way into her heart,
and suddenly she felt something familiar. It was a warm, fuzzy
feeling, the impression that no matter what happened, she would
always find comfort in these arms, that whatever evil would come
he would be there to fight alongside.
That if someone tried to kill her, he would throw himself to take
the killing blow in her place without a second thought to his own
life.
"I remember this..." she whispered, as her catatonic heart slowly
reawakened. "I remember us... I remember LOVE!" she screamed out in
joy as her emotions gushed freely like a water spring piercing the
ground to soar to the sky. "I love you, Shingo!"
The shield was now so much stronger as to hold Metalia a lot
longer, but not forever- Usagi would need to find the answer to
victory by herself, and fast.
* * *
"Your defenses are getting low, little rabbit, and when they waver
enough I shall rip you apart." said Metalia to USagi, her evil
red eyes looming above her and the sobbing Crystallite.
For some reason, Usagi had the very distinct feeling that she was
missing something, that somehow she held all the pieces to figuring
a way to defeat Metalia and unconsciously knew the answer already.
She remembered some advice Naru had given her a few weeks before:
"When you want to access the vast amount of information tucked away
in the part of your brain that your conscious mind can`t reach,
simply let it wander. Let the thoughts come and go as they will,
allowing them to freely unlock their mysteries."
Holding on to Crystallite who hugged her in a frantic need for
protection, Usagi closed her eyes and let her mind wander without
direction. She thought of Black Baron being defeated by Chibi Chibi,
of his black, evil nature. She remembered the glorious moment of
the messiah appearing to the eleven soul powered senshi to bring
defeat to Aebonite at D-point, but then her thoughts took a turn
for the weirder.
At first she resisted, but she let her defenses down from these
strange ideas. She saw a pair of huge dragons in a strange dance,
one completely white with dark black eyes and the other jet black
with shiny silver eyes. Both of them swirled around in the most
peculiar dance that was both fighting and mating, each one running
after the other in an endless circle that cycled on and on.
Then Usagi opened her eyes, her mind blown away by the sheer power
of the brainstorm she was experiencing. She had it, she knew just
what to do.
"Any last words, wretched whelps, before I kill you both?" asked
the menacing voice.
"You may want to kill me, but I believe you will spare Crystallite."
replied Usagi, her voice suddenly filled with hope.
"And why is that little one?"
"Because in your own sick, twisted and warped way... you care for
her." said Usagi, smiling to the young girl as she gently combed
her tangled hair with her fingers.
"I care for NO ONE!!!" bellowed the angry voice.
"You took every precaution that she would grow up just the way you
wanted her to be, molded her in your image... just like a mother
would."
"SILENCE!!!"
"Also, the way you taught the art of soul weaving to Black Baron,
it shows great dedication and respect on your part." added Usagi.
"NO, THAT IS NOT TRUE, I DESPISE ALL THAT LIVES!!!"
"And did you not give your servant Beryl countless chances to
redeem herself in your eyes despite her repeated failures? Does
that not show your ability for mercy... and forgiveness?"
"LIES! ALL LIES, I HAVE NO SUCH FAILINGS!" crackled the horrid
voice, thunder booming in response to her words.
Metalia`s protests came too late as the words of the innocent and
caring girl had carved deep through its endless layers of stacked
mental defenses, bypassing what had been erected to resist brutal
force but was defenseless against human compassion.
A single spark of shining silver light appeared through the pitch
darkness, sparkling and radiant, soothing and wonderful in its
brilliance. Moving by itself through the air, it went to Usagi
who welcomed it with tears of happiness.
Out of pure intuition and through her unlimited to love even that
which is totally evil and corrupt, Usagi had summoned through the
sea of vileness the single focused splinter of goodness from within
Metalia... she had just mimicked the exact gestures of the very first
moon goddess Selene, and forged anew the silver crystal.
"NO!!! THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE!!!" screamed Metalia.
"Believe it." said Usagi with a smile as a blazing silver aura
engulfed her and Crystallite.
* * *
"I can`t hold on much longer..." whispered Endymion as his strength
waned gradually, until he was no longer able to focus the power of
the gold crystal. His aura of energy going silent, the entire
effort of the senshi to hold a golden forcefield against Metalia
was reduced to nothing, the barrier breaking up and collapsing
immediately.
"We`re finished..." mumbled Robin, hugging Yaten for what she
believed would be the last time.
Without waiting any further, Sailor Saturn rose her silent glaive
and began charging the weapon with the energy to activate the
single greatest senshi attack in the universe, one strong enough
to erradicate an entire planet.
"DEATH... REBORN... REV..." she started to scream, but was
interrupted by Endymion before she could finish her last word.
"LOOK UP THERE!" he yelled, pointing to the top of the main
building where suddenly there was a shining silver light.
"I think she did it!" replied Rei, her heart warmed by the thought
of her good friend once again coming through.
"Hope yet lives..." whispered Hotaru, unable this time to contain
her smile.
* * *
"I`LL RIP YOU BOTH TO SHREDS, AND THEN RIP YOUR SHREDS TO NOTHING!"
yelled Metalia, her voice echoing throughout the entire city.
she tried to lower her "hands" onto Usagi and Crystallite again, but
the two girls who were now out of Metalia`s darkness had around
them the protection of the silver crystal`s glow. Silver magic
ribbons of energy were surrounding Usagi, while Crystallite was
standing by her side, a swirl of black ribbons coming from her
jagged black crystal to cover her body as well.
"We now stand united against you, Metalia!" replied Crystallite.
As she concentrated on using the black crystal to defeat her
former ally and help the senshi, her wish was realized- the
jagged edges of her crystal suddenly detached from the surface,
leaving only a smooth surfaced black sphere in her hands as
eleven dark splinters flew off.
One of them returned to Usagi, the others to the rest of the
senshi. Crystallite was astonished to see Usagi retrieve her
sailor senshi form, and an improved one at that. Her fuku was
now colored in white and shades of pink, with a full breastplate
and shoulder pads in addition to the complete tigh protectors
where she saw the engraved kanji BISHOUJO SENSHI.
"The others have regained their powers too, haven`t they?"
she asked.
"Yes, I can feel them returning to their full strength!" replied
Usagi who smiled with the most beautiful expression of joy that
the daughter of Beryl had ever seen.
The black energy did something similar for Crystallite, clothing
her in a magnificient flowing black gown. She also felt a strange
tingling sensation in her chest, one very warm and pleasant.
Working together, the black and silver powers were healing her
horribly scarred chest, and she felt herself grow stronger as the
wounds she had incurred from Fenris` deadly attack over three years
before were finally healed.
Her heart had been regenerated completely.
"What now... friend?" asked Crystallite who pointed to Metalia
hovering above their heads.
"Just lend me your strength... I`ll do the rest!"
Both girls lifted their crystals. The rejuvenated Sailor Moon
concentrated on calling forth what she now knew to be her ultimate
attack.
Through means unknown to even Usagi herself, all light in a radius
spanning several hundred feet was drawn to her, absorbed directly
within the silver crystal and leaving the entire area totally
dark for a fraction of a second... until she pointed the crystal
to Metalia, screaming her power words:
"MOON SOUL ECLIPSE!!!"
A single point of light emerged from the crystal, soaring towards
the force of evil and detonating on impact, flooding the area
with a lethal blast of purifying light that not even the Poldzer
Triangle could withstand, the trio of immense buildings collapsing
where they stood while Metalia was being erradicated from this
world.
And then silence fell.
* * *
"Usagi... you`re still alive?" came the voice of Crystallite,
waking her up. Looking around, she saw that both her and the
young red haired girl were trapped under a pile of rubble, not
the smallest ray of light filtering through. Only the soft glow
of their crystals provided any light at all.
"Yeah... I hurt too much to be dead." she complained.
"I almost wish I was myself..." said Crystallote, her voice
growing sad.
"How come?" asked Usagi, hearing the sound of some people above
them picking through the rubble. At least, the rescue was coming,
she thought.
"Because I lost the only reason I had left to live... my precious
Fenris... I won`t hate you for killing him because he was trying
to do the same to you, but..." she tried to explain, but she
just started sobbing in Usagi`s arms.
"Crystallite... there`s something you haven`t seen... Fenris didn`t
die when I stabbed him! His wolf body healed itself, he was only
comatose from the immense shock he received!" told her Usagi, the
news putting a sudden halt on the girl`s crying. "He was fighting
off a blighted one called Velasquez to give me a chance to reach
you in time before Metalia seized you!"
"He... lived??? Do you think he survived the building`s complete
destruction?"
"We`re both here, aren`t we?" answered Usagi just as a large piece
of rubble was removed from above their heads, freeing them both.
"There is our hero!" said Endymion who picked up Usagi and pulled
her out of the hole as if she was a paper doll, his joy giving him
nearly superhuman strength all of a sudden.
"I had help... guys, I`d like you to meet Crystallite!" said Usagi,
pointing to the red haired girl as she climbed out all by herself,
feeling great about her newfound health.
"I`d like it if you just called me 'Crystal' from now on..." she
said, smiling shyly. She looked around left and right, hoping to
see her lover anywhere.
And she did. A huge chunk of smashed concrete blew to pieces, the
flying dust settling to reveal a huge manwolf holding a black metal
flamberge. As he threw it down, everyone could see that there was
still a black gloved hand attached to the handle.
"Velasquez wasn`t kidding when he said I`d have to rip his hand to
make him drop his weapon!" boasted the manwolf, flexing his huge
muscles to add more dramatic effect.
"FENRIS!!!" yelled Crystal, tears of happiness rolling down her face
as she ran into his arms.
"Crystallite... my love... you can run on your own!" observed Fenris,
totally amazed.
"It`s all thanks to my new friends!" she replied, looking back to
see the sailor senshi who now had all recovered their powers. "And
honey... call me Crystal from now, okay?"
"As you wish my love..." he replied before placing his lips on hers.
Following their lead, all couples present exchanged passionate
kisses under the soft light of the full moon that was now gleaming
in the night sky devoid of any storm clouds, all gone without a trace
along with their source, the evil named Metalia.
The End
* * *
I`d like to give special thanks to all my friends, in particular
Kenton, Galos, Sonya, Sailor Mac, Mark, Steve and Alhanna...
for supporting my efforts, spotting the glaring and the not so
obvious errors that slipped themselves in my drafts which they
proofread for me and for generally putting up with me :)
Well, this has been a LONG cycle this time... I never expected
it would last so many chapters (or that I would even break the
50 chapter mark AT ALL with this serie!) but here we are.
To all my readers... thank you for bearing with me for so long,
and I still have plenty to write about, so this particular serie
is far from over! Stay tuned gang, because starting next chapter...
OLD GRIEVANCES COME DUE!!!
a.k.a. Technuma Saturn
Prologue...
And to such things it came to be that the end came to the earth and
its child race humanity, nearly wiping them out lest its champion
daughter came forth and put a halt to this almighty force of pure
darkness.
The primeval force of darkness is not one that can be easily put
down, and neither can its endless horde of minions. Humanity will
once again be put to test by the very same force of evil, and the
daughter champion will have to face it without its greatest weapon
of light this time around.
Hope yet lives for the child race however, as in all things lies
the concept that they have simplified into a beautiful symbol they
refer to as "Tao" or "Tai Chi". Opposite forces swirl into an a
seemingly eternal flux, neither totally pure in its form and
sharing some aspect of its polar opposite.
Should they be able to understand the full implications of this
concept, they might stand a chance to survive their impending
doom... but it is not my place to judge upon their chances, as my
task lies in greater plans within a cosmic game of chess which
might be won by no one while Chaos takes all.
I am become Gallagher, that is my name, it is also my fate.
- exerpt from the Book of Gallagher
* * *
CYCLES OF LIFE: EPISODE 52
HOLY TRINITY REAWAKENED
"It`s been a long time since we last met." growled the evil voice
of Metalia using Crystallite`s body as a channeling conduct. It`s
massive presence was getting more and more overwhelming in the
sky as it grew in size at a maddening speed and filled the dark
energy shield raised by Crystallite to keep intruders out of
the Poldzer Triangle. The dark crystal seemed to pulse in her
hands, teeming with unholy life born out of countless death
spanning several aeons.
"I`ll never let you destroy this planet... or any other world for
that matter." calmly said Usagi, lifting her head to meet the
dreadful gaze of the great force of evil.
"Aren`t you cute... powerless and still willing to fight... I`m
almost touched by that foolishness! Rending your soul will be
every bit as satisfying as I imagined while I was trapped in the
Voyd all this time." replied Metalia.
Usagi felt a long chill go down her spine- she had really bitten
off more than she could chew this time.
* * *
"So what do we do? Stand around here like helpless dolts while
Usagi gets shredded by whatever nameless evil force is behind
all this?" violently protested Makoto as she rubbed her sore
fists which had failed to breach through the dark shield.
"It would certainly seem like it. My computer`s unable to get
any readings, the signals must be getting blocked." said Ami,
closing her laptop in defeat.
"It`s not nameless. I know that feeling, I experienced it before
from up close... both in this life and in my last." observed
Endymion.
"You don`t mean..." whispered Minako, horrified at what she
thought he meant.
"Metalia." he finished.
"I`m afraid so..." said Sailor Saturn, her fingers squeezing her
sacred weapon Silence just a little bit tighter. She did not wish
to destroy the earth even if it meant the ultimate survival of
the rest of the universe... but it was her duty, and she would
fulfill it if it came to that.
"I don`t know about you, but I`m NOT going to let ANYONE destroy
this world, for whatever reason it is! I may have lived in it less
than a year, but it`s my home and I love it!" protested Robin.
"Who said anything about giving up?" said Seiya, clenching his
fists. "We may be stuck behind this stupid shield, but there HAS
to be something we can do!"
"Indeed there is, Seiya." came a soft soothing voice emerging from
the nearby shadows of surrounding buildings. Everyone turned around
and saw a young and elegant girl with long red hair braided with
delicate care. Her soft silk robes complemented to perfection her
alabaster complexion, as did the golden royalty symbol adorning her
forehead. Her eyes spoke volumes of the great love she carried in
her heart and soul.
"Princess..." muttered Seiya.
"...Kakyuu..." followed Yaten.
"...you`re here!" finished Taiki.
"Yes indeed, my dear sisters." she replied.
"SISTERS?!?" facevaulted Usako, Robin and Ami.
The three boys looked at each other- they felt this required some
explaining and trusted their newfound allies enough to reveal about
their painful past.
"You see, we were all orphaned at a very young age after Metalia
destroyed our planets and wiped out our respective races..." said
Taiki.
"We were each found as the last survivor of our devastated worlds,
and Queen Kakyoku welcomed us to Kinmoku, her kingdom, caring for
us as her own daughters, raising us along with Kakyuu." said Yaten.
"Yes, and I love each one of them equally." said Kakyuu, racing to
the three boys and hugging them. "You look charming as men, you
know that?" she observed, giggling.
"Please don`t rub it in... I already feel awkward enough as it is."
said Yaten, blushing.
"I don`t know about that, this body is great for sport!" replied
Seiya.
"I had a feeling you`d appreciate it... you always complained that
boys had the muscle advantage in competitions." said Kakyuu.
"That never stopped Seiya from beating every guy who ever
challenged her at anything!" commented Taiki.
"Got that straight!" agreed Seiya.
"So if I understand correctly... you are the princess of the
kingdom of Kinmoku?" asked Endymion, to which she nodded. "Then,
as prince of Earth, it is my pleasure to welcome both you and your
sisters... you will always be welcome here."
"I accept your hospitality graciously, prince." she replied.
"Please call me Endymion." he replied.
"This is all well and good, but we have a primal force of evil
about to break loose here!" protested Makoto.
"Which brings us to the reason of my presence..." explained Kakyuu,
reaching in her long flowing sleeve and pulling out a small crystal
sphere golden in color, sparkling along its seemingly endless
facets.
The senshi and the Starlights were astounded by the sight of the
gold crystal. It beamed energy from within, pleasant and soothing.
"It`s... marvelous..." uttered Michiru.
"It feels... powerful..." observed Haruka.
"I haven`t seen it in over a millenium." said Setsuna, in one of
her rare moments of surprise.
"It is for you, Endymion." said Kakyuu, handing the artifact over
to Endymion who hesitated to pick it up.
"Such a great crystal... I am not worthy of accepting your gift,
princess!" he objected politely.
"It is not mine to give, it never was. This, Endymion, is your
birthright, entrusted to the royal family of Kinmoku following
your death facing Metalia... it was sealed in our deepest vaults
until our scryers found that were reincarnated, and had need of it
to fight Metalia again. Please accept it... it is yours." said
Kakyuu, urging him to take the crystal, which he did.
The instant he closed his hand on the crystal, he felt a great
surge of power infuse him, granting him the strength to do great
things now and in the future, to help his dear love Usagi forge
a better world for all of humanity. Lifting his arm intuitively,
he unleashed a large flare of golden light which swept over the
senshi and their allies. Within seconds, their wounds began to
close and heal, the unconscious Umino and Naru slowly starting to
regain their senses while Ronmar and Quartzite found themselves
able to get to their feet again, albeit very slowly.
It was the greatest feeling he could experience... and it also
allowed him to extend his sense further than ever before to feel
Usagi`s presence, the danger she felt and the fear that gripped
her soul- but he could tell she was still alive.
"She`s safe... for now... I don`t know how she`s resisting to the
power of Metalia!" said Endymion, goldne energy flaring from the
crystal into his hand, through his arm and to his whole body.
Four forms appeared in front of Endymion, ethereal and diffuse, but
nearly everyone present recognized the four generals of Beryl.
"It is because we have been protecting her from the evil attempting
to crush her soul." said Jedite.
"We have been using whatever spiritual energy we have at our
disposal to shield her soul from Metalia." explained Kunzite.
"We will not be able to hold on for very long though, but once
the princess finds her true power, she will have the strength to
defeat her enemy once again... provided she does not escape before
that can happen." said Zoisite.
"Why are doing this all of a sudden? You always tried to destroy
us!" objected Minako. The others agreed.
"We must appologize for this, my prince... in your last incarnation,
we were your bodyguards... your friends even. We were seduced by
the evil of Beryl, and fell into her trap, turning into her tools
to bring destruction to your worlds." said Nephryte.
"We can never atone for all the sins we commited, but at least
allow us to give part of our essence to right some splinter of the
evil we were responsible for." added Jedite.
"Thank you... for protecting the woman I love... I can never repay
you for what you have done today, I`m afraid." told them Endymion,
his heart saddened that the deceased generals could only find their
redemption in death.
"Your kind words are more than we could have hoped for... we must
forfeit our visible forms now, so that we may extend our spiritual
shield over Sailor Moon for just a few moments more... we will
never meet again, but the memory will live in our hearts, my
prince." said Zoisite, a graceful smile gracing his face, a smile
devoid of any malice that made him look like an angel.
"You will be remembered forever, old friends... I promise you..."
said Endymion, saluting his former allies from a lifetime ago.
Naru stepped forward timidly, making herself seen by the slowly
vanishing spirits. She hesitantly reached forward, trying to touch
the hand of Nephryte who smiled as his own hand touched hers. Naru`s
fingers went right through his, but she still felt the gentle touch
she hadn`t experienced in so long.
"I`ve missed you Naru..." he whispered, his form fading away into the
night.
"I... I still..." she tried to say, her silent tears choking the
words in her throat.
"No need for words, my lady... I feel the same." said Nephryte.
Seeing Umino approaching him as well, he smiled. "Is he your
chosen one?" he asked Naru.
She sniffled and nodded. The general smiled and looked at the
brave young man who had risked his life to save the woman he loved
from a horrible death.
"Take good care of her... she`s more precious than anything in this
universe." urged Nephryte to Umino.
"I swear to you that I will give my life again to protect hers."
he replied, hugging Naru and holding her close. She cuddled to him
and felt sorrow fill her heart as her old flamme vanished forever.
"I believe you..." were his last words as the four spirits
disappeared.
* * *
"And now... to end this once and for all!" threatened the voice
of the monstrous entity through the frail body of her puppet. The
immense shadow looming overhead that was now filling the entire
space defined by the black shield moved towards Usagi.
"I`ll resist you to the end, Metalia, in memory of all those you
killed!!!" screamed Usagi, her soul chilled beyond anything she
ever felt.
"It doesn`t matter... your death will only take a few seconds
longer." replied Metalia.
Forming hands out of its shapeless mass, it reached out for the
young blonde girl and engulfed her in total darkness. This was
nothing like the night she knew of when she slept, for this gentle
veil was adorned by sparkling stars, silvery moonlight and the
promise of delightful dreams.
This darkness was a total absence of light, a crusher of hope,
the ultimate harbinger of death and destruction. The very concept
of evil incarnated in all its terrifying simplicity.
Usagi lost consciousness- or at least she thought she did. This
darkness around her and the comatose state she had experienced
on a few occasions were virtually indistinguishable from each
other.
Falling at a speed she couldn`t evaluate, soaring to some hellish
death she dared not imagine, her soul yelled out for help, her
hands flailing in a vain attempt to hold on to something that could
slow her fall.
"HELP MEEEEEEE!!!" she yelled out, but there was no one to hear
her.
She was alone against a massive evil, and her powers were gone.
* * *
"USAGI! HOLD ON, WE`ll SAVE YOU!" yelled Endymion as he heard the
pleas for help his one true love was sending out in a frantic
manner.
"She`s not holding up, I`m afraid... if she cannot find the
strength to defeat Metalia, I will have no other choice but to
fulfill my destined role." said Sailor Saturn, holding out her
sacred glaive in a dramatic pose to give more weight to her words.
"But she can still do it! She has the generals protecting her soul,
she`ll live long enough to do it!" protested Makoto, horrified that
Hotaru would destroy the world already before her friend was given
a chance to prove herself. She remembered that a few years before
when she had gotten to know Usagi, the entire team was doubting
her ability to be leader, questionning her right to hold the moon
crescent wand, but she had stuck by her, insisting that she be
given a chance.
In the end, Usagi had proven herself by defeating Metalia.
"That is not the problem." replied Saturn. "Metalia has swelled
up to the extent of being restricted by the dark energy shield`s
size- she will break out at any second now."
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" objected Endymion. "But
I`ll need everybody`s help for this."
"You got it!" assured Rei, speaking on behalf of everyone.
Holding tight the crystal in his hand, Endymion raised it high
and summoned all its strength.
"GOLD CRYSTAL OF EARTH, GIVE US POWER TO HOLD BACK THE TIDES
OF DARKNESS FROM CRASHING ON YOUR CHILDREN!" he called forth,
a brilliant surge of golden energy flaring around him like an
aura whose glow matched that of the messiah during her awakening.
"LET THE POWER OF THE CRYSTAL BE YOURS TO USE!"
The senshi knew intuitively what to do. They stepped forward
boldly, the Starlights powering up and standing behind waiting
to see what would happen. The power surging through Endymion
went right to the twelve senshi who applied their hands to the
dark shield- in an instant, the dark barrier turned a brilliant
color of gold under their touch, and this golden hue spread to
the entire shield surface within moments, fueled by the power of
the crystal.
Kakyuu and the Starlights gasped in awe. Umino and Shingo felt
their hearts fill with pride over the remarkable achievement of
the women they loved. Even Quartzite and Ronmar were taken aback
by this remarkable display of power.
From within the shield, Metalia bellowed in anger as it realized
its clever defensive wall had been turned against her, becoming
the proverbial golden cage.
Although she said nothing and showed no sign of emotion, Hotaru
was smiling on the inside. Maybe humanity stood a chance after all.
* * *
Her throat began to feel wracked from screaming so much, so Usagi
stopped. She felt like she was lying on the rooftop again... or the
ground... or some kind of plateau, wherever she was.
She took a look at her body, and realized that her clothes were
gone, her soft skin covered with goosebumps as the warmth of her
wool sweater and tight denim jeans was gone. Her feet were chilled
to the bone, as were her shivering hands.
Alone in absolute darkness, she wasn`t sure if she was still
conscious, or even alive.
Then, huge glowing red eyes opened before her, staring at her,
filled with pure hatred. The young girl knew she had to still
be alive at that point, although whether this was a good thing she
couldn`t tell.
"You resist me..." growled a booming voice echoing in the void.
"I`ll never give up..." replied Usagi, trying to cover her naked
body with her arms as best she could.
"Why do you fight me so? It`s a futile effort, one that no one is
strong enough to gain anything by." mocked Metalia.
A young shrill scream of pain pierced the darkness and chilled
Usagi`s soul. She recognized the voice, and she was joined in this
null zone of reality by another young girl, one she had fought only
minutes before.
The young Crystallite fell down out of nowhere in front of Usagi,
her frail form stripped of all clothing as well. She was shivering
too, but not out of cold, rather from an inconceivably terrible
fear that warped her wounded spirit. Usagi knelt next to her and
hugged her tightly, noticing the horrible scars on her chest. She
shed a tear for her enemy who was no more in her arms than a
frightened child searching desperately for some human warmth.
"What have you done to her?" she asked Metalia, her courage slowly
returning.
"I molded her to my purpose using that wolf man she calls her
lover, and now that she served her purpose, she has become useless
to me. Her miserable life is worth no more to me than yours."
"Help me... make the pain go away... please make this pain inside
go away..." cried Crystallite as she held on to Usagi for dear life,
tears flowing from her eyes.
Usagi looked back and forth between Crystallite and Metalia,
feeling sad for the woman whom she hated just seconds before she
came to realize how wounded she was inside and wondering how she
could possibly defeat the force of evil.
She knew there had to be something, her intuition was screaming
to her that there was an answer, a single beautiful, luminous
and perfect solution to this.
If only she could put her finger on it.
* * *
The power flowed with nearly no limits from the small gold crystal
in Endymion`s hands, flowing through the senshi and their messiah
and out of their hands to stregthen the gold energy wall that was
halting the further progress of Metalia and buying Usagi that much
more time to triumph.
It was rapidly becoming apparent though that the primal force of
evil was growing in strength and would overpower them soon if
nothing was done.
"Seiya, Yaten, Taiki... our new friends need our help!" said Kakyuu
to her sisters who agreed. In a flash of brilliant light, they
transformed into their female Starlight forms again.
"FIGHTER STAR POWER MAKEUP!"
"HEALER STAR POWER MAKEUP!"
"MAKER STAR POWER MAKEUP!"
Their bodies slimming and becoming more feminine, the three boys
were once again sailor senshi ready to fight against evil. Knowing
what their princess had in mind, they immediately went into
action. Taiki moved behind Ami and placed her hands on the smart
girl`s shoulders. Seiya did the same with Usako, and Yaten with
Robin. Immediately, Kakyuu began chanting in her native tongue,
a sweet symphony of life and love relating the story of her people
and her homeworld. Soothing golden energy flowed from her body
as her aura expanded and reached out for her sisters.
Allowing themselves to feel their love for Ami, Usako and Robin
flow freely towards the women they love, the Starlights thus
gave this energy to the young girls who felt this love caress
their heart and energize their spirit, strengthening them and in
turn the shield itself.
"I love you..." whispered Usako.
"I need you by my side..." said Robin.
"You make me feel whole..." said Ami.
The Starlights replied silently by moving their hands from their
shoulders down to their waists, encircling them gently and hugging
them lovingly, giving them even more energy as they felt their
newfound loves` emotions as though their spirits were now one.
Seeing this touching scene, Umino and Shingo did the same. They
hugged their girlfriends and within this field of energy, their
emotions were transferred directly to them. Naru returned her love
to her boyfriend, although it was also laced with sorrow, the
memory of her first love reawakened by the encounter of the
spiritual form of Nephryte.
"I`m sorry... even though I love you more than life, I can never
stop loving him as well..." she whispered to Umino, feeling
ashamed of her feelings.
"I would never ask you to do such a thing, my love... hold his
love preciously in your heart... it`s what makes you so precious
to me." he replied, holding her close to him. As he said so, the
amount of energy flowing from Naru more than doubled.
Shingo looked at all the other couples, their love flowing back
and forth, and he knew that his poor Laurella was not capable of
feeling anything since her deadly encounter with Black Baron
who overloaded her empathic senses with his monstrously vile
presence.
"Laurella... I know you can`t tell right now, but I love you
very much... we rescued each other from our inner demons and
we grew stronger for it, and it doesn`t matter to me if you
never feel anything again... I`ll always be there for you!"
he told his girlfriend, hugging her close even though she felt
cold to his love.
Shingo`s love energy flowed from him all the way into her heart,
and suddenly she felt something familiar. It was a warm, fuzzy
feeling, the impression that no matter what happened, she would
always find comfort in these arms, that whatever evil would come
he would be there to fight alongside.
That if someone tried to kill her, he would throw himself to take
the killing blow in her place without a second thought to his own
life.
"I remember this..." she whispered, as her catatonic heart slowly
reawakened. "I remember us... I remember LOVE!" she screamed out in
joy as her emotions gushed freely like a water spring piercing the
ground to soar to the sky. "I love you, Shingo!"
The shield was now so much stronger as to hold Metalia a lot
longer, but not forever- Usagi would need to find the answer to
victory by herself, and fast.
* * *
"Your defenses are getting low, little rabbit, and when they waver
enough I shall rip you apart." said Metalia to USagi, her evil
red eyes looming above her and the sobbing Crystallite.
For some reason, Usagi had the very distinct feeling that she was
missing something, that somehow she held all the pieces to figuring
a way to defeat Metalia and unconsciously knew the answer already.
She remembered some advice Naru had given her a few weeks before:
"When you want to access the vast amount of information tucked away
in the part of your brain that your conscious mind can`t reach,
simply let it wander. Let the thoughts come and go as they will,
allowing them to freely unlock their mysteries."
Holding on to Crystallite who hugged her in a frantic need for
protection, Usagi closed her eyes and let her mind wander without
direction. She thought of Black Baron being defeated by Chibi Chibi,
of his black, evil nature. She remembered the glorious moment of
the messiah appearing to the eleven soul powered senshi to bring
defeat to Aebonite at D-point, but then her thoughts took a turn
for the weirder.
At first she resisted, but she let her defenses down from these
strange ideas. She saw a pair of huge dragons in a strange dance,
one completely white with dark black eyes and the other jet black
with shiny silver eyes. Both of them swirled around in the most
peculiar dance that was both fighting and mating, each one running
after the other in an endless circle that cycled on and on.
Then Usagi opened her eyes, her mind blown away by the sheer power
of the brainstorm she was experiencing. She had it, she knew just
what to do.
"Any last words, wretched whelps, before I kill you both?" asked
the menacing voice.
"You may want to kill me, but I believe you will spare Crystallite."
replied Usagi, her voice suddenly filled with hope.
"And why is that little one?"
"Because in your own sick, twisted and warped way... you care for
her." said Usagi, smiling to the young girl as she gently combed
her tangled hair with her fingers.
"I care for NO ONE!!!" bellowed the angry voice.
"You took every precaution that she would grow up just the way you
wanted her to be, molded her in your image... just like a mother
would."
"SILENCE!!!"
"Also, the way you taught the art of soul weaving to Black Baron,
it shows great dedication and respect on your part." added Usagi.
"NO, THAT IS NOT TRUE, I DESPISE ALL THAT LIVES!!!"
"And did you not give your servant Beryl countless chances to
redeem herself in your eyes despite her repeated failures? Does
that not show your ability for mercy... and forgiveness?"
"LIES! ALL LIES, I HAVE NO SUCH FAILINGS!" crackled the horrid
voice, thunder booming in response to her words.
Metalia`s protests came too late as the words of the innocent and
caring girl had carved deep through its endless layers of stacked
mental defenses, bypassing what had been erected to resist brutal
force but was defenseless against human compassion.
A single spark of shining silver light appeared through the pitch
darkness, sparkling and radiant, soothing and wonderful in its
brilliance. Moving by itself through the air, it went to Usagi
who welcomed it with tears of happiness.
Out of pure intuition and through her unlimited to love even that
which is totally evil and corrupt, Usagi had summoned through the
sea of vileness the single focused splinter of goodness from within
Metalia... she had just mimicked the exact gestures of the very first
moon goddess Selene, and forged anew the silver crystal.
"NO!!! THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE!!!" screamed Metalia.
"Believe it." said Usagi with a smile as a blazing silver aura
engulfed her and Crystallite.
* * *
"I can`t hold on much longer..." whispered Endymion as his strength
waned gradually, until he was no longer able to focus the power of
the gold crystal. His aura of energy going silent, the entire
effort of the senshi to hold a golden forcefield against Metalia
was reduced to nothing, the barrier breaking up and collapsing
immediately.
"We`re finished..." mumbled Robin, hugging Yaten for what she
believed would be the last time.
Without waiting any further, Sailor Saturn rose her silent glaive
and began charging the weapon with the energy to activate the
single greatest senshi attack in the universe, one strong enough
to erradicate an entire planet.
"DEATH... REBORN... REV..." she started to scream, but was
interrupted by Endymion before she could finish her last word.
"LOOK UP THERE!" he yelled, pointing to the top of the main
building where suddenly there was a shining silver light.
"I think she did it!" replied Rei, her heart warmed by the thought
of her good friend once again coming through.
"Hope yet lives..." whispered Hotaru, unable this time to contain
her smile.
* * *
"I`LL RIP YOU BOTH TO SHREDS, AND THEN RIP YOUR SHREDS TO NOTHING!"
yelled Metalia, her voice echoing throughout the entire city.
she tried to lower her "hands" onto Usagi and Crystallite again, but
the two girls who were now out of Metalia`s darkness had around
them the protection of the silver crystal`s glow. Silver magic
ribbons of energy were surrounding Usagi, while Crystallite was
standing by her side, a swirl of black ribbons coming from her
jagged black crystal to cover her body as well.
"We now stand united against you, Metalia!" replied Crystallite.
As she concentrated on using the black crystal to defeat her
former ally and help the senshi, her wish was realized- the
jagged edges of her crystal suddenly detached from the surface,
leaving only a smooth surfaced black sphere in her hands as
eleven dark splinters flew off.
One of them returned to Usagi, the others to the rest of the
senshi. Crystallite was astonished to see Usagi retrieve her
sailor senshi form, and an improved one at that. Her fuku was
now colored in white and shades of pink, with a full breastplate
and shoulder pads in addition to the complete tigh protectors
where she saw the engraved kanji BISHOUJO SENSHI.
"The others have regained their powers too, haven`t they?"
she asked.
"Yes, I can feel them returning to their full strength!" replied
Usagi who smiled with the most beautiful expression of joy that
the daughter of Beryl had ever seen.
The black energy did something similar for Crystallite, clothing
her in a magnificient flowing black gown. She also felt a strange
tingling sensation in her chest, one very warm and pleasant.
Working together, the black and silver powers were healing her
horribly scarred chest, and she felt herself grow stronger as the
wounds she had incurred from Fenris` deadly attack over three years
before were finally healed.
Her heart had been regenerated completely.
"What now... friend?" asked Crystallite who pointed to Metalia
hovering above their heads.
"Just lend me your strength... I`ll do the rest!"
Both girls lifted their crystals. The rejuvenated Sailor Moon
concentrated on calling forth what she now knew to be her ultimate
attack.
Through means unknown to even Usagi herself, all light in a radius
spanning several hundred feet was drawn to her, absorbed directly
within the silver crystal and leaving the entire area totally
dark for a fraction of a second... until she pointed the crystal
to Metalia, screaming her power words:
"MOON SOUL ECLIPSE!!!"
A single point of light emerged from the crystal, soaring towards
the force of evil and detonating on impact, flooding the area
with a lethal blast of purifying light that not even the Poldzer
Triangle could withstand, the trio of immense buildings collapsing
where they stood while Metalia was being erradicated from this
world.
And then silence fell.
* * *
"Usagi... you`re still alive?" came the voice of Crystallite,
waking her up. Looking around, she saw that both her and the
young red haired girl were trapped under a pile of rubble, not
the smallest ray of light filtering through. Only the soft glow
of their crystals provided any light at all.
"Yeah... I hurt too much to be dead." she complained.
"I almost wish I was myself..." said Crystallote, her voice
growing sad.
"How come?" asked Usagi, hearing the sound of some people above
them picking through the rubble. At least, the rescue was coming,
she thought.
"Because I lost the only reason I had left to live... my precious
Fenris... I won`t hate you for killing him because he was trying
to do the same to you, but..." she tried to explain, but she
just started sobbing in Usagi`s arms.
"Crystallite... there`s something you haven`t seen... Fenris didn`t
die when I stabbed him! His wolf body healed itself, he was only
comatose from the immense shock he received!" told her Usagi, the
news putting a sudden halt on the girl`s crying. "He was fighting
off a blighted one called Velasquez to give me a chance to reach
you in time before Metalia seized you!"
"He... lived??? Do you think he survived the building`s complete
destruction?"
"We`re both here, aren`t we?" answered Usagi just as a large piece
of rubble was removed from above their heads, freeing them both.
"There is our hero!" said Endymion who picked up Usagi and pulled
her out of the hole as if she was a paper doll, his joy giving him
nearly superhuman strength all of a sudden.
"I had help... guys, I`d like you to meet Crystallite!" said Usagi,
pointing to the red haired girl as she climbed out all by herself,
feeling great about her newfound health.
"I`d like it if you just called me 'Crystal' from now on..." she
said, smiling shyly. She looked around left and right, hoping to
see her lover anywhere.
And she did. A huge chunk of smashed concrete blew to pieces, the
flying dust settling to reveal a huge manwolf holding a black metal
flamberge. As he threw it down, everyone could see that there was
still a black gloved hand attached to the handle.
"Velasquez wasn`t kidding when he said I`d have to rip his hand to
make him drop his weapon!" boasted the manwolf, flexing his huge
muscles to add more dramatic effect.
"FENRIS!!!" yelled Crystal, tears of happiness rolling down her face
as she ran into his arms.
"Crystallite... my love... you can run on your own!" observed Fenris,
totally amazed.
"It`s all thanks to my new friends!" she replied, looking back to
see the sailor senshi who now had all recovered their powers. "And
honey... call me Crystal from now, okay?"
"As you wish my love..." he replied before placing his lips on hers.
Following their lead, all couples present exchanged passionate
kisses under the soft light of the full moon that was now gleaming
in the night sky devoid of any storm clouds, all gone without a trace
along with their source, the evil named Metalia.
The End
* * *
I`d like to give special thanks to all my friends, in particular
Kenton, Galos, Sonya, Sailor Mac, Mark, Steve and Alhanna...
for supporting my efforts, spotting the glaring and the not so
obvious errors that slipped themselves in my drafts which they
proofread for me and for generally putting up with me :)
Well, this has been a LONG cycle this time... I never expected
it would last so many chapters (or that I would even break the
50 chapter mark AT ALL with this serie!) but here we are.
To all my readers... thank you for bearing with me for so long,
and I still have plenty to write about, so this particular serie
is far from over! Stay tuned gang, because starting next chapter...
OLD GRIEVANCES COME DUE!!!