**********
The night of the ball was cold, but clear. I stood on the tiny balcony that my room boasted, looking up at the sky. It seemed as though every star in the galaxy was visible. I quickly found the constellation of Pisces; Neptune had taught me how. It was comforting to look at it and to know that, no matter what, it would always be there.
A frigid wind swept over me. Shivering, I stepped back into my room and closed the glass doors. Neptune was in her own room across the hall getting dressed. She liked to do that, to make me wait until she was convinced she looked her best. Of course, I was convinced that she *always* looked her best.
I smiled as I pulled on the jacket of my dress uniform. The same uniform I had given up in favor of that dress two months earlier. I surprised myself. Two months ago I had just wanted to blend in and be forgotten. But now that I had Neptune, I didn't care about all of that. I wanted to be myself. She had such an effect on me; I am who I am right now because of her.
I gave myself a satisfactory glance in the dressing table mirror. Navy blue, kid-skin breeches hugged my lower body, ending in black leather boots. The uniform coat was open, but gold buttons stamped with the symbol of the Court of Uranus ran up one side. A white silk shirt lay underneath it, a full doublet at my throat. The coat belonged to my youngest brother and was, as a result, a size too small. It clung to my breasts and waist a little more than I would have liked, but that couldn't be helped. I combed my fingers through my hair and brushed off the long sleeves of the coat. It was time to go pick up my Princess.
She answered on the first knock and in that same second, took my breath away. After days of agonzing, she had finally decided on the lavender dress. It, too, was low cut, I couldn't help but notice. The skirt was full, with a tasteful ruffle around the hem. Its sleeves were puffed. Her hair was parted in the middle and pulled to either side; lavender roses accented each side.
"You look beautiful", was all I could think to say.
Neptune curtsied. "And you look far more comfortable than the first time we met."
I bent my arm and offered it to her. She delicately placed her hand in the crook of my elbow. That was how we walked down the crystal stairs together. And this time, everyone *was* looking at me. And I didn't give a damn.
***********
It all happened at the ball.
The evening started out like a dream. I had Neptune on my arm; everything was perfect. We danced every waltz, unconcious of the people around us. If we had looked though, we would have only seen appreciation in their eyes and perhaps a twinge of envy. We had something that was rare. Even I wasn't obtuse enough to be unaware of that. The only couple recieving more stares than us were Serenity and Endymion, who seemed to be caught up in their own private world as they danced under the stars.
But despite my overall sense of euphoria, there was an undercurrent of sadness in the air. Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Venus were all present; the ball was, after all, partly in their honor. They stood in a small group on the side of the dance floor. Every now and then, a courtier or ambassador would come up to them, presumably asking for the honor of a dance. But every man walked away alone.
After awhile, Pluto approached them, Saturn by her side. The older woman spoke for a few minutes and after the Outer Senshi departed again, the girls looked much more relaxed. Color returned to their pale cheeks and they dispersed, each in search of a dance partner. I wondered what the Guardian of Time had said to them. Whatever it was, it had been the right thing to do.
"Look", I pointed to Mercury across the ballroom as she accepted a dance with the Ambassador of Balanis.
The corners of Neptune's lips turned up. "I hope wherever they are, the generals know what they're missing."
I nodded. "They didn't deserve our girls anyways."
Neptune threw her head back and laughed, lightly poking the flesh between my breasts. "So...there really is a 'mother' in there somewhere."
"Shh..." I gave her a look of mock secrecy. "Don't tell anyone."
She brought her lips up to my ear. "Your secret is safe with me, love."
********
"Her Supreme Majesty, Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom!" The guard in his gilded livery stepped to the side and bowed deeply as our Queen appeared at the very top of the crystal stairs.
Have I told you about our Queen? I know I have mentioned her several times, but have I ever really described her? Let me take a minute to. Queen Serenity was...well, try to imagine the most beautiful woman you have ever seen, then imagine her being graceful, elegant, calming and kind. Then you will have pictured our Queen. I had only spoken to her alone on two different occasions in the two months I had been living in her home, but each time I had walked away from the conversation feeling more at peace with myself than even Neptune could make me feel. When I became a Sailor Senshi at fifteen years old, I had taken a vow to protect this woman because it was required of me. Now I knew that I would do anything in my power to protect her because she had earned my love and respect.
She slowly descended the stairs like an angel coming down from the heavens to bless the mortals. When she had reached the last landing before the ballroom floor, she looked down at us, her Sailor Senshi. With a smile, she outstretched her hand, beckoning us to join her on the stairs. Serenity and Endymion went first, arm in arm. They each took a place on either side of her mother, one step below. Mercury and Mars followed, then Jupiter and Venus. I looked at Neptune before offering her my hand. We joined them on the stairs, a step lower than the Inner Senshi. Saturn and Pluto came last, standing a little below us. We faced the people of our star system.
"Our Senshi", the Queen announced, putting a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "These are the eight women whom I have chosen to protect us all. Not too long ago, several of them were just names to me." She looked down at us. Warmth emenated from her smile. "But now I have the honor of really knowing them. And I can honestly say, you won't find more wonderful women than they. Please..." The Queen looked back at her people. "Join me in thanking them."
Applause began, so loud that it drowned out anything else in my ears. The response from the people was overwhelming. I had to touch Neptune's hand to remind myself of where I was. Her fingers squeezed mine, letting me know that she was right there with me.
Collectively, we bowed to the people. Each of us turned slightly and bowed at the Queen. She lowered her head briefly and touched her heart. I swallowed heavily. It was a moment of pure approval, the greatest singular moment of my entire life. I was honored by a kingdom, respected by a Queen and loved by the woman at my side. I thought, at that moment, that nothing could possibly put an end to that happiness.
And that's when it happened. The bottom dropped out. Well, actually, it was the ceiling.
High above our heads, the crystal dome was the first thing to go. With a horrific crash, shards and broken panes of glass began to fall. A state of instant panic gripped the crowd as they clammored for safety. My arm instinctively went around Neptune's shoulder, pulling her against my own body. Pluto did the same, using her body to shield little Saturn as we made a collective dash for the safety of the second flight of stairs. Endymion was already there; his cape providing shelter for the Queen and the Princess.
"What's going on?", I heard Venus ask over the cries of the people in the ballroom. Most of the guests had managed to make it to the safety of the overlapping balconies, but some unfortunate souls had been struck with the falling glass. I closed my eyes and sensed Neptune do the same.
"Those poor people...", she whispered.
"Are we under attack?", I asked the Queen as though she had the answer.
The answer I sought didn't come from her however. Just then, a long, langorious laugh filled the air of the ballroom. In the very center of the floor, a figure began to materialize. A woman. "People of the Moon Kingdom....thank you for inviting me to your party", she said in a terribly silken voice. Even from a distance, I could make out her features. She had impossibly long orange colored hair, but her skin was a sickening shade of lavender. Her dress was as black as coal. Behind her, four more figures began to appear. Four men. Four tall men in uniforms. "Thank you for inviting us all."
I heard gasps behind me. Jupiter put a hand to her mouth, her green eyes wide. "No...", was all she could say.
Endymion stepped forward and addressed the painfully familiar figures. "Jaedite. Zoisite. Kunzite. Nephrite." There was confusion in his voice. And mounting dread. "Explain all of this", he ordered.
The generals were silent. Princess Serenity put a small hand on Endymion's arm in comfort.
Queen Serenity looked down at the strange intruder. "Who are you and by what right do you come here like this?"
"Queen Serenity...." The woman's gaze roamed over us all before settling on the Queen. There was evil in her eyes; I found myself recoiling from it. "Sovreign of the Silver Millenium." Her stare hardened. "Sovreign no longer!! I am Queen Beryl of the Negaverse....I have come to conquer!!"
It was all we needed to hear. I looked at the other girls, seeing the same thought reflected in their eyes. Even the Inner Senshi managed to momentarily set aside the momentous problems that faced them. It was time to put our training and powers to the ultimate test.
"Mercury Crystal Power...."
"Mars Crystal Power...."
"Jupiter Crystal Power...."
"Venus Crystal Power...."
"Uranus Crystal Power...."
"Neptune Crystal Power...."
"Pluto Crystal Power...."
"MAKE......UP!!!!!"
The seconds it took for my fuku to replace my clothes and form around my body seemed eternal. But finally, I stood as Sailor Uranus, surrounded by my fellow Senshi.
"We are the Sailor Senshi of the Silver Millenium", Pluto announced.
"Your presence is not welcome here", Neptune said coldly.
"The pain you have inflicted on our people....", Mercury began, swallowing heavily as she looked down at the bodies.
"The things you have done to our Kingdom...", Mars shakily continued.
I narrowed my eyes. "And the threat you present to our Queen...."
"Will not be forgiven", Jupiter finished. There was pain in her voice. Her words were directed to one man and one man only.
Venus stepped up. "In the name of the Moon..."
"We shall punish you!!" My voice blended with the other girls.
Our words elicited laughter from the replusive woman. "Work a little harder on that and you may just convince me." The smile on her lips died. "Don't challenge me, little girls."
I scowled and prepared to charge, but Neptune's gloved hand gripped my arm, holding me back. My fist tightened with repressed anger, but relaxed when I saw why she had done so. Behind Beryl, behind the generals, the Captain of the Moon's Army was leading several of his soldiers into a surprise attack formation. I had a bad feeling about it....
Beryl didn't even turn around. With one hand thrust behind her hip, she blasted the men with a lethal beam of energy. The generals took over, finishing off the Captain's men in seconds with their swords. We watched in shocked silence as the men went down one by one.
It was too much for Venus to take. Every muscle in her body was taught; even her blond hair seemed on edge. She cried out as her former lover swung his blade, striking down one uniformed boy. "VENUS LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!!", she shouted, sending a deadly kiss hurtling towards Kunzite. With a laugh, Beryl disappeared. The blast exploded around the generals. Quickly, Venus turned back to us. "Let's nip this in the bud, shall we?" Venus looked at Pluto. "Can you....?" Her eyes darted to the Queen.
Pluto nodded. She looked down at Saturn expectantly, but the little girl shook her head. She was going to stay where she was. Without a word, Pluto walked up the stairs and began to lead the Queen away. On the ballroom floor, the generals had begun to bounce back from Venus' attack. They looked up at us with nothing but pure malice in their eyes. And the girls could see it.
"Endymion....protect our Princess", Jupiter asked, never straying her hard gaze from the auburn haired man below. I looked at her for a brief second; the antenna in her tiara was rising. It crackled with electricity. Bending her knees, she leaped off the stairs, landing on the ballroom floor a second later. Her hands reached up to her forehead, collecting the electric energy between her palms. "SPARKLING WIDE....PRESSURE!!" Jupiter hurled the lightning at Nephrite. The man leaped into the air with frightening strength, sword held high over his head.
A flash of blue. A burst of crimson. The Senshi of Mercury screamed in pain as Nephrite's sword slammed down onto her shoulder.
"Mercury!!!", Jupiter cried out. The blue haired girl had pushed her out of the way. And taken the blade meant for her. As Mercury stumbled to the ground, Jupiter looked up at her auburn haired lover. Hate flooded her own eyes. "You're going to die for that", she hissed.
The battle had begun. With one Senshi down, it was up to the rest of us to protect our Kingdom and our monarchs. The people had fled. It was six against four. Five against four. Forgive me. My memories of the next few minutes are so blurred. I want to walk you through every moment. But I was in the midst of a war. I thought and acted like a senshi. I paid attention to my attacks and my strategies. It was as though all the teamwork I had been forced to learn flew out of my mind. It was me alone in my mission.
Until Neptune grabbed my hand. Her arm was cut; I wondered how...which general had gotten close enough to hurt her. "Uranus...the princess...." She took a deep breath and pointed to the balcony across the ballroom. "Beryl...has the princess..."
I took off running. But when I reached the balcony....I was too late. I'm sure this is the part you read in your history books. How Beryl found herself attracted to Endymion and tried to take him. And how he and Serenity went down fighting the witch. I do not know what transpired between the three of them on that balcony. I don't believe Beryl came to our Kingdom solely for the love of a mortal man. All I know is that three people were on that balcony. And only one survived.
The orange haired bitch disappeared, triumphant, as I knelt next to the fallen body of our princess. Blood was slowing turning Serenity's white and silver gown a deep red. It soaked her blond ponytails. There was nothing I could do for her. She saw me over her; her tiny hand reached for mine. Her fingers squeezed lightly. And then she was gone.
Endymion lay a few feet away from his fallen princess, in a rapidly spreading pool of blood. I was torn...wanting to stay near my princess, but feeling that I should not leave the man she loved alone as he died. His chest rose and fell with weakening breath.
"Serenity...", he whispered. I took his hand and mumbled something. Words of comfort. I wish I could remember. His final breath was used whispering, "I love you....Serenity..."
"VENUS LOVE ME CHAIN!!!"
I swung my head around. Right behind me, sword raised, was Kunzite. His former lover's heart-shaped chain of energy was wrapped around his upper chest, keeping him from advancing on my turned back. At the other end of the chain, a dead-eyed, coldly powerful Venus stood. She yanked on the chain, pulling Kunzite back towards her.
It was the only careless mistake I had ever seen her make. It would prove to be her last.
He came flying towards her, sword pointed. She did not have time to sidestep the blade before it slid into her stomach. Kunzite laughed as she hung, suspended in mid-air by his sword. Her blood dripped down the metal. I watched with numb eyes as the linked hearts of energy around Kunzite's chest began to fade as Venus slowly died. When the chain vanished completely, Kunzite let her body slide to the floor.
The white haired general looked at me and licked a spot of his lover's blood from his thumb. He blew me a kiss. My tear-flooded eyes narrowed dangerously; I was unable to comprehend, much less control the anguish building up inside me with each death I was witness to. My desire to lash out with my own powers was usurped as a terrific bolt of lightning struck Kunzite. When the electric surge had passed through his body, he fell to the bloodied marble floor. Jupiter stood a few feet away, the antenna in her tiara lowering, her eyes as wet as mine.
Together we watched him die. But before the breath left him completely, the image of Beryl appeared over his body. With a snap of her fingers, she dematerialized, taking him with her. Jupiter ran to the spot where he had laid.
"Damn you to hell!!", she screamed, pounding the floor.
"We're already there", a voice over her said calmly. She turned her head to see her own lover, auburn hair flowing, standing over her with a satisfactory look on his face. Blood colored the corner of his lip.
She attacked him with everything she had. Kicking, punching, slapping. Nephrite matched her blow for blow. Why was I frozen to the spot? Why couldn't I move? I hate myself as I remember how helpless I was in those few minutes.
The final blow he delivered across the side of her face spun her body around with its force. She shook her head, trying to recover, but before she could, Nephrite found Kunzite's abandoned sword. Completely without mercy, he advanced on the tall brunette who had given him her body and her heart. I hope she was too disoriented to feel the sword enter her breast. I hope she couldn't feel herself die; feel the pillar against her back as he tossed her broken body aside.
"MARS FLAME SNIPER!"
The arrow of fire landed directly in Nephrite's chest. If he had a heart, I hoped that's what it had hit. He faltered and fell....but again, before he could die, his Queen appeared to take him away.
Someone grabbed my wrist. Neptune. "Everyone's dying", she whispered as though it were a great secret. Her hands were bloody. I looked down at them, then back up at her deep blue eyes. "Zoisite", she answered my unspoken question.
Mars looked back at us. "It was supposed to be this way", she said, numbly. "It was all supposed to be this way."
"What do you mean?", I asked lowly. "Mars..."
She never got a chance to answer me. Her eyes grew wide; the metal tip of a sword suddenly appeared through her right side. A figure loomed behind her. Jaedite. He pulled his sword back out; blood exploded over the front of Mars' fuku.
"No..no..no..." It was too much for me. Another friend fallen and me powerless to do anything about it.
Jaedite laughed cruelly. His arm wrapped around Mars' body before it could slip to the ground. His lips found her neck through her long dark hair. "Was it good for you?", he whispered.
"Leave her alone!" We all turned to see little Saturn. I blinked. She was clad in the fuku of a Sailor Senshi. In her hand was a long scythe; she turned it in her hands and pointed it at Jaedite.
He shook his head. "Go back to the nursery, little sailor girl." His bloody fingers wound into Mars' hair.
I looked at Saturn. Her violet eyes were lifeless. I could feel her power, cold and deadly.
It frightened me.
"Do not make me use my power", she said calmly.
Jaedite smirked. "What power?"
There was a voice in my head. Saturn's. I closed my eyes, listening. Listening to what she wanted me to do. Taking a breath, I acted, never stopping to thinking. Sprinting forward, I ran past Jaedite, catching Mars in my arms and pulling her out of harm's way.
"I have no wish to end my life. But if it will save my friends, I will not hesitate." Saturn did not blink as she stared down the taller man.
"You can't save your friends", Jaedite told her confidantly. "As she said..." He gestured to Mars; I held her tighter. "...it was all supposed to be this way."
Saturn blinked. It was the only opportunity Jaedite needed. Advancing foward, he grabbed Saturn's scythe, turning it on the little girl. She took the blade as Jupiter had: quietly.
Neptune screamed. I could feel her power rising. Her arms lifted over her head, gathering the energy of the ocean. "DEEP SUBMERGE!!!"
The blast knocked Jaedite back. It was not a fatal blow, but it did enough. He lay on the ground, unmoving. Neptune reached for Saturn's body; I knew instinctively that it was too late.
"Uranus..." Mars' voice was broken; blood flowed from the corner of her mouth. I looked down at her. Jaedite's sword had been merciless; the gruesome wound in her right side was draining her life away.
"Shh...it's all right", I said, as comfortingly as possible. "It's going to be all right, Mars."
She tried to sit up, but the pain was too much. Crying out, she fell back against me. "How's...Saturn?", she managed to ask when the pain had subsided a bit.
I glanced across the balcony to where Neptune knelt, holding the lifeless body of the Princess of Saturn. "She's fine", I lied. Tears and sweat stung my eyes. "Everyone is...fine."
"Everyone is dead", Mars whispered, closing her eyes. "And I...I saw it all, Uranus. I saw it all." She weakly touched the wound in her side and brought her blood stained glove up to where she could see it. "The night of the ball...the first ball..."
"You don't have to talk, Mars", I said. I wasn't sure I wanted to hear what she was going to say next.
Mars shook her head. "I...have to. That night...after Jaedite and I...after we made...love..." A sob tore through her throat. "I had a vision. I saw this...all of this."
I blinked. "You were so...upset that morning....", I whispered. My head dropped lower as realization settled in. "There wasn't anything we could have done to stop this, was there?"
"No", she replied. Her eyes were slowly closing. "I'm sorry...Uranus. I'm so sorry..." Her body relaxed as the life went out of it.
"God..." I squeezed my eyes shut. "Goodbye Mars."
I had no time to think about the fact that my friend was dead. From across the balcony, Neptune cried out.
"Uranus!! Behind you!!"
On pure instinct, I shot to my feet and spun around. Jaedite was approaching me from behind, having recovered from Neptune's attack. He held his sword, still covered with Mars' blood, at his side. "Sailor Uranus", he smiled at me.
"Only cowards attack from behind *General* Jaedite", I said, raising my fists. "I would have thought your time on Earth would have taught you better."
He laughed as he twisted the sword's handle, grinding the tip of the blade into the marble floor. "What my time on Earth taught me...taught all of us....was to watch our backs. You should learn the same." He lifted his sword and lunged at me. I easily side-stepped the blade, moving out of striking distance.
"You're a goddamned traitor", I hissed. "You all are. You abandoned your people, you betrayed your Prince and you slaughtered the women who loved you. For what? For Beryl?"
"Beryl?" His laughter shook his body. "You think we did this for Beryl?"
I was momentarily speechless. "Why else?", I finally asked.
"Because..." Jaedite bent his knees and raised his sword with one hand over his head, preparing to attack. "We could." With a cry, he lunged for me once more. As the blade came closer, I stepped away again, catching the handle as it passed through the air next to my stomach. Grasping onto the metal, I wrenched it out of Jaedite's hand. My other fist slammed into his jaw as the heel of my boot pushed him forward. Jaedite stumbled but managed to catch himself before he toppeled over. It only took him a moment to recover. He turned to face me, anger flashing in his eyes.
I pointed his own sword at him. "Go back to your Queen. And tell her that this won't be over until I personally send this sword straight through her lifeless heart."
Jaedite wiped blood off his chin with the back of his hand. "You'll never win, you know." He looked over at Neptune. "You two can't possibly hope to take out the entire Negaverse."
"Maybe not", I replied. My voice sounded cold even to my own ears. "But I have watched too many people die today. And someone's going to pay for it." I lowered the sword. "The next time this blade is the only thing between us, you won't walk away from it." We stared at each other. "Now get the hell out of my sight."
His stare was dark, brow furred dangerously, but he stepped forward. I backed up to let him by. Just feeling him walk past me made me want to recoil. I looked down at Mars' body; my back turned. So, I suppose I'll never know exactly what happened next. All I heard was Neptune's scream.
"No!!!", she cried. My head turned to see her run across the balcony. She attacked Jaedite from behind, sending them both crashing to the marble. I saw a glint of metal in his hand. A dagger. She was wrestling with him, but he was just so much bigger than she was.
"Neptune", I whispered. Jaedite's sword clattered to the floor as it fell out of my hand. My body was frozen. All I could do was watch as he backhanded her. Her head rolled to the side from the force of the blow. He was on top of her. He raised the dagger over his head.
I screamed when the blade plunged into her breast. Blood blossomed from the wound, running over the blues and whites of her fuku. She didn't cry out. Her back simply arched with shock and pain as he pulled out the small, deadly blade. I screamed again. "Neptune!!!!"
Energy rose within me. I didn't even have to think about forming it. An orange ball of light built up in my hand; it grew larger and larger with each anguished cry. "WORLD....SHAKING!!!!"
The blast blew Jaedite several feet away. His body was rocked with the kinetic force. I knew the wound had to be fatal. It gave me instantaneous satisfaction to know I was about to watch him die.
But I was robbed of the pleasure. Directly behind his broken body, Beryl materialized. She said nothing, simply snapped her fingers. Jaedite faded as she took him back to wherever she had taken the others.
My whole body was rigid. I closed my eyes, not wanting to open them again. To open them would be to watch Neptune die.
"Uranus..." Her strained voice called to me. I couldn't ignore it. Couldn't let her be by herself.... Forcing my eyes open, I looked down. There was so much blood... Jaedite's dagger had pierced her heart.
I kneeled next to her. "Neptune", was all I said before I broke down. I bent my head, tears falling fast and hard. "Please....don't....don't die."
Her gloved fingers touched my knee. "I love you", she whispered. "I always...will.." Before I could reply, she was gone. Just as quickly as she had entered my life, she left it.
My shoulders were hunched over. "No....no!!" I shook my head back and forth. "I need you, Neptune!! You...you're the only thing I've ever...loved." I slipped one arm under her head, lifting it into my lap. "I can't lose you. I won't lose you..." I lowered my mouth to hers in a feeble attempt to breath life back into her. I would have blown my entire soul into her body if it meant she could live. I kept at it for several long minutes. Only Pluto's entrance stopped me. Forced reality upon me.
"Oh dear gods", the Time Guardian whispered, taking everything in. The bodies, the blood...and me. "Uranus..."
I lifted my head numbly, but my eyes saw nothing. "Is the Queen safe?" It was all I could think to ask.
She nodded. Her lips were pressed tightly together. "Luna and Artemis are with her." She spotted little Saturn's body. And Jupiter's, slumped against a stone pillar. "No...oh no..."
"They killed them all. You're not seeing things." I looked down at Neptune as though really seeing for the first time that she was gone. "They killed them..."
"Uranus." She approached me and put a hand on my shoulder. "I need you to be strong now. For all of them." I could hear the sound of her black boots against the balcony as she began to walk away.
"Pluto?" Neptune's blood soaked my fuku, but I felt no warmth from it. I twisted my head. "Pluto...where are you going?!"
She turned around and looked down at me with more sorrow than I had ever seen in a single person. "I have to leave. I'm the only one who can protect the Gates of Time."
"But..." I touched a bloody hand to my forehead. "You can't leave me here! I can't do this..." Tears streaked down my face. "I can't do this alone, Pluto. Please!!"
"Uranus." Pluto walked back and kneeled down, setting her staff onto the now-scarlet marble. "My dear Uranus. You have more strength than you will ever know you posess. Draw on it now. Fight until the battle is through. And when it's over...." She reached out and touched Neptune's cheek. "You will meet her again."
I closed my eyes and shook my head. "I don't understand you, Pluto."
She rose, staff in hand. "And you won't for a very long time." Behind her, a swirl of mist rose up, forming a black hole around her body. "Trust in our Queen, Uranus. She will take care of everything." The mist engulfed her and she was gone.
I sat on the cold stone for a long time, holding onto my lover's body as though she would disappear if I let her go. I was fully aware that the Negaverse could return at any moment, to carry out their mission...end my life as they had ended the lives of my friends. A part of me wished they would.
The guests and servants who had survived were beginning to emerge from their hiding places. They were tentative, scared. And when they saw the bodies, grief stricken.
I paid no heed to them. Oh, believe me, if I could have, I would have buried every single Senshi myself. But as it was, I couldn't. I left that daunting task up to the people who's lives they had fought to protect.
Serenity and Endymion. Jupiter...Mars...Mercury...Venus...Saturn. And Neptune. They were all gone. Ripped from this world in the most horrible ways possible. Why had I alone survived? What terrible deed could I have committed in my life to warrant such a karmic punishment? *If you don't think about it, it will go away.*
On shaky legs, I stood, still holding Neptune in my arms. Several people watched me as I carried her through the ballroom and up what remained of the crystal staircase. I could only imagine what they were thinking as they watched Sailor Uranus carry Sailor Neptune's body into the depths of the palace.
I kicked open the door to her bedroom and laid her down onto her four poster bed. Carefully, I folded her arms over her body and straightened her fuku's skirt. With a linen hand towel I found draped over a chair, I wiped as much blood as I could from her face and throat. Even in death, she took my breath away. Bending at the waist, I kissed her lips. They were still warm. "I'll be with you soon", I whispered.
There was paper, a pen and plenty of ink in her writing desk. I peeled off my crimson-stained gloves, sat down and lit a candle.
**********
So, I wrote this story and now I'm done. In the next few hours, I will lead what remains of the Moon's army against Beryl and the traitorous Earth generals. I have little hope for our success, but it's a battle worth fighting. For the Silver Millenium. For the people of the Moon. For the princesses who died. For Neptune, if no one else.
Pluto's final words to me still resound in my ears. "You will meet her again." I can't doubt that she means what she says, but can I count on it? If you've gathered nothing else from reading this, you must know that I'm not a person who places much value on sentimental ideas. Still, if there is meant to be something beyond this life, I would want it to be with Neptune in one way or another. I don't want to believe that we could have just ended back there on that balcony, ironically, the place we met.
That's all. My story is done. Were you looking for a happy ending? If you were, you haven't read your history books, my friend. There can be no happy ending for the Silver Millenium and certainly no happy ending for myself and the love of my life. Perhaps that's why I wrote this; to correct whatever you might have read in those history books. Who knows what they say about us. For all I know, they could tell you that we simply died out of natural causes. No. We were, for lack of a better word, exterminated. We now exist entirely in your imagination.
Keep us safe there. Tell your children and your children's children. Don't let them forget us. But please, don't mourn us. We laughed, we danced, we cried, we ate, we drank, we slept, we hoped, we dreamed. But most importantly, we loved. And that is what makes life worth living and dying for.
H.R.H., The Princess of Uranus
**********
The night of the ball was cold, but clear. I stood on the tiny balcony that my room boasted, looking up at the sky. It seemed as though every star in the galaxy was visible. I quickly found the constellation of Pisces; Neptune had taught me how. It was comforting to look at it and to know that, no matter what, it would always be there.
A frigid wind swept over me. Shivering, I stepped back into my room and closed the glass doors. Neptune was in her own room across the hall getting dressed. She liked to do that, to make me wait until she was convinced she looked her best. Of course, I was convinced that she *always* looked her best.
I smiled as I pulled on the jacket of my dress uniform. The same uniform I had given up in favor of that dress two months earlier. I surprised myself. Two months ago I had just wanted to blend in and be forgotten. But now that I had Neptune, I didn't care about all of that. I wanted to be myself. She had such an effect on me; I am who I am right now because of her.
I gave myself a satisfactory glance in the dressing table mirror. Navy blue, kid-skin breeches hugged my lower body, ending in black leather boots. The uniform coat was open, but gold buttons stamped with the symbol of the Court of Uranus ran up one side. A white silk shirt lay underneath it, a full doublet at my throat. The coat belonged to my youngest brother and was, as a result, a size too small. It clung to my breasts and waist a little more than I would have liked, but that couldn't be helped. I combed my fingers through my hair and brushed off the long sleeves of the coat. It was time to go pick up my Princess.
She answered on the first knock and in that same second, took my breath away. After days of agonzing, she had finally decided on the lavender dress. It, too, was low cut, I couldn't help but notice. The skirt was full, with a tasteful ruffle around the hem. Its sleeves were puffed. Her hair was parted in the middle and pulled to either side; lavender roses accented each side.
"You look beautiful", was all I could think to say.
Neptune curtsied. "And you look far more comfortable than the first time we met."
I bent my arm and offered it to her. She delicately placed her hand in the crook of my elbow. That was how we walked down the crystal stairs together. And this time, everyone *was* looking at me. And I didn't give a damn.
***********
It all happened at the ball.
The evening started out like a dream. I had Neptune on my arm; everything was perfect. We danced every waltz, unconcious of the people around us. If we had looked though, we would have only seen appreciation in their eyes and perhaps a twinge of envy. We had something that was rare. Even I wasn't obtuse enough to be unaware of that. The only couple recieving more stares than us were Serenity and Endymion, who seemed to be caught up in their own private world as they danced under the stars.
But despite my overall sense of euphoria, there was an undercurrent of sadness in the air. Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Venus were all present; the ball was, after all, partly in their honor. They stood in a small group on the side of the dance floor. Every now and then, a courtier or ambassador would come up to them, presumably asking for the honor of a dance. But every man walked away alone.
After awhile, Pluto approached them, Saturn by her side. The older woman spoke for a few minutes and after the Outer Senshi departed again, the girls looked much more relaxed. Color returned to their pale cheeks and they dispersed, each in search of a dance partner. I wondered what the Guardian of Time had said to them. Whatever it was, it had been the right thing to do.
"Look", I pointed to Mercury across the ballroom as she accepted a dance with the Ambassador of Balanis.
The corners of Neptune's lips turned up. "I hope wherever they are, the generals know what they're missing."
I nodded. "They didn't deserve our girls anyways."
Neptune threw her head back and laughed, lightly poking the flesh between my breasts. "So...there really is a 'mother' in there somewhere."
"Shh..." I gave her a look of mock secrecy. "Don't tell anyone."
She brought her lips up to my ear. "Your secret is safe with me, love."
********
"Her Supreme Majesty, Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom!" The guard in his gilded livery stepped to the side and bowed deeply as our Queen appeared at the very top of the crystal stairs.
Have I told you about our Queen? I know I have mentioned her several times, but have I ever really described her? Let me take a minute to. Queen Serenity was...well, try to imagine the most beautiful woman you have ever seen, then imagine her being graceful, elegant, calming and kind. Then you will have pictured our Queen. I had only spoken to her alone on two different occasions in the two months I had been living in her home, but each time I had walked away from the conversation feeling more at peace with myself than even Neptune could make me feel. When I became a Sailor Senshi at fifteen years old, I had taken a vow to protect this woman because it was required of me. Now I knew that I would do anything in my power to protect her because she had earned my love and respect.
She slowly descended the stairs like an angel coming down from the heavens to bless the mortals. When she had reached the last landing before the ballroom floor, she looked down at us, her Sailor Senshi. With a smile, she outstretched her hand, beckoning us to join her on the stairs. Serenity and Endymion went first, arm in arm. They each took a place on either side of her mother, one step below. Mercury and Mars followed, then Jupiter and Venus. I looked at Neptune before offering her my hand. We joined them on the stairs, a step lower than the Inner Senshi. Saturn and Pluto came last, standing a little below us. We faced the people of our star system.
"Our Senshi", the Queen announced, putting a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "These are the eight women whom I have chosen to protect us all. Not too long ago, several of them were just names to me." She looked down at us. Warmth emenated from her smile. "But now I have the honor of really knowing them. And I can honestly say, you won't find more wonderful women than they. Please..." The Queen looked back at her people. "Join me in thanking them."
Applause began, so loud that it drowned out anything else in my ears. The response from the people was overwhelming. I had to touch Neptune's hand to remind myself of where I was. Her fingers squeezed mine, letting me know that she was right there with me.
Collectively, we bowed to the people. Each of us turned slightly and bowed at the Queen. She lowered her head briefly and touched her heart. I swallowed heavily. It was a moment of pure approval, the greatest singular moment of my entire life. I was honored by a kingdom, respected by a Queen and loved by the woman at my side. I thought, at that moment, that nothing could possibly put an end to that happiness.
And that's when it happened. The bottom dropped out. Well, actually, it was the ceiling.
High above our heads, the crystal dome was the first thing to go. With a horrific crash, shards and broken panes of glass began to fall. A state of instant panic gripped the crowd as they clammored for safety. My arm instinctively went around Neptune's shoulder, pulling her against my own body. Pluto did the same, using her body to shield little Saturn as we made a collective dash for the safety of the second flight of stairs. Endymion was already there; his cape providing shelter for the Queen and the Princess.
"What's going on?", I heard Venus ask over the cries of the people in the ballroom. Most of the guests had managed to make it to the safety of the overlapping balconies, but some unfortunate souls had been struck with the falling glass. I closed my eyes and sensed Neptune do the same.
"Those poor people...", she whispered.
"Are we under attack?", I asked the Queen as though she had the answer.
The answer I sought didn't come from her however. Just then, a long, langorious laugh filled the air of the ballroom. In the very center of the floor, a figure began to materialize. A woman. "People of the Moon Kingdom....thank you for inviting me to your party", she said in a terribly silken voice. Even from a distance, I could make out her features. She had impossibly long orange colored hair, but her skin was a sickening shade of lavender. Her dress was as black as coal. Behind her, four more figures began to appear. Four men. Four tall men in uniforms. "Thank you for inviting us all."
I heard gasps behind me. Jupiter put a hand to her mouth, her green eyes wide. "No...", was all she could say.
Endymion stepped forward and addressed the painfully familiar figures. "Jaedite. Zoisite. Kunzite. Nephrite." There was confusion in his voice. And mounting dread. "Explain all of this", he ordered.
The generals were silent. Princess Serenity put a small hand on Endymion's arm in comfort.
Queen Serenity looked down at the strange intruder. "Who are you and by what right do you come here like this?"
"Queen Serenity...." The woman's gaze roamed over us all before settling on the Queen. There was evil in her eyes; I found myself recoiling from it. "Sovreign of the Silver Millenium." Her stare hardened. "Sovreign no longer!! I am Queen Beryl of the Negaverse....I have come to conquer!!"
It was all we needed to hear. I looked at the other girls, seeing the same thought reflected in their eyes. Even the Inner Senshi managed to momentarily set aside the momentous problems that faced them. It was time to put our training and powers to the ultimate test.
"Mercury Crystal Power...."
"Mars Crystal Power...."
"Jupiter Crystal Power...."
"Venus Crystal Power...."
"Uranus Crystal Power...."
"Neptune Crystal Power...."
"Pluto Crystal Power...."
"MAKE......UP!!!!!"
The seconds it took for my fuku to replace my clothes and form around my body seemed eternal. But finally, I stood as Sailor Uranus, surrounded by my fellow Senshi.
"We are the Sailor Senshi of the Silver Millenium", Pluto announced.
"Your presence is not welcome here", Neptune said coldly.
"The pain you have inflicted on our people....", Mercury began, swallowing heavily as she looked down at the bodies.
"The things you have done to our Kingdom...", Mars shakily continued.
I narrowed my eyes. "And the threat you present to our Queen...."
"Will not be forgiven", Jupiter finished. There was pain in her voice. Her words were directed to one man and one man only.
Venus stepped up. "In the name of the Moon..."
"We shall punish you!!" My voice blended with the other girls.
Our words elicited laughter from the replusive woman. "Work a little harder on that and you may just convince me." The smile on her lips died. "Don't challenge me, little girls."
I scowled and prepared to charge, but Neptune's gloved hand gripped my arm, holding me back. My fist tightened with repressed anger, but relaxed when I saw why she had done so. Behind Beryl, behind the generals, the Captain of the Moon's Army was leading several of his soldiers into a surprise attack formation. I had a bad feeling about it....
Beryl didn't even turn around. With one hand thrust behind her hip, she blasted the men with a lethal beam of energy. The generals took over, finishing off the Captain's men in seconds with their swords. We watched in shocked silence as the men went down one by one.
It was too much for Venus to take. Every muscle in her body was taught; even her blond hair seemed on edge. She cried out as her former lover swung his blade, striking down one uniformed boy. "VENUS LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!!", she shouted, sending a deadly kiss hurtling towards Kunzite. With a laugh, Beryl disappeared. The blast exploded around the generals. Quickly, Venus turned back to us. "Let's nip this in the bud, shall we?" Venus looked at Pluto. "Can you....?" Her eyes darted to the Queen.
Pluto nodded. She looked down at Saturn expectantly, but the little girl shook her head. She was going to stay where she was. Without a word, Pluto walked up the stairs and began to lead the Queen away. On the ballroom floor, the generals had begun to bounce back from Venus' attack. They looked up at us with nothing but pure malice in their eyes. And the girls could see it.
"Endymion....protect our Princess", Jupiter asked, never straying her hard gaze from the auburn haired man below. I looked at her for a brief second; the antenna in her tiara was rising. It crackled with electricity. Bending her knees, she leaped off the stairs, landing on the ballroom floor a second later. Her hands reached up to her forehead, collecting the electric energy between her palms. "SPARKLING WIDE....PRESSURE!!" Jupiter hurled the lightning at Nephrite. The man leaped into the air with frightening strength, sword held high over his head.
A flash of blue. A burst of crimson. The Senshi of Mercury screamed in pain as Nephrite's sword slammed down onto her shoulder.
"Mercury!!!", Jupiter cried out. The blue haired girl had pushed her out of the way. And taken the blade meant for her. As Mercury stumbled to the ground, Jupiter looked up at her auburn haired lover. Hate flooded her own eyes. "You're going to die for that", she hissed.
The battle had begun. With one Senshi down, it was up to the rest of us to protect our Kingdom and our monarchs. The people had fled. It was six against four. Five against four. Forgive me. My memories of the next few minutes are so blurred. I want to walk you through every moment. But I was in the midst of a war. I thought and acted like a senshi. I paid attention to my attacks and my strategies. It was as though all the teamwork I had been forced to learn flew out of my mind. It was me alone in my mission.
Until Neptune grabbed my hand. Her arm was cut; I wondered how...which general had gotten close enough to hurt her. "Uranus...the princess...." She took a deep breath and pointed to the balcony across the ballroom. "Beryl...has the princess..."
I took off running. But when I reached the balcony....I was too late. I'm sure this is the part you read in your history books. How Beryl found herself attracted to Endymion and tried to take him. And how he and Serenity went down fighting the witch. I do not know what transpired between the three of them on that balcony. I don't believe Beryl came to our Kingdom solely for the love of a mortal man. All I know is that three people were on that balcony. And only one survived.
The orange haired bitch disappeared, triumphant, as I knelt next to the fallen body of our princess. Blood was slowing turning Serenity's white and silver gown a deep red. It soaked her blond ponytails. There was nothing I could do for her. She saw me over her; her tiny hand reached for mine. Her fingers squeezed lightly. And then she was gone.
Endymion lay a few feet away from his fallen princess, in a rapidly spreading pool of blood. I was torn...wanting to stay near my princess, but feeling that I should not leave the man she loved alone as he died. His chest rose and fell with weakening breath.
"Serenity...", he whispered. I took his hand and mumbled something. Words of comfort. I wish I could remember. His final breath was used whispering, "I love you....Serenity..."
"VENUS LOVE ME CHAIN!!!"
I swung my head around. Right behind me, sword raised, was Kunzite. His former lover's heart-shaped chain of energy was wrapped around his upper chest, keeping him from advancing on my turned back. At the other end of the chain, a dead-eyed, coldly powerful Venus stood. She yanked on the chain, pulling Kunzite back towards her.
It was the only careless mistake I had ever seen her make. It would prove to be her last.
He came flying towards her, sword pointed. She did not have time to sidestep the blade before it slid into her stomach. Kunzite laughed as she hung, suspended in mid-air by his sword. Her blood dripped down the metal. I watched with numb eyes as the linked hearts of energy around Kunzite's chest began to fade as Venus slowly died. When the chain vanished completely, Kunzite let her body slide to the floor.
The white haired general looked at me and licked a spot of his lover's blood from his thumb. He blew me a kiss. My tear-flooded eyes narrowed dangerously; I was unable to comprehend, much less control the anguish building up inside me with each death I was witness to. My desire to lash out with my own powers was usurped as a terrific bolt of lightning struck Kunzite. When the electric surge had passed through his body, he fell to the bloodied marble floor. Jupiter stood a few feet away, the antenna in her tiara lowering, her eyes as wet as mine.
Together we watched him die. But before the breath left him completely, the image of Beryl appeared over his body. With a snap of her fingers, she dematerialized, taking him with her. Jupiter ran to the spot where he had laid.
"Damn you to hell!!", she screamed, pounding the floor.
"We're already there", a voice over her said calmly. She turned her head to see her own lover, auburn hair flowing, standing over her with a satisfactory look on his face. Blood colored the corner of his lip.
She attacked him with everything she had. Kicking, punching, slapping. Nephrite matched her blow for blow. Why was I frozen to the spot? Why couldn't I move? I hate myself as I remember how helpless I was in those few minutes.
The final blow he delivered across the side of her face spun her body around with its force. She shook her head, trying to recover, but before she could, Nephrite found Kunzite's abandoned sword. Completely without mercy, he advanced on the tall brunette who had given him her body and her heart. I hope she was too disoriented to feel the sword enter her breast. I hope she couldn't feel herself die; feel the pillar against her back as he tossed her broken body aside.
"MARS FLAME SNIPER!"
The arrow of fire landed directly in Nephrite's chest. If he had a heart, I hoped that's what it had hit. He faltered and fell....but again, before he could die, his Queen appeared to take him away.
Someone grabbed my wrist. Neptune. "Everyone's dying", she whispered as though it were a great secret. Her hands were bloody. I looked down at them, then back up at her deep blue eyes. "Zoisite", she answered my unspoken question.
Mars looked back at us. "It was supposed to be this way", she said, numbly. "It was all supposed to be this way."
"What do you mean?", I asked lowly. "Mars..."
She never got a chance to answer me. Her eyes grew wide; the metal tip of a sword suddenly appeared through her right side. A figure loomed behind her. Jaedite. He pulled his sword back out; blood exploded over the front of Mars' fuku.
"No..no..no..." It was too much for me. Another friend fallen and me powerless to do anything about it.
Jaedite laughed cruelly. His arm wrapped around Mars' body before it could slip to the ground. His lips found her neck through her long dark hair. "Was it good for you?", he whispered.
"Leave her alone!" We all turned to see little Saturn. I blinked. She was clad in the fuku of a Sailor Senshi. In her hand was a long scythe; she turned it in her hands and pointed it at Jaedite.
He shook his head. "Go back to the nursery, little sailor girl." His bloody fingers wound into Mars' hair.
I looked at Saturn. Her violet eyes were lifeless. I could feel her power, cold and deadly.
It frightened me.
"Do not make me use my power", she said calmly.
Jaedite smirked. "What power?"
There was a voice in my head. Saturn's. I closed my eyes, listening. Listening to what she wanted me to do. Taking a breath, I acted, never stopping to thinking. Sprinting forward, I ran past Jaedite, catching Mars in my arms and pulling her out of harm's way.
"I have no wish to end my life. But if it will save my friends, I will not hesitate." Saturn did not blink as she stared down the taller man.
"You can't save your friends", Jaedite told her confidantly. "As she said..." He gestured to Mars; I held her tighter. "...it was all supposed to be this way."
Saturn blinked. It was the only opportunity Jaedite needed. Advancing foward, he grabbed Saturn's scythe, turning it on the little girl. She took the blade as Jupiter had: quietly.
Neptune screamed. I could feel her power rising. Her arms lifted over her head, gathering the energy of the ocean. "DEEP SUBMERGE!!!"
The blast knocked Jaedite back. It was not a fatal blow, but it did enough. He lay on the ground, unmoving. Neptune reached for Saturn's body; I knew instinctively that it was too late.
"Uranus..." Mars' voice was broken; blood flowed from the corner of her mouth. I looked down at her. Jaedite's sword had been merciless; the gruesome wound in her right side was draining her life away.
"Shh...it's all right", I said, as comfortingly as possible. "It's going to be all right, Mars."
She tried to sit up, but the pain was too much. Crying out, she fell back against me. "How's...Saturn?", she managed to ask when the pain had subsided a bit.
I glanced across the balcony to where Neptune knelt, holding the lifeless body of the Princess of Saturn. "She's fine", I lied. Tears and sweat stung my eyes. "Everyone is...fine."
"Everyone is dead", Mars whispered, closing her eyes. "And I...I saw it all, Uranus. I saw it all." She weakly touched the wound in her side and brought her blood stained glove up to where she could see it. "The night of the ball...the first ball..."
"You don't have to talk, Mars", I said. I wasn't sure I wanted to hear what she was going to say next.
Mars shook her head. "I...have to. That night...after Jaedite and I...after we made...love..." A sob tore through her throat. "I had a vision. I saw this...all of this."
I blinked. "You were so...upset that morning....", I whispered. My head dropped lower as realization settled in. "There wasn't anything we could have done to stop this, was there?"
"No", she replied. Her eyes were slowly closing. "I'm sorry...Uranus. I'm so sorry..." Her body relaxed as the life went out of it.
"God..." I squeezed my eyes shut. "Goodbye Mars."
I had no time to think about the fact that my friend was dead. From across the balcony, Neptune cried out.
"Uranus!! Behind you!!"
On pure instinct, I shot to my feet and spun around. Jaedite was approaching me from behind, having recovered from Neptune's attack. He held his sword, still covered with Mars' blood, at his side. "Sailor Uranus", he smiled at me.
"Only cowards attack from behind *General* Jaedite", I said, raising my fists. "I would have thought your time on Earth would have taught you better."
He laughed as he twisted the sword's handle, grinding the tip of the blade into the marble floor. "What my time on Earth taught me...taught all of us....was to watch our backs. You should learn the same." He lifted his sword and lunged at me. I easily side-stepped the blade, moving out of striking distance.
"You're a goddamned traitor", I hissed. "You all are. You abandoned your people, you betrayed your Prince and you slaughtered the women who loved you. For what? For Beryl?"
"Beryl?" His laughter shook his body. "You think we did this for Beryl?"
I was momentarily speechless. "Why else?", I finally asked.
"Because..." Jaedite bent his knees and raised his sword with one hand over his head, preparing to attack. "We could." With a cry, he lunged for me once more. As the blade came closer, I stepped away again, catching the handle as it passed through the air next to my stomach. Grasping onto the metal, I wrenched it out of Jaedite's hand. My other fist slammed into his jaw as the heel of my boot pushed him forward. Jaedite stumbled but managed to catch himself before he toppeled over. It only took him a moment to recover. He turned to face me, anger flashing in his eyes.
I pointed his own sword at him. "Go back to your Queen. And tell her that this won't be over until I personally send this sword straight through her lifeless heart."
Jaedite wiped blood off his chin with the back of his hand. "You'll never win, you know." He looked over at Neptune. "You two can't possibly hope to take out the entire Negaverse."
"Maybe not", I replied. My voice sounded cold even to my own ears. "But I have watched too many people die today. And someone's going to pay for it." I lowered the sword. "The next time this blade is the only thing between us, you won't walk away from it." We stared at each other. "Now get the hell out of my sight."
His stare was dark, brow furred dangerously, but he stepped forward. I backed up to let him by. Just feeling him walk past me made me want to recoil. I looked down at Mars' body; my back turned. So, I suppose I'll never know exactly what happened next. All I heard was Neptune's scream.
"No!!!", she cried. My head turned to see her run across the balcony. She attacked Jaedite from behind, sending them both crashing to the marble. I saw a glint of metal in his hand. A dagger. She was wrestling with him, but he was just so much bigger than she was.
"Neptune", I whispered. Jaedite's sword clattered to the floor as it fell out of my hand. My body was frozen. All I could do was watch as he backhanded her. Her head rolled to the side from the force of the blow. He was on top of her. He raised the dagger over his head.
I screamed when the blade plunged into her breast. Blood blossomed from the wound, running over the blues and whites of her fuku. She didn't cry out. Her back simply arched with shock and pain as he pulled out the small, deadly blade. I screamed again. "Neptune!!!!"
Energy rose within me. I didn't even have to think about forming it. An orange ball of light built up in my hand; it grew larger and larger with each anguished cry. "WORLD....SHAKING!!!!"
The blast blew Jaedite several feet away. His body was rocked with the kinetic force. I knew the wound had to be fatal. It gave me instantaneous satisfaction to know I was about to watch him die.
But I was robbed of the pleasure. Directly behind his broken body, Beryl materialized. She said nothing, simply snapped her fingers. Jaedite faded as she took him back to wherever she had taken the others.
My whole body was rigid. I closed my eyes, not wanting to open them again. To open them would be to watch Neptune die.
"Uranus..." Her strained voice called to me. I couldn't ignore it. Couldn't let her be by herself.... Forcing my eyes open, I looked down. There was so much blood... Jaedite's dagger had pierced her heart.
I kneeled next to her. "Neptune", was all I said before I broke down. I bent my head, tears falling fast and hard. "Please....don't....don't die."
Her gloved fingers touched my knee. "I love you", she whispered. "I always...will.." Before I could reply, she was gone. Just as quickly as she had entered my life, she left it.
My shoulders were hunched over. "No....no!!" I shook my head back and forth. "I need you, Neptune!! You...you're the only thing I've ever...loved." I slipped one arm under her head, lifting it into my lap. "I can't lose you. I won't lose you..." I lowered my mouth to hers in a feeble attempt to breath life back into her. I would have blown my entire soul into her body if it meant she could live. I kept at it for several long minutes. Only Pluto's entrance stopped me. Forced reality upon me.
"Oh dear gods", the Time Guardian whispered, taking everything in. The bodies, the blood...and me. "Uranus..."
I lifted my head numbly, but my eyes saw nothing. "Is the Queen safe?" It was all I could think to ask.
She nodded. Her lips were pressed tightly together. "Luna and Artemis are with her." She spotted little Saturn's body. And Jupiter's, slumped against a stone pillar. "No...oh no..."
"They killed them all. You're not seeing things." I looked down at Neptune as though really seeing for the first time that she was gone. "They killed them..."
"Uranus." She approached me and put a hand on my shoulder. "I need you to be strong now. For all of them." I could hear the sound of her black boots against the balcony as she began to walk away.
"Pluto?" Neptune's blood soaked my fuku, but I felt no warmth from it. I twisted my head. "Pluto...where are you going?!"
She turned around and looked down at me with more sorrow than I had ever seen in a single person. "I have to leave. I'm the only one who can protect the Gates of Time."
"But..." I touched a bloody hand to my forehead. "You can't leave me here! I can't do this..." Tears streaked down my face. "I can't do this alone, Pluto. Please!!"
"Uranus." Pluto walked back and kneeled down, setting her staff onto the now-scarlet marble. "My dear Uranus. You have more strength than you will ever know you posess. Draw on it now. Fight until the battle is through. And when it's over...." She reached out and touched Neptune's cheek. "You will meet her again."
I closed my eyes and shook my head. "I don't understand you, Pluto."
She rose, staff in hand. "And you won't for a very long time." Behind her, a swirl of mist rose up, forming a black hole around her body. "Trust in our Queen, Uranus. She will take care of everything." The mist engulfed her and she was gone.
I sat on the cold stone for a long time, holding onto my lover's body as though she would disappear if I let her go. I was fully aware that the Negaverse could return at any moment, to carry out their mission...end my life as they had ended the lives of my friends. A part of me wished they would.
The guests and servants who had survived were beginning to emerge from their hiding places. They were tentative, scared. And when they saw the bodies, grief stricken.
I paid no heed to them. Oh, believe me, if I could have, I would have buried every single Senshi myself. But as it was, I couldn't. I left that daunting task up to the people who's lives they had fought to protect.
Serenity and Endymion. Jupiter...Mars...Mercury...Venus...Saturn. And Neptune. They were all gone. Ripped from this world in the most horrible ways possible. Why had I alone survived? What terrible deed could I have committed in my life to warrant such a karmic punishment? *If you don't think about it, it will go away.*
On shaky legs, I stood, still holding Neptune in my arms. Several people watched me as I carried her through the ballroom and up what remained of the crystal staircase. I could only imagine what they were thinking as they watched Sailor Uranus carry Sailor Neptune's body into the depths of the palace.
I kicked open the door to her bedroom and laid her down onto her four poster bed. Carefully, I folded her arms over her body and straightened her fuku's skirt. With a linen hand towel I found draped over a chair, I wiped as much blood as I could from her face and throat. Even in death, she took my breath away. Bending at the waist, I kissed her lips. They were still warm. "I'll be with you soon", I whispered.
There was paper, a pen and plenty of ink in her writing desk. I peeled off my crimson-stained gloves, sat down and lit a candle.
**********
So, I wrote this story and now I'm done. In the next few hours, I will lead what remains of the Moon's army against Beryl and the traitorous Earth generals. I have little hope for our success, but it's a battle worth fighting. For the Silver Millenium. For the people of the Moon. For the princesses who died. For Neptune, if no one else.
Pluto's final words to me still resound in my ears. "You will meet her again." I can't doubt that she means what she says, but can I count on it? If you've gathered nothing else from reading this, you must know that I'm not a person who places much value on sentimental ideas. Still, if there is meant to be something beyond this life, I would want it to be with Neptune in one way or another. I don't want to believe that we could have just ended back there on that balcony, ironically, the place we met.
That's all. My story is done. Were you looking for a happy ending? If you were, you haven't read your history books, my friend. There can be no happy ending for the Silver Millenium and certainly no happy ending for myself and the love of my life. Perhaps that's why I wrote this; to correct whatever you might have read in those history books. Who knows what they say about us. For all I know, they could tell you that we simply died out of natural causes. No. We were, for lack of a better word, exterminated. We now exist entirely in your imagination.
Keep us safe there. Tell your children and your children's children. Don't let them forget us. But please, don't mourn us. We laughed, we danced, we cried, we ate, we drank, we slept, we hoped, we dreamed. But most importantly, we loved. And that is what makes life worth living and dying for.
H.R.H., The Princess of Uranus
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