Part 6
********************
Usagi felt weak but she couldn't give up without a fight. Not when the whole world depended on her. She called upon the Ginzuishou again, but it wasn't shining as bright as earlier. "Ari, if you will not allow me to heal you then I will have to destroy you. Please, let me heal you, we can work everything out."
"What is there to work out? You control the land I want. So I will vanquish you before you become strong enough to vanquish me."
"What do you need that land for?" Rei asked.
"It is my destiny to rule the world. I shall become the unrivaled ruler of all."
"It wasn't your destiny, Ari," Usagi said. "If it were, you'd be there in the future."
"Oh, but we have the power to shape our own destinies," Ari smirked. "And I'm taking control of mine, here and now."
Kamakiri looked down at herself, that worthless creature kneeling on the ground before the arguing people. How could Ari... stubborn, foolish Ari... start arguing with the only power that rivled him, or even, overpowered him? How could he defy the one person in the Universe that could defeat him in the blink of an eye? She was clueless. Before, Ari had not been such an argumentative, controlling figure... far from that actually... when they were both younger, not much older than these Sailor Senshi, perhaps, he had been thoughful, kind, and gentle, if not sweet. This was the Ari she had fallen in love with to begin with. But when he had started to act like he was now he started to forget her. To push her aside. But still, she followed him.
"Alright, Neo Queen Serenity," Ari said. "It's you or me. The planet's not big enough for both of us."
"Very well," Usagi replied, sadly. She then transformed into Neo Queen Serenity.
This wasn't truly Ari...he would never say something so coldly... Kamakiri shielded her eyes from the sight of the Neo Queen, but found that is wasn't so bad... comforting, even... the light she shed was pure, holy and restorative, three things she had never before known in her life - but should have known.
"Kama-chan, you look troubled," Ari said. "Why not come stand at my side as we finally win the Earth."
A mixture of emotions held Kamakiri in place as she sat on the ground. Had she not thought, she might have foolishly gone right away, without thinking, as she knew that he could be lying, just to steal her power. On the other hand...
Usagi looked at her friends. "Minna..."
"Hai, Usagi-chan?"
"Your power, onegai." She tried to make them believe she was perfectly all right but her unsteadiness on her feet, made them realize that she could be killed doing this.
"Wait, Serenity," Pluto said.
"Nani?"
She stepped protectively in front of her. "He's not going to attack yet. Save your power for when you really need it."
"He's going to attack any minute, I need to be prepared, Pluto."
"Just...wait." Pluto held up her hand.
"Kamakiri, is there something wrong? Do you have a good reason why I should not take the Earth for our own?"
"Come, you can be queen."
Her eyes darkened, and she stood. "I am not sure... I don't really know whose side I'm on anymore. While you promise me power and prosperity, her Highness proposes love and law... two things I've always wanted. I can't make up my mind anymore..."
"But you need to be prosperous to be happy. You do not need love."
"That is where... that's where you're wrong, Ari. Love is prosperity beyond material wealth. It is the will to share with another... not just another, many others, your feelings, your memories. It is essential to life. It is the will to sacrifice something for someone else - and that is exactly what Hiru did."
"He gave up his own life for me." Kamakiri whispered.
Ari was confused. He didn't think he had never experienced love before. "So, you loved him, Kamakiri?"
"I loved both of you. I still love both of you. You have to realize that there are different types of love. The love he felt for me - well, that was different. The love I felt for him was more as a brother than anything else, but now I know that he was always there for me, and I respect that, and I'm sad that I was never there for him. I did the same for you. I love you, Ari, but..."
"But what? You're confusing me," Ari replied. "I've never sacrificed anything for you."
"Exactly. That's my point. I never fully understood this whole love concept until now. You never sacrificed anything for me, and I think that's because you love me as I did Hiru, as a younger sister or something. That;s what saddens me. For a relationship to be complete two people must be willing to sacrifice for each other... and no one, save for Hiru, has ever done anything like that for me."
"But I was raised to live out of necessity; do things for prosperity. To me, owning the world was necessary...because I could make you a queen then."
"Now I'm confused. You wanted to rule this earth - so I could be with you?" Kamakiri gasped, unsure of what to say.
"Well, I wanted to be prosperous. We had to kill the rival queen so we could be prosperous."
**
While Kama and Ari were talking, Usagi was preparing to power up for an attack
"Are you sure about this?" Haruka asked her.
"Yeah," Rei replied. "There has to be another way."
"Your energy levels are low. You really shouldn't." Ami said.
"Maybe he'll end up asking you to heal him. Wait and see," Minako advised
"I have to do this, minna. I have to protect the earth."
"He hasn't made any move to attack yet," Michiru pointed out.
Usagi didn't tell them that she had begun transfering her energy into the Ginzuishou. She could feel her head pounding with every ounce of energy she put towards it.
"There really isn't any reason to do anything quite yet. Besides..." Makoto smiled, looking at Ari.
Kamakiri's cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink as she came closer to Ari, but her face stayed defiantly straight. "Still... when you say that I should be queen with you, doesn't it mean that you have some kind of... emotion for me? Or even, an appreciation for me? If you didn't, I don't think you would have let me be in such a high position so freely."
"I...don't know."
"Is that what love is? Wanting you to be prosperous and happy?"
"If... you want it for someone else," Kamakiri said, looking up and smiling.
"Well, then maybe I know what love is. But we still have to destroy the rival queen so we can have love...don't we?"
"No... I would rather have love and be without power and wealth than be powerful, prosperous and destroying someone I haven't even had a chance to know yet. I'm sure she didn't mean to steal anything from you... why, I'm sure she didn't even know."
"But..." Ari was confused. "If we take what she has, we'll be more prosperous and we'll have more love..."
"Power does not equal love. Love is a wealth all on its own, unrivaled by any prosperity or any material value. Take a look at me, for instance. I've been serving you ever since I can remember and not once do I remember doing it for the reward in the end. I only wanted you to be there for me in return. If we take from her... it will only slow us down... try to understand..."
"So, what you're saying is that we'll be happy even if we don't rule evrything? That we can live without destroying others' kingdoms? That we'll have enough without needing what others have too?"
Kamakiri nodded, then smiled. "Yes, Ari. That's what I've been trying to tell you."
"So, we'll still be happy even if I don't fight? Will I still end up getting nearly destroyed by the Queen?"
"If we're not destroyed, we'll be healed. If we are destroyed... we shall be together, always."
Ari paused to think, and it was silent for a long time. Finally he spoke."Well, you seem to know what you are talking about," he said with a small sigh. "So I will follow you."
********************
Usagi felt weak but she couldn't give up without a fight. Not when the whole world depended on her. She called upon the Ginzuishou again, but it wasn't shining as bright as earlier. "Ari, if you will not allow me to heal you then I will have to destroy you. Please, let me heal you, we can work everything out."
"What is there to work out? You control the land I want. So I will vanquish you before you become strong enough to vanquish me."
"What do you need that land for?" Rei asked.
"It is my destiny to rule the world. I shall become the unrivaled ruler of all."
"It wasn't your destiny, Ari," Usagi said. "If it were, you'd be there in the future."
"Oh, but we have the power to shape our own destinies," Ari smirked. "And I'm taking control of mine, here and now."
Kamakiri looked down at herself, that worthless creature kneeling on the ground before the arguing people. How could Ari... stubborn, foolish Ari... start arguing with the only power that rivled him, or even, overpowered him? How could he defy the one person in the Universe that could defeat him in the blink of an eye? She was clueless. Before, Ari had not been such an argumentative, controlling figure... far from that actually... when they were both younger, not much older than these Sailor Senshi, perhaps, he had been thoughful, kind, and gentle, if not sweet. This was the Ari she had fallen in love with to begin with. But when he had started to act like he was now he started to forget her. To push her aside. But still, she followed him.
"Alright, Neo Queen Serenity," Ari said. "It's you or me. The planet's not big enough for both of us."
"Very well," Usagi replied, sadly. She then transformed into Neo Queen Serenity.
This wasn't truly Ari...he would never say something so coldly... Kamakiri shielded her eyes from the sight of the Neo Queen, but found that is wasn't so bad... comforting, even... the light she shed was pure, holy and restorative, three things she had never before known in her life - but should have known.
"Kama-chan, you look troubled," Ari said. "Why not come stand at my side as we finally win the Earth."
A mixture of emotions held Kamakiri in place as she sat on the ground. Had she not thought, she might have foolishly gone right away, without thinking, as she knew that he could be lying, just to steal her power. On the other hand...
Usagi looked at her friends. "Minna..."
"Hai, Usagi-chan?"
"Your power, onegai." She tried to make them believe she was perfectly all right but her unsteadiness on her feet, made them realize that she could be killed doing this.
"Wait, Serenity," Pluto said.
"Nani?"
She stepped protectively in front of her. "He's not going to attack yet. Save your power for when you really need it."
"He's going to attack any minute, I need to be prepared, Pluto."
"Just...wait." Pluto held up her hand.
"Kamakiri, is there something wrong? Do you have a good reason why I should not take the Earth for our own?"
"Come, you can be queen."
Her eyes darkened, and she stood. "I am not sure... I don't really know whose side I'm on anymore. While you promise me power and prosperity, her Highness proposes love and law... two things I've always wanted. I can't make up my mind anymore..."
"But you need to be prosperous to be happy. You do not need love."
"That is where... that's where you're wrong, Ari. Love is prosperity beyond material wealth. It is the will to share with another... not just another, many others, your feelings, your memories. It is essential to life. It is the will to sacrifice something for someone else - and that is exactly what Hiru did."
"He gave up his own life for me." Kamakiri whispered.
Ari was confused. He didn't think he had never experienced love before. "So, you loved him, Kamakiri?"
"I loved both of you. I still love both of you. You have to realize that there are different types of love. The love he felt for me - well, that was different. The love I felt for him was more as a brother than anything else, but now I know that he was always there for me, and I respect that, and I'm sad that I was never there for him. I did the same for you. I love you, Ari, but..."
"But what? You're confusing me," Ari replied. "I've never sacrificed anything for you."
"Exactly. That's my point. I never fully understood this whole love concept until now. You never sacrificed anything for me, and I think that's because you love me as I did Hiru, as a younger sister or something. That;s what saddens me. For a relationship to be complete two people must be willing to sacrifice for each other... and no one, save for Hiru, has ever done anything like that for me."
"But I was raised to live out of necessity; do things for prosperity. To me, owning the world was necessary...because I could make you a queen then."
"Now I'm confused. You wanted to rule this earth - so I could be with you?" Kamakiri gasped, unsure of what to say.
"Well, I wanted to be prosperous. We had to kill the rival queen so we could be prosperous."
**
While Kama and Ari were talking, Usagi was preparing to power up for an attack
"Are you sure about this?" Haruka asked her.
"Yeah," Rei replied. "There has to be another way."
"Your energy levels are low. You really shouldn't." Ami said.
"Maybe he'll end up asking you to heal him. Wait and see," Minako advised
"I have to do this, minna. I have to protect the earth."
"He hasn't made any move to attack yet," Michiru pointed out.
Usagi didn't tell them that she had begun transfering her energy into the Ginzuishou. She could feel her head pounding with every ounce of energy she put towards it.
"There really isn't any reason to do anything quite yet. Besides..." Makoto smiled, looking at Ari.
Kamakiri's cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink as she came closer to Ari, but her face stayed defiantly straight. "Still... when you say that I should be queen with you, doesn't it mean that you have some kind of... emotion for me? Or even, an appreciation for me? If you didn't, I don't think you would have let me be in such a high position so freely."
"I...don't know."
"Is that what love is? Wanting you to be prosperous and happy?"
"If... you want it for someone else," Kamakiri said, looking up and smiling.
"Well, then maybe I know what love is. But we still have to destroy the rival queen so we can have love...don't we?"
"No... I would rather have love and be without power and wealth than be powerful, prosperous and destroying someone I haven't even had a chance to know yet. I'm sure she didn't mean to steal anything from you... why, I'm sure she didn't even know."
"But..." Ari was confused. "If we take what she has, we'll be more prosperous and we'll have more love..."
"Power does not equal love. Love is a wealth all on its own, unrivaled by any prosperity or any material value. Take a look at me, for instance. I've been serving you ever since I can remember and not once do I remember doing it for the reward in the end. I only wanted you to be there for me in return. If we take from her... it will only slow us down... try to understand..."
"So, what you're saying is that we'll be happy even if we don't rule evrything? That we can live without destroying others' kingdoms? That we'll have enough without needing what others have too?"
Kamakiri nodded, then smiled. "Yes, Ari. That's what I've been trying to tell you."
"So, we'll still be happy even if I don't fight? Will I still end up getting nearly destroyed by the Queen?"
"If we're not destroyed, we'll be healed. If we are destroyed... we shall be together, always."
Ari paused to think, and it was silent for a long time. Finally he spoke."Well, you seem to know what you are talking about," he said with a small sigh. "So I will follow you."