**DISCLAIMER - I don't own Sailor Moon, that privilege belongs to
the esteemed Naoko Takeuchi -_- and of course the butchers at DiC
and Cloverway ... and all that. I'm just borrowing the characters
for a little bit. ^_^ So don't sue ... You wouldn't get much O.o;;
Oh .. I don't own the song either, just borrowing that too ^^;**
**NOTE: Before you start ... couple things to keep in mind ... First,
this is a somewhat - er, dark fic. Consider yourself warned ^^; Second,
I don't really follow the anime or manga storyline, I know this ... flame
me if you wish ^^;; Lastly, it IS a songfic ... but if you don't like those,
you can just skip over the lyrics ^_^ ENJOY!!**
~~~~~~~~
Fate's Warrior
by
Lady Archanna
~~~~~~~~~
Black smoke seemed to cling to the city, blocking out the
once cloudless blue sky. There was no sound in the streets
that had once teemed with activity, telling of this city's
prosperity and growth. Instead, the entire city seemed to lay
dead, motionless, the only sound the haunted echos of screams
carried on the hot wind as it wound its way toward the Crystal
palace that once stood so proudly. Now though, it stood in ruins;
its crystal facade shattered just as the city below had been.
No one had seen this coming, and no one, not even those who
should have been, were prepared for the battles that seemed to
spring out of nothingness. One day the people of Crystal Tokyo
carried on with their lives as they had for the past nine
thousand years; the next everything they'd come to know was
ripped violently from them. The people were forced to watch in
terror as their homes were destroyed, their loved ones killed,
and left to wonder why no one did anything about it.
There were screams of terror ringing through the streets, mingling
with cries of anger. Why weren't the Senshi helping? Where were
these warriors that had helped create this life, that had sworn to
give their lives to protect it at all costs? Where was the once
proud queen that seemed like an angel sent from the heavens above?
Unfortunately, the Senshi had been there. The moment the cloaked
figure had first begun assaulting the city, the eight warriors had
launched themselves into a hopeless battle. Even as the city crumbled
around them, even as the Crystal Palace began to shatter they fought
on, giving all they had to protect the city, the world and the queen;
but most importantly the queen. As long as she survived, as long as she
was able to call upon the power of the crystal, all would not be lost.
The world could once again be reborn and peace could be returned; even
though she lay nearly comatose as they fought, there was still hope, there
had to be. When had Serenity ever let them down? When had the crystal
ever deserted her at such a crucial moment? When had they had reason to
doubt that their queen, their Usagi wouldn't be there to help them when
things looked blackest?
Unfortunately for the Senshi, by the time they realized their queen was
not coming, that there would be no miracle this night, Saturn already
lay dead, her glaive broken in two. Even Pluto, the one who could have
frozen time, perhaps given the queen the few more moments she needed was
gone. Her key, seemingly unbreakable stuck up out of the ground, Uranus'
bloodied sword hanging precariously from just below the garnet orb who's
light had all but gone out.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"I knew that this moment would come in time
That I'd have to let go and watch you fly
I know you're coming back, so why am I dying inside?
Are you searching for words that you can't find?
Trying to hide your emotions .. Eyes don't lie
Guess there's no easy way to say goodbye"
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"Endymion stop!" Serenity cried out, hot tears blinding her as he carried
her in his arms. Looking up at him, wincing at the sight of the large gash
across his forehead, Serenity silently pleaded with him.
The King let out a low sigh, taking a moment to survey the deserted street
on which he stood. They were alone, Crystal Tokyo now nothing more than a
ghost town. Against his better judgement he carefully lowered the Queen to
the ground, fulfilling her request. She wobbled slightly, her small hands
reaching to his arms for support as her legs threatened to give out below
her.
"We have to go back! We have to go see if we can help!" His frail butterfly
demanded, the angry red that flared in her cheeks a stark contrast to the
snow-whiteness of her skin. She was so sick, so weak, and that damned
crystal of hers was doing nothing to help.
"Usako, there's nothing to go back to," he explained wearily, the
visions of the Senshi's broken bodies laying across the battlefield
etched forever into his memory. "They're gone, all of them."
"It can't be ... Not this way ... Not like this." Serenity sobbed,
pushing away from him and immediately feeling a wave of dizziness
threatening to topple her. Instead of turning back to him she reached
out for a broken beam that stuck out of the ground to her left, not
noticing as the sharp metal cut into her delicate palm.
"Serenity ... We have to keep moving," Endymion pushed, walking over
and placing a hand on her thin shoulder. 'Gods ... she's so much
smaller.' He said silently, wondering how the fates could allow his
flower to slowly wither away like this. She wasn't supposed to die,
god dammit! She was supposed to be their light for eternity, never
dimming, never going out.
As she turned to him, as he looked into her once bright eyes, for the
first time he noticed that light had dimmed greatly. She wasn't the
same Usako that had once thrown test papers at him. She wasn't the
same girl that looked at the world and saw only the greatness it held.
She wasn't the same Usagi that had been able to look into a dying
enemy's eyes and say 'I forgive you.' That woman had faded long ago,
how long he could not tell. The woman that looked back at him, while
she still shared his soul was not the same girl he'd first kissed on
a moonlight night in a place known as the Moon Kingdom.
"Mamo-chan, I can't just leave them there. I can't just give up on
them like that." Serenity pressed, her voice a mixture of urgency
and exhaustion. She'd already sat back, costing them enough by her
inability to act; she wasn't about to give up on them in this final
moment of need.
"Usako, listen to me," Endymion spoke with the sternness of a parent
to a child, wanting to make her see what was happening, wanting her
to realized the truth. "There's no one left to give up on. The Senshi
are DEAD. I saw their bodies myself, I watched them fall."
"And you left them there? To die?" She staggered away from him, the
clouds that had been fogging her mind swirling in a chaotic mass.
She clenched her eyes shut, willing her mind to clear, but all she kept
hearing were Endymion's words. 'The Senshi are DEAD.' Those four words
kept echoing in her ears, over and over again until they seemed to block
out everything else.
"NO!" She screamed, falling to her knees as a fit of coughing wracked her
already ravaged body.
"Usako..." Endymion cried out in surprise, ignoring her accusations and
focusing on the fact that she was getting worse by the moment. "We have
to go."
"Back to the Senshi!" She blurted out as he scooped her up in his arms
once more. Her eyes still tightly closed, her mind focused on one thought,
one goal; to find the Senshi.
Before Endymion could protest, before he could fight back, that blasted
crystal of hers emitted a blinding flash of light. As his vision cleared,
the King's heart sank when he realized where they were, his arms tightening
around his frail wife in an attempt to protect her from the evil he knew
lurked close by.
The smoke that rose from the burning palace was nearly choking, only
making it harder for Serenity to breath. The silence was almost
deafening, not even the hot wind that moved through the streets daring
to make a sound, in fear of what it might attract. Black clouds billowed
overhead, flashing with silent lightning as they threatened to unleash
their acidic rain on the already ravaged city; blocking out the moon
from witnessing the horror below.
Serenity remained in Endymion's arms, blue eyes seeing but not believing
the scene laid out before them. Every Senshi, each one of her protectors,
her court, her friends lay dead below the swirling mists. She could see
Mercury's body, laying precariously over a pile of jagged crystals fallen
from the Palace. Uranus and Jupiter lay just feet apart, burn marks
covering the front of their fuku's, bruises covering their bodies. All
that she could see of Venus was a flurry of rust-colored hair, that
should have been golden, and what must have been the remains of a
red bow caught on a metal rod sticking up from a mound of concrete.
Saturn sat up against the front wall of the Palace, looking as if she
were simply asleep; save for the end of her broken glaive protruding
from her small chest. Serenity flinched inwardly when she saw Mars,
violet eyes staring blindly toward her, every inch of bare skin charred.
The Queen felt herself paling as her gaze fell upon Pluto, the seemingly
indestructible woman impaled by her own staff, the garnet orb
suspended grotesquely before her, like a fortune teller's crystal ball.
Finally she found Neptune, her impeccable aqua-hair stained a bloody red,
her face a deathly bluish color.
Whoever they'd faced, whoever this new enemy was, he was ruthless and
didn't shy away from physical attacks. Serenity was suddenly aware of
the tears slipping down her face, unaware of when she'd started crying.
After nearly ten thousand years together, after facing obstacle after
obstacle, after giving their lives more times than she cared to count,
her Senshi had reached this end. Her heart shattered as blue eyes fixed
on the crystal now resting in her palms, knowing somehow that this was
truly going to be the last time. Slowly her eyes rose to Endymion's
face, meeting his eyes as he looked down at her, promising herself to
hold on to the one thing she had left. As long as she still had him,
she had hope for the future.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"I'll be standing at the edge of the earth
Hoping that someday you'll come back again
I'll be standing at the edge of the earth
Hoping for someday ... Someday"
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"Usako, we need to go." Endymion said quietly, gently kissing away the
tears that fell down her pale cheeks. "There's nothing more you can do
here."
"Hai-"
"Except die!" The voice tore through the silence, causing the King's
arms to tighten around Serenity even as he began running.
Serenity couldn't say anything, her breath suddenly caught in her throat
as her husband carried her away from the danger, her head spinning.
Endymion wouldn't have answered her had she spoken, the warrior inside
screaming that he stand and fight, but the protector in him demanding
he do whatever necessary to ensure his soulmate lived. She looked like
a child cradled in his arms, a china doll that would break at the
slightest bump, and in truth he had no doubt that was the case.
It had been months since she's last looked like herself, never quite
recovering from the last battle she'd been able to fight. It had been
like this before, each time she was forced to call on the crystal it
would take her weeks to get back her strength. This time however, she'd
gone nearly half a year, never regaining the strength her weapon
demanded of her. He couldn't help but wonder what cruel fate had
decided to do this to his Usako when it seemed she was most needed;
when her city was in the most need of her protection. Whatever the
reason, his wife had been forced to remain in the confines of their
chambers while he and the Senshi faced a seemingly unending stream of
attacks; trying to keep her city from falling apart before their eyes.
Just when they thought they'd made some progress, this new enemy
had appeared in the dark of night, and by the time the sun rose most
of Crystal Tokyo had been destroyed.
Now as he ran through the desolate streets, trying to avoid looking
at the bodies that lay scattered haphazardly among the ruins of their
once beautiful city, Endymion had to wonder where he was running to.
'I just need to give her a little more time.'
More time for what?
'Time to heal ... time for the crystal to save us, to save her just
like it always does.' He reasoned, his legs screaming from the exertion.
When was the last time you saw that crystal do anything more than flicker?
'Just before!' He countered, wishing the voice in his mind would stop,
knowing his heart and his mind couldn't take this.
And look at what its cost her, just that little flash.
Against his own wishes, Endymion chanced a glance down at the woman in
his arms, only to see that her eyes had fallen shut and she lay limp
in his arms. "Usako!" He cried, coming to a halt and shaking her slightly.
"Please Usako ... Please open your eyes."
Through the haze Serenity could hear Endymion's voice but she couldn't
make out the words. She could feel his warmth, the comforting peace of
his embrace and that's all her body and mind wanted. To know he was
there, to know they were together.
'Odango, this is not time to be selfish!' A familiar voice chided her,
she could almost picture the shifting mane of black hair that followed
the scolding shake of a head that would accompany those words. Through
the fog she could almost see a flicker of the serious violet eyes that
had always looked upon her as both a friend and a sister.
But she wasn't being selfish, was she? She was just resting; doing exactly
what her body and mind needed to get better. When she was done resting
she'd wake up.
"You've had enough rest, Usagi. Its time to be serious." A soft voice
pointed out, light flashing off wire-rimmed glasses as they were pushed
up on a small nose. "Sleep will come later."
It was always later though, never now. Why couldn't for once what she
wanted come first? Why was she expected to care.
'Because that's who you are, Usagi. You don't know how NOT to care,
even when there's no reason you should." A soft, cultured voice
answered, the sound of a violin suddenly filling her mind with
its soothing melody.
'That's what makes you a stronger warrior, Odango.' A slightly
deeper voice added, the sweet sounds of a piano joining that of
the violin.
She didn't want to be a warrior anymore though ... Did she?
Serenity's face twisted into a frown, suddenly caught at a
cross-road. She'd given up the title of Sailor Moon centuries
ago, but she was still a warrior, still needing to fight. Was
that what she wanted? Did she really want to fight? She'd never
liked it, she'd always wanted to do what she could to avoid it.
Now ... if she had the choice, why should she continue?
'You stop, and everything falls apart. You're the glue that holds
this all together, Usagi. You can't just desert it all like that.'
The voice was firm but gentle, emerald eyes regarding her warmly
from within the swirling mists.
But it was all already gone, wasn't it? She'd seen it with her own
eyes. Her Senshi were dead, her palace shattered like a piece of
glass and her city was in ruins. What was left for her to hold
together? What was there that was worth her giving up her peace?
Her happiness?
'The promise of a future even brighter than this one.' A small
voice replied, a flash of a silver blade breaking through the
fogs. 'The promise of a chance to start over again.'
Starting over ... again. How many times could a person start
over and still remain the same? How many times could a person
stand watching everything they hold close to their heart be
ripped away and then returned when all was said and done? How
many times could one stand to loose part of ones soul only to
have to search and fight to get it back?
'As many times as it takes, because that's not something you
want to lose.' Gentle blue eyes smiled at her, the white mists
wrapping themselves around a red bow set on a sea of gold. 'No
matter what, you know in your heart, you don't want to lose
everything.'
What did she have left to lose, though? The truth was, there
was nothing more that could be taken from her. Her heart had
already been ripped to shreds and pieced back to become
nothing more than an echo of what it had once been. It now
knew what hate was, it now knew that there wasn't good in
everything and that some things were beyond saving. It knew
what it meant to want to give up.
'No it doesn't. It knows what it means to be scared, to be
afraid of being hurt yet again and not knowing if it will
recover. Your heart, your spirit, your light are things that
while they may change, will never weaken.' The voice that spoke
was one that knew things, that had a knowledge that surpassed
time itself.
But why did it always have to be this way? Why did it have to
be her that was always left to fight alone?
'Because, that's how things must be.' The same voice replied,
dispelling the mists and suddenly jolting her back to reality.
"Gods Usako, please .. Don't leave me like this!" Endymion's
pained words suddenly broke through the darkness and she forced
her eyes opened.
"Mamo-chan..." She rasped, her throat raw.
"Thank the stars!
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"Don't misunderstand what I'm trying to say
I don't want to let you leave this way.
I want you to know that I'll stand right by your side
And I know this may be the very last time that we see each other cry
Whatever happens, know that I'll..."
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Blue met blue as Serenity's eyes opened, just moments before the
world shook around them, sending the king toppling to the ground
with the queen in his arms. Serenity let out a cry of pain and surprise
as she hit the ground, Endymion dropping to his knees just feet
from where she'd landed. There was a flash of bright light and
then he was scooping her up again, his eyes filled with blind
determination.
"Mamo-chan, are you alright?" She asked, seeing the pallor
taking over his face, despite the flush in his cheeks.
"I'm fine ..." He huffed, clenching his eyes shut for a moment
as his arms tightened around his love. "I've got to get you to
safety."
"You need to stop and rest for a moment ... What if you're hurt-?"
"I'll be fine, Usako ... I can take care of myself." He said,
brushing off her concern, causing her to flinch slightly at
the tone of his voice. A part of her wanted to snap back,
telling him that she could take care of herself as well,
but as another wave of dizziness swept over her, she knew
it would be nothing but empty lies.
All around them, the sounds of explosions filled the air;
one of the remaining skyscrapers that stood less than a mile
from them, began toppling to the ground, causing Endymion's
grip to tighten around his wife. He had to get her to safety.
He had to give her the time she needed. He needed to make sure
she survived.
Just as a plume of fire erupted behind them, Endymion finally
spotted a refuge; within seconds he was ducking through what
had once the entrance to a luxury hotel within the heart of
the city. Moving through the ruined lobby, ignoring the bodies
laying scattered among the debris, Endymion moved into a makeshift
cavern formed by the fallen beams and concrete. Setting her down on
a small ledge, with her back against the wall, Endymion turned away
from his wife and immediately began surveying the area outside the
building through a hole in the wall, his mind working with the
instincts of the warrior he was.
"Mamo-chan!" He only barely heard his wife's gasp as he turned
away, her blue eyes going wide when they saw the large burn that
covered half his back. "Are you alright?"
Serenity's brow furrowed when her response was nothing more than
a curt nod, her stomach knotting at the sight of her lover's injury.
He'd had no rest since this had all started, and now he was injured.
She knew in her heart that for his own safety he could not stay in
the city. She knew that if he were on his own he'd be able to get
by their adversary. He was not the target, she was. She also knew
that he'd never leave her; until his final breath was drawn, he
would stand and protect her until she could protect herself.
'But I can't ...' She cursed silently, tears filling her eyes.
How could the supposed protector of the planet, the wielder of
the Universe's strongest weapon be so weak? Why did she always
need someone else to protect her? Wasn't she meant to be the
one protecting them?
'To fulfill your destiny, first you must be willing to face it,'
the same, all-knowing voice from just moments ago said quietly.
There was no bitterness in the tone, no accusations hidden within
the words. It was simply a fact, one which Serenity had to grasp.
"Usako, are you okay?" Endymion's voice suddenly shook her out of
her silent reverie, her eyes immediately going to his.
"I'm fine, love ..." She said, reaching up and gently placing her
hand against his face. She was about to say something more, to tell
him how much he meant to her, but those words weren't allowed to
come, instead they were swallowed by a deafening explosion just
outside their hiding place that caused the compartment into which
they'd run to begin to crumble.
Strong arms were around her in moments, lifting her up and out of
the nook as it caved in on itself. Before the dust had even risen
fully into the sky, the king was already running. His mind was
screaming that running was only delaying the inevitable, sapping
the energy he would need when he did finally face off with the one
terrorizing their city; but looking down at the small form in his
arms, he knew where his priorities lay. He couldn't very well
defend Serenity if he was dead. Blinking away the sweat that fell
into his eyes, Endymion realized with sudden clarity that he wasn't
running from an enemy, he was trying to outrun death.
Rounding a corner, the map of the city he held in his mind told him
there would be a road leading toward the bay, and hopefully refuge;
unfortunately the map, in this case, was wrong. He hadn't taken into
account the destruction that had reigned throughout the city, nor
had he even considered the possibility of his path being completely
blocked; but as he looked up at the wall of concrete, he saw his
mistake. It wasn't so much how steep the climb would be that made
it an impossibility, but the fact that there was no way he would
be able to do it with Usako in his arms.
Serenity saw the problem too, remaining silent as he loosened his
grip and set her lightly on her feet. Her hands held tightly to
his arm as she eyed the slope, wondering if she could hold on to
him long enough for him to climb.
'That's ridiculous,' she scolded herself, remembering his wound.
'With his injury, he'll be lucky to make it up carrying his own
weight.'
"Maybe the Crystal..." She said aloud, looking up at him as she
took the ginzuishou in her hand, remembering how it had taken her
to the Senshi.
Endymion gave a quick shake of his head. "You're not strong enough
for that, Usako. You nearly lost consciousness the last time you
used it."
"But if it means getting you to safety ..." She pressed, looking
from him to the piece of glass in her palm.
"I will not risk your life like that if I can help it!" He snapped,
causing her lips to tighten into a frown. "Just give me a second and
I'll find a way to get us out of this."
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"I'll be standing at the edge of the earth
Hoping that one day you'll come back again
I'll be standing at the edge of the earth
Hoping that someday you'll come back to me"
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"Why won't you let me try and help? I'm not some naive child,
Mamo-chan ... I'm as much a warrior as you are!" Serenity's words
carried more bitterness than she'd intended, most if it directed
at herself and whatever gods had condemned her to this fate.
"Your life is worth more than mine, Usako. My survival would mean
nothing if you died in the process of saving me," he said, turning
from her and looking back to where they'd come from. The clouds of
black smoke were slowly moving closer, there was no telling how much
longer they'd have before it was truly too late.
"Mine would mean nothing if I lost you!" She cried stepping forward
and pulling him to face her. "I'm nothing without you."
He looked down at her for a long moment, knowing they didn't have
time for this but unable to do anything else. "You are the light
of the Universe, Usako. You are the hope for the future. Without
me you would still be all those things and more, because that's
who you are. I live for you. You are my heart and my soul. If I
were to loose you, I'd have nothing left to fight for other than
vengeance ... and in the end, that would destroy me as certainly
as any enemy would."
"I can't lose you ..." She whispered, shaking her head slightly
as her grip tightened on his arm.
"You're not going to be given a choice!" A voice that chilled the
queen to the very depths of her soul cried out.
Before she could even turn to see who was speaking, Endymion was
already placing her safely behind a pile of fallen concrete. "Stay
here, love." He whispered, turning with his sword drawn and ready
for the battle that awaited him.
Slowly, nonchalantly a figure wearing a black cloak rounded the
corner, eyes glowing within the hood that hid its face. "Where is
she, Endymion?"
"That's none of your concern, beast. I'm the one you need deal
with now." The king replied, his armor covered in dust and blood
from the previous battles. Even the blade of his sword no longer
gleamed, but that wasn't important. What mattered now was keeping
this monster away from Serenity who hid only twenty feet from
where he now stood.
A cold laughter rose, the stones at the stranger's feet shaking as
the air around him crackled with unseen power. "I'd like to know
where the pitiful queen is so I don't have to go searching once
I've finished with you."
'God Endymion ...' Serenity's heart was pounding in her ears, her
chest feeling as if a great weight were resting upon it. She sat
with her back against the cool stone, her back to her husband's
voice, her entire being screaming that she needed to do something.
'But what can I do?'
"You'll not touch her," Endymion growled, the golden light of his
crystal surrounding him, his eyes narrowing. "You'll have to kill
me first."
'Gods no ... Mamo-chan!' Serenity cried into his mind, wanting to
lend him her strength, wanting keep him from this showdown.
"That can be arranged." The other replied.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"I'll be praying for whatever its worth
Believing that one day you'll come back again.
I'll be standing at the edge of the earth
Hoping for someday"
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Serenity's heart stopped ... In fact it seemed as if time had stopped
as a battle cry rang through the air, the enemy's words echoing in
her mind. If she didn't do something, Endymion was going to die.
Using what strength she had left, Serenity shifted herself to her
knees and inched out from behind her protective wall, not feeling
the sharp stones that dug into her hands and knees. All she was
aware of was the scene laid out before her; Endymion's glowing
form facing off with an enemy blacker than any they'd ever faced;
and he was doing it alone.
'He'd never leave you to do this alone, Usagi.' A voice chided.
'We'd never leave you to do this alone, Usagi.' Another added,
the feeling of a hand upon her shoulder so real yet she knew it
was nothing more than an apparition.
"There's no need for this, Endymion. Its not you I'm after," the
cloaked-figure said once again, a mocking tone to the words. "Give
me the Queen and that crystal of hers and all will be well."
"If you think that's going to happen, you've been horribly
misinformed," Endymion spat back, fingers tightening around
the hilt of his sword. "I, the King of Earth, have sworn my
life to protect that Queen and her crystal, and I will not
simply hand it over."
"Even if it means saving your own life? Is hers truly worth that
much? Is that crystal truly worth an eternity of darkness?" The
stranger pressed.
'NO! Its not!' Serenity's mind screamed in reply, tears shining
in her eyes.
"Without that crystal, without Serenity ... All that will be left
is darkness." Endymion's words seemed to resound off the fallen
buildings, Serenity's mind slowly grasping their meaning. "It is
her destiny to lead the world to the light, it is her destiny to
make sure there is a future. It is my destiny to make sure she
lives to carry out her own."
Crystal tears slipped from blue eyes, each of her soulmate's words
striking into her heart like a sword. His heart, his spirit was so
strong. He was always so willing to accept fate, no matter what it
cost him, he was willing to do whatever necessary to make sure things
happened as they should.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"I know this may be the very last time that we see each other cry
But whatever happens know that I'll .."
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
'Do you truly want to let him down? Do you truly want to prove to him
what a coward you truly are? Do you want to show him just how little
his commitment, his love, his belief in you means?'
Serenity's fingers dug into the dirt, her head shaking. "I don't want
to let him down."
'What about your Senshi? Do you want them to have died for nothing?'
"No ... I can't let it end like this for them ..." She said aloud,
tears still falling from beneath closed eyelids.
'Then accept your fate, Usagi. Stop fighting it and let it guide you.'
"But I'm so scared ..." She whispered, the crystal suddenly
awakening within her grasp.
'Trust in the crystal, Usagi.' A voice encouraged, a voice she
hadn't heard in centuries. Slowly she opened her eyes, but instead
of the ruins of Crystal Tokyo she was looking at a rose garden, bathed
in soft moonlight, and standing before her was a queen from a kingdom
long since fallen.
"Mother...." Serenity gasped, feeling a sense of uncertainty looking
into the other woman's eyes.
The queen's face was soft, violet eyes sparkling and lavender hair
shining. "Trust in yourself." With those three words spoken, the
apparition disappeared, and Serenity felt a warmth surrounding her.
Closing her eyes, the feeling of peace that came over her matched that
of Endymion's embrace.
'I'm scared ...' Serenity whispered into her mind, and immediately she
felt herself surrounded by familiar presences.
'Don't be, Usagi. We won't leave you.' Mercury's soft voice assured the
queen.
'We wouldn't let you do this alone, Usagi.' She could feel Mars' gloved
hand on hers, the love and reverence still in the Shinto priestess's
voice.
'We'll fight with you until the end.' She felt Jupiter's strong hand
on her shoulder.
'We'll always be in your heart, Usagi.' Blue eyes sparkled in the edges
of her memory, Venus's words sincere.
'No matter how dark it looks.' Saturn's small voice added, and Serenity
could almost feel her smile.
'Never let those that oppose you try and tell you otherwise, Odango.'
Uranus instructed, the sound of her sword sliding into its sheath
ringing through the silence.
'You're stronger than you realize, Usagi.' Neptune said, her mirror
suddenly appearing before Serenity.
'Things have come full circle, Usa. Its time for you to face what
the future holds for you.' Pluto's voice was firm, but at the same
time it showed her concern for Serenity. She'd watched the woman grow
from an uncertain child into a poised queen, always knowing what trials
lay ahead of her, now it was time to lead her to the next level.
Serenity opened her eyes and peered into the mirror. Within its depths
she saw not only her own reflection, but those of her Senshi as well,
each one seeing her for what she'd become. No longer was she the klutzy
fourteen year old, no longer was she the uncertain queen who worried
more about how to avoid problems than trying to fix them. She's lost
her innocence, she'd lost the naivete that had cost her so much in
her lifetime. She was finally the warrior she was destined to be.
"Thank you, minna." She whispered, feeling a warmth surrounding her,
a feeling of weightlessness overcoming her. In the mirror she watched
as each of the Senshi slowly melted into nothingness, until all that
remained were the shining jewels from their tiaras, each shining with
their energy. Her hands fell away from the mirror, but it remained
suspended in the air, watching as Serenity began her final transformation.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"I'll be standing at the edge of the earth
Hoping that one day you'll come back again
I'll be standing at the edge of the earth
Hoping that someday you'll come back to me
I'll be praying for whatever its worth,
Believe that one day you'll come back again.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
The crystals began circling the queen, blue eyes closing slowly as
she awaited to see what final step the fates had in store for her.
The gown she'd worn for centuries as the ruler of Tokyo slowly melted
away, rainbows playing across her bare skin for the briefest moment
before the fabric of a white fuku appeared, the skirt fluttering
against the white skin of her thighs. The crescent moon on her
forehead suddenly flared to life, its golden energy joining that
of the other crystals, forming two golden brooches atop her fuku.
As the lights merged, they grew in intensity, blocking out everything.
When once again things cleared, soft violet eyes blinked open as the
wind played with soft, snow-white hair that had once been silver.
Serenity reached up a hand, a strange sensation in the center of her
forehead, and her fingers played lightly over silver star where once
there had been a moon. Looking down, she saw the colors of her Senshi
shining brightly within the folds of her skirt, and she couldn't help
but wonder about the white-winged shoes upon her feet.
Serenity blinked a few times, as if waiting for the wave of dizziness
that was bound to come over her; but after less than a moment, she
realized it was no longer a problem. No longer did her limbs feel
like dead weight, no longer did it feel as if a steel tie was
wrapped around her chest. With the awakening of the crystal's final
powers, the sickness had seemingly disappeared. Now she was ready
to fight....
"Mamo-chan!" She cried out, realizing with horror that she was
surrounded by a wall of crystal, no doubt formed to protect her
during her transformation. Unfortunately, though time had seemed
to stop for her, it was painfully clear it had not so much as paused
for her lover. He was just getting up off the ground as her eyes
fell upon him, a gash in his shoulder causing his movements to be
guarded. The enemy, the dark stranger moved slowly around the
faltering King watching him with shining red eyes.
"Its time for you and the queen to die, Endymion. Its time for
you to pay!" The stranger suddenly barked, moving backward as an
aura of dark energy blossomed around him.
"I may die ... But she will live, demon!" Endymion growled
ferociously, calling up the remaining power in his crystal
to finish off this monster.
"Believe what you wish ..." The demon laughed, forming an orb
of energy between his hands, his eyes moving past Endymion and
falling on Serenity. "Time to die, Majesties."
Serenity's eyes locked with those of the stranger, but only for
a moment before she realized Endymion didn't bother to follow the
man's glare, but instead charged forward, bent on ending this before
anything could happen to his wife.
"MAMO-CHAN NO!" Serenity screamed from within her confines as he
rushed forward, and once again time outside her bubble seemed to
slow down. Violet eyes went wide as the black energy was hurled
toward her, but she barely noticed, her eyes were focused on the
barrage of black spikes that appeared out of nothing and flew at
the King at lightning speed. She felt her soul ripped in two as
they pierced his armor, each one hitting their mark with such
force that it whirled him around, to face her.
"NO!" She screamed, the black energy hitting the protective
shield causing it to finally shatter as the lovers's eyes met.
Blue and violet locked onto one another, but instead of a look
of pain on the King's face, there was a look of tranquility, peace.
"I love you, Usako." He breathed, taking a shaking step toward
her, even as blood filled his lungs and began suffocating him.
"Mamo-chan, no..." Serenity screamed once more, bolting from
where she stood only to catch him as his body fell to the
ground. Her arms were around him, her eyes looking into his,
and seeing he was almost gone. They'd been through so much
together, suffered through so many hardships in so many
lifetimes just for the chance to be together. They shared
a heart and a soul, and now Serenity felt as if half of herself
was being torn from her. 'I don't want to let you go ...'
'He's earned his rest, Usagi,' A voice told her softly, knowing
what it was asking.
Endymion spasmed in her arms, his body shaking as he struggled
to take another breath, as he willed his heart to keep beating,
as he fought to keep living. Serenity saw this, and looking into
his eyes, she realized he was doing it for her. It was always for
her that they'd all kept fighting, that they'd all kept believing.
It was so she could fulfill her destiny and make sure Universe lived
on. They'd all given up so much to get her to where she was now ...
Leaning down she kissed Endymion's bloody lips gently, brushing a
piece of hair out of his eyes. "Its okay, Mamo-chan ... Sleep now,
my prince." She kissed his forehead as his eyes closed. "When you
wake, we'll be together once again .... Until then, you'll live on
in my dreams." Pink lips once again brushed over his, but there was
no longer any warmth in them.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"I'll be standing at the edge of the earth
Hoping for someday
Waiting for someday
Believing in someday
Praying for someday"
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Serenity remained there, wanting nothing more than to cradle her
lover in her arms until the pain went away, but that was not
allowed. She felt the blast before she saw it, the black energy
once again hitting an unseen shield that surrounded her, but this
time it was stronger. Her head snapped up, eyes fixing on the dark
figure that stood only ten feet from her, watching. Biting her lip,
tasting her own blood as well as that of the King, Serenity gently
placed his head on the dusty earth. Reaching over, she worked the
hilt of his sword from his dead fingers and then stood, head held
proudly.
"Show your face before I send you back to the darkness from which
you came." She said, her voice echoing with unknown power.
There was something that sounded like a laugh, followed by a slight
shrug of thin shoulders as white hands reached up, pushing the hood
back. "Happy, Majesty?"
Serenity's eyes narrowed, looking into the face of an enemy she'd
destroyed millennia ago. "Chaos?"
"Destroyed? No ... You never destroyed me Serenity, and you've
always known in your heart that you'd have to face me again. I
can't be destroyed." Chaos laughed, fiery red hair framing the
pale face.
"You will be stopped." Serenity countered, her hands tightening
around the sword.
"How? All I see is the same scared little girl in a new costume.
You couldn't kill me then, what makes you think you can do it now?"
Chaos sneered, a storm of energy suddenly gathering around him.
"Because I have to." She said simply, not taking her eyes off him.
"Duty's never meant anything to you before, Usagi." He said, rising
slowly off the ground so that he was now looking down at her, red
eyes boring into hers.
"Thanks to you," She began, feeling a new power building up within her,
waiting to be called upon. "I've nothing else left."
Chaos's laughter shook the ground as his energy gathered in front of
him. "Don't whine, Usagi. You'll be joining them soon enough!" With
that the energy blast flew toward her, engulfing her where she stood.
Serenity's eyes closed as the energy hit, a final tear slipping down
her face as she made the decision to take the final step, to complete
her transformation. She didn't see it, but she felt the sword in her
hands changing, elongating as silvery energy wrapped around it. There
was a burst of light and her crystal reappeared for the briefest of
moments, allowing her one last look at it, before it too changed.
Calling forth the powers of her senshi once more, the rainbow of
colors surrounded it, and were then pulled into it, causing the
crystal to expand and grow. When all was done, the newly formed
crystal sat atop the staff that had once been her lover's sword.
It glowed with a pale pink light, a silver star resting atop it
as white wings unfurled to surround it.
"Cosmos Crystal Power!" Even as Serenity said the words, she
realized the voice speaking it sounded different, changed.
Immediately the orb burst to life, silvery light infusing
itself into the shield, canceling out Chaos' attack completely.
Chaos' eyes went wide as he watched the Queen reappear, but
she was no longer the queen. The violet eyes that looked up
at him were those of a warrior, her mind set to fulfill a single
goal, restore what he'd destroyed. His anger was matched only by
his fear as he watched her form rise into the air so that she was
now at eye-level, the intensity of her gaze seeming to claw at him.
"Its over, Chaos. Its my time now." She said quietly, her staff
held in front of her as she'd seen Saturn carry her glaive so
many times.
"As long as there's light, there will be the darkness, Serenity,"
Chaos growled, strengthening his shields.
"And as long as I live I will fight the darkness with every part
of my being." She replied, her face void of emotion.
It was then that Chaos charged her, his hands reaching out for her
staff and closing around it, attempting to pull it from her grasp.
"As long as you live, so shall I!" He spat, pulling her close
enough so that she could feel his hot breath on her face.
He would have been shocked by the tears that suddenly appeared
in her eyes, had his mind the opportunity to register it, but
the deed was already done. Serenity had already released the
energy that she'd held carefully within herself, sending it
through the staff and directly into his body. The burst of
light that followed lit up the entire sky, bathing the planet
in a soft white light.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"I'll be longing for someday
Clinging to someday
Cherishing someday"
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
As it cleared, a soft rain began to fall to the earth; and the
soil that was once charred and black was brought back to life,
repaired. Serenity stood, suspended above Tokyo as she watched
her spell work its magic on the city below. Her eyes moved toward
the place which she and the Senshi had built, the symbol of all
they'd fought for, and found it still lay in ruins.
'I want to see them,' The thought was simple, and her new crystal
responded immediately, so that she found herself standing once
more among her fallen Senshi. This time though, the scene was
different. As the rain fell onto their bodies they were surrounded
by soft white light, the wounds disappearing and their fukus
replaced by the gowns of the Princesses they'd once been. Somewhere,
in the depths of her heart, Serenity hoped they'd open their eyes,
that they'd reawaken as they always had.
"No ... Its time for them to rest." She said aloud, watching as
their bodies dissolve into moondust and were carried away by the
soft wind that had begun to blow. Looking up into the sky, her
eyes found the moon, and lingered there for a moment. There was
one more place she needed to be, though she half feared she was
too late.
Seconds later she was standing beside the body of her husband, her
prince, the other half of herself. Slowly she sank to her knees,
laying the staff atop the soft grass that had sprung up around the
Earth Prince's form. Reaching out she gently stroked his face, the
wounds inflicted by Chaos gone, his armor shining just as it had
when she'd first seen him wearing it, when they were both still
so young.
"I don't think I can do this alone, Mamo-chan." She whispered,
eyes roaming over the face she knew so well.
"You're not alone, Usagi." The voice caused her eyes to dart
upwards, finding the face of the Time Senshi looking down at
her with a mixture of sadness and understanding. "He'll always
be with you."
Serenity's eyes narrowed, this wasn't right. She'd seen Setsuna's
body disappear along with the others. "How?"
"I've inherited the same ... gift as you, Usagi," Pluto explained,
leaning her head against her staff. "Like you, I'm eternal. My duty
is not one that can be avoided ... not even by death. Like you, I
will always rise again, until my job is finished."
"You knew...." It wasn't an accusation, more of a realization.
"I've always known, but there was nothing that could be done about
it." Pluto knelt down beside her Queen, looking at her and then
down at her dead lover. "Its time to say goodbye, Serenity."
As Serenity looked into the magenta eyes that studied her, she
knew in her heart that the Time Senshi meant it was time to say
goodbye to more than her fallen prince. Once again her crystal
had lead her to the next step, except this time she lost more
than she gained.
Leaning down, she kissed Endymion one final time, just before
his body gave out; golden moondust swirling around her, as if
caressing her one last time, and then disappearing. She sat
there for a moment more, not saying anything, not caring that
Pluto was once again standing, waiting for her.
"This isn't a gift," She said finally, reaching over and closing
her fingers around the staff before standing to look at the other
Senshi.
"No," Setsuna agreed, opening the portal that would take them to
their next destination. "Its destiny."
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"I'll be thinking of someday
Dreaming of someday
Wishing for someday"
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Serenity remained where she was as Setsuna moved forward. "Will
we be together again?"
Pluto turned back, studying the queen's eyes. "When your path reaches
its end, yes. You will see them again, someday."
A silence fell between the two remaining Senshi, one knowing great
trials that lay ahead of the other as she was introduced to eternity.
Serenity had know, from the first time she'd seen her future self
so long ago, that she was meant to live on; but she never dreamed
that she'd have to do it alone. Violet eyes moved over the
surrounding city, watching as the planet slowly healed itself
so it could once again start over.
Serenity sighed softly, moving forward to follow Setsuna into
the blackness that would become her new sanctuary. "Then I suppose,"
her voice was soft, filled with a pain and longing that Setsuna
knew only too well, "I'll be hoping for someday with all of my heart."
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"I'll be living for someday
Counting on someday
Knowing that one day,
I will see."
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
**AUTHOR'S NOTES**
I realize that the subject of who Cosmos is exactly tends to be somewhat
of a grey area ... I know both sides of the argument, and you can flame
me if you wish, but I believe Usagi DOES turn into Cosmos. ^_^ The song
is "At the Edge of The Earth" by Blessed Union of Souls ... and from
the first time I heard it was just begging to have a story written using
it.
Anyway, thanks for reading and PLEASE send all compliments, comments,
moans, and groans to fallen_star715@yahoo.com ... Email's a good thing
people ^^
the esteemed Naoko Takeuchi -_- and of course the butchers at DiC
and Cloverway ... and all that. I'm just borrowing the characters
for a little bit. ^_^ So don't sue ... You wouldn't get much O.o;;
Oh .. I don't own the song either, just borrowing that too ^^;**
**NOTE: Before you start ... couple things to keep in mind ... First,
this is a somewhat - er, dark fic. Consider yourself warned ^^; Second,
I don't really follow the anime or manga storyline, I know this ... flame
me if you wish ^^;; Lastly, it IS a songfic ... but if you don't like those,
you can just skip over the lyrics ^_^ ENJOY!!**
~~~~~~~~
Fate's Warrior
by
Lady Archanna
~~~~~~~~~
Black smoke seemed to cling to the city, blocking out the
once cloudless blue sky. There was no sound in the streets
that had once teemed with activity, telling of this city's
prosperity and growth. Instead, the entire city seemed to lay
dead, motionless, the only sound the haunted echos of screams
carried on the hot wind as it wound its way toward the Crystal
palace that once stood so proudly. Now though, it stood in ruins;
its crystal facade shattered just as the city below had been.
No one had seen this coming, and no one, not even those who
should have been, were prepared for the battles that seemed to
spring out of nothingness. One day the people of Crystal Tokyo
carried on with their lives as they had for the past nine
thousand years; the next everything they'd come to know was
ripped violently from them. The people were forced to watch in
terror as their homes were destroyed, their loved ones killed,
and left to wonder why no one did anything about it.
There were screams of terror ringing through the streets, mingling
with cries of anger. Why weren't the Senshi helping? Where were
these warriors that had helped create this life, that had sworn to
give their lives to protect it at all costs? Where was the once
proud queen that seemed like an angel sent from the heavens above?
Unfortunately, the Senshi had been there. The moment the cloaked
figure had first begun assaulting the city, the eight warriors had
launched themselves into a hopeless battle. Even as the city crumbled
around them, even as the Crystal Palace began to shatter they fought
on, giving all they had to protect the city, the world and the queen;
but most importantly the queen. As long as she survived, as long as she
was able to call upon the power of the crystal, all would not be lost.
The world could once again be reborn and peace could be returned; even
though she lay nearly comatose as they fought, there was still hope, there
had to be. When had Serenity ever let them down? When had the crystal
ever deserted her at such a crucial moment? When had they had reason to
doubt that their queen, their Usagi wouldn't be there to help them when
things looked blackest?
Unfortunately for the Senshi, by the time they realized their queen was
not coming, that there would be no miracle this night, Saturn already
lay dead, her glaive broken in two. Even Pluto, the one who could have
frozen time, perhaps given the queen the few more moments she needed was
gone. Her key, seemingly unbreakable stuck up out of the ground, Uranus'
bloodied sword hanging precariously from just below the garnet orb who's
light had all but gone out.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"I knew that this moment would come in time
That I'd have to let go and watch you fly
I know you're coming back, so why am I dying inside?
Are you searching for words that you can't find?
Trying to hide your emotions .. Eyes don't lie
Guess there's no easy way to say goodbye"
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"Endymion stop!" Serenity cried out, hot tears blinding her as he carried
her in his arms. Looking up at him, wincing at the sight of the large gash
across his forehead, Serenity silently pleaded with him.
The King let out a low sigh, taking a moment to survey the deserted street
on which he stood. They were alone, Crystal Tokyo now nothing more than a
ghost town. Against his better judgement he carefully lowered the Queen to
the ground, fulfilling her request. She wobbled slightly, her small hands
reaching to his arms for support as her legs threatened to give out below
her.
"We have to go back! We have to go see if we can help!" His frail butterfly
demanded, the angry red that flared in her cheeks a stark contrast to the
snow-whiteness of her skin. She was so sick, so weak, and that damned
crystal of hers was doing nothing to help.
"Usako, there's nothing to go back to," he explained wearily, the
visions of the Senshi's broken bodies laying across the battlefield
etched forever into his memory. "They're gone, all of them."
"It can't be ... Not this way ... Not like this." Serenity sobbed,
pushing away from him and immediately feeling a wave of dizziness
threatening to topple her. Instead of turning back to him she reached
out for a broken beam that stuck out of the ground to her left, not
noticing as the sharp metal cut into her delicate palm.
"Serenity ... We have to keep moving," Endymion pushed, walking over
and placing a hand on her thin shoulder. 'Gods ... she's so much
smaller.' He said silently, wondering how the fates could allow his
flower to slowly wither away like this. She wasn't supposed to die,
god dammit! She was supposed to be their light for eternity, never
dimming, never going out.
As she turned to him, as he looked into her once bright eyes, for the
first time he noticed that light had dimmed greatly. She wasn't the
same Usako that had once thrown test papers at him. She wasn't the
same girl that looked at the world and saw only the greatness it held.
She wasn't the same Usagi that had been able to look into a dying
enemy's eyes and say 'I forgive you.' That woman had faded long ago,
how long he could not tell. The woman that looked back at him, while
she still shared his soul was not the same girl he'd first kissed on
a moonlight night in a place known as the Moon Kingdom.
"Mamo-chan, I can't just leave them there. I can't just give up on
them like that." Serenity pressed, her voice a mixture of urgency
and exhaustion. She'd already sat back, costing them enough by her
inability to act; she wasn't about to give up on them in this final
moment of need.
"Usako, listen to me," Endymion spoke with the sternness of a parent
to a child, wanting to make her see what was happening, wanting her
to realized the truth. "There's no one left to give up on. The Senshi
are DEAD. I saw their bodies myself, I watched them fall."
"And you left them there? To die?" She staggered away from him, the
clouds that had been fogging her mind swirling in a chaotic mass.
She clenched her eyes shut, willing her mind to clear, but all she kept
hearing were Endymion's words. 'The Senshi are DEAD.' Those four words
kept echoing in her ears, over and over again until they seemed to block
out everything else.
"NO!" She screamed, falling to her knees as a fit of coughing wracked her
already ravaged body.
"Usako..." Endymion cried out in surprise, ignoring her accusations and
focusing on the fact that she was getting worse by the moment. "We have
to go."
"Back to the Senshi!" She blurted out as he scooped her up in his arms
once more. Her eyes still tightly closed, her mind focused on one thought,
one goal; to find the Senshi.
Before Endymion could protest, before he could fight back, that blasted
crystal of hers emitted a blinding flash of light. As his vision cleared,
the King's heart sank when he realized where they were, his arms tightening
around his frail wife in an attempt to protect her from the evil he knew
lurked close by.
The smoke that rose from the burning palace was nearly choking, only
making it harder for Serenity to breath. The silence was almost
deafening, not even the hot wind that moved through the streets daring
to make a sound, in fear of what it might attract. Black clouds billowed
overhead, flashing with silent lightning as they threatened to unleash
their acidic rain on the already ravaged city; blocking out the moon
from witnessing the horror below.
Serenity remained in Endymion's arms, blue eyes seeing but not believing
the scene laid out before them. Every Senshi, each one of her protectors,
her court, her friends lay dead below the swirling mists. She could see
Mercury's body, laying precariously over a pile of jagged crystals fallen
from the Palace. Uranus and Jupiter lay just feet apart, burn marks
covering the front of their fuku's, bruises covering their bodies. All
that she could see of Venus was a flurry of rust-colored hair, that
should have been golden, and what must have been the remains of a
red bow caught on a metal rod sticking up from a mound of concrete.
Saturn sat up against the front wall of the Palace, looking as if she
were simply asleep; save for the end of her broken glaive protruding
from her small chest. Serenity flinched inwardly when she saw Mars,
violet eyes staring blindly toward her, every inch of bare skin charred.
The Queen felt herself paling as her gaze fell upon Pluto, the seemingly
indestructible woman impaled by her own staff, the garnet orb
suspended grotesquely before her, like a fortune teller's crystal ball.
Finally she found Neptune, her impeccable aqua-hair stained a bloody red,
her face a deathly bluish color.
Whoever they'd faced, whoever this new enemy was, he was ruthless and
didn't shy away from physical attacks. Serenity was suddenly aware of
the tears slipping down her face, unaware of when she'd started crying.
After nearly ten thousand years together, after facing obstacle after
obstacle, after giving their lives more times than she cared to count,
her Senshi had reached this end. Her heart shattered as blue eyes fixed
on the crystal now resting in her palms, knowing somehow that this was
truly going to be the last time. Slowly her eyes rose to Endymion's
face, meeting his eyes as he looked down at her, promising herself to
hold on to the one thing she had left. As long as she still had him,
she had hope for the future.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"I'll be standing at the edge of the earth
Hoping that someday you'll come back again
I'll be standing at the edge of the earth
Hoping for someday ... Someday"
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"Usako, we need to go." Endymion said quietly, gently kissing away the
tears that fell down her pale cheeks. "There's nothing more you can do
here."
"Hai-"
"Except die!" The voice tore through the silence, causing the King's
arms to tighten around Serenity even as he began running.
Serenity couldn't say anything, her breath suddenly caught in her throat
as her husband carried her away from the danger, her head spinning.
Endymion wouldn't have answered her had she spoken, the warrior inside
screaming that he stand and fight, but the protector in him demanding
he do whatever necessary to ensure his soulmate lived. She looked like
a child cradled in his arms, a china doll that would break at the
slightest bump, and in truth he had no doubt that was the case.
It had been months since she's last looked like herself, never quite
recovering from the last battle she'd been able to fight. It had been
like this before, each time she was forced to call on the crystal it
would take her weeks to get back her strength. This time however, she'd
gone nearly half a year, never regaining the strength her weapon
demanded of her. He couldn't help but wonder what cruel fate had
decided to do this to his Usako when it seemed she was most needed;
when her city was in the most need of her protection. Whatever the
reason, his wife had been forced to remain in the confines of their
chambers while he and the Senshi faced a seemingly unending stream of
attacks; trying to keep her city from falling apart before their eyes.
Just when they thought they'd made some progress, this new enemy
had appeared in the dark of night, and by the time the sun rose most
of Crystal Tokyo had been destroyed.
Now as he ran through the desolate streets, trying to avoid looking
at the bodies that lay scattered haphazardly among the ruins of their
once beautiful city, Endymion had to wonder where he was running to.
'I just need to give her a little more time.'
More time for what?
'Time to heal ... time for the crystal to save us, to save her just
like it always does.' He reasoned, his legs screaming from the exertion.
When was the last time you saw that crystal do anything more than flicker?
'Just before!' He countered, wishing the voice in his mind would stop,
knowing his heart and his mind couldn't take this.
And look at what its cost her, just that little flash.
Against his own wishes, Endymion chanced a glance down at the woman in
his arms, only to see that her eyes had fallen shut and she lay limp
in his arms. "Usako!" He cried, coming to a halt and shaking her slightly.
"Please Usako ... Please open your eyes."
Through the haze Serenity could hear Endymion's voice but she couldn't
make out the words. She could feel his warmth, the comforting peace of
his embrace and that's all her body and mind wanted. To know he was
there, to know they were together.
'Odango, this is not time to be selfish!' A familiar voice chided her,
she could almost picture the shifting mane of black hair that followed
the scolding shake of a head that would accompany those words. Through
the fog she could almost see a flicker of the serious violet eyes that
had always looked upon her as both a friend and a sister.
But she wasn't being selfish, was she? She was just resting; doing exactly
what her body and mind needed to get better. When she was done resting
she'd wake up.
"You've had enough rest, Usagi. Its time to be serious." A soft voice
pointed out, light flashing off wire-rimmed glasses as they were pushed
up on a small nose. "Sleep will come later."
It was always later though, never now. Why couldn't for once what she
wanted come first? Why was she expected to care.
'Because that's who you are, Usagi. You don't know how NOT to care,
even when there's no reason you should." A soft, cultured voice
answered, the sound of a violin suddenly filling her mind with
its soothing melody.
'That's what makes you a stronger warrior, Odango.' A slightly
deeper voice added, the sweet sounds of a piano joining that of
the violin.
She didn't want to be a warrior anymore though ... Did she?
Serenity's face twisted into a frown, suddenly caught at a
cross-road. She'd given up the title of Sailor Moon centuries
ago, but she was still a warrior, still needing to fight. Was
that what she wanted? Did she really want to fight? She'd never
liked it, she'd always wanted to do what she could to avoid it.
Now ... if she had the choice, why should she continue?
'You stop, and everything falls apart. You're the glue that holds
this all together, Usagi. You can't just desert it all like that.'
The voice was firm but gentle, emerald eyes regarding her warmly
from within the swirling mists.
But it was all already gone, wasn't it? She'd seen it with her own
eyes. Her Senshi were dead, her palace shattered like a piece of
glass and her city was in ruins. What was left for her to hold
together? What was there that was worth her giving up her peace?
Her happiness?
'The promise of a future even brighter than this one.' A small
voice replied, a flash of a silver blade breaking through the
fogs. 'The promise of a chance to start over again.'
Starting over ... again. How many times could a person start
over and still remain the same? How many times could a person
stand watching everything they hold close to their heart be
ripped away and then returned when all was said and done? How
many times could one stand to loose part of ones soul only to
have to search and fight to get it back?
'As many times as it takes, because that's not something you
want to lose.' Gentle blue eyes smiled at her, the white mists
wrapping themselves around a red bow set on a sea of gold. 'No
matter what, you know in your heart, you don't want to lose
everything.'
What did she have left to lose, though? The truth was, there
was nothing more that could be taken from her. Her heart had
already been ripped to shreds and pieced back to become
nothing more than an echo of what it had once been. It now
knew what hate was, it now knew that there wasn't good in
everything and that some things were beyond saving. It knew
what it meant to want to give up.
'No it doesn't. It knows what it means to be scared, to be
afraid of being hurt yet again and not knowing if it will
recover. Your heart, your spirit, your light are things that
while they may change, will never weaken.' The voice that spoke
was one that knew things, that had a knowledge that surpassed
time itself.
But why did it always have to be this way? Why did it have to
be her that was always left to fight alone?
'Because, that's how things must be.' The same voice replied,
dispelling the mists and suddenly jolting her back to reality.
"Gods Usako, please .. Don't leave me like this!" Endymion's
pained words suddenly broke through the darkness and she forced
her eyes opened.
"Mamo-chan..." She rasped, her throat raw.
"Thank the stars!
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"Don't misunderstand what I'm trying to say
I don't want to let you leave this way.
I want you to know that I'll stand right by your side
And I know this may be the very last time that we see each other cry
Whatever happens, know that I'll..."
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Blue met blue as Serenity's eyes opened, just moments before the
world shook around them, sending the king toppling to the ground
with the queen in his arms. Serenity let out a cry of pain and surprise
as she hit the ground, Endymion dropping to his knees just feet
from where she'd landed. There was a flash of bright light and
then he was scooping her up again, his eyes filled with blind
determination.
"Mamo-chan, are you alright?" She asked, seeing the pallor
taking over his face, despite the flush in his cheeks.
"I'm fine ..." He huffed, clenching his eyes shut for a moment
as his arms tightened around his love. "I've got to get you to
safety."
"You need to stop and rest for a moment ... What if you're hurt-?"
"I'll be fine, Usako ... I can take care of myself." He said,
brushing off her concern, causing her to flinch slightly at
the tone of his voice. A part of her wanted to snap back,
telling him that she could take care of herself as well,
but as another wave of dizziness swept over her, she knew
it would be nothing but empty lies.
All around them, the sounds of explosions filled the air;
one of the remaining skyscrapers that stood less than a mile
from them, began toppling to the ground, causing Endymion's
grip to tighten around his wife. He had to get her to safety.
He had to give her the time she needed. He needed to make sure
she survived.
Just as a plume of fire erupted behind them, Endymion finally
spotted a refuge; within seconds he was ducking through what
had once the entrance to a luxury hotel within the heart of
the city. Moving through the ruined lobby, ignoring the bodies
laying scattered among the debris, Endymion moved into a makeshift
cavern formed by the fallen beams and concrete. Setting her down on
a small ledge, with her back against the wall, Endymion turned away
from his wife and immediately began surveying the area outside the
building through a hole in the wall, his mind working with the
instincts of the warrior he was.
"Mamo-chan!" He only barely heard his wife's gasp as he turned
away, her blue eyes going wide when they saw the large burn that
covered half his back. "Are you alright?"
Serenity's brow furrowed when her response was nothing more than
a curt nod, her stomach knotting at the sight of her lover's injury.
He'd had no rest since this had all started, and now he was injured.
She knew in her heart that for his own safety he could not stay in
the city. She knew that if he were on his own he'd be able to get
by their adversary. He was not the target, she was. She also knew
that he'd never leave her; until his final breath was drawn, he
would stand and protect her until she could protect herself.
'But I can't ...' She cursed silently, tears filling her eyes.
How could the supposed protector of the planet, the wielder of
the Universe's strongest weapon be so weak? Why did she always
need someone else to protect her? Wasn't she meant to be the
one protecting them?
'To fulfill your destiny, first you must be willing to face it,'
the same, all-knowing voice from just moments ago said quietly.
There was no bitterness in the tone, no accusations hidden within
the words. It was simply a fact, one which Serenity had to grasp.
"Usako, are you okay?" Endymion's voice suddenly shook her out of
her silent reverie, her eyes immediately going to his.
"I'm fine, love ..." She said, reaching up and gently placing her
hand against his face. She was about to say something more, to tell
him how much he meant to her, but those words weren't allowed to
come, instead they were swallowed by a deafening explosion just
outside their hiding place that caused the compartment into which
they'd run to begin to crumble.
Strong arms were around her in moments, lifting her up and out of
the nook as it caved in on itself. Before the dust had even risen
fully into the sky, the king was already running. His mind was
screaming that running was only delaying the inevitable, sapping
the energy he would need when he did finally face off with the one
terrorizing their city; but looking down at the small form in his
arms, he knew where his priorities lay. He couldn't very well
defend Serenity if he was dead. Blinking away the sweat that fell
into his eyes, Endymion realized with sudden clarity that he wasn't
running from an enemy, he was trying to outrun death.
Rounding a corner, the map of the city he held in his mind told him
there would be a road leading toward the bay, and hopefully refuge;
unfortunately the map, in this case, was wrong. He hadn't taken into
account the destruction that had reigned throughout the city, nor
had he even considered the possibility of his path being completely
blocked; but as he looked up at the wall of concrete, he saw his
mistake. It wasn't so much how steep the climb would be that made
it an impossibility, but the fact that there was no way he would
be able to do it with Usako in his arms.
Serenity saw the problem too, remaining silent as he loosened his
grip and set her lightly on her feet. Her hands held tightly to
his arm as she eyed the slope, wondering if she could hold on to
him long enough for him to climb.
'That's ridiculous,' she scolded herself, remembering his wound.
'With his injury, he'll be lucky to make it up carrying his own
weight.'
"Maybe the Crystal..." She said aloud, looking up at him as she
took the ginzuishou in her hand, remembering how it had taken her
to the Senshi.
Endymion gave a quick shake of his head. "You're not strong enough
for that, Usako. You nearly lost consciousness the last time you
used it."
"But if it means getting you to safety ..." She pressed, looking
from him to the piece of glass in her palm.
"I will not risk your life like that if I can help it!" He snapped,
causing her lips to tighten into a frown. "Just give me a second and
I'll find a way to get us out of this."
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"I'll be standing at the edge of the earth
Hoping that one day you'll come back again
I'll be standing at the edge of the earth
Hoping that someday you'll come back to me"
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"Why won't you let me try and help? I'm not some naive child,
Mamo-chan ... I'm as much a warrior as you are!" Serenity's words
carried more bitterness than she'd intended, most if it directed
at herself and whatever gods had condemned her to this fate.
"Your life is worth more than mine, Usako. My survival would mean
nothing if you died in the process of saving me," he said, turning
from her and looking back to where they'd come from. The clouds of
black smoke were slowly moving closer, there was no telling how much
longer they'd have before it was truly too late.
"Mine would mean nothing if I lost you!" She cried stepping forward
and pulling him to face her. "I'm nothing without you."
He looked down at her for a long moment, knowing they didn't have
time for this but unable to do anything else. "You are the light
of the Universe, Usako. You are the hope for the future. Without
me you would still be all those things and more, because that's
who you are. I live for you. You are my heart and my soul. If I
were to loose you, I'd have nothing left to fight for other than
vengeance ... and in the end, that would destroy me as certainly
as any enemy would."
"I can't lose you ..." She whispered, shaking her head slightly
as her grip tightened on his arm.
"You're not going to be given a choice!" A voice that chilled the
queen to the very depths of her soul cried out.
Before she could even turn to see who was speaking, Endymion was
already placing her safely behind a pile of fallen concrete. "Stay
here, love." He whispered, turning with his sword drawn and ready
for the battle that awaited him.
Slowly, nonchalantly a figure wearing a black cloak rounded the
corner, eyes glowing within the hood that hid its face. "Where is
she, Endymion?"
"That's none of your concern, beast. I'm the one you need deal
with now." The king replied, his armor covered in dust and blood
from the previous battles. Even the blade of his sword no longer
gleamed, but that wasn't important. What mattered now was keeping
this monster away from Serenity who hid only twenty feet from
where he now stood.
A cold laughter rose, the stones at the stranger's feet shaking as
the air around him crackled with unseen power. "I'd like to know
where the pitiful queen is so I don't have to go searching once
I've finished with you."
'God Endymion ...' Serenity's heart was pounding in her ears, her
chest feeling as if a great weight were resting upon it. She sat
with her back against the cool stone, her back to her husband's
voice, her entire being screaming that she needed to do something.
'But what can I do?'
"You'll not touch her," Endymion growled, the golden light of his
crystal surrounding him, his eyes narrowing. "You'll have to kill
me first."
'Gods no ... Mamo-chan!' Serenity cried into his mind, wanting to
lend him her strength, wanting keep him from this showdown.
"That can be arranged." The other replied.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"I'll be praying for whatever its worth
Believing that one day you'll come back again.
I'll be standing at the edge of the earth
Hoping for someday"
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Serenity's heart stopped ... In fact it seemed as if time had stopped
as a battle cry rang through the air, the enemy's words echoing in
her mind. If she didn't do something, Endymion was going to die.
Using what strength she had left, Serenity shifted herself to her
knees and inched out from behind her protective wall, not feeling
the sharp stones that dug into her hands and knees. All she was
aware of was the scene laid out before her; Endymion's glowing
form facing off with an enemy blacker than any they'd ever faced;
and he was doing it alone.
'He'd never leave you to do this alone, Usagi.' A voice chided.
'We'd never leave you to do this alone, Usagi.' Another added,
the feeling of a hand upon her shoulder so real yet she knew it
was nothing more than an apparition.
"There's no need for this, Endymion. Its not you I'm after," the
cloaked-figure said once again, a mocking tone to the words. "Give
me the Queen and that crystal of hers and all will be well."
"If you think that's going to happen, you've been horribly
misinformed," Endymion spat back, fingers tightening around
the hilt of his sword. "I, the King of Earth, have sworn my
life to protect that Queen and her crystal, and I will not
simply hand it over."
"Even if it means saving your own life? Is hers truly worth that
much? Is that crystal truly worth an eternity of darkness?" The
stranger pressed.
'NO! Its not!' Serenity's mind screamed in reply, tears shining
in her eyes.
"Without that crystal, without Serenity ... All that will be left
is darkness." Endymion's words seemed to resound off the fallen
buildings, Serenity's mind slowly grasping their meaning. "It is
her destiny to lead the world to the light, it is her destiny to
make sure there is a future. It is my destiny to make sure she
lives to carry out her own."
Crystal tears slipped from blue eyes, each of her soulmate's words
striking into her heart like a sword. His heart, his spirit was so
strong. He was always so willing to accept fate, no matter what it
cost him, he was willing to do whatever necessary to make sure things
happened as they should.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"I know this may be the very last time that we see each other cry
But whatever happens know that I'll .."
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
'Do you truly want to let him down? Do you truly want to prove to him
what a coward you truly are? Do you want to show him just how little
his commitment, his love, his belief in you means?'
Serenity's fingers dug into the dirt, her head shaking. "I don't want
to let him down."
'What about your Senshi? Do you want them to have died for nothing?'
"No ... I can't let it end like this for them ..." She said aloud,
tears still falling from beneath closed eyelids.
'Then accept your fate, Usagi. Stop fighting it and let it guide you.'
"But I'm so scared ..." She whispered, the crystal suddenly
awakening within her grasp.
'Trust in the crystal, Usagi.' A voice encouraged, a voice she
hadn't heard in centuries. Slowly she opened her eyes, but instead
of the ruins of Crystal Tokyo she was looking at a rose garden, bathed
in soft moonlight, and standing before her was a queen from a kingdom
long since fallen.
"Mother...." Serenity gasped, feeling a sense of uncertainty looking
into the other woman's eyes.
The queen's face was soft, violet eyes sparkling and lavender hair
shining. "Trust in yourself." With those three words spoken, the
apparition disappeared, and Serenity felt a warmth surrounding her.
Closing her eyes, the feeling of peace that came over her matched that
of Endymion's embrace.
'I'm scared ...' Serenity whispered into her mind, and immediately she
felt herself surrounded by familiar presences.
'Don't be, Usagi. We won't leave you.' Mercury's soft voice assured the
queen.
'We wouldn't let you do this alone, Usagi.' She could feel Mars' gloved
hand on hers, the love and reverence still in the Shinto priestess's
voice.
'We'll fight with you until the end.' She felt Jupiter's strong hand
on her shoulder.
'We'll always be in your heart, Usagi.' Blue eyes sparkled in the edges
of her memory, Venus's words sincere.
'No matter how dark it looks.' Saturn's small voice added, and Serenity
could almost feel her smile.
'Never let those that oppose you try and tell you otherwise, Odango.'
Uranus instructed, the sound of her sword sliding into its sheath
ringing through the silence.
'You're stronger than you realize, Usagi.' Neptune said, her mirror
suddenly appearing before Serenity.
'Things have come full circle, Usa. Its time for you to face what
the future holds for you.' Pluto's voice was firm, but at the same
time it showed her concern for Serenity. She'd watched the woman grow
from an uncertain child into a poised queen, always knowing what trials
lay ahead of her, now it was time to lead her to the next level.
Serenity opened her eyes and peered into the mirror. Within its depths
she saw not only her own reflection, but those of her Senshi as well,
each one seeing her for what she'd become. No longer was she the klutzy
fourteen year old, no longer was she the uncertain queen who worried
more about how to avoid problems than trying to fix them. She's lost
her innocence, she'd lost the naivete that had cost her so much in
her lifetime. She was finally the warrior she was destined to be.
"Thank you, minna." She whispered, feeling a warmth surrounding her,
a feeling of weightlessness overcoming her. In the mirror she watched
as each of the Senshi slowly melted into nothingness, until all that
remained were the shining jewels from their tiaras, each shining with
their energy. Her hands fell away from the mirror, but it remained
suspended in the air, watching as Serenity began her final transformation.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"I'll be standing at the edge of the earth
Hoping that one day you'll come back again
I'll be standing at the edge of the earth
Hoping that someday you'll come back to me
I'll be praying for whatever its worth,
Believe that one day you'll come back again.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
The crystals began circling the queen, blue eyes closing slowly as
she awaited to see what final step the fates had in store for her.
The gown she'd worn for centuries as the ruler of Tokyo slowly melted
away, rainbows playing across her bare skin for the briefest moment
before the fabric of a white fuku appeared, the skirt fluttering
against the white skin of her thighs. The crescent moon on her
forehead suddenly flared to life, its golden energy joining that
of the other crystals, forming two golden brooches atop her fuku.
As the lights merged, they grew in intensity, blocking out everything.
When once again things cleared, soft violet eyes blinked open as the
wind played with soft, snow-white hair that had once been silver.
Serenity reached up a hand, a strange sensation in the center of her
forehead, and her fingers played lightly over silver star where once
there had been a moon. Looking down, she saw the colors of her Senshi
shining brightly within the folds of her skirt, and she couldn't help
but wonder about the white-winged shoes upon her feet.
Serenity blinked a few times, as if waiting for the wave of dizziness
that was bound to come over her; but after less than a moment, she
realized it was no longer a problem. No longer did her limbs feel
like dead weight, no longer did it feel as if a steel tie was
wrapped around her chest. With the awakening of the crystal's final
powers, the sickness had seemingly disappeared. Now she was ready
to fight....
"Mamo-chan!" She cried out, realizing with horror that she was
surrounded by a wall of crystal, no doubt formed to protect her
during her transformation. Unfortunately, though time had seemed
to stop for her, it was painfully clear it had not so much as paused
for her lover. He was just getting up off the ground as her eyes
fell upon him, a gash in his shoulder causing his movements to be
guarded. The enemy, the dark stranger moved slowly around the
faltering King watching him with shining red eyes.
"Its time for you and the queen to die, Endymion. Its time for
you to pay!" The stranger suddenly barked, moving backward as an
aura of dark energy blossomed around him.
"I may die ... But she will live, demon!" Endymion growled
ferociously, calling up the remaining power in his crystal
to finish off this monster.
"Believe what you wish ..." The demon laughed, forming an orb
of energy between his hands, his eyes moving past Endymion and
falling on Serenity. "Time to die, Majesties."
Serenity's eyes locked with those of the stranger, but only for
a moment before she realized Endymion didn't bother to follow the
man's glare, but instead charged forward, bent on ending this before
anything could happen to his wife.
"MAMO-CHAN NO!" Serenity screamed from within her confines as he
rushed forward, and once again time outside her bubble seemed to
slow down. Violet eyes went wide as the black energy was hurled
toward her, but she barely noticed, her eyes were focused on the
barrage of black spikes that appeared out of nothing and flew at
the King at lightning speed. She felt her soul ripped in two as
they pierced his armor, each one hitting their mark with such
force that it whirled him around, to face her.
"NO!" She screamed, the black energy hitting the protective
shield causing it to finally shatter as the lovers's eyes met.
Blue and violet locked onto one another, but instead of a look
of pain on the King's face, there was a look of tranquility, peace.
"I love you, Usako." He breathed, taking a shaking step toward
her, even as blood filled his lungs and began suffocating him.
"Mamo-chan, no..." Serenity screamed once more, bolting from
where she stood only to catch him as his body fell to the
ground. Her arms were around him, her eyes looking into his,
and seeing he was almost gone. They'd been through so much
together, suffered through so many hardships in so many
lifetimes just for the chance to be together. They shared
a heart and a soul, and now Serenity felt as if half of herself
was being torn from her. 'I don't want to let you go ...'
'He's earned his rest, Usagi,' A voice told her softly, knowing
what it was asking.
Endymion spasmed in her arms, his body shaking as he struggled
to take another breath, as he willed his heart to keep beating,
as he fought to keep living. Serenity saw this, and looking into
his eyes, she realized he was doing it for her. It was always for
her that they'd all kept fighting, that they'd all kept believing.
It was so she could fulfill her destiny and make sure Universe lived
on. They'd all given up so much to get her to where she was now ...
Leaning down she kissed Endymion's bloody lips gently, brushing a
piece of hair out of his eyes. "Its okay, Mamo-chan ... Sleep now,
my prince." She kissed his forehead as his eyes closed. "When you
wake, we'll be together once again .... Until then, you'll live on
in my dreams." Pink lips once again brushed over his, but there was
no longer any warmth in them.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"I'll be standing at the edge of the earth
Hoping for someday
Waiting for someday
Believing in someday
Praying for someday"
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Serenity remained there, wanting nothing more than to cradle her
lover in her arms until the pain went away, but that was not
allowed. She felt the blast before she saw it, the black energy
once again hitting an unseen shield that surrounded her, but this
time it was stronger. Her head snapped up, eyes fixing on the dark
figure that stood only ten feet from her, watching. Biting her lip,
tasting her own blood as well as that of the King, Serenity gently
placed his head on the dusty earth. Reaching over, she worked the
hilt of his sword from his dead fingers and then stood, head held
proudly.
"Show your face before I send you back to the darkness from which
you came." She said, her voice echoing with unknown power.
There was something that sounded like a laugh, followed by a slight
shrug of thin shoulders as white hands reached up, pushing the hood
back. "Happy, Majesty?"
Serenity's eyes narrowed, looking into the face of an enemy she'd
destroyed millennia ago. "Chaos?"
"Destroyed? No ... You never destroyed me Serenity, and you've
always known in your heart that you'd have to face me again. I
can't be destroyed." Chaos laughed, fiery red hair framing the
pale face.
"You will be stopped." Serenity countered, her hands tightening
around the sword.
"How? All I see is the same scared little girl in a new costume.
You couldn't kill me then, what makes you think you can do it now?"
Chaos sneered, a storm of energy suddenly gathering around him.
"Because I have to." She said simply, not taking her eyes off him.
"Duty's never meant anything to you before, Usagi." He said, rising
slowly off the ground so that he was now looking down at her, red
eyes boring into hers.
"Thanks to you," She began, feeling a new power building up within her,
waiting to be called upon. "I've nothing else left."
Chaos's laughter shook the ground as his energy gathered in front of
him. "Don't whine, Usagi. You'll be joining them soon enough!" With
that the energy blast flew toward her, engulfing her where she stood.
Serenity's eyes closed as the energy hit, a final tear slipping down
her face as she made the decision to take the final step, to complete
her transformation. She didn't see it, but she felt the sword in her
hands changing, elongating as silvery energy wrapped around it. There
was a burst of light and her crystal reappeared for the briefest of
moments, allowing her one last look at it, before it too changed.
Calling forth the powers of her senshi once more, the rainbow of
colors surrounded it, and were then pulled into it, causing the
crystal to expand and grow. When all was done, the newly formed
crystal sat atop the staff that had once been her lover's sword.
It glowed with a pale pink light, a silver star resting atop it
as white wings unfurled to surround it.
"Cosmos Crystal Power!" Even as Serenity said the words, she
realized the voice speaking it sounded different, changed.
Immediately the orb burst to life, silvery light infusing
itself into the shield, canceling out Chaos' attack completely.
Chaos' eyes went wide as he watched the Queen reappear, but
she was no longer the queen. The violet eyes that looked up
at him were those of a warrior, her mind set to fulfill a single
goal, restore what he'd destroyed. His anger was matched only by
his fear as he watched her form rise into the air so that she was
now at eye-level, the intensity of her gaze seeming to claw at him.
"Its over, Chaos. Its my time now." She said quietly, her staff
held in front of her as she'd seen Saturn carry her glaive so
many times.
"As long as there's light, there will be the darkness, Serenity,"
Chaos growled, strengthening his shields.
"And as long as I live I will fight the darkness with every part
of my being." She replied, her face void of emotion.
It was then that Chaos charged her, his hands reaching out for her
staff and closing around it, attempting to pull it from her grasp.
"As long as you live, so shall I!" He spat, pulling her close
enough so that she could feel his hot breath on her face.
He would have been shocked by the tears that suddenly appeared
in her eyes, had his mind the opportunity to register it, but
the deed was already done. Serenity had already released the
energy that she'd held carefully within herself, sending it
through the staff and directly into his body. The burst of
light that followed lit up the entire sky, bathing the planet
in a soft white light.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"I'll be longing for someday
Clinging to someday
Cherishing someday"
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
As it cleared, a soft rain began to fall to the earth; and the
soil that was once charred and black was brought back to life,
repaired. Serenity stood, suspended above Tokyo as she watched
her spell work its magic on the city below. Her eyes moved toward
the place which she and the Senshi had built, the symbol of all
they'd fought for, and found it still lay in ruins.
'I want to see them,' The thought was simple, and her new crystal
responded immediately, so that she found herself standing once
more among her fallen Senshi. This time though, the scene was
different. As the rain fell onto their bodies they were surrounded
by soft white light, the wounds disappearing and their fukus
replaced by the gowns of the Princesses they'd once been. Somewhere,
in the depths of her heart, Serenity hoped they'd open their eyes,
that they'd reawaken as they always had.
"No ... Its time for them to rest." She said aloud, watching as
their bodies dissolve into moondust and were carried away by the
soft wind that had begun to blow. Looking up into the sky, her
eyes found the moon, and lingered there for a moment. There was
one more place she needed to be, though she half feared she was
too late.
Seconds later she was standing beside the body of her husband, her
prince, the other half of herself. Slowly she sank to her knees,
laying the staff atop the soft grass that had sprung up around the
Earth Prince's form. Reaching out she gently stroked his face, the
wounds inflicted by Chaos gone, his armor shining just as it had
when she'd first seen him wearing it, when they were both still
so young.
"I don't think I can do this alone, Mamo-chan." She whispered,
eyes roaming over the face she knew so well.
"You're not alone, Usagi." The voice caused her eyes to dart
upwards, finding the face of the Time Senshi looking down at
her with a mixture of sadness and understanding. "He'll always
be with you."
Serenity's eyes narrowed, this wasn't right. She'd seen Setsuna's
body disappear along with the others. "How?"
"I've inherited the same ... gift as you, Usagi," Pluto explained,
leaning her head against her staff. "Like you, I'm eternal. My duty
is not one that can be avoided ... not even by death. Like you, I
will always rise again, until my job is finished."
"You knew...." It wasn't an accusation, more of a realization.
"I've always known, but there was nothing that could be done about
it." Pluto knelt down beside her Queen, looking at her and then
down at her dead lover. "Its time to say goodbye, Serenity."
As Serenity looked into the magenta eyes that studied her, she
knew in her heart that the Time Senshi meant it was time to say
goodbye to more than her fallen prince. Once again her crystal
had lead her to the next step, except this time she lost more
than she gained.
Leaning down, she kissed Endymion one final time, just before
his body gave out; golden moondust swirling around her, as if
caressing her one last time, and then disappearing. She sat
there for a moment more, not saying anything, not caring that
Pluto was once again standing, waiting for her.
"This isn't a gift," She said finally, reaching over and closing
her fingers around the staff before standing to look at the other
Senshi.
"No," Setsuna agreed, opening the portal that would take them to
their next destination. "Its destiny."
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"I'll be thinking of someday
Dreaming of someday
Wishing for someday"
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Serenity remained where she was as Setsuna moved forward. "Will
we be together again?"
Pluto turned back, studying the queen's eyes. "When your path reaches
its end, yes. You will see them again, someday."
A silence fell between the two remaining Senshi, one knowing great
trials that lay ahead of the other as she was introduced to eternity.
Serenity had know, from the first time she'd seen her future self
so long ago, that she was meant to live on; but she never dreamed
that she'd have to do it alone. Violet eyes moved over the
surrounding city, watching as the planet slowly healed itself
so it could once again start over.
Serenity sighed softly, moving forward to follow Setsuna into
the blackness that would become her new sanctuary. "Then I suppose,"
her voice was soft, filled with a pain and longing that Setsuna
knew only too well, "I'll be hoping for someday with all of my heart."
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"I'll be living for someday
Counting on someday
Knowing that one day,
I will see."
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
**AUTHOR'S NOTES**
I realize that the subject of who Cosmos is exactly tends to be somewhat
of a grey area ... I know both sides of the argument, and you can flame
me if you wish, but I believe Usagi DOES turn into Cosmos. ^_^ The song
is "At the Edge of The Earth" by Blessed Union of Souls ... and from
the first time I heard it was just begging to have a story written using
it.
Anyway, thanks for reading and PLEASE send all compliments, comments,
moans, and groans to fallen_star715@yahoo.com ... Email's a good thing
people ^^