Diamond sighed with relief and came to Ebony

Diamond sighed with relief and came to Ebony.

"Ebony…" he cooed.

"Oh, get over it, Diamond." She spat and looked the other way.

"No, Ebony, I won't. How can you join him, and forget all that's important to you?"

"Nothing's important to me except Wiseman. He's the only one to redeem me."

Diamond was shocked. Had she forgotten about the love they had shared? Or was she just trying to forget it since she was hurt?

"That's not true. How can you not care about us all when we feel so strongly for you?" He crooned, reaching for her hand.

"You don't care about me." She threw at him.

"Who says I don't?" The question popped out of his mouth before he could stop it.

"The fact that you were kissing my mother could be a start."

That hurt—it hit Diamond like a load of bricks. How could she know? Did she see them when he was drunk?

"I wasn't kissing you mother. I was drunk." He tried to explain.

"Excuses, Diamond, excuses."

He was outraged, and hurt where he couldn't be healed.

"And why is it so wrong to kiss you mother when you were in some other room having sex with your own father?!?" Diamond knew he was pushing it a bit too far, and that she didn't actually do anything with him, but figured maybe it would help if it didn't kill him.

"I told you, Diamond. I wasn't with him. But why does that matter to you, anyway? It's not like you believe me, or trust me, so why do I bother?" She sighed. "Get out of my way, Diamond. I have work to do and no time to waste talking to you."

He put his arm out in front of her.

"Ebony, why do you hate me?" He questioned sternly.

"Why are you such an idiot? I told you, I'm not going to waste me time talking to you anymore." She snarled and tried to walk the other way, but Diamond blocked it as well.

"Why do you hate me, Ebony?"

"Get the hell out of my way, Diamond. I don't want to deal with you right now."

"Not until you answer me. Truthfully."

Wiseman was enjoying the challenge of the scouts. He was conserving energy to kill the queen and take role, and kill the scouts, also, but he was still holding them off well enough.

The scouts were also conserving energy, but not quite as much as Wiseman was.

"Ha! This is intriguing!" he shouted.

"More than you know, Wiseman!" Makoto laughed and chucked more lightning at him.

"Tell me, Ebony, why do you hate me?" Diamond stood in front of her, in order to keep her from leaving.

"Leave me alone, Diamond." She rolled her eyes and tried to walk sideways.

"Why do you hate me?" His question pressed on.

"I don't know how many times I have to tell you, get the hell away from me!" she spat.

"Why do you hate me, Ebony?"

"Because you're an asshole, and you kissed my mother after making love to me, and you're idiotic, and a drunken fool, and—" She yelled at him, but he interjected.

"That's not what you think, Ebony. You're hurt, and I didn't ever want to hurt you. You think I want to hurt you, and so you've got your rock cover on. I'm not out to cause you pain. I lo—" He took a gentle hold of her hand, and she jerked it away, causing his sentence to break loose.

"Leave me alone!" She shouted, and thrust her energy at him, throwing him back, but not causing him damage.

Wiseman's quarrel with the senshi stopped abruptly. He used some energy to put up a shield (although it took a mass amount of power from him), and looked over sharply to Ebony and Diamond.

"Are you trying to hurt my darling Ebony?" Wiseman's voice took on a mysterious tone.

"Cool it, Wiseman. You know I wouldn't do that—don't be stupid." Diamond stood up, scoffing at Wiseman, who was instantly angered.

"You will not talk to me like that, you ingrate. You will respect me." His eyes flared.

"Respect is given only to those who deserve it. And you sure as hell don't."

Wiseman's crystal ball began to glow again, in warning sign of an attack.

Sapphire saw this, and knew Diamond needed to talk to Ebony.

"Wiseman!!!" His voice came from his timid body, which grew strong and poise.

"What do you want, you selfish fool?" The cloaked body turned around to face Sapphire, who knew what he had gotten himself into, but had not idea what was in store for him. Not yet, anyway.

Diamond looked to his brother appreciatively, smiling in gratitude. Then, looking to Ebony, he sighed and came closer.

"You didn't answer me truthfully, Ebony. Why do you hate me?" His walked closer to her, coming within feet of her.

Ebony stepped back. His body was too mesmerizing to look at, pulsing with affection, and the will to do anything for her, even die fighting her herself. She knew very well she didn't hate him, far from in fact, but she hurt too badly to tell him so. At this point, she couldn't even look at him in fear she would give in to him, and she felt she would be weak if she couldn't stand up to him.

"Why do you hate me?" His soft voice peirced her soul again and again, with that repetitionous question that a part of her desperately wanted to answer. Instead, she shook her head.

"Go away." She muttered.

"I can't, Ebony. I can't leave you here, to be misused by Wiseman, and forget my affection for you. I can't. Why do you hate me?"

Diamond wasn't stupid. He had caught the look of pain, mixed with love and desire for him in her eyes. He knew she cared about him as much as he cared about her, but that she was hurt and didn't want to give in to her emotions if it meant damaging her pride. He couldn't believe she had seen him try and kiss Serenity while he was drunk. He felt really bad about it, knowing not only that he shouldn't have done it, but that he did do it, and he hadn't been able to stop himself.

Shaking his head to forget, he looked to her face, the face that had been so gentle, so loving. The face that now held hatred and fear, pain and a fiery hunger; that same hunger that he shared.

"Diamond, I told you. Leave me alone." She scowled at him.

"And I told you, I wouldn't leave until you gave me an honest answer." His body came within inches of her, Diamond feeling the heat from hers next to his.

She shook her head in protest.

"Ebony… look into my eyes." Diamond's eyes penetrated hers, seeing a flicker of her true self, instantly covered by pain and anger.

"Stop it, Diamond. Leave me the hell alone." She growled under her breath.

"That's not what you want, Ebony." He took hold of her hand once more, this time enabling her to rip it away.

"Wha…? Go away!" She frowned, but refused to raise her voice above a loud whisper.

"No, Ebony. I can't leave you here to rot in Wiseman's clutches. I can't. I won't." His face hovered above hers, inches away.

"L-leave me alone…" The 'bite' in her voice faded away, and she began to tremble.

"Why do you hate me?" His lips came to hers, moments away from a kiss.

"Diamond, please…" she pleaded, now unable to stop herself against him.

"Why, Ebony?" His voice was so silent, she had to glance to his lips, which brushed against hers for a moment, then moved slightly off.

"I don't, Diamond… you know that…" Her eyes closed, and opened again to reveal the loving eyes Diamond had known.

He let out a short gasping breath with a smile, his eyes filling with tears.

"I don't hate you… I could never… I love you…" She breathed.

"Ebony, I—" He tried again, but before he could say it, her lips pushed into his, and he quickly gave in to her kiss.

Sapphire's energy was barely holding out against Wiseman's. The old man held more power than he realized, and it was almost more than he could put up with.

The man stopped for a moment, making Sapphire think he was finished.

The man in blue let out a laugh, his eyes blinking for a moment too long. When he opened his eyes, he saw a large force of energy hurling towards him. He put out his hands in effort to block it, but he knew he couldn't stop it.

"Aaahh!!!!!" he let out a short shriek before it came with in range of his body.

Suddenly, he didn't feel the heat of the blast anymore, just a limp body on top of his, and he got the sensation he was wet.

Opening his eyes, he gasped.

Emerald laid over him, her arms wrapped around his head protectively, and the rest of him covered by her body, now recognizably flaccid. As he quickly sat up, he noticed that the wet feeling was that of her blood, which covered him and her, splattered across them both, and the floor all around them. Her body pulsed with short, gasping breaths.

"Emerald!!! Oh, please, Emerald, don't do this…" he begged, tear immediately streaming down his face. He pulled her off of him, and to his chest.

"Sapphire…" She wheezed, coughing out blood.

"Emerald…" He let out a sob.

"Don't—don't cry… What…ever you do… don't cry…" her body wrenched with gasping inhalations.

"You can't leave me, Emerald… Oh, please, don't leave me…" He bit his lip to try and keep in sobs.

"I'm… not leaving you forever… Take care of you brother… I know you won't forget about me… so I won't tell you not to…" She tried to smile, but was hit with another pang of pain.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that, Emerald… You're not leaving me, you can't die…"

"Sapphire… I love…" Her voice became a whisper, and then ceased all together. The writhing body became still, and her breaths came no more.

Sapphire's eyes grew wide, and he bent over her in sorrow. He let himself go, and wept pitifully over her lifeless body, holding her as tightly as he could.

"Emerald!" Diamond exclaimed, holding Ebony by the hand once more. She was in her black dress again, her eyes holding no hatred.

Wiseman's eyes shot to Diamond and Ebony, and filled with anger and fury once more.

Diamond's hand broke apart from her, and he ran over to comfort his brother, who lay sobbing over her still form. He gently took Sapphire into his arms, and held him as he cried with everything in his soul.

"I love you, Emerald… I love you…" He sobbed.

"I know, Sapphire, I know. Shhh, it's okay… I know…" He rocked him back and forth like a child, holding him tightly in his arms.

Ebony's eyes filled with tears, and her heart with sadness as she saw it, and walked silently over to the queen.

"Queen, let me help you defeat this man. If we never speak again, I don't care. But let me help you defeat him. I can't let him keep doing this." She put out her hand to shake.

Serenity smiled.

"We need all the help we can get."

Diamond stood up and ran over to Ebony. He saw the two's handshake, and nodded.

"Diamond, help us defeat him, too." Ebony's voice came to him, just as sweet as ever.

"Gladly."

None of them noticed what Sapphire was doing until it as too late.

"Come here, asshole! Come and fucking kill me, too! Give me a fight!!!" He shouted blindly, tears enabling him to see straight, but he didn't care.

"You dare challenge me?" The old man sneered. "I'll blow you into your grave, idiot."

"Just try!" he screamed, holding his hands out and expelling energy.

"Sapphire, no!!!" Diamond yelled out, but the fight between the two had already begun.

Both of them forced out as much power as they could bear at a time, and for a moment, they held each other out. Then, Sapphire's body lost control and Wiseman coerced him to the wall, thrashing against it. His body then became extremely still.

Diamond couldn't hold himself back and ran over to his brother, who bled forcibly.

"Sapphire!!!" He exclaimed, tears filling his eyes. "Sapphire, why'd you do that?!?"

"He's… he's tired… get him now… Emerald… I'm coming… Emerald…" Blood oozed from the side of his mouth as his head hung still.

"Sapphire…" One of his hands covered his mouth as the other stroked the hair of his brother. He broke into tears, his low voice penetrating the now silent room, and making Ebony stake a step to him.

He then realized what Sapphire had done. He made Wiseman use all of his energy to kill him, so that he would be less powerful for them to destroy. Glancing over, he saw Wiseman pulsating with gasps.

"Now, scouts!!!" He managed to scream out before he fell victim of another sob.

Serenity nodded, and they all fell into poise.

"Mars Star Power!"

"Mercury Star Power!"

"Venus Star Power!"

"Jupiter Star Power!"

"Pluto Star Power!"

"Moon Crystal Activation!!!"

The voices of the senshi blended into one; one voice, one heart.

The energy they shot out conjoined as Wiseman, weakened, tried to go against it. They pushed contrast to each other, light blaring across the room.

Diamond sat, bent over his brother, head hung in sorrow, his body shaking in pain and realization that his brother gave his life to save them. He never knew Sapphire had so much courage in him to do what he did, and it hurt to think his beloved sibling was gone because of him, and the trouble he had caused them all because of his so-called need for this wicked man.

He took a deep breath, but it came tumbling out sharply again in a sob. He thought of Emerald, and how she, without time to even think about it, jumped in front of Sapphire to save his life. She had known him, truly known him for such a short time, and yet she gave her own life for his. What strength, what love in her soul. It was then Diamond knew he was wrong about her from the start—she was not a foolish female incapable of anything, as he first thought her out to be. She was a wonderful caring woman who died trying to save a friend. Knowing that, Diamond cried a little number for her with newfound respect.

Wiseman had been holding out so far, but the bright eyes soon lost their power as the love of the scouts began to overcome him. His force started to fade, and soon fell altogether. The other power entered his body, reducing him to dust, scattering with the last winds of power.

Minako's hands dropped to her side.

"…Is that it?" She asked unbelievingly.

Pluto stepped forward, and bent to the dust upon the floor. Brushing her fingers across the powder, she shook her head and a deep breath.

"What, Setsuna?" Makoto questioned, glancing to Mars, who closed her eyes in concentration.

"This body was just temporary. We have defeated the body, but he's still here. He's got some kind of power source keeping him alive, and until we find that, we can't kill him."

Each senshi's mouth along with the others dropped, and their eyes widened.

Diamond's eyes grew larger than the others' as he understood.

"The Black Crystal! It's his source of life, and with this in life, he's undefeatable!" The prince's face turned from one of sorrow to one of utter exclamation.

"Then what can we do?" Mina inquired.

"According to what they just said, we have to destroy the Black Crystal in order to kill him." Ami placed her finger in the air with the slight I-hope-you-know type of gesture.

"Not necessarily." He announced. Diamond looked to his brother lovingly, finally understanding why his brother had so much love in his heart. Standing up, he pushed aside the grief he felt for his two best friends. He perceived the fact that even though they were gone, he still had Ebony to protect, and to love.

"What?" Serenity was instantly confused.

"Ebony and I will die also if you destroy the crystal." He stated.

"What?!?" She repeated, this time in a panic.

"Both of us contain the power of the Black Crystal inside of us, and that crystal controls a tiny part of us."

"No, that can't be. I healed you when you were drunk." Serenity protested, then blushed and added, "Don't ask."

"Then why do I still have the Black moon on my forehead?" He pondered.

"You were born of Black Moon blood, am I right?" She watched Diamond nod. "Then it would appear naturally, with the crystal or not. It's a birthmark."

"But what about Chib-Ebony?" Rei corrected herself, and smiled at the pink-hair woman.

"There's where the problem occurs. See, she can only be healed and changed back if she truly wants to be who she was before." Diamond gazed to her and stifled a laugh at the look of loathing on her face. "Needless to say that won't happen."

"Why not? Oh, Ebony, is it so bad being Chibi Usa?" Ami pleaded in her asking.

"I can't love Diamond in the body of a child." Her eyes told the truth of her words, and tears came to them just in the thought.

"What do you mean? You can love anyone any-oh, oh! You mean that kind of love!" Minako's face went red as she realized out loud that Ebony was talking about sexual love.

Ebony blushed intensely and tried hiding her embarrassed smile.

"If she doesn't want to, she physically can't change back." Diamond shrugged.

"But if she doesn't change back, she'll die." Serenity's eyes wavered with her voice.

"I'll find a way, Queen. I promise." Ebony smiled.

The queen smiled back, and the two grinned fearlessly at each other.