The Ultimate Decision

by Hoshiko Usagi

Part 7 in the senshi-trooper saga. The Sailorsenshi's year at Hogwarts is over, but as Harry and his friends stay with them over the summer, so some issues raised in Hogwarts remain with the Senshi.

4. Going from the Dark Side to the lighter ...

Ch. 4

Falling in love with love

Is falling for make believe.

Falling in love with love

Is playing the fool.

Caring too much is such a juvenile fancy.

Learning to trust is just for children in school.

-A Bernadette Peters song from Cinderella. You know, the one with Brandy in it?

"Rubbeus!" she looked around. Had she been betrayed by him too? "Rubbeus! I'm here! I'm agreeing with you, let me stay with you please!"

"That wasn't so hard, was it Usagi?"

Usagi turned to see Rubbeus floating level with her, smiling kindly. Usagi was crying.

"Please, Rubbeus. Let me stay with you."

"I said I would, did I not?" he asked with a hint of amusement. He opened a warphole and smiled. "This will lead you straight to the room we've set up for you."

Usagi eyed him but flew through the warphole anyway...and gasped.

The room was beautiful. The walls had been painted a shade of midnight blue, with glowing constellations all over the ceiling. There was a canopy bed with the Gryffindor seal painted onto the headboard. Little stuffed rabbits had been placed all over the room, and a desk had even been set up for her to do her homework. There was a CD player, TV and most of the major video game platforms. She smiled and turned to Rubbeus.

"You weren't trying to trick me..." she said softly. Rubbeus nodded and smiled.

"I do mean what I say, Usagi. You like it, then?"

"Like it?" Usagi asked in disbelief. "I love it!"

Rubbeus smiled. "I'm glad you do. We went through great trouble to arrange this."

Usagi grinned. She then turned and hugged Rubbeus.

"Arigato," she said softly. Rubbeus flushed and after a moment, patted her on the back a few times and smiled.

"Just call us if you need us."

"This is all my fault," Rei sobbed for the seventh or eighth time, really no one had bothered to keep count. "I should have kept my big mouth shut…"

"It's not your fault, Rei," Hermione said softly. "Usagi was looking for a way out and she'd have used anything as an excuse."

Rei opened her mouth to say something when a familiar presence cut her off. But…no, she hadn't felt his presence in years. It couldn't be…

"What is it?" Ryo asked, then he froze. "M-masaka…" he whispered. He turned to the corner and gasped. Standing there, dressed in the garb of a Buddhist monk, complete with staff and hat pulled down to cover his face was the Ancient One.

Rei stood shakily as the Ancient One walked forward. What little of his face could be seen was solemn.

"Hermione is right, Rei," he said softly. "Usagi would have used any excuse to get what she wanted."

Everyone stared at him.

"What are you doing here?" Shou burst out. "I mean, you were dead…we saw you…I saw you…"

the Ancient One smiled a bit. "Things aren't always what they seem, Shou."

"You mean," Makoto said slowly. "That you were alive all the time and you just never helped us?"

The Ancient One nodded slowly. Makoto's eyes widened then, tears coming to her eyes, she picked up a book and hurled it at him.

"You saw all that we were going through-with A-ko, with Miaka, with Touma and with Chibiusa…AND YOU NEVER CAME TO HELP??"

"Calm down, Ma-ko…"

The Ancient One frowned. "I had no choice-"

"You could have least shown us the way…let us know you were alive or something!" Makoto was crying all out now. "And instead you sat back and watched us nearly kill ourselves time after time without even lifting a finger to help. And now, when this whole thing with Usagi pops up, you decide 'Hey, I'm going to see what I can do'??" Makoto glared at him. "Well, we've gone on without you before. We'll do so again. We don't need you anymore."

With that she stomped out, Shin running behind her. Ryo sighed.

"Gomen nasai, Ancient One. But you have to understand where's she's coming from."

The Ancient One nodded. "I understand. What I will tell you is that there was nothing I could do to help any of you then. My hands, as it were, were tied."

"So you faked your death?" Shou asked incredulously. The Ancient One shook his head.

"I fake nothing, Shou. I did die that night."

Shou was about to ask another question when Seiji laid a hand on his arm.

"No more questions, Shou. I think I understand."

Shou frowned and nodded. Ami sighed.

"Well, after Mako-chan calms down, I think the first order of business should be to locate Usagi."

Touma nodded. "Get started on that ow, Ami-chan. Hermione, you can help her."

Hermione nodded and ran to get Ami's computer. Harry frowned.

"How about Ron and I do a airborne search of the surrounding area? Maybe she didn't go too far."

Minako nodded. "Good idea, I'll go with you."

Rubbeus frowned slightly as Usagi reached for her third large helping of spaghetti. Avery smiled sheepishly.

"I'm no great chef, but I'm glad you like it, Usagi-sama."

Usagi didn't truly stop to answer, just nodded and continued to inhale her food. Katzie smiled and ate a bit of spaghetti herself before stopping and getting up, Anubis closely following. Prizma sighed.

"Ah. Sayo calls again, I suppose."

Usagi did look up this time.

"Sayo?"

"Sayotasho," Rubbeus explained. "Katzie's newborn son."

Usagi gasped. "Oh gods, I didn't know! I've got to get her something really nice from the mall now. I feel so bad…"

"Don't," Sh'ten told her, smiling. "None of us have had a chance to get her anything either."

Usagi's eyes lit up and she leaned over to Avery and whispered something in her ear. Avery grinned and leaned over to Prizma, who also grinned.

"That's a great idea, Usagi," Prizma said. Usagi nodded.

"And I'm sure she'll love it, too. After all, I know I'd want one if I had a kid."

The other two girls nodded while Naaza, Sh'ten and Rubbeus looked at each other.

"Want what?" Naaza asked a little suspiciously.

"A baby shower!" Avery said. "It'll be great! Usagi and I can do the decorations, Prizma can do the food! Katzie will love it!"

Rubbeus sighed indulgently and smiled. "If you need my help, let me know."

Usagi finished her rather good impression of a vacuum cleaner and stretched.

"I need to go study, is that alright?"

Rubeus nodded. "No problem, Usagi."

Usagi got up and left and Avery frowned.

"I thought we were going to try to convert her to our side. Whatever happened to that?"

"We'll get to it," Rubbeus said softly. In truth, however, he himself didn't know. She should have been at least halfway convinced to join the Dark Kingdom by now. He wasn't weak like Bertie or Rajura. So why was he stalling?

Ami frowned at what she saw….or the lack of it. Usagi's energy wasn't showing up anywhere in Japan or England, even in the magical communities of Britain. She'd even called in a favour from Batman, tapped in to his computer via satellite and done a global search. Nothing. Now, Ami's powerful and resourceful mind was stuck.

"I simply don't get it…" she muttered. "Even if she's in Diagon Alley she should be showing up. What happened?"

Makoto glanced savagely at the Ancient One. "Ask him. Ten to one he knows."

The Ancient One frowned. "I'm as much at a loss as you are right now, Makoto. I don't know where she is."

Minako frowned as well. "There is one other possibility."

Mamoru looked at her. "And that is?"

"She could be in the Dark Kingdom."

Ami raised a brow, then reset her readings and did a search. She bit her lip as her computer locked on to the energy signature.

"Got her," she said softly. "She is in the Dark Kingdom."

"Any energies surrounding her?" Ryo asked anxiously. Ami shook her head.

"No…it's like with Miaka, almost as if Usagi were there of her own free will. But she knows better than to trust the Dark Kingdom…doesn't she?"

No one dared to answer, knowing that it was quite likely that she had indeed decided to trust them. Touma sighed wearily.

"We are getting much too old for this. Okay, then. We go in by Fuji-san, and do a search and rescue. Is that good?"

Rei, who had until now stayed silent, finally spoke up.

"No…not all of us need go. It's my fault that she's there, and I'll be the one to go."

"Rei-ko," Ryo said. "That's suicide. You know you can't take on the Shogun alone and-"

"My mind is made up, Ryo," she said, her voice quiet yet forceful. She stood and looked around at the worried expression on everyone's face. She managed to force a smile. "I'll be fine. I promise."

Rubbeus found himself reporting in to the Wiseman and Talpa less and less as time went on. He told himself that was because it was his plan and he didn't want the two of them making any more changes than was necessary. He knew it to be a lie. Sighing, he went to check up on Usagi. As he approached, he could hear her humming something. He blinked as he recognised the tune. It was a song as old as the Silver Millennium, but made popular in the future. It was Moonlight Densetsu. He sighed and knocked on the door, causing Usagi to stop her humming. After a moment or two, the door opened and Usagi smiled.

"Hey, Rubbeus. What's up, is everything alright?"

Rubbeus smiled and nodded. "Of course, Usagi. May I come in?"

Usagi nodded and let him in. He looked around and saw, to his surprise that Usagi truly had been working on her magic studies. He smiled to her.

"So, what do you think of the horrible Dark Kingdom agents now?"

Usagi smiled in a very knowing way and shrugged. "I'm not sure anymore."

"So we could be on the same side, then?"

Usagi smiled again. "I meant that I'm not sure you're classifying yourselves as the Dark Kingdom anymore." Rubbeus blinked and Usagi continued. "I mean, looking at recent trends here. You team up in an effort to get rid of the senshi and troopers. Though you know our secret identities, you don't attack us at home when we're most vulnerable. You don't kidnap our families in order to lure us, and when you do have us, you always hesitate to deliver the final blow.

"Next, Dark Kingdom agents who are suppose to have no time for anything but their mission suddenly find time to fall in love and get married, and have kids. Even to the point of giving their lives for the ones they love," she continued, glancing up at a very shocked Rubbeus.

"Not only do they not hesitate to sacrifice themselves for their loves, but they then pull together with their enemies to heal one of their own whom they're supposed to inherently hate.

"And then, in a supposed effort to get someone over to their side, they see the injustices they've heaped upon their enemies and see their enemies still trying to help them and they defect. Rubeus, no offence, but I truly don't consider you an enemy anymore."

Rubbeus tried to grin evilly but it came out as a smile. "You don't, hmmm? And what if this is a trap?"

"I don't think it is," Usagi said, sitting down and scribbling something onto a piece of parchment. "Think about it, Rubbeus. I'm sure you intended it as a trap at first, but you've grown too much of a heart to go through with it now, I'm sure. You've been entirely too nice to me, when at first you barely had the patience for me."

Rubbeus was shocked to realise that everything Usagi had said was true, every bit of it. He shook his head and sighed. He knew now that he would be seeing Usagi off to Hogwarts, instead of turning her over to who were once his superiors. Yes, he realised the past tense was correct. Internally, he'd become like Rajura and Bertie. he'd become a traitor. He looked again at Usagi doing her homework, sighed and turned and walked out. he'd have to talk to the others.

Avery knew as soon as she saw him that something was up. And she was sure she knew what it was.

"You can't go through with it, can you?"

Rubbeus shook his head. "There's no way. I mean, you should have heard her as she outlined to me everything the Senshi and we have been through together! Insight, reason! And we thought she was a dumb blonde."

Katzie sighed and smiled a little sadly. "I suppose Bertie will be seeing her newborn nephew soon after all."

Rubbeus looked up at everyone surrounding him. He looked into the face of each person.

"You're all up for this, then?"

Sh'ten smiled. "It wasn't going to take too much longer, Rubbeus. I mean come on, when we go through the trouble of finding out which bands are Usagi's favourite for a trap, it's not exactly with malicious intent anymore."

Prizma shuddered. "I still don't know what she sees in Malice Mizer."

"Oh, I dunno," Avery quipped. "Illuminati is pretty cool."

"In any case," Rubbeus said, his voice low. "Now we go on the offensive. Wiseman nor Talpa can know that we've, for all intensive purposes, defected. Usagi has less than a month to go before she has to return to Hogwarts. We can turn in false reports until then, but sporadically. We see her off at the station in England, then we go to the Senshi and give up. Agreed?"

Everyone nodded. Naaza sighed.

"Kami-sama help us."

Sailormars stood before Fuji-san not without apprehension. She remembered Ron, Harry and Hermione's advice to her before they'd left for their homes.

"Remember," Hermione had said. "You're her friend, above all else. Let her know that."

"Don't argue with her," Harry had told her. "Talk with her. Reason."

"Don't lose your head and melt her," had been Ron's advice.

Let's hope I don't screw this up, she thought to herself. She took a deep breath and sighed. She had to get into the Dark Kingdom first.

"Mars. Flame Sniper!" she yelled, the attack more than strong enough to open the rift between the two worlds. She passed through, shaking off the momentary chill she'd become accustomed to feeling when passing into the Dark Kingdom. She had with her the only protection the Ancient One could provide: his staff. She sighed as she looked across the familiar barren landscape and closed her eyes. She felt around for the strongest feel of the Dark Kingdom…and she got it. In fact, she was now sure she knew exactly where she was and she proceeded from there.

"Sailormars is here."

Rubbeus turned, blinking at Sh'ten. "Only Sailormars?"

Sh'ten nodded. "What do we do?"

Rubbeus frowned. "Ten to one she's here to get Usagi. We'll let her get close then bring her in. We'll keep her until we find out just how she intends to take Usagi back."

"Then we move from there?"

Rubbeus nodded. Then he looked closer at the image of Sailormars and cursed.

"The Ancient One's Staff…how did she get it?"

Sh'ten blinked and sat at the computer to run some figures.

Usagi sat, watching the witches and wizards on her posters. One of them made a terrific save and scored through the goal hoops. She sighed a little dejectedly. It reminded her of the Quidditch Cup…

"And Slytherin, after losing to Gryffindor during the school year, has battled its way back to the top and now sits poised to take the Quidditch cup back from Gryffindor!"

Lee Jordan was booming enthusiastically to the crowd, while the Gryffindor team was a nervous wreck.

Yes, they'd beaten Slytherin once, but they'd seen all of their other games. Could they do so again?

Sailormoon looked down at her broom and chewed on her lower lip. She could only hope that this game would go well, she didn't need something else for Rei to lord over her.

The Gryffindor team marched out onto the pitch to wild enthusiasm. Opposite them, they saw the Slytherin team dressed in robes of emerald green come in. Sailormoon looked around and gave a little squawk-Professor Dumbledore had come to watch!

She began to bite her lip again.

Madam Hooch was ready to start. She called the two captains together and, after they shook hands, the fifteen brooms rose into the air and they were off.

Sailormoon was immediately challenged by Sailormars and immediately put down that challenge, stopping the Quaffle with little effort.

She was able to watch most of the game between blocking shots. The Gryffindor Beaters were doing a good job, keeping the Bludgers off of their team and towards Slytherin. the Keeper for Slytherin, however, was also doing a great job and as of yet no one had scored. She was so engrossed in watching the rest of the game that the Slytherin Chaser was before her before she knew it and Slytherin managed to score.

She felt like crying right there and then, but she knew she'd never hear the end of it from Rei if she did. She instead gave one good sniff and set to work making sure no more Quaffles got past her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Harry and Malfoy suddenly go head for head towards the Gryffindor Beaters. At nearly the same time, a glint of gold alerted her as to the cause. She grinned as Katie managed to put a Quaffle past the Slytherin Keeper and they were tied.

She looked around and closed her eyes as she saw Harry get creamed in the leg by a Bludger. The crowd went wild as Malfoy rose triumphantly into the air, Snitch in hand. Slytherin had won the Quidditch cup…

A knocking on her door pulled her out of her daze. Blinking, she quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and answered the door. Anubis was there, and by his concerned expression Usagi could tell that he knew she'd been crying.

"Sailormars is here," he said softly. Usagi blinked, then frowned.

"What does she want?"

"We don't know yet," he told her. "We're looking into that now. She's also got the staff of the Ancient One with her….do you know anything about that?"

Usagi shook her head. The Ancient One? Wasn't he dead? "No…I'm as confused as you are."

Anubis sighed and nodded. "We'll keep you up to date."

Sailormars looked up at the palace. Same as she remembered: Big, dark and foreboding. But she was determined to talk to Usagi, even if she got captured in the process. She turned to the staff she carried.

"Show me the way…" she whispered. She staff began to glow and, the rings jingling, a soft light shone from the staff and onto a section of the wall. she moved closer and found an opening there. She blinked. "All traffic, keep to the right…"

She walked along the almost cavernous rooms, most completely dark. She frowned. No one had ambushed her yet…this was strange. Indeed, she hadn't had a real blip on her internal radar for a while.

She took another step and found herself frozen. She couldn't move a limb, let alone reach for her scrolls. Rubbeus appeared before her, his face grave.

"We need to talk."

Talpa's eyes illuminated suddenly. Something was happening in his palace-a defection. He could feel that his Shogun's love for the Dynasty had left their hearts, and he no longer felt the loyalty of those of the Dark Moon. Traitors. Just as Rajura and Bertie had been. They could be easily taken care of.

"So that's the entire story, and if you don't believe me you can ask Usagi. I'm going to let you move again so you can respond.." Rubbeus made a hand gesture and Sailormars stumbled forward a step or two.

"So you're actually on our side now?"

Rubbeus nodded. Sailormars frowned.

"I still have to talk to Usagi….to apologise. We got into an awful fight and-" Rubbeus shushed her. He'd heard a sound. He looked around and saw a swarm of Dynasty Soldiers surround them. Sailormars had already struck her battle pose when Rubeus shook his head.

"It's alright," he said to her. He turned to the soldiers.

"Go away, I've got her."

Not one moved. He frowned. "Leave. Now."

Still no one moved. A cold feeling of dread crept into him as he realised that they weren't obeying him-a sure sign that Talpa already knew that they were no longer loyal to him. He blanched. Usagi!

He grabbed Mars' wrist. "Come on!" He pulled her past the soldiers and into a passageway, the soldiers following.

"What's going on?" She panted.

"Talpa knows we're not loyal to him anymore! We've got to warn the others!"

He came out of the passageway into a corridor and began tearing down it. He ran into the control room and straight into Sh'ten.

Sh'ten opened his mouth to apologise but Rubbeus cut him off.

"Talpa knows our plans. We've got to get out of here now!"

That got everyone moving. Sailormars offered to hold Sayo while Katzie helped Anubis pack everything they could in the short amount of time they had. Avery was caught between her Leo collection and the first present Rubbeus had ever given her. After another moment's hesitation, she grabbed the present and left.

Naaza arrived with a sleepy Usagi in tow-she was in her night clothes already. She had her trunk and broom and was looking none the worse for the wear. Sh'ten began to lead them out of the palace. He led them through passageways and in and out of rooms.

He turned a corner…and found his way blocked by Dynasty soldiers. He turned around…and found the way he had come blocked as well. they were trapped. Sailormars was sick of running.

"Akuryo Taisan!" She yelled, freezing the soldiers before them in place. The group barrelled past them and straight into another block. It was obvious they were thoroughly surrounded.

Usagi now tried her luck.

"Petrificus Totalus! Stupefy!" They were having some effect, but not much. She backed up, terrified, into Rubbeus, who stepped before her. It was his fault she was in this. He'd be damned if they got to her before him.

"Shine Aqua Illusion!"

"Venus Love-Me Chain!"

"Morning Star Strike!"

"Iron Rock Crusher!"

Rubbeus was never so happy to hear those attacks as soldiers were blasted out of the way.

He looked gratefully at the cavalry-The Senshi and Troopers. Even Bertie had shown up. Ryo raised a brow.

"You'll be alright, hmm?"

"Nevermind about that." Mars was grumpy from being surprised like that. "We've got to get out of here-all of us."

Bertie looked from Mars to Katzie…then to the young boy in her arms. She smiled and looked at Rajura, who sighed and took Katzie's bundles.

"The quickest way out is straight through these rooms," Sh'ten said, pointing toward a wall. Shou, Jupiter and Seiji nodded. They could do that.

"Iron Rock Crusher!"

"Supreme Thunder!"

"Thunder Bolt Cut!"

They made short work of the rooms and could see outside.

None of them made it too far once outside-they were stopped by a legion of soldiers. Rajura frowned. "This won't be too easy."

The Senshi gritted their teeth.

"Come on," Venus said. "We've got to get Usagi out of here."

They all agreed.

"Moon Gorgeous Meditation!"

"Fire Soul!"

"Venus. Love and Beauty Shock!"

"Shabon Spray!"

Soldiers were falling, but not nearly the amount they needed in order to escape. The Troopers joined in.

More were falling, but for every one that fell, two took its place. The Shogun began to help…

Usagi watched all of this with a sense of guilt. It was her fault that they were all here, in this situation. She had to help them. She knew what she had to do…she didn't want to. She wouldn't like it. But if her friends were to survive, she'd have to.

Sailormars wasn't focused on anything but her battle…until she heard a familiar and very welcome phrase behind her.

"Moon Crisis Make Up!"

A few moments later, Sailormoon had joined the battle and now the tide was beginning to turn. She took off her tiara.

"Moon Tiara Action!"

An entire section of the soldiers fell. She frowned as more took up their place. She needed a way to wipe out all of them at once. Her Moon Gorgeous Meditation Was mostly singular. Moon tiara Action could only do so much. And she no longer had her sceptre so she couldn't do Rainbow Moon Heart Ache either. She blinked. Fiore…the Kisennian Flower. Would it work?

She called her Moon Sceptre to her and gritted her teeth.

"Moon Princess Halation!"

She swung the sceptre around, annihilating all but a hundred or so soldiers in one fell swoop, the rest quickly being taken care of by her team mates Sailormars grabbed her hand and pulled her into a run.

"We're getting you out of here now!"

They all ran a sizeable distance from the palace so they wouldn't be overtaken, and, creating a warphole, finally escaped.

I never thought I'd make it here…it seems like so long ago that they tried to stop me.

Usagi looked happily at the Hogwarts Express, where Hermione, Ron and Harry were already waiting for her. She then turned back to her friends-the Senshi, Troopers, and former Shogun and Nemesis family had all accompanied Usagi to see her off. they all stood on Platform 9 ¾ now, giving her some last minute advice.

"Make sure you put a hex on Malfoy's wand," Chibiusa said, grinning. "I still owe him for that whole thing with Go-chan."

"I've already written Professor McGonagall and asked her for progress reports," Ami said, smiling at Usagi's groan. "We want to make sure you're doing alright there without us."

"And no food fights," Rei said sternly. Usagi grinned.

"Oh, right, like you didn't start it."

A warning whistle sounded and Harry leaned out of the door. Usagi sighed and hugged each person in turn. She smiled a little sadly at everyone.

"I guess you'll see me in December."

Rubbeus grinned. "I expect a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans."

Ryo frowned. "Just get me a Butterbeer."

Usagi smiled then, waving goodbye one last time, hopped onto the train. A moment later, it pulled off and they all could see Usagi waving emphatically from the window. Then the scarlet train had pulled out of the station. It was gone.