Chapter 4: A Battle Unlike Any Other
Ami heard the music in the distance, and felt the water that she possessed shake in fear. She trembled and Mamoru looked at her worried, "They're over there, toward the park," Ami told him, "We have to hurry, the enemy is on them.
"Mercury, Crystal Power Make up!" Ami shouted as she transformed.
"Tuxedo Power!"
When they were fully transformed they ran towards the music, Mercury running faster at every note.
When they arrived to the little grassy hill Chibi Moon stood in front of the enemy. Without Sailor Moon her wand was useless. Pegasus reared in fury and charged toward Seaharmony. She jumped into the air and did a flip right over him.
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" Mercury played her harp and a ribbon of water came rushing toward Seaharmony who had looked away to snicker at Pegasus' fatal attempts to spear her. The water knocked her to the ground, and Mamoru pinned her down with four roses that went straight through her arms and legs. She screamed in pain as blood dripped from the sides of the holes the roses had made.
Mamoru pulled out a black rose from his cape, and aimed it at her heart, she looked around in panic.
"No! Fire Fury!" Firesnake shouted throwing her boomerang at Mamoru, as it moved through the air it caught on fire, it broke the rose in half, just barely missing Mamoru.
"Stupid Seaharmony, you had them, all you had to do was get rid of them. You're worthless," Firesnake scowled at her partner.
"Firesnake I'm sorry just get me out of here please; they're going to kill me," Seaharmony begged, crying in pain and fear.
"And I should let them, you're no use to us, you couldn't even pick off the little one," Firesnake glared hatefully, "So I'll finish the job you couldn't begin. Fire Fury!" she shouted throwing the boomerang at Chibi Moon.
Pegasus threw himself at the boomerang. It ripped through his wings and he fell down turning back into Helios once more. His back was bloody and blistered as he lay on the ground helpless, bleeding heavily, and breathing hard.
"Helios!" Chibi Moon sobbed kneeling by his side, "HELIOS!" she shouted frantically as he closed his eyes.
"Small Maiden, it's so beautiful here, I promise I'll wait for you," Helios told her quietly as his breathing faded.
"HELIOS!" Chibi Moon screamed as tear after tear fell onto his golden horn, "No, please Helios, aishiteru, please," she begged him to stay with her.
Sailor Mercury and Tuxedo Mask watched, their faces twisted with pain at the sight before them.
With her words and her tears, a small crystal formed, it was a diamond crescent moon, surrounded by a beautiful rose quartz heart.
She picked it up carefully from it's position just above Helios' head, and as she did Mercury came and knelt beside her, "It's a healing stone, it will heal you once a day, but only once, use it wisely," she explained the stone in Chibi Moon's hands as she stared at it wide-eyed. As if just coming out of a daze she got a determined look in her eyes, and cupped the stone. She opened Helios' limp fingers, he only breathed once every minute or so now, it was almost over for him. She placed the stone in his hand, and curled his fingers around it, "Please work," she begged the stone, "Don't take him away from me," she held his hand tight as his body began to rise into the air. She stood up as he rose, and when he had gotten as far as she could reach she refused to let him go.
Tuxedo Mask walked over to her and held her shoulder firmly, "It's time to let him go," he told her gently.
"No! Helios!" Chibi Moon shouted as she began to loose her grip, "No!" she screamed tears streaming down her face. She was loosing him forever. As her tiny fingers slid from his hands she jumped up trying to grab him, trying to keep him on earth, where he belonged, with her. He was just out of her grasps. As he disappeared into the clouds she whispered his name over and over, tears streaming down her cheeks. She sat on the hill where just an hour ago Helios was alive and well, and they were together.
When she had no more strength to cry she looked up hate in her eyes, "I'll kill you!" she shouted lunging toward Firesnake.
Firesnake not expecting a direct attack, didn't move when Chibi Moon threw her to the ground and grabbed for her neck. She wanted only vengeance for the loss of Helios, she didn't care if she died getting it, but she would have it.
Seaharmony ripped her arm free from the rose screaming as it ripped through her thorns breaking off inside her arm. Once she had one arm free she broke the other roses off as far as she could and ripped her legs and other arm up. She shouted in fury, "Damn you! Damn all you Senshi!"
Meanwhile Firesnake was having a hard time getting Chibi Moon off her. She was bigger than her, but Chibi Moon had her rage and sadness to fuel her.
Chibi Moon lunged for Firesnake's throat and gripped it in her tiny palms strangling her. Unwanted tears fell and blinded her though, and Firesnake was able to kick her off.
"Mercury Aqua Mirage!" Mercury shouted hitting Firesnake in the back and throwing her to the ground once more.
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Hotaru looked around nervously, her pale skin looked whiter than normal, maybe it was accented by the night around them.
"What's on your mind Hotaru?" Setsuna asked her.
"It's Chibi Moon, they're not back with her yet. I can sense something wrong," Hotaru responded looking anxiously towards the door.
"I agree, I felt it too," Rei sported a healthy Phobos and Deimos on each shoulder. Luna and Artemis lay asleep curled up in bandages.
Haruka and Minako exchanged glances and nodded to one another.
"Venus Crystal Power Make Up!"
"Uranus Planet Power Make Up!"
The two leaders of the senshi turned to the rest of them, "We'll be back, don't worry we'll call if we need help," Sailor Uranus assured them.
"Good luck," Michiru wished them well as they ran into the dark night streets of Tokyo.
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"You miss him don't you?" Firesnake asked sarcastically sympathetic as she stood, stumbling from the blow Mercury had inflicted on her.
Chibi Moon rolled on the ground and sprung up, "I'll kill you! I swear I'll have revenge for Helios!"
"But without your precious Helios you have no attack. You're nothing without someone supporting you," Firesnake laughed, "Just another pathetic Sailor Senshi wannabe."
"No! Love and Fury Attack!" Chibi Moon shouted opening her hands and letting a giant wave of razor sharp pink hearts fly towards Firesnake.
"Razor Snake!" Firesnake shouted letting her boomerang fly, Chibi Moon's hearts met, Firesnake's boomerang in mid-air and they battled back and forth no one winning no one loosing.
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" Mercury added her stream of water, and they overcame Firesnake easily. The impact threw her against a nearby tree and cracked her head, slowly she opened her eyes, "Help, Seaharmony, help," she begged.
"Seaharmony's worthless, now let's see who the worthless one is," Sunlash appeared with bandages as she wrapped up Seaharmony's rose wounds.
"I think we'll let you decide what we should do with her, Seaharmony," Blackpearl turned Firesnake's fate over to her.
Seaharmony looked away and smiled viciously, "I think we should leave her here, and let them finish her off, but then again, the scores would be down four to five, no we have to bring her back, even if only to have an even fight," Seaharmony nodded.
"Arigato, arigato, arigato," Firesnake thanked Seaharmony who stood above her.
"Don't think this doesn't mean you'll go unpunished," Nightdragon informed Firesnake.
"World Shaking!" the effect of Uranus' earthquake caused Firesnake to be knocked into the tree her legs folding behind her and cracking.
"Oh now look what you've done, gone and made our work harder," Sunlash laughed, "But I do believe your healing stones only work once a day do they not?" she laughed disappearing taking Firesnake with her, as the Dark Senshi followed suit.
"Oh, and don't worry about your boyfriend, you'll be joining him soon," Seaharmony laughed cruelly as she followed the others.
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Back at Mamoru's apartment, Rei's legs folded underneath her, and she screamed in pain, as they snapped.
Everyone turned their heads to see what happened, as Phobos and Deimos came tumbling off her shoulders as she hit the ground.
"Rei!" Makoto shouted running to help her friend, "What happened?"
"My, legs," Rei breathed in pain, "They just snapped."
Michiru shook her head and walked over to Rei, "I apologize for Haruka's mistakes, for tonight, please lend me your fire, mixed with water they will be out of pain, until you can heal them tomorrow."
So Michiru took Rei into Mamoru's bathroom, and filled the tub with her water.
"What's the difference between your water and the water that comes out of the tap?" Makoto asked as she carried Rei delicately in.
"The element of a fellow senshi is healing," Sailor Neptune told her detransforming.
"Mars, Crystal Power, Make up," Rei whispered in pain. She transformed and had barely enough strength to whisper the words, "Fire, Soul, Bird," she said weakly as a flaming bird shot out of her fingers and dove into the water, the fire and water churned as Sailor Mars detransformed and fell asleep exhausted. Gently Makoto lowered her into the water, and made sure that her head would stay above it before she and Michiru walked out to leave Rei sleep.
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"What did she mean by our healing stones only work once a day?" Sailor Mercury asked Sailor Uranus as they walked home, they detransformed on the way.
"What I do to one of your clones happens to you," Haruka explained.
"You mean?" Minako questioned.
Haruka nodded, "I made a very horrible mistake, but Michiru will help her, don't worry," Haruka assured them, "As for Chibi-usa I don't know about her," she looked behind her at the sobbing senshi. She never once looked up only whispered his name again and again, whispered apologies to him, told him she loved him, that she would never love anyone else like she loved him. Even Mamoru's presence could not comfort her. He was gone, he wouldn't ever come back, and it was her fault.