The Symphony's End
Author's Ramblings: Well, this is it. The second-to-last Galactic Story.
Okay, well, it's TECHNICALLY the third-to-last, maybe forth (the epilogue
MAY be a two-parter... Heh... Heh... Hn.) Well, whatever the case, this is
Ginnie's episode. So it's all dedicated to our evil Queen, and feel free to
praise her at hotarusilence@yahoo.de After all, if she's made it THIS far,
she deserves some loving from the Galactic fans out there... All three of
you, at least. ^_^
--
In other news, this fic (like 13, but let us never speak of that foul
failure of a story again) uses a song. A song I wrote. But (surprise!) it's
not "I Know!" (By the way, "I Know All you Need is Love" happens to be a
Magic Knights Rayearth song, or so some site said. Are ALL the good song
names taken?) This song is...well, it's odd, tentatively called "Heart
Matters" (okay, I need a better name for that, too), and I would use it as
a Gals opening song... If Gals were an anime series. However, it isn't, but
if anyone wants to send these stories to Naoko, well, find me her e-addy and
I'll take care of the rest! Point: "Heart Matters" is the song, written by
me, and it actually has a tune (the tune I sing it to), but that's about it
on the info.
--
Boy, I rambled A LOT today!
--
Well, I hope you liked 26. And I hope this story goes well (I write all
Ramblings before the fic and then just let the story happen; I'm a method
author, okay?). Because, if it does, it'll end with a BANG!
--
Yours,
Kate
* * * * * * * * * * * *
If you didn't read story 26, go back and read it. You're missing a lot,
otherwise, and these re-caps are SO stupid that I quit doing them. And I'm
allowed to do that. Because I'm the author.
And that, my friends, is where the story begins...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Clinging onto your impossible dreams...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Well, this is it," sighed the small, tan animal as he stared out the
window at the rapidly darkening sky. It seemed as though that, ever since
Ambriel had disappeared and spoken with the Angel of the Moon, thunder had
rocked the city of Crystal Tokyo regularly. Even in the Saturday-morning
sunlight, a gentle reprieve from the swiftly coming darkness, rumbles of
thunder had echoed through the air.
It was an omen if he'd ever seen one.
His green-furred littermate rested her chin on her long legs, sighing.
Her lavender eyes were bloodshot, and he was certain that she'd gotten no
sleep since Ambriel's arrival at the house full days before. "As they say:
'All good things never end.'"
Blue-eyed Carina wrinkled her pink nose and sat stark up on the
ottoman. "But, Ara," she protested loudly, "that's 'all good things must
come to an--'"
She was silenced by the glare of two sparkling, purple eyes. "It's
whatever I say it is, bucko," growled the green one in a low tone. "WHATEVER
I say it is."
"I worry, you know," commented Cassiopeia from her seat on the back of
the couch as she, like her brother, watched the lightning flash across the
sky. "They all mean so much to us, that I worry..."
Galileo snorted. "They mean more to the future," he rebuked the silver
kitten, "than they do to us." His ears flinched back as the firmament burst
open and rain began to pour down on the Earth, the splattering echoing from
the roof of the Ten'ou-Hartford-Chiba household all the way down to the
foundation. He sighed and shook his head slowly. "Without them, the world
wears a giant 'vacant' sign for the evil of the universe."
Nodding solemnly in agreement, Ara closed her bright eyes. "That's
what WE were created for," she reminded the two smaller, less sage kittens.
"We are to protect all that through our wisdom and strength."
"And so?" prompted little Carina, cocking her head in the direction of
her siblings."
"And so," responded the single male kitten, "it's all up to them,
now."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Where nothing is as it seems...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The bright streams of light gave into darkness as the group of fuku-
clad Sailor Scouts landed in a darkened hallway. Stalactites hung from the
ceiling, dangerously close to the heads of the taller warriors, and water
dripped from the ceiling down to the floor. The only fathomable light poured
from a few, crude torches that hung from the walls, and even those cast
nothing more than an eerie glow.
However, it took no prompting for the Keeper of the Nebulae to thrust
her staff into the air. There was the soft whisper of foreign, arcane words
before the golden star atop the long rod alit and cast a bright glimmer of
light down on all twelve people.
Sailor Moon was the first to act. "Is everyone present and accounted
for?" she questioned nervously, glancing around for and then finding Helios.
The Starlit Prince found his Princess. Aurora Borealis and Phoenix
nodded to one another. Comet and Earth exchanged wary glances, and the
Chibi-Scouts all huddled around their Keeper, basking in the warm glow of
the staff.
"Good, then I guess we're okay." The pink-haired leader leaned up
against the wall of the corridor, obviously deep in thought. "The next
question, then, would be--where are we?"
Sailor Phoenix pulled her computer and VR-visor from null-space and
immediately began punching buttons. "I'm trying," she informed the group,
"to get an accurate location reading along with a scanned map of the entire
area, but it could be a few moments." She wrinkled her nose and began
tapping her toe on the ground. "Or a bit longer than that... I shouldn't
have downloaded that MP3 the other day..."
The general response from her offhand comment were groans and moans,
but it was Helios, clad in a silver tunic and a pair of billowy pants, who
didn't retort to her comment. Instead, he closed his bright eyes and let out
a deep breath, slowly focusing his energy. Both Moon and Earth, the two
Scouts on either side of him, stared blankly.
"Does your boyfriend ALWAYS do stuff like that?" mumbled Aurora
Borealis as she watched the young man go completely still and silent.
Rolling her teal eyes, Comet stepped hesitantly forward and tossed her
hair behind her shoulders. "I think we should press forward," she put in to
the group, obviously hoping for some agreement. "Standing around, we're just
sitting du--"
It was then that the silver-haired priest's eyes snapped open and,
without movement, he stuck out an arm. By doing so, he cut off a good three-
fourths the hallway's width, causing the impatient teen to scowl. "I
wouldn't move ANYWHERE if I were you," he protested in a low-pitched tone.
"This area's very unstable."
There was a beep from the computer as he said this, and the blue-
haired teen suddenly found it necessary to nod at his insistence upon
staying put. "This isn't your average doom-ridden corridor," she spoke up,
scrolling through the lines of information while trying to read her
findings. "From what I can tell, this is a twisted dimension that's very
loosely based off both Earth and..." She gulped. "And Hell."
All heads turned to face her, and she nodded cautiously, her icy eyes
never leaving the screen. "This place is directly connected to Earth,
somehow," she continued very, very apprehensively. "And, while we are still
attached to Earth, this is a very unstable dimension. It could easily
collapse on us, and..."
"And?" croaked the Master of Time as he huddled beside the Keeper of
the Nebulae.
"And..." She gulped once again and tried to hide the trembling of her
hands. "If it collapses, we go with it."
All the Galactic Sailors and their related male counterparts drew in
nervous breaths and peered down the hallway, unmoving. A few long, uncertain
moments went by in which nothing beyond the clatter of fingers on keys could
be heard in the area... Not even the panted breath of a group of extremely
frightened young men and women could be noticeable.
"But," the braid-headed Scout suddenly put in, triumphantly, "if we're
careful about what we do and can make it upstairs, then the space will be
more stable."
Her auburn-haired friend blinked. "Where in the Hell are we, then?"
she demanded.
"From what I can tell...the basement."
There was assorted swearing and comments about deities before the
Keeper of the Nebulae started down the hall, taking the light with her.
"Then," she told the group, "we must go."
And, where light went, they followed.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
In a world where light is often hidden by darkness...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Okay, that's it, we're officially LOST."
Sailor Phoenix elbowed the auburn-haired girl in the ribs as the group
slowly trudged down the hallway. There wasn't much room to walk, seeing as
it was a rather thin corridor, so the Galactic Sailors and the three male
members of their group were rather crammed for space; they couldn't really
spread out, unless they wanted to be bathed in darkness rather than the
light of the Staff of Nebulae. Long ago, the torches on the wall had
literally disappeared, a sure sign that the part of Ginnie's lair they were
in was pretty much unused.
Sailor Aurora Borealis scoffed at the comment and rolled her brown
eyes. "We've SEEN this set of stalactites FOUR times!" she complained
loudly.
"No, we have not," stated the Keeper of the Nebulae as she turned a
green-eyed glare toward the whining Scout. "This space is designed to make
us think that way, but there are no curves or corners."
Sailor Earth nodded in agreement, her olive eyes peering into the
darkness. "We couldn't be going in a circle if there's not a circle to go
in."
"Thank you Sailor Obvious," mumbled Sailor Comet under her breath.
Silence swept over the group of warriors as they continued their
trudge through the damp, dank hall, footfalls and heartbeats echoing through
their ears. The light from the Staff of Nebulae was hardly bright enough to
see by, and it seemed to dim a bit as each passing moment went by. It
wouldn't be long before the gold-garbed child controlling the light would
run out of energy and lose her ability to illuminate their path. And no one
wanted to see that.
However, after a few minutes of walking passed, the Galactic Sailors
found themselves at a crossroads of sorts.
Three stairwells, each black as night, stood at the end of the
corridor.
Phoenix glanced down at her computer screen and then to the pink-
haired leader. "From what I can tell," she stated, peering at the older teen
through her blue goggles, "these stairs will all lead to the same place in
the end. It's just a matter of time..."
"And peril," added in the Keeper of the Nebulae, letting the star on
her staff go dark. Miraculously, a glow from above them, presumably torches
that lit the stairs, cast enough light to see by. Green eyes closed as the
girl took in a deep breath, trying to regain some of her lost energy. "I
suggest we spilt up and conquer."
The Starlit Prince nodded in agreement. "Polaris and I will take the
Keeper and the Master of Time up the first step of stairs." He glanced down
at the short, curly-haired Scout. "Is that alright?" he questioned in a soft
tone."
"Fine." The word was like flint, the tone of a battle-hardened soldier
ringing through the area.
Sailor Moon touched the hilt of her sword and nodded slightly. "Then
Helios and I will take both Angel Moon and Sailor Phoenix, going the middle
route."
"Where the leader goes, the computer goes," someone muttered in
annoyance. Eyes turned to glance at Aurora Borealis, who was leaning against
the slimy stone wall, brown eyes half closed. She did nothing more than
grunt.
Brushing hair from her face, the Scout of the Comets looked to the
last set of steps. "Then Chibi-Pluto, Earth, and Aurora Borealis will be
coming with me."
The leader pulled her sword free of its scabbard, the silvery metal
gleaming in the dim illumination. "As soon as you get upstairs, break into a
run," she commanded of the group. "We have to get to the epicenter of this
place as soon as we can, and destroy it."
Her prince's blue eyes closed slowly as, once again, he attempted to
sense the structure of the strange dimension. "It will be safer above," he
volunteered, backing-up Phoenix's earlier ruling. "We should be able to
force our way into her throne room."
"Then, I suggest we do so," stated Chibi-Pluto softly, her hand
gripped tightly around the Key Staff of Time. "From what I can feel of the
Time-Space Continuum, were are very low on time."
"I feel a disturbance, too," put in Angel Moon, her feathery wings
fluttering a bit as she spoke. "But I can't put my finger on it."
Earth put her boot-covered foot on a step and glanced up the stairs.
"To destiny, then," she breathed, beginning her assent.
The others all gulped and nodded.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
All you have is a wing and a prayer...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Her perfectly silver tresses were mused by the wind as she stood,
motionless, before the large, black thunderhead. Her blue eyes were angry
and glaring, her face a stony mask of scorn as she stared at the black
garbed woman who was sitting, long legs crossed, on the edge of said cloud.
A large, black crown was perched upon her head, and glimmering jewels of all
colors rimmed the headgear. Brown eyes glinted evilly as the dark one cupped
her hands to her mouth.
"Well, dear Amber," she called out, deep voice crossing the gap
between the duo, "it seems as though you are once again going to fail!" She
laughed, her giggle falsely demure, and then rested her chin on a fist. "I
can't say that I'll miss the trouble your little child has caused me, once
she dies." Evil Queen Ginnie sighed and shook her head in mock
disappointment. "It will be a shame, a real shame...for you, at least."
The Angel of Moon folded her pale hands at her waist, wrinkling the
smooth white robes she wore. Her azure eyes were a glare, but the tears of
fear and loathing in them made her vision all the blearier. And yet, she
managed to stand stern, her resolve never wavering. "I swear to you,
Ginnie," she growled, her soprano voice echoing through the clouds, "as both
a priestess and a mother, I will make sure you die." She clenched her own
hand tightly, long nails breaking skin and drawing tiny rivulets of crimson
blood. "If Serenity and her friends cannot do it, and if Ambriel cannot do
it, either, than I will personally slit your throat and bathe in your
blood."
If she had the capacity to be truly proud, the small, dark one would
have swelled with pride. However, she had long ago taught herself to ignore
such treacherous emotions. Instead, she smirked, baring her white fangs.
"But, dearest sister," she remarked in a falsetto tone, her smirk
unmistakably cruel, "you are dead. Killed by a fallen angel, if I'm not
mistaken."
Her glare deepening, the white-garbed one took a step forward and
raised a fist at the other woman. The blood from her self-inflicted wounds
was slowly seeping into her thick robes, leaving a foreboding burgundy
splotch amongst pure whiteness. "We are both the fallen!" she exclaimed
ruefully. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she tried desperately to push
them away. "Mother betrayed Heaven by being with a human and, while I tried
to save us both, you ruined our chance for redemption!"
Ginnie tossed her head haughtily. "There is no such thing as
redemption," she scoffed, "when you're dealing with a counsel of spoiled
angels."
Amber was about to respond, but was silenced by a single hand from the
black one. "Besides," continued the Queen of Darkness as she leaned back
against her cloud, one hand to her chest, "while YOU sit here and tell
yourself complacent things about being the Angel of the Moon, I am trying to
seek revenge on the species that caused our mother to fall!" She laughed
evilly, her cackles carrying through the air as, slowly, her cloud began to
back away from the marshmallowy-whiteness of the Angel's miniature heaven.
"It IS a pity, though," she sighed with a slight shake of her head. "You
would have made a very nice angel, in the end."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
And you hope that you'll make it there...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"So, where exactly are we?" questioned Sailor Aurora Borealis as they
made their way down the corridor.
The hallway was made of black marble, just as the one in the basement
had been. At even, precise intervals, large torches hung from the walls,
charred black from years of use. The fire from those torches cast a bright,
almost surreal light on the four young heroines as they strode down the
hallway.
Every so often, there would be a stone door, closed, on one side of
the hall. Beside those doors were electronic keypads that, according to
Sailor Chibi-Pluto, had been rendered useless. However, on a closer
inspection, it seemed as though someone had crudely cut the wires behind the
pads and--without the technical knowledge of Sailor Phoenix--they were at a
loss to restore the high-tech system.
The doors remained closed.
They were, in fact, coming up on another of those doors as Sailor
Earth turned her head to glance at the languid auburn-haired one. "We're in
the living quarters," she wagered as she drew and gloved had through her
messy tresses. "On the second floor. And we're hopefully on our way to
Ginnie, too."
"I would be willing to place my trust in her words," nodded Sailor
Chibi-Pluto as she marched alongside the others. "And we must certainly find
this Evil Queen, or the world as we know it will certainly be shattered
forever."
"Blah, blah, blah," mocked the older soldier as she leaned back her
head and focused on the ceiling. "What about YOU, S.C.?" she asked of the
last Galactic Sailor. "You like to play leader; what do you think?"
The brunette was a good ten feet ahead of the other three and, though
the question was asked directly of her, she did not slow in her quick stride
down the corridor. "I think," she responded in a soft, almost worried tone,
"that there's going to be trouble."
Sailor Earth smiled slightly. "Come now, Comet," she chided with a
certain amount of surprise in her voice. "Don't you think that I'd feel the
evil spirits if there were--"
Her thought was cut off by a mighty roar originating from very near
the brunette Scout.
Chibi-Pluto wordlessly tightened her grip on her Key Staff and glared
in the direction of the sound. Then, suddenly, something slammed into Sailor
Comet and threw her into the wall. The entire area shook with the force of
yet another roar.
This was enough for the other threesome of warriors. Aurora Borealis
pressed herself up against the nearby stone door, hiding herself in the
doorframe. Earth grabbed onto the wrist of the smaller Scout and threw them
both into the wall. There was the audible "whoosh" of something quickly
flying by, and three fukus were ruffled by a new, unseen breeze. Another
roar sounded, followed by several low growls.
"What IS that?" gaped Sailor Earth as she stared off into the
distance, seeing nothing despite the bright, torch-cast light.
Chibi-Pluto's normally impassive tone returned as she leaned, panting,
against the wall. "This dimension," she reminded the older Scout, "is very
much like Hell. Therefore, whatever can exist in Hell..."
"Can and will exist here!" exclaimed the dark-haired one as she
glanced down the hallway.
Aurora Borealis stayed in her place across the hall, still pressed
against the thick marble door, but her brown eyes wandered first to the
prone Scout, Comet, and then to the duo up against the opposite wall. "Are
there REALLY invisible monsters in Hell?" she asked quickly.
The little girl glared in her general direction. She gulped and forced
a smile. Slowly, even so slowly, the auburn-haired one pulled herself away
from the doorway and started out into the middle of the...
"Don't!" yelped Sailor Earth nervously as she watched her fellow Scout
start toward the center of the hall. "You're nuts, you know that?" All color
drained from the face of the younger teen as she watched Aurora Borealis
near what would be the battle path of the creature. "You're signing your own
death certificate!"
Of course, the cynic of the group refused to listen. Instead, she
centered herself in the hallway, seemingly in a battle-ready stance, hands
folded at her chest like those of a praying child. Her eyes slowly closed
and her brow wrinkled slightly as she took a deep breath.
The air began to crackle with unseen energy, and it sent a pulsating
breeze about the area. The teen's skirt ruffled as, slowly, she pulled her
hands a good foot apart and took another, long breath.
"Great power of Light, the Aurora Borealis," she summoned, an almost
metallic green glow welling up between her open palms. "Guide us to the
truth." Brown eyes popped open suddenly. "Aurora Borealis SHINING!"
The green light flashed, basking all in a glow so bright that it was
nearly painful. Suddenly, at the end of the hall, was a giant demon-like
creature. It was a good ten feet tall and was covered with black, curly
hair. Red eyes shone from under heavy, brown lids, and horns stuck up all
over its head.
"That's what we've got to beat?" gaped Sailor Earth, unmoving.
"But...but... It's NASTY!" She shivered slightly.
A giant rock that looked oddly like a bowling ball shot from the
center of the creature, and it was all Aurora Borealis could do to dive to
the floor, letting it sail over her. She glared daggers at the raven-haired
Scout. "Obviously those cheerleaders rubbed off on you."
The younger teen frowned before plunging forward into the hall and
thrusting out the palms of her hands. "Tsunami!" she announced in a loud
voice.
Cool water smashed into the chest of the creature. It roared out in
pain, and tried to avoid the stream, but it was a lost cause.
And then, it began to melt.
"Of course!" exclaimed Chibi-Pluto triumphantly, rushing out into the
hall to observe the goings-on. "The creature is most likely created from
some sort of fire-based substance!" She beamed and brushed her green bangs
from her eyes, then pressed her lips together. Her expression went from
pleased to slightly reflective. "But a large and powerful attack will be
needed to finish off such a being." She cupped her chin in a gloved hand and
twirled the Key Staff around in the other. "And, with Comet out of
commission as she is right now..."
It took all of the auburn-haired one's strength to NOT beam the child
upside the head. "Hey!" she yelled from her spot on the floor, glancing up
at the pensive Scout. "Why not use Dead Scream?"
Earth was already panting, her stream becoming less and less powerful.
And the creature seemed to be recovering, slightly, from its half-melted
state.
"Right!" exclaimed the girl, readying her staff. "DEAD SCREAM!"
Purplish-red light shone from her Garnet Orb and blasted right into
the monster. It roared, and there was an explosion, sending little chunks of
demon-creature splattering about the walls. Sailor Earth let her tsunami end
and collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath. Aurora Borealis clambered to
her feet just in time to see a rather...smug...looking Comet leaning against
the wall, her hands on her hips.
"It's amazing," she commented, teal eyes half-closed. "I can be one of
your best friends, but you won't come to check on me when I'm laying prone
on the ground."
"Hey!" protested Aurora Borealis. "I thought we should kill the
monster first, SO--"
She was interrupted by a thump. All eyes turned to the small green-
haired girl, who was leaning heavily on her Key Staff. "You can argue
later," she reminded them, nodding down the hallway. "Right now, we have to
defeat Ginnie...before all else is destroyed."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
But you never know what's around the next corner...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
With each step she took, the Keeper of the Nebulae thumped her staff
on the ground. The deep thunking sound echoed through the corridor, the
strange metallic quality reverberating right off the walls and ceiling. In
its own way, it seemed to shake three of the four warriors. Or maybe it was
not the vibration at all but the beating of their own hearts.
Both destined couples walked side-by-side, the years between them
spanned by one destiny. The bright torches on the walls lit their path of
dark marble, but the palace-lair of the Evil Queen was still foreboding,
light or not. They had been silent since mounting the stairs, for no one
knew quite what to say. And, with the stern, iron-faced Keeper of the
Nebulae striding right alongside the less solemn trio, no one dared to
speak.
After a good fifteen minutes of their slow trudge down the hall, the
Master of Time glanced nervously at the golden girl beside him. "You know,"
he commented offhandedly, not wanting to annoy the severe soldier that was
his destined, "we've been walking a long time and haven't really gotten
anywhere."
The green eyes didn't blink or move from the seemingly endless passage
that stretched out before them. "I have noticed," returned the Keeper in her
normal, timeless lilt. "Why do you mention this?"
Sailor Polaris glanced down at her sister and the little boy. The
brunette child was obviously pretty embarrassed; he still wasn't completely
used to the fact that the Keeper and Celeste Mokoti were two completely
different people. In fact, as it stood, he hardly realized that two forms
could occupy the very same body. He gulped and focused his bright red orbs
on the ground.
"I... I was thinking," he remarked softly, "that maybe this could be
an illusion to keep us going straight ahead."
The Keeper of the Nebulae, for one brief moment, looked completely
awe-struck and amazed. Her forest-colored eyes sparked for a scant second
with a strange cross between pride and surprise. Then, the mask of steel
returned and the lead-willed Keeper of the Nebulae raised her chin the tiny
centimeter it had fallen. "I had not thought of such a thing," she admitted
in a tone that could almost be thought of as humble. Almost. "However," she
continued after a short pause, "I do not think it could be so. I would have
sensed such a thing."
Peter's expression went from excited to crestfallen. "Oh."
"But," put in the Keeper as she turned her head to smile at the boy,
that certain Celeste sparkle to her entire being, "it was good guess!"
He smiled. The two older Scouts smiled. All seemed good.
And, therefore, it came as a complete surprise when the hallway
suddenly took a sharp left.
Standing at the corner, Sailor Polaris drew her lower lip in between
her teeth. "What should we do about this?" she questioned softly, a bit
confused to why, suddenly, there would be such a sharp turn in the path.
"I understand that Queen Ginnie does have a few mental issues..."
"Perhaps it IS to confuse us," suggested the Starlit Prince with a
shrug as he removed his top hat just long enough to rake a hand through his
hair. "That would be quite plausible, in the end."
The Master of Time rolled his eyes. "You're starting to talk like my
sister," he pointed out with a roll of his blood-colored eyes, "and she
never solved much." He pointed to the corner, which seemed to attach to
another hall before straightening into one corridor. "Look, if it meets up
with another hall, then..."
The Keeper of the Nebulae smiled and put a hand on her destined's
shoulder. "Then we are bound to meet up with one of our allies." She tried
earnestly NOT to look pleased, but the overall effect failed. "We should
go."
No sooner than had she said this when four forms, three relatively
tall and one much shorter, came into view. The Scouts didn't need to
exchange words to know who it was.
Aurora Borealis, Earth, Chibi-Pluto, and a limping Comet.
"Are you hurt?" questioned Polaris nervously as her group joined the
others. Her brown eyes glanced down at the ankle of the oldest Galactic
Sailor, which was obviously swollen, despite the boot around it. "Because,
honestly, you look the part."
The brunette chuckled in her normal, good-natured way and shook her
head. "I've dealt with worse," she commented with a shrug. "Hell, I still
remember what it felt like to die, last time around..."
Polaris shivered. She'd been spared.
"Well, no time to chat," put in the auburn-haired one as she eyed the
wider, brighter hall before them. "We've got to get Ginnie."
Chibi-Pluto and her brother exchanged glances. "The time draws near,"
they chorused, young voices echoing through the hall.
"Then, you go up ahead," commanded Polaris as she eyed Comet's ankle
once again. "We'll be right behind you."
Sailor Earth raised a raven eyebrow. "You sure?" she asked doubtfully.
The curly-haired one grinned. "I'm a big girl AND a princess," she
chided the younger Scout. "I'll be fine."
"And I'll be with them," stated the Starlit Prince sternly. "Go right
ahead."
"Just don't get killed," grinned Comet with a teal-eyed wink.
The five broke into a run down the hallway, leaving their three
compatriots behind.
And they didn't look back.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
No one ever told you that having faith is half the battle...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"I'm worried," sighed the tall woman as she glanced out the large back
door at the ever-darkening city of Tokyo. Slowly, she raised one hand to
touch the glass, her green eyes staring up at the ebony storm clouds. "What
will happen to them?"
With a slight shake of her head, Mina Mokoti pulled a blanket over the
sleeping form of her youngest child. "I don't know," she choked, softly
laying a kiss upon her little girl's brow. "But I think they will survive."
Nodding in agreement to her friend's statement, Amy leaned back in the
kitchen chair, her cobalt eyes riveted to a picture of herself, her
daughter, and the man she had one called husband. "And, even if they
don't..." She stumbled over the words she wished to say and pressed her
eyelids shut. A tear escaped. "They WILL survive, Lita; they HAVE to."
Wordlessly, the soldier of the planet Jupiter slammed her fist into
the cool, clear surface of the door. The rain splattered against the glass,
sending tiny rivulets of water streaming down to the ground. She gulped back
tears.
"You can't act like this," her destined love stated from his spot on
the couch beside a snoring Mokoti child. "It's not worth it. Whatever
happens, happens."
She turned on him, emerald eyes hateful. "It suits YOU to think that,
doesn't it?!" she roared angrily, crossing both the Urawa kitchen and living
room to stand directly in front of him. "You don't really care what happens
to this planet, do you? You don't care if you live or die, do you?"
Catching the woman's wrist, Ken rose and pulled the hysteric,
struggling brunette in his arms. She immediately buried her head in his
shoulder and began to sob, her entire body shaking.
"We all have to understand that this is it," stated Andrew as he
strode into the kitchen from the front hall. His brown eyes sought for and
found the bright, baby-blue orbs that belonged to his wife. "But this is not
the end. I know it."
"Either that," grumbled Marie, her back to the wall as she closed her
deep, chestnut eyes, "or you're wrong and we're doomed."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
So let love take you to a place... A place where you can find your face...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"We never got to say goodbye, you know."
Three women, two men, and a tiny baby were all gathered around the
island in the center of the kitchen.
The blonde, her sandy hair messy as she rested her head in her hands,
shook her head and tried desperately to steady her voice. "She's my
baby...my little girl..." Her gray-green eyes smashed shut as she hid her
face from the others, her jaw clenched. "And I never got to say goodbye."
Eyes adverted. Hannah Hartford reached out and clutched the hand of
her husband, her purple eyes aflame with both fear and hope as she stared at
the tiny child that was asleep in her arms. Michelle Ten'ou hesitantly
rubbed the back of her upset partner and love, not allowing the emotions to
set in. And Terrence...
"I never dared to tell you this," he stated suddenly, green eyes
closed as he spoke, "but I know that the world won't end."
Everyone glanced at him, both confused and delighted in the strange
news. He gulped and opened his bloodshot eyes, his gaze darting about the
table almost erratically. "As long as the Gates of Time remain open," he
continued in a level tone, "that means the future is intact. And, if the
future is intact..."
"Then the girls could not have lost, yet," finished the aqua-haired
musician quickly, before the man could finish his thought. "But they could
still lose, couldn't they."
The Bringer of the Silence shook her head. "Not with Saturn dormant,
like she is," she put in, her soft voice almost prophetic as she smoothed
the short hair of her daughter. "If the world is to be destroyed, then I, as
Terrence, would know of it."
With a sigh, Brian ran a shaky hand through his blonde tresses. "Such
power, you all have," he remarked nonchalantly, chewing on his lower lip.
"I'm almost jealous."
His wife shot him a wayward, confused glance.
"I said 'almost,' dear one."
Alexandra Ten'ou sat up a bit and stroked the wavy hair of her
destined, almost as though she was thanking her. "So, is this the symphony's
end?" she asked with a slight cock of her head.
Her wife smiled slightly. "Think of it more," she returned, "as a
grand pause."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Heart matters... Heart shatters... Heart clatters to the floor...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"I think," commented Sailor Moon as she trudged up the slanted
hallway, "that there is too much going up and not enough going down." She
tried to stand straight up in the hill-like corridor, only to find herself
inches away from bashing her brains out on the ceiling. Even her pointy pink
buns brushed the cool, damp marble above. Frowning, she wrinkled her button
nose and sighed. "Are we lost or WHAT?"
The fingers of her left hand quickly traversing the various keys of
her computer, Sailor Phoenix glanced at her leader through the VR goggles.
"From what I can tell," she responded, "we have to go through a pan-
dimensional doorway to get out of here. And that should come up relatively
soon, actually."
"Why do badguys like inter-dimensional palaces so much?" questioned
Angel Moon almost suspiciously. "It's just creepy."
Her 'father' shot her an annoyed glare. She backed down and focused on
fluttering up the incline.
The blue-haired Scout, however, didn't notice the glare, so she
bothered to respond. "I guess it's for the same reason that they wear such
funny clothes," she retorted, grinning down at the child in the white robes.
"I mean, they probably do it so the good guys will consider them too big a
bother--or just too weird--to beat them."
Just then, a bright flash of yellow surrounded them all and they
entered another room. It was enormous, ceiling covered with dripping
stalactites and the floor an endless expanse of black marble.
And, at the opposite end of that room was the Queen of Darkness.
Ginnie.
"Good to see you, Sailor Moon," she chortled as she leaned back
against the cool stone of what looked to be her throne. "And you brought a
few Scouts! How nice!"
The leader of the Galactic Sailors bristled immediately and took no
hesitation in waving her drawn sword at the woman. "You coward!" she yelled
angrily, bright eyes dulling in anger and she glared at the stranger that
was their adversary. "First, you send meaningless creatures after us, and
now you can't even greet the ones who come to kill you!" She took a long
step forward, the heel of her boot echoing across the chamber. "But you will
fight me, you monster! You hear?"
Smoothing the fabric of her short skirt, the Queen nodded. "It's not
like I'm deaf," she retorted with a slight frown, slowly floating down from
her perch. "It's that I'm evil." She grinned, her smile so evil that it
defied words, and pulled a sword from null-space. Immediately, her short
skirt and tunic-like top morphed into a long, black gown. It glittered
brightly, as though a million of the galaxy's stars had landed down on the
ebony fabric of her dress. Upon her head was perched a crown, made from a
mass of black metal and rimmed with beautiful, colorful jewels.
"We will fight," she stated with a nod, her black-bladed sword
sparkling brilliantly. "But I will win."
And metal clashed against metal.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Faith matters... Hope shatters... And love gives you all and more...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Do you think you can do this?" he asked the High Priest of Elysion,
deep brown eyes staring at the woman who sat, motionless, on the window
seat.
They were still in the guestroom of the palace, even though their
Master had been told that they were leaving. But Abigail, as adamant as a
mule, had refused to go when they had 'unfinished business.' The tone in her
voice still frightened Brice, despite the fact that he knew what was going
to happen. She could be so cold and so kind at the exact same time...
Her silver eyes didn't turn to glance his way, but the sorrow within
them was obvious. "I have to," stated the Priestess, her hands folded in her
lap. "I don't have a choice."
Reaching out, the young man smoothed the tangled blue tresses of his
friend. "You're worried sick," he commented, trying to sound chipper. "You
didn't even brush your hair this morning." Forcing a smile, he reached over
to the bed table and took her gold-handled brush from it. "But that's fine,
because I'm used to long hair." He chuckled at himself and ran a hand
through his mossy hair. "Nothing I can't handle."
She didn't move as the young man, still standing at her side, began to
pull the brush through the azure strands. She remained stern, and calm, and
focused...
"I'm a pretty shitty high priestess," she blurted out after a long
moment of silence, clenching her eyelids shut to hold in the coming tears.
"I pulled us from home, and now I have to use a spell that I don't even
know..." She drew the butt of her hand across her closed eyes, wiping away
tears. "But I just HAVE to do this, don't you see? I HAVE to..."
Sighing, Brice walked to her other side and sat down on the edge of
the window seat. He cautiously wrapped an arm around her shoulders, not at
all surprised as she fell into his arms, sobbing. "Whatever happens,
Abigail," he soothed, quelling her fears, "I will be your friend."
"That's all I need..." she whimpered, like a child lost in a rain
storm. "I need a friend."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Don't turn your head, don't run away... Those who you love
are here to stay...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The two swords clanged against each other, the deep metallic sound
ringing through the ears of the warriors.
Evil Queen Ginnie caught one of her adversary's attacks rather well,
and the two swords locked together. Bringing her face to meet that of the
short, pink-haired girl, she grinned proudly. Her dark hair rimmed her
sweaty face. "Give up?" she questioned mockingly.
"Never!" Sailor Moon pulled away from the woman and brought her sword
with her. They continued to jab and parry, desperately trying to gain the
upper hand.
Neither did.
"What's happening?" questioned an urgent voice, and all three of
Moon's group-mates turned to see a mass of panicked Sailor Scouts behind
them. Of the five, four had horrified, pained expressions on their faces, as
though they had just seen a ghost.
The Keeper of the Nebulae was stoic.
Helios wrung his hands and pulled his blue eyes from the battle and to
the floor. "They're fighting for the fate of the world," he sighed, a deep
regret in his voice.
"We let Mama rush into things," moaned a shaking, nervous Angel Moon.
"We couldn't stop her," nodded Phoenix after the other two had spoken,
her ice-colored gaze meeting with the brown of Aurora Borealis'. "She
wanted to do this on her own."
Sailor Chibi-Pluto's black skirt was ruffled by an unseen breeze as
she watched the battle. Her grip on the Key of Time seemed to tighten with
every passing blow. "There's something bad coming," she whispered hoarsely,
her body beginning to shake. "I can feel it..."
And just then, there was a louder CLANG than before and a sword went
flying into the wall.
"SERENITY!" screamed the silver-haired priest, rushing out of the
group toward the woman he loved.
But it wasn't his Princess who had lost her sword.
Kneeling, the Evil Queen Ginnie bowed her head. Her hands were folded
in a sort of twisted prayer as her dark eyes stared at the floor. Aimed
directly at her throat was the bright silver blade of the Moon Saber.
For a moment, the young man thought he might faint. However, a smile
from Sailor Moon told him that he was viewing the truth. Without hesitation,
he strode over toward the Queen and his love, a goofy grin on his face.
"Please..." pleaded the Queen of Evil, her crown nearly falling from
her head as she gazed up, teary-eyed, at the Princess of the Earth. "I am
sorry..." She gulped and let a single tear roll down her pale face. "I... I
was hurt by humans long ago," she lamented, her voice almost a squeak as she
spoke. "I just wanted to make them feel what I felt, and... I know I was
wrong." She took in a shuddering, wheezing breath. "Forgive me, Your
Highness. I shall never wrong you or another again."
Slowly, VERY slowly, Sailor Moon began to pull her sword away from the
head of her adversary. Her entire body was shaking, but she ignored it. She
was crying from the words of the dark-haired woman, and she couldn't hide
either her surprise or pride as she gazed down at the stranger.
"Rise, my child," the Galactic Sailor of the Moon stated, her voice
firm despite her tears. "You are forgiven for all that has happened."
There was a 'click' as her sword was returned to its scabbard.
Sailor Earth, though she was across the room, suddenly began to shake.
"No!" she gasped, her voice caught in her throat. "NO!"
Suddenly, there was a flash of black as Ginnie's sword sprung from the
wall and into her hands. Hastily, she swung, two handed, at the body nearest
her... The body she could reach.
There was a slash. Blood splattered, its redness heavy in the air
before it crashed down around her panting, black garbed form.
And only the Keeper of the Nebulae was able to remain calm.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Heart matters...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"You're worried about her, aren't you?"
He didn't have to open his tired copper eyes or turn his impossibly
aching head to know that the loud, brown-haired, goofy Irish teen was
standing over him, her smiling face glittering like the sun.
Shrugging, Eric remained prone. "You seem to know me quite well; you
tell me."
With a slight laugh, Joan perched herself on the edge of his bed and,
wordlessly, jabbed him in the side. The young man sprang straight up, not so
much in pain than from surprise, and shot her a deadly glare...
...which promptly melted away when she grinned and cocked her head to
the side. "Got you up," she pointed out proudly.
Sulking, the other teen fell back into his bed and threw the quilt
over his head. "Go away," came the muffled command from under the covers.
"I don't particularly want to talk to you right now."
Joan tucked her knees up against her chest and leaned back against
what she presumed to be Eric's legs. "I know you're worried about Haley,"
she commented rather casually, "and you, as her true love, should be." There
was an indignant grunt from under the comforter, and she poked the form upon
hearing it. "But you can't save her." She sighed and shook her head, as
though trying to think up the right words. "What's done is done and that is
the end of the entire mess. Either you shape up and stop moping, or I WILL
try some new kick-boxing moves out on you."
A head peeked out from under the thick mass of sheets, and Eric rested
his hands beneath his head, a pensive expression crossing his features.
"Maybe you're right," he sighed.
"Of course!" she interjected cheerily.
"...but that doesn't make this any easier on me." He slowly sat up,
hands resting in his lap as copper eyes met with those of so many colors.
"The problem is that I LOVE her," he lamented with a slight shake of his
head. "It took me three years AND losing her to figure it all out, and now I
could lose her...again..." He closed his eyes and took a deep, shuddering
breath. "I just want to hold her in my arms one more time, Joan... Just once
more..."
Swallowing, the Irish teen chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip for a
long, long moment before she responded. "Someone once said that I'm really
lucky," she commented with a shrug, standing up. "And I guess I am." She
wagged a finger at him. "And you should count yourself lucky, too, because
you got to tell her you love her... Don't bother worrying about the rest."
She winked. "What's done is done. The future's whatever happens. It's the
PRESENT that's important."
With a smile, the young man watched the exchange student retreat. "You
know, Joan," he replied amusedly, "if I didn't have Haley back, I'd probably
want to be with you."
She didn't turn around, but he knew she was smiling. "I don't know if
I'd like being the rebound babe," she retorted, one hand on the doorknob.
"I think that, for now, I'm happy just the way I am."
And she strolled out the door with her head high, as always, humming
the tune to the song 'Sex Bomb' all the way.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
And you see that winning is far away...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Helios was reduced to nothing more than a quivering mass of remorse as
soon as he saw his pink-haired maiden collapse to the floor before him.
Blood flew through the air, and he was dotted liberally with the warm
liquid, but he didn't care. His azure eyes, once so placid and calm, were
welling up with tears even before her body hit the ground.
Serenity, the Princess of his dreams, was dead.
And died protecting him.
Panting, one hand clutched to her chest as the other was tight around
the hilt of her sword, Ginnie clambered to her feet. Her glittering black
gown was soaked with the blood of the fallen Sailor, but she didn't much
care. The Galactic Sailors were all rushing toward her, screaming out names
and profanities and the whatnot, but she hardly listened.
"Alright, Galactic GALS," she spat angrily, raising her sword once
again and pointing it toward the trembling Helios, "that's IT. You move a
muscle, and your silver-haired boyfriend, here, gets it."
The group of girls and young women skidded to a stop. Only the Keeper
of the Nebulae remained moving, but she was far enough behind the rest that
the dark-haired woman hardly batted an eyelash in her direction.
Suddenly, three more figures appeared near the back of the room. A
young man, dressed in a cape, tuxedo, top hat, and ballroom mask was
accompanying two other Scouts. The taller of the two was leaning on the
shorter, and seemed to be limping.
Ginnie grinned. "MORE toys," she chortled merrily, her brown eyes
staring down the trio in the doorway. "Come on over and see the mess I
made." She cackled a little.
"Who ARE you?!" demanded Angel Moon loudly, both Phoenix and Earth
holding her back from rushing straight toward the 'business end' of Ginnie's
sword. "You can't possibly be human!"
Smirking, the Queen nodded and let her sword drop a millimeter.
"You're right," she replied to the girl, "I'm not." She took a step forward,
her boots making a sick squishing sound in the crimson blood of the Sailor
Scout of the Moon. "However, Angel Moon, I am your aunt."
Everyone gasped in startling unison, minus the stern Keeper of the
Nebulae.
"My name is Ginnie," she greeted the group with a nod, "and I am a
fallen angel."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
And you can't bring yourself to pray...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Even her cloud, once the brightest of white, was marred by the
darkness that was rapidly taking over the city of Crystal Tokyo. Her whole
heart ached as she sat on the edge of the fluffy whiteness, her placid face
marred with worry.
Suddenly, there was a bright glimmer of silver, and a streak of light
danced about her head. She laughed at the antics of the light and shook her
head. "Why, Orion," she smiled at the shape-shifter, "it's good to see you
retained your humor in such a dark time."
Then, two cats appeared, one a grinning calico and the other a rather
green-looking orange-and-white bicolor. As the female of the pair strode
across the cloud to greet her friend, the male laid down.
"Next time you're going out," grumbled Orb as he struggled to hold
down his Meow Mix, "I'm staying home."
Orion ignored her mate's griping and walked right next to the Angel of
the Moon, plopping down on her haunches as soon as she got there. "Your
sister was ALWAYS a trouble-maker," she stated blandly, shaking her head.
"After all, an angel who is declared fallen as an infant..."
Sighing, the silver-haired woman closed her eyes. "You know that I'm
fallen, too," she reminded the cat softly. "I don't even see why, now, you
bothered to come here to attempt to cheer me up."
"Hey, it's what I DO!" argued the calico, laying down and resting her
head on her paws. "Besides, I certainly am NOT going to let you worry all
alone."
The Ambriel who was nicknamed Amber sighed once again and leaned back
into her cloud, stretching her long body out much like a cat would do.
"Ginnie is going to win," she moaned, her voice filled with sorrow, "or
she's going to bring down most the Sailor Scouts trying."
"I know," admitted the Guardian of the Silver Star. "But we've just
got to pray, now, and hope it all works out."
The Angel of the Moon gulped back tears. "Do you really think they can
do it, Orion?" she asked quietly.
"I think," retorted the cat, "that they HAVE to."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
And it looks like death is right around the next corner...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"What are you talking about?" demanded Sailor Comet angrily as she
stumbled toward the front of the group, booting aside the others in a
completely random manner. She refused to let her angry teal eyes glance down
at the body of her fallen leader, because she knew that it would end her
resolve. "You can't possibly be a fallen angel!"
Brushing aside a strand of wavy hair, the Queen of Darkness smiled in
her demonic way and cocked her head at the brunette who stood, defiant,
before her. "Really?" she questioned in a slightly challenging tone. "I
CAN'T, Sailor..." Her brown eyes lowered just long enough to study the small
symbol on the teen's locket. "Sailor Comet?" She batted her eyelashes
innocently. "Don't you think I would look incredible in white?"
Angel Moon, still struggling against the arms of the other Scouts,
lowered her gray eyes. "You can't be related to me!" she shrieked, her high
voice breaking as tears streamed down her pale cheeks. "No family of mine
would kill my mother!"
Ginnie laughed at the child's comments, and she could feel the dirty
glares that were being sent her way. Sailor Aurora Borealis took a shaky
step forward, only to find the business end of the sword pointed straight
between her eyes. "You move," growled the Queen, "and you're dead. Period."
Gulping, the auburn-haired one took a shaky step back, her chestnut
eyes falling away from the sword to glance down at the bloody, motionless
Sailor Moon.
Her pink pigtails were beginning to soak in a bit of blood, their
perfect softness seemingly lost. A deep, gory slash was ripped through the
chest of the teen's fuku, and the blood on the white leotard fabric was
already drying to be a depressing shade of crimson. The bleeding had halted
only moments before, and the pool of blood around her body was large and
seemed, still, to be spreading.
She could feel her body shake as she closed her eyes and let free the
tears. There was nothing they could do, then.
"As I was saying," continued Ginnie, her sword slowly traveling back
to its position above Helios' head, "I am a fallen angel." She smiled and
cocked her head to one side. "You see, a long time ago, my mother fell in
love with a human and gave birth to twins." She rested her chin between her
thumb and crooked index finger, but kept telling her tale. "The first of the
two twins was born with this certain...sick...innocence about her. She was
beautiful, with silver locks and blue eyes."
Angel Moon shivered. "Amber..." she breathed softly, her body going
limp in the embrace of her two captors.
"And the other was me."
The Evil Queen raised her head to the ceiling, sword still straight
and menacing, black blade shining. Her walnut-colored eyes sparkled. "My
sister and I made a vow," she informed the group softly, "to never get near
humans. We thought that, if we purged ourselves of our mortal flesh, we
would be freed of such harm..." She pulled her head down from above to glare
straight into the eyes of the trembling redheaded girl. "But my sister,
being weak, allowed herself to fall in love with one of her priests from the
Silver Moon!" Her grip on the sword tightened, and the blade began to
shudder violently. She threw back her head for a brief moment and laughed.
"But I killed her!" she announced to the room, her deep voice booming across
the marble. "I killed her and made it so the Silver Moon would die with
her!"
Suddenly, the heiress of the Silver Moon burst out of the confining
arms of both Phoenix and Earth and took to the air, her wings spreading out
to carry to toward the woman.
"SUPREME ANGELIC GLOW!" she screamed as loudly as she could, her eyes
clenched shut as she threw several bolts of sparkling silver straight toward
the woman who was her aunt. "SUPREME ANGELIC GLOW!"
Ginnie gasped and dropped her sword, letting it clatter loudly to the
floor as she dove out of the silver's path.
Helios slowly raised his head and glanced up at the shrieking child in
the air. "Ambriel..." he whispered, his blue eyes staring at her, almost not
seeing. "Don't die, too..."
Rising, the Evil Queen smiled and began shooting yellow bolts of
lightning at the child. "Angel hunting!" she grinned, dodging attacks while
throwing her own. "This is something I will most certainly enjoy!"
"What can we do?" asked Sailor Polaris softly, a hand to her mouth as
she watched the child and the Queen of Darkness do battle.
The Keeper of the Nebulae pushed her way to the front of the group,
her staff brightly shining as she silently watched the goings-on. Her green
eyes were both teary and concerned, but she didn't let it show. Her face was
the normal stoic mask it always was...
"There is nothing, right now, that we can do," she answered the teen
that, in the flesh, was her sister. Her tired eyes fluttered closed. "Until
the Crystal appears, there is nothing we can do but hope."
And, for some reason, hope seemed futile.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
But then, you remember that there is light...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Do you even realize what, exactly, she is?" questioned a soft voice
from the hallway of Cherry Hill Temple.
The young man turned his head slowly, blue-eyed gaze meeting bright
violet orbs that could see right into his very soul. They had only met that
afternoon, after the Galactic Sailors had departed for the realm of Evil
Queen Ginnie, but he already felt a certain empathy for the beautiful raven-
haired woman. Just like the empathy he felt for that woman's sixteen-year-
old daughter.
With a slight smile, Sebastian Yoshiko closed his eyes and leaned back
into the couch, shrugging his shoulders. "She's a Galactic Sailor," he
responded to the priestess in the doorway. "She fights for both love and
justice, just like they talk about on TV. What's there to know?"
Raye scoffed at his comment, frowning as she strode into the room. "I
don't appreciate your defense mechanism," she stated blandly as she took up
a seat beside him on the couch. "But at least I know you're using one."
"What do you mean by that?" he questioned, opening a single eye. "This
is no defense ANYTHING, Mrs. Yuuichirou." An eyelid fluttered closed once he
saw that the woman had adverted her glance. "I am honestly not worried about
your daughter, though I know what she is."
The Shinto woman settled into the couch, staring out the window at the
darkened city. She could hardly see Crystal Palace due to all the clouds,
and that fact caused her heart to drop. Something was wrong, and something
was happening, and she was powerless... "Do you know, then, that she's going
to die?"
Both of his eyes popped open as he stared at the woman. She was
impassive, emotionless, using that same battle-face that he had seen Tara
attempt to use on him. Well, it didn't work, and he knew her words to be
truth. And that frightened him.
"No." He sighed. "I didn't know that."
"You cannot know something that is not certain," responded the
Mistress of Mars coolly as she rose from her seat, smoothing her temple
robes as she did so. Her purple eyes sparkled with the magical light of
hope. "No one knows what is going to happen to that girl, including me." She
smiled gently at him. "But those of us who care for her are worrying,
right?"
Sebastian smiled, the hope dawning in his eyes as well. "Right."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
And with that comes all your might...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"This is madness!" roared Sailor Chibi-Pluto, ignoring the comment
coming from her leader. "Ambriel, do you have a death wish?!" Her voice
cracked and the multicolored eyes welled up with tears as she clutched her
Time Key to her chest. The angel ignored her and continued with her futile
attempts to bring down the evil queen. "Why..." whimpered the green-haired
Scout of Time. "Why must you throw your life away, accomplishing nothing?"
It had been decided that not one of the Sailor Scouts, as powerful as
a few were, could attack Ginnie without catching Angel Moon in the haze.
They were sporadically throwing attacks and moving about the chamber in much
a random matter that it would be impossible to hit just one. And, if it
wasn't possible to hit only Queen Ginnie...
There was a flurry of black skirts as the dark-haired one threw
another bolt of yellow energy, laughing all the while. It nicked the top of
one of Angel Moon's feathery wings, and down the child went, landing hard on
the black marble floor.
Sailor Chibi-Pluto immediately attempted to run forward, but she was
halted by the Staff of Nebulae. Her bright eyes glanced to the stern,
emotionless girl in gold.
And the Keeper nodded. "Watch, Aeris," she breathed softly, a certain
lilt to her voice that sounded oddly more like Celeste than the destined
keeper of so much power. "You won't be disappointed."
Her jaw fell open slightly, as she was surprised that the omnipotent
Chibi-Scout leader would use her name, but she remained silent and, as all
the others did, she stared at Angel Moon and Ginnie.
The little girl pushed herself across the floor as quickly as she
could, gray eyes never leaving the face of her pursuer. It was quite obvious
that she was in pain; every movement of her injured left wing brought a
wince, and already a small trickle of blood was trailing down the feathers.
Still, she tried desperately not to seem scared as she backed away from her
attacker...
...and right into the marble wall.
Frantically, she whipped her head about, trying to find a way out of
her position. Less than ten feet spread out between herself and the evil
woman, and she couldn't easily dart to either her left or her right without
endangering herself further. Gulping, she drew her knees to her chest and
buried her face in her robes, motionless.
"Well, well, well," chortled Ginnie, brushing a single strand of
sweat-soaked hair from her face as she spoke. "It appears that the littlest
angel isn't so hot to trot when she's been hurt." Halting in her pursuit
only three feet from the girl, she crouched down and rested an elbow on her
knee. "Are you ready to die, little one?"
Slowly, Angel Moon raised her head. Surprisingly, her gray eyes were
bright and tearless, and her face was the absolute picture of calmness.
Wordlessly, she raised a single hand, palm opened toward Ginnie, in the air.
The Queen jumped up as quickly as she could, utterly surprised by the
child's actions, but also cognizant of what they meant.
But, before she could react, the child had whispered "supreme angelic
glow."
There was an explosion of silver, sending the evil woman careening
backward, right into the opposite wall of the room. Carefully, Angel Moon
picked herself up off the ground, smoothing her robes as she did so. Her
white boots echoed on the marble as she strode across the width of the
chamber to stand over the quivering form of the evil queen.
Ginnie choked on her own spit and glared up at the child, her face
scratched and bruised from the impact of the blast. "This isn't over," she
hissed, grabbing onto the wall for support as she attempted to climb to her
feet. "You haven't won yet."
"I know," stated the child valorously, staring up at her dark aunt
with fearless eyes. "But that was for my mother."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
And suddenly life isn't as hard as it seemed to be...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Now!" screamed the Keeper of the Nebulae abruptly, animated for the
first time. "Attack her while she's down!"
All the Galactic Sailors stared at the gold-garbed child, unmoving.
The suddenness of her exclamation had left the group of warriors unprepared.
They haphazardly spread out, moving as quickly as they could to create a
rough semi-circle around the fallen Dark Queen.
But it was too late. Ginnie had sprung to action at the same
approximate time as the Keeper, and by time the Galactic Sailors were
prepared to attack, she had seized the young angel by the robes and pulled
her into her arms. A tiny knife, the blade only as long as a finger,
appeared in the woman's hand as she backed against the marble wall.
"I don't think so," she drawled in a deep tone, blowing her tangled
hair from her sweaty, dirt-covered face. She brought the blade of the knife
straight toward the throat of the girl. Her brown eyes sparked triumphantly.
"To kill me means killing her, and don't think I won't slit her throat
before the attack hits me, either." Smirking, she cocked her head to one
side. "You're caught between a rock and a knife-wielding evil queen,
girlies; what's the choice?"
The Galactic Sailors all glanced nervously at one another, no one
quite sure what to do. Already, tears were streaming down the cheeks of a
motionless Angel Moon, who was whimpering helplessly in the grip of her
captor. "Please..." she whispered, clenching her eyelids shut. "Just kill
the woman."
From his spot beside the fallen Sailor Moon, Helios raised his head
and gaped at the little girl, his bleary, tear-filled cobalt eyes just
staring at her as she begged for the death of both herself and the evil
woman. "Ambry..." he breathed, remembering all the times that the redheaded
child had caused him so much trouble. Slowly, he rose from his spot and
began to stride toward Ginnie, his state completely trance-like.
And he went unnoticed.
"Good choice," smiled the Queen, tossing her head haughtily. "Now,
form a nice, tight group over by the throne..." She glared at the girls on
the outskirts of the horseshoe, namely Sailors Phoenix, Earth, and Chibi-
Pluto. "Do you want her to DIE?"
They immediately began scurrying toward the large marble seat, trying
not to glance at the silver-haired man, lest they give him away.
Ginnie's grin grew as she turned to face the throne and began to back
away from the group. "Very good," she praised them in a falsetto tone as she
strode away. "Now, I'm taking Angel Moon to another room of this palace, and
I do NOT want you following me." All eyes met hers as the Galactic Sailors
and the two male warriors nodded in agreement. "If I hear a footfall, a
WHISPER, even, she's toast." The knife neared Angel Moon's throat by another
few centimeters. "Do you understand?"
"Let me die..." cried the red-haired girl, her pale face stained with
tears. "Without Mama, I don't have anything to live for... And if my death
can save the world..."
Then, suddenly, a burst of light enveloped Angel Moon and Queen
Ginnie. Helios, one hand pointed straight toward the captor and captive,
smiled.
"By the power of Elysion," he smirked, striding over to the front of
the now-frozen scene.
The dark one tried desperately to jerk her knife into the girl's
jugular, only to find that she could not move. "What the Hell did you do,
you tunic-wearing freak?" she demanded of the priest as he repositioned her
arms to free Angel Moon. "I can't be beaten by a spell like this!"
Picking up the still child, the young man sighed. "You're right," he
admitted solemnly, "you can't. My magic will wear off once I'm twenty feet
away." He sighed and kissed the head of the motionless child. "But, to save
my daughter, I would sacrifice myself."
"You...IDIOT!" roared the Queen as she continued to attempt to free
herself from the spell. "You silver-haired asshole! You let me go right now,
or I'll... I'll spit on the corpse of Sailor Moon!"
He grimaced at this comment but said nothing as he carried the girl
toward the group. Just as he said, the spell suddenly wore off once he was
halfway between the woman and the other Sailor Scouts.
"DIE!" she screamed as soon as she was freed, rushing toward the man,
knife raised high.
"Double Dead Scream."
The purple energy racked her body and sent her slamming into the
marble wall for the second time that battle. She coughed up into her hand,
not needing to look down to know it was blood.
Standing at the front of the group of Galactic Sailors were the Pluto
twins, looking quite pleased with themselves. She wrinkled her nose and them
and began to climb to her feet, her knife still raised. Yellow energy
cackled around her.
"Now!" yelped the Keeper of the Nebulae. "Join hands and fight! We
must all do it together!"
Sailor Polaris looked at the commanding girl in doubt. "And you?" she
questioned softly.
The nine-year-old smiled slightly and raised her staff. "Someone needs
to do the actual fighting," she replied to her sister. "Don't worry."
It was a matter of seconds before the warriors all joined hands and
closed their eyes, readying themselves for the fight of their lives.
"Give it your all!" commanded the young girl in gold. "Without Sailor
Moon, it'll take all our energy!"
"Earth Power!"
"Polaris Power!"
"Phoenix Power!"
Ginnie, standing on shaky legs, glared her brown eyes toward the girl
with the long, golden rod in her hands. "You..." she coughed, her lips
splattered with her own blood. "You think you can win, do you?" She took a
trembling step forward, nearly falling once again.
"Aurora Borealis Power!"
"Comet Power!"
The Keeper of the Nebulae nodded sternly toward the woman. "I believe
in the power of my friends," she stated blandly. "You may have injured us by
slaying Sailor Moon, but we are by no means crippled."
"Pluto Power!"
"Pluto Power!"
"By the power of the Silver Moon..."
"By the power of the Silver Star..."
"By the power of Elysion..."
White light suddenly began to gather at the front of the Staff of
Nebulae. Queen Ginnie smirked and pushed her crown up on her brow. "THIS is
the best you can do?" she questioned smugly, her knife suddenly glittering
yellow as energy crackled around its blade. "Well, then, it's time to die."
"We will not die," responded the girl as she lowered her green eyes.
"We will triumph!"
She swung her staff. "And by the power of the Gold Star..."
"WE...ARE...ONE!"
White met yellow in a clash of brightness, its glow illuminating the
entire room. The Galactic Sailors and their three male counterparts, hands
joined, poured all their wills into defeating Ginnie. And still, neither
power gained the upper hand in the strange, eternal game of tug-of-war they
were playing.
The Keeper of the Nebulae felt the sweat dripping down her brow, but
she ignored it. There was a feeling, nagging at the edge of her soul, and
she couldn't place it... And yet, she could... It was as if, though they had
waited months to face the evil queen, something was missing...
The Crystal of Illusion! Of course! Why hadn't she thought of it
earlier?
Closing her eyes, she willed a small part of her existence to reach
out and find that very crystal.
But the question she held inside was:
Would it work?
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Sometimes destiny plays games that test your love and sorrow...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Her blue eyes ached as, silently, she stared out at the blacked city.
Years ago, she had founded that world, using only the Silver Imperium
Crystal and a brilliant prayer to turn a world of dormancy into a true
masterpiece.
But utopia was a paradox, as she had found in her first few years of
rule. There was no utopia, because good and evil always had to clash. And,
whether it be monsters or demons, the peace of Crystal Tokyo was never
permanent...
But, nonetheless, did her daughter have to die?
"You know, don't you?" questioned a weak voice from behind her, and
she turned her head slowly to see the short, chipper handmaiden Lisa
standing behind her. The young woman, however, was not her normal self; she
was wringing her hands nervously and adverting her blood-shot gaze. Her face
was pale and streaked from crying. "You know that's she's gone, don't you?"
she asked a second time, her breaths coming in short, shuddering gasps. "I
can feel it, Se--Your Highness, and I know that it's only moments before..."
"There is no such thing as knowing she's dead," retorted the Queen of
the Earth as she turned her head away from the younger woman and back to the
window. Her long hair fell about her body like cape, no longer in its sacred
buns, as she searched for the words to explain. "Because there is magic,"
she continued after a long, heavy pause, "there is the chance she can live."
Lisa pressed her lips together. "And, do you think..."
Serenity shrugged and forced a smile. "She's died before and come
back," she responded, "and I wouldn't be surprised if she can do it again."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
But you just have to hang on to your faith, and then you'll find tomorrow!
* * * * * * * * * * * *
'Please...'
Her face hurt from clenching her eyes as tightly shut as they were.
'In the name of all things sacred...'
She could feel the desperation welling up inside of her entire body.
'Come to me...'
And then, suddenly, time seemed to slow.
Descending through the ceiling of the great stone chamber was
something small and glittering. And orange. No larger than a golf ball, it
slowly drifted down, toward the black-garbed woman, its multi-faceted
surface gleaming brightly.
The Keeper of the Nebulae could feel its glow on her face and slowly
opened her eyes. Ginnie saw it, as well, and the smile on her face was
impossible to hide as she dropped her knife to the floor.
In a few seconds, it would all be over.
And then, the Queen began to call out the words of summoning.
"Light of tomorrow and dusk of today!"
Three...
She could feel her heart sink. Even if it distracted Ginnie, it would
be too late! A tear escaped from a green eye and trailed down her cheek.
"Envision my dream in the following way!"
Two...
"Bring darkness to reality, the least pure wish come true!"
'Please...' begged Celeste from her spot within the Keeper's soul.
'Please...' begged the Keeper.
'Just don't let it end!'
One...
"Reinvent the Earth for my vision, bring life a--"
Silence.
BOOM!
The explosion rocked the entire chamber as, suddenly, the white light
collided with the Queen of Darkness, Ginnie. Upon touching the fallen angel,
the white light engulfed her completely.
And it was gone.
Opening their eyes, the Galactic Sailors slowly pulled apart from one
another, striding cautiously toward where there had once stood a woman.
All that was left was a knife.
Above it all hovered the Crystal of Illusion, gone almost completely
unnoticed by the group of warriors. It floated over where its mistress had
once stood, as though examining the situation.
Then, suddenly, it flew over toward Angel Moon and placed itself right
in front of her eyes.
"Oh?" gasped the child, staring at the bright orange orb. "What's
this?"
Turning around to glance at the girl, all eyes went large at the
strange sphere that was before them. The redhead slowly raised a hand and
caught the crystal in her hand, staring at it. "You choose me as your
mistress?" she asked of it, as though the object could respond. "But why?"
Bending down, Sailor Polaris stared into the eyes of the Silver Moon
heiress. "You do know, don't you?" she queried with a certain spark to her
brown eyes.
Smiling, the girl nodded timidly and slipped the crystal into her
robes. "I suppose I do." Turning her head toward the bloody warrior near the
center of the room, she sighed miserably. "But I think that it doesn't
matter anymore."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Heart matters... Heart shatters... Heart clatters to the floor...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The black clouds suddenly seemed to burst, giving away to a brightly
blue sky. The young man, who was sitting in a window-side seat in his living
room, jumped a good mile into the air as he witnessed the phenomena.
Brushing his dark brown bangs from his eyes, he looked out on the
glittering city of Crystal Tokyo. It seemed to be a Heaven, its quartz-
covered palace and perfectly managed streets clean and shining after the day
of rain.
"A brand new day," smiled Todd Walker, his blue eyes glimmering as he
stared out at the world. "I like it."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Faith matters... Hope shatters... And love gives you all and more...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The Galactic Sailors gathered around the blood-covered body of their
fallen leader. Her bright, scarlet eyes were closed, her saber clutched in
her hand as she lay on the ground.
"It happened too fast," sighed Helios, shaking his head slowly as he
gazed down at the body of his beautiful Princess. "I was her target, and she
dove in front of me..."
Sailor Phoenix, who had been crouched at the side of the still young
woman, shook her head slowly and rose. Her face was completely pale as she
gazed down at the small smudge of half-dried blood she'd gotten on her
glove. And yet, somehow, she didn't have the will to wipe it off.
She took a shuddering breath. "There's no pulse," she breathed, her
eyes welling up with tears as she sniffled and tried to smile. "I'm afraid
that she never had a chance..."
"This coming from a Sailor Scout?" chortled a voice suddenly as two
characters, dressed completely in white, strode into the chamber through a
door. One was a tall female, her sky-blue tresses and bright silver eyes
leading her to be considered quite beautiful. Accompanying her, holding one
of her hands enveloped in his, was an equally tall, muscular man with
shaggy, moss-colored tresses and deep brown eyes. They were Abigail, the
temporary High Priest of Elysion, and her traveling companion, Brice.
The priestess smiled brightly and let go of her friend's hand,
striding straight toward the Master of Elysion. "I'm sorry, Master," she
began her explanation, trying desperately to sound neither complacent nor
annoying. "I know I told you that we were leaving to return to Elysion,
however--"
"What are you doing here?" hissed the man, his fists clenched at his
sides as he glared teary daggers at the young woman. "Can't you see that I
have been through enough pain in a day than to have to cope with the likes
of YOU?"
Catching him by the collar of his tunic, the young woman lowered her
eyes, their unusual color adding to the frightening edge of her glare. "I am
here," she retorted in a low growl, "to invoke the legendary 'life' spell."
She released him and rested her hands on her hips. "Unless, of course, YOU
would like to try that same spell, a spell that only the nuns of Elysion can
use."
Helios crossed his arms over his chest, not backing down in the least.
"Why is it that you, sweet-as-sugar-to-everyone-else Abigail, mix as well
with me as oil mixes with water?" he demanded in a low tone.
Rolling her eyes, the young woman tossed her head of hair. "It's
because you're stubborn," she retorted, "and it's the only way I can deal
with the likes of you."
There was a tug on her robes, and she glanced down to see the tiny,
redheaded 'daughter' of the Princess Serenity. "Can you save her?" whispered
Angel Moon weakly, staring up at the woman. Her left wing was torn on the
top, dried blood matting the feathers together. It looked quite painful,
actually, and the blue-haired one felt her resolve waver.
Could she really save the Princess using a spell that no one had used
in a thousand years?
Did she have a choice?
"Of course, little one," she replied, smiling brightly down at the
child. She batted her eyelashes slightly and smoothed the skirts of her
outfit. "Don't you worry."
Angel Moon pulled away, and Abigail stepped forward hesitantly, her
leather sandals hardly sturdy footgear for the bloody floor. She glanced
down at the Princess who she had only met days before.
Even in death, Sailor Moon was the most beautiful woman she had ever
seen.
Wordlessly, she kneeled by soldier's head and closed her eyes.
"Now..."
She gulped.
"Now, we pray."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Don't give up, you cannot lose...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Taking a deep breath, the young woman began to whisper words in an
arcane language, their guttural sound almost painful to the ears. She moved
her hands in a precise pattern, their motions perfectly matching up with
each symbol. It was almost a dance in its own way, beautiful and mystical...
And seemingly deadly.
Brice clutched his hands to the chest of his robes, lips moving along
with every last word, his breathing matching her infliction perfectly. For
months, she had secretly practiced the ancient life spell under the roof of
the Keep of Priests. It had, for centuries, been passed down from nuns to
other nuns, never leaving the convent.
Until now.
And it would bring the Princess back to life.
In theory.
Suddenly, Abigail's eyes popped open, and her hands fell to her lap. A
bead of sweat dripped off the tip of her nose as she stared down at the body
before her.
Silence.
Angel Moon whimpered slightly, looking to the silver-haired man behind
her for support. Helios' lips curved slightly into a smile.
"Watch."
Silver, white, gold, and black suddenly streamed out of Sailor Moon's
still body, wrapping around her form just as the ribbons of her
transformation did. Sparkling, glittering bits of energy, like stars fallen
from the night sky, blinked about them.
And then, the colors disappeared and Princess Serenity, dressed in her
normal, white gown, locket laying on her chest, sat up. She clutched one
hand to her forehead and blinked red eyes, confused.
"God, do I have a headache," she mumbled, not even noticing her
surroundings.
There was a pause before her friends burst out in a round of hysteric
giggles and joyous crying. Sailor Polaris buried herself in the Starlit
Prince's embrace, crying into his tuxedo. The Keeper of the Nebulae caught
the hand of the Master of Time and squeezed, sharing with him a secret
smile. The other Sailor Scouts exchanged frantic hugs, and Helios wiped away
tears.
"MAMA!" shrieked Angel Moon, diving into the embrace of her reawakened
'mother.' She buried her face in the shoulder of the young woman, tears once
again falling down her cheeks. Reeny smiled slightly, tears of her own
glistening in her eyes, and stroked the braid of her child. "I was so
worried!" sobbed the girl as her mother tried to console her. "I thought you
were gone for good!"
Looking up at her one true love, the Sailor Scout of the Moon sighed
and let a tear of her own slide down a pale cheek. "So did I..."
"You did well, you know," stated Brice as he watched the scene play
before him, a slight smile touching his lips. "That was amazing."
Abigail grunted, not looking at him. She didn't dare look up, because
she knew, if she did, she would never be able to hold a straight face again.
"I saved her," she whispered weakly. "That's all."
Pulling the High Priest of Elysion into his arms, the young man smiled
and laid a kiss atop her head. "You saved more than her," he pointed out in
a soft tone. "You saved the world."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
But hope doesn't come unless you choose...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Are we leaving, now?" questioned the Princess of the Earth as she
leaned on her Prince, red eyes surveying the black-marble room.
Sailor Phoenix glanced up from her computer. "Once we leave," she
stated, "that's it. This space will be forever gone, just a memory of what
has been."
From somewhere in the group of Galactic Sailors, a voice muttered
"good"... And then grunted as it was elbowed by Sailor Comet.
"But..." Angel Moon glanced up at the woman she called mother and
pulled a small, orange ball from her robes. "If we leave, what good is
this?"
Once again, everyone stared down at the Crystal of Illusion, unsure
what to think. The legendary, world-ending Crystal... Entrusted to a five-
year-old of its choosing? None of the soldiers were quite sure what to do.
Except the Keeper of the Nebulae. "You must use the Crystal," she
stated blandly, leaning heavily on her staff as she spoke. Everyone sent
wayward glances in her direction. She grinned. "You know, as well as I do,
that you're the most pure of us all. You won't end the world." Her green
eyes sparkled. "And, if you use it, that's the end of the Crystal."
"The end?" questioned the Master of Time, staring up at the girl
beside him. "Then why didn't they just use it way-back-when?"
The Keeper shrugged. "Perhaps they were frightened," she supplied
noncommittally, gazing down at him. "Or perhaps they were unsure how it
worked."
Gulping, Sailor Earth eyed the little sphere. "Do we want to risk it?"
she croaked, her brow furrowing in thought. "After all..."
"If we do not," put in Sailor Chibi-Pluto, staring down at the round
object in her friend's hand, "then this entire situation could replay itself
in a few years."
"Not the perfect world," agreed the Starlit Prince with a stiff nod.
Taking a step toward the white-garbed angel, the Keeper of the Nebulae
smiled. "Do you remember the words?"
She nodded and gulped back all her fears. It was now...
Or never...
"Light of tomorrow and dusk of today," she began, voice shaking. She
closed her gray eyes, trying desperately to focus all her energy toward
invoking the power of the crystal, "envision my dream in the following way.
Bring darkness to reality, the least pure wish come true... Reinvent the
Earth for my vision, bring life a--"
Silence. Everyone stared.
Ginnie had ended before the spell was done! Bring life a... A...
Rhymed with true...
"Anew," whispered a soft voice in her ear.
The voice of the Angel of the Moon, Amber.
Her eyes flew open and she thrust the crystal out before her.
"ANEW!"
There was a POP! and the crystal seemed to melt away into nothingness.
All the Galactic Sailors stared at the girl, expecting something fantastic
to happen.
Aurora Borealis blinked her brown eyes. "That's IT?" she questioned
suspiciously. "No giant implosion or great light show?"
Shrugging, the Princess of the Earth leaned against her true love and
smiled slightly. "I suppose that the Crystal's just not what we expected,"
she commented offhandedly.
That was one thing they could ALL agree with.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Heart matters...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Lisa! Lisa, get a load of THIS!"
The young handmaiden sighed, shaking her head. The heaviness in her
heart had been lifted, but NOW... She glanced down the hall at the where
the spunky new handmaiden had disappeared to, not sure exactly what to think
of the next 'surprise' that was in store. The auburn-haired new-comer,
hardly eighteen, found everything from candleholders to stoves dreadfully
interesting...
Striding through the door toward Crystal Gardens, she rolled her blue
eyes. "What NOW, Misty?" she questioned, annoyed.
Suddenly, there was a remarkable sight.
Crystal Gardens, lit by the bright new sun that had dawned over the
city, was filled with birds. Birds of all shapes, sizes, and colors flew
through the air and perched on branches, squawking and chirping more loudly
than anything she had ever heard.
The thin, younger handmaiden tugged on her companion's dress. "Is it
ALWAYS like this?" she gaped, amazed.
Lisa smiled, thinking of only one thing.
Ambriel.
"Yes," she lied, feeling tears come to her eyes. "Yes it is."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
-I Know-
Look around...
(Ambriel stares down at Tokyo from the top tower of Crystal Palace)
So many things aren't clear...
(Aeris and Peter stand before the Gate of Time with terrified expressions)
Don't worry, though...
(Haley smiles and turns a page in her book)
You know that I'll be there...
(Orion and Orb chase after the kittens)
A lot of things are so uncertain...
(Tara, near tears, bites her lip)
The future's on its way...
(Michelle holds Delaney, an amazed smile on her face)
Look into my crying eyes...
(Reeny wipes tears off her cheeks while Serenity watches nervously)
Don't take your love away!
(Alice slams the door in her father's face)
Sometimes, the road looks long...
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)
Sometimes, you feel weak...
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)
Times will change...
(Tara, robes flying, chases Joshua around the courtyard)
People will change, too...
(Haley plays with her now-long hair)
But deep inside...
(Helios takes Reeny's hands in his)
I always will love you...
(Richard bends down to kiss Lyra)
I suppose there are questions now...
(Peter tugs on Terrence's pant leg)
The answers are so far...
(Alice and Phoebe dive for a floating sphere and miss)
But look at me and smile now...
(Hannah and Brian both smile as Alex takes Delaney into her arms)
I am your guiding star!
(Lyra and Richard stare at Celeste and Peter, who are watching the sunset)
Sometimes, the road looks long...
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)
Sometimes, you feel weak...
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)
I know...
(Chibi-Pluto, the Angel Moon, and Chibi-Star stand together)
I know...
(The Galactic Sailors stand together)
All you need is love...
(All nine girls stand together)
All you need...is...love...
(The Prince and Princess of the Stars kiss)
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Next time, shorter ramblings and more story. Plus, dedications (don't gag!)
and...the end of 2nd season...
Author's Ramblings: Well, this is it. The second-to-last Galactic Story.
Okay, well, it's TECHNICALLY the third-to-last, maybe forth (the epilogue
MAY be a two-parter... Heh... Heh... Hn.) Well, whatever the case, this is
Ginnie's episode. So it's all dedicated to our evil Queen, and feel free to
praise her at hotarusilence@yahoo.de After all, if she's made it THIS far,
she deserves some loving from the Galactic fans out there... All three of
you, at least. ^_^
--
In other news, this fic (like 13, but let us never speak of that foul
failure of a story again) uses a song. A song I wrote. But (surprise!) it's
not "I Know!" (By the way, "I Know All you Need is Love" happens to be a
Magic Knights Rayearth song, or so some site said. Are ALL the good song
names taken?) This song is...well, it's odd, tentatively called "Heart
Matters" (okay, I need a better name for that, too), and I would use it as
a Gals opening song... If Gals were an anime series. However, it isn't, but
if anyone wants to send these stories to Naoko, well, find me her e-addy and
I'll take care of the rest! Point: "Heart Matters" is the song, written by
me, and it actually has a tune (the tune I sing it to), but that's about it
on the info.
--
Boy, I rambled A LOT today!
--
Well, I hope you liked 26. And I hope this story goes well (I write all
Ramblings before the fic and then just let the story happen; I'm a method
author, okay?). Because, if it does, it'll end with a BANG!
--
Yours,
Kate
* * * * * * * * * * * *
If you didn't read story 26, go back and read it. You're missing a lot,
otherwise, and these re-caps are SO stupid that I quit doing them. And I'm
allowed to do that. Because I'm the author.
And that, my friends, is where the story begins...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Clinging onto your impossible dreams...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Well, this is it," sighed the small, tan animal as he stared out the
window at the rapidly darkening sky. It seemed as though that, ever since
Ambriel had disappeared and spoken with the Angel of the Moon, thunder had
rocked the city of Crystal Tokyo regularly. Even in the Saturday-morning
sunlight, a gentle reprieve from the swiftly coming darkness, rumbles of
thunder had echoed through the air.
It was an omen if he'd ever seen one.
His green-furred littermate rested her chin on her long legs, sighing.
Her lavender eyes were bloodshot, and he was certain that she'd gotten no
sleep since Ambriel's arrival at the house full days before. "As they say:
'All good things never end.'"
Blue-eyed Carina wrinkled her pink nose and sat stark up on the
ottoman. "But, Ara," she protested loudly, "that's 'all good things must
come to an--'"
She was silenced by the glare of two sparkling, purple eyes. "It's
whatever I say it is, bucko," growled the green one in a low tone. "WHATEVER
I say it is."
"I worry, you know," commented Cassiopeia from her seat on the back of
the couch as she, like her brother, watched the lightning flash across the
sky. "They all mean so much to us, that I worry..."
Galileo snorted. "They mean more to the future," he rebuked the silver
kitten, "than they do to us." His ears flinched back as the firmament burst
open and rain began to pour down on the Earth, the splattering echoing from
the roof of the Ten'ou-Hartford-Chiba household all the way down to the
foundation. He sighed and shook his head slowly. "Without them, the world
wears a giant 'vacant' sign for the evil of the universe."
Nodding solemnly in agreement, Ara closed her bright eyes. "That's
what WE were created for," she reminded the two smaller, less sage kittens.
"We are to protect all that through our wisdom and strength."
"And so?" prompted little Carina, cocking her head in the direction of
her siblings."
"And so," responded the single male kitten, "it's all up to them,
now."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Where nothing is as it seems...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The bright streams of light gave into darkness as the group of fuku-
clad Sailor Scouts landed in a darkened hallway. Stalactites hung from the
ceiling, dangerously close to the heads of the taller warriors, and water
dripped from the ceiling down to the floor. The only fathomable light poured
from a few, crude torches that hung from the walls, and even those cast
nothing more than an eerie glow.
However, it took no prompting for the Keeper of the Nebulae to thrust
her staff into the air. There was the soft whisper of foreign, arcane words
before the golden star atop the long rod alit and cast a bright glimmer of
light down on all twelve people.
Sailor Moon was the first to act. "Is everyone present and accounted
for?" she questioned nervously, glancing around for and then finding Helios.
The Starlit Prince found his Princess. Aurora Borealis and Phoenix
nodded to one another. Comet and Earth exchanged wary glances, and the
Chibi-Scouts all huddled around their Keeper, basking in the warm glow of
the staff.
"Good, then I guess we're okay." The pink-haired leader leaned up
against the wall of the corridor, obviously deep in thought. "The next
question, then, would be--where are we?"
Sailor Phoenix pulled her computer and VR-visor from null-space and
immediately began punching buttons. "I'm trying," she informed the group,
"to get an accurate location reading along with a scanned map of the entire
area, but it could be a few moments." She wrinkled her nose and began
tapping her toe on the ground. "Or a bit longer than that... I shouldn't
have downloaded that MP3 the other day..."
The general response from her offhand comment were groans and moans,
but it was Helios, clad in a silver tunic and a pair of billowy pants, who
didn't retort to her comment. Instead, he closed his bright eyes and let out
a deep breath, slowly focusing his energy. Both Moon and Earth, the two
Scouts on either side of him, stared blankly.
"Does your boyfriend ALWAYS do stuff like that?" mumbled Aurora
Borealis as she watched the young man go completely still and silent.
Rolling her teal eyes, Comet stepped hesitantly forward and tossed her
hair behind her shoulders. "I think we should press forward," she put in to
the group, obviously hoping for some agreement. "Standing around, we're just
sitting du--"
It was then that the silver-haired priest's eyes snapped open and,
without movement, he stuck out an arm. By doing so, he cut off a good three-
fourths the hallway's width, causing the impatient teen to scowl. "I
wouldn't move ANYWHERE if I were you," he protested in a low-pitched tone.
"This area's very unstable."
There was a beep from the computer as he said this, and the blue-
haired teen suddenly found it necessary to nod at his insistence upon
staying put. "This isn't your average doom-ridden corridor," she spoke up,
scrolling through the lines of information while trying to read her
findings. "From what I can tell, this is a twisted dimension that's very
loosely based off both Earth and..." She gulped. "And Hell."
All heads turned to face her, and she nodded cautiously, her icy eyes
never leaving the screen. "This place is directly connected to Earth,
somehow," she continued very, very apprehensively. "And, while we are still
attached to Earth, this is a very unstable dimension. It could easily
collapse on us, and..."
"And?" croaked the Master of Time as he huddled beside the Keeper of
the Nebulae.
"And..." She gulped once again and tried to hide the trembling of her
hands. "If it collapses, we go with it."
All the Galactic Sailors and their related male counterparts drew in
nervous breaths and peered down the hallway, unmoving. A few long, uncertain
moments went by in which nothing beyond the clatter of fingers on keys could
be heard in the area... Not even the panted breath of a group of extremely
frightened young men and women could be noticeable.
"But," the braid-headed Scout suddenly put in, triumphantly, "if we're
careful about what we do and can make it upstairs, then the space will be
more stable."
Her auburn-haired friend blinked. "Where in the Hell are we, then?"
she demanded.
"From what I can tell...the basement."
There was assorted swearing and comments about deities before the
Keeper of the Nebulae started down the hall, taking the light with her.
"Then," she told the group, "we must go."
And, where light went, they followed.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
In a world where light is often hidden by darkness...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Okay, that's it, we're officially LOST."
Sailor Phoenix elbowed the auburn-haired girl in the ribs as the group
slowly trudged down the hallway. There wasn't much room to walk, seeing as
it was a rather thin corridor, so the Galactic Sailors and the three male
members of their group were rather crammed for space; they couldn't really
spread out, unless they wanted to be bathed in darkness rather than the
light of the Staff of Nebulae. Long ago, the torches on the wall had
literally disappeared, a sure sign that the part of Ginnie's lair they were
in was pretty much unused.
Sailor Aurora Borealis scoffed at the comment and rolled her brown
eyes. "We've SEEN this set of stalactites FOUR times!" she complained
loudly.
"No, we have not," stated the Keeper of the Nebulae as she turned a
green-eyed glare toward the whining Scout. "This space is designed to make
us think that way, but there are no curves or corners."
Sailor Earth nodded in agreement, her olive eyes peering into the
darkness. "We couldn't be going in a circle if there's not a circle to go
in."
"Thank you Sailor Obvious," mumbled Sailor Comet under her breath.
Silence swept over the group of warriors as they continued their
trudge through the damp, dank hall, footfalls and heartbeats echoing through
their ears. The light from the Staff of Nebulae was hardly bright enough to
see by, and it seemed to dim a bit as each passing moment went by. It
wouldn't be long before the gold-garbed child controlling the light would
run out of energy and lose her ability to illuminate their path. And no one
wanted to see that.
However, after a few minutes of walking passed, the Galactic Sailors
found themselves at a crossroads of sorts.
Three stairwells, each black as night, stood at the end of the
corridor.
Phoenix glanced down at her computer screen and then to the pink-
haired leader. "From what I can tell," she stated, peering at the older teen
through her blue goggles, "these stairs will all lead to the same place in
the end. It's just a matter of time..."
"And peril," added in the Keeper of the Nebulae, letting the star on
her staff go dark. Miraculously, a glow from above them, presumably torches
that lit the stairs, cast enough light to see by. Green eyes closed as the
girl took in a deep breath, trying to regain some of her lost energy. "I
suggest we spilt up and conquer."
The Starlit Prince nodded in agreement. "Polaris and I will take the
Keeper and the Master of Time up the first step of stairs." He glanced down
at the short, curly-haired Scout. "Is that alright?" he questioned in a soft
tone."
"Fine." The word was like flint, the tone of a battle-hardened soldier
ringing through the area.
Sailor Moon touched the hilt of her sword and nodded slightly. "Then
Helios and I will take both Angel Moon and Sailor Phoenix, going the middle
route."
"Where the leader goes, the computer goes," someone muttered in
annoyance. Eyes turned to glance at Aurora Borealis, who was leaning against
the slimy stone wall, brown eyes half closed. She did nothing more than
grunt.
Brushing hair from her face, the Scout of the Comets looked to the
last set of steps. "Then Chibi-Pluto, Earth, and Aurora Borealis will be
coming with me."
The leader pulled her sword free of its scabbard, the silvery metal
gleaming in the dim illumination. "As soon as you get upstairs, break into a
run," she commanded of the group. "We have to get to the epicenter of this
place as soon as we can, and destroy it."
Her prince's blue eyes closed slowly as, once again, he attempted to
sense the structure of the strange dimension. "It will be safer above," he
volunteered, backing-up Phoenix's earlier ruling. "We should be able to
force our way into her throne room."
"Then, I suggest we do so," stated Chibi-Pluto softly, her hand
gripped tightly around the Key Staff of Time. "From what I can feel of the
Time-Space Continuum, were are very low on time."
"I feel a disturbance, too," put in Angel Moon, her feathery wings
fluttering a bit as she spoke. "But I can't put my finger on it."
Earth put her boot-covered foot on a step and glanced up the stairs.
"To destiny, then," she breathed, beginning her assent.
The others all gulped and nodded.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
All you have is a wing and a prayer...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Her perfectly silver tresses were mused by the wind as she stood,
motionless, before the large, black thunderhead. Her blue eyes were angry
and glaring, her face a stony mask of scorn as she stared at the black
garbed woman who was sitting, long legs crossed, on the edge of said cloud.
A large, black crown was perched upon her head, and glimmering jewels of all
colors rimmed the headgear. Brown eyes glinted evilly as the dark one cupped
her hands to her mouth.
"Well, dear Amber," she called out, deep voice crossing the gap
between the duo, "it seems as though you are once again going to fail!" She
laughed, her giggle falsely demure, and then rested her chin on a fist. "I
can't say that I'll miss the trouble your little child has caused me, once
she dies." Evil Queen Ginnie sighed and shook her head in mock
disappointment. "It will be a shame, a real shame...for you, at least."
The Angel of Moon folded her pale hands at her waist, wrinkling the
smooth white robes she wore. Her azure eyes were a glare, but the tears of
fear and loathing in them made her vision all the blearier. And yet, she
managed to stand stern, her resolve never wavering. "I swear to you,
Ginnie," she growled, her soprano voice echoing through the clouds, "as both
a priestess and a mother, I will make sure you die." She clenched her own
hand tightly, long nails breaking skin and drawing tiny rivulets of crimson
blood. "If Serenity and her friends cannot do it, and if Ambriel cannot do
it, either, than I will personally slit your throat and bathe in your
blood."
If she had the capacity to be truly proud, the small, dark one would
have swelled with pride. However, she had long ago taught herself to ignore
such treacherous emotions. Instead, she smirked, baring her white fangs.
"But, dearest sister," she remarked in a falsetto tone, her smirk
unmistakably cruel, "you are dead. Killed by a fallen angel, if I'm not
mistaken."
Her glare deepening, the white-garbed one took a step forward and
raised a fist at the other woman. The blood from her self-inflicted wounds
was slowly seeping into her thick robes, leaving a foreboding burgundy
splotch amongst pure whiteness. "We are both the fallen!" she exclaimed
ruefully. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she tried desperately to push
them away. "Mother betrayed Heaven by being with a human and, while I tried
to save us both, you ruined our chance for redemption!"
Ginnie tossed her head haughtily. "There is no such thing as
redemption," she scoffed, "when you're dealing with a counsel of spoiled
angels."
Amber was about to respond, but was silenced by a single hand from the
black one. "Besides," continued the Queen of Darkness as she leaned back
against her cloud, one hand to her chest, "while YOU sit here and tell
yourself complacent things about being the Angel of the Moon, I am trying to
seek revenge on the species that caused our mother to fall!" She laughed
evilly, her cackles carrying through the air as, slowly, her cloud began to
back away from the marshmallowy-whiteness of the Angel's miniature heaven.
"It IS a pity, though," she sighed with a slight shake of her head. "You
would have made a very nice angel, in the end."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
And you hope that you'll make it there...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"So, where exactly are we?" questioned Sailor Aurora Borealis as they
made their way down the corridor.
The hallway was made of black marble, just as the one in the basement
had been. At even, precise intervals, large torches hung from the walls,
charred black from years of use. The fire from those torches cast a bright,
almost surreal light on the four young heroines as they strode down the
hallway.
Every so often, there would be a stone door, closed, on one side of
the hall. Beside those doors were electronic keypads that, according to
Sailor Chibi-Pluto, had been rendered useless. However, on a closer
inspection, it seemed as though someone had crudely cut the wires behind the
pads and--without the technical knowledge of Sailor Phoenix--they were at a
loss to restore the high-tech system.
The doors remained closed.
They were, in fact, coming up on another of those doors as Sailor
Earth turned her head to glance at the languid auburn-haired one. "We're in
the living quarters," she wagered as she drew and gloved had through her
messy tresses. "On the second floor. And we're hopefully on our way to
Ginnie, too."
"I would be willing to place my trust in her words," nodded Sailor
Chibi-Pluto as she marched alongside the others. "And we must certainly find
this Evil Queen, or the world as we know it will certainly be shattered
forever."
"Blah, blah, blah," mocked the older soldier as she leaned back her
head and focused on the ceiling. "What about YOU, S.C.?" she asked of the
last Galactic Sailor. "You like to play leader; what do you think?"
The brunette was a good ten feet ahead of the other three and, though
the question was asked directly of her, she did not slow in her quick stride
down the corridor. "I think," she responded in a soft, almost worried tone,
"that there's going to be trouble."
Sailor Earth smiled slightly. "Come now, Comet," she chided with a
certain amount of surprise in her voice. "Don't you think that I'd feel the
evil spirits if there were--"
Her thought was cut off by a mighty roar originating from very near
the brunette Scout.
Chibi-Pluto wordlessly tightened her grip on her Key Staff and glared
in the direction of the sound. Then, suddenly, something slammed into Sailor
Comet and threw her into the wall. The entire area shook with the force of
yet another roar.
This was enough for the other threesome of warriors. Aurora Borealis
pressed herself up against the nearby stone door, hiding herself in the
doorframe. Earth grabbed onto the wrist of the smaller Scout and threw them
both into the wall. There was the audible "whoosh" of something quickly
flying by, and three fukus were ruffled by a new, unseen breeze. Another
roar sounded, followed by several low growls.
"What IS that?" gaped Sailor Earth as she stared off into the
distance, seeing nothing despite the bright, torch-cast light.
Chibi-Pluto's normally impassive tone returned as she leaned, panting,
against the wall. "This dimension," she reminded the older Scout, "is very
much like Hell. Therefore, whatever can exist in Hell..."
"Can and will exist here!" exclaimed the dark-haired one as she
glanced down the hallway.
Aurora Borealis stayed in her place across the hall, still pressed
against the thick marble door, but her brown eyes wandered first to the
prone Scout, Comet, and then to the duo up against the opposite wall. "Are
there REALLY invisible monsters in Hell?" she asked quickly.
The little girl glared in her general direction. She gulped and forced
a smile. Slowly, even so slowly, the auburn-haired one pulled herself away
from the doorway and started out into the middle of the...
"Don't!" yelped Sailor Earth nervously as she watched her fellow Scout
start toward the center of the hall. "You're nuts, you know that?" All color
drained from the face of the younger teen as she watched Aurora Borealis
near what would be the battle path of the creature. "You're signing your own
death certificate!"
Of course, the cynic of the group refused to listen. Instead, she
centered herself in the hallway, seemingly in a battle-ready stance, hands
folded at her chest like those of a praying child. Her eyes slowly closed
and her brow wrinkled slightly as she took a deep breath.
The air began to crackle with unseen energy, and it sent a pulsating
breeze about the area. The teen's skirt ruffled as, slowly, she pulled her
hands a good foot apart and took another, long breath.
"Great power of Light, the Aurora Borealis," she summoned, an almost
metallic green glow welling up between her open palms. "Guide us to the
truth." Brown eyes popped open suddenly. "Aurora Borealis SHINING!"
The green light flashed, basking all in a glow so bright that it was
nearly painful. Suddenly, at the end of the hall, was a giant demon-like
creature. It was a good ten feet tall and was covered with black, curly
hair. Red eyes shone from under heavy, brown lids, and horns stuck up all
over its head.
"That's what we've got to beat?" gaped Sailor Earth, unmoving.
"But...but... It's NASTY!" She shivered slightly.
A giant rock that looked oddly like a bowling ball shot from the
center of the creature, and it was all Aurora Borealis could do to dive to
the floor, letting it sail over her. She glared daggers at the raven-haired
Scout. "Obviously those cheerleaders rubbed off on you."
The younger teen frowned before plunging forward into the hall and
thrusting out the palms of her hands. "Tsunami!" she announced in a loud
voice.
Cool water smashed into the chest of the creature. It roared out in
pain, and tried to avoid the stream, but it was a lost cause.
And then, it began to melt.
"Of course!" exclaimed Chibi-Pluto triumphantly, rushing out into the
hall to observe the goings-on. "The creature is most likely created from
some sort of fire-based substance!" She beamed and brushed her green bangs
from her eyes, then pressed her lips together. Her expression went from
pleased to slightly reflective. "But a large and powerful attack will be
needed to finish off such a being." She cupped her chin in a gloved hand and
twirled the Key Staff around in the other. "And, with Comet out of
commission as she is right now..."
It took all of the auburn-haired one's strength to NOT beam the child
upside the head. "Hey!" she yelled from her spot on the floor, glancing up
at the pensive Scout. "Why not use Dead Scream?"
Earth was already panting, her stream becoming less and less powerful.
And the creature seemed to be recovering, slightly, from its half-melted
state.
"Right!" exclaimed the girl, readying her staff. "DEAD SCREAM!"
Purplish-red light shone from her Garnet Orb and blasted right into
the monster. It roared, and there was an explosion, sending little chunks of
demon-creature splattering about the walls. Sailor Earth let her tsunami end
and collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath. Aurora Borealis clambered to
her feet just in time to see a rather...smug...looking Comet leaning against
the wall, her hands on her hips.
"It's amazing," she commented, teal eyes half-closed. "I can be one of
your best friends, but you won't come to check on me when I'm laying prone
on the ground."
"Hey!" protested Aurora Borealis. "I thought we should kill the
monster first, SO--"
She was interrupted by a thump. All eyes turned to the small green-
haired girl, who was leaning heavily on her Key Staff. "You can argue
later," she reminded them, nodding down the hallway. "Right now, we have to
defeat Ginnie...before all else is destroyed."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
But you never know what's around the next corner...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
With each step she took, the Keeper of the Nebulae thumped her staff
on the ground. The deep thunking sound echoed through the corridor, the
strange metallic quality reverberating right off the walls and ceiling. In
its own way, it seemed to shake three of the four warriors. Or maybe it was
not the vibration at all but the beating of their own hearts.
Both destined couples walked side-by-side, the years between them
spanned by one destiny. The bright torches on the walls lit their path of
dark marble, but the palace-lair of the Evil Queen was still foreboding,
light or not. They had been silent since mounting the stairs, for no one
knew quite what to say. And, with the stern, iron-faced Keeper of the
Nebulae striding right alongside the less solemn trio, no one dared to
speak.
After a good fifteen minutes of their slow trudge down the hall, the
Master of Time glanced nervously at the golden girl beside him. "You know,"
he commented offhandedly, not wanting to annoy the severe soldier that was
his destined, "we've been walking a long time and haven't really gotten
anywhere."
The green eyes didn't blink or move from the seemingly endless passage
that stretched out before them. "I have noticed," returned the Keeper in her
normal, timeless lilt. "Why do you mention this?"
Sailor Polaris glanced down at her sister and the little boy. The
brunette child was obviously pretty embarrassed; he still wasn't completely
used to the fact that the Keeper and Celeste Mokoti were two completely
different people. In fact, as it stood, he hardly realized that two forms
could occupy the very same body. He gulped and focused his bright red orbs
on the ground.
"I... I was thinking," he remarked softly, "that maybe this could be
an illusion to keep us going straight ahead."
The Keeper of the Nebulae, for one brief moment, looked completely
awe-struck and amazed. Her forest-colored eyes sparked for a scant second
with a strange cross between pride and surprise. Then, the mask of steel
returned and the lead-willed Keeper of the Nebulae raised her chin the tiny
centimeter it had fallen. "I had not thought of such a thing," she admitted
in a tone that could almost be thought of as humble. Almost. "However," she
continued after a short pause, "I do not think it could be so. I would have
sensed such a thing."
Peter's expression went from excited to crestfallen. "Oh."
"But," put in the Keeper as she turned her head to smile at the boy,
that certain Celeste sparkle to her entire being, "it was good guess!"
He smiled. The two older Scouts smiled. All seemed good.
And, therefore, it came as a complete surprise when the hallway
suddenly took a sharp left.
Standing at the corner, Sailor Polaris drew her lower lip in between
her teeth. "What should we do about this?" she questioned softly, a bit
confused to why, suddenly, there would be such a sharp turn in the path.
"I understand that Queen Ginnie does have a few mental issues..."
"Perhaps it IS to confuse us," suggested the Starlit Prince with a
shrug as he removed his top hat just long enough to rake a hand through his
hair. "That would be quite plausible, in the end."
The Master of Time rolled his eyes. "You're starting to talk like my
sister," he pointed out with a roll of his blood-colored eyes, "and she
never solved much." He pointed to the corner, which seemed to attach to
another hall before straightening into one corridor. "Look, if it meets up
with another hall, then..."
The Keeper of the Nebulae smiled and put a hand on her destined's
shoulder. "Then we are bound to meet up with one of our allies." She tried
earnestly NOT to look pleased, but the overall effect failed. "We should
go."
No sooner than had she said this when four forms, three relatively
tall and one much shorter, came into view. The Scouts didn't need to
exchange words to know who it was.
Aurora Borealis, Earth, Chibi-Pluto, and a limping Comet.
"Are you hurt?" questioned Polaris nervously as her group joined the
others. Her brown eyes glanced down at the ankle of the oldest Galactic
Sailor, which was obviously swollen, despite the boot around it. "Because,
honestly, you look the part."
The brunette chuckled in her normal, good-natured way and shook her
head. "I've dealt with worse," she commented with a shrug. "Hell, I still
remember what it felt like to die, last time around..."
Polaris shivered. She'd been spared.
"Well, no time to chat," put in the auburn-haired one as she eyed the
wider, brighter hall before them. "We've got to get Ginnie."
Chibi-Pluto and her brother exchanged glances. "The time draws near,"
they chorused, young voices echoing through the hall.
"Then, you go up ahead," commanded Polaris as she eyed Comet's ankle
once again. "We'll be right behind you."
Sailor Earth raised a raven eyebrow. "You sure?" she asked doubtfully.
The curly-haired one grinned. "I'm a big girl AND a princess," she
chided the younger Scout. "I'll be fine."
"And I'll be with them," stated the Starlit Prince sternly. "Go right
ahead."
"Just don't get killed," grinned Comet with a teal-eyed wink.
The five broke into a run down the hallway, leaving their three
compatriots behind.
And they didn't look back.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
No one ever told you that having faith is half the battle...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"I'm worried," sighed the tall woman as she glanced out the large back
door at the ever-darkening city of Tokyo. Slowly, she raised one hand to
touch the glass, her green eyes staring up at the ebony storm clouds. "What
will happen to them?"
With a slight shake of her head, Mina Mokoti pulled a blanket over the
sleeping form of her youngest child. "I don't know," she choked, softly
laying a kiss upon her little girl's brow. "But I think they will survive."
Nodding in agreement to her friend's statement, Amy leaned back in the
kitchen chair, her cobalt eyes riveted to a picture of herself, her
daughter, and the man she had one called husband. "And, even if they
don't..." She stumbled over the words she wished to say and pressed her
eyelids shut. A tear escaped. "They WILL survive, Lita; they HAVE to."
Wordlessly, the soldier of the planet Jupiter slammed her fist into
the cool, clear surface of the door. The rain splattered against the glass,
sending tiny rivulets of water streaming down to the ground. She gulped back
tears.
"You can't act like this," her destined love stated from his spot on
the couch beside a snoring Mokoti child. "It's not worth it. Whatever
happens, happens."
She turned on him, emerald eyes hateful. "It suits YOU to think that,
doesn't it?!" she roared angrily, crossing both the Urawa kitchen and living
room to stand directly in front of him. "You don't really care what happens
to this planet, do you? You don't care if you live or die, do you?"
Catching the woman's wrist, Ken rose and pulled the hysteric,
struggling brunette in his arms. She immediately buried her head in his
shoulder and began to sob, her entire body shaking.
"We all have to understand that this is it," stated Andrew as he
strode into the kitchen from the front hall. His brown eyes sought for and
found the bright, baby-blue orbs that belonged to his wife. "But this is not
the end. I know it."
"Either that," grumbled Marie, her back to the wall as she closed her
deep, chestnut eyes, "or you're wrong and we're doomed."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
So let love take you to a place... A place where you can find your face...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"We never got to say goodbye, you know."
Three women, two men, and a tiny baby were all gathered around the
island in the center of the kitchen.
The blonde, her sandy hair messy as she rested her head in her hands,
shook her head and tried desperately to steady her voice. "She's my
baby...my little girl..." Her gray-green eyes smashed shut as she hid her
face from the others, her jaw clenched. "And I never got to say goodbye."
Eyes adverted. Hannah Hartford reached out and clutched the hand of
her husband, her purple eyes aflame with both fear and hope as she stared at
the tiny child that was asleep in her arms. Michelle Ten'ou hesitantly
rubbed the back of her upset partner and love, not allowing the emotions to
set in. And Terrence...
"I never dared to tell you this," he stated suddenly, green eyes
closed as he spoke, "but I know that the world won't end."
Everyone glanced at him, both confused and delighted in the strange
news. He gulped and opened his bloodshot eyes, his gaze darting about the
table almost erratically. "As long as the Gates of Time remain open," he
continued in a level tone, "that means the future is intact. And, if the
future is intact..."
"Then the girls could not have lost, yet," finished the aqua-haired
musician quickly, before the man could finish his thought. "But they could
still lose, couldn't they."
The Bringer of the Silence shook her head. "Not with Saturn dormant,
like she is," she put in, her soft voice almost prophetic as she smoothed
the short hair of her daughter. "If the world is to be destroyed, then I, as
Terrence, would know of it."
With a sigh, Brian ran a shaky hand through his blonde tresses. "Such
power, you all have," he remarked nonchalantly, chewing on his lower lip.
"I'm almost jealous."
His wife shot him a wayward, confused glance.
"I said 'almost,' dear one."
Alexandra Ten'ou sat up a bit and stroked the wavy hair of her
destined, almost as though she was thanking her. "So, is this the symphony's
end?" she asked with a slight cock of her head.
Her wife smiled slightly. "Think of it more," she returned, "as a
grand pause."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Heart matters... Heart shatters... Heart clatters to the floor...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"I think," commented Sailor Moon as she trudged up the slanted
hallway, "that there is too much going up and not enough going down." She
tried to stand straight up in the hill-like corridor, only to find herself
inches away from bashing her brains out on the ceiling. Even her pointy pink
buns brushed the cool, damp marble above. Frowning, she wrinkled her button
nose and sighed. "Are we lost or WHAT?"
The fingers of her left hand quickly traversing the various keys of
her computer, Sailor Phoenix glanced at her leader through the VR goggles.
"From what I can tell," she responded, "we have to go through a pan-
dimensional doorway to get out of here. And that should come up relatively
soon, actually."
"Why do badguys like inter-dimensional palaces so much?" questioned
Angel Moon almost suspiciously. "It's just creepy."
Her 'father' shot her an annoyed glare. She backed down and focused on
fluttering up the incline.
The blue-haired Scout, however, didn't notice the glare, so she
bothered to respond. "I guess it's for the same reason that they wear such
funny clothes," she retorted, grinning down at the child in the white robes.
"I mean, they probably do it so the good guys will consider them too big a
bother--or just too weird--to beat them."
Just then, a bright flash of yellow surrounded them all and they
entered another room. It was enormous, ceiling covered with dripping
stalactites and the floor an endless expanse of black marble.
And, at the opposite end of that room was the Queen of Darkness.
Ginnie.
"Good to see you, Sailor Moon," she chortled as she leaned back
against the cool stone of what looked to be her throne. "And you brought a
few Scouts! How nice!"
The leader of the Galactic Sailors bristled immediately and took no
hesitation in waving her drawn sword at the woman. "You coward!" she yelled
angrily, bright eyes dulling in anger and she glared at the stranger that
was their adversary. "First, you send meaningless creatures after us, and
now you can't even greet the ones who come to kill you!" She took a long
step forward, the heel of her boot echoing across the chamber. "But you will
fight me, you monster! You hear?"
Smoothing the fabric of her short skirt, the Queen nodded. "It's not
like I'm deaf," she retorted with a slight frown, slowly floating down from
her perch. "It's that I'm evil." She grinned, her smile so evil that it
defied words, and pulled a sword from null-space. Immediately, her short
skirt and tunic-like top morphed into a long, black gown. It glittered
brightly, as though a million of the galaxy's stars had landed down on the
ebony fabric of her dress. Upon her head was perched a crown, made from a
mass of black metal and rimmed with beautiful, colorful jewels.
"We will fight," she stated with a nod, her black-bladed sword
sparkling brilliantly. "But I will win."
And metal clashed against metal.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Faith matters... Hope shatters... And love gives you all and more...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Do you think you can do this?" he asked the High Priest of Elysion,
deep brown eyes staring at the woman who sat, motionless, on the window
seat.
They were still in the guestroom of the palace, even though their
Master had been told that they were leaving. But Abigail, as adamant as a
mule, had refused to go when they had 'unfinished business.' The tone in her
voice still frightened Brice, despite the fact that he knew what was going
to happen. She could be so cold and so kind at the exact same time...
Her silver eyes didn't turn to glance his way, but the sorrow within
them was obvious. "I have to," stated the Priestess, her hands folded in her
lap. "I don't have a choice."
Reaching out, the young man smoothed the tangled blue tresses of his
friend. "You're worried sick," he commented, trying to sound chipper. "You
didn't even brush your hair this morning." Forcing a smile, he reached over
to the bed table and took her gold-handled brush from it. "But that's fine,
because I'm used to long hair." He chuckled at himself and ran a hand
through his mossy hair. "Nothing I can't handle."
She didn't move as the young man, still standing at her side, began to
pull the brush through the azure strands. She remained stern, and calm, and
focused...
"I'm a pretty shitty high priestess," she blurted out after a long
moment of silence, clenching her eyelids shut to hold in the coming tears.
"I pulled us from home, and now I have to use a spell that I don't even
know..." She drew the butt of her hand across her closed eyes, wiping away
tears. "But I just HAVE to do this, don't you see? I HAVE to..."
Sighing, Brice walked to her other side and sat down on the edge of
the window seat. He cautiously wrapped an arm around her shoulders, not at
all surprised as she fell into his arms, sobbing. "Whatever happens,
Abigail," he soothed, quelling her fears, "I will be your friend."
"That's all I need..." she whimpered, like a child lost in a rain
storm. "I need a friend."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Don't turn your head, don't run away... Those who you love
are here to stay...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The two swords clanged against each other, the deep metallic sound
ringing through the ears of the warriors.
Evil Queen Ginnie caught one of her adversary's attacks rather well,
and the two swords locked together. Bringing her face to meet that of the
short, pink-haired girl, she grinned proudly. Her dark hair rimmed her
sweaty face. "Give up?" she questioned mockingly.
"Never!" Sailor Moon pulled away from the woman and brought her sword
with her. They continued to jab and parry, desperately trying to gain the
upper hand.
Neither did.
"What's happening?" questioned an urgent voice, and all three of
Moon's group-mates turned to see a mass of panicked Sailor Scouts behind
them. Of the five, four had horrified, pained expressions on their faces, as
though they had just seen a ghost.
The Keeper of the Nebulae was stoic.
Helios wrung his hands and pulled his blue eyes from the battle and to
the floor. "They're fighting for the fate of the world," he sighed, a deep
regret in his voice.
"We let Mama rush into things," moaned a shaking, nervous Angel Moon.
"We couldn't stop her," nodded Phoenix after the other two had spoken,
her ice-colored gaze meeting with the brown of Aurora Borealis'. "She
wanted to do this on her own."
Sailor Chibi-Pluto's black skirt was ruffled by an unseen breeze as
she watched the battle. Her grip on the Key of Time seemed to tighten with
every passing blow. "There's something bad coming," she whispered hoarsely,
her body beginning to shake. "I can feel it..."
And just then, there was a louder CLANG than before and a sword went
flying into the wall.
"SERENITY!" screamed the silver-haired priest, rushing out of the
group toward the woman he loved.
But it wasn't his Princess who had lost her sword.
Kneeling, the Evil Queen Ginnie bowed her head. Her hands were folded
in a sort of twisted prayer as her dark eyes stared at the floor. Aimed
directly at her throat was the bright silver blade of the Moon Saber.
For a moment, the young man thought he might faint. However, a smile
from Sailor Moon told him that he was viewing the truth. Without hesitation,
he strode over toward the Queen and his love, a goofy grin on his face.
"Please..." pleaded the Queen of Evil, her crown nearly falling from
her head as she gazed up, teary-eyed, at the Princess of the Earth. "I am
sorry..." She gulped and let a single tear roll down her pale face. "I... I
was hurt by humans long ago," she lamented, her voice almost a squeak as she
spoke. "I just wanted to make them feel what I felt, and... I know I was
wrong." She took in a shuddering, wheezing breath. "Forgive me, Your
Highness. I shall never wrong you or another again."
Slowly, VERY slowly, Sailor Moon began to pull her sword away from the
head of her adversary. Her entire body was shaking, but she ignored it. She
was crying from the words of the dark-haired woman, and she couldn't hide
either her surprise or pride as she gazed down at the stranger.
"Rise, my child," the Galactic Sailor of the Moon stated, her voice
firm despite her tears. "You are forgiven for all that has happened."
There was a 'click' as her sword was returned to its scabbard.
Sailor Earth, though she was across the room, suddenly began to shake.
"No!" she gasped, her voice caught in her throat. "NO!"
Suddenly, there was a flash of black as Ginnie's sword sprung from the
wall and into her hands. Hastily, she swung, two handed, at the body nearest
her... The body she could reach.
There was a slash. Blood splattered, its redness heavy in the air
before it crashed down around her panting, black garbed form.
And only the Keeper of the Nebulae was able to remain calm.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Heart matters...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"You're worried about her, aren't you?"
He didn't have to open his tired copper eyes or turn his impossibly
aching head to know that the loud, brown-haired, goofy Irish teen was
standing over him, her smiling face glittering like the sun.
Shrugging, Eric remained prone. "You seem to know me quite well; you
tell me."
With a slight laugh, Joan perched herself on the edge of his bed and,
wordlessly, jabbed him in the side. The young man sprang straight up, not so
much in pain than from surprise, and shot her a deadly glare...
...which promptly melted away when she grinned and cocked her head to
the side. "Got you up," she pointed out proudly.
Sulking, the other teen fell back into his bed and threw the quilt
over his head. "Go away," came the muffled command from under the covers.
"I don't particularly want to talk to you right now."
Joan tucked her knees up against her chest and leaned back against
what she presumed to be Eric's legs. "I know you're worried about Haley,"
she commented rather casually, "and you, as her true love, should be." There
was an indignant grunt from under the comforter, and she poked the form upon
hearing it. "But you can't save her." She sighed and shook her head, as
though trying to think up the right words. "What's done is done and that is
the end of the entire mess. Either you shape up and stop moping, or I WILL
try some new kick-boxing moves out on you."
A head peeked out from under the thick mass of sheets, and Eric rested
his hands beneath his head, a pensive expression crossing his features.
"Maybe you're right," he sighed.
"Of course!" she interjected cheerily.
"...but that doesn't make this any easier on me." He slowly sat up,
hands resting in his lap as copper eyes met with those of so many colors.
"The problem is that I LOVE her," he lamented with a slight shake of his
head. "It took me three years AND losing her to figure it all out, and now I
could lose her...again..." He closed his eyes and took a deep, shuddering
breath. "I just want to hold her in my arms one more time, Joan... Just once
more..."
Swallowing, the Irish teen chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip for a
long, long moment before she responded. "Someone once said that I'm really
lucky," she commented with a shrug, standing up. "And I guess I am." She
wagged a finger at him. "And you should count yourself lucky, too, because
you got to tell her you love her... Don't bother worrying about the rest."
She winked. "What's done is done. The future's whatever happens. It's the
PRESENT that's important."
With a smile, the young man watched the exchange student retreat. "You
know, Joan," he replied amusedly, "if I didn't have Haley back, I'd probably
want to be with you."
She didn't turn around, but he knew she was smiling. "I don't know if
I'd like being the rebound babe," she retorted, one hand on the doorknob.
"I think that, for now, I'm happy just the way I am."
And she strolled out the door with her head high, as always, humming
the tune to the song 'Sex Bomb' all the way.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
And you see that winning is far away...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Helios was reduced to nothing more than a quivering mass of remorse as
soon as he saw his pink-haired maiden collapse to the floor before him.
Blood flew through the air, and he was dotted liberally with the warm
liquid, but he didn't care. His azure eyes, once so placid and calm, were
welling up with tears even before her body hit the ground.
Serenity, the Princess of his dreams, was dead.
And died protecting him.
Panting, one hand clutched to her chest as the other was tight around
the hilt of her sword, Ginnie clambered to her feet. Her glittering black
gown was soaked with the blood of the fallen Sailor, but she didn't much
care. The Galactic Sailors were all rushing toward her, screaming out names
and profanities and the whatnot, but she hardly listened.
"Alright, Galactic GALS," she spat angrily, raising her sword once
again and pointing it toward the trembling Helios, "that's IT. You move a
muscle, and your silver-haired boyfriend, here, gets it."
The group of girls and young women skidded to a stop. Only the Keeper
of the Nebulae remained moving, but she was far enough behind the rest that
the dark-haired woman hardly batted an eyelash in her direction.
Suddenly, three more figures appeared near the back of the room. A
young man, dressed in a cape, tuxedo, top hat, and ballroom mask was
accompanying two other Scouts. The taller of the two was leaning on the
shorter, and seemed to be limping.
Ginnie grinned. "MORE toys," she chortled merrily, her brown eyes
staring down the trio in the doorway. "Come on over and see the mess I
made." She cackled a little.
"Who ARE you?!" demanded Angel Moon loudly, both Phoenix and Earth
holding her back from rushing straight toward the 'business end' of Ginnie's
sword. "You can't possibly be human!"
Smirking, the Queen nodded and let her sword drop a millimeter.
"You're right," she replied to the girl, "I'm not." She took a step forward,
her boots making a sick squishing sound in the crimson blood of the Sailor
Scout of the Moon. "However, Angel Moon, I am your aunt."
Everyone gasped in startling unison, minus the stern Keeper of the
Nebulae.
"My name is Ginnie," she greeted the group with a nod, "and I am a
fallen angel."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
And you can't bring yourself to pray...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Even her cloud, once the brightest of white, was marred by the
darkness that was rapidly taking over the city of Crystal Tokyo. Her whole
heart ached as she sat on the edge of the fluffy whiteness, her placid face
marred with worry.
Suddenly, there was a bright glimmer of silver, and a streak of light
danced about her head. She laughed at the antics of the light and shook her
head. "Why, Orion," she smiled at the shape-shifter, "it's good to see you
retained your humor in such a dark time."
Then, two cats appeared, one a grinning calico and the other a rather
green-looking orange-and-white bicolor. As the female of the pair strode
across the cloud to greet her friend, the male laid down.
"Next time you're going out," grumbled Orb as he struggled to hold
down his Meow Mix, "I'm staying home."
Orion ignored her mate's griping and walked right next to the Angel of
the Moon, plopping down on her haunches as soon as she got there. "Your
sister was ALWAYS a trouble-maker," she stated blandly, shaking her head.
"After all, an angel who is declared fallen as an infant..."
Sighing, the silver-haired woman closed her eyes. "You know that I'm
fallen, too," she reminded the cat softly. "I don't even see why, now, you
bothered to come here to attempt to cheer me up."
"Hey, it's what I DO!" argued the calico, laying down and resting her
head on her paws. "Besides, I certainly am NOT going to let you worry all
alone."
The Ambriel who was nicknamed Amber sighed once again and leaned back
into her cloud, stretching her long body out much like a cat would do.
"Ginnie is going to win," she moaned, her voice filled with sorrow, "or
she's going to bring down most the Sailor Scouts trying."
"I know," admitted the Guardian of the Silver Star. "But we've just
got to pray, now, and hope it all works out."
The Angel of the Moon gulped back tears. "Do you really think they can
do it, Orion?" she asked quietly.
"I think," retorted the cat, "that they HAVE to."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
And it looks like death is right around the next corner...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"What are you talking about?" demanded Sailor Comet angrily as she
stumbled toward the front of the group, booting aside the others in a
completely random manner. She refused to let her angry teal eyes glance down
at the body of her fallen leader, because she knew that it would end her
resolve. "You can't possibly be a fallen angel!"
Brushing aside a strand of wavy hair, the Queen of Darkness smiled in
her demonic way and cocked her head at the brunette who stood, defiant,
before her. "Really?" she questioned in a slightly challenging tone. "I
CAN'T, Sailor..." Her brown eyes lowered just long enough to study the small
symbol on the teen's locket. "Sailor Comet?" She batted her eyelashes
innocently. "Don't you think I would look incredible in white?"
Angel Moon, still struggling against the arms of the other Scouts,
lowered her gray eyes. "You can't be related to me!" she shrieked, her high
voice breaking as tears streamed down her pale cheeks. "No family of mine
would kill my mother!"
Ginnie laughed at the child's comments, and she could feel the dirty
glares that were being sent her way. Sailor Aurora Borealis took a shaky
step forward, only to find the business end of the sword pointed straight
between her eyes. "You move," growled the Queen, "and you're dead. Period."
Gulping, the auburn-haired one took a shaky step back, her chestnut
eyes falling away from the sword to glance down at the bloody, motionless
Sailor Moon.
Her pink pigtails were beginning to soak in a bit of blood, their
perfect softness seemingly lost. A deep, gory slash was ripped through the
chest of the teen's fuku, and the blood on the white leotard fabric was
already drying to be a depressing shade of crimson. The bleeding had halted
only moments before, and the pool of blood around her body was large and
seemed, still, to be spreading.
She could feel her body shake as she closed her eyes and let free the
tears. There was nothing they could do, then.
"As I was saying," continued Ginnie, her sword slowly traveling back
to its position above Helios' head, "I am a fallen angel." She smiled and
cocked her head to one side. "You see, a long time ago, my mother fell in
love with a human and gave birth to twins." She rested her chin between her
thumb and crooked index finger, but kept telling her tale. "The first of the
two twins was born with this certain...sick...innocence about her. She was
beautiful, with silver locks and blue eyes."
Angel Moon shivered. "Amber..." she breathed softly, her body going
limp in the embrace of her two captors.
"And the other was me."
The Evil Queen raised her head to the ceiling, sword still straight
and menacing, black blade shining. Her walnut-colored eyes sparkled. "My
sister and I made a vow," she informed the group softly, "to never get near
humans. We thought that, if we purged ourselves of our mortal flesh, we
would be freed of such harm..." She pulled her head down from above to glare
straight into the eyes of the trembling redheaded girl. "But my sister,
being weak, allowed herself to fall in love with one of her priests from the
Silver Moon!" Her grip on the sword tightened, and the blade began to
shudder violently. She threw back her head for a brief moment and laughed.
"But I killed her!" she announced to the room, her deep voice booming across
the marble. "I killed her and made it so the Silver Moon would die with
her!"
Suddenly, the heiress of the Silver Moon burst out of the confining
arms of both Phoenix and Earth and took to the air, her wings spreading out
to carry to toward the woman.
"SUPREME ANGELIC GLOW!" she screamed as loudly as she could, her eyes
clenched shut as she threw several bolts of sparkling silver straight toward
the woman who was her aunt. "SUPREME ANGELIC GLOW!"
Ginnie gasped and dropped her sword, letting it clatter loudly to the
floor as she dove out of the silver's path.
Helios slowly raised his head and glanced up at the shrieking child in
the air. "Ambriel..." he whispered, his blue eyes staring at her, almost not
seeing. "Don't die, too..."
Rising, the Evil Queen smiled and began shooting yellow bolts of
lightning at the child. "Angel hunting!" she grinned, dodging attacks while
throwing her own. "This is something I will most certainly enjoy!"
"What can we do?" asked Sailor Polaris softly, a hand to her mouth as
she watched the child and the Queen of Darkness do battle.
The Keeper of the Nebulae pushed her way to the front of the group,
her staff brightly shining as she silently watched the goings-on. Her green
eyes were both teary and concerned, but she didn't let it show. Her face was
the normal stoic mask it always was...
"There is nothing, right now, that we can do," she answered the teen
that, in the flesh, was her sister. Her tired eyes fluttered closed. "Until
the Crystal appears, there is nothing we can do but hope."
And, for some reason, hope seemed futile.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
But then, you remember that there is light...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Do you even realize what, exactly, she is?" questioned a soft voice
from the hallway of Cherry Hill Temple.
The young man turned his head slowly, blue-eyed gaze meeting bright
violet orbs that could see right into his very soul. They had only met that
afternoon, after the Galactic Sailors had departed for the realm of Evil
Queen Ginnie, but he already felt a certain empathy for the beautiful raven-
haired woman. Just like the empathy he felt for that woman's sixteen-year-
old daughter.
With a slight smile, Sebastian Yoshiko closed his eyes and leaned back
into the couch, shrugging his shoulders. "She's a Galactic Sailor," he
responded to the priestess in the doorway. "She fights for both love and
justice, just like they talk about on TV. What's there to know?"
Raye scoffed at his comment, frowning as she strode into the room. "I
don't appreciate your defense mechanism," she stated blandly as she took up
a seat beside him on the couch. "But at least I know you're using one."
"What do you mean by that?" he questioned, opening a single eye. "This
is no defense ANYTHING, Mrs. Yuuichirou." An eyelid fluttered closed once he
saw that the woman had adverted her glance. "I am honestly not worried about
your daughter, though I know what she is."
The Shinto woman settled into the couch, staring out the window at the
darkened city. She could hardly see Crystal Palace due to all the clouds,
and that fact caused her heart to drop. Something was wrong, and something
was happening, and she was powerless... "Do you know, then, that she's going
to die?"
Both of his eyes popped open as he stared at the woman. She was
impassive, emotionless, using that same battle-face that he had seen Tara
attempt to use on him. Well, it didn't work, and he knew her words to be
truth. And that frightened him.
"No." He sighed. "I didn't know that."
"You cannot know something that is not certain," responded the
Mistress of Mars coolly as she rose from her seat, smoothing her temple
robes as she did so. Her purple eyes sparkled with the magical light of
hope. "No one knows what is going to happen to that girl, including me." She
smiled gently at him. "But those of us who care for her are worrying,
right?"
Sebastian smiled, the hope dawning in his eyes as well. "Right."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
And with that comes all your might...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"This is madness!" roared Sailor Chibi-Pluto, ignoring the comment
coming from her leader. "Ambriel, do you have a death wish?!" Her voice
cracked and the multicolored eyes welled up with tears as she clutched her
Time Key to her chest. The angel ignored her and continued with her futile
attempts to bring down the evil queen. "Why..." whimpered the green-haired
Scout of Time. "Why must you throw your life away, accomplishing nothing?"
It had been decided that not one of the Sailor Scouts, as powerful as
a few were, could attack Ginnie without catching Angel Moon in the haze.
They were sporadically throwing attacks and moving about the chamber in much
a random matter that it would be impossible to hit just one. And, if it
wasn't possible to hit only Queen Ginnie...
There was a flurry of black skirts as the dark-haired one threw
another bolt of yellow energy, laughing all the while. It nicked the top of
one of Angel Moon's feathery wings, and down the child went, landing hard on
the black marble floor.
Sailor Chibi-Pluto immediately attempted to run forward, but she was
halted by the Staff of Nebulae. Her bright eyes glanced to the stern,
emotionless girl in gold.
And the Keeper nodded. "Watch, Aeris," she breathed softly, a certain
lilt to her voice that sounded oddly more like Celeste than the destined
keeper of so much power. "You won't be disappointed."
Her jaw fell open slightly, as she was surprised that the omnipotent
Chibi-Scout leader would use her name, but she remained silent and, as all
the others did, she stared at Angel Moon and Ginnie.
The little girl pushed herself across the floor as quickly as she
could, gray eyes never leaving the face of her pursuer. It was quite obvious
that she was in pain; every movement of her injured left wing brought a
wince, and already a small trickle of blood was trailing down the feathers.
Still, she tried desperately not to seem scared as she backed away from her
attacker...
...and right into the marble wall.
Frantically, she whipped her head about, trying to find a way out of
her position. Less than ten feet spread out between herself and the evil
woman, and she couldn't easily dart to either her left or her right without
endangering herself further. Gulping, she drew her knees to her chest and
buried her face in her robes, motionless.
"Well, well, well," chortled Ginnie, brushing a single strand of
sweat-soaked hair from her face as she spoke. "It appears that the littlest
angel isn't so hot to trot when she's been hurt." Halting in her pursuit
only three feet from the girl, she crouched down and rested an elbow on her
knee. "Are you ready to die, little one?"
Slowly, Angel Moon raised her head. Surprisingly, her gray eyes were
bright and tearless, and her face was the absolute picture of calmness.
Wordlessly, she raised a single hand, palm opened toward Ginnie, in the air.
The Queen jumped up as quickly as she could, utterly surprised by the
child's actions, but also cognizant of what they meant.
But, before she could react, the child had whispered "supreme angelic
glow."
There was an explosion of silver, sending the evil woman careening
backward, right into the opposite wall of the room. Carefully, Angel Moon
picked herself up off the ground, smoothing her robes as she did so. Her
white boots echoed on the marble as she strode across the width of the
chamber to stand over the quivering form of the evil queen.
Ginnie choked on her own spit and glared up at the child, her face
scratched and bruised from the impact of the blast. "This isn't over," she
hissed, grabbing onto the wall for support as she attempted to climb to her
feet. "You haven't won yet."
"I know," stated the child valorously, staring up at her dark aunt
with fearless eyes. "But that was for my mother."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
And suddenly life isn't as hard as it seemed to be...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Now!" screamed the Keeper of the Nebulae abruptly, animated for the
first time. "Attack her while she's down!"
All the Galactic Sailors stared at the gold-garbed child, unmoving.
The suddenness of her exclamation had left the group of warriors unprepared.
They haphazardly spread out, moving as quickly as they could to create a
rough semi-circle around the fallen Dark Queen.
But it was too late. Ginnie had sprung to action at the same
approximate time as the Keeper, and by time the Galactic Sailors were
prepared to attack, she had seized the young angel by the robes and pulled
her into her arms. A tiny knife, the blade only as long as a finger,
appeared in the woman's hand as she backed against the marble wall.
"I don't think so," she drawled in a deep tone, blowing her tangled
hair from her sweaty, dirt-covered face. She brought the blade of the knife
straight toward the throat of the girl. Her brown eyes sparked triumphantly.
"To kill me means killing her, and don't think I won't slit her throat
before the attack hits me, either." Smirking, she cocked her head to one
side. "You're caught between a rock and a knife-wielding evil queen,
girlies; what's the choice?"
The Galactic Sailors all glanced nervously at one another, no one
quite sure what to do. Already, tears were streaming down the cheeks of a
motionless Angel Moon, who was whimpering helplessly in the grip of her
captor. "Please..." she whispered, clenching her eyelids shut. "Just kill
the woman."
From his spot beside the fallen Sailor Moon, Helios raised his head
and gaped at the little girl, his bleary, tear-filled cobalt eyes just
staring at her as she begged for the death of both herself and the evil
woman. "Ambry..." he breathed, remembering all the times that the redheaded
child had caused him so much trouble. Slowly, he rose from his spot and
began to stride toward Ginnie, his state completely trance-like.
And he went unnoticed.
"Good choice," smiled the Queen, tossing her head haughtily. "Now,
form a nice, tight group over by the throne..." She glared at the girls on
the outskirts of the horseshoe, namely Sailors Phoenix, Earth, and Chibi-
Pluto. "Do you want her to DIE?"
They immediately began scurrying toward the large marble seat, trying
not to glance at the silver-haired man, lest they give him away.
Ginnie's grin grew as she turned to face the throne and began to back
away from the group. "Very good," she praised them in a falsetto tone as she
strode away. "Now, I'm taking Angel Moon to another room of this palace, and
I do NOT want you following me." All eyes met hers as the Galactic Sailors
and the two male warriors nodded in agreement. "If I hear a footfall, a
WHISPER, even, she's toast." The knife neared Angel Moon's throat by another
few centimeters. "Do you understand?"
"Let me die..." cried the red-haired girl, her pale face stained with
tears. "Without Mama, I don't have anything to live for... And if my death
can save the world..."
Then, suddenly, a burst of light enveloped Angel Moon and Queen
Ginnie. Helios, one hand pointed straight toward the captor and captive,
smiled.
"By the power of Elysion," he smirked, striding over to the front of
the now-frozen scene.
The dark one tried desperately to jerk her knife into the girl's
jugular, only to find that she could not move. "What the Hell did you do,
you tunic-wearing freak?" she demanded of the priest as he repositioned her
arms to free Angel Moon. "I can't be beaten by a spell like this!"
Picking up the still child, the young man sighed. "You're right," he
admitted solemnly, "you can't. My magic will wear off once I'm twenty feet
away." He sighed and kissed the head of the motionless child. "But, to save
my daughter, I would sacrifice myself."
"You...IDIOT!" roared the Queen as she continued to attempt to free
herself from the spell. "You silver-haired asshole! You let me go right now,
or I'll... I'll spit on the corpse of Sailor Moon!"
He grimaced at this comment but said nothing as he carried the girl
toward the group. Just as he said, the spell suddenly wore off once he was
halfway between the woman and the other Sailor Scouts.
"DIE!" she screamed as soon as she was freed, rushing toward the man,
knife raised high.
"Double Dead Scream."
The purple energy racked her body and sent her slamming into the
marble wall for the second time that battle. She coughed up into her hand,
not needing to look down to know it was blood.
Standing at the front of the group of Galactic Sailors were the Pluto
twins, looking quite pleased with themselves. She wrinkled her nose and them
and began to climb to her feet, her knife still raised. Yellow energy
cackled around her.
"Now!" yelped the Keeper of the Nebulae. "Join hands and fight! We
must all do it together!"
Sailor Polaris looked at the commanding girl in doubt. "And you?" she
questioned softly.
The nine-year-old smiled slightly and raised her staff. "Someone needs
to do the actual fighting," she replied to her sister. "Don't worry."
It was a matter of seconds before the warriors all joined hands and
closed their eyes, readying themselves for the fight of their lives.
"Give it your all!" commanded the young girl in gold. "Without Sailor
Moon, it'll take all our energy!"
"Earth Power!"
"Polaris Power!"
"Phoenix Power!"
Ginnie, standing on shaky legs, glared her brown eyes toward the girl
with the long, golden rod in her hands. "You..." she coughed, her lips
splattered with her own blood. "You think you can win, do you?" She took a
trembling step forward, nearly falling once again.
"Aurora Borealis Power!"
"Comet Power!"
The Keeper of the Nebulae nodded sternly toward the woman. "I believe
in the power of my friends," she stated blandly. "You may have injured us by
slaying Sailor Moon, but we are by no means crippled."
"Pluto Power!"
"Pluto Power!"
"By the power of the Silver Moon..."
"By the power of the Silver Star..."
"By the power of Elysion..."
White light suddenly began to gather at the front of the Staff of
Nebulae. Queen Ginnie smirked and pushed her crown up on her brow. "THIS is
the best you can do?" she questioned smugly, her knife suddenly glittering
yellow as energy crackled around its blade. "Well, then, it's time to die."
"We will not die," responded the girl as she lowered her green eyes.
"We will triumph!"
She swung her staff. "And by the power of the Gold Star..."
"WE...ARE...ONE!"
White met yellow in a clash of brightness, its glow illuminating the
entire room. The Galactic Sailors and their three male counterparts, hands
joined, poured all their wills into defeating Ginnie. And still, neither
power gained the upper hand in the strange, eternal game of tug-of-war they
were playing.
The Keeper of the Nebulae felt the sweat dripping down her brow, but
she ignored it. There was a feeling, nagging at the edge of her soul, and
she couldn't place it... And yet, she could... It was as if, though they had
waited months to face the evil queen, something was missing...
The Crystal of Illusion! Of course! Why hadn't she thought of it
earlier?
Closing her eyes, she willed a small part of her existence to reach
out and find that very crystal.
But the question she held inside was:
Would it work?
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Sometimes destiny plays games that test your love and sorrow...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Her blue eyes ached as, silently, she stared out at the blacked city.
Years ago, she had founded that world, using only the Silver Imperium
Crystal and a brilliant prayer to turn a world of dormancy into a true
masterpiece.
But utopia was a paradox, as she had found in her first few years of
rule. There was no utopia, because good and evil always had to clash. And,
whether it be monsters or demons, the peace of Crystal Tokyo was never
permanent...
But, nonetheless, did her daughter have to die?
"You know, don't you?" questioned a weak voice from behind her, and
she turned her head slowly to see the short, chipper handmaiden Lisa
standing behind her. The young woman, however, was not her normal self; she
was wringing her hands nervously and adverting her blood-shot gaze. Her face
was pale and streaked from crying. "You know that's she's gone, don't you?"
she asked a second time, her breaths coming in short, shuddering gasps. "I
can feel it, Se--Your Highness, and I know that it's only moments before..."
"There is no such thing as knowing she's dead," retorted the Queen of
the Earth as she turned her head away from the younger woman and back to the
window. Her long hair fell about her body like cape, no longer in its sacred
buns, as she searched for the words to explain. "Because there is magic,"
she continued after a long, heavy pause, "there is the chance she can live."
Lisa pressed her lips together. "And, do you think..."
Serenity shrugged and forced a smile. "She's died before and come
back," she responded, "and I wouldn't be surprised if she can do it again."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
But you just have to hang on to your faith, and then you'll find tomorrow!
* * * * * * * * * * * *
'Please...'
Her face hurt from clenching her eyes as tightly shut as they were.
'In the name of all things sacred...'
She could feel the desperation welling up inside of her entire body.
'Come to me...'
And then, suddenly, time seemed to slow.
Descending through the ceiling of the great stone chamber was
something small and glittering. And orange. No larger than a golf ball, it
slowly drifted down, toward the black-garbed woman, its multi-faceted
surface gleaming brightly.
The Keeper of the Nebulae could feel its glow on her face and slowly
opened her eyes. Ginnie saw it, as well, and the smile on her face was
impossible to hide as she dropped her knife to the floor.
In a few seconds, it would all be over.
And then, the Queen began to call out the words of summoning.
"Light of tomorrow and dusk of today!"
Three...
She could feel her heart sink. Even if it distracted Ginnie, it would
be too late! A tear escaped from a green eye and trailed down her cheek.
"Envision my dream in the following way!"
Two...
"Bring darkness to reality, the least pure wish come true!"
'Please...' begged Celeste from her spot within the Keeper's soul.
'Please...' begged the Keeper.
'Just don't let it end!'
One...
"Reinvent the Earth for my vision, bring life a--"
Silence.
BOOM!
The explosion rocked the entire chamber as, suddenly, the white light
collided with the Queen of Darkness, Ginnie. Upon touching the fallen angel,
the white light engulfed her completely.
And it was gone.
Opening their eyes, the Galactic Sailors slowly pulled apart from one
another, striding cautiously toward where there had once stood a woman.
All that was left was a knife.
Above it all hovered the Crystal of Illusion, gone almost completely
unnoticed by the group of warriors. It floated over where its mistress had
once stood, as though examining the situation.
Then, suddenly, it flew over toward Angel Moon and placed itself right
in front of her eyes.
"Oh?" gasped the child, staring at the bright orange orb. "What's
this?"
Turning around to glance at the girl, all eyes went large at the
strange sphere that was before them. The redhead slowly raised a hand and
caught the crystal in her hand, staring at it. "You choose me as your
mistress?" she asked of it, as though the object could respond. "But why?"
Bending down, Sailor Polaris stared into the eyes of the Silver Moon
heiress. "You do know, don't you?" she queried with a certain spark to her
brown eyes.
Smiling, the girl nodded timidly and slipped the crystal into her
robes. "I suppose I do." Turning her head toward the bloody warrior near the
center of the room, she sighed miserably. "But I think that it doesn't
matter anymore."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Heart matters... Heart shatters... Heart clatters to the floor...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The black clouds suddenly seemed to burst, giving away to a brightly
blue sky. The young man, who was sitting in a window-side seat in his living
room, jumped a good mile into the air as he witnessed the phenomena.
Brushing his dark brown bangs from his eyes, he looked out on the
glittering city of Crystal Tokyo. It seemed to be a Heaven, its quartz-
covered palace and perfectly managed streets clean and shining after the day
of rain.
"A brand new day," smiled Todd Walker, his blue eyes glimmering as he
stared out at the world. "I like it."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Faith matters... Hope shatters... And love gives you all and more...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The Galactic Sailors gathered around the blood-covered body of their
fallen leader. Her bright, scarlet eyes were closed, her saber clutched in
her hand as she lay on the ground.
"It happened too fast," sighed Helios, shaking his head slowly as he
gazed down at the body of his beautiful Princess. "I was her target, and she
dove in front of me..."
Sailor Phoenix, who had been crouched at the side of the still young
woman, shook her head slowly and rose. Her face was completely pale as she
gazed down at the small smudge of half-dried blood she'd gotten on her
glove. And yet, somehow, she didn't have the will to wipe it off.
She took a shuddering breath. "There's no pulse," she breathed, her
eyes welling up with tears as she sniffled and tried to smile. "I'm afraid
that she never had a chance..."
"This coming from a Sailor Scout?" chortled a voice suddenly as two
characters, dressed completely in white, strode into the chamber through a
door. One was a tall female, her sky-blue tresses and bright silver eyes
leading her to be considered quite beautiful. Accompanying her, holding one
of her hands enveloped in his, was an equally tall, muscular man with
shaggy, moss-colored tresses and deep brown eyes. They were Abigail, the
temporary High Priest of Elysion, and her traveling companion, Brice.
The priestess smiled brightly and let go of her friend's hand,
striding straight toward the Master of Elysion. "I'm sorry, Master," she
began her explanation, trying desperately to sound neither complacent nor
annoying. "I know I told you that we were leaving to return to Elysion,
however--"
"What are you doing here?" hissed the man, his fists clenched at his
sides as he glared teary daggers at the young woman. "Can't you see that I
have been through enough pain in a day than to have to cope with the likes
of YOU?"
Catching him by the collar of his tunic, the young woman lowered her
eyes, their unusual color adding to the frightening edge of her glare. "I am
here," she retorted in a low growl, "to invoke the legendary 'life' spell."
She released him and rested her hands on her hips. "Unless, of course, YOU
would like to try that same spell, a spell that only the nuns of Elysion can
use."
Helios crossed his arms over his chest, not backing down in the least.
"Why is it that you, sweet-as-sugar-to-everyone-else Abigail, mix as well
with me as oil mixes with water?" he demanded in a low tone.
Rolling her eyes, the young woman tossed her head of hair. "It's
because you're stubborn," she retorted, "and it's the only way I can deal
with the likes of you."
There was a tug on her robes, and she glanced down to see the tiny,
redheaded 'daughter' of the Princess Serenity. "Can you save her?" whispered
Angel Moon weakly, staring up at the woman. Her left wing was torn on the
top, dried blood matting the feathers together. It looked quite painful,
actually, and the blue-haired one felt her resolve waver.
Could she really save the Princess using a spell that no one had used
in a thousand years?
Did she have a choice?
"Of course, little one," she replied, smiling brightly down at the
child. She batted her eyelashes slightly and smoothed the skirts of her
outfit. "Don't you worry."
Angel Moon pulled away, and Abigail stepped forward hesitantly, her
leather sandals hardly sturdy footgear for the bloody floor. She glanced
down at the Princess who she had only met days before.
Even in death, Sailor Moon was the most beautiful woman she had ever
seen.
Wordlessly, she kneeled by soldier's head and closed her eyes.
"Now..."
She gulped.
"Now, we pray."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Don't give up, you cannot lose...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Taking a deep breath, the young woman began to whisper words in an
arcane language, their guttural sound almost painful to the ears. She moved
her hands in a precise pattern, their motions perfectly matching up with
each symbol. It was almost a dance in its own way, beautiful and mystical...
And seemingly deadly.
Brice clutched his hands to the chest of his robes, lips moving along
with every last word, his breathing matching her infliction perfectly. For
months, she had secretly practiced the ancient life spell under the roof of
the Keep of Priests. It had, for centuries, been passed down from nuns to
other nuns, never leaving the convent.
Until now.
And it would bring the Princess back to life.
In theory.
Suddenly, Abigail's eyes popped open, and her hands fell to her lap. A
bead of sweat dripped off the tip of her nose as she stared down at the body
before her.
Silence.
Angel Moon whimpered slightly, looking to the silver-haired man behind
her for support. Helios' lips curved slightly into a smile.
"Watch."
Silver, white, gold, and black suddenly streamed out of Sailor Moon's
still body, wrapping around her form just as the ribbons of her
transformation did. Sparkling, glittering bits of energy, like stars fallen
from the night sky, blinked about them.
And then, the colors disappeared and Princess Serenity, dressed in her
normal, white gown, locket laying on her chest, sat up. She clutched one
hand to her forehead and blinked red eyes, confused.
"God, do I have a headache," she mumbled, not even noticing her
surroundings.
There was a pause before her friends burst out in a round of hysteric
giggles and joyous crying. Sailor Polaris buried herself in the Starlit
Prince's embrace, crying into his tuxedo. The Keeper of the Nebulae caught
the hand of the Master of Time and squeezed, sharing with him a secret
smile. The other Sailor Scouts exchanged frantic hugs, and Helios wiped away
tears.
"MAMA!" shrieked Angel Moon, diving into the embrace of her reawakened
'mother.' She buried her face in the shoulder of the young woman, tears once
again falling down her cheeks. Reeny smiled slightly, tears of her own
glistening in her eyes, and stroked the braid of her child. "I was so
worried!" sobbed the girl as her mother tried to console her. "I thought you
were gone for good!"
Looking up at her one true love, the Sailor Scout of the Moon sighed
and let a tear of her own slide down a pale cheek. "So did I..."
"You did well, you know," stated Brice as he watched the scene play
before him, a slight smile touching his lips. "That was amazing."
Abigail grunted, not looking at him. She didn't dare look up, because
she knew, if she did, she would never be able to hold a straight face again.
"I saved her," she whispered weakly. "That's all."
Pulling the High Priest of Elysion into his arms, the young man smiled
and laid a kiss atop her head. "You saved more than her," he pointed out in
a soft tone. "You saved the world."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
But hope doesn't come unless you choose...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Are we leaving, now?" questioned the Princess of the Earth as she
leaned on her Prince, red eyes surveying the black-marble room.
Sailor Phoenix glanced up from her computer. "Once we leave," she
stated, "that's it. This space will be forever gone, just a memory of what
has been."
From somewhere in the group of Galactic Sailors, a voice muttered
"good"... And then grunted as it was elbowed by Sailor Comet.
"But..." Angel Moon glanced up at the woman she called mother and
pulled a small, orange ball from her robes. "If we leave, what good is
this?"
Once again, everyone stared down at the Crystal of Illusion, unsure
what to think. The legendary, world-ending Crystal... Entrusted to a five-
year-old of its choosing? None of the soldiers were quite sure what to do.
Except the Keeper of the Nebulae. "You must use the Crystal," she
stated blandly, leaning heavily on her staff as she spoke. Everyone sent
wayward glances in her direction. She grinned. "You know, as well as I do,
that you're the most pure of us all. You won't end the world." Her green
eyes sparkled. "And, if you use it, that's the end of the Crystal."
"The end?" questioned the Master of Time, staring up at the girl
beside him. "Then why didn't they just use it way-back-when?"
The Keeper shrugged. "Perhaps they were frightened," she supplied
noncommittally, gazing down at him. "Or perhaps they were unsure how it
worked."
Gulping, Sailor Earth eyed the little sphere. "Do we want to risk it?"
she croaked, her brow furrowing in thought. "After all..."
"If we do not," put in Sailor Chibi-Pluto, staring down at the round
object in her friend's hand, "then this entire situation could replay itself
in a few years."
"Not the perfect world," agreed the Starlit Prince with a stiff nod.
Taking a step toward the white-garbed angel, the Keeper of the Nebulae
smiled. "Do you remember the words?"
She nodded and gulped back all her fears. It was now...
Or never...
"Light of tomorrow and dusk of today," she began, voice shaking. She
closed her gray eyes, trying desperately to focus all her energy toward
invoking the power of the crystal, "envision my dream in the following way.
Bring darkness to reality, the least pure wish come true... Reinvent the
Earth for my vision, bring life a--"
Silence. Everyone stared.
Ginnie had ended before the spell was done! Bring life a... A...
Rhymed with true...
"Anew," whispered a soft voice in her ear.
The voice of the Angel of the Moon, Amber.
Her eyes flew open and she thrust the crystal out before her.
"ANEW!"
There was a POP! and the crystal seemed to melt away into nothingness.
All the Galactic Sailors stared at the girl, expecting something fantastic
to happen.
Aurora Borealis blinked her brown eyes. "That's IT?" she questioned
suspiciously. "No giant implosion or great light show?"
Shrugging, the Princess of the Earth leaned against her true love and
smiled slightly. "I suppose that the Crystal's just not what we expected,"
she commented offhandedly.
That was one thing they could ALL agree with.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Heart matters...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Lisa! Lisa, get a load of THIS!"
The young handmaiden sighed, shaking her head. The heaviness in her
heart had been lifted, but NOW... She glanced down the hall at the where
the spunky new handmaiden had disappeared to, not sure exactly what to think
of the next 'surprise' that was in store. The auburn-haired new-comer,
hardly eighteen, found everything from candleholders to stoves dreadfully
interesting...
Striding through the door toward Crystal Gardens, she rolled her blue
eyes. "What NOW, Misty?" she questioned, annoyed.
Suddenly, there was a remarkable sight.
Crystal Gardens, lit by the bright new sun that had dawned over the
city, was filled with birds. Birds of all shapes, sizes, and colors flew
through the air and perched on branches, squawking and chirping more loudly
than anything she had ever heard.
The thin, younger handmaiden tugged on her companion's dress. "Is it
ALWAYS like this?" she gaped, amazed.
Lisa smiled, thinking of only one thing.
Ambriel.
"Yes," she lied, feeling tears come to her eyes. "Yes it is."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
-I Know-
Look around...
(Ambriel stares down at Tokyo from the top tower of Crystal Palace)
So many things aren't clear...
(Aeris and Peter stand before the Gate of Time with terrified expressions)
Don't worry, though...
(Haley smiles and turns a page in her book)
You know that I'll be there...
(Orion and Orb chase after the kittens)
A lot of things are so uncertain...
(Tara, near tears, bites her lip)
The future's on its way...
(Michelle holds Delaney, an amazed smile on her face)
Look into my crying eyes...
(Reeny wipes tears off her cheeks while Serenity watches nervously)
Don't take your love away!
(Alice slams the door in her father's face)
Sometimes, the road looks long...
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)
Sometimes, you feel weak...
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)
Times will change...
(Tara, robes flying, chases Joshua around the courtyard)
People will change, too...
(Haley plays with her now-long hair)
But deep inside...
(Helios takes Reeny's hands in his)
I always will love you...
(Richard bends down to kiss Lyra)
I suppose there are questions now...
(Peter tugs on Terrence's pant leg)
The answers are so far...
(Alice and Phoebe dive for a floating sphere and miss)
But look at me and smile now...
(Hannah and Brian both smile as Alex takes Delaney into her arms)
I am your guiding star!
(Lyra and Richard stare at Celeste and Peter, who are watching the sunset)
Sometimes, the road looks long...
(Lyra looks up at the North Star)
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...
(Phoebe hugs her mother around the waist)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(The six Galactic Sailors hold up their lockets)
Sometimes, you feel weak...
(Richard grabs onto the wrist of a falling Celeste)
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...
(Terrence shakes his head as Sailor Pluto walks through the Gate of Time)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(Ambriel, Celeste, and Aeris all hold up their transformation pens)
I know...
(Chibi-Pluto, the Angel Moon, and Chibi-Star stand together)
I know...
(The Galactic Sailors stand together)
All you need is love...
(All nine girls stand together)
All you need...is...love...
(The Prince and Princess of the Stars kiss)
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Next time, shorter ramblings and more story. Plus, dedications (don't gag!)
and...the end of 2nd season...
