Darkness Endures

Author's Ramblings: So, what has happened in the world of our friends, the
Galactic Sailors? What foul fate awaits them? What will happen next?
I repeat the warning of this being on the short side. It probably will be
a lot happier than the last one. No more dark humor or murder... Until,
perhaps, second season!
You know, I look back on this series and realize how hard I've worked and
how proud I am. Proud that, in about 6 months, I have created an epic
story of love, trust, and destiny.
The Galactic Sailors.
And I thank you for sharing it with me.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Last Time:

The girls and their moms were taken to the Raider Starship. Sailors Moon,
Comet, Phoenix, and Chibi-Star--as well as Mistresses Venus, Mars, Uranus,
and Jupiter--died. Princess Lyra killed the Raider King, but the Spirit of
Silver appeared.

And that, my friends, is where the real story begins...
* * * * * * * * * * * *

Sometimes, the road looks long...
* * * * * * * * * * * *

It was the Spirit of Silver.
"What the Hell are you?" questioned a rather angry Mercury, drawing
her navy eyes away from the computer's screen and glancing at the silver
mass before them. "You're like nothing I've ever seen."
Most of the Scouts and Mistresses that remained stood in a corner of
the chamber, afraid to move as the Spirit smiled. The exception to this
was the Prince and his Princess. The duo stood near the center of the
room, clutching their hands together, completely unmoving in the pale
silver light that illuminated the room.
It was as though time had frozen for a brief moment, suspending all
of them in some sort of epic limbo as they watched the Spirit's face light
up.
"I have," it responded in a deep timbre, "been called many things."
The black eyes darted about the room. "I have been called both God and
Satan. I have been called a Savior and a destroyer. I have been called
both good and evil. And I have been called the Raider King, for that body
was my home." It paused, the vile smile spreading across its face. "But,
more than any of those, the Raider race have called me the Spirit of
Silver."
"The...Spirit...of Silver?" repeated Sailor Earth, her green eye
enormous as she cocked her head at the strange being before her. Her gaze
then turned to the young couple--the Guardians of the Silver Star. Could
they be at all related?
The Spirit laughed, understanding what the look on the teen's face
meant. "I don't know what the Silver Star is," it retorted, "and I'm not
related to them."
All of the living members in the room stared at the being as it
grew silent. The chamber was filled with the sound of panting breaths as
the Spirit drifted about, examining the various bodies.
As the creature neared Venus' prone form, Lyra drew in a sharp
breath and rushed forward, silver shoes clicking on the floor. "Don't you
touch that body!" she screamed at the Spirit, angry but unafraid. "That's
my mother!"
"Lyra!" yelped Richard, thoroughly shocked but also helpless to do
anything.
Laughing, the Spirit watched as the Princess fell to her knees,
throwing herself over the body. "You are brave, little one," he commented
with a smile. "Impressively brave. I've never seen anything like you
before."
All of the others glanced at him as she slowly glanced up, her brown
eyes sparkling with apprehension. "What?"
"And it's a shame that I must kill you."
* * * * * * * * * * * *

And, sometimes, the world seems wrong...
* * * * * * * * * * * *

Her blue eyes ached from crying as she rolled over in bed, kicking
the downy quilt off her legs.
It had been, in Crystal Tokyo, dark for twenty-four hours.
The Queen of the Earth rose slowly as she took deep breaths.
Something was happening, and she knew it.
Something that she had no control over was happening.
"I'm so sorry..." she breathed, staring out at the sky. The clouds,
now, were black as a raven's feather, and lightning flashed as often as
her heart beat. Something...
Something was wrong, up there. The Scouts and Mistresses were in
trouble. In the past few hours, she'd felt the bond that she'd created
with the Mistresses wane. And she knew.
They were dying.
"I wish I could be with you right now..." she whispered, closing her
teary eyes as she hugged herself across the chest. "But I cannot."
Thunder crashed and she jumped involuntarily, her face paling as she
heard the sound. Taking a step back, she shook her head slowly. "And I
will come to you, soon..." she trailed off, pausing as another crash
sounded.
"Just don't give up."
* * * * * * * * * * * *

But I know, I know... All you need is love...
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Wait!" Sailor Earth gasped, watching at the Spirit loomed over her
best friend--the Princess of the Stars. "You can't... You just can't..."
She bristled as the black eyes peered through the dimly lit room and
stared at her. "Why don't we make a deal?"
Aurora Borealis held out a hand to the younger Scout. "Come here,
Earth," she whispered, seeing the wicked, evil gleam in the black eyes.
"It's not safe..."
"You don't understand, do you?" The boots clicked on the marble
floor. "You don't understand how much these people mean to us, do you?"
Pulling off on of her gloves, the Shinto teen gestured around the room
with her outstretched palm, a horrified expression plastered on her face.
"All you know is hate, and destruction and..." Tears rolled down her face.
"I love these people! I love them!"
A flash of dark energy flew toward the Scout, and the Spirit
laughed.
And Sailor Earth closed her eyes.
"Tara!" screamed the auburn-haired Scout. Diving, she knocked the
girl's feet out from under her--knocked her to all upon her own self--and
breathed a sigh of relief as the beam soared harmlessly into the wall.
The raven-haired teen pulled herself of her fellow Scout, wincing.
She'd landed on her wrist wrong.
"You okay?" asked the older of the two, standing slowly and rubbing
her head. "That would have hurt."
Earth blinked. "You saved me..."
The daughter of Jupiter winked. "I'm not as vile as you think I
am..."
"Well, how sweet..." commented the Spirit, leaning back in the air.
"It's so nice to see your last moments be so filled with love..."
Throwing down the Silence Glaive in anger, the youngest Mistress
glared daggers at the silver being. Her purple eyes were filled with hate
as she stared him down. "What's so important about our planet, anyway?"
she inquired, gaze not wavering as the Spirit hovered closer. "Why do you
want to kill us off?"
It laughed at her. "I want to rule the universe," it chortled,
reaching out for her with a long stream of silver light. "Why not kill
off the most emotional, dispensable race in it?"
"We are not as weak as you think," commented Mercury, touching two
fingers to her left earring and bringing her VR visor across her navy
eyes. "We can beat you." Her fingers flew across the keyboard of her tiny
computer. "And you will see."
Neptune ran her fingers, wordlessly, across the mirror's crystalline
surface.
The Starlit Prince, who stood relatively near his destined, nodded
in agreement with Mercury's statement. "There is, after all, a thing we
have called love." He glanced at Lyra, who was still kneeling at her
mother's side. "It's eternal and very, very strong..."
"That's what made Death and Greed so weak," commented the Spirit
with a cocky chuckle. "That thing you call love."
With a shake of her head, the aqua-haired Mistress looked up from
her mirror. Her blue eyes were brimming with tears. "Right now, my beloved
lays dead, as part of your doings." She smiled sadly and glanced for a
long moment at the body of the tall, navy-garbed blonde. "As does my
younger child." A tear rolled down one of her pale cheeks. "Nothing means
more to me than the Mistress of Uranus. Nothing. Not my own life, not my
destiny, and not my talisman." With a sigh, she wretched her gaze from the
carnage and glanced up. The room smelt of blood as she spoke.
"You will not do this."
And fire erupted around them.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

And, sometimes, you feel weak...
* * * * * * * * * * * *

She swung the Time Key slowly, carefully, whilst pacing back and
forth before the Gate of Time. Her black-and-crimson Sailor fuku blew
slightly in the wind, as did her green hair. No sound radiated through the
space except for a subtle crunching sound.
"Will you stop it?" requested the Time Guardian, touching her hands
to her temples. "That's the world's most annoying sound."
Her knight glanced up from his seat against one of the two great
marble pillars, and he extended the bag of popcorn toward her. "Want
some?"
Susan lowered her bright garnet eyes and turned toward him,
accepting a few pieces of the snack. "I don't see how you can eat at a
time like this," she shot with a shake of her head. "The world is in a
limbo between good and evil and you..."
"It's Pop Secret," he retorted calmly, his green eyes half-closed as
her adjusted the weight of his silver-plated shoulder protectors and
sighed. "And, besides, it takes my mind off things."
She smiled slightly. "I wish I could say the same for myself."
Chewing thoughtfully on a kernel, she shrugged her shoulders and gulped
back tears. "They're dying, you know."
He nodded. "I know."
"And they may not come back..." She turned away, looking out across
the vast expanse of thick, puffy clouds. "I've never been so scared,
Terry. I could end up being alone..."
His arms wrapped around her waist and pregnant belly suddenly, and
she suppressed a gasp as he pulled her backwards, close to his own body.
"As long as I live," he whispered into her ear. "You will never be alone."
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she pulled her eyes tightly shut as
she leaned into his hug. "I don't want them to die! I love them!"
"I know you do..." he responded, laying a kiss right under her ear
after speaking. "But I love you."
She smiled in spite of herself. "I love you, too..." she sniffled,
still staring out across the clouds.
And the clouds showed no movement.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

And sometimes, the future looks bleak...
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"We're going to get out of this alive," breathed the Star Princess,
lacing her fingers together with those of her prince as she stumbled
backward. "Promise."
The Scouts and Mistresses that remained stood within a giant ring of
fire. The flames warmed their faces as the seven stood in their own tiny
circle, backs pressed nearly together.
And the Spirit was nowhere to be seen.
Aurora Borealis furrowed her brown eyebrows, sighing as she stared
at the wall before her. "We've got to do SOMETHING, you know," she
observed in a pessimistic tone as she glanced at the others. "Any
suggestions?"
The dark-haired girl sighed. "I wish my mother were here..."
"Well, she's NOT," snapped Saturn irritably, glancing at her weapon,
which laid beyond the flames. "Find a different suggestion."
With a sigh, Mercury closed her computer and allowed it to disappear
into nothingness. "I can't find anything odd about it," she told them all
in a rather soft voice. "It's just as it seems--a wall of fire."
Neptune looked to her friend. "And?"
The blue-garbed woman shrugged. "I can't do a thing about it," she
admitted, shaking her head.
They all groaned. Doom seemed immanent.
Richard closed his eyes, trying to think of the good times. Like
when he'd first met the blonde haired angel that he now knew as a
girlfriend. Like their first kiss. Like the day Celeste had been delivered
back to the Mistresses. Like his day of destiny.
And an idea entered his mind.
"Guys!" he yelped, pulling away from them to inch toward the wall's
edge. "If we combine our powers and let Lyra attack, then..."
The Princess sighed, smoothing her sweaty palms on her silver gown.
"I'm a little tired, Rich," she told him softly with a shake of her head.
"I don't think it'll work."
"But we have to TRY!" pressed Aurora in a hopeful voice, her brown
eyes teary. "Think of the others!"
Saturn's pale hands flew toward the torn portion of her dress at her
knees. The piece of purple velvet was beyond the fire wall, draped across
the deformed legs of her younger sister. She shuddered. "I'm for it," she
vowed softly, bringing her hands to her hips. "What do we have to lose?"
The other two Mistresses glanced at one another. "I've never heard
of such a suggestion before," admitted Mercury with a slight smile. "But
I'm willing to try your way before watching us die." She smiled and
touched one of Neptune's shoulders. "What do you say?"
She nodded.
Joining hands, the seven of them all closed their eyes and allowed
their breathing to become uniform. The world seemed to stop as they all
began to concentrate.
"Mercury Power..."
"Neptune Power..."
"Saturn Power..."
"Earth Power..."
"Silver Star Power..."
"Aurora Borealis Power..."
The glow of the star on the Princess' forehead grew brighter as she
opened her eyes quickly and thrust one hand into the air.
"Starry Sky..."
* * * * * * * * * * * *

But I know, I know... All you need is love.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"I can't let them win!"
The gold intensified around her. She scrambled to her feet, trying
to run as she floated through the air.
You should go.
"Exactly!" she shot indignantly. "I just said that!"
The supernova is over.
"No duh!" She pulled her blonde hair back into a severe bun as she
spoke. "Anything else to say?"
Good luck.
Gripping the long staff, the Keeper of the Nebulae smiled. "Thank
you," she responded humbly. "I may need it."
No. You will need it.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

And sometimes, you need some help...
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"SMASH!"
The fire disappeared suddenly in a flash of gold light, leaving the
attack to hit the marble floor and do no harm.
Gasping, Lyra furrowed her brow. "What was that?" she inquired,
touching one finger to her star birthmark.
"We should ask you the same question," responded Saturn coolly,
strolling over to her Glaive and plucking it off the cold floor. "None of
us know, either."
Sailor Earth clutched her hands to her sides. "I feel something..."
she breathed, shivering as her green eyes darted around the room.
"Something powerful..."
As she said this, a golden light erupted, bathing everyone in the
glow. The eight prone bodies all began to float into the air suddenly, and
the warriors all stumbled backward upon seeing this occur.
"You can't do anything without my help, can you?" chuckled a merry
voice. A staff appeared in the center of the room, the butt of it breaking
into the marble and cracking through all seven points of the star. Next to
the staff, a small blonde child materialized, her golden fuku sparkling in
the light as she smiled at the group. "But, you lucked out once again."
Princess Lyra gasped and took a cautionary step toward the young
girl. "Celeste?" she choked, tears of joy flooding her light pecan eyes.
"Is it you?"
The girl smiled. "I have been called many things," she responded,
bowing deeply, "but none is so dear to me as that name." She winked a
green eye. "And it's great to be back with you guys."
Light flowed from the golden star atop the staff and into the
bodies. Each floating form was suddenly enveloped in their own colored
light. Red, green, navy, orange, pink, crimson, a lighter orange, and
purple flashed through the room as the girl folded her hands across her
stomach. "I know how much they all mean to you, and I cannot let the
Raiders win."
The lights and the bodies disappeared and then, voices were heard.
"Moon Power!"
"Mars Power!"
"Jupiter Power!"
"Venus Power!"
"Phoenix Power!"
"Uranus Power!"
"Comet Power!"
"Chibi-Star Power!"
And eight people appeared.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

Other times, you fear yourself...
* * * * * * * * * * * *

She took another swig of the coffee, with blue eyes watching the
sky. Alone she stood upon the balcony, almost unable to move as she
observed the lightning flashing across the sky.
"Are you alright?" questioned a soft, sweet voice.
Not needing to turn around, she shook her head of red hair. "I wish
I was, Melvin," she told her husband, long fingernails picking at the
paint on her mug. "I'm just worried."
Walking out of the apartment, he wrapped an arm around her waist and
hugged her to his side. "It'll be alright, Molly," Melvin assured her,
pushing his glasses higher up his nose as he spoke. "The Prince and the
Princess needed no help from us to find each other. Our deaths will mean
nothing to them in the end and, in the end, the world will be safe."
She laughed softly, leaning up against him and resting her head on
his shoulder. "I'm not so worried about that," she responded casually, "as
I am worried about our son."
"Oh. Him." Melvin planted a kiss atop her head. "He's a big boy,
Moll. He'll take care of himself." His eyes wandered toward the skyline,
and he grimaced inwardly. "He has to."
Squirming from his embrace, the woman began to pace back-and-forth
across the tiny balcony, her eyebrows knotted together as she squeezed the
cup. "I brought a child into this world," she told him, her voice
wavering. "I brought the Prince of Stars into the world and I knew that
he would have to fight and yet I let him be born and..." She shook her
head. "And I dragged you into this, which I hate myself for..." Sticking
her free hand into her back jeans pocket, the woman sighed and shook her
head slowly. "Melvin, what I did is wrong. I dragged the man I loved into
a nightmarish mess and my child became a warrior for love and justice
instead of being a normal teenage boy."
Melvin chuckled to himself, shaking his head as he watched his wife
pace. "You did the one thing you could, love," he assured her softly.
"All you have to do is hope."
"And what if darkness endures?" she asked him pensively. "What do we
do?"
He didn't have an answer for that question.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

Sometimes, you get renewed...
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Whoa. What a rush!" Neo-Sailor Moon blinked her large red eyes and
glanced around the large chamber. "One minute, I'm flying through space,
then I'm hanging from a cliff, and the next..." She smiled widely. "Well,
what's up?"
The Scouts all chuckled at their leader as she stood before them,
hands upon her hips as she spoke. Standing behind her in ranks were the
other once-dead Scouts and Mistresses, all very much alive and very happy
to be so.
Mistress Venus placed her hands upon Chibi-Star's shoulders. "I
could have sworn..." she breathed, shaking her head a bit. "I remember
clouds, and mists and..."
The Keeper of the Nebulae stepped between the two groups of
warriors, a slight smile upon her pale face as she brushed loose strand of
golden hair from her eyes. "What is important is the future," she stated,
timeless voice echoing through the marble room. She placed a hand on the
staff. "Within minutes, the Spirit of Silver will return and we will be
forced to kill or be killed."
Sailor Comet grimaced. "Been there, done that," she announced in a
dry tone, teal eyes examining her legs. "And I will never get near a
motorcycle again!"
Some of the group laughed, others choked back tears. The quiet was
thick and pressuring as the two groups--the survivors and the renewed--
stared at each other. No one moved.
Then, Sailor Chibi-Star stepped forward, her sandals slapping the
marble as she walked toward the Keeper of the Nebulae. "Are you me?" she
asked of the other girl. "Or am I you?"
"Neither," the Keeper responded, thumping the staff on the floor.
"We are the same person, just different forms. And ever, we will be." She
smiled sweetly when her counterpart cocked her head in confusion. "It's
sort of like your sister being the Princess, only we can exist at the same
time."
"Oh." Chibi-Star smiled, pausing pensively. Then, a smile broke
across her face. "You're a lot better at explaining that sort of stuff
than my cat is."
The Keeper laughed. "Take the staff," she commanded in her
authoritative, mysterious tone. "Become me."
There was a flash of bright gold light as the girl touched her hand
to the pole, and it engulfed both the children. Then, as quickly as it
came, it faded, and the Keeper of the Nebulae stood in the center of the
room.
She smiled. "Now I know how Lyra must feel," she mumbled to herself.
This was too much for the Sailor Scouts and Mistresses. They all
rushed forward, mother embracing daughter and sister holding sister.
Neptune even dared to draw her wife into a passionate kiss, not caring who
was looking on.
"Renewal is a fickle thing," commented the child, looking up at the
Starlit Prince with a half-smile as her elder sister cried into her
mother's gown. "It brings us together and tears us apart at the same
time."
He chuckled and ruffled her hair. "But we're all alive and well,
which is more than we were before."
She shook her head quickly, knuckles growing white as she clutched
the staff. "Don't you see?" she questioned the tall young man, green eyes
watching as the Galactic Sailor of the Moon accepted a warm hug from
Sailor Earth. "The worst is yet to come. We've not seen nothing yet."
"That may be true," he agreed stoically, laughing to himself as
Sailor Phoenix swept her auburn-haired friend into a tight hug, "but we've
got to try."
The Keeper of the Nebulae glanced at him with large green eyes and
laughed, a rare occurrence indeed. "I never said that we would not, my
Prince," she chortled, a smile tainting the adult features of her face. "I
just said that they do not know what we are about to face."
Leaning up against Uranus' chest, Mistress Neptune looked at the
little girl and sighed. "What are we about to face?" she questioned of the
Keeper. "What aren't you telling us?"
The others all turned to the child as well, wanting to know the
answer. Nothing seemed to move except the girl as she shrugged
noncommittally and turned away from them all.
"You will learn soon enough," came her response, voice emotionless.
Lyra pulled away from her mother and took a few slow steps forward,
brown eyes focused on the back of the gold-garbed child. Putting a hand on
the child's shoulder, she smiled sadly. "Don't be afraid," she gently
soothed the girl who was her sister. "There is nothing, now, to fear."
The child just shook her head. "Princess, you do not know," she
stated plainly. "Nor will you ever. The horrors that await are grim
and..."
"How sweet..." drawled a deep, loud voice from across the room, its
timbre as frightening as ever. Fifteen warriors turned to face it. Fifteen
warriors readied their chances. Fifteen warriors gasped.
The Spirit of Silver just shook its head. "You may have defeated the
body that I was housed within," it told the group in a rather bored tone,
"but you will not defeat me."
Reflexively pulling her sister toward her, the Princess of the
Silver Star glared daggers at the creature. "What makes you so sure?" she
inquired in a low hiss. "We could quite possibly beat you."
With chuckle, the Spirit shrugged and floated back and forth across
the room's width. "I left you alone for a few minutes, and you
reincarnated all your friends," it scolded with a shake of what should
have been its head. "I can't take my eyes off you all, can I?"
Saturn raised a black eyebrow. "What is it talking about?" she
asked, confused.
"My one goal has been to take over the universe," it continued,
ignoring the young Mistress' interruption. "That's the only thing that I
had ever wanted. Thusly, the Raider race was created, by me, to fulfill
that goal.
"But the Raiders were stupid. And petty. They would not listen to
their creator. No, they needed a King. A mighty King. So I created the
King of the Raiders, giving him a will and personality all his own.
"He wasn't very bright, and I constantly had to oversee the doings
of both him and of his five weak minions. It was too much. So I took over
his body."
The black eyes glimmered as he glanced at the group of women and the
one young man. "But you... You are all constantly getting in my way, and I
have had well enough.
"I tried to kill you off. Give you a nice, dignified death, without
having to get involved. But this... This GIRL..." It glared at the
littlest Scout, who slowly pulled herself away from her sister to pace
closer to the great evil being. "This girl has ruined it all. And you will
all die."
It hovered close to the Keeper of the Nebulae, the foreboding and
evil of its being frightening all the warriors sans the child.
"Starting with her."
A beam of black light erupted from the Spirit. The Keeper of the
Nebulae swung her golden staff. White light engulfed them both.
And time seemed to stop.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

And sometimes, they feel it too...
* * * * * * * * * * * *

Her tail licked the surface of the keyboard as she watched the tall
monitor before her.
Nothing.
"This is ludicrous!" she screamed at no one in particular, hanging
her head as her green eyes filled with tears. "They're all going to die,
and we're sitting here and going against our first duty!"
The pink cat shook her head at the fiery Star cat next to her. "What
duty is that?" Diana inquired, a bit confused and also effected by worry
as much as the others were.
Her brother sighed. "Our first duty is to protect the Scouts," he
breathed, voice hardly audible as he licked his chops and continued to
look at the monitor. "That duty."
Silence fell over the control room as the three cats glanced at one
another nervously. Orion blinked back tears and held her head high. "But
what can we do?" she asked suddenly, voice reflective. Her tone went
against the words she had spat just moments before.
"You can let us watch the control room," came a female's voice from
behind them. All three turned to see Lisa standing in the doorway,
cradling a half-asleep Ambriel in her arms. "I promised Reeny that I'd do
something..."
Diana's response was hesitant. "Would you?" she inquired softly.
"Would you let us go?"
The handmaiden smiled. "It's your job, isn't it?" she retorted
sweetly. The cats nodded. "And, besides, I know that you three would do
the same for me."
"We would," agreed Orb helpfully, hopping off the panel of controls
and gazing up at her with hopeful copper eyes. "Thank you, Lisa."
"Thank you," responded the young woman, adjusting her hold on the
two-year-old. "Not every person has helping cats as part of their
destiny."
As her two companions bolted out of the room, Orion hung behind for
a long moment, her forest-colored eyes staring up at the young blonde
woman and the little red-haired child. "Lisa, I..."
"Go, Orion," urged the woman, smiling sadly. "You'll get left
behind."
"But..."
The handmaiden winked.
And Orion ran, becoming more a blur of calico fur than a cat.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

But I know, I know, all you need is love...
* * * * * * * * * * * *

The white light was blinding, and the warriors shielded their eyes.
"What's going on?" questioned Sailor Moon as her pigtails began to
drift toward the light. "It's like a..."
"A vortex?" Sailor Phoenix opened one of her eyes just long enough
to see the white light waver a little. She drew in a sharp, fearful
breath. "That ain't no vortex," she breathed, shuddering a little. "But I
wouldn't like to be part of it."
The Space Sword flashed as Mistress Uranus drew it out of thin air.
"Well, whatever it is, it's not going to be around for long!" She held the
weapon over her head. "Space Sword..."
"DON'T!" screamed a voice that they all recognized as Serenity's.
Almost immediately, the light faded away and was sucked into a tiny
glowing orb.
The Silver Imperium Crystal.
Out of a dark corner of the room stepped the Queen, the golden
streams of hair from her twin buns flowing gently behind her. "Hello," she
greeted them, a slight smile betraying the stern look on her face. "It's
good to see that you are all well."
"Very good indeed," came another voice from the other side of the
room. All heads turned to glance at an exotic woman whose black and
crimson Sailor fuku was far too tight around her belly. Sailor Pluto took
one, then two slow steps forward to where the Spirit and the Keeper stood,
confused. "I am glad that our Keeper found it necessary to save you all."
Neptune glanced into her mirror idly before looking up at her f
riend. "You mean to say that you knew what was happening?" she questioned
of the Time Guardian.
The woman nodded, leaning slightly on her key. "You have no idea how
much I did know," she responded in a mysterious tone.
There was a long, silent pause as the Scouts and Mistresses glanced
at one another, the Spirit of Silver, the Queen of the Earth, the Keeper
of the Nebulae, and the Prince and Princess of the Stars.
Suddenly, there was an explosion. It seared through the room,
knocking everyone in its wake over. The Spirit of Silver laughed as they
all laid on the floor, stunned.
"You thought that I was confused, didn't you?" it asked with a
smirk. "Well, I wasn't." He neared the Keeper of the Nebulae where she lay
prone. "And this girl will die."
A long stream of his silvery mass reached out, nearing her slowly.
Time seemed to stop...
And a purple rose hit the Spirit right between the eyes.
"Don't even," Richard shot, standing slowly and brushing his tuxedo
off. "That child means more to us than you would know."
The Spirit laughed and the rose fell to the ground. "It takes more
than a little flower to stop me!" it roared arrogantly. "I find it hard to
believe you thought it would distract me..."
"Comet Crater CLOSE!"
The floor suddenly opened up around the Spirit, swallowing its lower
half. The silvery being howled in pain and pulled itself from the floor,
black eyes darting about the room nervously. "Who did that?" it screamed,
glaring at each Scout separately. "Who attacked me?"
Only one girl was standing, and she bowed deeply toward the monster.
"My name is Sailor Comet," she introduced herself with a smirk. "I am the
Galactic Sailor Scout of the Comets."
With a grunt of effort, the girl with the red-and-dark-orange fuku
picked herself up. "And I am Sailor Phoenix," she groaned, clutching the
wrist on which she had landed, "the Galactic Sailor of the Sun."
It watched with horrified black eyes as, one-by-one, each of the
Mistresses and Scouts pulled themselves off the floor.
"Sailor Aurora Borealis, the Sailor of Light."
"Mistress Uranus, the Mistress of the Sky."
"Mistress Jupiter, the Mistress of Nature."
"Sailor Earth, the Sailor of Earth."
"Mistress Mars, the Mistress of Fire."
"Mistress Saturn, the Mistress of Death."
"Mistress Neptune, the Mistress of Sea."
"Sailor Moon, the Sailor of the Moon."
"Mistress Mercury, the Mistress of Water."
"Sailor Pluto, the Guardian of Time."
"Mistress Venus, the Mistress of Love."
Slowly, the Queen of the Earth rose to her feet, offering a hand to
the Princess of the Stars. The blonde girl, running a hand through her
curls, smiled up at Serenity and the woman smiled back. No words were
exchanged, and the room grew silent.
The girl spoke. "Lyra Mokoti," she smiled slightly, bowing toward
the Spirit as each and every one of her companions had. "The Sailor of the
North Star and the Princess of the Stars."
"And Mistress Moon," Serenity called out, a rather hoarse edge to
her voice. "The Mistress of the Moon and Queen of the Earth."
Gasping, the Spirit of Silver backed up a bit. Never before had he
met the Queen, and this frightened him.
The pink-haired Scout stepped forward and toward the Queen, and the
two smiled at one another and adjusted their respective hairstyles.
"Agents of love," continued Serenity, brushing a bit of lint off of
her gown.
"And justice," chimed in Sailor Moon.
The other voices joined in.
"We are the pretty Sailor-suited defenders of justice! On behalf of
our universe, we will right wrongs and triumph over all evil!"
Standing, the Keeper of the Nebulae let a slight smile cross her
lips. She clutched her staff in one hand and leaned upon it, coughing as
she went. There was a tear, though no one knew why, in her golden fuku,
but she did stand and she did smile at the creature. "And that," she
finished in a weak voice, "means you."
With a half-hearted chuckle, the Spirit backed up a bit. "Come now,"
he choked, coughing a bit. "You cannot expect me to fear ones such as
you!"
Lyra shook her head of blonde curls and stepped forward. "Not at
all," she responded kindly and with a curt bow. "Why would one as powerful
as you fear us?"
"Exactly!" it agreed with a nodded. "So, let us stop this madness."
The Mistresses all looked at one another and, wordlessly, smirked,
standing in battle ready positions.
"Mercury..."
"Mars..."
"Jupiter..."
"Venus..."
"World..."
"Deep..."
"Dead..."
"Silence..."
Backing up, the Spirit paled and grimaced slightly. "Why don't we
talk about this?"
Smiling knowingly at one another, the Mistresses all backed up and
relaxed. They couldn't attack. They all knew that they couldn't. They
could only defend. As was the way of the Mistresses.
But it proved the fear of the evil being. And it proved that they
had a chance.
The Queen of the Earth stepped in front of them all, the Princess
and Prince of the Stars hovering close behind her. "Let's talk," she
suggested in her normal regal way. "What terms will you most easily
accept?"
"Death." The Spirit's tone was dark. "Your death and surrender."
The couple froze, glancing nervously at one another. All the Scouts
readied their attacks. Sailor Moon even drew the Galactic Rod from null-
space.
But the Queen remained calm. "Surely, you do not think we will agree
to such a suggestion," she responded in a serene voice. "Can you be a bit
more reasonable?"
It laughed. "That is as reasonable as the Raider race gets," it told
her flatly. "We do not give up so easily. It's all or nothing." The
creature paused and glanced at her. The blonde hair and white gown where
disheveled from the explosion, and her golden crown was crooked. Still,
there was something very strong and beautiful about her, and the Spirit
felt itself be suddenly distracted. Pulling back into reality, it cleared
its throat. "Choose."
With a deep breath, Serenity smiled sweetly. "Of all or none," she
stated, "we choose none."
A dark beam of energy soared from the Spirit of Silver's body,
flying straight toward the Queen. Slightly behind it flew sixteen more
beams, each locked onto one of the other warriors in the room.
"Queen Serenity!" screamed Uranus, trying to step forward and
protect the Queen. Only Neptune's hand on her lower arm held her back, and
even that was with regret. The couple looked into one another's eyes and
knew--just knew--that there was no hope in the situation.
Time seemed to run more slowly as each of the Scouts and Mistresses
took what they thought would be their last breaths. Lyra groped for
Richard's hand and found it; the Keeper of the Nebulae hugged her mother's
legs; the Inners hugged their daughters; Saturn took Sailor Moon's right
hand and took her sister's left, squeezing them both; Sailor Pluto touched
her pregnant belly. And seventeen pair of eyes closed as death attempted
to claim them.
A crackling sound, followed by sixteen other crackling sounds,
echoed through the chamber, and everyone gasped.
For they were surrounded by a sparkling white light.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

I know, I know...
* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Where's Mommy and Lyra and Celeste?" asked a little brunette boy,
standing on his tiptoes to peek out the front window. The sky was dark and
rain pelted down on the big white house on Venus Street. Johnny shivered
and glanced up at his father with sparkling blue eyes. "Are they safe from
the storm?"
With a slight shrug, Andrew chewed pensively on his lower lip. "I
don't know," he admitted with a sigh, eyes staring up at the black clouds.
"I just hope so..."
The tall man with shaggy auburn hair on the couch shifted positions,
stirring his coffee gently. "I think we all hope so," he responded in a
rather weak voice, green eyes turning sad at the mere thought of his
family. "I can't bear to think of Raye and Tara up there..."
"And Ames and Pheebs," commented Greg sadly, brown eyes glancing at
Chad as he said this. "We all have a lot to loose in this..."
"What is going on, anyway?" inquired Becky Mokoti, smoothing the
blonde hair of her baby sister as she spoke. "Where is everyone?"
Paul, the seven-year-old Mokoti boy, looked up from his coloring
book. "Yeah, and why did Mrs. Umino call and ask if you'd 'heard any
news'?"
Three other children all began whining in unison, begging for any
information that they could receive about the fate of their two sisters
and their mother. The chaos that ensued lasted for almost a full minute
before Andrew put up his hand to silence them.
Taking a deep breath, he looked at the other two men, who both
shrugged. "I suppose that the best I can say is that even we don't know."
The children began to voice their protest. "However," he interrupted them,
"they will most likely be back soon."
Nodding, Chad smiled and ruffled the hair of little Sarah. "Don't
you cherubs worry one bit," he told them, the severe look on his face
betraying the chipper sweetness of his voice. "Everything will be just
fine!"
"As long as you pray," mumbled Greg under his breath, running a hand
through his black hair. "Just pray."
And a clap of thunder shook the house.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

All you need is love...
* * * * * * * * * * * *

The white light sparkled furiously, and all the warriors gasped.
"What... What is it?" asked Mistress Saturn aloud, stepping slowly
forward and extending her hand. It passed through the glow, unharmed. She
smiled slightly. "It's beautiful."
"This..." The Spirit grimaced and made a face. "This can't be!" he
roared. More black energy flew toward the great light wall, but all it did
was create another large crackling sound.
The Princess of the Stars blinked her brown eyes, smoothing her
silver dress as she stepped forward. She raised a single blonde eyebrow.
"I recognize this energy," she whispered, touching the wall with obvious
caution. "It's very odd..."
"You're right it's odd!" hissed an urgent voice as two flashes of
gold and a flash of silver ignited at their feet. "It's odd because we've
never done something like this before!"
There stood the three Guardian cats, their birthmarks glowing and
emitting white beams of light as they stood. These beams flowed, albeit
slowly, into the wall, creating the force field. Everyone gasped and
stared, open-mouthed, at the spectacle before them.
The calico glared daggers at the group. "Stop looking at me like
I'm a ghost!" she commanded loudly, making a face.
"Good old Orion," mumbled the Princess under her breath, smiling
weakly.
Outside their protective barrier, the Spirit roared and threw more
energy at them.
The Queen turned to the Mistresses and Scouts. "We must join hands!"
she announced. "Only then can this evil being be destroyed!"
As the group joined hands slowly, the blonde woman knelt down on the
dirty black marble and glanced at the cats. "When the Silver Crystal
starts to glow," she told them, "let the guard down."
Diana raised her eyebrows. "Are you sure, majesty?"
Serenity nodded and rose, taking her place between Sailors Pluto and
Moon. "Ready?"
The Imperium Silver Crystal appeared in the circle's center.
Outside, the crackling of energy against the wall filled the chamber, as
did the frustrated screams of the Spirit.
Drawing in a deep breath, the Queen of the Earth closed her eyes.
"Moon Power..."
"Neo-Moon Power..."
"Mercury Power..."
"Phoenix Power..."
"Mars Power..."
"Earth Power..."
"Jupiter Power..."
"Aurora Borealis Power..."
"Venus Power..."
"Nebulae Power..."
"Uranus Power..."
"Comet Power..."
"Neptune Power..."
"Saturn Power..."
"Pluto Power..."
There was a brief pause as it came to be time for the Prince and
Princess to speak. Time seemed to stop as Richard smiled to himself and
squeezed the short blonde's hand. She, in turn, smiled as well.
And two voices united as one.
"Silver Star Power!"
Light flowed into the Silver Crystal, and it began to glow. The
three cats, from both fatigue and worry, collapsed and the beautiful wall
of white energy disappeared into nothingness as they did. From the Silver
Crystal flowed an invisible but extremely strong energy, headed straight
toward the Spirit of Silver.
"You cannot do this!" it yelled, tossing beams of black energy
toward the power he could not see. "I've worked too hard to lose to a
bunch of teenagers and their mothers! NO!"
And his screams echoed through the chamber as everything went black.
But not before two gems--one crimson and one silver--shattered into
nothingness.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

All you need is...
* * * * * * * * * * * *

The dark clouds broke apart, and everything was restored to its
former glory and beauty.
Seventeen people stood prone, that day, looking out over Tokyo Bay
with private, understanding smiles upon their faces. A shorter aqua haired
woman rested contentedly in the arms of a tall blonde. A teenage girl in
a silver gown had one had clutched within that of a young man. And a six-
year-old in all gold was cradled, asleep, in her mother's arms.
"So... This is it..." Sailor Moon smoothed the blue skirt of her
fuku while sighing. "It's almost depressing..."
Sailor Pluto put an arm around the teen's shoulders. "It is,
really," she smiled. "But, Small Lady, you must grow to understand..."
The teen made a face. "Small Lady? I thought I grew out of that!"
A few individuals of the group laughed at the joke, but it was a
choked, nervous laugh. Because they all understood.
"But... Destiny like ours can't just END, can it?" questioned Sailor
Comet nervously, teal eyes staring at the Queen of the Earth.
Serenity smiled one of her private, mysterious smiles. "Just because
you've beat one evil," she responded, "doesn't mean you've beat them all."
"Soooo..." The blue-haired Sailor Scout raised an eyebrow. "What
you're saying is that there's more to come?"
The Queen shrugged and glanced over at the pregnant woman, who just
shook her head.
"I can't look into my own future," she divulged in a serious tone.
"And your future is my future..." She patted her belly and brushed her
green hair from her face. "OUR future..."
The raven-haired teen looked to her mother for a brief moment before
smiling sadly and watching the first wisps of sunlight flow over the
water. "It's never really over, is it?" she asked in an amazed tone. "No
matter how long we live, or what horrors we face, we'll always be the
Galactic Sailors."
"That you will," agreed the blonde Queen, smoothing her gown. "That
you will."
The group slowly broke up to go home, or to work, or to just take a
walk. Soon, only two forms, slightly shadowed, stood on the pier.
"Lyra... I..." Richard smiled gently at the short girl, whose brown
eyes were fixed on the tiny streams of sunlight that flowed over the water.
She turned to glance at him, cocking her head to one side. "What,
Rich?" she questioned sweetly, smiling as she spoke. "Is something wrong?"
He shook his head. She had the most unbelievable power over him--the
power to render him absolutely speechless. "I've never met anyone like you
before, and..." He gulped. This was hard. "Lyra, I love you."
With a gasp, she threw herself into his arms. "I love you too!" she
announced, and he could hear that she was sobbing into his tuxedo shirt.
"Never before have I loved someone as much as much as I love you..."
He bent down just a bit, taking her chin in his hands. "And I always
will..." he whispered, drawing his lips to hers.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

And day... Day broke over the galaxy.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

Galactic Sailors Say!

(All the Scouts, in civilian form, enter, dragging a bound-and-gagged
Richard behind them by his tuxedo jacket)

Lyra: (innocently) I suppose you're wondering what's going on here.

Haley: (with a smile) Truth is, we don't even know.

Alice: It's really strange to think that we're almost done with first
season. It's really scary.

Celeste: We've been through a lot together, guys...

(Video clips of the Scouts fighting, Lyra glancing at the picture of the
group at the ball and gala, the sleepover at Haley's, the first battle,
the time Lyra and Chibi-Star killed Greed... Take your pick of what mental
pictures you would like.)

Tara: But what're important isn't the memories so much as it is what we
mean to one another.

(Richard starts to struggle, and Lyra leans down to listen to what he's
trying to say.)

Lyra: (planting a kiss on his forehead) I love you too, sweetie.

Phoebe: (smiling) We, however, are not going to give up. We're the Sailor
Scouts! We can't give up!

Alice: No matter what happens.

Haley: (hesitantly) Uh, guys? We're missing our moralistic message of the
day...

Celeste: We are, aren't we?

(They huddle, Richard kicking and grunting in effort to be free of his
bonds. Tara kicks him, and he shuts up. They come out of the huddle,
smiling.)

Reeny: Chocolate isn't good for dogs.

(Pause.)

Lyra: Now, to the mall!

(Dragging Richard behind them, the Scouts all march off screen.)

Ambriel: (appearing) Angel Moon says...

Various Voices: SEE YA!

-I Know-
Look around...
(Tara, sitting next to Queen Serenity, stares up at the night sky)
So many things aren't clear...
(Phoebe looks blankly at a math book)
Don't worry, though...
(Lyra smiles while picking up her tuba)
You know that I'll be there...
(Sailor Pluto and Haley smile knowingly at each other)
A lot of things are so uncertain...
(Alice looks sadly at a clock while the sun sets over Crystal Tokyo)
The future's on its way...
(Reeny holds the Locket of the Moon, smiling)
Look at my crying eyes...
(Luna and Artemis console an upset Diana)
Don't take your love away!
(Hannah sighs, looking at a sleeping Haley)

Sometimes, the road looks long...
(Mina looks at her children with Andrew behind her)
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...
(Alex and Michelle smile at one another and then blush deeply)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(The six girls, untransformed, hold their lockets high)

Sometimes, you feel weak...
(Lita smoothes the hair of a crying Alice)
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...
(Raye and Chad stand behind Tara, who is staring at her locket)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(The six Galactic Sailors stand in a half circle)

Times will change...
(Amy looks out of a window and at Crystal Palace)
People will change, too...
(Endymion looks at Serenity, who is pouring over a book)
But deep inside...
(Lyra hugs Celeste)
I always will love you...
(Diana falls asleep on Reeny's lap)
I suppose there are questions now...
(Alice and Phoebe stare blankly at one another)
The answers are so far...
(Michelle stands in front of the orchestra, talking)
But look at me and smile now...
(Tara lovingly hugs her father)
I am your guiding star!
(Haley smiles at a studying Hannah)

Sometimes, the road looks long...
(Mina looks at her children with Andrew behind her)
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...
(Alex and Michelle smile at one another and then blush deeply)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(The six girls, untransformed, hold their lockets high)

Sometimes, you feel weak...
(Lita smoothes the hair of a crying Alice)
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...
(Raye and Chad stand behind Tara, who is staring at her locket)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(The six Galactic Sailors stand in a half circle)

I know...
(The Planet Mistresses stand in a circle)
I know...
(The Galactic Sailors stand in a circle)
All you need is love...
(The Mistresses and Sailors all stand together, holding hands, with their
eyes closed)
All you need...is...love...
(A single purple rose sits in a vase)

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Did you like it? Ready yourself for story 14--"Day Breaks Over the
Galaxy"--and we'll see you later!

--KB--