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"Redemption"

Chapter 13

The dense, penetrating power of defeat sunk in on Borealis as she returned back to the starship, clutching her wounded arm and stomach tiredly. Rage could not describe the anger within Borealis as she stomped through the halls, her eyes like blazing emeralds. "How could this possibly have happened? We had no idea that there were more of them…" she muttered under her breath, running the entire event through her mind over and over.

The pink-haired woman had escaped by a hair and was lucky to still be alive. This thought in mind, Borealis sighed angrily and trudged on. Aurora, who had also removed herself from the scene just in time, met up with her on the way. Coincidentally they bumped into one another in a corridor, both holding their wounds and grimacing. "What happened to you?" Aurora asked bitterly as if she already knew the scene.

Her long hair draping nearly down to the floor, Borealis tossed her head carelessly. "I tried to rid us of the remaining scouts so that Glacier would no longer be upset with me. It's all because of Glimmer. That girl and all of her sucking up have just gone too far…"

Aurora nodded in understanding. "Same here. But we have a bigger problem…

"Oh, don't tell me," the other woman answered, rubbing her temples in fatigue. "Two new, powerful, and not to mention twin Sailor Scouts!"

"Glacier's not going to be happy you know," Aurora confirmed.

"But we can just get rid of them like we'd decided before. She'll never have to know!" Borealis said trying to justify her earlier and soon-to-be actions.

"Then we'd better get our wounds cleaned up before the big battle." Exchanging glances of renewed determination, the sisters went in silence to the medical quarters.

'I hope that my slip about the Queen won't screw things up…' Aurora thought with a sorrowful expression. 'I just wish that scout hadn't gotten into the way…'

* * *

Ten minutes had passed and the previously disbanded scouts reunited once again, coming to a stop at the designated corner. Sailor Neptune and Uranus received their friends with a gracious air, happy that their very friends were closer to them than anyone had realized. Mercury, Mars, Venus, and Jupiter stood alongside Luna and Artemis, awaiting instructions; soon, they would be destined to battle for the life of their Princess.

"Welcome back, friends," Artemis offered with his catty grin in spite of the situation. "I apologize for skimping on the welcoming committee, but you see that we've got our hands tied."

"Thank you, Artemis. It has been centuries, ne?" Sailor Sunset laughed. "Sailor Mars, when I met with you at the Temple, it seemed your wise words have come to mean more than any of us imagined possible. It seems that destiny has drawn us together once again," her hazel eyes focusing on the Marsian scout.

"Destiny has a way of doing so," Mars answered with a slight smile.

"There are just some things that you can feel…and I knew somehow that you were coming," Neptune offered, her arms folded as she glanced at Uranus. The tall, blonde haired woman merely nodded.

"She's right. Besides, what would we have done without you? You saved our lives…a number of times," Sailor Mercury cut in, her blue eyes lit aglow beneath the moon. Sailor Venus, although, had been quiet and lost in thought. It wasn't until a time later that her melodious voice crackled on the night air.

"Sailor Sunrise, I just want to thank you…for saving my life. I was foolish to run off on my own like that," Sailor Venus declared, her enormous blue eyes full of sincerity.

"Venus, you are quite welcome. I did it out of respect for who you are as a person and whom you represent…as well as the connection you hold to this dear child. But if for nothing else, I did it for the sake of friendship."

"I know that Serenity will be proud to know you," Venus confided, a smile on her lips.

"Sailor Venus, you lead the Sailor Scouts during the Silver Millennium while my sister and I became silent guardians. We failed in our mission and everyone was destroyed, thus we lost our memories and recovered only certain parts as a result. We came in search of you for the truth," Sailor Sunset spoke up, her burgundy hair spilling over her shoulders.

"And now we return to find that once again we are in danger of failing. So please let us doing anything that we must to save her," Sailor Sunrise agreed, enforcing their background. She looked down beside her and smiled at Rini. "Sister…there is something you must know." Sunrise stood and took her sister's wrist.

"What is it?" Sunset replied, her hazel eyes searched her sister's.

"The identity of the Princess."

"Who is she?" Sailor Sunset stopped.

"Her name is Serena Tsukino." With Sunrise's words, Sunset's heart stopped beating within her chest.

'Serena…Darien's girlfriend…my god…what have I done? I have betrayed the Messiah!' Her eyes clouded and the others watched as her face paled to sheet white. 'I've betrayed her…I've betrayed the Queen…I've betrayed the royal family…' A small tear formed at the corner of her eye.

"Eve? What is it?"

"Everyone look!" Neptune cried, interrupting the two as her eyes went wide. Out of nowhere, a small void opened up within the air just above the pavement. The portal, to where their destination lay, stood before them like an indomitable menace. It was empty, a black hole, dark and seductive like evil curtains draping over the eyes of innocent victims.

Sailor Mars tensed visibly and the others understood. The negative energy far surpassed anything they'd ever known.

"Girls…let us get back our Princess," Luna spoke darkly. The girls agreed and one by one entered the tunnel. Suddenly all 8 scouts and 2 cats hurtled through a 3-dimensional tunnel over and over, head over feet and back again through the writhing transport tunnel.

The sensation was indescribable and exceeded even their visit to the future with the aid of Sailor Pluto. "This is taking forever!" Mars said beginning to become annoyed, her cry nearly lost on the whirring sound of the tunnel. Sailor Sunset, however, remained silent and shameful.

"How could I have betrayed her? I am disgusting…" she murmured, eyes downcast.

"Sailor Sunset, it has come to my attention that you have been in contact with a Darien Chiba-

"Venus!" Jupiter hissed. "Now is not the time." The thunder Senshi knew exactly what her friend Venus was about to ask. She wanted to accuse their savior of stealing Darien from their Princess and basically losing Serena for all of them. Venus knew better than this and kept quiet. Perhaps her actions were done without knowing and were once completely innocent. Though Venus knew that her comment had gained a visibly fearful expression from the Scout of the Sunset. She looked as if she was about to cry, but her look became hardened. Eve knew she must do anything possible now to save the Princess.

"I'm just glad we're reunited once and for all," Neptune said among the whirring sound of the brilliant blue tunnel, "I knew something was missing. United we stand; we fight as one. And when the day is done…we will have won." They smiled pondering Neptune's politically correct saying. Though these smiles were not to last. Finally a gray blur came into sight.

"The end of the tunnel! Be prepared for anything!" Artemis called out, his feline form tumbling through the air.

"Brace yourselves!" Mercury shouted over the now quite loud whirring and spinning sounds. They screamed as the sounds became louder, more painful, and almost unbearable. Until…blackness. They were floating in a black void. They couldn't speak; they didn't think they could see because of the intense darkness. Finally it stopped. Everything was in place but nothing existed.

It seemed with the ending of the immense noise, their ability to speak was regained. "Where are we?" Venus asked Luna, her blonde hair a wild mess.

"Nearing the end of the tunnel. We went through the check-in point so to speak. Everything will appear and we will have finally arrived within a few seconds." There was another brilliant flash and once again everything ceased. The large group of young women and their feline guardians hurtled through the air and suddenly came down upon a hard surface, pain shooting through their legs.

They'd landed.

It took quite a few moments before the girls could regain their bearings; Mercury was the first to speak. Her aquatic gaze lifted and settled upon a majestic form. She in response let out a gasp. "Oh my god!" Mercury whispered shrilly but loud enough so everyone could hear. "It's the Moon Kingdom!" Each pair of eyes followed her gaze and too registered the sight.

"I can't believe it! How is this possible? The Kingdom was destroyed in the past…along with the end of the Silver Millennium! We came in the future, but now look! It's beautiful!" Mars cried out in surprise, logic still lost upon the sight before them.

Sailor Neptune shook her head, "This doesn't make any sense. The Kingdom was destroyed…someone must have come back to here to rebuild it."

"Probably those sisters," Sailor Sunrise added. "They drew us here to retrieve the Princess…it looks as if they had plans of revitalizing their own empire here."

"I never got to see it those millennia ago…but now I see why the Silver Millennium was so magnificent. But it cannot be forgotten that this no longer belongs to the White Moon Family…they've infiltrated our defense…" Sailor Sunset said to the cats.

The unusually silent child now spoke up, her ruby eyes filled with hope. "Serena must be here somewhere. They said to come here and that we'd find her. Let's split up and look around!" Rini reasoned, her sugary tails of hair rustling as she spoke. A quiet fell over them, until a sudden realization struck.

"Hey, wait a minute! You guys look at us!" Sailor Jupiter exclaimed, her eyes wide.

As they looked over to see themselves and one another, their Sailor forms had dissolved and they were the regal princesses of their planetary bodies. Their gowns were different in colors, design, length, and wear but they were all absolutely breath taking. Sunrise and Sunset were most of all astounded.

"I never realized we that were Princesses!" Sunrise said, shakily admiring the long peach gown that clung to her silky skin. The Inner Scouts quickly reaffirmed their stature and moved on to more important matters.

"Believe it everyone. Now come on! We must find Serena!" Luna and Artemis replied in unison. They all nodded and partnered up quickly.

"Just please, find her," Neo-Princess Serenity pleaded in a hushed voice. With a renewed determination they prepared to set out. Jupiter and Venus one-way, Sunset and Sunrise another, Uranus and Neptune, Mercury and Mars and Rini, then the two cats split accordingly.

* * *

The clicking of shoes echoed in the silent room as one of the sisters entered. "Glacier our guests have arrived," Glimmer reported, standing tall.

Glacier was silent for a moment, her legs slung over the arm of the chair. Her mane of platinum haired down onto the floor and her lapis lazuli eyes seemed to sparkle in the reflection of the computer central monitors. "Excellent, prepare the others for arrival. This is going to be magnificent!" Glacier replied looking out at the moon. 'Imagine that…our entire future is just waiting on that moon.'

Glimmer, however, had left the room with a sullen expression on her face. They'd been fighting for so long to return to glory, and finally it was within their grasp again. But would it last? She's witnessed the defeat of her other sisters, the four who'd been healed and revived by Sailor Moon. Is that what her battle would come to? She stopped her silent reverie to knock on the bedroom doors of her middle sisters. "Come on you two, we're going down momentarily. This will be magnificent."

Aurora sat up, tilting her head at Glimmer. "Shouldn't you be celebrating, Glimmer? Your downcast expression betrays your proclamation of victory. Shouldn't you be smiling, I mean after all, you've humiliated the both of us before our leader and eldest sister. Perhaps you should do that same with us before the high Queen, no?"

"That's what you've wanted all along, isn't it, Glimmer? Validation and a pricey seat beneath our Empress? All you've done since we've arrived is torture and belittle us. What ever happened to that vow of unity we made before breaking free, the vow that was to keep us together as the four sisters of supreme power? Diamond was meant for our Empress…and their union would create the Royal Dark Moon Empire…the Nemesis Moon and Star would become one. The Wise Man would fail before us and together we would rule. But Diamond had other thoughts in mind…he wanted the Neo Queen. Is that why you've done this, Glimmer? To ruin all who oppose your personal mission, and so once the Empress was resurrected, you could rectify past mistakes?" Borealis continued, her bright eyes searching her sister's grey. Glimmer's eyes dropped to the floor, and for the first time in centuries they'd seen true emotion other than revenge alive within their sister.

"I want to see our empire thrive again, to watch our Empress take over and show the world what we're made of. That was our mission: to recreate what should have been." Aurora watched as near sorrow overcame Glimmer's face, and she rose. The lavender-haired sister went to the sky girl's side.

"Glimmer, I'm sorry. We were all wrong in this-

"Stop it! I don't want your pity. Neither of you could handle eradicating the remaining scouts; on my own I destroyed the leader of the White Moon. I don't need your shameless charities…" Glimmer shouted, ripping away from her sister's comfort. She stomped out of the room quickly, wiping away a tear as she went.

* * *

'I've always known in my mind what the Princess looked like. But ever since regaining my memory of being a Sailor…well that was four years ago…I lost that little piece. I hope Serena is all right. There is no excuse for my behavior, and I deserve the condemnation of the White Moon Princess. I just pray she is alive and well…' Eve the sunset Princess thought wildly as she and Sabrina ran a fine-toothed comb in their search for the Princess.

"Eve, don't give up. It'll be all right!" Sabrina said knowing all she had thought. Sunlit hair streaming down her back, Sabrina scanned the area around them, pausing to admire a stray flower upon one of the garden bushes. "It's not your fault-

"You're wrong. I know what I was doing…I took advantage of him…of his pain. I played on his desires rather than on his morality. I knew he loved her, but I couldn't stop myself. I just wanted to feel his warm arms around me…the taste of his lips. All I wanted was for him to want me." Eve stopped, falling to the ground. "I shouldn't be so selfish…but I feel so responsible! My god, Sabrina, if she's dead--

"She can't be. As long as Rini is still alive, we have hope. Now come on," Sabrina reasoned, reaching down a hand to help her up, "Let's get going."

Her burgundy hair spilled over her shoulders like a river of fine wine, but her hazel eyes were sad and pained. "Brina, please tell me this is all going to be okay. I just want to know that she's alive and I can deal with it from there…Darien will be devastated. I still just can't believe-

"Eve, everything is going to be fine. Now come on, we must lend all of our strength to finding her." With a hopeful nod, Eve rose with her sister's help and the two quickly continued in their fervent speech.

---Mean While---

Amy and Rini had gone through the beautiful, lush Rose gardens by the fountain pools and were exhausted. The kingdom was extensive and couldn't be covered by two people in a single afternoon. It seemed that the very extravagance was tiring on its own. "Amy…is my Mom okay?"

"Rini, dear little Moon Princess…I hope so. Don't worry until the time comes. We will protect you for sure, okay? Just don't give up hope…" Amy replied not having a definite answer. Her deep blue eyes scanned the area, lifting as they followed the grand marble stairway that lead up to the palace entrance.

"I'm really tired, Amy. But we have to keep looking…" the child went on.

"Rini, stay here and rest. You're but a little one and need your strength for a battle should one occur. I'll go into the Palace and start looking there," Amy said getting up. The pink rabbit nodded and lay back against a large tree for comfort. The bark was unusually smooth and the satiny feel was welcome to the child. A ways away, Amy looked around cautiously for a moment and began to walk up the Palace steps; the clicking of her clear shoes echoing on the silence.

The Mercurian Princess placed her delicate, milky hands to the immense doors of the Palace. "I feel a change in the wind, Amara," she heard the Princess of Neptune remark from a little ways over. Michelle and Amara had assembled, and with no luck, continued on their fervent search.

"What wind?" Amara cracked sarcastically, her short hair fluttered as she tilted her head.

"Stop it, Amara! Serena isn't here! If she were I'd sense her. Sooner or later we're going to have come to realize that Serena is-

Suddenly a blood-curdling scream sliced through the air. Michelle and Amara stood still, hair on end. They exchanged glances and then without realizing it, took off for the Palace.

* * *

The ruby-eyed child's screams continued to cut through the silence, both in fear and in rage. Amy tore down the Palace steps, her expression dark and fearful. As soon as the Mercurian arrived at her side, Rini although could not speak. A chilling fear rippled down her spine. "Rini! What's wrong?" Amy exclaimed. Suddenly she saw it.

"Amy…Amy…" she whispered in horror, her gaze locked on her hands.

They were transparent.

"Oh my god! Rini! Somebody, help us!" Amy screamed out, pulling the child to her.

"Amy. why am I disappearing? Amy! Why am I dying?" Ruby locked with sapphire in a struggle of pain. "She's dead…" Rini cried, tears flowing smoothly.

"Oh Princess…Rini!" Amy shouted, her thoughts reeling. "Sailors! Come quickly! Please, dear god!" Her blue gown was stained with the girl's tears, and instinctively she wrapped her arms around the fading child.

'This can only mean one thing…the White Moon Princess is truly dead…they've lied to us.' It was at this instant that each figure of the scouts came forth, their breath lost as they arrived. Though it seemed that the very life within them froze and died as realized that their future Princess had begun to fade. Mina, Lita, and Raye all dropped to their knees, going to the side of the girl.

"Rini…"

"Raye, I'm dying. That woman was right, my mother is dead," Rini sobbed, her cheeks flashing back and forth from visibility. Sparkling tears ran down her face until they could not be seen any longer. Raye and Mina took her hands, as the others looked on in sorrow. Amy merely buried her face in the little child's mass of pink hair.

"RINI! RINI!" Sabrina screamed, throwing herself at the ground, her emerald eyes wide and full of tears. "What does this mean?" Her desperate cry echoed out on the air, and no one was able to speak the answer. Sabrina could remember when they'd first met, and how sweet and innocent she had been and was. Little did she know that that child would emerge as her future Princess, soul heir of Crystal Tokyo. A clean stream of tears formed on Sabrina's cheeks, and she grasped Rini's hands fearfully. Eve, however, was so shaken that she could not shed a tear. Her gaze merely locked on the child, and all that filled her mind was thoughts of guilt and failure.

The Princess of the Sunset knelt down beside Small Lady, "Princess, my dear Princess…I've failed you. Not only that…but I've betrayed your family on an act of passionate greed. Rini, I am so sorry. I-

"Princess Sunset," Small Lady spoke eloquently, "you are forgiven. Absolve yourself of guilt and fear not. You are a welcomed part of the White Moon Court and will always be looked upon with favor." A weak smile graced the girl's lips, her long gown flowed out over the grass as she relaxed in her fallen position.

Eve, with wide hazel eyes shook her head, long wine tresses flying. "How can this be so? I have committed a crime against you and your family…the guilt consumes my soul…dear Small Lady. Please do not leave us, I feel as though I failed you once again." Rini, however, reached a hand and touched Eve's arm.

"You," she spoke meekly now, her body still flickering, "are forgiven by her. She forgives you, we both do."

"How is this possible?" Eve sobbed, looking upon her dying future Princess. Sabrina beside her cried into her hands, hiding her face. Mina and Lita, however, exchanged glances with the others and realized their assumptions had been wrong. Though Eve had acted on a romantic impulse, she would give up anything and everything in the name of the Queen, and was being eaten away by her guilt. It was all a misunderstanding carrying a heavy price.

"My mother loves people and would do anything to protect them. She understands, Eve. Please trust me, Eve. Sailor Sunset, Sailor Sunrise, thank you both." The twin sisters broke down in tears, and sobbed quietly as the others looked on in dread.

"Eve, we were wrong to hate you for what has happened," Mina murmured, her clear blue eyes full of sincerity. The wine-haired woman merely nodded, still unable to form words. How could this be happening? Sorrow engulfed them all.

"My friends…I am so sorry…I love you all…" Rini sputtered, her tiny hands reaching out to all of them. Tears began to fall freely now and each sailor was overcome with grief. They'd lost. Luna and Artemis bounded up and watched, disbelieving.

"Princess Serenity…my god! Ser-en-ity!" Mina choked, her wide blue eyes bright with tears and anguish.

"Don't give up yet, Rini! Please, don't give up. We'll find her! We'll bring Serena home!" Raye shrieked in anguish and suddenly she realized how wrong her words were. If Rini was disappearing, her mother must be dead. Her amethyst eyes widened and closed shut quickly, tears running out from beneath her closed lids. Luna pawed at her leg in reassurance.

"Goodbye," Rini whispered, her voice barely audible. Her skin, or what could be seen of it, was sheet white and quickly fading. Sabrina threw her arms out, and each girl cried out in pain.

"Rini!" Lita moaned. Amara and Michelle beside her had fallen to the ground and wept silently.

"We've failed the Messiah, Michelle," they could hear Amara whisper.

"Please, Rini, we'll find a way to stop this! We'll bring you back," Amy wept, her body wracked with sobs as the child's body slowly began to disappear.

"Thank you all, I love you." The pink-haired child lifted a hand to her broach, removing it from her bow. "Take care of it…I beg of you." And with those eerily sick words, she collapsed and her form faded completely from existence. There was a thick quiet left and no one spoke. Only the sniffles of saddened warriors could be heard, as their tears fell gently in endless streams.

"We've failed her…" Raye whispered, burying her face in Mina's shoulder. The Inner Sailors wept, the pain that filled them was unimaginable. Amara and Michelle, along with Eve and Sabrina shuddered with sorrow.

"Eve, our mission…can never be completed…we failed again…nothing can be done to save our universe…"

Another seemingly impenetrable silence fell over them, tears unending. It was a faint, though sudden whirring sound that caught their attention. It seemed to be coming from the clear crystal pools beside the group of grieving scouts. Four, extremely lovely fountains of water shot up into the air from the waters; they seemed to mirror the pain and the grief each girl and feline guardian felt inside.

Eve lifted her eyes, wiping away the stray tears. Her weak voice sputtered, "Look everyone!" The four fountains emitted a loud whirring sound that became increasingly louder. Overwhelmed with pain, each girl seemed not to notice the significance.

Luna flicked her tail warily. And then it happened. Each of the fountains began to widen slightly at the center and seemed to be uncurling upward. They grew taller yet and the sparkle intensified. The uncurling continued and bodies, which were slim, long and sleek, like the crystalline source they grew from, began to form. The appearance of feminine curves graced the forms and soon they began to take permanent shape. The bodies were those of four women, beautiful and glistening, like glacial structures; they were serene and calm in appearance, but like the source they emerged from, they would prove to be dangerous and quite unpredictable. That was when the final stage was completed; four women floated down off of these fountains in their black star glory, all dressed in icy pastel dresses; their hair, eyes, and even skin tone all resembled that of lightness and snow, ice and sleet.

A small gasp escaped the mouth of each princess and slowly they began to rise.

"The Storm Sisters!" Michelle exclaimed, clenching her fists tight as rocks. Her aquamarine eyes filled with rage.

"Hello," Glacier said in a low tone. "So glad you could join us." Her platinum hair danced around her knees, lapis lazuli eyes nearly glowing. Aurora stepped up besides her, tossing her lavender hair carelessly. Her eyes of molten silver flickered dangerously.

"A pleasure to see you again," she hissed. Borealis and Glimmer beside them merely smiled. Each side assembled and stood, facing one another angrily. Silence ensued and they knew that soon a hateful battle would begin. Eve and Sabrina stepped to the front, their eyes full of pain and horror.

"You disgusting monsters…" Sabrina screamed. The Inner Scouts leapt forth, flanking the twins. Amara and Michelle, followed by the cats, took up the defensive backdrop. Each expression of the young women were littered with hate and pain, sorrow most of all penetrating their souls. Raye wiped a stray tear from her eyes and took an offensive stance that she'd learned as a true Shinto Priestess. Lita beside her, stood strong along side Mina and Amy.

Borealis let out a tiny laugh. "You'll find that we're much more than that…"

"You lied to us, you told us she was here!" Lita shouted, balling her fists. Waving her arms angrily she stepped forward. "You will pay dearly for this! Each and everyone one of you pitiful excuses for a sorceress!"

Glimmer exchanged a bemused glance with Glacier. "It was you who meddled in our past, destroying our future. A great empire was to rise here centuries ago and would reign supreme in our future. We have returned here and begun rebuilding to provide for our Empress. You shall die if need be!"

"Your empire shall never be completed, and your Empress will die for the pain she has caused. You cannot preserve what never existed!" Mina countered. She and Glimmer bore holes through one another with their glares. The Venusian Princess raised her hands above her and drew ripped them down to her sides, "I hate you! You've stolen away our Queen…you've murdered her daughter!"

"Like you said," Glacier cut in, "you cannot preserve what never existed." At this, every girl tensed and prepared for the battle of their lives.