"Fate" - A Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Series
Fire Angel

AUTHOR'S NOTE 1: Okay guys, this series is just a little thing I thought up, but each story is
only a one-part fan fic, and they are all separate stories (ie. Their outcomes do not affect the
other stories). Their outcomes will not reflect on my future fan fictions. Any comments? E-mail
me at rinoa_heartilly86@hotmail.com

AUTHOR'S NOTE 2: Hello once more. This is finally, my second to last part of this series. It
feels like it's gone on forever, but I've enjoyed it and I guess that's what matters most. This
episode, if you can't tell from the title, is about Ami-chan. You'll notice it's extremely
different to the rest. I was having trouble coming up with an idea, and then I saw 'Lord of the
Rings', the movie, and it kinda inspired me to write a medievalistic (yes, I know that's not a
word) type story… it almost doesn't belong in this series - but hey, I guess the Usagi one was a
little strange, too. Oh - and this is the first of the stories to only feature the Inner Senshi.
And, I'm only using anime attacks for the sake of having Merc-chan relatively defence-based.
'Hyperspace area formation' is something that someone said was one of her attacks in the manga,
but it really isn't. So I've nicked the name and used it as a 'travel between dimensions' kinda
thing. Please read and review! If you want to flame me, go ahead. I don't think one fan fiction
author gets through without a flame of some type (although, I have, so far! :o) ) ^_^


Fate
Part 7: Sharing the Same Tears

PROLOGUE
It had started, as many things do, with a battle between the forces of good and evil. Five female
warriors, defending the future of planet Earth. They called themselves the pretty, sailor-suited
soldiers of love and justice. The Sailor Senshi, Earth's only defence against the demons that
tried to take over the planet, or steal energy, or destroy the planet altogether. Their leader
was Sailor Moon, princess of the long-forgotten Moon Kingdom. Together, along with her four
closest friends and protectors, Sailors Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Venus, she was this defence.

Each girl had her own particular strengths and weaknesses. Sailor Moon was loyal and caring, but
was scared by the smallest of monsters. Mars and Jupiter were courageous and had powerful
attacks, but both often jumped into situations without thinking about the results. Venus combined
a mix of these strengths, but she was frivolous and quite often unfocused.

Sailor Mercury believed herself to be the weakest. She was brave, loyal, and easily the smartest
of the group; able to find weaknesses in enemies and traps in surroundings in the blink of an
eye, but when it came to attacks, hers were either defensive or fairly weak. Once, she had
destroyed a monster on her own, but she fainted afterwards, completely drained of strength.

Thoughts roared through Mercury's head. Her inability to do anything to distract the monster as
it had lunged at Jupiter. Jupiter, helpless, who had only been there to save Mercury in the first
place. Surely, it had been her fault. Jupiter was dead, and she had done nothing. There was
nothing she could do. Why? Why was she so weak?

Privately, she promised herself that she would never, ever fight again. At least, not until she
could do what she was supposed to do. Protect her friends. Protect her princess.
Protect her planet.


CHAPTER 1
"Ami-chan!"
The anguished voice that called to her from behind was a familiar one. Sailor Mercury hunched her
shoulders and continued walking away from the scene of the battle, trying to ignore her friend.
"Ami! Please, stop!"
A new voice, but another she knew. Tears welling in her blue eyes, she continued to walk, staring
at the ground. Ignore them, she told herself. You have to get out of here.

"Mercury."
The third voice, cold and clipped, came from in front of her. She lifted her head to stare into
tear-filled, purple eyes.
"Mars, leave me alone," Mercury snapped, pushing past her friend. There was a flash of movement,
and Mars stood in front of her again, barring her path. She spun around, looking for an escape,
but no, Moon and Venus had closed in on her from behind. Venus carried Jupiter, the latter's body
hanging limply in the girl's arms.

"Where are you going?" Mars demanded. "You-you can't leave us like this! We're all upset, we're
all hurt, and we're all angry! Why do you have to act like you're the only one that matters?!"
Sailor Moon looked horrified at her friend's words, but when Mars broke down into anguished sobs,
she was there to comfort the raven-haired girl.
"I'm leaving," Mercury said bluntly. All three girls looked at her, startled, and she continued,
"I am currently of no use to you. It was because of my weakness that Jupiter… Jupiter… can't you
see that?! Doesn't that worry you?! I am leaving to train, and I am not coming back until I can
protect at least one of you!"

"Don't you dare!" Mars yelled, getting to her feet. "It wasn't just your fault! Don't you DARE
blame yourself!"
"If I had kept my watch better, the monster would not have surprised us like that," Venus said,
trying to keep her voice calm. "It was just as much my fault as yours, Ami-chan."
"In a way, it was all of our faults," Sailor Moon said, her sky-blue eyes filling with tears.
"All of our fault," Mars corrected automatically.

"No. All of our faults," Moon whispered miserably. "My fear. Minako-chan's frivolity. Rei-chan,
your… your…"
"My amazing ability to jump in without thinking," Mars muttered. "And, Ami-chan, your…" she
halted suddenly, looking up at Mercury.
"That's right," Mercury snapped. "My weak attacks. If I had been stronger, I could've at least
distracted the monster until you came to help. And Mako-chan could do nothing… the youma had her
held tight in vines. My attacks couldn't even destroy THEM!"
There was silence, and then Mercury whispered, "So I'm leaving. I'm going far, far away, and you
won't be able to contact me. I'm going to train myself. And when I come back, I'll be able to be
a true sailor senshi again. Until then, my friends, take care."

As they watched, she walked away from them, out into the middle of the deserted road. Taking out
her mini-computer, she flipped the lid open and keyed in some numbers. A bubble of blue light
surrounded her as she tucked the computer away again. She turned to look at her friends and waved
sadly. Then she thrust her arms out.
"Hyperspace Area Formation!" she cried. Slowly, the bubble compacted inwards, combining with her
and taking on her shape. A silver sliver of light appeared in front of her. Glowing with the
light of the bubble, she stepped forward and pressed her hand to the silver energy.

They shielded their eyes from the explosion of silver-blue light. When they dared to open them
again, Sailor Mercury was gone.

* * * *

"Your Majesty."
The queen turned around, her black eyes sparkling. "What news do you bring, Fasici?"
Fasici looked up at the young woman, who was sitting on a black throne, as a grin spread over his
face. "Your Highness, one of the senshi has been destroyed."
The queen's eyes lit up with joy, but her voice stayed as cold as ice. "Who was it that
accomplished such a deed, Fasici?"
"Vires," came the answer.
"So he fell in pride. May his spirit rest. He is the only one who has achieved at least one of
my commands. Thankyou for the news," the queen said, by way of dismissal.

"Your Majesty, there is something else," the monster said timidly, scratching at his scaled
cheek. "One of the senshi has believed this to be her fault, and has left for another dimension
to 'train' herself in the arts of heroism."
There was silence, and then the normally elegant queen leapt from her throne to perform a victory
dance, laughing wickedly as she did so.
"Finally, the hour has come!" she said giddily, forgetting her status as queen of the dark
realms.

The queen stopped, her eyes blazing with thought.
"Have one of the sorceresses seal the ability to open the portals. Operire should do, I think.
Her closing abilities are stronger than those of most people. Have her block the portal, so it
can be used merely as a viewing-device, and tell her to stay in the dimension where this senshi
is. Someone must be ready to fight her. She will die easily, if she believes herself to be the
weakest."
"Yes, your Majesty," Fasici said quietly, disappearing into the gloom.

The queen clapped her hands.
"Youma, to me! Tonight we start our assault on Tokyo! It is time for the sailor senshi to fall!"


CHAPTER 2
Her eyes watered from the sudden change in light. Wiping at them with the back of her hand, she
blinked furiously. When she opened her eyes again, she was in a forest. Trees stood tall around
her, and sunlight filtered in brightly through the canopy. Shielding her eyes, she looked around.
The forest, this part at least, was seemingly uninhabited.

She took a step forward, and was instantly surrounded by small, flying creatures. They tore at
her hair, and raked at her exposed flesh with fangs and talons.
Thinking quickly, she yelled, "Shabon Spray!"
The area was suddenly thrown into a deep fog. With the creatures disoriented, Mercury immediately
flipped backwards, away from them.
"Oof!" she cried, as her flip landed her against a tree. She slid to the ground, her
concentration broken, and the fog faded. Instantly the creatures were on her again.

"Shabon Spray," Mercury sighed again, and this time when the fog rolled over them, she crawled
away, feeling ahead of her as she went. Standing up with her back leaning against a tree, she
quickly thought about her situation.
I could easily outrun them, she thought. Especially with the Shabon Spray covering them like
this… but, no! Am I not here to train?! I shall have to fight them, then.

Letting the fog fade, Mercury yelled, "Shine Aqua Illusion!" before the creatures could get any
closer. Some of them were thrown back by the attack, slamming into trees and sinking helplessly
to the ground. Others kept coming for her, as she pulled out her harp and yelled furiously,
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"
Still some of the monsters flew towards her, and as they reached her, swarmed her again.
"Dammit!" Mercury cried. Stay focused, she warned herself angrily. Don't you dare lose it now.
"Shabon Spray Freezing!"

The blast of ice knocked the monsters back, but they started towards her again. Mercury turned,
about to run, but suddenly two of the flying creatures dropped to the ground, pierced by arrows.
She turned, clutching her harp, and yelled, "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" as more arrows shot into the
clearing. Within seconds, the remaining creatures were dead, or had fled in fear.

"Salus," said a voice, and Mercury turned around, eyes clouding with confusion at the foreign
word. A young woman stood there, with black hair trailing to her knees. She tucked her hair back,
revealing a pointed ear. A quiver of arrows was hanging over her back. She held tightly onto a
longbow, and a sword sheath sat on a belt slung around her hips. "Salus," the girl repeated.
"Hello."

"Uhhh… h-h-hello," Mercury stammered. "Hello. Thankyou for saving me. I would have died if not
for you."
"I know," the girl said, purple eyes glittering with silent laughter. She smiled at Mercury. "My
name is Anima. I'm an elf-mage."
"A mage?" Mercury asked incredulously. "But don't mages use magic? You were just fighting with…"
Anima laughed. "All elves are trained in the art of archery. I carry a short sword as well - I
learned that from my cousin. Meet Flamma," she declared, pulling out her sword. A ruby was
embedded in the hilt. "It's customary to name our swords. The ruby helps conduct magic through
the blade… making the sword more powerful. Flamma's very useful to me… she's saved my life
numerous times."

"That's amazing," Mercury breathed, as the elf slid the sword back into its sheath.
"And your name?" Anima asked politely, smiling warmly at her.
"Oh… how rude of me!" Mercury exclaimed. "I'm sorry, I truly forgot. I am Mercury. Sailor
Mercury. My friends call me Ami."
"Pleased to meet you, Sailor Mercury," Anima said. "Now. I must take you to the city of Laganum.
The queen there wishes to meet you. A cleric foresaw your arrival. Her Majesty has many questions
to ask of you. Please, come."


CHAPTER 3
"Your Royal Majesty Queen Cuniculus ex Lonus of Laganum, I, Anima de Incendium, present to you
Sailor Mercury, Lady Ami de Aqua, a traveller from another world."
Mercury stared at her new friend. On their way to Laganum, Anima had stated that the name 'Ami'
would not do, and gave her the last name 'Aqua', in her language meaning 'water'. The 'de' in
between the two names was used for someone of a high rank.

"Lady de Aqua," Queen Cuniculus said, and Mercury's attention shifted. She looked at the queen
and bowed in the same way Anima had.
"Your Majesty," Mercury said, nodding slightly.
The queen's blue eyes were warm and inviting. She shook her head, and a loose blonde curl fell
from the bun she wore to sit on her cheek. A silver tiara sparkled on her head.
"We welcome you to our home, Lady Ami," the queen said. "Treat our home as if it were your own,
with my blessings. But I have questions, if you do not mind?"
"Of course not, Your Majesty," Mercury murmured.

"How did you come to arrive here?" Queen Cuniculus asked.
Mercury pondered for a moment. She won't understand if I tell her about the senshi, she thought.
It was technology, in a way. They don't have that - no, wait. Even in my world, technology won't
transport us to different worlds. It was…
"Magic, Your Majesty," she replied. "I arrived in your world by using the power of magic."
"Then you are a mage?" the queen inquired.
"Well, not… yes, I guess I am a mage. Your Majesty."

"It was definitely magic that helped her ward off those monsters, if you do not mind me saying
so," Anima cut in. "But it is magic of a different kind. She is not a true mage. Not a mage like
myself, nor like Fides… was."
"Fides?" Mercury asked.
The queen looked at her. "Lady Fides was, like Lady Anima, one of my personal protectors. She was
a human, a warrior-mage. She was laid waste to mere hours ago, about the same time you came
through the magic portal. A creature called Operire destroyed her."

"This Operire… does she live?" Mercury asked. A perfect opportunity, she thought. I can train
myself and help this kingdom at the same time. Then… then I can go back.
"Yes," a voice said bitterly. Anima and Ami turned to find a young blonde standing behind them.
She had glimmering elven eyes, blue in colour, and slightly pointed ears.
"Lady Decorus, did I summon you?" the queen said sternly. However, her blue eyes were laughing.

"My apologies, your Majesty," Decorus murmured. "But I bring important… bad… news."
"Lady Ami, this is Lady Decorus Infans de Amor," Queen Cuniculus said. "She is Lady Anima's
cousin, a half-elf, half-human."
Mercury turned to Anima. "The one that…"
"Trained me in the art of the sword?" Anima asked. "Yes. Decorus, what ails you?"

"Operire is whom, my ladies," Decorus said. "I have foreseen an attack on the village of
Mutatio."
"The village of the shape-shifters?" Queen Cuniculus gasped. "Very well; we must warn them… your
visions of Lady de Aqua were correct, therefore we must assume that you are correct this time,
also. We'll send one of the Tutela squads there."
"With all due respect, they will not be enough," Anima said. "We risk death for all of them this
way."

"My ladies," Ami cut in. "I have some friends that could help us. They are mages like myself.
They come from my world. If you would give me leave to find them…"
"It won't work," Decorus said. "Try it if you want, but you won't be able to get back."
Ami went through the same procedure as earlier. "Hyperspace Area Formation!"

The portal opened.
"I'll be back soon," she informed them, and stepped into it. There was a sound like an explosion,
and then she was floating down an endless abyss. Around her, she could see images. It was her
friends, Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus, trying to fight off a horde of youma. They
were failing without Mercury and Jupiter.
Take me back! I have to help them! she cried, fighting to get towards them. There was another
explosion, and everything went black…


CHAPTER 4
"See?" Decorus asked, looking down at her. "It doesn't work, and will not until Operire is gone.
She is sealing the portal so you cannot get back."
"No," Mercury sobbed. "My friends… they are being killed by the youma! I have to get back!"
"Then come with us," Anima said gently. "Come and fight Operire, and once she is gone, you can go
to help your friends."
"All right," Mercury said, getting to her feet. "I shall come with you. Let us hurry."

* * * *

"Dammit," Sailor Mars gasped, holding her side, trying to keep the wound shut. "Why did Mercury
have to leave? We're all gonna…"
"Don't say it, Sailor Mars!" Sailor Moon sobbed, holding her dying friend. "Don't you dare say
it! We'll make it. We always have before! Tuxedo Kamen," she appealed, looking at her ally and
lover. "Please, please tell me she'll be okay!"
"I can't make a promise that can't be kept, Usagi-chan," Tuxedo Kamen said sadly, crouching
beside the girl. "Go and keep fighting. I'll take care of Rei-chan."
"But…"
"Sailor Venus needs you!" Tuxedo Kamen roared. "Do it! Before you lose her, too!"

"Go, Usagi-chan. I'll be all right," Mars whispered. "Hey. I'll say 'hi' to Mako-chan for you."
Sailor Moon burst into tears and hugged her friend, then bravely got to her feet.
"And I'll destroy these youma in your name, Rei-chan! SILVER MOON CRYSTAL POWER KISS!"

* * * *

"She's powerful," the evil queen commented, watching through a ball of dark energy. "She just
destroyed those youma with one attack."
"Your Majesty, what do we do next?" Fasici asked, looking up at the queen. She turned from the
ball of energy to smile wickedly at him.
"Why, isn't the answer simple, Fasici? Send more youma to the Sailor Senshi. And do not let the
other girl get back from that dimension! Soon, they will all be gone, and this planet will be
mine!"

* * * *

"Operire," Anima snarled, looking at the monster that blocked their path a short way off.
"That's her?" Queen Cuniculus asked in surprise. Instead of her usual pink gown, she was wearing
silver breeches and a white shirt, with a pink tunic pulled over the top. The only sign that
showed she was queen was the silver tiara she wore. "She doesn't look that much like a usual
enemy."

The raven-haired woman turned to face them. Her red eyes widened in shock, and then narrowed as
she advanced towards them. She was human in appearance, save the silver streaks that wrapped
around her arms and face. She was clad in a red dress that swirled around her ankles like a river
of blood. In her left arm she carried a sword, in her right a staff.

"Our usual enemies are dragons and other immortals," Decorus reminded her queen. "It's rarely
that we get mortals."
"Let's go," Mercury said, her eyes on the creature. She alone knew it was an alien from a
different planet, in an alternate universe. "She won't be as easy to fight as you think."
"All right," Anima said. "Good luck, my friends. May Minerva and Mars look over us all."


CHAPTER 5
"Mars, how are you coping?" Tuxedo Kamen asked, his eyes, behind his white mask, deeply troubled.
She looked up at him, her eyes red. "I'm… fine," she gasped.
"Liar," he snapped, lifting her into his arms and brushing her hair away from her face. "You need
medical assistance."
"I'll… be fine!" she cried, gasping again as pain struck her side. She closed her eyes. "Go… go
and help Usagi-chan and… Mi-nako-ch…" her voice dropped off as her head fell, limp.

"Dammit!" Tuxedo Kamen yelled. "Usako, hurry and get rid of these creatures! Rei-chan needs
medical help!"
And if we don't get help, he added silently, she's going to die.

* * * *

Ami's vision blurred for a second as a rock hit her in the side of the head. She stared at
Operire, fury filling her eyes. It was this monster that was keeping her away from her friends,
stopping her from helping them…
No! Ami yelled at herself. It was your own fault… no one else's. You stopped YOURSELF from
helping your friends. You're the one that got yourself here. Now get yourself out of here!

"Mercury Aqua Mirage!" she yelled. As she unleashed the attack, she mentally slapped herself.
This attack, every time she used it, it drained her strength entirely… but no, she wasn't the
weak one anymore. She never had been… but she made herself weak by her lack of belief her
strengths. She took back the slap, and let the attack fly.
"Vis Avis!" Anima yelled, holding up her sword. The ruby glowed, and a flock of scarlet birds
flew down to the woman, swooping down at her, raking her with their claws. As soon as Mercury's
attack hit, Anima yelled, "Ignis!"

The birds burst into flames, and Operire screamed at the sudden difference in temperature.
Decorus bent her longbow and loaded an arrow onto it, quickly loosing it at the youma. Queen
Cuniculus leapt forward with her sword, swiping furiously, gripping the silver crystal embedded
in the hilt.
"She's a healer-mage," Anima said quietly to Mercury. "She can't attack with magic, but she can
heal wounds in the blink of an eye." As the monster turned towards them, Anima cried, "Anguis
Ignis!" She said to Mercury, "Quick, use your Caligo Shield." Seeing Mercury's confusion, she
said, "The fog."

"Shabon Spray!" Mercury cried instantly. Only the four warriors could see as a silver snake
glided through the mist, and curled around Operire. With a wave of Anima's hand, the snake also
burst into flames. Operire screamed in pain as the flames engulfed her. The four girls watched as
she burnt slowly to the ground, reduced to a pile of blackened ash.

* * * *

"Thankyou," Mercury said quietly to Anima. "Maybe someday… maybe I will come to visit, and bring
my friends with me."
"Thankyou, Lady Ami de Aqua," Queen Cuniculus said. "You have saved our lives, and the lives of
many innocent civilians… you have helped us to save this world."
"But now you must leave," Decorus said, her voice firm. "Go and save your friends, and be quick,
Ami."

Mercury pulled out her computer, and started to type the coordinates. A bubble opened around her.
She tucked the computer away, and suddenly Anima was by her side, encased in the bubble.
"Anima, what are you doing?" Mercury demanded. "When the bubble compresses, you will be…"
"Shut up, Ami," Anima snapped. "Just listen." She pressed a small blue gemstone into Mercury's
gloved hand. "It is a sapphire," she explained. "It will help the ferocity of your attacks
increase… remember, it is a magic stone, and gradually the power in it will ebb away, like the
ocean tide. Only use it when necessary. This is my gift to you, my friend. Use it well."

Tears pricked Mercury's eyes. "Thankyou…"
"Oh, and this…" Anima fished around in the pack she wore at her waist. Pulling out a silver flask
with crystals embedded in the sides, she handed it to Mercury. "From Her Majesty." She didn't
explain what it was; clearly she thought that the name of the giver was enough.
"Decorus sends her strength with you," Anima explained. "This is her gift to you. She is the
daughter of the goddess of love, Venus. Her strength, her goodwill, is more powerful than the
other two gifts combined. We all wish you luck."

With those words, Anima disappeared outside the bubble again.
"Hyperspace Area Formation!"
The portal opened again, as clear and bright as before. Closing her eyes, Mercury stepped into
it…

* * * *

"It's over," Venus sighed, staring at the pile of dead youma.
Sailor Moon's voice was terse. "Not quite."
The two girls turned and ran to their two companions. Mars was lying in Tuxedo Kamen's arms,
dead. He was hunched over her, wounded from trying to protect her.
"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" Sailor Moon sobbed, flinging herself at him. He gasped from the impact.
"Please tell me you'll be all right!"

"I hate to say it, but I doubt I'll make it," Tuxedo Kamen said, his voice hoarse with pain. "I
think…"
"Don't say it!" Sailor Venus yelled, cutting him off. "You cannot die, Mamoru-san! We'll be… two
senshi… it's not supposed to be like this, can't you see? It should be FIVE sailor warriors and
our companion, the Tuxedo Kamen, wearing a cloak as black as night and a mask the colour of the
moon!"

"It will never be that way again," Moon said sadly, picking Mars up. She helped Tuxedo Kamen to
stand as they made their way to a park, threading through the trees until they found the clearing
where they had left Jupiter's body before going to fight the youma. "We've already lost Jupiter,
and Mercury left… and now Mars, and Tuxedo Kamen. Minako-chan, we're the only two left!"
Venus looked over at Jupiter, her face sad. "She didn't get time for a decent burial before. I-I
guess we're doing that now."
Sailor Moon laid Mars down besides Jupiter, tears streaming down her face. Tuxedo Kamen sat down
next to them.
"Wait with me," he begged. "Once I'm gone, you can… you can bury me with them!" Suddenly he burst
into tears. "I'm sorry, Usako… I wanted to be with you, to live life together with you, happily…
forever and ever… but now… now it can never happen, because…"

"Because it's the end of the senshi," Venus admitted. "We've been beaten. Surely, my next battle
will be my last."
"Venus, don't say that!" Sailor Moon gasped.
"It's true," Venus sighed. "Without Mercury and Jupiter, we were weak. We needed Jupiter's
strength, and Mercury's defensive skills and her intelligence. Now we've lost Mars… she's really
our other offensive team member. You and I, Usagi… well, I'm relatively strong, and you've got
amazing attacks, but they drain you so quickly, and I'm not strong enough to hold a battle on my
own. It's the end for us. I'm sorry to say it, but I wouldn't tell a lie."
"Then… it's over then. The end."


EPILOGUE
"Usagi-chan. Minako-chan. It isn't the end, how can you say that? While there is love, there is
hope."
"Ami-chan!" Both girls, despite their sadness, were overjoyed to see their friend. They leaped to
their feet and flung their arms around her as she walked into the clearing.
Mercury's voice was quiet. "Sailor Moon, more than anything in the world, what do you value?"
"My love for my friends, and for Mamoru-san," Moon answered instantly, trying not to cry. "But
Mercury… it's all over."

"Don't talk like that," Mercury said kindly, pulling out the silver bottle, suddenly realising
what it was for. "We would all say the same - save the 'love for Mamoru-san' bit - and it's with
the power of love that we can beat this."
"Where did you go?" Venus asked, suddenly suspicious.
"To a different world. A world with mages, warriors and healers. The healer gave me this… and a
warrior, the daughter of Venus, goddess of love… she gave me her blessing. The blessing of love."
"Love conquers all," Venus said quietly. "Even…"

The three girls stared at each other.
"It's worth a shot," Moon said. "Even though it probably wouldn't work… I don't want to get my
hopes up."
Mercury opened the lid of the flask, and drank its contents. Instantly, a silver-pink aura
surrounded her, lighting up the night.
"Go on," Venus whispered, her heart pumping furiously against her chest.

Mercury walked forward, and pressed a hand on Mars, and then on Jupiter. Silver-pink energy
flowed into their bodies.
"Usagi-chan, come here," Mercury ordered. When Sailor Moon reached her, she said, "Put one hand
on my back and the other on Mamoru-san. Your love for him, combined with the potion's energy… it
should fully heal him."
Sailor Moon did as her friend ordered, her eyes watering with hope. Venus stood quietly, just
watching.

Suddenly, the clearing was filled with lights of silver, pink and gold, and a voice whispered,
"Amor vincere omnis…"
"Aequus mors," whispered Sailor Venus, somehow understanding the murmured words. Mercury looked
at her in shock, and then everything went black once more.

* * * *

"What did the voice say?" Usagi pestered, prodding Minako. "You seemed to understand what it
said."
"Of course I did," Minako muttered, rolling her eyes. "It spoke in our language, duh."
"No it didn't, and neither did you." The girls looked up as Rei sat down beside them.
"Uh-uh," Makoto agreed. "Ami-chan says it was in Latin."

"Latin?!" Minako exclaimed.
"That's right," Ami said from behind them. "Amor vincere omnis, aequus mors. Love conquers all,
even death."
"But I don't know Latin!" Minako cried. "I don't…"
"It was the blessing," Rei said quietly. "The blessing was passed on to Minako. Of course.
Venus, the goddess of love, passed a blessing of love onto the soldier of love. Only she could
use it, and the words were… uhh…"
"Amor vincere omnis, aequus mors."
"Thankyou, Ami. Meaning: Love conquers all, even death," Rei said gleefully. "And it did conquer
death, didn't it? I was dead, Mako was dead, even Mamoru-san was nearly dead, and it fixed us
all."

"Aren't you fazed?" Usagi asked. "Just a little? You were dead, Rei-chan, and you don't seem to
care!"
"You're right," Rei sighed. "I don't. I wasn't far enough gone to care. Now, Mako-chan on the
other hand, she'd been dead an entire day…"
"Thanks, Rei-chan. I think that'll be enough," Makoto said, looking ill. "And thankyou, Ami-chan.
You saved us."

Ami fingered the sapphire that sat in her pocket.
Next time, I'll save you before you die, Ami promised silently. This gem is the representation of
my love for you, my friends. Next time it will be my love that saves you. Next time, Mako-chan.
I promise.


~Fin~