Chapter 20 – The End?
"Hotaru!! Come back!!" ChibiUsa shrieked, feeling fresh tears spring to her eyes.
"Sailor Saturn!" Sailor Moon cried, weakly climbing to her feet, feeling every part of her body aching. "I'm going to help you!"
"I'm afraid you can't, Sailor Moon. Without the ability to become Super Sailor Moon, you are no where near strong enough to take on Pharaoh 90," Saturn said sadly. "You did the right thing, though. Giving up your powers for me, I thank you for that, Sailor Moon. I will defeat this enemy, but it will kill me so I won't be seeing you again. Thank you, my friend ChibiUsa," She said, glancing over at the pink-haired princess holding a weakened Quatre in her arms. "Doomo arigato for being my friend, we will meet again some day, I promise… a best friend is forever…" Saturn whispered, feeling tears collecting in the corner of her eyes.
"Matte, Sailor Saturn!" Sailor Moon cried taking a step forward. Saturn leveled her Silence Glaive at Sailor Moon's throat, her eyes narrowing.
"There is nothing you can do, Sailor Moon. Stay back!" Saturn cried before doing a back flip into the dark swirling vortex filled with evil energy.
"Come back!" Sailor Moon shouted, putting her hand over the broach on her chest. "Moon Crisis Make-UP! Moon Crisis Make-UP!" She shrieked as the tears streamed freely down her cheeks.
****
Wufei fell back, clutching his head as a sudden pain shot through his body. He fell back, sparks of negative energy shooting through his body. Heero glanced over at Trowa to see him curled up in a ball on the ground as negative energy ripped through his body.
"What's going on here?!" Duo demanded, looking slightly worried. Rileena ran to Heero, holding him against her chest, letting her tears fall.
"Everything is fine, Heero…" She whispered, feeling their warmth as the tears flowed down her cheeks, dripping from her chin. "I won't let you get hurt anymore…" Rileena gasped as a dull glow began to emit itself from his body, consuming the five people in the area. Rileena closed her eyes, fearing what would happen next. When she opened her eyes, though, they were in the middle of some sort of weird movie scene.
"Nani?" Duo cried. "Where are we?!" That's when he saw her… the angel crying, slamming her fists on the ground in frustration. "Usagi…" He whispered as he began to run toward her. He dropped to her side, taking her in his arms as the tears flowed freely from her swollen eyes.
"Moon Crisis Make-up…" She whispered and broke off into loud sobs, pounding her fists against his chest lightly. Duo felt his heart breaking in that moment… something had gone horribly wrong…
"Usagi…" He whispered, pulling her away slightly. She had a glazed look in her eyes and a strange glowing crystal was floating in front of her. She seemed to be completely out of it and reached both hands out to grasp the crystal, pink ribbons swimming around her body in a flash of bright white light and sparkles. When the ribbons settled, she was wearing a different fuku… it was snow white with a long white cape, and a multi-color overlay on the front of the snow-white skirt. She held a staff in her hand with wings on either side of a silver orb and a crystal on the top. Her hair had turned snow white and a nine-point star graced her forehead. She didn't seem to even see him, merely stood and floated… yes floated, toward the growing power that was present only a few hundred feet away.
"Sakura…" Quatre whispered as his eyes opened and he saw the familiar pink hair. He glanced at the scene around him, seeing a woman with long white hair in a white fuku with a cape. She looked surprisingly like Usagi, only older. Who could she be?
"I must go now…" Sailor Cosmos whispered before disappearing into the swirling clouds of negative energy. Screams of pain could be heard from within the void and after only a few minutes, the vortex shrank down to nothing. Through the smoke, a lone figure was visible… a woman they all knew so well…
"Usagi?" Heero asked, seeing the white-haired angel that stood holding a bundle in her arms. She still had a glazed look in her eyes as she slowly walked toward them, placing the baby in Wufei's arms before falling to the ground unconscious. She didn't notice the scowl on his face as he glanced down at the weak creature he held.
"Usagi!" Quatre cried as he struggled to run to the side of his fallen angel. Slowly, the white fuku disappeared and Usagi's hair returned to its golden blond and the fuku disappeared, replaced with the clothes Usagi had been wearing before the battle. There were bruises covering her body and it looked as though her ankle was badly sprained, if not broken. Quatre ever so gently. He brushed a strand of blond hair from her eyes, gazing down at her angelic face. "Usagi-chan…" He whispered, tears of worry and relief in his eyes. ChibiUsa poked her head into Usagi's view and smiled warmly at her future mother.
"You saved us all Usagi!" ChibiUsa cried, hugging Usagi tightly, the tears streaming down her face as well. ChibiUsa felt Usagi tense up and looked down to see the condition she was in. "You have to be more careful Usagi!" ChibiUsa scolded, putting her hands on her hips. Usagi only forced a weak smile, feeling too tired to do much more than that.
"Where's my brother?" She asked weakly, looking around at the faces. They all seemed to be out of focus, brought on by her extreme fatigue. She saw a familiar figure step over her, blocking out the little bit of light that was visible.
"Right here, Usagi." Heero said, leaning over her.
"Heero-kun…" She whispered, smiling up at him. She managed to sit up enough to hug him before falling asleep in Quatre's arms.
"Take care of her." Heero said, glaring slightly at Quatre. I mean, Usagi 'is' his sister.
"Sister?" Rileena asked, looking confused. "You have a sister?" Heero didn't answer, he merely walked away, leaving a group of tired and confused people to stare after him. "Heero… he's leaving me again…" She felt fresh tears come to her eyes and she let the fall freely, falling against Trowa's chest.
****
Miyana struggled to push the debris off of her body. She touched the wound on her stomach, it would only be a few days until it healed, Serenity, on the other hand, would be out of commission for at least a few months. She had nearly drained all of her energy and seemed to have a broken ankle and from the bruises that circled her right wrist, it looked as if it may be broken as well. She felt a slight smirk touch her lips and struggled to walk toward the group of people. She didn't even notice the two senshi that were digging themselves out of the rubble as well until she heard the familiar words and a planet shaped attack whizzed past her.
"You're going to pay Miyana. We refuse to let you hurt our princess anymore." Uranus said as she limped toward them, her ankle swollen and already a deep purple.
"I am too weak to face you right now, I will come back for my revenge on Serenity, though." Miyana said, smirking before she disappeared through a dark portal.
****
It had been a few days since the last battle and Usagi still hadn't awakened. Quatre was at her side at the moment, cradling a sleeping ChibiUsa on his lap. He had only left her side for mere moments at a time, only to get something to eat or use the restroom. He was afraid she would wake up and be scared when she didn't see him, so he stayed… falling asleep in the chair.
"Usa-chan…" He whispered, feeling sleep slowly begin to lower its veil upon him. He felt his eyelids drooping and soon, closed all together, revealing only a hazy vision of the white-haired angel he had seen earlier. He slowly walked toward her, taking her small frame in his arms.
"Cosmos…" He heard himself whisper quietly. Why had he called her that?
"Hai, Quatre-chan…" She said, a hint of sadness in her voice. "I'm sorry… but I have to leave… I can't risk hurting you again. I put you in danger by dragging you into this whole mess, please forgive me." She begged, crystalline tears forming in her eyes.
"I could never stay mad at you, Usagi-chan…" He whispered, saying the name she had been given in her new life. He saw her wince slightly at the name, looking away from him.
"Please… my name is Cosmos… I am no longer Usagi…" She said, sadness in her voice. The wind blew past her face, making her bangs sway slightly with its rocking motion. She looked so beautiful… like an angel… a sad angel. Her eyes were so different from what he remembered… they no longer danced with happiness and warmth when she gazed into his. "I have changed, Quatre-chan… please forgive me…" She whispered before turning away. She ran from his arms, disappearing into the mist that covered this place.
"Cosmos!! Come back!!" He shouted running after her. He lost her almost instantly after she ran from him, her pale skin and hair blending in with the mist so well, hiding her from him. Quatre's eyes flew open as he watched his angel disappear, sweat trickling down his forehead. His eyes scanned the room and he found Usagi sleeping peacefully on the huge bed, ChibiUsa still lay motionless on his lap. He listened to the child's gentle breathing before taking her to her own room. He had prepared it especially for the new arrival, having pink bunnies on the wallpaper and a pink bedspread and lacy pink canopy.
"Goodnight Sakura-chan…" He whispered, kissing her forehead lightly before heading back to Usagi's room and taking her pale hand. Her ankle had indeed been broken and she had a very badly sprained wrist, not to mention all the cuts and bruises she had received. Burns stretched all the way across her back and he knew that her muscles would be mighty sore when she awoke. He would do all he could to ease her pain… to make her as comfortable as possible…
****
Duo sat alone in his apartment, his eyes locked on the wall, not really seeing anything. 'Usagi…' He thought, remembering the goddess he had seen not two days ago. Her happy laughter no longer echoed off the walls… now that the battle was over, Duo had gone home, Hilde pestering him the moment he arrived. He just couldn't seem to get the angel out of his mind… she was always there, taunting him… telling him that he wasn't good enough, that Quatre was the only one worthy to be with her. He knew she would scold him for having such thoughts, he knew that she did care about him, just not the way he cared for her…
"Duo-kun? Hello?" A familiar voice asked. His eyes snapped to the door and he saw the familiar head of blue hair poking in through the door. "I'm sorry to just barge in Duo-kun, but I need to use your computer. Mine crashed and I have to get the rest of the details on my next mission as a preventer." Duo shook his head and returned his gaze to the wall, not blinking… not talking… just thinking… remember the white-haired goddess that had saved him… saved them ALL from a fate worse than death. Saved them from an eternity of hell. If she hadn't stopped Pharaoh 90, they would all be leaving earth, letting him take it. They would crowd onto shuttles and blast off to who knows where, but eventually… eventually fate would have caught up with them and they would all be consumed as well…
She was so brave… thinking nothing of herself as she plunged into that battle… tempting fate and coming out victorious… her heart… was one of the purest he had ever known. She was so innocent, so precious… even he could see her deep affection for Quatre… he could not do that to her, though… he could not ruin her happiness… He would keep his feelings a secret, a secret hidden from everyone, even himself at times… He could not ruin this for her, she had been so unhappy for so long. Living the life of a soldier as a child, then after she grew up, forced off to fight again… forced to give up everything and follow destiny. Forced into a life she had never wanted… hell, he knew what that was like. He may not have been a victim of fate, but he had been forced into fighting. He had learned to fight at a very young age, being forced into something that he didn't get to choose. At such a young age, though, you don't argue with people that are older than you… if they tell you to do something, you do it… especially if they're holding a gun to your head…
****
Wufei sat with his arms crossed over his chest, staring out at the ocean that lay stretched out in front of him. After the battle he had left almost immediately, placing that dark-haired baby in the arms of a woman with short sandy colored hair. He had never seen a more helpless, weak creature… though he knew he had once been like that. He had once been more helpless than that child… he had been like that the whole battle… letting that baka control him like that. Why had he been so weak he couldn't fight off the effects?!?
"Stupid onna…" He muttered under his breath as he pictured the vibrant young blond Quatre had been so fond of. He really didn't see what Quatre saw in her… sure she was strong, but her personality bothered him. She was so excited over the simplest things, yet… she could be even more serious than Heero at times. She must have gotten that seriousness from him, he concluded. Though the thought of her disgusted him… he wanted to see her again, to make sure she was strong enough if something like that were to happen again. He knew she was strong, she'd HAVE to be strong if she was a better pilot and fighter than Heero… she was just out of practice.
"Hey there Wufei," Sally said, coming up behind the Chinese pilot. "Ready for our next mission?" He looked up at the woman, and smiled slightly.
"Hai, onna." He commented, following her to a shuttle that was preparing to take off. 'That onna won't win the next time unless I can help out…' He thought as he thought of the battle. A slight smirk spread across his lips as he thought of fighting… It had been too long since he'd had a good fight, he only felt fulfilled while battling. 'She would make a great sparring partner.' He thought as he sat down in the shuttle, listening to the soft hum of the engines before the shuttle took off into space, returning him to darkness…
****
Rileena had been heart-broken ever since Heero had left. Trowa had never seen her this broken up over him… sure Heero had done it before, but it seemed to him that Rileena was more upset than usual. Heero's disappearance hadn't been accompanied by a 'omae o koroso' as was customary.
"Heero…" Her voice whispered softly as her shoulders shook.
"Miss Rileena…" Trowa's voice whispered. His eyes softened as they fell upon her tear-stained face. "Please try not to be so upset…" He said. Rileena's eyes lightened a bit as she looked at him, a hint of love in her eyes.
"Gomen, Trowa-san… it's just that…" Her voice trailed off as she felt Trowa's lips softly touch hers. When he pulled away, she was blushing a bright red and a slight smile stretched across her face. Trowa reached a hand up to wipe a single tear away, before his lips met hers once again.
"Gomen, Miss Rileena…" Trowa whispered. He broke the gentle kiss, before dropping his eyes to the ground.
"Trowa-san… how long have you wanted to do that?" She asked, putting a hand under his chin, lifting his face to meet her gaze.
"Too long…" He said quietly, not showing much emotion, only a look of desire was visible in his emerald green eye [A.N. notice I say 'eye'].
"I… I have wanted you to do for far too long…" She whispered before pulling his face close to hers, kissing him more deeply than he had kissed her.
****
Heero walked along the darkened street, thinking of nothing and everything. His sister was better off with Quatre… at least she would be happy with him and he would take care of her. He would treat her like the princess she was. He hated to leave Rileena, but he couldn't bare to stay… she had those eyes… those eyes that haunted him so… filled with love and purity, everything he wasn't… everything he couldn't show… everything he could never be.
She was so much like Usagi it scared him… her heart was pure… her soul crystal clear… he could not corrupt her, he couldn't bare it so he left… not saying a word, just left… he didn't even look back. He would see Usagi again… he knew she wouldn't give up that easy, she was so stubborn, that was one of her best traits, though. She was never willing to give in without a fight… she was willing to lay down her life if it meant her friends would be spared.
"Goodbye, Usagi…" He whispered as he flew deeper into space in Wing Zero. He saw a horrible future ahead if he didn't stay away from Usagi and Rileena, one that would only end up in misery for them both… and misery for the universe…
****
Usagi was walking through a dark curtain of mist, searching for anything… mostly… searching for her dear Quatre. The veil of mist blocked out everything in sight, even her hand in front of her face. She felt the familiar weight of the long white dress she had grown accustomed to… feeling the silky fabric sway against her ankles as she walked through the dark abyss of nothing.
"Where am I?" Her voice asked quietly as if there was someone there to answer. "Quatre? I can't see you… please… tell me where you are…" She quietly begged, beginning to become more frantic feeling fear prickly the back of her neck. Her eyes scanned the area but still, it was too dark… the mist was too thick to see anything.
"Usako…" A male voice whispered. Usagi stopped dead in her tracks, recognizing the voice instantly.
"Mamo-chan?" She asked, facing the source of the voice. The mist lightened up a bit and the familiar figure of her prince stepped in front of her. "How… how can you be here? You died…" She trailed off, not wanting to remember that terrible day… the day when she lost her dearest friends… and her little ChibiUsa…
"I am here Usako…" His gentle voice said as he walked up to her, taking her in his strong arms. She gazed up into his eyes, becoming entranced in their crystal blue light.
"Why are you here? You're dead?" Usagi asked, forgetting about her precious Quatre for the moment.
"I am only dead if you wish me to be…" He started but didn't continue on. Usagi pushed herself away from him, remembering the warm inviting eyes of Quatre. As she gazed into Mamoru's eyes, she didn't see that kindness… that warmth that she loved so much.
"I do wish you to be…" She stated, trailing off.
"Nani? You don't mean that, love." He said, stepping closer to her. She took a few steps back, putting a hand by her face.
"I do mean it… Mamoru, I have fallen in love with someone…" Usagi stopped talking as she saw the look of rage came across Mamoru's face. She watched as Mamoru slowly raised his hand, slapping her sharply across the face. Her eyes popped open and she found herself lying in a huge bed, Quatre sleeping peacefully in the chair next to it. 'Quatre-chan…' She thought, smiling at her innocent love. She couldn't get the image of Mamoru out of her head, though… for some reason, she knew he'd try to get even… she knew he was dead, but she was still afraid…
****
"Hmm… looks like Serenity isn't even close to being healed up yet…" Miyana said, watching the princess of the moon for a short period of time through her youma's eyes. "In a few days, I'll attack… I'll need a little help, though… someone she trusts… someone she won't ever hurt…" A smirk spread across her face as just the people popped into her mind.
"My master, I have come to inform you that the Gundam pilots have all separated. Usagi is alone with the one called Quatre." The youma said, reporting in to Miyana after spying on the people.
"Very good…" She said, a smirk on her face as she gingerly touched the wound on her stomach. Almost healed, just a few more days and she'd be back to her normal evil self. "You will pay, your majesty…" Her evil laughter filled the room, making the few youma there cringe at the evil sound.
****
That's it for now!! Gomen it took so long and gomen not much happened here. I've been on an emotional kick, I've been trying to get better at describing emotions, how did I do? Please tell me honestly *mumbles: If you don't like it, I'll send Vegeta out to kick your butt…* lol, just kidding. I WILL go kick some butt if you don't review *evil smirk* Would you care to join me on a little butt kicking Veggie-chan? *looks at the built man behind her*
Vegeta: *smirking* I'd be happy to, onna.
Poky-chan: How many times did I tell you not to call me onna? *growls*
Vegeta: Whatever… *mumbles: onna*
Poky-chan: What was that? Would you care to speak up? Or shall I go get chibi-chan *evil smirk*
Vegeta: *cringes* You wouldn't be THAT cruel…
Poky-chan: I wouldn't? *evil smirk*
Vegeta: …. *looks a little worried*
Poky-chan: Anyway, before I was so RUDELY interrupted. I just wanted to tell you that while I'm not too fond of Rileena, and don't think she should be with Heero, I think Trowa and her would make a kawaii couple^_^
Vegeta: Ack! *look of disgust*
Poky-chan: *glares at Vegeta* You don't like it? TOUGH!! Chibi-chan!! Time to wake up!! *tired little chibi walks into the room*
ChibiPoky-chan: What's gowin on? *rubs sleepy eyes*
Vegeta: *runs for cover*
Poky-chan: People aren't reviewing… *pouts*
ChibiPoky-chan: *tears fill eyes* Dey no review? *lower lip quivers*
Vegeta: *Falls to ground, covering ears*
Poky-chan: *smirks* *is wearing earmuffs* Anyway, if you don't want to go deaf, please make sure you review, she'll never stop if I don't get at least ten reviews. All of you Vegeta lovers, yes I'm talking to you. If you want a chance to save the day, here's your chance *smirk* If you don't remember the email, it's pokahydee@hotmail.com Tayway!!