~*~
"Where are you?
Where are you going?
Don't leave me.
I wanna go with you.
They don't like me here.
Don't leave me.
They hate me.
I hate them.
Don't leave me.
I wanna stay with you,
So I won't be alone.
Don't leave me.
Why are turning away?
Why are you leaving?!
Don't leave me!
Why are you going?!
Why are you leaving?!
Don't leave me!!"
~*~
Kome shot awake, the voice fom her dream echoing in her mind. She growled as
she got up from her bed. She threw open the window and looked outside. Today
was the day, then it would be over. The rule of Neo Queen Serenity would be
destroied as would the Queen herself.
The voice would cease with her downfall.
Kome sneered at the voice still speaking in her mind. "Two annoying
birds with one stone," she said before turning on her heel and beginning to
prepare for the day's avents.
Chapter 20
The Battle Ground
The sun rose, its rays shining brillently through the hallway of the Crystal
Palace, falling on the group of people that walked towards the main door of
the Palace. None thought of the beauty the sun had, nor did they pause to
look at it and marvel at the sight. They did know that a sunrise was a
wonderfull thing to behold. It was one of the few things that they could
agree on together.
But this sunrise was a harbinger of what was ahead of them, through the
large double doors leading to the outside. The solem-faced group walked in
silence, each thinking back over the two long months they had spent training
and planning for this day, hoping it will all be effecient.
----------
A ruefull smile on her face, Kome watched as the boy summoned youmas from the
dimenson she had personlly set up to hold them until this day.
she thought as her eyes looked over the huge amount of
youmas spilling into Crystal Tokyo, leaving destrcution in their wake. A low
chuckle came from her mouth. She raised her eyes to the sky, to the full moon
hanging there. she snarled at the voice speaking in her head,
repeating the same exact words.
----------
"Here we go," Minako said without turning her head around to the others. She
reached out and took hold of the handles to the main doors of the Palace.
Light poured in when she pulled them back.
The sight that met them was one of horror and chaos. Youmas of all
shapes and sizes swarmed the area, taking down anything in their way.
Building that had once stood tall and proud were now toppled and crushed in
ruins. Streets were torn and ripped apart, huge, gaping holes scattered in
them. They stared for a second, unprepared for what they saw. They quickly
snapped out of it when they heard a familiar laugh coming from overhead.
The black-clothed boy was floating in the air above them, arms crossed,
a smirk on his face. "So nice to see all of you," he said, eye looking over
them. His smirk widened a bit. "And with higher levels, I see." Behind him,
in various spaces, black shapes flickered before forming into the Senshi's
counterparts. "Like to test them out?"
"Gladly!" Makoto and Haruka both said, grinning.
"Let's get it on!" Ami said, slightly surprising the others by her
eargerness to fight.
"I second that!" Rei said.
"Ditto!" Minako said, bringing her crystal out.
Serenity and Edymion hung back a little ways in the doorway as the
Senshi transformed and used their wings to fly up to meet their counterparts.
They watched as the Senshi engaged in combat, all with detremined looks on
their faces they had never seen before. They all knew what was at stake here
and the price that might be payed for it.
----------
Crystal Venus' yellow-orange eyes were dead set on Aphrodite's own blue ones
as she raced ahead towards her. Her hand was surrounded by orange light that
began to harden into her sword. "Orange Heart!" she whispered under her
breath, "Appear!" Without giving Aphrodite the chance to make a defensive
move, Venus slashed with her sword. Her opponent had almost no time to react,
moving away while receiving a cut to the cheek. Venus tried not to show her
anger. She had been aiming for the neck and only hit the cheek instead.
she thought. They wanted this to be over with soon and
move on, whichever way was left.
Out of the corner of her eye, Venus saw Aphrodite shoot out a black
engery bolt at her back. Venus flew further up, out of the way. Distracted,
she did not see her double coming in closer, a small dagger in hand. Yet,
thanks to the training Kyoko had given them, she heard her. She flipped her
sword back behind her just in time to block the dagger before it would have
struck her spinal colum. she mused
as she arched her back to get behind the other girl.
All around her, her fellow Senshi fought their doubles, each and every
one of them bent on ending this and soon. Xanatos appeared, standing on top
of the Crystal Tower, waiting for the chance. He smirked, already feeling the
power swell inside him. At last...he would be whole again....
His eye suddenly caught just the oppertunity he needed. One of the
Crystal Warriors was thrown by a powerfull kick from their opponent well away
from the others, the double staying back a ways. The red Senshi snapped out
her wings, teeth beared as she began to summon her weapon.
Xanatos's blue eyes glowed for an instant before he disappeared,
teleporting behind the lone Senshi. Before she had time to react, Xanatos
grabbed her by the scuff of the neck.
Crystal Mars cursed herself over and over in her mind. She was still in
the middle of summoning Red Fire, therefore, vunerable. The instant the man
grabbed her by the neck, she felt the fire surrounding her hand dissipate.
Her red eyes widened in shock for she had not stopped the process. Before she
knew what was happening, the man spoke.
"Hm, what have we here?" he said in as mocking tone. "A powerfull
little Senshi, aren't we? With strong physic powers to boot." A low chuckle
acompanied his voice as he said evily, "I shall enjoy 'eating' them...."
Crystal's Mars suddenly felt her power being sucked from her by the
man's hand. She tried to fight back but her body would not move and his mind
was inpenertable...that is...almost...
A growl ripped from Xanatos's throat. "How dare you look into my mind
like that?!" he raged. "I was going to kill you later but I think I'll do it
now!"
"HOLD IT!!" a vioce shouted, helerd by a streak of silver light laced
with gold. Xanatos let go of Crystal Mars, letting her fall, in order to
advoid the attack. He looked up to see Sailor Orion just a few feet away
above him. "You will fight me, not them!" Orion said, her glaive forming in
her hand as her hazel eyes narrowed with a hatefull hint to them. "It's time
I finish my family's job, once and for all!"
Mars was able to snap out of it just in time to open her wings and stop
her fall. Aries was not far behind her, ready to continue fighting. Making up
for lost time, Mars summoned her bow twice as fast, firing an arrow that
struck Aires in the shoulder. Aires grinned as she ripped the flaming arrow
from her shoulder.
A ways away, Merucury quickly scanned Hermes using her visor, trying to
find a weak point.
"That won't work on me!" Hermes shouted, forming an attack and shooting
it quickly. Mercury dodged it, only to have Hermes kick her straight across
the face. Her visor broke away, shattering while it was still close to her.
Mercury bit back a cry of pain as a few shards cut into her face, blinding
her for a few moments. She tried to clear the blood away from her eyes when
she felt something strike her. The wind was knocked out of her. Hands grabbed
her by the throat. "Well what do you know?" Hermes said. "You do bleed after
all." Hermes released one hand and raised it to Mercury's face. She moved her
fingers across the cuts, causing several new ones as well as removing some
shards, making them bleed more freely.
"Let go!" Mercury shouted, kicking Hermes away once she could see
again.
Hermes smirked. She raised her hand and looked at the blood on it. "I
wonder..." she mused. A wicked look crossed her face as she licked one of her
blood covered fingers, smearing the rest of it on her face.
"You're sick!" Mercury shouted, forming Blue Mist in her hands.
That made Hermes smirk widen. Hermes suddenly flew straight for her, a
blade appearing in her hands as well. She moved to strike. Mercury parried
the blow. They strained to make the other move. Mercury stole a glance down
and gasped. Hermes' sword was an exact duplicate of Blue Mist, just black.
"So, I'm 'sick', eh?" Hermes said, chuckling slightly. Energy suddenly
began to form around her sword as she grinned evily. "Then that makes you
just as sick!"
"Wh-what!?" Mercury shouted, trying not to loose her grip on her sword.
"Oh, you don't know?" Hermes said in a taunting voice. "Whatever I am,
you are and whatever you are I am!" She increased the energy on her sword a
bit. "Becasue we are the *SAME*!!" She unleashed the built up energy on
Mercury, sending her swirling back. "You and I are the same!" Hermes shouted,
looking at her.
"What are you talking about?!" Mercury shouted, not undestanding a word
Hermes was saying.
Hermes suddenly held her sword over her head and let out on long yell.
Suddenly the other doubles ceased combat and rose into the air higher.
"What are they doing?!" Jupiter shouted, wincing a the pain a slight
head injury gave her.
"How should we know?!" Mars shouted back, still reeling from whatever
Xanatos had done to her.
"They're glowing!!" Venus shouted, worry beginning to grow in her.
she thought as the black light that illuminated them
grew brighter.
Hermes broke her yell and the light around them exploded, leaving them
surrounding by a strange light. "Now the fun begins!" she shouted. In unison
all the double summoned a sword and held it over one arm or the other. Before
the Senshi knew what they were doing, the doubles cut into their own arms.
At once, the exact same cuts appeared on the Senshi, blood flowing out.
"What the--" Uranus shouted, grabbing the wound to stop the bleeding.
"How in the world did they do that?!" Saturn yelled, quickly healing
her arm.
"GO!" Aphordite shouted. They broke apart and continued to battle. The
Senshi did so, not knowing what had just happened.
----------
~*~
So many questions...
What should she do? How could she wake up? She needed to wake up,
everyone else needed her. She could not let them down now!
Did they really need her?
"No one needs me," Chibi-usa said softly, her red eyes staring blankly
at the black void around her. "Besides...I'm half-dead anyway..."
Wake up!
"How? I can't wake up..."
Get up!! Come on, they need you! Wake up!
"No they don't," she said. "No one's ever needed me..."
Yes they do, get up!!
she wondered, tiredness creeping into her. She felt
so drained.... why? ...couldn't rememeber...didn't know....
He's using you! Break the link between you, now!
Her eyes bagan to close. All
she wanted was to sleep and never wake up. No one wold miss her...no one
cared if she never woke up or not...no one cared about her...
I care! I care if you die! You mean everything to me! If you died, so
would I! Don't give up! Don't let him take you! Wake up! Wake up and come
back...
Warmth filled her suddenly, coming from no where.
her mind thought numbly.
"Come back to us..." It was a voice speaking now, not just words.
Strange....it was so familiar somehow...she knew who is was...
"Come back..." A form began to take shape in front of her.
Chibi-usa tried to open her eyes further but she did not have the
streangth to. A fog seemed to cloud her vision to where she could not see who
it was clearly. She felt hands pick her up and lay her on something. A hand
touched her cheek softly.
"Come back..." Chibi-usa tried harder to open her eyes. Who was it
speaking to her? It was frustratingly familiar! "Come back...." The hand
began to stroke her cheek gently. Chibi-usa felt love in its tender touch.
Who was it? Who?!
Gathering what remaining streangth she had, Chibi-usa forced her eyes
open. She was still laying down, the void still there as black as ever, but
someone was kneeling down, holding her to them and stroking her cheek. She
slowly moved her eyes upwards, to see who it was that cradled her against
them.
She was met with the face of Priest Helios. She tried to say his name,
but nothing happened.
A small smile spread across his face as he stared into her eyes. "Come
back...come back to me, Maiden..."
"He--Hei--" Chibi-usa tried again. She was cut short when a sudden
spasm of pain ripped through her, causing her to curl up on reflex. A small
whimper came from her as it passed, tears escaped her eyes.
Heilos' arms pulled her closer to him, pressing her to his chest. He
buried his face in the nape of her neck. "You must fight him, Maiden," he
said softly, his voice slightly muffled yet she could hear the sadness in his
voice. "You must fight him or else he will kill you! He's made a link to you
using your Crystal Bell! Only you can break it!"
Chibi-usa thought. Then again, what in her life had ever made sense? As if in answer to
her thoughts, she saw in her mind an image of the Bell, surrounded by a black
aura coming from the person who had the Bell...the person seemed familar....
"...adonis..." The name slipped from her before she could stop it. No,
it was not Adonis. Wait. Yes, it was. No, is was not.
"Breaking the link will free you and him as well, Maiden," Heilos said
softly, silencing her thoughts. "I will give you my power, but you must do
it. Otherwise you will die. You....and Terry will both die...."
The warmth in Helios's touch suddenly went from him into her,
surprising her a bit. Seconds passed and Helios still gave her his power.
When it was done, she could move on her own, but Helios was now unconcious,
no energy left in him to even open his eyes. She stared at him, limb in *her*
lap now. "Helios...Helios no! no! Don't leave me!" she said, hugging him
closely. "I don't know what to do! I'm so confused! What do I do?!"
Break the link. Save the others. Save herself. Save Terry. Chibi-usa
stopped, Helios's words taking ahold of her mind.
Terry? Her brother Terry?
Scences resurfaced in her mind, scences the woman had showed her. His
birth, growing up at the Palace, running away from Ami and Makoto and the
studies that came with them, listening...talking to *her*...when she was
still in the womb....his disapperance.
And more....
Her red eyes widened. More? No, there shouldn't be any more! Terry
vanished without a trace after that! Yet there, in her mind's eye, she could
see what had really happened to him. Where he had really gone, what really
happened to him....and she cried. She cried the remainder of her tears still
in her, for she knew what had happened to her brother.
Gently, the Preist's commands pulled her back into reality. Now was not
the time for tears. Later, later she could cry. Later she could cry *with*
Terry instead of *for* Terry.
With one last look at Helios's sleeping face, Chibi-usa smiled. "Thank
you, Helios," she whispered, bending down and kissing him lightly. "You've
all ways been there for me..." she raised her red eyes upwards in the void.
Her eyes narrowed as she reached towards her chest. Her hand slipped
through and pulled out a pink-purple Crystal in the shape of a Cresent Moon
encircling Earth. She looked at the Crystal.
In her hand she held a piece of the Ginzuishou, a symbol of her
mother's past as well as hers and so much more. She had all ways been
Princess Serenity--Chibi-usa--daughter of Mamoru and Usagi Chiba, King and
Queen of the Crystal Millenium. But now, she was Princess Lady Serenity,
daugther of both the Earth and Moon. And she knew what to do now.
"Moon-Earth Light Crystal! Activate!!" she shouted, raising the crystal
into the air. "MAKE-UP!!!"
__________
NEXT: Chibi-usa's out of the coma and ready to join the battle well under
way. Will her new-found courage help her? Who will win? What did she see
about Terry? What happened to him?
__________
"Where are you?
Where are you going?
Don't leave me.
I wanna go with you.
They don't like me here.
Don't leave me.
They hate me.
I hate them.
Don't leave me.
I wanna stay with you,
So I won't be alone.
Don't leave me.
Why are turning away?
Why are you leaving?!
Don't leave me!
Why are you going?!
Why are you leaving?!
Don't leave me!!"
~*~
Kome shot awake, the voice fom her dream echoing in her mind. She growled as
she got up from her bed. She threw open the window and looked outside. Today
was the day, then it would be over. The rule of Neo Queen Serenity would be
destroied as would the Queen herself.
The voice would cease with her downfall.
Kome sneered at the voice still speaking in her mind. "Two annoying
birds with one stone," she said before turning on her heel and beginning to
prepare for the day's avents.
Chapter 20
The Battle Ground
The sun rose, its rays shining brillently through the hallway of the Crystal
Palace, falling on the group of people that walked towards the main door of
the Palace. None thought of the beauty the sun had, nor did they pause to
look at it and marvel at the sight. They did know that a sunrise was a
wonderfull thing to behold. It was one of the few things that they could
agree on together.
But this sunrise was a harbinger of what was ahead of them, through the
large double doors leading to the outside. The solem-faced group walked in
silence, each thinking back over the two long months they had spent training
and planning for this day, hoping it will all be effecient.
----------
A ruefull smile on her face, Kome watched as the boy summoned youmas from the
dimenson she had personlly set up to hold them until this day.
she thought as her eyes looked over the huge amount of
youmas spilling into Crystal Tokyo, leaving destrcution in their wake. A low
chuckle came from her mouth. She raised her eyes to the sky, to the full moon
hanging there. she snarled at the voice speaking in her head,
repeating the same exact words.
----------
"Here we go," Minako said without turning her head around to the others. She
reached out and took hold of the handles to the main doors of the Palace.
Light poured in when she pulled them back.
The sight that met them was one of horror and chaos. Youmas of all
shapes and sizes swarmed the area, taking down anything in their way.
Building that had once stood tall and proud were now toppled and crushed in
ruins. Streets were torn and ripped apart, huge, gaping holes scattered in
them. They stared for a second, unprepared for what they saw. They quickly
snapped out of it when they heard a familiar laugh coming from overhead.
The black-clothed boy was floating in the air above them, arms crossed,
a smirk on his face. "So nice to see all of you," he said, eye looking over
them. His smirk widened a bit. "And with higher levels, I see." Behind him,
in various spaces, black shapes flickered before forming into the Senshi's
counterparts. "Like to test them out?"
"Gladly!" Makoto and Haruka both said, grinning.
"Let's get it on!" Ami said, slightly surprising the others by her
eargerness to fight.
"I second that!" Rei said.
"Ditto!" Minako said, bringing her crystal out.
Serenity and Edymion hung back a little ways in the doorway as the
Senshi transformed and used their wings to fly up to meet their counterparts.
They watched as the Senshi engaged in combat, all with detremined looks on
their faces they had never seen before. They all knew what was at stake here
and the price that might be payed for it.
----------
Crystal Venus' yellow-orange eyes were dead set on Aphrodite's own blue ones
as she raced ahead towards her. Her hand was surrounded by orange light that
began to harden into her sword. "Orange Heart!" she whispered under her
breath, "Appear!" Without giving Aphrodite the chance to make a defensive
move, Venus slashed with her sword. Her opponent had almost no time to react,
moving away while receiving a cut to the cheek. Venus tried not to show her
anger. She had been aiming for the neck and only hit the cheek instead.
she thought. They wanted this to be over with soon and
move on, whichever way was left.
Out of the corner of her eye, Venus saw Aphrodite shoot out a black
engery bolt at her back. Venus flew further up, out of the way. Distracted,
she did not see her double coming in closer, a small dagger in hand. Yet,
thanks to the training Kyoko had given them, she heard her. She flipped her
sword back behind her just in time to block the dagger before it would have
struck her spinal colum. she mused
as she arched her back to get behind the other girl.
All around her, her fellow Senshi fought their doubles, each and every
one of them bent on ending this and soon. Xanatos appeared, standing on top
of the Crystal Tower, waiting for the chance. He smirked, already feeling the
power swell inside him. At last...he would be whole again....
His eye suddenly caught just the oppertunity he needed. One of the
Crystal Warriors was thrown by a powerfull kick from their opponent well away
from the others, the double staying back a ways. The red Senshi snapped out
her wings, teeth beared as she began to summon her weapon.
Xanatos's blue eyes glowed for an instant before he disappeared,
teleporting behind the lone Senshi. Before she had time to react, Xanatos
grabbed her by the scuff of the neck.
Crystal Mars cursed herself over and over in her mind. She was still in
the middle of summoning Red Fire, therefore, vunerable. The instant the man
grabbed her by the neck, she felt the fire surrounding her hand dissipate.
Her red eyes widened in shock for she had not stopped the process. Before she
knew what was happening, the man spoke.
"Hm, what have we here?" he said in as mocking tone. "A powerfull
little Senshi, aren't we? With strong physic powers to boot." A low chuckle
acompanied his voice as he said evily, "I shall enjoy 'eating' them...."
Crystal's Mars suddenly felt her power being sucked from her by the
man's hand. She tried to fight back but her body would not move and his mind
was inpenertable...that is...almost...
A growl ripped from Xanatos's throat. "How dare you look into my mind
like that?!" he raged. "I was going to kill you later but I think I'll do it
now!"
"HOLD IT!!" a vioce shouted, helerd by a streak of silver light laced
with gold. Xanatos let go of Crystal Mars, letting her fall, in order to
advoid the attack. He looked up to see Sailor Orion just a few feet away
above him. "You will fight me, not them!" Orion said, her glaive forming in
her hand as her hazel eyes narrowed with a hatefull hint to them. "It's time
I finish my family's job, once and for all!"
Mars was able to snap out of it just in time to open her wings and stop
her fall. Aries was not far behind her, ready to continue fighting. Making up
for lost time, Mars summoned her bow twice as fast, firing an arrow that
struck Aires in the shoulder. Aires grinned as she ripped the flaming arrow
from her shoulder.
A ways away, Merucury quickly scanned Hermes using her visor, trying to
find a weak point.
"That won't work on me!" Hermes shouted, forming an attack and shooting
it quickly. Mercury dodged it, only to have Hermes kick her straight across
the face. Her visor broke away, shattering while it was still close to her.
Mercury bit back a cry of pain as a few shards cut into her face, blinding
her for a few moments. She tried to clear the blood away from her eyes when
she felt something strike her. The wind was knocked out of her. Hands grabbed
her by the throat. "Well what do you know?" Hermes said. "You do bleed after
all." Hermes released one hand and raised it to Mercury's face. She moved her
fingers across the cuts, causing several new ones as well as removing some
shards, making them bleed more freely.
"Let go!" Mercury shouted, kicking Hermes away once she could see
again.
Hermes smirked. She raised her hand and looked at the blood on it. "I
wonder..." she mused. A wicked look crossed her face as she licked one of her
blood covered fingers, smearing the rest of it on her face.
"You're sick!" Mercury shouted, forming Blue Mist in her hands.
That made Hermes smirk widen. Hermes suddenly flew straight for her, a
blade appearing in her hands as well. She moved to strike. Mercury parried
the blow. They strained to make the other move. Mercury stole a glance down
and gasped. Hermes' sword was an exact duplicate of Blue Mist, just black.
"So, I'm 'sick', eh?" Hermes said, chuckling slightly. Energy suddenly
began to form around her sword as she grinned evily. "Then that makes you
just as sick!"
"Wh-what!?" Mercury shouted, trying not to loose her grip on her sword.
"Oh, you don't know?" Hermes said in a taunting voice. "Whatever I am,
you are and whatever you are I am!" She increased the energy on her sword a
bit. "Becasue we are the *SAME*!!" She unleashed the built up energy on
Mercury, sending her swirling back. "You and I are the same!" Hermes shouted,
looking at her.
"What are you talking about?!" Mercury shouted, not undestanding a word
Hermes was saying.
Hermes suddenly held her sword over her head and let out on long yell.
Suddenly the other doubles ceased combat and rose into the air higher.
"What are they doing?!" Jupiter shouted, wincing a the pain a slight
head injury gave her.
"How should we know?!" Mars shouted back, still reeling from whatever
Xanatos had done to her.
"They're glowing!!" Venus shouted, worry beginning to grow in her.
she thought as the black light that illuminated them
grew brighter.
Hermes broke her yell and the light around them exploded, leaving them
surrounding by a strange light. "Now the fun begins!" she shouted. In unison
all the double summoned a sword and held it over one arm or the other. Before
the Senshi knew what they were doing, the doubles cut into their own arms.
At once, the exact same cuts appeared on the Senshi, blood flowing out.
"What the--" Uranus shouted, grabbing the wound to stop the bleeding.
"How in the world did they do that?!" Saturn yelled, quickly healing
her arm.
"GO!" Aphordite shouted. They broke apart and continued to battle. The
Senshi did so, not knowing what had just happened.
----------
~*~
So many questions...
What should she do? How could she wake up? She needed to wake up,
everyone else needed her. She could not let them down now!
Did they really need her?
"No one needs me," Chibi-usa said softly, her red eyes staring blankly
at the black void around her. "Besides...I'm half-dead anyway..."
Wake up!
"How? I can't wake up..."
Get up!! Come on, they need you! Wake up!
"No they don't," she said. "No one's ever needed me..."
Yes they do, get up!!
she wondered, tiredness creeping into her. She felt
so drained.... why? ...couldn't rememeber...didn't know....
He's using you! Break the link between you, now!
Her eyes bagan to close. All
she wanted was to sleep and never wake up. No one wold miss her...no one
cared if she never woke up or not...no one cared about her...
I care! I care if you die! You mean everything to me! If you died, so
would I! Don't give up! Don't let him take you! Wake up! Wake up and come
back...
Warmth filled her suddenly, coming from no where.
her mind thought numbly.
"Come back to us..." It was a voice speaking now, not just words.
Strange....it was so familiar somehow...she knew who is was...
"Come back..." A form began to take shape in front of her.
Chibi-usa tried to open her eyes further but she did not have the
streangth to. A fog seemed to cloud her vision to where she could not see who
it was clearly. She felt hands pick her up and lay her on something. A hand
touched her cheek softly.
"Come back..." Chibi-usa tried harder to open her eyes. Who was it
speaking to her? It was frustratingly familiar! "Come back...." The hand
began to stroke her cheek gently. Chibi-usa felt love in its tender touch.
Who was it? Who?!
Gathering what remaining streangth she had, Chibi-usa forced her eyes
open. She was still laying down, the void still there as black as ever, but
someone was kneeling down, holding her to them and stroking her cheek. She
slowly moved her eyes upwards, to see who it was that cradled her against
them.
She was met with the face of Priest Helios. She tried to say his name,
but nothing happened.
A small smile spread across his face as he stared into her eyes. "Come
back...come back to me, Maiden..."
"He--Hei--" Chibi-usa tried again. She was cut short when a sudden
spasm of pain ripped through her, causing her to curl up on reflex. A small
whimper came from her as it passed, tears escaped her eyes.
Heilos' arms pulled her closer to him, pressing her to his chest. He
buried his face in the nape of her neck. "You must fight him, Maiden," he
said softly, his voice slightly muffled yet she could hear the sadness in his
voice. "You must fight him or else he will kill you! He's made a link to you
using your Crystal Bell! Only you can break it!"
Chibi-usa thought. Then again, what in her life had ever made sense? As if in answer to
her thoughts, she saw in her mind an image of the Bell, surrounded by a black
aura coming from the person who had the Bell...the person seemed familar....
"...adonis..." The name slipped from her before she could stop it. No,
it was not Adonis. Wait. Yes, it was. No, is was not.
"Breaking the link will free you and him as well, Maiden," Heilos said
softly, silencing her thoughts. "I will give you my power, but you must do
it. Otherwise you will die. You....and Terry will both die...."
The warmth in Helios's touch suddenly went from him into her,
surprising her a bit. Seconds passed and Helios still gave her his power.
When it was done, she could move on her own, but Helios was now unconcious,
no energy left in him to even open his eyes. She stared at him, limb in *her*
lap now. "Helios...Helios no! no! Don't leave me!" she said, hugging him
closely. "I don't know what to do! I'm so confused! What do I do?!"
Break the link. Save the others. Save herself. Save Terry. Chibi-usa
stopped, Helios's words taking ahold of her mind.
Terry? Her brother Terry?
Scences resurfaced in her mind, scences the woman had showed her. His
birth, growing up at the Palace, running away from Ami and Makoto and the
studies that came with them, listening...talking to *her*...when she was
still in the womb....his disapperance.
And more....
Her red eyes widened. More? No, there shouldn't be any more! Terry
vanished without a trace after that! Yet there, in her mind's eye, she could
see what had really happened to him. Where he had really gone, what really
happened to him....and she cried. She cried the remainder of her tears still
in her, for she knew what had happened to her brother.
Gently, the Preist's commands pulled her back into reality. Now was not
the time for tears. Later, later she could cry. Later she could cry *with*
Terry instead of *for* Terry.
With one last look at Helios's sleeping face, Chibi-usa smiled. "Thank
you, Helios," she whispered, bending down and kissing him lightly. "You've
all ways been there for me..." she raised her red eyes upwards in the void.
Her eyes narrowed as she reached towards her chest. Her hand slipped
through and pulled out a pink-purple Crystal in the shape of a Cresent Moon
encircling Earth. She looked at the Crystal.
In her hand she held a piece of the Ginzuishou, a symbol of her
mother's past as well as hers and so much more. She had all ways been
Princess Serenity--Chibi-usa--daughter of Mamoru and Usagi Chiba, King and
Queen of the Crystal Millenium. But now, she was Princess Lady Serenity,
daugther of both the Earth and Moon. And she knew what to do now.
"Moon-Earth Light Crystal! Activate!!" she shouted, raising the crystal
into the air. "MAKE-UP!!!"
__________
NEXT: Chibi-usa's out of the coma and ready to join the battle well under
way. Will her new-found courage help her? Who will win? What did she see
about Terry? What happened to him?
__________