Chapter Twenty-Seven

            "Rini!"

            Cosmic Moon jumped up and embraced her mother. Neo-Queen Serenity even managed to pick her up. Rini buried her face into her mother's shoulder. King Endymion rushed over and took his daughter. Rini hugged him back a moment before joining the other Senshi.

            "Starlight Honeymoon Cosmic Kiss!" Rini held out her restored staff. The other Senshi swiftly caught on.

            A ray of golden light and silver crescents burst forward, towards the remaining six youma.

            "Cosmic Moonlight Kiss!" Rini's elder self commanded. A rainbow of golden and silver encircled the youma. Then with a flash embraced them. Elysian Moon held up her staff.

            "Elysian Kiss of Love!"

            Lavender hearts and stars burst from Chelsea's staff and flashed forward not unlike her grandmother's Moon Healing Escalation. It merged with her family's attacks.

            Crystal Moon added her own power to the mix.

            "Crystal Moon Shimmer Kiss!"

            Rayna turned around in a ballet spin and a spray of silver light joined her family's power. The four attacks recognized the moon aura and combined to form one attack.

            A flash of silver light erupted and the youma vanished from sight. The Senshi rubbed their eyes.

            Now, with the youma gone, reunions were in order.

            Hotaru managed to gather enough strength to get down from Haruka's arms. Madelyn ran to her and falling to her knees, Hotaru embraced her. Hope ran to Haruka's arms, Faith to Mirchiru and then the two switched. Daisy ran back to Lita, Ariel jumped back into Amy's arms. Rini embraced her mother again, tears streaming down her face.

            Setsuna, Mina, and Raye looked around for their own daughters to find that they were not there. But before they could say a thing, they heard attacks being launched outside. They waited and sure enough when the door opened, the Pluto Senshi and Mars Senshi walked in.

            Mina rubbed her arms. Where was her daughter? She must still be in Hiroshima's clutches.  The very thought made Mina sick.

            Raye didn't see Annika. She saw a grown woman who had long violet tresses but she didn't see her own little girl. The grown woman stared at her. Tears filled her eyes and finally, she ran and flung her arms around Raye, sobbing. Raye felt the familiar feeling. This was Annika, fully grown.

            "Annika?" she asked. Her answer was another sob and the woman tightened her grip. She laid her head against Raye's chest and inhaled deeply.

            "Mama…"

            "Margaret." Setsuna's voice was stern,  as she looked at the generations gathered, "You know that the rules forbid this type of interference."

            Maggie parted from her mother's arms. "Hai, Mom. But this enemy is too much to handle alone. Especially what we learned from our future selves."

            Cosmic Pluto walked forward and embraced Setsuna for a moment. Then she realized that others were staring at her, probably due to what Maggie had just said. The Cosmic Senshi stood by one another. Mina looked them over.

            "Where's Cosmic Venus?"

            Cosmic Mercury and Cosmic Pluto exchanged glances and without a word, shook their heads. Mina felt her heart freeze in her chest. Lita ran over and put her hands on her shoulders. Cosmic Mars spoke,

            "That's why Annika isn't here. She felt Gloria's aura and went after her."

            "You let her go alone?" Raye demanded; her voice dripped with anger. Cosmic Mars looked back at her mother calmly.

            "Mother, Annika is my past self. If something happens to her, I cease to exist. Brooke ceases to exist. Ashley ceases to exist."

            Raye said nothing.

            "Do you really think I would have let her go alone if I thought she couldn't handle it?"

            Cosmic Jupiter spoke up, "That's why we came here. One was to save all for you. The second was because the more Senshi in one spot, the more likely it is draw Hiroshima. As long as she is here, Annika can save Gloria."

            "Save Gloria?" Mina's voice was shaking. "What happened to my daughter?"

            Cosmic Mercury took a deep breath, "She was killed."

            She ignored Mina's cries of protest and said, "That's why there is not an Elysian Venus or a Crystal Venus. But we need all four generations to conquer Hiroshima. Saving Gloria is not only necessary for our consciences but to ensure victory."

            Cosmic Mars grabbed Cosmic Mercury's shirt. "You lied! You told me she was still alive!"

            Crystal Mercury put her hand on Cosmic Mars' shoulder. "Annika, Grandma told me why in the future. Because you were so hopeless after…"

            She looked at the original Senshi. Haruka stepped forward,

            "Enough secrecy. What happened?"

            Cosmic Saturn sighed, "You were all killed."

            Silence insured. Cosmic Neptune picked up,

            "We all changed. Turned ruthless really. Rini became Neo-Queen Serenity the Second and married Helios not long after. We had to evacuate Crystal Tokyo. We came back to try and prevent all this pain."

            Cosmic Uranus crossed her arms, "Cosmic Mars was crumpled. Cosmic Mercury never told her that Cosmic Venus was killed because that was the only thing keeping her going. That and a lust for revenge."

            Cosmic Pluto spoke again,

            "Cosmic Mercury probably had a vision of a chance to fix all this. Didn't you, Ariel?"

            Cosmic Mercury nodded, "I couldn't tell how but I knew the chance would come."

            Cosmic Mars was calmer and released Cosmic Mercury. "Gomen."

            Cosmic Mercury nodded and turned to Mina. "But I know Annika. She would walk through hell barefoot for Gloria."

            Cosmic Mars nodded, "A thousand times over if I had to."

            Cosmic Neptune spoke up once more, "So, that's what we need to do. We need to hold out until Annika gets to Gloria. She's the only one who could sense where she was."

            Cosmic Moon, the elder one, turned to her mother, "Hai. If she saves Gloria we will know immediately. Cosmic Venus will materialize and shortly after, Elysian and Crystal Venus."

            Cosmic Uranus nodded, "And then we can beat Hiroshima."

            Elysian Mercury began to type at her mini computer furiously. She looked up,

            "We have a problem, minna."

            Elysian Moon was immediately alert, "Hai?"

            "Hiroshima is no longer here."

            "What?"

            "Her aura is gone from the Crystal Palace. She's gone."

* * *

            Gloria was roused by some sort of tug. Looking up, she saw Hiroshima.

            "I swear, if I want anything done, I have to do it myself. My subjects are too squeamish."

            Gloria looked down. Magical rings held her firm. She recognized them. They were Aunt Raye's Burning Mandala rings. They cut into her bare skin. Gloria bared her teeth and growled low in her throat. She felt Hiroshima grasp her cheeks and look at her…such cold eyes.

            "I've always loved Earth's primitive punishments. And this one I think is practically satisfying."

            That said, she removed Chibi Mars' wand. Gloria swallowed hard and for the first time, she felt the agonizing fear of mortality creep over her. In her mind, there was one thought,

            "I'm gonna die."

            A flash of fire shot from Chibi Mars' wand and ignited the hay and paper under Gloria's feet.

            "Burn little Love Senshi. Burn."