Conclusion - SMG
* * * * *
Rei, Usagi, Ami, Minako and Makoto sat by a small table in a room in the Shrine, while the three cats lounged in the corner and Shen leaned against the wall. Mamoru was busy taking Chibi-Usa to the zoo, so was not around. In another corner of the room was a simple locked box, which held both Shard Stars.
Usagi leaned back and stretched with a smile. She announced, "I'm glad we can relax once more. The Dark Kingdom is finally toast."
From the corner Luna corrected, "Jadeite is still around, and his youmas."
Makoto punched her fist into the palm of her other hand and said, "If he returns we'll send him to talk to Queen Beryl and Lord Agate."
Ami frowns slightly and asked, "But what if he does return. Do you think he will Shen-san?"
Shen shook his head and replied, "There were a lot of battles. He won but he'll have a hard enough time reforming the Dark Kingdom to be able to control one planet.. nevermind a force to take over other places. Besides I think he learned his lesson."
"Well that is a relief. The mention of Queen Beryl reminds me of a question though. Why did Lord Agate call her name at the end?" asked Minako, frowning in thought.
"Well.. in parallel dimensions.. he claimed to love her," replied Shen. The others stared at him in surprise. He continued, "In other dimensions he confessed his love for her right before she left. She rejected him, he lashed out in anger, and she destroyed him. In this dimension he got sick before she left so said nothing I suppose.. but instead displayed his anger later against her and anything related."
Minako started chuckling and asked, "This was all because he got sick?"
Shen nodded in reply.
Rei thought for a moment then said, "That would explain why he was so obsessed with hurting Mamoru-san. Jealousy."
Shen nodded and pointed out, "If he concentrated on you more instead of him, Lord Agate might have won.. but he let his jealousy get the best of him."
Usagi crossed her arms and made a face. She muttered, "He still shouldn't of hurt my Mamo-chan."
Makoto turned to Shen and asked, "So you going to be able to reform Guide? I know she seemed destroyed a few times, like the other two. And how do you know about what happened in other dimensions?"
Shen frown and was silent for a moment then said, "Guide is gone. Her crystal was destroyed." He paused for a moment then continued, "I know about other dimensions though, because I seemed to have inherited some of the magic that I helped imbue in her. Along with telepathy I seem to be able to contact something else, though it is hard to explain what it is.. I don't know really."
Rei stood up and walked over to Shen. She asked him, "What happened to you before, in the park? How did you come back."
"I used a power that consumed and destroyed me. Basically I died," Shade replied, not changing his expression from before. He said, "I found myself aware again one of the times Usagi talked to Host in his dog form.. but I was passing in and out of awareness for much of the time. When I had enough energy I returned. As for what I returned as.. your guess might be as good as mine. I'm not the same as I was before."
Minako stood up and walks over to Rei. She asked Shen, "What do you mean?"
Shen sighed and shook his head, "Don't worry about it. Besides it is time for me to go."
Minako and Rei nodded and went to sit back down. Usagi also nodded and smiled, "So will you be around tomorrow then? We still need to help you lighten up."
Shen shook his head, "No, I mean leave here."
From the corner Diana meowed sleepily and asked, "From Tokyo?"
"From this dimension," replied Shen.
"But, um, will you be back?" asked Minako as she looked concerned.
Shen lowered his head and shook it. He replied, "I don't know but I doubt it."
Usagi asked him, "Won't you get lonely?"
Shen shrugged, "Maybe.. However it is better then the alternative."
Makoto asked, "What is worse then being alone?"
"Having to betray those I may come to care about. If someone sides with good or sides with evil, I may be on their side some time, but at other times I may have to switch. Unfortunately it seems everyone is inclined towards one side or the other," Shen responded.
"You don't have to side against good," Artemis argued.
"If I don't someone else, or many others may suffer in my place.. either doing what I was supposed to.. or in the collapse of their universe. I can't afford either," Shen told him.
Minako nodded, smiled at him and said, "Well I wish you luck in somehow keeping loneliness away. Be careful."
Shen smiled and nodded, "All of you be careful too."
"Oh, we will, well except maybe Usagi," Rei replied.
"Hey, I take perfectly good care of myself," Usagi said.
"Then how come the only time you are not tripping on invisible cracks is when you are not on your feet?" asked Rei.
"Ooooo," Usagi grumbled, "I can walk fine, thank you."
Rei snorted, "Yah, right."
Usagi crossed her arms and hurmphed.
Rei's grandfather's voice came from the hall and asked, "You two aren't fighting again are you?"
The girls looked towards the door as Rei said, "Don't worry about us, we are fine. No fights here."
Rei's grandfather hurmphed much like Usagi and walked away.
Rei sighed and said, "I wish he didn't snoop so much."
"Where did Shen go?" asked Ami as she looked around the room.
The others glanced around, but didn't see him.
Artemis however noticed something. "Guys, you better look at this," he said as he stood by the now unlocked and opened box.
Makoto walked over, looked in and sighed, "He took the Shard Stars, didn't he."
The others sat down and sighed.
Dreamerie watched from the corner of the room as she had since they arrived, hidden in daydreams. Satisfied that the extreme powers of the Shard Stars were in proper care, she too left.
* * * * *
Usagi walked with Mamoru in the park, clinging to his arm and smiling. They walked for a time quietly, just enjoying the peace.
After a time however, Mamoru inquired, "How are the others holding up after Shade vanished with the Shards?"
Usagi looked up at him and told him, "They aren't happy but are ok with it."
"How about you then?" he pressed.
"Well, Ami thought he probably took them because he didn't want the side of good to have too much power. Minako agreed and said this way he wouldn't be forced to fight us, which he didn't want to do. I guess if this didn't happen in other places, we should be ok without them too," Usagi replied.
Mamoru smiled and nodded at Usagi. He pondered how mature the girl he had fallen for long ago had become.
"Still he could have warned us," she said as she ignored the fact they would have tried to stop him.
Mamoru just shook his head. He then paused and mentioned, "He actually called me up shortly after that on the phone."
Usagi looked at his and asked, "What did he say?"
Mamoru looked back at her and replied, "To tell you he was sorry."
Usagi nodded and leaned against Mamoru as they walked. It would have been nice to have the Shards, but it was ok that they didn't. She still had Mamoru and had her friends. That was what was truly important.
* * * * *
Amid fog made of shadows, Shade stood in front of his tower, looking up at it, as both Shard Stars floated near his left hand. He looked around at the strange place where he was, where shadows were everywhere, and there was no ground. He shook his head slowly and murmured, "Welcome to my new home.." He then walked into the tower entrance, alone.
A few moments later a grey orb, and a wolf made of shadows appeared. The wolf scratched on the door, which opened and let them both in, before closing once more.
Others were also there, and watched in the distance, curious of what would become of Shade, the Grey One, the Master of Shadows.
* * * * *
Rei, Usagi, Ami, Minako and Makoto sat by a small table in a room in the Shrine, while the three cats lounged in the corner and Shen leaned against the wall. Mamoru was busy taking Chibi-Usa to the zoo, so was not around. In another corner of the room was a simple locked box, which held both Shard Stars.
Usagi leaned back and stretched with a smile. She announced, "I'm glad we can relax once more. The Dark Kingdom is finally toast."
From the corner Luna corrected, "Jadeite is still around, and his youmas."
Makoto punched her fist into the palm of her other hand and said, "If he returns we'll send him to talk to Queen Beryl and Lord Agate."
Ami frowns slightly and asked, "But what if he does return. Do you think he will Shen-san?"
Shen shook his head and replied, "There were a lot of battles. He won but he'll have a hard enough time reforming the Dark Kingdom to be able to control one planet.. nevermind a force to take over other places. Besides I think he learned his lesson."
"Well that is a relief. The mention of Queen Beryl reminds me of a question though. Why did Lord Agate call her name at the end?" asked Minako, frowning in thought.
"Well.. in parallel dimensions.. he claimed to love her," replied Shen. The others stared at him in surprise. He continued, "In other dimensions he confessed his love for her right before she left. She rejected him, he lashed out in anger, and she destroyed him. In this dimension he got sick before she left so said nothing I suppose.. but instead displayed his anger later against her and anything related."
Minako started chuckling and asked, "This was all because he got sick?"
Shen nodded in reply.
Rei thought for a moment then said, "That would explain why he was so obsessed with hurting Mamoru-san. Jealousy."
Shen nodded and pointed out, "If he concentrated on you more instead of him, Lord Agate might have won.. but he let his jealousy get the best of him."
Usagi crossed her arms and made a face. She muttered, "He still shouldn't of hurt my Mamo-chan."
Makoto turned to Shen and asked, "So you going to be able to reform Guide? I know she seemed destroyed a few times, like the other two. And how do you know about what happened in other dimensions?"
Shen frown and was silent for a moment then said, "Guide is gone. Her crystal was destroyed." He paused for a moment then continued, "I know about other dimensions though, because I seemed to have inherited some of the magic that I helped imbue in her. Along with telepathy I seem to be able to contact something else, though it is hard to explain what it is.. I don't know really."
Rei stood up and walked over to Shen. She asked him, "What happened to you before, in the park? How did you come back."
"I used a power that consumed and destroyed me. Basically I died," Shade replied, not changing his expression from before. He said, "I found myself aware again one of the times Usagi talked to Host in his dog form.. but I was passing in and out of awareness for much of the time. When I had enough energy I returned. As for what I returned as.. your guess might be as good as mine. I'm not the same as I was before."
Minako stood up and walks over to Rei. She asked Shen, "What do you mean?"
Shen sighed and shook his head, "Don't worry about it. Besides it is time for me to go."
Minako and Rei nodded and went to sit back down. Usagi also nodded and smiled, "So will you be around tomorrow then? We still need to help you lighten up."
Shen shook his head, "No, I mean leave here."
From the corner Diana meowed sleepily and asked, "From Tokyo?"
"From this dimension," replied Shen.
"But, um, will you be back?" asked Minako as she looked concerned.
Shen lowered his head and shook it. He replied, "I don't know but I doubt it."
Usagi asked him, "Won't you get lonely?"
Shen shrugged, "Maybe.. However it is better then the alternative."
Makoto asked, "What is worse then being alone?"
"Having to betray those I may come to care about. If someone sides with good or sides with evil, I may be on their side some time, but at other times I may have to switch. Unfortunately it seems everyone is inclined towards one side or the other," Shen responded.
"You don't have to side against good," Artemis argued.
"If I don't someone else, or many others may suffer in my place.. either doing what I was supposed to.. or in the collapse of their universe. I can't afford either," Shen told him.
Minako nodded, smiled at him and said, "Well I wish you luck in somehow keeping loneliness away. Be careful."
Shen smiled and nodded, "All of you be careful too."
"Oh, we will, well except maybe Usagi," Rei replied.
"Hey, I take perfectly good care of myself," Usagi said.
"Then how come the only time you are not tripping on invisible cracks is when you are not on your feet?" asked Rei.
"Ooooo," Usagi grumbled, "I can walk fine, thank you."
Rei snorted, "Yah, right."
Usagi crossed her arms and hurmphed.
Rei's grandfather's voice came from the hall and asked, "You two aren't fighting again are you?"
The girls looked towards the door as Rei said, "Don't worry about us, we are fine. No fights here."
Rei's grandfather hurmphed much like Usagi and walked away.
Rei sighed and said, "I wish he didn't snoop so much."
"Where did Shen go?" asked Ami as she looked around the room.
The others glanced around, but didn't see him.
Artemis however noticed something. "Guys, you better look at this," he said as he stood by the now unlocked and opened box.
Makoto walked over, looked in and sighed, "He took the Shard Stars, didn't he."
The others sat down and sighed.
Dreamerie watched from the corner of the room as she had since they arrived, hidden in daydreams. Satisfied that the extreme powers of the Shard Stars were in proper care, she too left.
* * * * *
Usagi walked with Mamoru in the park, clinging to his arm and smiling. They walked for a time quietly, just enjoying the peace.
After a time however, Mamoru inquired, "How are the others holding up after Shade vanished with the Shards?"
Usagi looked up at him and told him, "They aren't happy but are ok with it."
"How about you then?" he pressed.
"Well, Ami thought he probably took them because he didn't want the side of good to have too much power. Minako agreed and said this way he wouldn't be forced to fight us, which he didn't want to do. I guess if this didn't happen in other places, we should be ok without them too," Usagi replied.
Mamoru smiled and nodded at Usagi. He pondered how mature the girl he had fallen for long ago had become.
"Still he could have warned us," she said as she ignored the fact they would have tried to stop him.
Mamoru just shook his head. He then paused and mentioned, "He actually called me up shortly after that on the phone."
Usagi looked at his and asked, "What did he say?"
Mamoru looked back at her and replied, "To tell you he was sorry."
Usagi nodded and leaned against Mamoru as they walked. It would have been nice to have the Shards, but it was ok that they didn't. She still had Mamoru and had her friends. That was what was truly important.
* * * * *
Amid fog made of shadows, Shade stood in front of his tower, looking up at it, as both Shard Stars floated near his left hand. He looked around at the strange place where he was, where shadows were everywhere, and there was no ground. He shook his head slowly and murmured, "Welcome to my new home.." He then walked into the tower entrance, alone.
A few moments later a grey orb, and a wolf made of shadows appeared. The wolf scratched on the door, which opened and let them both in, before closing once more.
Others were also there, and watched in the distance, curious of what would become of Shade, the Grey One, the Master of Shadows.