Disclaimer: Despite attempts to kidnap the characters, I STILL don't own Sailor Moon.
I really don't have much to say in the notes for this chapter. Huh. Mostly I just want to
apologize to anyone who's going to get upset with me for things I'm going to do to characters in
this chapter and later on....I TOLD you it was a dark fic....*sigh*....gomen....
Dying....
Sailor Moon's breath caught on Maker's words and her hands unconsciously clenched into fists. Flashes of the Minako she had known for so many years ran through her head- meeting Sailor V for the first time and finding out just how cool she really was....Sailor Venus joining them in the fight against Beryl....Minako comforting her after Mamoru's loss to the dark kingdom....the two of them fighting over Haruka before they'd found out she was a girl....watching blonde locks engulf Yaten time and time again....her constant mistakes when it came to sayings....the way Minako could make her smile no matter what was happening around her....
Kami-sama, please no! Minako can't die!
But in her heart, she already knew it was true.
"Minako-chan...."
Fighter reached out silently and took her hand, tears that matched those Healer was shedding streaming from her eyes. The black-haired Star Senshi's gaze never moved from where her comrade was slumped, the blonde senshi of Venus held in her arms. She knew as well as the rest of them that this would be their last goodbye.
"Gomen nasai, Yaten...."
Healer blinked tear-reddened eyes and whispered; "for what?"
"Gomen." Minako repeated, raising a hand to brush her fingers against the bandage that still adorned Healer's neck. "I would never have hurt you....you know I wouldn't have....I couldn't...."
"I know."
"....thank you for...."
"Minako-"
"....healing me." She smiled weakly, "I may not live....but at least...."
"At least-?"
"At least I'll die free."
"Free...." Healer repeated the word softly, as if it was something she would never be again. "I'm so sorry, Minako."
"D-daijobu." The blonde's head shook slightly, "arigato. Sayonara, Yaten...."
Silence followed these words, and Minako's eyes fluttered closed, her body going limp in Healer's arms. The Star Senshi's eyes shut tightly and her head tilted downward, hiding her face from view. Soundless tears continued to fall. "Sayonara...." she whispered hoarsely, "Minako....goodbye...."
Sailor Moon's grip tightened on Fighter's hand as her heart broke at the loss of another 'sister'.
Fighter clutched her hand in return.
They could all feel it....
....the fading as the light from their friend's Star Seed went out....
From behind them, Luna padded softly forward to sit next to Healer. She couldn't do anything to stop the pain Healer was feeling, but she could offer comfort....even through what seemed to be an insurmountable darkness.
She's gone. Minako's gone. I've lost another friend.
Sailor Moon's throat closed off, inhibiting her breathing, and she found herself losing her grip. She had lost so many people already....Minako was just too much....she had fought and fought, and hadn't been able to save any of them....she couldn't do anything.
A tug at her fingers jerked her back as Fighter squeezed her hand.
Seiya was there. Seiya would always be there....
A very small comfort, but one none the less.
"Well then," a chuckling voice called from the walk above, "wasn't THAT entertaining?"
They all- Earth Senshi and Star Senshi alike- whirled, knowing full-well who they were turning to face, and dreading the confrontation. Only Healer didn't turn, still staring downward at the subway track beside her.
Above them stood the Tsumetai; all of them. Tuxedo Mask in the middle, with Mars and Jupiter on one side and Neptune and Pluto on the other. The smirks they wore were all nearly identical. He was true to his word....Mamoru HAD found Minako's death entertaining. As had the rest of them....
"You see?" Tuxedo Mask said from where he was leaning on the wall, "I told you you'd want to see that." A sigh and he pushed off from the wall, "unfortunately, now that the theater part is over," his eyes rested on Sailor Moon, and narrowed; "we'll be needing your Seno now, as the Ocuridad wishes to obtain the energy of the Ginzuisho-"
"STAR SENSITIVE INFERNO!"
The blast was unexpected, but still Tuxedo Mask and the Dark Senshi nimbly avoided it. The masked man's attention quickly went to Healer; she had climbed to her feet, laying Minako gently on the cement floor, and was facing him. Shaking with rage and with tears still streaming from her emerald eyes, she held her arm out, ready to attack again.
"....well," Tuxedo Mask looked slightly surprised; "after the show you put on, expected you to be out of commission for longer than that."
"Wrong you bastard!" Healer shrieked, "STAR SENSITIVE-"
"SUPREME THUNDER!"
Jupiter's attack came faster than Healer could finish her own, and the silver-haired senshi had to leap and roll to the side to avoid being hit. Luna scrambled in the other direction and vanished into the shadows at the side of the tracks.
"Healer!"
Quicker than they could react, Healer was on her feet and facing her attacker. Jupiter lowered her arms from their crossed position. A stare-down was about to ensue, and it was unclear as to who would break first-
"BURNING MANDALA!"
The fire attack- one of Mars' weakest, was she toying with them?- soared toward their group, and for the time being Healer's confrontation with Jupiter was forgotten. There was a few long seconds where it seemed that time was slowing down....but there still wasn't enough time to get out of the way! In the blink of an eye, Mercury and Maker were in front of Fighter and Sailor Moon, blocking them from the attack-
"What are you DOING?"
"You're more important, Sailor Moon!"
"Mercury! Maker! Abunai!"
"Not until...."
-and then Saturn was in front of THEM, her glaive raised.
"SILENT WALL!"
The inferno collided with Saturn's shield and sprayed out to the sides, scorching the cement walls. From the walk where she was standing, Mars scowled and glanced to the side at the two Outer Senshi, neither of whom had made a move to step into the battle yet. But at Mars' look they stepped away from where they had been waiting.
Determined to keep the Silent Wall up, Saturn kept her glaive held above her head.
"DEEP SUBMERGE!"
The wave of energy slammed into the barrier, making the senshi of silence wince from the impact. The dark-haired girl gritted her teeth and struggled against the power of Neptune's attack, her arms shaking from the stress against herself and the glaive. Pluto simply continued to watch from where she was standing, next to the aqua-haired senshi.
"I don't know how much longer she can hold up!" Mercury shouted in panic.
"Saturn! Don't!"
The younger senshi ignored them in favor of pouring energy through the glaive and into the Silent Wall.
"DEEP SUBMERGE!"
Saturn gasped at the impact.
Again. "DEEP SUBMERGE!"
A pained but determined yelp from Saturn, and she closed her eyes. "Guys...."
"Time to go." Fighter muttered, turning to Sailor Moon. "They're after YOU, Odango. Saturn can't hold them back forever, so you get out of here and-"
"No way!" The blonde shook her head, "I told you before that I'm not-"
"Fighter's right."
There was a sort of cumulative blink when they realized it was Uranus who had spoken.
The words 'Fighter' and 'right' were something they had never expected to hear out of her mouth....
"She's right," Uranus repeated, her eyes on Saturn. Her adopted daughter was struggling against the power of Neptune's Deep Submerge....she was strong for one so young, but fighting against another Outer Senshi was harder than she could manage for long. "Fighter!" The sandy-blond woman set her sights on Fighter. "You take her. Hide somewhere until it's safe to come out."
"Right." A curt nod, "come on, Odango."
"But-"
Before she could finish her thought, Fighter's hand was clasped around her wrist and the Star Senshi was dragging her backward away from the others. Shocked, Sailor Moon simply followed obediently, almost tripping on the railway track. If Fighter hadn't been holding onto her, she would have fallen.
Glancing back, the Moon Child watched Saturn's Wall begin to break down. The other senshi all readied themselves for the battle; a flash of sparkling water grew in Mercury's hand, Maker's star locket was out, and Uranus reached into the air, preparing a World Shaking....
....a few yards down the tracks, Healer shifted her weight and launched herself at Jupiter.
"Move it, Odango!"
"Fighter....where are we-?"
"You, Usa-ko," Tuxedo Mask's voice sighed as he dropped down in front of them, simply a blur of black and white, "are going nowhere. Now," his cane appeared in his hand and he flicked it out to full length, "if you don't mind, I'll just take your Seno and be on my way."
He took a step forward, only to be confronted by a snarling Star Fighter. "You'll have to go through me, first."
"Hm," a smirk. "I can handle that."
Shoving Sailor Moon back another step, Fighter prepared for Tuxedo Mask's attack. "Go, Odango."
"Fighter-"
"GO!"
"....y-yeah!" The blonde senshi turned reluctantly and backed away.
"How sweet." Tuxedo Mask chuckled, "now, where were we? Oh yes-"
And just like that he was off and running. He hit Fighter head-on, slamming into her bodily and knocking her to the ground; his cane, as well as Fighter's star locket, skittered away across the ground.
A shriek from Sailor Moon; "Fighter!"
The Star Senshi had no time to reassure her, though; with the former-guardian-of-Earth attempting to throttle her, she had more important things on her mind. Bringing her arm around, she slammed her elbow into the side of his head, making him fall to the side with a growl. He stood quickly and spun around-
-and Fighter quickly scrambled half-to-her feet and kicked out, catching the back of his ankles.
He fell again, hitting the ground- near where his cane had landed- with a thud.
Seeing this, Fighter decided she couldn't stop him in time and dove for her star locket, hoping to reach it before he could catch her. And damn it! Her mind snapped when she saw Sailor Moon still only a handful of feet away; why the hell is she still here?! Shimatta, Odango, run while you still can!
The leather of her boots scraped against the ground when she hit, and she threw her arm out....her fingers brushed against the locket....
PAIN!
Fighter screamed in shock, staring down at her shoulder....
....the tip of Tuxedo Mask's cane protruded from her flesh. Blood ran freely from the wound, even before he ripped the cane out and reached back to slam it into the side of her head. And she fell forward at the impact, clutching her shoulder as pain washed over her....her vision darkened around the edges, fading and then lightening again....
"Fighter!"
Running steps behind her as Sailor Moon came toward them.
Odango, no! Fighting off the pending concussion, Fighter struggled to stand. "No-"
But she wasn't expecting-
"SILVER MOON! CRYSTAL POWER KISS!"
The blast of energy from Sailor Moon was something Fighter had never thought would happen....not against Tuxedo Mask....but she had done it....and then the masked man was falling onto the ground, eyes closed and completely limp.
"Seiya!"
A second later and the blonde senshi was kneeling down in front of her, helping her to her feet, gloved hand pressed against her bleeding shoulder. Standing helped her head clear....but it still pounded terribly....
"Kami-sama," Sailor Moon gasped, "Fighter! Oh, are you-? It won't stop bleeding!"
"I'm alright....I think...." Fighter winced, "itai! Odango, why aren't you hiding-?!"
"I couldn't leave you!"
"They're after you!"
"But....he would have killed you!"
"So instead you hurt him?"
"No!" The Moon Child's eyes were wide, "no! The tier just....it knocked him out is all! My tier DOESN'T hurt people, it heals them! It might have changed him back, even....but....Seiya, I couldn't just leave you to die!"
The pain in her eyes made Fighter's heart wrench, "I know. But if you don't get out of here all of this will be in vain-"
A flash of something caught her eye and she broke off.
Energy and lots of it.
Coming their way!
"Odango! Get out of the way!"
Ignoring the flaring pain in her shoulder, Fighter grabbed Sailor Moon and shoved the other senshi to the side; the two of them hit the ground, barely avoiding the ball of power that skimmed the cement where they had just been standing. A deep gash in the floor showed where the attack had hit.
Sailor Moon gasped and untangled herself from Fighter, "Fighter, are you okay?"
"Uh...." the black-haired senshi nodded and looked down, shocked by the amount of blood that continued to pour from the wound in her shoulder. "....yeah....yeah, I'm alright....are you-? What was-?!"
The blonde's eyes strayed toward where the attack had originated. "Pluto...."
Fighter followed her gaze to the Keeper of Time. First Tuxedo Mask, now Sailor Pluto....I don't think I can....I can't even use my Laser without my locket....
"Pluto, please...."
Cold silence from the other senshi.
"Setsuna-san-!"
Pluto raised the Garnet Rod.
"No! Please! Setsuna-san, you can't!"
"DEAD-"
"Setsuna!"
"Odango!" Fighter quickly shoved the other girl down again, forcing herself between the blonde and her former-friend. The blonde looked ready to object, and opened her mouth, but Fighter cut her off before she could begin; "get down!"
"But-"
"-SCREAM!"
"Fighter, no!"
Shutting her eyes tightly, Fighter clenched her hands around Sailor Moon's arms and waited for the impact. She couldn't survive the attack, she knew, but if she could protect Usagi from being hurt, it would all be worth it....
As long as Odango is safe....I can buy her some time....
-waiting-
-waiting-
-nothing.
Nothing?
Fighter's eyes opened and she stared at Sailor Moon. The blonde's eyes were wide in shock and she was staring past Fighter's shoulder. "Odango, what-?"
Hoarsely. "Haruka...."
"Haruka?" Confused, Fighter released Sailor Moon and spun to look behind them.
....Haruka....Uranus....
Pluto's attack hadn't hit them because of Uranus.
The other senshi was standing between them and the Keeper of Time, her arms held out from her sides....her fuku scorched and falling apart....wounds marring her skin wherever it showed....
Her strength gave out and she fell to her knees, then backward onto the ground.
"Haruka!" Sailor Moon pushed past Fighter and scrambled to her friend's side, Fighter following more slowly in her wake, hand clutching her wounded shoulder. "Oh no....Haruka....no, please, no-"
Uranus looked up at her Princess with pain-dulled eyes and opened her mouth. Blood dribbled from her lips and down her chin, evidence of internal bleeding. Pluto's Dead Scream had done what it mean to.
"Oh no...." crying again, Sailor Moon's hands hovered over Uranus, unsure of she could possibly do to help. "Haruka-san! Oh, please, no...."
A soft chuckle, barely audible, and more blood.
"Why?" Fighter demanded softly.
"For my Princess...." Uranus' voice was weak and gurgled with blood; "for Usagi....and for you....for....both of you...." her eyes went to Fighter. "I want....her to be happy....to live happy....I want her to LIVE...."
And Fighter felt her hatred of the other senshi break on those words.
"....protect her...."
Another promise. "I will, I swear it."
Uranus took a shuddering breath, and her transformation reversed itself, leaving a broken Tenoh Haruka where Sailor Uranus had been. Turning her head, she gave Sailor Moon a brave smile. "Koneko-chan...." another hard breath. Her last. Then, softly; "run."
"Haruka!"
Too late....
It was far too late....
The Dead Scream had been too much....
She had lost two friends that day.
"Sailor Moon!" Fighter grabbed the blonde senshi's arm and hauled her to her feet, ignoring her struggles of protest. Glancing toward the other end of the track, her eyes lit on the others; Mercury, Maker, Saturn and Healer- who had Luna clutched under her arm- were racing for the stairs to the street outside. "Come on!"
And, dragging the girl she loved with all her heart, Star Fighter ran down the subway tunnel away from the Tsumetai and the bodies of two of her friends. Minako and Haruka were gone....
Casting a final glance back, Fighter cemented her promise in her mind.
Arigato Haruka. I WILL protect her. You have the word of Sailor Star Fighter....
________________
Me: *cringes* Ah! Gomen nasai! Please don't hurt me! *tears* I'm so sorry! Very dark, lots of death....I swear, there's a happy ending! Or, semi-happy....I guess it depends on your POV....oh, I couldn't remember if it was 'SILENT' Wall or 'SILENCE' Wall, but you get the idea, ne?