Mamoru stared in horror at the spear extending from his Usako's chest. It couldn't be! He had watched helplessly as his beloved threw herself in front of him and taken the blow meant to end his life.
Instead, it would end hers.
"No." There were so many things he needed to say. The spear was lodged deep enough that its bloody point poked through her back. If he concentrated hard enough, he could see the rest of it through her insubstantial body. It wasn't possible.
His Usako was dying.
She fell, and turned her head so that they faced each other. The effort it took showed clearly on her face. She mumbled something; it wasn't possible to hear most of what she'd said, but the last four words imprinted themselves on his heart. I love you, Mamochan.
Her eyes closed, and she collapsed.
The world exploded before his eyes.
Mamoru cried out and shaded his eyes from the flare. He could hear the others echoing his exclamation. Had it come from Usagi? He couldn't tell. As the light died down, he uncovered his watering eyes and blinked rapidly, trying to clear them enough to see.
"Don't worry, Mamoru."
An ethereal hand touched his shoulder in a brief caress. As his eyes cleared, he looked up and gasped.
Sailor Cosmos stood before him, the Crystal Spear grasped firmly in one hand. As he watched, she smiled sweetly at him and drew him to his feet. She gestured once, and the other Senshi rose straight and tall, no longer bound by the dark Queen's power.
"It's her." Daemon's whisper pulled all eyes to him. He now cowered behind his Mistress. "The luminous warrior of legend."
The creature tried to silence its minion, but Sailor Cosmos spoke over its growl, her clear voice cutting easily through the harsh snarl. "Indeed. Your plans have failed, Daemon. Sailor Moon has managed to awaken me. Now I stand in her place before you, and you stand no chance of survival." Her voice was almost sad, but the steel that backed it promised no chance of mercy.
She gestured again, and the Crystal Spear melted into the shape of her staff. "You dared to steal Usagi's body. You tried to warp her soul. You corrupted Sailor Moon, and you twisted the Silver Crystal, the universe's purest object, into a weapon of evil. For this, you may not be forgiven." She held the Staff before her, and it began to glow. "Now you must do battle with me, and do not doubt that you will fail."
"Never," The Queen snarled as it grabbed Daemon and shoved him toward Cosmos. She didn't even flinch, but simply enveloped the vampire within a globe of shimmering moonlight. He never even had the chance to scream; he simply disappeared in a small flash of light. His mistress had taken advantage of the brief distraction to gather its power, and it was possible to see the dark energy roiling around it. It laughed. "Legend or no legend, you can't defeat me. I've waited too long!"
Sailor Cosmos's ethereal face remained calm, showing no signs of what she was thinking. "It's time to end this. Senshi, focus your attacks on my Staff."
"But-" Jupiter held out her hands, never taking her eyes off their enemy.
As the others showed signs of trepidation, Cosmos smiled. "Your attacks will not hurt me. I need your power to defeat this monster."
The Senshi looked at one another. Saturn nodded. One by one, they cried out their attacks.
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!!"
"Mars Flame Sniper!!"
"Jupiter Oak Evolution!!"
"Venus Love And Beauty Shock!!"
"Pink Sugar Heart Attack!!"
"Chronos Typhoon!!"
"Space Turbulence!!"
"Submarine Violin Tide!!"
"Silence Glaive Surprise!!"
Cosmos's Staff grew brighter and brighter as each attack joined its power. Cosmos herself blazed as brightly as a star, fighting the darkness growing around their enemy. Almost as one, the two combatants pointed at each other to send their energy attacks flying. The dark Queen roared in fury and defiance, but Sailor Cosmos remained silent, a peaceful smile gracing the corners of her lips.
Twin onslaughts of darkness and light streamed toward each other; meeting in the middle with a clash that sent all but Cosmos and the Queen to their knees. The two stood at opposite ends of the chamber, bracing themselves against the strength of their power.
Mamoru shaded his eyes against the flares of energy. It seemed that the two were evenly matched; neither side seemed to gain.
Mamochan, I need your help.
As the cool voice echoed through his head, Mamoru glanced up at Cosmos. A single bead of sweat ran down her forehead.
I'm not strong enough along. I need your help.
Wrestling the force of the power that filled the chamber, he fought his way to Cosmos's side. What could he do? He didn't have any special attacks to add to her battle. But . . .
But he had love.
Mamoru placed his hands gently on Cosmos's delicate shoulders, and allowed all of the emotions of the past few weeks to well up. The adoration and hope he had felt the night he planned to ask for Usagi's hand. The fear that she might be injured by the first vampire's attack. The consequential worry over the following weeks. And the overwhelming love that coursed through his body every time he so much as glanced at his Usako.
He gathered it together and felt it flow into Cosmos.
A smile grew on her face. "Thank you, my love."
The silver light that shot from her Staff increased tenfold, enveloping the darkness and destroying it.
The Queen screamed as the power reached it, picking Usagi's body up and flinging it against the wall.
"No . . ." It gasped as it slid to the floor. A thin trickle of blood seeped from its lips, flowing down its chin. "So close . . . so very close." It's eyes closed.
Cosmos dropped to her knees. "At last," she whispered. She reached up and placed a hand over Mamoru's as she looked around at the other Senshi. Finally, her eyes rose to meet Mamoru's. "Help me over to the body."
He knelt and took her up into his arms, and carried her over.
Cosmos gently placed her palm over Usagi's chest. "The body has been greatly damaged. There are still traces of Darkness inside, and they will not allow her to be healed."
"What are you saying?" Venus struggled to her feet. "After all this, Usagi's going to die?"
"It can't end like that, can it?" Tears prickled at Mercury's cheeks as she crossed to them. "Isn't there someway we can help her?"
Cosmos shook her head slowly. "You cannot. But I can . . ." She looked down at herself. "Sailor Cosmos and Eternal Sailor Moon are not quite one and the same being. Because of our natures, I lie dormant unless there is some battle that she cannot win. Only when she is willing to accept her mortality and sacrifice herself for those she loves, then am I awakened." Cosmos paused in reflection. "It was the only way to protect her from some of the evil in our universe. But now . . . now I think that she is ready. But first . . ."
She gestured, and Pluto's body floated out from a dark corner of the chamber.
"Puu!!" Chibi-Moon and Saturn raced to the Guardian's side. The emerald-tressed woman stared blankly into space, total incomprehension in her garnet eyes. The younger of the two Senshi turned, her pink eyes filling with tears. "Sailor Cosmos, what happened to her? We can't leave her like this!"
Cosmos reached out to the older woman. "Her mind has been destroyed. I cannot heal it on this plane, but I can on another." She placed both hands upon Pluto. "In the dimension of Time, there is a special Chamber available only to those of my blood. Sailor Moon can take her there and repair the damage done. But for now, I can only rejoin my other part, and add my strength to hers."
She reached out, and Saturn silently placed the Staff, which she had left at the other end of the chamber, into her hand. "This time, Usagi will remember everything. She will have all of the wisdom and power that I command, but she is strong enough now that it will not change her innocent nature."
Cosmos began to glow, somehow at the same time growing more and more translucent. Finally, when she was but a shimmer of moonlight, she bent over and placed her lips over Usagi's.
Usagi's eyes and mouth opened, and a horrible scream emerged as the last remnants of the Darkness within her were cast out. Her body lifted to float upright an inch above the ground. Her hair returned to gold, and her eyes regained their sky-blue hue. Talons shortened, became slender human fingers. The black gown was replaced by Eternal Moon's fuko. The ebony wings at her back glowed a shimmering white.
Eternal Sailor Moon, the real, human Usagi, touched gently to the floor. The fuko and wings disappeared, and her eyes fluttered open. "Mamochan?"
Mamoru rushed forward as she swayed and lifted her into his arms. "I'm here, Usako. I'm here."
"Is it over?" she whispered. She frowned before anyone could answer her. "It is. Cosmos . . ."
Usagi looked around at the faces of her friends, and a sweet smile of pure joy grew. "It's over."
***

Usagi stood once more inside the Selenity Chamber. Pluto waited just outside; they had discovered that it was impossible for anyone other then Sailor Moon to enter.
"How do I fix Pluto?" Usagi sat in a cushioned arm-chair and pondered. "I know that this was the place Cosmos meant, but what should I do?"
The memories of Pluto and Queen Serenity came to her.
"The Hall can be controlled by your mind alone, if you are strong enough."
"This Chamber is whatever the Lunarian Queen needs the most. It has the power to be a tiny room or an entire galaxy . . ."
A vague idea floated in the back of her mind. What if . . .?
Usagi concentrated, and the swirling clouds of moon dust slowly trasformed into a dark, endless foggy plane.
"Pluto? Pluto, I know you're here somewhere. It's Usagi. I'm here to help you."
"Who are you?" Usagi turned to face a small child. Her emerald hair and garnet eyes gave her identity away.
"Pluto? Is that you?"
The child nodded. "A bad person sent me away. I was afraid, and I hid. Are you going to help me? I'm lost."
Usagi nodded in turn. "Yes, I'm going to help you find your way back. Are you ready?" She took the little girl's hand in her own, and concentrated once more. The dark plane became a lighter one of swirling reds and greens.
This must be Pluto's mind.
Usagi could barely make out images that flashed past her eyes. Some of them she recognized as more recent memories of Pluto's. An older woman huddled in the center of the space.
She knelt and turned the younger Pluto to face her. "Do you see that woman over there? That's you. She's lost, just like you, and she needs your help. Can you do that?"
The child nodded. "She's lost, just like me?" At Usagi's confirmation, she crossed to the woman. "Pluto? Can I come home?"
The woman slowly looked up at the child. A trembling hand lifted to caress her cheek. The child hugged her older self, and Usagi watched as the plane faded from view.
"Good luck, Puu."
***

Usagi left the Selenity Chamber to be greeted with a beautiful sight. Pluto was crying and hugging the rest of the Senshi, and being hugged in return.
"Pluto!!" She ran to the other's side. "Are you okay?"
Sailor Pluto nodded. "I have lost a few unimportant memories, but I am essentially back to normal. She placed a hand on Usagi's shoulder. "You have learned all that you need. I am glad to see that you have gained such strength."
Usagi sobbed and hugged her friend.
***