AUTHOR'S NOTES:
This is the second and final part of "Destiny and the Fire Maiden." Thanks for reading, and (once again) any and all reviews, comments, critiques, or constructive criticism are appreciated.

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Deep inside the Arctic Circle, the two surviving Sailor Soldiers slowly and painfully made their way up the last hill between them and Queen Beryl's fortress. Sailor Mars gritted her teeth and tried to fight back tears as she dragged a screaming Sailor Moon behind her. Sailors Jupiter and Venus had been killed in front of them, and Sailor Mercury had been gone for too long to . . . to still be alive.

"Please, Rei," Sailor Moon begged, trying to pull her arm out of Mars's grip, "let's stop here, I don't want anyone else to die."

"We keep going," she replied curtly, tugging her princess's arm even harder. Sailor Mars knew she had to be strong—had to have the strength to protect Sailor Moon no matter what happened.

She couldn't let her know how afraid she was. She couldn't let Sailor Moon see through her eyes.

While Sailor Mars was a powerful warrior from a millennium passed, Hino Rei was still a frightened fourteen year old girl, one who was becoming increasingly afraid that it was her fate to painfully die in a frozen wasteland, sacrificing her life for nothing. She knew that there was no hope of walking away from Beryl's palace alive, and was certain that the mission Makoto, Ami, and Minako died for was a failure. Their weakened team of two was no match for the Dark Queen, and if Beryl had enough energy to raise Metallia . . .

But she couldn't let Sailor Moon know that. She couldn't let Sailor Moon know anything that she knew. She would dive headfirst into her destined role, even if it proved to be an endless void.

Sailor Mars heard the sound of Beryl's last two youma approaching them. She stopped, let her princess's arm go, and smiled weakly.

"I know we've always fought," she said, "but I want you to know that I'm glad I got to know you, Usagi-chan. I'll always cherish our friendship."

Sailor Moon wiped the tears from her face. "Rei-chan, why—"

"Just in case I die. I'd never rest if I missed my chance to say that."

Sailor Moon's strength returned to her and she stood. Mars managed a wink and smile before turning and walking back to the oncoming monsters.

"No!" Sailor Moon shouted after her, "Wait! I'll fight by myself. I'll get them and Queen Beryl. Go home, Rei-chan. Please, don't die."

Mars shook her head. "You still have the big battle to fight," she said. "You can't be wasting energy on these two." The red planet's protector gave a bittersweet grin and laughed sardonically. "Besides," she said, "I've always been the strongest Sailor Soldier. Who says I'm going to die? I'll get rid of these guys in a second. Just make sure you get to Beryl—I don't want to have to do all your work for you."

With that, Sailor Mars turned to face the two youma. They were only about forty-five yards from her now, and closing in quickly. She charged a Fire Soul, but they dived underground before she could release her attack. "Too fast," she grunted, spinning to see where they were going to come up.

Suddenly, Sailor Mars felt the ground burst up from under her. Huge walls of ice formed on either side of her and fell into a pyramid. One of the youma was inside the frozen prison with her, and the other one . . .

The other one was rushing towards Sailor Moon!

Sailor Moon was paralyzed with fear, watching helplessly as the demon closed in on her. She reached for her tiara, but the youma grabbed her arm and wrenched the weapon away from her. It lifted a large, clawed hand over her head and grinned evilly.

In her dazed state, Sailor Moon heard a voice that seemed to come from a million miles away:

"FIRE SOUL!"

The youma barely had a chance to turn around before it was incinerated alive by Sailor Mars's attack. Mars smiled, but her celebration was short lived as the other beast cracked a vine-like arm over the back of her head. Mars's world went blurry. She felt something sharp dig into her sides at the same time the youma punched her in the stomach. More vines grew from the demon's body to batter her, and despite her best effort, she fell to the ground, her face buried in the cold snow and her warm blood.

The youma turned around, leaving her for dead. Sailor Mars felt dead, almost wished she was dead, but there was something she had to do first. She lifted a crimson arm in the air . . .

The monster leapt off the ground and floated to Sailor Moon. It was about to shoot a sharp branch at the princess, when a soft voice made it stop short.

Sailor Mars hung tightly onto one of the creature's dangling vines, a murderous glare in her eyes. "We're not done yet," she spat viciously, her free hand holding a large fireball.

The demon's shriek could be heard for miles as the flames consumed them both.

Sailor Mars's broken and scorched figure crashed onto the ice. She had done it. She had accomplished her purpose in life. Her princess, Sailor Moon, Meatball-headed Usagi was safe. Mars knew it was stupid, but she couldn't help but feel proud. Even though the fight with the youma was all for nothing. Even though their world was doomed.

Usagi was going to die today—Rei had seen it in a vision.

It was hard for Rei to feel too distraught; her prophetic abilities, combined with the natural peace of dying, had detached her from the world's concerns. Still, she felt sorry for Usagi. The princess had such a strong spirit and heart. Rei knew that Usagi wouldn't give up, even when it was all ending. Sailor Moon's stalwart faith would lead her up the steps to Beryl's throne and into oblivion. It would devastate Usagi when she discovered that she wasn't strong enough to survive.

Rei's body became numb to the Arctic cold. She saw a dazzling light in front of her eyes. "So this is what destiny looks like . . ."

. . . Rei snapped out of her trance and looked up at the world around her. She ran her delicate fingers across the park's smooth grass, filled her lungs with fresh air, and gazed into the bright noontime sky. Rei was alive. Ail and Ann's attack on Earth had consumed the days since her resurrection and memory's return, and Rei had never had the time to sit down and truly appreciate what happened to her on the North Pole until now. Her world was not a dream, not a vision in the embers. She was real, whole, alive.

Usagi quietly walked out from behind one of the trees near Rei and sat down next to her. "I saw you come into the park," she explained, "and I've been looking all over for you ever since." She paused, gauging Rei's reaction to see if she was still angry with her. "Is everything alright?" Usagi asked.

Rei looked into her eyes and smiled. "You really did it," she whispered.

"Did what?" Usagi asked.

"You saved me . . . saved everyone." Rei shook her head in amazement. "I was stupid," she said. "I never thought you could beat Metallia. I was sure you were going to die."

Usagi shrugged. "I did," she said, having never paid the idea much thought. "We all did, but our power was strong enough to bring us back. It wasn't just me, Rei-chan. We did it together, and our friendship brought us all back." The two sat silently for a moment before Usagi spoke again. "I'm sorry I went on about Mamoru. You know I would never try to hurt you, Rei. I had just forgotten that you and he—"

"It's not that," Rei interrupted. "I'm not still in love with Mamoru. I don't think I ever seriously was. We only went out a few times, and even then I could feel that he was distracted by something . . . someone."

"We all remembered the Silver Millennium," Usagi said. "In the back of our minds, we all knew."

"And you two were meant to be together. I remember being so happy for you, even if the people of Earth were distrusted on the Moon Kingdom."

Usagi giggled. "You were the first person I ever told about Mamo-chan," she said with a smile. "It was such a scandal—the princess of the moon in love with our rival's prince."

"I was so happy you trusted me," Rei replied with a mischievous grin, "no matter how much I wanted to tell the others."

"I could always trust you, Rei-chan," Usagi said, her voice taking a more serious tone. "Now please trust me. Tell me what's been bothering you. I'll do anything I can to help you, but you have to open up first."

Rei grew silent. She thought about her dreams, her visions— "Usagi," she finally said, "I'm afraid of my destiny."

"I don't understand."

Rei sighed. "My work at the temple, my dreams about Mamoru, clothes, shoes, food, shopping, arcades—they're all just distractions, things that let me think, if only for a moment or two, that I'm a regular girl, that I can have a normal life. I can't. None of us can. Rei's vision at the altar roared back into her mind. "I saw something in the flames," she told Usagi, "before you came over to the shrine. The actual meaning of the vision was cryptic, but it had a definite 'portent of doom' aura about it. Something big is coming, Usagi-chan—something more powerful than we've ever faced before."

Usagi was stunned. "Are you sure about this?"

Rei nodded. "I'm just afraid we won't ever get to rest—that we'll keep on fighting until something too strong comes along."

Usagi shook her head. "I don't know what's going to happen," she said, "but I do know that we're a lot stronger than we think sometimes. I think that our strength will surprise us more than our enemies' ever could." Usagi paused in thought for a moment. "Besides," she said, "that means I will get to see Mamo-chan in his cute tuxedo again."

Rei flopped on her back, bursting out laughing. "Only you, Usagi," she said grinning.

Usagi smiled and lay down on her stomach, gazing into the sky. "We're going to be able to beat it, Rei-chan. After all, with your strength . . ."

". . . and yours, princess . . ."

". . . and all of ours," Usagi said. "We've faced the destruction of the world before."

"Twice," Rei added with a grin. She leaned over and hugged Usagi, and the two friends smiled at each other. "You know, Meatball-head," Rei said, snickering, "every once in a while, you're not all that bad of a leader."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Usagi said, standing in mock offense. "I've saved your life more times than I can count."

"Not too often, then," Rei retorted with a wink.

Usagi stood in a fake regal pose. "Do not forget," she said in her best imitation of a bad British accent, "I am your princess."

Rei hopped to her feet. "But I'm the strongest Sailor Soldier."

"You wanna test that, Rei-chan?"

The two friends strolled out of the park, laughing and arguing with one another. They were both walking into an uncertain, frightening, and dangerous destiny, but neither of them was afraid. Whatever dark and evil forces came, they would face them together.

And light-years away, a black moon began to cast its shadow on Earth . . .