Chapter 16

Fire shot out and upward. It wound up and around the dark room filling it with an eerie glow. The room seemed filled with foreboding. The fire foretold the future, and what would come. The fire appeared to be a sea of blood raging asking for more-more that it knew would come.

Rei sat in front of the fire staring inside of it. Her ceremonial robes spread around her at her feet as she sat, she put her hands together and started to chant. "Elements show me what is held in our future," she said. "I have had horrible dreams about the battles and what is to come. Show me, tell me what is going to happen."

The sea of steaming blood raged higher. It reached out for Rei to come to it. Frighten, Rei covered herself. The fire persisted, forcing Rei to the wall.

"Stop it," Rei yelled. "Aku Ryo Tai San! Go away."

The fire settled slowly. Rei went back to where she was sitting. "Now, tell me, what will happen?" She closed her eyes, letting the vision come to her.

* Twilight Tower stood before Rei in the moonlight-at least, it was what looked like Twilight Tower. It lay in ruins as if a tremendous battle had taken forth. Only half the building stood, dust clouds were everywhere clouding Rei's vision. Pipes, cement, stone, metal, everything was at her feet. Slowly dark, foreboding clouds covered the full moon in the sky. Nothing could be seen except total darkness.

"Help us!" Someone yelled.

Rei ran toward the voice. She couldn't see where she was or where she was going. She fell continuously getting cuts and scrapes. That voice was hers she realized. Rei pushed on finding herself standing in front of the worst scene she had ever seen.

Blood was everywhere. The other Sailor Scouts lay barely conscious, lying on the ground, bleeding. Sailor Mars and Sailor Moon were the only ones still able to stand. Sailor Mini Moon was just as bad as the rest of them.

"Help us!" Mars screamed. Sailor Dark Moon held Mars by her arms. Mars was too weak to get away from her grasp and could only scream.

"Whom are you yelling to?" Dark Moon asked. "There is no one left to help you. Your weak attempt to win over Neo was all for nothing." Dark Moon leaned over and whispered, "Soon she won't even be able to help herself, let alone anyone else."

"How could you be so horrible?" Mars asked.

"How?" Dark Moon asked almost laughingly. "How? I was created this way. I have and always will be evil-pure, dark evil."

"But she trusts you. She believes in you and all you can do is betray her. She loves you as a sister."

"Please, don't give me that. Soon I'll be a distant memory in Neo's mind, but I can stop that before it happens. And isn't it just so much better when they trust you? You know a little about that don't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure you do!" Dark Moon said loving every minute. "Admit it, you always wanted Darien. You've even done things to get him for your own. Always you claim to be such a good friend, but I remember, I even know what happened when you met Darien in this life. You can't tell me somewhere in that psychic mind of yours you didn't even have a feeling that Darien wasn't yours. You feel vibes all the time, but you felt nothing between Serena and Darien. It felt great, didn't it? I know you knew what you were doing."

"Don't say that," Mars cried, tears in her eyes. "I would never do that intentionally. When Serena and Darien were shown as their true selves I was willing to give up Darien."

"But you had regrets, didn't you?" Dark Moon whispered. "You wanted Darien. You would have been a great ally Mars. I just want you to know, no one is going to have Darien, but me. It's great, isn't it?"

"If you kill Neo in front of him he'll hate you, and never go to you. How could you get him if he hates you?"

"My dear, old friend Beryl taught me mind control. I could erase his mind and he wouldn't even know."

* "Get away from her!" Sailor Moon screamed. Mars lay on the ground bleeding with Dark Moon standing over her. "Moon Tiara Magic."

Dark Moon jumped out of the way. "Finally, I was wondering when you would fight. It would be my pleasure to wipe out the person I hate most. You, Princess Serenity, are worst than your mother. I have your blood running through my veins, and yet, I feel nothing for you. You took everything from me. I blame you most for everything. The time of the Moon Kingdom was okay for me, but you just had to ruin things with your lust for Darien. I almost succeed in getting my revenge on everyone, but no, the almighty Queen Serenity had to ruin it, but not this time. Dark Moon Blast!"

Sailor Moon threw her arms up to shield herself from the blast, only in vain. She fell to the ground. "I'll get you."

"Really? Here you are Princess, at my feet, where you belong. Soon everyone will be at my feet-or dead. Isn't it fun?" Dark Moon kicked Sailor Moon in her side. "Can't you get up, or are you too weak?"

"No!" Sailor Moon said. She kicked Dark Moon in the leg sending her down to the ground. Quickly, she got up. "Moon Tiara Magic."

Dark Moon screamed in pain. The tiara cut her deep in the arm, spilling blood everywhere. "How dare you? You bitch! No matter, you've sealed your fate. I was going to keep you alive to serve me, but not anymore."

"I wouldn't serve you if my life depended on it."

"Oh, but it does," Dark Moon kicked Sailor Moon in her stomach, knocking her down to the ground again. She stood up kicking Sailor Moon over and over again in the side. "Your life is mine to do as I wish." Dark Moon picked her leg up and sent her heel flying down toward Sailor Moon.

"No!" Rei yelled.

Sailor Moon rolled out of the way onto her stomach before she was hit by the heel. She struggled to get on her knees. She coughed, coughing on the dust in the air, blood coming from her mouth. Finally, she got to her feet. "I will not let you win."

"Moon Face you've already lost," Dark Moon laughed. "Look at your followers, your Scouts, they are slowly dying at your feet. I just love it." Dark Moon walked over to where Mini Moon lay nearly unconscious on the ground. "Isn't this one just so cute? Look at the blood coming from her body. Soon she will die from blood lost, but it will be slow and painful. That is the perfect way to kill enemies. Maybe I should speed things up, the young shouldn't suffer." Dark Moon raised her hands to begin her attack.

"Mama, help me," Mini Moon whispered.

"Get away from her!" Sailor Moon screamed pushing Dark Moon to the ground. "I hate you. You're a monster. Moon Spiral Heart Attack."

"Dark Moon Blast."

The two blasts went head on toward each other. The power in the two blasts sent huge pieces of rubble everywhere. They had to fight to keep their balance. It was easy to see that Sailor Moon would give up soon, too.

"Sailor Moon, that was a very bad mistake on your part!" Dark Moon yelled. "You're going to give up soon, and when you do this blast will leave you helpless."

Please help me. I can't hold on much longer. Sailor Moon thought. Someone help me.

Sailor Moon couldn't hold on anymore and left go. The blast sent here reeling through the air until she hit one of the few trees still standing. She fell to ground, bleeding profusely. Dark Moon walked up to her slowly.

"I'll see you in hell. Dark Moon Blast."

Rei ran trying to block the blast. She jumped in front of Sailor Moon before it hit.

* "No, what happened?" Rei asked. She looked in front of her still in the same place, but looking at a new scene. Tuxedo Mask lay on the ground, apparently stabbed a few times by the dagger in Dark Moon's hand. He seemed to have had damage from other blows from the battle that Rei hadn't seen. Beside him lay Sailor Mini Neo and Mini Mask, they were badly wounded, but could move and were conscious. Sailor Neo lay on her back propped up by her elbows. In front of her, Dark Moon stood holding the dagger dripping with blood.

"My final kill to end all of this. With no heir, the Moon Kingdom shall be mine for the taking. This dagger is one of the few things that can kill you. It's a good thing I kept this with me. Your end is at hand."

"How could you do this to me?" Neo asked. "I trusted you. Why?"

"Do you really want a reason, Neo?" Dark Moon asked. "For the loneliness, is one reason. Also, Endymion would be a nice touch. Then, there's my main goal-the Moon Kingdom-which I can't get without you dead. Do I need to explain anything else to you my dear sister?"

"Mother was right, everyone was right, but I was to blind to see," Neo cried. "I should have been Sailor Moon's protector; I should have killed you when I had the chance. Instead, I had to stand by and watch you destroy all the Scouts. Why did I do this to them? Why did I do this to myself?"

"You did it because I made you. You've been vulnerable every since you stepped foot in Japan. I was trusting, I was everything you knew the other Scouts couldn't be, because of who you were and loved. I took advantage of you, and everyone saw that except you. I should have done this years ago. I mean, with you, I could have wiped out the entire Moon Kingdom. All that power wasted on you. How did they see you as their protector? You're too weak, just like Princess Serenity. You both let your emotions get the best of you. Maybe living with them made you weak, but I was saved when I went to that hell. Now I shall deliver you. I shall be your savior." Dark Moon brought the dagger down to Neo's chest piercing her in the heart.

"No!" Tuxedo Mask screamed.

"Mother!" Mini Neo yelled trying to get herself to her feet.

"Get away from her." Mini Mask cried.

Tears streamed down Rei's face. Neo lay on the ground dead. Her blood was spilling everywhere. Tuxedo Mask had struggled to get to her side and was holding her. Dark Moon lay off to the side watching everything with a smile on her face.

"Now it's time to be rid of the two most annoying things I've had to deal with-the Twins," Dark Moon said with delight. "You two almost kept me from getting revenge, and for that you shall pay. Don't you wish you would have kept your mouth shut?"

"Never," Mini Mask cried. "It won't end this way."

"But it already has, and now it's your turn to go."

"This hasn't ended yet," Mini Neo said. "I would rather die than have that happen, and I just might, too. My mother will live." Mini Neo transformed into Princess Meilin.

"Don't Meilin!" Mini Mask cried. "You might die. You don't have enough energy to pull it off."

"I know that, but I have to see if I can for both of our sakes. I love you, Yukito. I love all of you and I'm willing to risk my life for you. Time's Gate!" A blinding flash of light lit the sky.

* Rei opened her eyes. Her vision had ended, but gave her no help. She sat there staring at the fire. How long would it be till that day came? How long would it be till the end was near? What happened at the end? Rei didn't know the answer to any of the questions, and she was only left with more questions than before she had the visions.

Rei felt scared and wondered if she could tell the others what she saw. Suddenly, she realized her arms and legs felt moist. She looked down to see she was bleeding from cuts and scrapes. The white part of her robes was red with blood. Bewildered, Rei didn't know what to do, and all she could do was scream.