MONOLIET
(Monolith)



The city of Tokyo was completely dark that night. Almost no one was on the streets. No one was doing anything for that matter, except fearing. Fearing for themselves.

"Here!"

Luna gasped when, in the clearing, she saw Mamoru mournfully carrying Usagi's limp body. She gave a cry, then ran up to him.

"Mamoru!"
"….She's been drained…"
"How? Who?!"
"The enemy." Mamoru's voice was hallow. "Now she has the Silver Crystal and is planning on wiping out this city with the diplomats in it."

Luna looked on to see the other soldiers, Locke hand in hand with Kakyuu.
"But we burned Ste-"
"It didn't matter." Locke's voice muttered angrily. "She knew that if the Creed was destroyed, if Usagi acted against the Tskintsu she could still fulfill her desires. Now, there is no more…hope."
"No." Kakyuu looked over at Locke, shaking her head. "There's hope still. We have the Chaos Emeralds. Seven against one."
"Even yet," Locke shook his head. "The Silver Crystal is like a Controller; it has the power of fourteen."
"There must be some way to stop her!" Kakyuu's eyes widened. "We cannot give up!"

Locke looked over, searching in vain for an answer from Kakyuu's eyes. There seemed to be nothing there; she seemed as forlorn as he. And yet….

Sailor Crystals…..

"Go on."

Locke felt a tug from his side. He turned around, his face confused. Tails simply nodded.

"……………………………………..You're right….." The more and more Locke thought of it, the more it started to make sense. "Luna…..we must go. Where did you bury the remains of the Creed…?"

---------------------

The flesh of the desert plain. It draws up a single, dark breath. Upon it, the wind shifts, and the serpent appears. Invincible, unstoppable.

Now, to Tokyo……


---------------------

The Juuban clock seemed darker and more desolate as the soldiers descended upon it.

"How are we going to do this, and create a cancellation of power that will activate such a shield?" Artemis looked at Locke warily.
"…..We will use this."

Locke took a small gem from his pocket and released it. As it left his hands, it flashed, growing larger until it was ten feet tall. It floated over the ground, glittering in the fog.

"The Master Emerald…." Rotor stared at the Emerald.
"We must find a way to stop Lien-Da." Kakyuu turned to the Starlights. "She is the one responsible for all of this. The letters, the assassination attempts…she is behind them!"
"Why?" Seiya looked at Locke. "Is it because of the diaries?"
"She's learned of their location." Mamoru held Usagi in his arms.
"The remains are buried here, under the soil of Tokyo." Luna patted down the ground. "But Selenity intended for only Sailor Moon to see them. Guess now that they're destroyed…"
"…This entire city must be shielded. Lien-Da's fury is greater than ever. And Sonic and Knuckles…"
"The energies of the six Emeralds have gone wild." Tails looked towards the jewels. "In this agitated state, she is throwing everything into chaos."
"Then there's no time to spare!" Jupiter stood up. "We have to create a shield that will cover the city."
"But without Sailor Moon we can't get the required energy!" Mercury protested. "Her power is vital to our plan. But her energies have been drained by Kommissar."
"That is why the Master Emerald is here."

Almost all of the Mobians in the room stared at Locke, as they had when they had first met in Tokyo.

"Locke…"
"We can use the Master Emerald! Just as Usagi did to harness the Earth Emeralds with her crystal…."Locke's voice trailed, but returned. "Only reversed. The Master Emerald calling on the Sailor Crystals. If the power of the Silver Crystal is equal to the Master Emerald…."

Locke's voice trailed off. The group of sailors looked at each other, then looked at the Mobians. The wind began to pick up, blowing papers and leaves everywhere through the destroyed Juuban clock. Above the group, the sky began to thunder, crackling with green lightning.

"Very well." Pluto dropped her garnet rod. "There's no other choice; if destiny asks us to do this, then we must."
"Let's go, sailors!"

The sailors began to form a circle around the Master Emerald, joining the ranks by holding hands. The Starlights, though injured from saving their princess, stood up and joined them.

"….Starlights?"
"We're all Sailors." Fighter looked at Locke. "We all strive to protect everything we hold dear."

The words hallowed through Locke's mind, and he slowly, though incoherently, nodded at the Starlight in understanding. The other two Starlights joined Fighter, bringing themselves into the circle.

"Mamoru," Uranus turned to Mamoru. "Get Usagi to a safe place. Locke, the same with the Starlights' princess. And you Mobians follow."
"Hurry." Mars looked at Locke pleadingly. "If you do not leave…"
"We will be exerting unlimited energy from our bodies." Neptune closed her eyes. "It will be far too dangerous for you to be here."
"Wait!!"

Kakyuu looked up at Locke, her red eyes widened. Locke's eyes widened in return, slightly confused. Slowly, his mind began to understand what she wanted to do. He closed his eyes, his embrace around her loosened.
Go. If this is what you must do…
In response, Kakyuu peeled herself from Locke's side and walked towards the group as well.

"Princess?!" Healer gasped.
"I am a sailor as well." Kakyuu held her hand up. "Your trials, your losses, your mission belongs to me as well! Kinmoku Star Power, Make-Up!"
"Kakyuu…"
"Starlights…" In a flash, Sailor Kakyuu appeared before them. "If this world is destroyed, you know she will not stop until everything is hers. I am the princess of Red Ceres; my mission is to protect my people before myself."

With that, she walked to the circle and took her place next to Mars.

"The rest of you, leave."

Locke stared at Kakyuu, her back towards him.
Dear Kakyuu….

"Locke!"

Tails' hand suddenly yanked him from the circle as the Mobians began to flee the circle, running outside of the building. Even as he ran with them, Locke's head was turned back towards Kakyuu, watching her. Watched as the red glow appeared again. Watched as the Emerald reacted with the increasing powers of the thirteen soldiers. He watched as the group became smaller, until the only thing he could see was the increased glow of power within the Juuban clock.

-------------------

A light flashed in the black skies of Tokyo. Flashed, then disappeared, two large shadows over the clouds.

I can't see anything!
Neither can I…
Knuckles beat his wings slightly. But this is Tokyo. I can sense the soldiers power here.
Really?


Sonic's head tilted to the side, his body trying to decipher the power around him. It moved through him, his mind sorting what it knew of the energies.

I can kind of feel it…
It seems to be increasing sub-


Knuckles suddenly stopped. He arched his neck down towards the dark blanket, his hair brushing onto Sally, who had been clinging to Knuckles as tightly as she could.

"I…I wish…" Sally's voice was squeaking. "I wish I knew what you two were….doing?"
Sonic… Knuckles' eyes widened. Are they…are they insane?!?
What do you mean??
Sonic's ears perked up. Woah. I can feel it now-

*KA-THOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*



The clouds suddenly ripped apart in a burst of light. With clenched teeth, Knuckles beat his wings against the recoil of the energy wave as it threw Sally and he back.

"Aaaah!!!"

The time key suddenly fell from Sally's pocket to the earth below. It disappeared into the light, meshing with the energy before melting completely.

"Noo!!!"
AAAAAAR!!!!

Sonic was nearly blown into space by the explosion of power, his arms and legs wriggling madly like a fish out of water.

CHAOS CONTROL!!!

The bright light, Knuckles, Sally, the clouds shifted into nothing. Sonic shut his eyes tightly as he felt himself, his surroundings shifting. It was nothing but cold.
Suddenly, cold and wet.

Haaaaaaaaaaaah!!!

Sonic's eyes burst open widely, only to be met with salt. Thrashing furiously, he forced his head to emerge from the sea which he landed.

………………The city!!!

In the distance, Tokyo was now as bright as day under the blanket of clouds, which was fast disappearing under the combined power of the Sailor Crystals and Master Emerald. The colors meshed together, a rainbow of light, and the chaotic glow of the Mobian Controller, in the southern part of the city, seemingly engulfing the section it was in.

The Sailors!! Sonic began to dog paddle furiously towards the shore. Must save them…

Slowly, the light of the power which had engulfed Juuban began to lessen, solidify. It lightened until it was completely white, like a pillar in the sky.

……What?!

Sonic stopped paddling, only to stare. The clouds were gone from the sky, leaving the bright stars to come out over the wrecked city. In the center stood the pillar - a gigantic crystal, filled with power, almost like a giant replica of the Silver Crystal.

Is….is that a shield?! No…..a monolith…..

The moon, also, began to shine once more upon the city, its light illuminating on the strange group of pillars. Sonic saw that parts of the city, also, had been affected by the powers, and so was dotted with the power which had prevented them from coming through.

…….What is this…..

-----------------

The light had finally dissipated as the energy wave rolled over the group of Mobians, hidden in Central Control by Luna. The windows and foundation of the arcade were completely shattered from the sonic boom that had followed from the explosion.

"Zee Master Emerald!" Antoine gasped as he wiped the glass and blood off out of his hair. "Mon dieu! I am badly bleeding!"
"Twan." Bunnie was quickly on him "Sugah, y'all shoulda ducked."
"But I wish-ed to protect my Rabbot…" Julie-Su's hand quickly went to work on Antoine. "Zis is far too scairy even for moi!"
"What's going on?" Rotor's eyes widened. "These readings….did they use their powers with the Master Emerald?!"
"Yes…"

Locke's head slowly came up from which it had ducked to avoid the glass from getting him in the front. Shaking himself carefully, he looked over at Tails, who simply looked back at him with the same discerning eyes.

"It was the same as when Usagi used her power to stop the Earth Emeralds…"
"Uuuu…."
"What…?"

Mamoru's eyes widened as Usagi's eyes slowly opened.

"Usako!! Locke!!"

Locke's head turned towards the two, as did the other Mobians, who gasped as they saw Usagi's body shuddering.
Impossible… Rotor bent down next to her, looking her up in down in a flabbergasted manner. She should be dead!

"Mamo-chan…"
"No." Usagi felt Mamoru's hand up on her neck. "You're far too weak. Without the Crystal….how??"
"Mamo-chan…."

Usagi's eyes scanned the group before her, her eyes catching Locke, and those who had been in the arcade the night before the battle had begun. She slowly turned to Locke, her eyes searching.

"Locke…"
"Usagi?"
"The soldiers…"
"They've created a shield to protect you." Locke bent down, mindful of Mamoru's suspicious eye. "You'll be safe here."
"……..My friends??"

Usagi looked around, scanning everyone's faces, spotting Luna. Her eyes seemed to be more fearful.

"Luna….where are they?!"
"Usagi!"
"I….I don't feel them anymore…something…" Usagi's voice began to quiver. "Where?! Where did they go?!"

Locke's eyes widened each time Usagi thrashed frantically, looking for the soldiers. Slowly, he began to realize what had happened.
The shield……their power….

Oh no….


Suddenly, Locke's body jumped up and ran out of Central Control.

"Locke!!!" Luna's head jerked around to see him. "NO!! WAIT!!!!"

Kakyuu…..no……

Locke ran out, finding himself no longer outside in the blackened streets of Tokyo. He was inside a strange, white light, almost like an obelisk, his reflection dancing on into the outside night of the remaining city. Unheeding Luna's shouts, he ran on, hitting the sides of the strange new building of crystal.

"KAKYUU!!!" His voice carried up towards the top, thousands of feet above. "KAKYUU!!!!"

He ran, the maze of crystals, of people confused, of the diplomats who found themselves no longer in their buildings but inside an opaque shell. Past Fortinbras, who shouted as well.

"LOCKE!!!!"

Locke knew he wouldn't follow; he knew nothing of what had happened. Onward he ran, screaming, Kakyuu's reply unheard.

"KAKYUUU!!!"

Finally, he sensed the Master Emerald's power; it was nearby, straight ahead; it was the center of this strange monolith which was created to shield the city…but Kakyuu….

"…….Kakyuu…"

His voice went down to a whimper. His feet slowed to a stop.

"………no…."

In the center, the Master Emerald stood, thirty feet tall. It was the largest Locke had even seen it be. But he understood why.
Dropping to the floor, he hit his knees near her flailed arms, grabbing his hair. The others lay on the floor as well, just as limp, just as gone, just as expendable with their power to the strange creation of theirs. But Kakyuu…..
"Locke?!……….."

The padding stopped as she, too, entered the room. Luna looked on as Locke's body drooped to the floor of the citadel, slowly picking up the princess's limp body, which was compactly connected to Mars' cold hands.

"I'm sorry, Locke." Luna looked down. "All of them, they exerted everything to create this shield over the city. But I didn't realize this would have happened. No one did."
"…Three…"
"Locke?"
"I have loved three women," Locke's voice was bitter. "And I have lost three women. One divorced me. One was never intended for me. And now, Kakyuu, the one that affected me in a way that is so much deeper than I could describe, is dead. All of them for duty. What is the use of hoping for a new life, a new beginning, if all I have to begin it with is nothing or no one to share it with because their duty took them away? When I must lose myself to duty, over and over again, when I have given duty my all and this is what I have to show for it. When my eyes have been opened to just how beautiful the touch of a woman can be to someone like me, just as I become someone who could appreciate simple things about people that I took for granted. When I realize, I lose that person who showed it to me because it is their duty. Is there justice to that?" When Luna gave no reply, "I have lived almost all of my life in the service of others, never once truly caring about others until the day I received the dream. Then came Knuckles. Then Lara-Le left me. I began to understand." Locke tried to fight the tears with whatever piece of his guardian self he had, but it became increasingly difficult. His voice began to soften. "But not completely. It took the Island's death to make me understand life's frailty. It took Usagi to make me see that there was still hope after death. And Kakyuu showed me that life goes on forever even after death approaches, that it is nothing more than a cycle, and nothing could touch it." Then it cracked. "When I cannot enjoy those lessons because of duty, because of the consequences of duty, what is the point of fighting?"
"The point is that fighting is all we can do."

A strange new voice came into the room. The two looked up to see Tails, the six Chaos Emeralds strapped to him.

"I have to go now…" he said softly.
"Tails?" Locke's eyes widened. "What are you…"

Locke stopped as Tails turned away from him. Something was different in his voice, a tone of inevitability.

"Wait! Where are you going?!"
"….To do my duty…"

Tails silently walked though the walls of the crystal as if they weren't there. The six super emeralds were strapped to his body, almost like a bomb. Locke and Luna could only watch and wonder the terrible meaning of his words.

-----------------

With a gasp, Sonic's hand paw splashed onto the decimated road near the beach.

Knuckles……Knuckles!!
Right here.
The fellow phima landed on top of a building's remains. Let's go…
Knuckles…what is that?!


The echidna turned to see a bright light near the vicinity of the newly created crystal tower.

That is…

-----------------

The wind began to pick up as Tails slowly stepped into the field.

"This body…" Tails closed his eyes. "I can't be scared anymore."

Reacting to the fox, the seven emeralds began to glow brighter then ever. They seemed to melt, becoming translucent balls of infinite energy as each of the seven seemed to roll onto him and disappear within the hallow fox vessel.

Seven destined for finality, Tails thought. Seven destined from the beginning of time. All things have an end and beginning. The end, here, to that which is known. Now, the next and final phase. The Chosen One appears in the city of destiny, walking amongst them as the Seven are collected. Now, as before, they are drawn together once more….

Tails slowly opened his eyes, his eyes a pale grey, almost white color. His feet began to lift off of the ground from the Emeralds' power within him, and his body glowed a fusion of colors from the energy.

Their power, now my power, their souls, now my soul, we are now one. His body began to bulge from the power. Ultimate power, arise! Fuse and change me for that which I must fulfill! The last phima, APPEAR!

The light of the Silver Crystal suddenly exploded in his chest, and the fox disappeared within the power of the sonic boom which the fusion created. A single shaft of energy shot up into the sky from his spot, the power well-controlled by a strangely powerful creature which seemed to shift and grow from the shreds of the orange fur. Tentacles as black as night emerged

Come to me…. Tails' new voice came through the night. Come to me, Sonic, Knuckles….

-----------------

Hear that?!

Sonic looked up to see the light die down in the distance.

Is that…
Come on!
Knuckles jumped up. Let's go.

Sonic was getting a little exhausted with all the traveling they had done, but he followed grudgingly. He was careful to not step on anything along the way as he followed Knuckles.

"What….is that?!"

The question was by a horrified Sally as they neared the pillar. Indeed, the two looked up to see a creature never before seen by their eyes. It was even stranger than they were - at least they had parts of identifiable creatures on them. This one, on the other hand, seemed like no animal they had ever seen before. Its back tentacle seemed to wave in the wind of its white skin.

TAILS!!!

Sonic instantly recognized the fox, even in this strange form that he assumed. The tentacles on the back of the strange spider monster, that were now wound together, formed something that resembled the two tails.

No way… Sonic gaped at Tails. You too?!
Of course me too.
Tails looked at Sonic. Was there any doubt?
You knew this whole time!!! Why didn't you tell me?!?

The creature didn't reply. Instead, it looked up, looking back at its accomplices.

Time is fleeting. Follow me!

With a jump, Tails quickly leaped up and threw himself up into the sky, a small trail of green dust following him.

He's right. Knuckles closed his eyes. There's no turning back now. Sally….

Suddenly, the princess was slid off of the back of the creature and onto the ground with a thud.

"Aaah!!!"

With a grunt, the two suddenly ripped their back open, their thin, opaque wings coming from the slightly bloodied opening. With a whip of his tail, Knuckles jumped up into the star-infested sky, followed by Sonic. The battle near, they followed the strange dust trail like a road to the stars.