Two Combating Sides
Author's Note: Well, here it is. The last chapter. Thanks, everyone, for all the kind reviews!!! I'm so happy! It took me a while, and I'm sorry about the cliffhanger, but I couldn't resist! It's summer vay-cay, but nonetheless it took me a while to really get this chapter formed. I have not read the manga, but even so, I know this will be AU. *bows* Look forward to the epilogue, everyone!
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CHAPTER 11 – AN UNFORTOLD ENDING
Hotaru gazed with huge, shocked eyes at the scene before her, before the violet darkened almost to black with rage. She was right outside the entrance hall of the Palace, or at least, what was left of it. Huge flames spouted from the roof and every so often an explosion resounded throughout the whole moon. Towers of the castle were crumbling into dust before her eyes and a flood of people were running out. In the corner of her eye, the young Saturn princess glimpsed a few tumbling out windows.
Without a second thought, Hotaru plunged forward into the raging crowd, her voice drowned out by the frightened people's shouts and screams of terror. Her henshin phrase was unheard by anyone but herself, and no one noticed violet ribbons wrap around their princess of Saturn, transforming her into the Warrior of Ruin.
The crowd thinned as she charged through it, and finally dispersed almost all together, leaving her alone. Or at least, she thought she was alone. One look around the huge ballroom changed her mind really quickly. People were lying dead, some burnt, some unmarked. Sailor Neptune was putting out as many flames as she could, while Uranus and Pluto were, in turn, teleporting the injured outside. Even Matthew was pulling out a battered looking Princess Serenity, away from the thick clouds of dark smoke, and the heat filled air. Saturn didn't hear her protests as she claimed Endymion was already dead. She didn't hear that Serenity wanted to kill herself, and Matthew didn't seem to care. The Silver Queen was also putting the flames out, via her Ginzuishou. Hope arose in Saturn, but was quelled by the defeated look in her Queen's eyes. Saturn began pulling people out, and stifled a small sob as Matthew staggered back in. He began trying to drag an unconscious man from Venus out, but collapsed in the process. Saturn ran to help him, but was stopped by a command from Queen Serenity.
Finally, the Queen ushered out the Outer senshi and held the Ginzuishou to her lips, whispering something to it. The Outers, reluctant to obey but nonetheless knowing they had to, ran outside just in time to find a dead Princess on the ground and sobbing members of the court all around. Saturn's own eyes brimmed with tears that refused to spill. She turned to her fellow Outers, who had sunken to their knees in the once beautiful and lush garden. The flowers were all dark and withered now, uncomfortable to sit in. And in the distance, Sailor Saturn caught a glimpse of the shadow of Metallia. Rage arose within her, but was forgotten as Queen Serenity stumbled out of her palace.
She fell to the ground in front of them. "Sailor Pluto. Return to the Time Gates," she commanded. Pluto wearily opened her mouth to protest, but her garnet eyes widened as silver light engulfed her and she vanished. Then she turned to Neptune and Uranus, who looked up at her with a dying light in their eyes. Their hands were clasped together and Saturn knew in her heart they were close to death. She felt it within her; it was her power that alerted her. And she also knew the Queen was almost as far gone as they. But even in her condition, Queen Serenity smiled.
"Sailor Saturn, you know everyone is dying. The ginzuishou will take everyone's soul to Earth, to be reborn in peaceful times. I have but one... last... request." The tears in Saturn's eyes finally spilled and she dropped to her knees. "The ginzuishou has taken all of my strength. Metallia has destroyed the Moon Kingdom. The Silver Millenium is over. Now, you must use your power and destroy the remains." Saturn's eyes widened.
"I can't, my Queen! You'll be destroyed with it!" she cried desperately, wiping tears away from her cheeks. But Queen Serenity just shook her head.
"You must. I will die anyway. At least my daughter and the other senshi will have a new life, a new chance to live lives they were meant to. Destroy the Moon Kingdom. With it, destroy Metallia. And then be reborn on Earth, Hotaru." Saturn hesitated, and then gave a final nod. With a sorrowful glance at the now lifeless Uranus and Neptune, she took a deep breath and stood up. The Glaive appeared in her hand and this time, she didn't wince at the power that flooded through her. She had a direct order from the Queen. It would be the first time she used the extent of her powers, but she would. For her Queen. And her friends.
Goodbye my Queen. Goodbye... Matthew. She raised the Glaive straight out in front of her, a somber expression on her face. A few of the people left surviving looked up at her, their eyes frightened. Taking another deep breath, her eyes closed, blocking out the vision of these pitiful people.
"Death..." she whispered. The power clenched within her, and Saturn felt it running through her hands, through the air, and into the blade of the Glaive. "Reborn..." The power increased. Her grip on the staff was tight, extremely tight. It was taking all of her willpower not to let go. The energy that both she and the Glaive were emitting was almost too much for her to take. Her violet eyes snapped open and she shouted the last word. "REVOLUTION!" Without bothering to look at the stunned, disbelieving looks of the people around her, she flung the Glaive's tip into the ground.
It all happened in an instant. Flashes of silver, probably from the ginzuishou, burst from everyone's body, especially the senshi's. All except Saturn. With this attack, she'd be obliterated, only to return when she was needed. Then, everything was forced into mere dust as the energy she had gathered tore up everything in her line of vision. The castle exploded into dust, and she saw Matthew. His eyes went huge and he brought a hand up to shield himself from the black energy rushing faster and faster toward him... and then he was no more. But Saturn had no time for tears. The attack rushed toward her, destroying everything in its path. Both the Queen and the Princess vanished into dust; so did the Outers. And then her Glaive was forced from her hand, and too vanished. But instead of becoming mere powder, it emitted a huge violet light that seemed to destroy it. And then Sailor Saturn saw and felt nothing more.