This is a bit of a different fanfic than I'm used to writing. I thought it was an interesting premise, so I decided to write it. Here go the disclaimers: I don't own Sailor Moon, so don't sue me, yada yada yada…
Anyway, if you want to email me, it's at Guardian4@atlantic.net. However, PLEASE put Fanfiction or something like that in the subject line. I get a lot of junk mail and I may just delete it without reading it otherwise, though I won't mean to.
Onto the story…
Angelic Embrace
Part 12
The Senshi and Shitennou gathered in the park in the predawn light, waiting. They knew he would be here. Deep in their bones, they knew he would show up. When, they didn't know, but they hoped soon. As Jupiter said, the waiting was the worst part and Jupiter wasn't good at waiting, it being the bane of her existence.
A ripple in the air occurred before their vision just as the sun peeked over the horizon. Daray seemed startled when they were there, but as they made no move to attack, he summoned no youma or demons.
Venus and Kunzite stepped forward slowly, to make sure he didn't bolt in surprise. "Daray, you have the Princess Serenity. Give her back to us now." Her voice was low and controlled, showing none of her anger.
A slow smile appeared on his face. It was not a pleasant one. He shifted in the air and crossed his arms over his chest. "Why, yes. Yes, I do."
"Give her back," Venus repeated.
He made a great show of thinking it over. "No, I don't think so."
Venus's frustration showed on her face, knowing he was baiting her. He knew just how much the princess meant to all of them and all he wanted to see was her squirming in anger, rage, and pain. She growled deep in her throat before she got herself in control. Taunt his pride, she repeated to herself. But how? What would taunt him?
She half turned to Pluto, who stepped up next to her. A flash of fear crossed his face, but when she didn't strike, he stayed, wary.
"Daray, I see you remember me. But I couldn't be sure because you did not stay to fight me ten years ago or recently. What was I to think?"
"I don't engage in pointless and futile acts of physical violence."
"Why is that?" Jadeite sneered behind her. "Because you can't?"
"My strength lies in magic, not the physical," he said in an oily voice.
It was obvious that going on that route would get them nowhere fast. "But even though that's where your strength lies, you captured the princess to gain more power?" Venus asked.
Daray frowned. "I did not capture her because of her piddly little stone."
"Then you had no reason to anger the Senshi?" Kunzite said, pretending wonder. "You only did it because she was more beautiful than you?"
It was a guess, and no one knew if it would bring results. But it seemed Daray had a highly vain side.
"She is not more beautiful than I." His frown deepened.
"If was not for her beauty, then it must have been because she is more powerful than you," Zoisite said.
"She is not more powerful than me!" A tick appeared next to his eye.
They knew they were getting somewhere else, but how to approach it so it wasn't obvious what they were doing?
"Then why did you do it? What does she have that you do not?"
"She has nothing I do not have!" The tick intensified.
"Then why?"
Daray's breathing grew heavy in his anger. "Why are you questioning like this?! Fine, I'll show you that she has nothing that I don't, I am more powerful, and more beautiful!"
He floated down and red light swirled around him. They dropped into defensive stances, but when the attack hit, it was obvious they could not beat him in magical attacks. It would have to be physical.
Jupiter jumped behind him and did a roundabout kick at his neck. It connected, snapping his head back as his body was thrust forward. The most proficient in physical fighting stepped forward as well and soon Daray was bouncing from one corner of the circle made to the other.
He finally made it to the center and threw his hand up in the air. Ice blue light hit his open palm and at his feet wind picked up. Suddenly purple lightning crashed down on everyone there, nearly stopping their hearts. Jupiter was the least one affected, though she was on her knees like everyone else.
Daray jumped into the air and, with a gesture, the earth heaved violently like a bucking bronco. Had anyone been able to get to their feet, they were immediately thrown back down to the ground. Stones rained down on their heads like raindrops and in the same abundance in a thunderstorm, which was soon approaching.
It had been overcast all yesterday and night, though it hadn't rained. It seemed to make up its mind that day, and thunder rumbled ominously. Lightning flashed, whether because of Jupiter's Thunder God attack or because of the weather was uncertain.
Pluto dragged herself to her feet, blood running down the side of her face from where a rather small boulder had hit her head.
"Astral Drain!"
Mist surrounded Pluto's feet. The jewel on her staff glowed bright red. She twirled once and, bracing her feet abruptly, thrust it toward Daray. Pale purple light sprouted around her, tossing her hair into the air. Maroon rays flew from her Time Key to the man and he screamed as they penetrated inside of him, attacking the portal that resided in his body.
When the attack ended, he took his vengeance on them harshly. While most of the Senshi and Shitennou were still recovering from the first two attacks, Daray's hands flashed and small blades appeared. With a flick of his wrist, they soared toward the warriors, each multiplying to make a thousand shallow and deep cuts on their bodies.
He laughed as they cried out in pain and fell to the ground, clutching an arm or leg. Venus glared up at him and cried out,
"Star Children!" Beams of light and golden stars burst from her hands as she held them at her sides. She brought them above her head and twirled. The beams and golden stars appeared around Daray's body, attacking with sharp blades of power. He cried out as it cut into him, making him bleed.
With a burst of power, her attack was thrust away before it could completely end. He slammed a black ball of raw power straight at her chest and she flew back five feet, landing with a thud next to Zoisite.
"We need more help than this," Mercury cried out as he readied another attack. "We cannot survive another of spell of his."
Pluto didn't know what to do. She hadn't exactly thought it would be easy, but she had thought that Daray would fall for their ploy and fight physically. In that way, they would have had the advantage, but with him floating up there and tossing dangerous spells left and right, they were at the dangerous disadvantage.
A silver light from the moon brought the battlefield in stark relief as the heaven's let out and rain poured down on them, lightning flashing every few seconds. Daray had his eyes closed and was concentrating hard, but Pluto could hardly take advantage of it and neither could anyone else. The Shitennou tried their magical attacks, for it was the only way to reach him, but they just bounced off a shield of his.
A wave of blackness swept over them and forcing Pluto and the others to retch on the ground. It must have been a side-effect of the spell because Daray was still concentrating. What could she do?
"Death Dimension!"
Pluto froze. She recognized that voice. Her head turned as she saw the Senshi of Destruction, Saturn, concentrating as well. Her dark purple aura appeared and the glaive's blade glowed brightly.
Saturn's eyes slit open and she glared at Daray, though he didn't see. The glaive was thrust high in the air. Lightning arced toward it, but it was repelled away, by something Pluto couldn't see.
Her purple light surrounded Daray and she pointed the glaive at him. Suddenly his eyes snapped open as his shield shattered. The scenery around them changed and Pluto shuddered. It looked to be the seventh level of hell itself. Saturn floated above the ground and black and purple vines burst from the ground, grabbing at Daray and sucking his life away from him.
Saturn extended her arm and snapped calmly, the attack ending and leaving their enemy drained extensively of life, magic, and will. Pluto and the others found the scenery back at the park again.
"Now, girls!" Venus called.
The Senshi stood up and the Shitennou touched their loves shoulders, giving solid support as they called on their power as well. Pluto's tiara glowed and she saw the others' glow too. Kunzite's aura appeared, a strong gray. Nephrite's glowed, a deep brown. Zoisite's formed, a brilliant sea-green. Jadeite's brightened, a vibrant blue.
"Final Burst!" Mars's hands glowed and she pointed her palms at Daray. A stream of fire erupted forth.
"Thunder God!" Jupiter crossed her wrists over her head as her tiara extended, streaming green light as well. Lightning dropped down on Daray from above.
"Diamond Dust!" Ice formed on Mercury's fingertips and she held her cupped palms toward Daray, water forming then freezing in an arc. That same arc suddenly appeared over his head and shattered, dropping down deadly shards of ice.
"Grand Stream!"
"Meteor Strike!"
The partner's attacks combined together, Neptune's waterfall of water surrounding Uranus's meteor as it flew toward Daray.
"Death Dimension!" Saturn, though she had just done her attack, did it again, this time her tiara glowing and purple light streaming toward Daray.
"Astral Drain!" Pluto felt her power flowing toward her tiara. Maroon light flooded her vision and comforted her hurt body that even then complained. Her staff rose in her limp hand and pointed straight at Daray's heart. She opened her eyes and glared at him as her attack was released.
"Silver Dragon!"
Venus's dragon burst from her tiara and screamed a war cry, feeling and feeding off all the emotions of all the fighters. It flew faster than the other attacks, absorbing them and gaining substance.
Daray's face was a mass of horror and terror. The dragon flew faster than that last time he had seen it coming toward him and he knew he couldn't escape. He formed his shield, but everyone, including himself, knew it was for naught. The only attack that could break it, Saturn's Death Dimension, was already absorbed by that dangerous dragon.
He screamed, finally feeling the pain he had inflicted badly on other people. His heart beat irregularly as Jupiter's lightning disrupted its own electrical current and Saturn's attack drained more life from him. Slowly he died, in agony, and unable to save himself.
His body floated limply down to the ground and ceased to twitch after a moment. Then with a twinkle of white light, it disappeared. There were cries of disbelief and worry until Pluto said calmly, "Don't worry. He was dead; his body just went back to his own realm when the portal inside of him was destroyed."
"So where is Serenity?" demanded Mars tensely.
Pluto looked toward the sky and everyone's eyes followed hers. Silver light flew out in the wind, moving as if was hair. Soon twin streams of golden hair formed and fell down to the feet of an angel. She smiled at them as tears fell from their eyes.
They saw white pumps on her feet as she landed on the ground. She wore wings on the back of her white dress with a crown on her head and a jewel floating above her right palm.
A blast of white light passed through them and each of the Senshi found white wings at their back. The Shitennou smiled over their loves heads at their dumbfounded expressions. Obviously they had not remembered that change in their uniforms from back in the Silver Millennium.
"Serenity!" Mars cried, but before she took a step forward, her eyes focused on Saturn, who walked forward calmly.
She knelt in front of the woman and said, "I thank you for releasing me, my Queen."
Serenity smiled and pulled the woman to her feet. "Saturn, you are my friend. It was nothing; please do not kneel before me."
Suddenly it was like a tide and all the Senshi ran to their friend, hugging, kissing, and scolding intermingled. Serenity smiled and acknowledged each one with tears in her own eyes.
Her warriors stepped away as her attention was completely drawn from her friends and to somewhere behind them. They turned and caught their breath. The man before them was not the man in the hospital. The man in the hospital had no relation to the one who was standing there.
His muscles bulged and looked strong, not atrophied because of disuse. His armor shined as if it was just polished and his sword gleamed in its scabbard. He smiled at Serenity.
"Endymion," she whispered. "Endymion!"
And in a moment, she was in his arms, crying into his chest. The Shitennou smiled as they stood behind their liege. The Inner Senshi smiled back at their counterparts as they stood behind their Queen.
Luna and Artemis ran into the midst and jumped up on Serenity's shoulder, Luna crying. Serenity pulled away from her love and hugged her guardian cat. Artemis jumped from her shoulder and into Venus's arms.
"I was afraid I'd lose you," he whispered.
Venus hugged his furry little body to her. "You would never."
Jupiter touched the angel's shoulder. "Would you like to see your family?"
The way her eyes sparkled told the Jovian Soldier she had said the right thing. Her head nodded violently and she smiled brightly. Jupiter smiled as well. "Besides, I promised them I would come back with answers. I think it would be better if I came back with the real thing."
At Serenity's insistence, they were in Zale's car and the others in Haruka's van in but a moment. Makoto waved for Serenity to stay in the car as she rung the doorbell. She wasn't entirely sure they were home, for one, and two, it was a safety measure. Just In Case.
The door immediately opened and Ikuko ran out to meet the tall woman. Kenji and Shingo followed more slowly. The older woman threw the gate open with a smile. "You came back."
"I told you I would," she said with a smile.
"Do you have any answers?" Shingo asked.
"No." Before disappointment or despair could cross their features, she said, "I have something better. Serenity?"
She opened the door and helped the lady out, because she had tended to stumble ever so slightly in the long gown and getting in the car had been an adventure and a half all by itself.
The family's eyes widened as they saw their daughter, standing beautiful before them. Ikuko was the first to shake out of her shock. Her arms wrapped around the woman's shoulders in a vise-like grip. The men immediately surrounded her, hugging and kissing, with tears streaming down all their faces.
"Please, come in," said Ikuko brokenly as she remembered her manners.
Rei got out of the van and replied with a grin, "Do you have enough room for all of us?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Kenji.
Everyone filed out from either the van or the car. Five men and eight women were standing there, not including Usagi.
Ikuko laughed. "Of course we have room."
Soon the living room was crowded with people, but Kenji's first question shut everyone up.
"Usagi-chan, where have you been?"
Serenity looked at all her friends and back at her family. She took a deep breath. "I don't know if I should tell you all these things, but you deserve to know, considering we both have waited ten years to be reunited." She then unwove the tale that was as incredulous to them as it had been to the Senshi when Setsuna had first told them.
"Why did Makoto-san call you Serenity, Usagi-chan?" Shingo asked, perplexed, when it was clear none of the other members of his family were going to say anything.
"Because I was Princess Serenity, Shingo. Now I will be Neo-Queen Serenity."
"You? A Queen?" Shingo laughed and Usagi laughed with him, remembering their banter ten years ago when she had been but a teenager.
With many tears shed, and after Serenity had introduced her soon to be husband to her family (eliciting a small inquisition from her father), they left for the safe house of Haruka and Michiru's.
Usagi sighed in relief when they entered the building. She was now Usagi, not Serenity, and now she was home again.
End part 12
Yeah, only the epilogue left!! Again, all attacks in here do not belong to me, rather to the Legend of Dragoon people, like Playstation and them.