Chapter 9
Final BattleThe palace shook under the strain. Luna punched in numbers frantically. She was hoping to get the barrier up before too many enemies got through. Artemis ran in to help her. While the notice Jalae had said had helped, it hadn't told them what day, what hour the war would start. In the end, they were still unprepared.
Outside, guards and soldiers ran to meet the enemy head on. Most were humans from many planets, but there were some monsters that the Senshi had not seen before.
"Wind Shaker!" Uranus cried at one of the monsters going for her. The earth under her feet pulsed as the wind gusted around her in a whirlwind. White mist formed streams and flew at the monster.
It barely scratched it. She gasped and jumped away from one of its claws.
"Space Star Fly!" Kitenis twirled faster and faster with her arms crossed over her chest as stars swarmed around her. She threw out her hands and they flew and hit the monster. It gave a cry and dissolved into dust. Kitenis stared at the ashes in shock before rushing back into the battle.
"What are those things?" Tacy yelled as she fought and snapped the neck of an enemy soldier.
"I don't know," yelled Kitenis, "but you had better watch your back!"
Saturn whirled around and saw one approaching her. "Saturn Mind Sleep!" She touched her temples with index and pinkie fingers of both hands. She then pointed at the monster with those fingers. White mist and wind erupted at her and its feet. She was hoping she could ease it into a shutdown of the mind, killing it.
It didn't work, only seemed to strengthen it. "Black Ruin!" Ruins flashed behind her and a black wind whirled around it. She held her palm out to it and a beam of purple power hit its chest. It disintegrated, but Tacy knew she was horribly weakened. The mind attack took a lot concentration and power. She turned around to face her new opponents.
"Tornado Storm!" Three tornadoes appeared behind Jupiter and whirled toward the three attacking soldiers. They were swept up into them and the lightning bolts fried their hearts. They fell to the ground, dead. She winced. She didn't like killing. Her love was fighting somewhere here and she just hoped he was all right.
"Pluto Strike Dazzle!" Stones erupted around Jalae's feet and she put her hand on the ground. The rocks exploded with green light and the streams hit the five soldiers and one monster. The soldiers were killed, but the monster managed to survive, though badly injured.
"Pluto Time Block!" she cried as it leaped for her. A shield formed and it hit it. She kicked it in the stomach and it landed on the ground.
"Charon Space Void!" yelled Jalae as she turned once. She then reached down towards her feet then brought her arm up in an arc. She brought it slashing down towards the target, unleashing her attack. It dissolved into dust and Pluto wondered why she hadn't seen these creatures when she had looked in the Time Gate. She shrugged and began to fight her way to the palace, like the other Senshi.
"Love Strike Down!" Stella cried. Thousands upon thousands of light beams made a circle around her about a meter wide, killing the soldiers advancing on her.
Neptune stepped back until her back was against Venus'. "All right?" she called over the noise of chaos.
"Great," was the weary reply. There was only one monster left and it was advancing on the two tired Soldiers.
"Ready?" yelled Caden.
"Yeah. Venus Light Beauty Heart!" Hearts of yellow and white flew from her hands and then soared in every direction available. It distracted the monster long enough for Neptune to get in her attack.
"Ocean Rise!" The sound of the ocean permeated the area and Caden put her palms together, as if praying. From each finger, water streamed at the monster. It was wounded, but not much.
Venus, in order to give her friend time, yelled, "Light Laser!" Her tiara glowed and a beam shot from it at the monster. The wound grew larger yet it paid no attention. It began to charge Caden, who was nearly limp with exhaustion.
"Neptune Trident Fly!" In her hands, a trident of water formed. She threw it with all her strength and it pierced the last of the creature's chest. It dissolved and the two Senshi ran to the palace from the fairly clear battlefield.
Dalit knew the other Soldiers needed some cover to get to Mars, herself, and the princess. "Mercury Stream Flood!" What looked like two streams on either side of the Soldier erupted with water and filled the air around her until it was like a tunnel circling her. She crossed her arms on her chest, fingertips touching her shoulders, and the water flew high into the air, filling the air. It drew the attention of the enemy soldiers. It fell onto them like a blanket, filling their lungs with water.
The Senshi reached the princess, Mars, and Mercury. "We finally made it over here. Where are the King and Queen?"
"I don't know," Dalit cried, typing on her computer frantically. "I can't find them."
"Mother!" Serene screamed.
The Senshi looked over in the middle of the field and saw the Queen of the Moon holding the Ginzuishou, a sword in her stomach. The King stared at his wife in shock. Angered beyond that of words, he attacked the man who had killed his queen.
They parried for a while, both moving too fast for the Senshi and the princess to see exactly whom it was that he was fighting. With a cry, the King made a lunge for the man's unprotected chest. The blow would have been fatal had it connected.
Instead the man ducked under the strike and thrust another blade into his neck. The King stumbled and fell on his side, next to his wife. The man took the blade from the King's body and stabbed him in his heart.
"Father!" Serene sobbed and broke free of the restraining arms. The man backed away from the bodies and grieving princess, watching them as the princess dropped to her knees. The Senshi bounded to their friend and guarded her.
"Cirocco!" gasped Taila, seeing the man clearly for the first time. Even though she wasn't surprised he was on the opposite side, it hurt like the pain of death. "How could you do this?" It was then she truly looked at him. He was half in the light and half in the darkness, his blade coated black with blood. His face held a cruel and sad look. The planet behind him was Mars, which she had interpreted to be the Moon. But whenever she thought of the vision, she thought of the Moon. The entire scene in front of her eyes was the exact picture in the fire, with a planet stained with blood.
Cirocco shook his head and held out his hand to her, almost pleading, "Come with me, Taila. I can protect you from her, if you just come with me. She won't hurt you if you are with me. I love you, my dearest fire. Please come with me!"
"And turn traitor? Never. But why? How could you do this? Does our love mean nothing to you?" she cried.
"It does! It means more than I can say and this is why I'm offering you the chance of life!"
Taila felt tears course down her cheeks and she whispered, "No."
Serene stared at the Ginzuishou in her mother's dead hand. Her eyes locked and dazed. Something was calling to her. Something about the crystal. Her hand reached out to it slowly.
The blast from his hand flung the Senshi off their feet. "Rip Tidal Wave!" Caden called out. She threw up her hands and brought then down in an X shape. She watched as tidal wave after tidal wave attacked.
Cirocco dodged every one and slammed the pommel of the sword into her neck. She hit the ground, stunned with pain.
"Jupiter Io Strike!" Tiaret cried out as she drew her planet symbol in the air. She grabbed the green glowing glyph and light burst out of it as she hurled it out at her opponent.
"Mariner Ice River!" Dalit hugged her stomach as streams of water flew in all directions from her form. She brought both arms up in arcs and in one fluid movement, pulled them down towards Cirocco.
The attacks swirled around each other, never quite touching. Cirocco could not dodge them both and he hit the ground. He blinked in pain and stood up. Growling, he hurled dark green bolts of lightning at the two Soldiers. Dalit caught a glancing blow in her leg and she collapsed on the ground. Tiaret caught the full blast. She almost stayed on her feet, but in the end, couldn't. The pain pounded in her head so she could barely see.
Before Venus, Uranus, and Pluto could attack, he had them disabled with injuries too bad to recover from quickly. He turned to Mars. "I'm giving you one more chance because I love you. Come with me."
"No."
Serene's fingers were inches from the Ginzuishou and the calling was getting stronger. It was telling she could avenge her family, protect her friends. Her breath caught in her throat. She almost had it in her hand!
He slammed his fist into her stomach and she cried out. She hit him the face with her elbow and kicked his knees. He contained a cry of pain. With a crushing strike, he slammed the flat part of the blade against her skull.
She fell to the ground and stared up at him through her hazy vision. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Serene reaching for the Ginzuishou. She wouldn't make it if he weren't stopped for at least another second.
Taila gasped with the pain in her skull and whispered, "Are you ready to kill two people with one blow?"
"What do you mean?"
"I wonder what you will say to yourself when you kill not only the one who you love, but your daughter as well."
"What??"
"I'm pregnant with your child."
He stepped back, faltering a little. Serene lunged for the Ginzuishou and the area erupted with light. When it cleared to a bearable level, Serene was standing with the crystal above her head. Her hair waved in a non-existent breeze. Her eyes were hard and angry.
"This is for my planet and my parents!"
"Goodbye, my love," Taila whispered.
A beam of white light flew from the Ginzuishou and pierced Cirocco's chest. He cried out and dropped onto the ground. Serene lowered her hands until they rested in front of her chest.
Mars wobbled up and to where Cirocco lay dying. He stared up at her. "You can't stop the coming. Even though our previous attacks, and even this, failed, you cannot stop what is to be the future."
"What previous attacks?" questioned Kitenis behind her.
"The attack against the Queen of the Moon. It failed to get the Queen, but it got the Senshi. Our man was quite successful. It is a pity he is dead."
"The assassination attempt," said a voice quietly.
The Senshi and Serene whirled to find Luna and Artemis standing there, looking sad. "I thought there was something strange about that attack," Artemis said.
"Was that—" Stella began.
"Yes, that was the beginning of it all. I may have failed to kill you all, but I have begun the chain reaction that will awaken her! In the afterlife, I shall be rewarded!" He turned to Taila, kneeling next to him. "What will you name the child?"
"Rei."
The sad look returned as his eyes closed. His breath stopped coming and his chest fell and did not rise again. Taila gave a gasp and sobbed. Luna put her arms around the grieving Soldier, comforting her.
"Let's see if there are any survivors," Jalae suggested.
"Agreed."
Tiaret was in a mad search to find her love. He had said he would fight on the Moon, something she had been desperate to prevent. But he wouldn't listen to her and had come anyway. She found many broken bodies, some of comrades, most of enemies.
Jupiter came upon his body by accident. She tripped over one of the enemy's bodies and found her love's underneath. She quickly moved the body off and put her trembling fingers against his neck. The pulse was there and strong. He was injured and unconscious, but at least he was alive. She sent up a prayer and picked up his body to take to the others.
Serene wandered the battlefield, looking for Ares. Her dress was not suited for things such as this. It was a white, no sleeve sort that was longer than she was tall. It trailed on the ground as she walked. There was a bow with a crescent moon on the front and bows in the back that reached to the end of the dress. Her light purple hair trailed on the ground as well.
She held the crystal in her hands carefully, should she drop it. It gave off a little bit of light and since it was getting dark, she needed the light to see where she was going.
Because she was looking down, she found Ares quickly. A sword thrust into his heart showed his cause of death. Serene gave a cry of denial and dropped to her knees.
"Ares! Ares! Please wake up!"
She shook his shoulder, but he did not wake up. It was then she gave into the horrifying realization that he was dead. "I'm sorry you won't know your child. I'm so sorry."
She bent of his body and cried into his chest. She did not move for the next hour. When her back hurt and she could cry no more, Serene got up and with the Ginzuishou floating in one hand, dragged Ares' body to the others. She could not lift him.
When they saw her, the Senshi hurried to help. When Taila glimpsed her cousin, she felt despair. She had no more tears inside her any longer. She touched his face. How you loved Serene. I will protect her for you. I love you, cousin.
Serene stared at the castle, feeling dead inside. "We will give them a proper burial tomorrow."
Luna wrapped her arms around the new Queen and she looked at the woman in surprise. The compassionate look on her face touched Serene and she cried into her shoulder.
"No matter what happens, you have his child," the advisor said to both Taila and Serene. "We will stay here with you."
Serene and the Senshi looked at each other. The war, they knew, felt like the beginning. Whatever happened in the future, they still had each other and the children that were to be born.
The Senshi smiled at the new Queen of the Moon and Serene smiled back, somewhat tremulously. She didn't know if she could do this, but she would give it a try.
"Come on, we have to let the other planets know what happened. And help them out. This is only the beginning of the attacks."
They picked up the people to bury tomorrow and put them in the medical room. Serene stroked Ares' forehead and left the room. When the door closed, the room plunged into darkness.
The end!