The Other Side of Paradise
Part 16
Author: Nyneve
Sorry it's taken so long to update everyone. Just so you know, I didn't die, or anything. But these first few weeks of school have been crazy. I mean, we're talking crazier than me! And that's saying something! But I don't want to deny you the second part of a cliffie, because that would be cruel and sadistic. Although that fits me well, I've just started the four years of hell and homework known as high school, and I'm in no position to be tormenting people. Anyways, enough of my complaining! Chappie time! Don't own the anime.
-Nyneve
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"Damn it…they're gone!" Duo cursed as he pulled himself to his feet. He closed his eyes. There was no way he was going to cry now. That didn't stop his anguished muttering though. "Amy…I'm sorry I couldn't protect you…"
"Duo…" Quatre murmured, touching his friend's shoulder.
"I can't believe that demon beat us!" Wufei cried angrily, staring at the spot Lita had been only moments before. He didn't even notice the long gashes on his arms, courtesy of Nemesis' flails.
"They've gotten stronger. A lot stronger," Heero commented.
Trowa remained silent, then looked out the window Neptune and Uranus had been hurled out. They lay unconscious on the overhang below. He glanced backwards toward Heero.
"Give me a hand," he said. Heero nodded as the two stepped out the window to retrieve the fallen Senshi. Once inside, the women began to wake up.
"Ah…my head…" Neptune murmured as Uranus helped her sit up.
"Are you two okay?" Quatre asked.
"Yeah, we're fine. How about you guys?" Uranus asked, looking at them. No one appeared to be too beat up.
"We'll be okay once we get the rest of the Senshi back," Duo answered. "We gotta help them!"
"But we can't just leave Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune here!" Quatre argued.
"Don't you want to save Raye?"
"Of course I want to save Raye!"
"Just relax you guys. Listen, get your Gundams and go save the girls. Uranus and I need to find Saturn and Janus. Then, when all of us are together again, we can figure out how to save the Queen," Neptune suggested.
"Okay. Be careful, both of you," Heero said, turning and heading towards the hangar without a look back. The other pilots followed suit.
"Ha. We should be the ones telling them that," Uranus commented once they were gone.
"But they wouldn't listen," Neptune replied.
"Yeah, you're right."
"Come on, let's go."
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"To the North? How far north did she mean?" Duo muttered as he and Deathscythe headed in the direction Alecto had instructed him. It seemed as though he'd been going forever. But there was no way he'd let Amy down. She had been able to protect him so many times, and he was ashamed that he couldn't do the same for her.
Suddenly, a burst of white-blue light a few miles ahead interrupted his thought. A second later, it refined itself into a single, clear beam traveling straight up into the sky, for what seemed infinity. He immediately recognized its source.
"Amy…" he closed his eyes. "DAMN YOU ALECTO! IF YOU'VE DONE ANYTHING TO HER, I'LL…"
"Oh, quit the dramatics boy. You should be happy I showed you my hiding spot. Now move it!" Alecto's voice rang out through the sky.
"…" he raised his beam scythe.
"Oh, and I wouldn't do that if I were you. Your precious Mercury could get hurt," she warned. "In fact, if you want to see her again, surrender your Gundam."
"You gotta be joking! I'm not handing over Deathscythe to a witch like you!" he snapped.
"It's your choice. Your Gundam, or your girlfriend. I won't be picky," Alecto mocked. "Mercury, on the other hand…"
I'm sorry buddy, Duo thought, then stepped out of the cockpit. "Fine, Alecto. Take it. Now where is she?"
"Move towards the light, idiot. Her power's so strong even YOU should be able to see it's radiation. And hurry it up before I exhaust it," she answered.
Setting his jaw, Duo broke out at a run through the forest of dead trees. Snow began to fall, and the wind picked up. Ice seemed to wrap around and try to strangle him. But he wasn't going to turn back now. Amy was so close, he could feel her pain. And the light was growing dimmer.
Finally, he stumbled into an open area. A group of tall stones stood in a circle. And in the center was the smirking Alecto, standing next to a tall, icy pillar that was glowing dimly. Duo's stomach dropped when he got a better look at it. Sealed inside was Amy, standing rigid and pale.
"What the hell did you do to her?" he yelled, running to the pillar, shoving Alecto aside in the process. He could see it clearly now. Amy had no way of breathing. Her lips were blue, and she appeared to be asleep. But she would never wake up.
"Are you going to cry, Deathscythe? Because I'd be more than happy to let you mourn for her before you die," Alecto replied cheerfully.
His emotions betraying him, hot tears slid down his face. Amy was gone…forever…
"You…" he began, turning around. His violet eyes were cold and sharp. "I will never forgive you this! Not even when your sorry carcass is laying at my feet!"
"Heh. Tell you what," she replied. "How about a little wager?"
He paused. "What?!?!" he cried, totally bewildered.
"Take a look behind you," Alecto ordered
As he did, he saw the pillar shatter into a thousand pieces. And none of them contained the girl who had been there only moments before.
"What the…" Duo muttered as suddenly, the other stones in the circle began to glow. Each of them became identical to the shattered pillar before it had broken. Except now, they seemed hollow, not pure ice. Rather, just frozen containers, each holding the same unconscious figure of Sailor Mercury.
"You didn't really think I'd kill her without an audience, did you? No, when I kill her, I want you to see it. But you like to cut deals with death. So, here's the plan. Pick any pillar. That'll be the prize. Then, we fight. The winner gets the prize," Alecto explained.
"…How do I know that Amy's actually in one of them, that this isn't another one of your stupid tricks?" he asked.
"Can't you feel her presence? Not even I can replicate that. It's just a matter of picking the right girl," she answered.
He thought for a moment, then became aware of the third presence of Amy. Why hadn't he felt it before? She was still alive. Barely, but he wasn't going to let her die.
"Okay, you've got yourself a deal, Lady," he said.
"Excellent. Go ahead and pick, then we'll begin," Alecto instructed.
Glaring back at her, and making sure his back wasn't turned to her at any time, he carefully felt for the source of Amy's presence among the many. For some reason, he was reminded of the day she showed him her lab, and the carbon-holographs.
"I don't get it! They were supposed to be identical!"
"Aw, it was easy! Only one of them has that soul of yours…"
He stopped in front of one of the pillars, seemingly the same as the others. But he could feel her, deep inside the icy column. Her kindness, her pure heart, and her love…for him…
"This one. This is the real Amy," he said finally.
"Are you sure?" Alecto asked.
"I said this was the one! Now can we just get to the part where I deliver you personally to hell?" he snapped.
"Fine, your choice. For your sake, I hope you're right," she answered, snapping her fingers. The rest of the pillars shattered, and the one Duo chose rose high into the air above them.
"Kill me, and it'll come down. Beg for mercy, and I'll release her so you can die together," Alecto smiled suddenly, and drew her sword. "And don't worry, you will. It seems that in your emotional rampage, you forgot one little fact: you have no weapons."
With that, she lunged at him. Grunting, he managed to dodge her blow by moving to the right. Then, eyeing the dead forest, he darted into it, hiding behind trees.
"Damn…what the hell am I doing? I can't just hide here! But without a weapon, what else is there?" he wondered, then thought about Deathscythe. It was still on the other side of the forest. If he made a break for it, he might be able to make it in time.
"On three," he muttered to himself. "One…two…"
"Found you!" Alecto cried, thrusting her sword into his shoulder.
He gritted his teeth against the pain. The blade was removed, he could feel the hot blood gushing out of his shoulder. His head started to hurt, and he was getting dizzy.
"I…won't…die!" he cried stubbornly. Suddenly, he felt something push itself out of his chest. He heard Alecto gasp. The pain in his arm suddenly ceased. In fact, he felt stronger than ever. He blinked and looked in front of him.
Floating before him was a shard of crystal, about the size of a grapefruit wedge. It was sinister black, yet seemed to glow.
"The Thanatos Shard? It can't be! They dispersed when you died the first time!" Alecto exclaimed, but for the first time, Duo could sense fear in her voice. It gave him new strength.
"Get used to it. Looks like Shinigami's here to stay!" he grinned, then reached for the shard. It suddenly stretched into the shape of a half-moon, sharp and shiny. A long rod appeared at the end of one side, forming a scythe. Duo gripped it firmly, then looked at Alecto.
"All right, Alecto! This one's for Ames!" he yelled, then swept at her with it.
She was still too stunned to fight back. The scythe made a long gash across her, from her shoulder to her hip. Her eyes went blank, and she collapsed. And this time, Duo could sense that she was dead for real.
But there was no time to gloat over her. Still holding onto the scythe, he turned and ran for the floating pillar. When he was directly below it, there was a crackling, then a crash as the pillar shattered and the limp body of Amy fell. Dropping his weapon, Duo held out his arms to catch her.
"Amy! You're o—" he stopped when he realized Amy was still unconscious. Her breathing was staggered, and her heartbeat was slow.
"Amy? Come on! Wake up!" he coaxed, kneeling down and holding her into a sitting position. But she still made no move.
Fears started to race through his mind. What if Alecto really had killed her? Or else, set some curse on her so that she would die…
"Please Ames? Wake up! Damn it, don't die! I can't lose you!" he cried urgently, willing her to live. But the life was leaving her fast. "Amy…please. I'm not ready to let you go! I still want to spend the rest of my life with the woman I love! AMY!"
"She can't hear you," a low voice responded. Duo looked up to see…
"Alecto? Damn it, not you again," he cursed, reaching for the scythe.
"No, Duo. I am not Alecto. She is dead, thanks to you. And now, I am free," Alecto replied. "My name is Truth. I am the Force of Judgment trapped inside the Fury Alecto. But the power of the Thanatos has destroyed her, and allows me to take her body."
He stared at her. Was she lying? Alecto did have a lot of tricks…
And yet, this woman didn't look exactly like Alecto. She was shorter, frailer. Her skin wasn't quite as pale as Alecto's and her eyes didn't hold that mocking look. Instead, they seemed wise and clear. And instead of Alecto's armor, she wore a simple white dress with a naked silver sword hanging at her side.
"Well…if you're Truth, I guess you wouldn't lie, would you?" he deduced, then turned back to the woman in his arms. "Please, can you tell me how to help her?"
"Amy is dying, Duo. The Thanatos draws life from all except itself and its bearer. Amy was already weak from having her power exploited, and by using your shard, you've all but destroyed her," Truth explained.
Duo froze. "I…I didn't know! I'm sorry! I didn't realize that by using it I was hurting her!"
"Don't apologize. By doing what you've done, you've destroyed Alecto. She will never hurt anyone again," Truth pointed out.
"If it meant I'd get to keep Amy, I would've forfeited my life to Alecto," he muttered.
"She means that much to you? She's only a girl, Duo. Not an angel, not a goddess, only a girl who gave her heart to a young man. Her story has been told many times. This is not the first—"
"Don't!" Duo yelled. "I don't need to hear any more of your damn logic! I get it when they say the Truth hurts, but you don't need to be a sadist!"
"Duo…I would not understand the heart of a mortal man. I am a Force of Judgment, I feel no emotions. And yet," she touched his shoulder. "You evoke sympathy. How strange…"
Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and she was gone.
"Wait! Truth!" Duo cried, looking around for her. Then he felt the weight in his arms move.
He was too afraid to look, for fear that it might not be true…
"Duo?" Amy murmured, looking up at him.
Duo stared at her a moment, then pressed his lips against hers. He wrapped his arms around her, as if she would be gone if he ever let go.
They let the snow fall, gently now, with no bite or sting. Snowflakes stuck in their hair and on their eyelashes as their kiss lingered on. Finally, Amy pulled away.
"I'm glad you're okay," she replied awkwardly.
"Yeah. Oh God Amy…"
And they continued on, with the moon reflecting off of the blanket of snow.
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Quatre was silent as he moved westward on Sandrock. He didn't dare to think about Raye, in case she'd evoke too many emotions for him to control. But it was so difficult not to pray to see her, safe and sound, on the ground below.
As long as she's alive… he thought.
He suddenly realized how hot and dead the area looked. Only a moment before, it seemed, it was alive and full of life. Now, it was bone dry…
"…Megaera…" he concluded, then narrowed his eyes for any sign of her. Just then, he got one.
Flames burst out everywhere. They were impossibly high, and some actually seemed to be streams of fire aimed at him.
"Well, you did call my name," a snotty voice pointed out. It was undoubtedly Megaera's. "Now then, make it more fun by coming out of your Gundam. Pretty please?"
"Where's Raye?" Quatre demanded.
"Oh…I don't know. Maybe I shouldn't tell you," Megaera said. "You don't seem to want to cooperate with me."
"The day I 'cooperate' with you is the day I go to my grave and take everyone I love with me!" he snarled.
"Feisty, aren't you? Ironic though, today is that day," Suddenly, there was a loud rumble. "Evacuate now, or I'll self-destruct your toy."
"You can't—"
Sure enough, the self-destruct sequence was initiated. Cursing to himself, he left the cockpit, where Megaera was waiting.
"Excellent. Aren't things so much easier when we help each other? Now then, I believe you've misplaced your princess?" she mocked, running her hand up and down the shaft of her spear. "Remind me again, what did she look like?"
"I'm not here to play your games, Megaera," Quatre said. "If you've done anything to Raye…"
"Fine. Turn around, you'll see she's in excellent shape," she replied, dissolving in a cloud of smoke.
"You…" came a snarl from behind Quatre. He whirled around. Sure enough, there was Raye.
"Raye! You're all right!" he cried, running toward her. However, she didn't smile. Instead, she unleashed a stream of fire at him.
"Stay away from me, bastard," she snapped, preparing another attack.
Quatre blinked. "Raye…? What's going on? What are you doing?"
"Where is he?" Raye demanded. "You better not have hurt him!"
"Who?" he asked.
"Quatre!" she yelled. "Give him back!"
Quatre reached out towards her. "Raye…I'm right here in front of you! Can't you see me?"
"I told you to stay back!" Raye cried, allowing the rings of fire from her Burning Mandala to singe his shoulders.
"Open your eyes Raye! It's me! Quatre!" Quatre exclaimed, dodging her volley of attacks.
"Liar!" she hissed, lunging for him with her bare hands. He only barely managed to hold her off.
Meanwhile, laughter like nails on a chalkboard rang through his ears. "Careful. I think she might kill you," Megaera giggled.
"What are you doing to her?" he cried, pinning her against a tree.
"Me? What makes you think I'm doing anything?" she smiled, almost helpless with mirth. "Better fight her off."
"Raye…" Quatre turned his attention back to her. "I won't hurt you!"
The only response he received was a growl and a sharp kick to his side that sent him sprawling. However, he didn't get back up, even as Raye stood over him, ready to finish him off.
He just stared up at the dark sky, without even a star. Tears began to well up in his eyes.
"And this will end it all…" Megaera commented. "After she sees your blood on her hands, she won't…"
Suddenly, a stream of flame flew into the unsuspecting Megaera's face. Raye didn't look at the goddess.
"You…will die…for…making…me…do that…" she suddenly shuddered and collapsed next to Quatre.
Summoning his strength, he sat up and gathered her into his arms. His anguished tears spilled down his cheeks.
"Raye…are you all right?" he whispered.
Her eyelids didn't open as she struggled to speak. "F-f-forgive me, Q-Quatre. I love you…"
She went limp.
"No!" Quatre anguished cry was swallowed by his gasp of surprise. "Raye!"
"Huh. She deserved it," Megaera snapped bitterly. "Can I finish the job now?"
Quatre gently lay her down, then stood. His face was a mask of rage. "She was right. You will die for this!"
As he spoke, suddenly a small shard of crystal, about the size of a slice of grapefruit, appeared in front of his chest. It was pure black, and seemed to pull everything inside of it.
"WHAT? The Thanatos! No! It was destroyed!" Megaera cried in fear.
"Thanatos…" Quatre murmured, then reached for it. It stretched and curved for a moment, then curved itself into a scimitar-like weapon. Setting his jaw, he gripped it firmly, then lunged for Megaera.
She held up her arms and tried to cover her head, but failed. With one sweep, he maimed her of her hands. Then, as she was about to scream, he swiftly cut off her head [AN: And this is Quatre! Scary…].
Her body seemed to explode then, leaving nothing but a cloud of smoke. Dropping the scimitar, Quatre fell to his knees panting. Despite everything, he felt a miniscule bit guilty about killing. But one look at his fallen Firebird quickly chased away all regrets.
He crawled to her on his hands and knees, then collapsed on the ground beside her. With his last remaining strength, he pulled her close.
Breathing in sweet scent, he closed his eyes. "I'll be with you shortly, Firebird."
However, after a few moments, he felt a cool hand on his face. Opening his eyes, he realized that he was no longer alone. Two women kneeled on either side of Raye and himself. To his horror, it was Megaera, and her sister Alecto.
"You…" he began.
"Do not let your eyes deceive you. We are not the Furies," Alecto said.
"You're…not? Then who are you?" Quatre asked. Studying them, he realized they were different. They seemed less cold, less cruel, less everything.
"I am called Duty, and this is my sister Truth. We are two of the three Forces of Judgment," Megaera explained. "Once, we were trapped inside the Furies. But the power of the Thanatos has destroyed them, in turn, freeing us."
"However, you have made the same mistake as your friend, Duo," Truth/Alecto remarked.
"Mistake?" he asked.
"You used the Thanatos without regard for the other living things here. If you hadn't, your Princess would still be alive," Duty/Megaera answered. "The Thanatos will draw life from all it can."
"So…Raye is…" Quatre murmured, then looked at her. Her chest rose, very slowly.
"Quite lucky to have a man like you by her side," Duty replied. And like that, the Forces of Judgment were gone.
But Quatre barely noticed. Because the color was returning to Raye's face, and her breathing was getting stronger. He held her close to him, praying she would make it. Finally, he felt her hand on his cheek.
"Quatre…please forgive me. I'm so sorry for what I did," she murmured, her eyes moistening.
"Sh…" he hissed, then allowed her to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him passionately. And as they did, a single bright star shone in the sky, like their beacon of hope.
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"Where are you, coward?" Wufei muttered as he made his way southward. The rolling hills of Crystal Tokyo now gave way to sharp, jagged cliffs and bluffs. Clouds rolled in overhead, a sure sign of the approaching storm.
Suddenly, there was a movement and a glint of light below him. He narrowed his eyes, and exited the cockpit of Altron. Drawing his katana, he kept careful track of everything going on around him. So he was able to dodge the bolts of electricity coming at him from behind.
Falling and rolling back to his feet, he looked around warily for any sign of Nemesis. "What's the matter, onna? Are you to afraid to fight outside of your hiding place?" he taunted.
There was a screech as another bolt shot towards him, but it was poorly aimed and he didn't even have to move. The Goddess of Revenge appeared in front of him, rampant with anger.
"Did you just call me a coward?" she hissed.
Wufei smirked. "Yes, weakling."
She growled and transformed her arms into a pair of maces. "And I thought words like that were reserved for your precious Jupiter."
"She's not precious," he muttered. "She's my ally."
"Heh. Either way, she's going to die," Nemesis answered, motioning towards one of the cliffs. A long iron rod jutted out sideways, with Lita hanging by her wrists below it. It would only take one bolt of lightning from the approaching storm (or Nemesis) to electrocute her.
"You would fight so dishonorably? It makes me sick," Wufei snarled.
"Me? Fight without honor? As if," she snapped. "She's the one blessed with power. I'm planning on taking care of her after I do you. That is, assuming the storm doesn't first."
"Fine then. I'll fight you. You may be Goddess of Revenge, but you know nothing of Justice. And I will be the one to show you!" he yelled, then lunged at her with his katana.
With a rush of air, her arms changed into two similar katanas. Dancing back and forth around each other, minor slices were delivered on occasion, but nothing more. Finally, he managed to knock her off her feet with a sweeping kick to her ankles. She fell to the ground.
"Damn you…" she growled, then her left katana/arm suddenly morphed into an axe. Swinging it with power, she knocked the katana from Wufei's hand and slit his wrist at the same time. Using the same kick that had worked on her, she sent him sprawling against the hard cliff wall.
She recovered his katana, then pitched it off the bluff. Laughing, she stood over him, pressing her right katana/arm against his chest. "Idiot. You should know by now that mortals cannot defeat gods. But you fight well, I'll give you that much."
The same words Lita had used.
"I swear to God I'll break you of that habit, if it's the last thing I do."
"You never were good with names, were you Wufei?"
"We will never fall in love…"
Suddenly, the images were cut off as he heard Nemesis gasp. Something pushed at his chest, but it wasn't her blade. No, this was pushing out. His eyes focused on a shard of ebony crystal floating above his torso.
"The Thanatos? But I thought…" Nemesis trailed off.
"You thought wrong," Wufei said suddenly, reaching for it. It lengthened, and changed itself into a katana.
Leaping to his feet, he stood in front of the awed Nemesis. "Prepare to taste Justice, weakling onna."
She put up a good fight, but now she seemed afraid, and growing weaker. Finally, a blow delivered to her side made her fall motionless to the ground.
Smirking at her, Wufei glanced up at Lita. But while figuring out how to cut her down, lightening streaked through the sky. Before he could do anything, it had hit the rod.
The smell of charred flesh was present, and suddenly Lita fell, her bonds burnt. Dropping the katana, Wufei reached out to catch her.
"Damn it…Lita?" he asked. Her hands were burned the worst, and her hair was singed as well.
He set his jaw as he tried to revive her. "Lita…you'd better not be dead, are you listening? Because if you are…"
"You'll what?" she coughed, opening her eyes.
"You're…alive?!?!?!" he cried, staring at her in disbelief.
"Duh. Crap, it feels like a train hit me though. Everything's sore…" she snapped.
"It'll be better soon," a calm voice replied. The pair looked up to see two women, Alecto and Megaera. And yet, it didn't seem quite like them.
"Who the hell are you?" Lita asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I am Duty," Megaera answered.
"And I am called Truth. We are the Forces of Judgment," Alecto replied.
"Forces of Judgment? I don't get it," she replied.
"That's all right. You're alive, and that's the important thing. Amazing as well. When your friend Wufei used the Thanatos shard, we were sure it would drain the life out of you like it almost did with the others," Truth explained.
"Others?"
"Quatre and Raye, and Duo and Ami," Duty answered.
"Yes. But it would appear that your stubbornness and strong will kept total control over the Shard. That's quite a feat, Wufei," Truth finished.
"…"
Lita burst into painful giggles.
"But anyways, it would appear that one of Night's daughters is planning on causing trouble," Truth pointed out.
Duty was on Nemesis in a moment, who was struggling to stand.
"Get out of my way! I'll kill them both!" she snarled.
"Oh, I don't think so, Nemesis," Duty replied in a deadly low voice. "Because not even deities can escape Judgment Day."
"Y-you can't kill me!" Nemesis stammered, a hint of fear in her voice.
"No. We cannot. We are what waits for you after you die," Truth explained.
"I can't die!"
"Not as a goddess, no. But as of now, you are no longer a goddess," Duty said, raising her hands.
Nemesis paled, and screamed in anguish.
"You shall spend the rest of your days living as a mortal, but with the crimes of a goddess. And we shall be waiting. Every day, every hour, every second, Nemesis. We shall be watching and waiting for you to be brought before us," Truth finished, as the two women disappeared.
Nemesis howled again, then scrambled up off into the bluffs, never to be seen again.
"Well, we'd better head back," Lita commented when she was out of sight.
"Yeah," Wufei agreed, letting her lean on him and helping her stand.
As they headed back towards Altron, Lita glanced at her companion.
"Wufei? Thanks," she said.
"For saving your life?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"It was nothing.
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Heero slowly made his way East, the message Neptune had sent him moments before him running clearly through his mind.
"Heero, Tisiphone said to go East."
"Yeah."
"That's the direction most of the city spreads in. Including…"
"What?"
"…The Marine Cathedral."
"So?"
"After the massacre on Earth, we didn't have enough space to bury all the bodies. The Marine Cathedral has been used as a morgue for the last four or five years. I have a feeling that's where Tisiphone is keeping Venus."
"…"
"Be prepared for the worst. She will show no mercy."
That was all she had said before the transmission had ended.
Heero knew Tisiphone was probably the most deadly of the Furies. She could play games with your mind, reading it and rewriting it until it was something alien and unrecognizable. She had done it to him, and had tried to do it to Mina.
The tall spires of the Marine Cathedral rose up before him. It looked like it had at one time been beautiful and majestic. But piles of rotting corpses still surrounded it, spilling out a few of the doors and windows.
Trying not to throw up at the stench of decaying flesh, Heero left Wing Zero and passed around the heaps of people to get in through the door. Inside, little pathways between blue body bag walls were visible. Walking down them, he kept his finger on the trigger of his gun.
Suddenly, he began to hear voices.
"Please…let me go," It was Mina.
"You think I'll release you just because you ask? No, I need you in order to get your lover here," Tisiphone snapped.
"He's not my lover! He's nothing! You said so yourself that he doesn't love me, so why would he mean anything to me?" Mina cried.
Setting his jaw, Heero fired around one of the walls. There was a gasp and a snarl as Tisiphone glared at him. Mina was nowhere in sight.
"What gave it away?" she hissed sardonically. "The fact that she said she didn't love you? So that means you're defensive on that subject."
"Where is she?" Heero asked.
"Venus? Why do you want to know? I'm doing her a favor, keeping her from you," Tisiphone snapped.
"I love her," he muttered.
"Really? You tried to kill her, didn't you? Just because Hecate asked you to? And you let me get her. And you didn't put up much of an effort to stop yourself from…"
She cried out again as he fired at her. However, she just shook off the pain. "Fine, you want to see her? Here she is."
There was a rumble as a wave seemed to move from a pile of unsealed carcasses. Suddenly, something burst through the surface, sending the bodies everywhere. It was Mina, vines holding her arms spread and binding her legs together. Her head hung limp on her chest.
There was nothing for Heero to say at the sight of her. She was bruised and blood was dried on her face and stomach. In fact, she didn't look much more alive than any of the other dead people.
"Oh yes, she is dead. I killed her thoroughly, if I do say so myself. I'll probably do the same to you, but not before I torture you first," she said.
"You won't get the chance," Heero growled, lunging at her barehanded.
This was not what she expected. He tackled her, then fastened his hands around her neck. Only with a tremendous force was she able to push him off. While he lay on the ground, more vines burst through the floor, and twisted around his neck, chest, wrists, and ankles. Then, they began to squeeze.
"You should've died a long time ago. For all the heartache you've caused. Whether by killing or rejecting or being indecisive. Did you ever once think of the families of the soldiers you killed? Did you think of Relena, spurning her devotion and affection? Or Venus, who still loved you despite it all, and yet you toyed with her heart and emotions?" Tisiphone snarled.
Heero couldn't speak. He felt lightheaded for lack of air, and his chest was burning. But then, he felt a strange pressure pushing outwards from his chest, and suddenly it all went away. The vines released him, and he could breathe again. He felt like he was laying there on the ground for hours, until Tisiphone spoke.
"The Thanatos. Huh. There's all the proof necessary. You're a black-hearted monster. I cannot let you live!" she screamed.
Heero suddenly grabbed the shard, as it transformed into a long sword. But before he could attack the goddess in front of him, a low voice made him freeze.
"Both of you, stop it right there," it commanded. Neither Heero nor Tisiphone could resist.
"I'm glad we aren't to late. With all the Dead Energy here, the Thanatos shard would be able to destroy everything," another voice commented.
Heero turned to see Alecto and Megaera standing in one of the passageways. Except, something was different about them. They were both dressed in plain white dresses, with naked swords hung on chains around their belts.
"Sisters? What's going on?" Tisiphone asked.
"We are not your sisters, Tisiphone," Alecto said.
"Alecto and Megaera are destroyed. We are the Forces of Judgment, Truth and Duty. As for your other sister, Nemesis, she has gone far away. Most likely, never to return," Megaera/Duty explained.
"Destroyed? WHAT DO YOU MEAN DESTROYED?!?!?" Tisiphone howled.
"The face the same fate you shall. The anger, jealousy, and heartache represented by the Furies is being replaced by the Forces of Judgment. And it is from you, the last shall be drawn," Alecto said.
The two women raised their swords and swiftly attacked Tisiphone. Heero just barely managed to dart out of the way.
She put up a tremendous struggle. Smashing Truth to the far wall, she pushed past Duty and lunged for Heero.
"If I go, he goes as well!" she shrieked.
"Never," Heero answered, jamming the sword into her shoulder.
The goddess screamed and crumpled as the Forces rushed to her side. She glared up at him. "Venus could never be happy with you!" she cursed.
There was a flash of light, then Duty and Truth stepped away, revealing the new Tisiphone.
She was dressed the same as them, but rather than holding swords, she held scales. Her face was calm now, and peaceful.
"I thank you, for releasing me from the last Fury. And to you, Heero," she said, turning to him. "If it weren't for you, Tisiphone's anger would've overridden all of our attempts to destroy her."
Heero could only nod, then dropped the sword as he looked at Mina, laying on the marble floor. He gathered her broken body and held it to his chest.
The Forces looked at each other. "Heero, forgive us. We could not have prevented this. There was simply no time," Truth apologized.
"And I fear there's nothing we can do now," Duty added.
He took a deep breath. "I wish…she had known."
"Known what? What you felt for her?" Tisiphone asked, kneeling down next to him. "Heero, of course she knew. Why else would she have fought so hard to keep living? She had someone to live for. She still does."
With that, the blood spots and bruises began to disappear. Mina began to stir.
Heero's eyes widened. "Mina…?"
He looked up at the Forces, who were fading quickly. "Who are you?" he whispered.
"I am called Faith. I am the greatest Force of Judgment you could ever face," Tisiphone replied, then they were gone.
"Heero?" Mina asked, struggling to sit up. "What happened? Where—"
"Mina…" he closed his eyes and pressed his face into her shoulder.
Sensing the raging emotion within him, it was all she could do to hold him close and stroke his hair, saying his name and "I love you" over and over again.
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Trowa silently stalked across the sprawling palace grounds in search of his opponent. He had been receiving periodic messages from Uranus.
"You shouldn't have to face that bitch alone."
"…"
"That's all you can say?"
"…"
"Fine then. I don't get you like Trista does. But don't get yourself killed. I don't want to be the one to tell her."
"…We're coming back alive. Both of us."
"I hope so."
Silently, Trowa prayed that Trista was all right. Everything he felt from her had died suddenly, and he didn't want to think that something had happened to her. He, like his comrades, swore to himself that his prey, Night, would be dead by the end of their battle.
Just then, he saw something on the ground ahead. He narrowed his eyes momentarily, thinking it was the demon. But no, it was an old man…
"Chronos?" he murmured. The old man nodded, then rose up until he was level with the cockpit. Trowa stepped out warily.
"Trowa Barton. You are searching for my daughter, Pluto," Chronos said.
He nodded. "You've been watching?"
"For far longer than you think. I know what has happened, what Night and her daughters have done. You will be pleased to know that they no longer pose a threat to any of you," Chronos paused. "Night herself…"
"I won't let her do anything to Trista," Trowa said firmly.
"…You do understand the grudge she holds? The Sailor Senshi killed her children, one by one. Night is convinced my daughter is the one who planned it all. As far as she is concerned, death is too good for Pluto," Chronos said.
Then, he reached out and touched Trowa's shoulder. "You are her last hope. I am not one to place my faith in the hearts of mortals. And yet, I can feel the devotion between Pluto and yourself. It has awakened strength in both of you."
"…"
"She still lives, Trowa. Night's day of judgment has arrived," Chronos finished, then vanished as mysteriously as he had appeared.
"Night's day of judgment?" he mused, then felt a strong wind from behind him. Staring directly ahead, he saw an enormous black crystal spike jutting out from the ground. Around the top, a huge silver chain was wound, securing the limp figure of a woman to the shiny stone.
Clenching his fists, he moved towards it, Heavyarms' weight shaking the ground. However, the spike didn't vibrate even the tiniest bit.
"So, you've come to claim her, finally?" Night's bitter voice snapped as she stood on the tip of the spike.
"Not before I send you back to hell," he muttered. He considered aiming for her that moment, but if he did, he'd shatter the spike, the chain would slip and Trista would be crushed.
"Dangerous words for someone so strong and silent," she countered. Suddenly, she raised her hands. "Screech of Morrigun!"
she called. Black smoke suddenly encircled Heavyarms.
There was a crackling, and Trowa realized what was happening just in time. He managed to get out just in time to see the entire Gundam covered by the same black glass that the spike was made of.
"Only a demonstration of the fate that awaits you, boy!" Night shouted, leaping off the spike and landing in front of him.
His reflexes taking over, Trowa sent a powerful kick into her stomach. She gasped as she flew backwards, but quickly recovered and delivered a deadly blow to his neck. But before she could hit him, he'd jumped up into the air and landed on the top of the spike.
"Coward…you won't stand and fight? Very well then," Night snarled, then cupped her hands. A stream of indigo light shot towards him. He barely managed to duck out of the way. However, he wasn't as lucky on her second shot. The stream of light hit his ankle, causing him to fall.
He landed flat on his back next to the crystal, and within a moment Night was standing above him, ready to deliver the final blow.
"Your determination is amazing, boy. All for the love of her?" she asked incredulously, glancing up at Trista. "There are many things worth dying for. But she's not one of them."
"…"
"Heh. Silent to the bone. DIE!" she screeched, then unleashed the stream of light.
It was at that moment that Trowa rolled to the side. The light reflected backwards off the crystal and hit the crystal-covered Gundam. Penetrating to the metal, there was a rumble and the sound of glass shattering as Heavyarms burst into flame.
Night screamed as the flaming mobile suit suddenly fell forward, colliding with the crystal spike. The shattering sounded again, and Trowa pressed his face to the ground as the shards suddenly began to fall. He bit his lip as he felt them scratch his back and shoulders. Night's screaming was cut off abruptly.
When the rain of shards ended, Trowa slowly rose, brushing off the thin blanket of glass that had fallen onto him. A few feet away, Trista lay half trapped under the chain.
He quickly moved to her, then moved the chain, which was surprisingly light. However, the shards had scratched Trista's face, arms, legs, neck, and everywhere else. She was starting to bleed profusely, and her breathing was ragged and shallow.
"Trista…" he called softly, gently caressing her cheek. The same thought kept running through his head. She's immortal, she can't be dead…she's immortal, she can't be dead…She didn't stir, but he could feel her heart beating weakly in her chest.
Calling her name over and over her breathing started to become more regular. She was almost covered in blood now, except for her face, which he managed to wipe clean. Finally, her maroon orbs focused opened, and focused on him.
"Trowa…how is my father?" she smiled weakly.
He didn't answer, but kissed her passionately. Clinging desperately to each other, they didn't notice the bloody hand rising up through the shards.
Night climbed out, shaking. "I'll get them yet…just watch…"
"No, I don't think so, Night." A cold voice responded.
She turned to see her three daughters, the Furies, standing before her. She smiled brightly. "My children…come, let us defeat them together."
"We are not your children, Night," Truth answered.
"The Furies are dead. We are the Forces of Judgment. Truth, Duty, and Faith," Duty explained.
"What? What are you talking about?" Night cried.
"She means exactly what she says. And upon your death, Night the Destroyer, your Judgment has begun," Faith replied.
"Death? I'm not dead, you fools! Look!" she exclaimed, waving her arms.
"Do not avoid the truth, Night. The divine spells you meant to kill the Goddess of the Gates of Time in turn ended your life. And now you shall face the crimes of your existence," Duty said.
"NO! THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE! SHE MUST BE DEAD! I'M ALIVE, I TELL YOU! ALIVE!" Night screamed, turning towards the couple that was yet to acknowledge her.
"Then you leave us no choice…" Faith murmured.
The three sisters raised their arms. There was a flash of light, then suddenly, Night was gone.
Trowa and Trista suddenly looked towards the direction of a bright flash of light. Three women that looked remarkably like the Furies stood staring at them.
"Forces of Judgment," Trista murmured as Trowa helped her stand.
Faith reached forwards and touched them both, healing their wounds. "You still recognize us, Pluto, daughter of Chronos?"
"I do. Was it you that protected Trowa during his battle?" she asked.
"No. That was your father, who held the both of you in his hand," Duty explained.
"All we did was send Night to await her Fate. She will trouble you no further," Truth finished.
The three turned to leave. Suddenly, Duty bent down and picked up one of the larger shards of glass. Smiling slightly, she handed it to Trowa.
"This must be yours, Thanatos Shard-bearer," she replied, as both women and shard vanished.
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WHOA! THAT WAS LONG! *pant pant* Now you know why it took me a few weeks to update! R+R+R!
