Chapter 16
Author's Notes: First of all, thanks for everyone who's started to leave me reviews again. I want to apologize to everyone, especially Secret and others who had characters in this fic, who waited so long for me to actually get this story posted. I have to admit, the lack of reviews really kind of discouraged me, but as long as I've got at least one or two readers, I'm happy for it. This is the second to last chapter of the story. Enjoy. -Katrina
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Maigo knew that Oni didn't stand a chance. He knew it the moment that rose fell into the earth. His power... it was nothing compared to theirs. They had too much at stake, too much to lose to give into him. And of course, the power of Sailor Cosmos. That legendary power that had won the battle with Chaos. It never really left them.
At first, Oni tried to shield the oncoming attack. Summoning his power, an invisible forcefield pushed the white light away from him.
Lowering her power level, however, young Marie reached for the computer visor covering her right eye. The figures and numerals flashed across the screen, searching for their enemy's weakness. To anyone else, it might have been nothing more than babble, but to her, it was the key to unlocking their success in this mission.
"The barrier is strong, but it has a weak point," she announced. "Aim towards the base."
"I can sense it," Reika added. "He's putting all his energy into this. If we break through the barrier, we break through him."
"Then let me help," said Akio, also backing away and taking the violin granted to him in hand. The rest of the group struggled to keep their power level the same, silently begging their friends to hurry, but the crystal bow instantly found its place and flowed across the strings like water on smooth rocks.
Upon hearing the music, Oni winced notably, and the princess of Saturn was quick to take full advantage of it.
"Stop it..." Oni cursed. "That song... stop it!"
"Evil monster!" she yelled. "Leave us forever!" A final slice of her glaive, at the base of the barrier, was all it took. The white light pierced through Oni's body, in moments leaving him as nothing more than a pile of dust and a nightmarish memory.
As the last few sparks of darkness began to fade, King Endymion knelt down.
"Are you alright?" Lady Serenity asked with concern. He seemed tired, she supposed that was expected. But something else in his face indicated that he was suffering from more than just fatigue.
"I will be," said Endymion. "But first, let's hurt back to the shrine. I want to see your mother... just once more."
Just once more? The words of death echoed heavily in Chibiusa's mind. Her soul raced to protect itself from the pain. But before her lips could voice their concern, her father put a single finger to her lips to calm her.
"Don't fret my little one. Everything will work out okay. I promise you that."
Meanwhile, deep within the shrine, Cosmos fell to her knees, unknowingly at the same moment as Endymion. Venus was the first to snap to attention.
"Your highness?" she asked with concern. "Your highness... what's wrong?"
"I can feel it..." Cosmos whispered. "My power... it is finally depleted." The other senshi fell silent. No one wanted to believe it, but who was to argue? As she sat collapsed in her cold crystal prison, tears began to fall relentlessly from Cosmos' cheeks. "Endymion... I don't want to die alone."
Uranus watched the scene in emotional torture. She had always devoted her life to making sure her queen was safe and happy. And yet now there was nothing she could do to sooth the tears or the pain that caused them. "I'll never forgive him," Uranus said angrily.
Neptune turned to scold her angry comrade, but at that moment, the door to the shrine swung open. Quickly, the children entered the room, the Asteroid Senshi standing off the to side. Gently, they lifted their energy gems into the air, summoning their power to bring the senshi to visible form. Cosmos, however, turned her back to the scene. If she was going to fade away, she at least didn't want to children's last memories to be of her crying.
Hoshi was first to kneel down in front of the shrine, Kaiya at his side. "Your highness..." said the prince of Pluto. "We have returned from our mission successfully. We encountered several enemies along the way, but also gained some new allies who were able to help us in the defeat of the threat to our kingdom. And now, I would like to present to you, the knights of the solar system."
As he spoke, a shadow of images appeared around him. At first, merely nothing more than the passing of a wind, their spirits took form and stepped boldly in the view of reality. Urawa, Yuuichiro, Asai, and Shinozaki across from the pillars of the inner senshi. Taylor, Nathan, Hallen, and Elias from the pillars of the outer senshi.
In one part of her heart, she felt happiness for her friends, but another felt herself fading away by the second. And felt it was alone. Why did they get to know happiness at this moment of death when she knew only sorrow? And yet somewhere even in the darkest part of her heart, a voice told her not to give up her desperate cling on hope just yet...
"Usako." That voice. That warm and gentle voice caressed her ears. After waiting so long to hear it. Did she dare to turn around?
"Usako," the voice called again. "I'm home." Now her body turned on its own; the voice called her eyes to it.
"Mamo-chan..." she whispered the name, like sweet nectar to the lips of Tantalus. "Mamo-chan, after all this time, is it really you?"
"It's me, Usako," he said. "I'm sorry I took so long to come to you." But Usagi wasn't interested in excuses. She jumped off the pillar where she knelt and ran, gaining full form, into his arms. And he embraced her. Lady Serenity would wonder for years to come how it happened, but somehow these two who could not touch anything before, stood their embracing each other, feeling the warm touch of each other's skin, in an un breakable moment that time could not stop.
And as the queen leapt into the arms of her beloved, so the rest of her guardians left the safety of their shrines to embrace their lovers as well.
"It took you long enough," Haruka muttered, but with a smile on her face. Maybe no one else could tell, but she had her own way of expressing her love.
"I missed you too," Taylor said, holding her gently in his arms.
"Why were you gone so long?" Hotaru asked.
"I'm sorry, my angel," said Elias. "But it was the only way we could keep you alive."
Hotaru looked up confused, turning to watch the former king to see if perhaps he had any answers.
"When I saw that the Cauldron was going to take you, I screamed out that I wouldn't let it happen. The Knights all felt the same. So instead of giving up the last of our energy to the Cauldron, we relinquished it to keep you from being completely swallowed up."
"So it was you..." breathed Usagi, her shoulders heaving up and down in Mamoru's grasp. "You were the reason my power sustained as long as it did. You were the reason we were able to stay here and watch our children grow."
"Yes," said Mamoru sadly. "But I can't help but feel that I have done you and the children a great disservice. You suffered not knowing where we were, and if we were to try and contact you, you might lose what power you had left." He hung his head in shame. "I'm a failure to you, as both a father and a husband."
Usagi shook her head, and lifted his tear-stained face to meet her own. "No," she said softly. "You are the most wonderful thing that has happened to me. And you helped save our kingdom. Our children will go on because of you and the knights."
"And you and the senshi," finished Mamoru. "Let's not forget who it was that defeated Chaos in the first place."
Usagi smiled. "It was a long time ago... and I'm tired from fighting. I'm ready to rest."
"Not yet!" a voice called out. The queen glanced up to see her daughter, the lovely young woman with long pink hair, running through the open doors of the shrine. Her husband followed behind her, each of them holding a small wriggling bundle in their arms.
"As least..." she breathed. "At least the twins will get to see you one more time." She pulled back the blanket to reveal her daughter's innocent little face, its lavender hair and deep purple eyes. Her brother's eyes sparkled of blue, just like his grandfathers, and his bright blonde hair rivaled that of the former queen.
"You see that?" said Lady Serenity, holding Lilith up so her young eyes could take in the scene. "That's your grandmother, my little ones. The most beautiful star in the galaxy." As much as she tried to say the words happily, she found herself chocking back on her own tears. Happiness, of course, at their success, but also sadness and loneliness. For she knew that this time... her mother and the senshi would not be coming back. And from the tears forming in the eyes of her fellow second-generation senshi, she sensed they knew the same.
"Please don't cry," said Ami as she held Urawa tightly in her arms. "All of you... are going to carry on our legacy. We are all so very proud of you." The other nodded in agreement.
"This is the cycle of time," said Setsuna. "The old passes away, but the new flourishes. And so it will continue with you. We are proud to leave our duties in such capable hands."
As she spoke, the children saw the images of their parents growing fainter and fainter before them. Before they vanished completely, each couple came up to give their children one last embrace. Michiko cried as she felt her mother's touch. It had been so long, she barely remembered it. But this she would treasure forever.
"Mama... Papa..." Chibiusa whispered as Usagi and Mamoru wrapped their arms around her. "I love you."
"And we love you," said Cosmos. "Forever, my beautiful daughter." And in that moment, her body vanished. The children looked up to see a rainbow of sparkles traveling up towards the heavens.
"They're happy now," said Helios. "They are together once more."
"Yes," Chibiusa agreed. "Yes, they are."
Author's Notes: First of all, thanks for everyone who's started to leave me reviews again. I want to apologize to everyone, especially Secret and others who had characters in this fic, who waited so long for me to actually get this story posted. I have to admit, the lack of reviews really kind of discouraged me, but as long as I've got at least one or two readers, I'm happy for it. This is the second to last chapter of the story. Enjoy. -Katrina
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Maigo knew that Oni didn't stand a chance. He knew it the moment that rose fell into the earth. His power... it was nothing compared to theirs. They had too much at stake, too much to lose to give into him. And of course, the power of Sailor Cosmos. That legendary power that had won the battle with Chaos. It never really left them.
At first, Oni tried to shield the oncoming attack. Summoning his power, an invisible forcefield pushed the white light away from him.
Lowering her power level, however, young Marie reached for the computer visor covering her right eye. The figures and numerals flashed across the screen, searching for their enemy's weakness. To anyone else, it might have been nothing more than babble, but to her, it was the key to unlocking their success in this mission.
"The barrier is strong, but it has a weak point," she announced. "Aim towards the base."
"I can sense it," Reika added. "He's putting all his energy into this. If we break through the barrier, we break through him."
"Then let me help," said Akio, also backing away and taking the violin granted to him in hand. The rest of the group struggled to keep their power level the same, silently begging their friends to hurry, but the crystal bow instantly found its place and flowed across the strings like water on smooth rocks.
Upon hearing the music, Oni winced notably, and the princess of Saturn was quick to take full advantage of it.
"Stop it..." Oni cursed. "That song... stop it!"
"Evil monster!" she yelled. "Leave us forever!" A final slice of her glaive, at the base of the barrier, was all it took. The white light pierced through Oni's body, in moments leaving him as nothing more than a pile of dust and a nightmarish memory.
As the last few sparks of darkness began to fade, King Endymion knelt down.
"Are you alright?" Lady Serenity asked with concern. He seemed tired, she supposed that was expected. But something else in his face indicated that he was suffering from more than just fatigue.
"I will be," said Endymion. "But first, let's hurt back to the shrine. I want to see your mother... just once more."
Just once more? The words of death echoed heavily in Chibiusa's mind. Her soul raced to protect itself from the pain. But before her lips could voice their concern, her father put a single finger to her lips to calm her.
"Don't fret my little one. Everything will work out okay. I promise you that."
Meanwhile, deep within the shrine, Cosmos fell to her knees, unknowingly at the same moment as Endymion. Venus was the first to snap to attention.
"Your highness?" she asked with concern. "Your highness... what's wrong?"
"I can feel it..." Cosmos whispered. "My power... it is finally depleted." The other senshi fell silent. No one wanted to believe it, but who was to argue? As she sat collapsed in her cold crystal prison, tears began to fall relentlessly from Cosmos' cheeks. "Endymion... I don't want to die alone."
Uranus watched the scene in emotional torture. She had always devoted her life to making sure her queen was safe and happy. And yet now there was nothing she could do to sooth the tears or the pain that caused them. "I'll never forgive him," Uranus said angrily.
Neptune turned to scold her angry comrade, but at that moment, the door to the shrine swung open. Quickly, the children entered the room, the Asteroid Senshi standing off the to side. Gently, they lifted their energy gems into the air, summoning their power to bring the senshi to visible form. Cosmos, however, turned her back to the scene. If she was going to fade away, she at least didn't want to children's last memories to be of her crying.
Hoshi was first to kneel down in front of the shrine, Kaiya at his side. "Your highness..." said the prince of Pluto. "We have returned from our mission successfully. We encountered several enemies along the way, but also gained some new allies who were able to help us in the defeat of the threat to our kingdom. And now, I would like to present to you, the knights of the solar system."
As he spoke, a shadow of images appeared around him. At first, merely nothing more than the passing of a wind, their spirits took form and stepped boldly in the view of reality. Urawa, Yuuichiro, Asai, and Shinozaki across from the pillars of the inner senshi. Taylor, Nathan, Hallen, and Elias from the pillars of the outer senshi.
In one part of her heart, she felt happiness for her friends, but another felt herself fading away by the second. And felt it was alone. Why did they get to know happiness at this moment of death when she knew only sorrow? And yet somewhere even in the darkest part of her heart, a voice told her not to give up her desperate cling on hope just yet...
"Usako." That voice. That warm and gentle voice caressed her ears. After waiting so long to hear it. Did she dare to turn around?
"Usako," the voice called again. "I'm home." Now her body turned on its own; the voice called her eyes to it.
"Mamo-chan..." she whispered the name, like sweet nectar to the lips of Tantalus. "Mamo-chan, after all this time, is it really you?"
"It's me, Usako," he said. "I'm sorry I took so long to come to you." But Usagi wasn't interested in excuses. She jumped off the pillar where she knelt and ran, gaining full form, into his arms. And he embraced her. Lady Serenity would wonder for years to come how it happened, but somehow these two who could not touch anything before, stood their embracing each other, feeling the warm touch of each other's skin, in an un breakable moment that time could not stop.
And as the queen leapt into the arms of her beloved, so the rest of her guardians left the safety of their shrines to embrace their lovers as well.
"It took you long enough," Haruka muttered, but with a smile on her face. Maybe no one else could tell, but she had her own way of expressing her love.
"I missed you too," Taylor said, holding her gently in his arms.
"Why were you gone so long?" Hotaru asked.
"I'm sorry, my angel," said Elias. "But it was the only way we could keep you alive."
Hotaru looked up confused, turning to watch the former king to see if perhaps he had any answers.
"When I saw that the Cauldron was going to take you, I screamed out that I wouldn't let it happen. The Knights all felt the same. So instead of giving up the last of our energy to the Cauldron, we relinquished it to keep you from being completely swallowed up."
"So it was you..." breathed Usagi, her shoulders heaving up and down in Mamoru's grasp. "You were the reason my power sustained as long as it did. You were the reason we were able to stay here and watch our children grow."
"Yes," said Mamoru sadly. "But I can't help but feel that I have done you and the children a great disservice. You suffered not knowing where we were, and if we were to try and contact you, you might lose what power you had left." He hung his head in shame. "I'm a failure to you, as both a father and a husband."
Usagi shook her head, and lifted his tear-stained face to meet her own. "No," she said softly. "You are the most wonderful thing that has happened to me. And you helped save our kingdom. Our children will go on because of you and the knights."
"And you and the senshi," finished Mamoru. "Let's not forget who it was that defeated Chaos in the first place."
Usagi smiled. "It was a long time ago... and I'm tired from fighting. I'm ready to rest."
"Not yet!" a voice called out. The queen glanced up to see her daughter, the lovely young woman with long pink hair, running through the open doors of the shrine. Her husband followed behind her, each of them holding a small wriggling bundle in their arms.
"As least..." she breathed. "At least the twins will get to see you one more time." She pulled back the blanket to reveal her daughter's innocent little face, its lavender hair and deep purple eyes. Her brother's eyes sparkled of blue, just like his grandfathers, and his bright blonde hair rivaled that of the former queen.
"You see that?" said Lady Serenity, holding Lilith up so her young eyes could take in the scene. "That's your grandmother, my little ones. The most beautiful star in the galaxy." As much as she tried to say the words happily, she found herself chocking back on her own tears. Happiness, of course, at their success, but also sadness and loneliness. For she knew that this time... her mother and the senshi would not be coming back. And from the tears forming in the eyes of her fellow second-generation senshi, she sensed they knew the same.
"Please don't cry," said Ami as she held Urawa tightly in her arms. "All of you... are going to carry on our legacy. We are all so very proud of you." The other nodded in agreement.
"This is the cycle of time," said Setsuna. "The old passes away, but the new flourishes. And so it will continue with you. We are proud to leave our duties in such capable hands."
As she spoke, the children saw the images of their parents growing fainter and fainter before them. Before they vanished completely, each couple came up to give their children one last embrace. Michiko cried as she felt her mother's touch. It had been so long, she barely remembered it. But this she would treasure forever.
"Mama... Papa..." Chibiusa whispered as Usagi and Mamoru wrapped their arms around her. "I love you."
"And we love you," said Cosmos. "Forever, my beautiful daughter." And in that moment, her body vanished. The children looked up to see a rainbow of sparkles traveling up towards the heavens.
"They're happy now," said Helios. "They are together once more."
"Yes," Chibiusa agreed. "Yes, they are."