Act 15 "The day of destiny! The birth of the Pink Moon Crystal!"
A
thundering volley of heeled shoes against stone echoed down the
corridor as the sailor senshis rushed into the lake-filled room. Sailor
Moon halted suddenly when she entered the domed chamber and saw the
devastation created not long ago.
"My God, what happened here?" Neptune gasped in shock while a troubled look crossed Uranus' eyes.
Saturn looked up ahead and saw the opened door. "That door over there..." She said with narrowed eyes, the eerie sensation she felt from behind the doors made her tighten her grip on her steel glaive.
Sailor Moon nodded with a set face "Let's go inside, Chibi Usa could be in there." As she began to walk forward, Mercury's sudden cautioning voice halted the blonde in mid-step.
"Wait! I'm getting a sudden surge of negative energy reading from up ahead!" The blue haired senshi said from behind her goggles. "The sensors are going crazy! Someone very powerful is in there!" Mercury said in awe as the line on her computer generated graph spiked up on a steep slope.
Sailor Moon's eyes opened wide in fear, "Oh no...!" She turned and ran as fast as she could down the battered bridge. Tuxedo Kamen followed Sailor Moon as they prayed, hoping what that the worst was not about to happen.
The two of them rushed passed the door just in time to see Black Lady finish her transformation and produce the rapier. Sailor Moon gasped sharply when she saw the black armor clad form of the woman; her little girl unrecognizable in the cold determined villain.
Hearing the gasp, Helios turned his head and saw Moon and Kamen standing behind him. "Stay back-!" Helios warned but before he could finish his sentence Black Lady shot towards him with lightning speed, a ball of black energy emerged from her left palm. The attack caught Helios completely off guard as it struck him in the stomach. It knocked him several feet into the air before he landed and rolling to a stop without even a chance for exclamation.
"Helios!" Sailor Moon screamed and began running towards Helios. But a sizzling crackle of energy pushed her back and drew a yelp of pain from the blonde.
Tuxedo Kamen rushed to his love's side and supported her in his arms while the other senshis came into the room only to find a red filmy barrier had enclosed Black Lady, Wise Man and Helios.
"Sailor Moon!" Mars cried as she knelt down beside the dazed woman than turned and glared at Wise Man.
Wise Man laughed from his high vantage point in the air, his red eyes flashing behind his low hood. "Did you think I will allow you to interfere, senshis? Now, be good little boy and girls and stay put; it will be your turn soon enough!" At that moment a second barrier formed around the group, trapping them in a tight little bubble.
Sailor Jupiter scowled and crossed her arms, "Supreme-!"
"Jupiter, don't! In a confined space like this your attack will be bounced back toward us!" Luna warned. Jupiter reluctantly lowered her arms, the frustrated frown on her face deepened as she vented her anger with a few strong curses.
Sailor Moon sat crouching on her heels, looked helplessly out toward the two figures out beyond the red barrier. She turned around when she felt a light touch on her shoulder. Fully expecting it to be Tuxedo Kamen, Sailor Moon was surprised to see that it was Sailor Pluto who was standing beside her.
"This is Small Lady's crucible. We must let her reawaken on her own." Pluto said solemnly as she gazed out intently at the scene before her.
Sailor Moon nodded silently. Her deep blue eyes quivering with emotion, the princess of the bygone Silver Millennium clasped her hands and watched as the ordeal continued.
Inside the larger barrier, Black Lady walked calmly toward the motionless Helios, her black crystal earrings swung back and forth at a steady rhythm as she drew nearer. Then a small movement from the once unconscious form halted Black Lady's progress. The woman watched as Helios slowly pushed himself up. Blood was running down each corner of Helios' lips and the edge of his tunic had been torn. Dust covered the boy's hair, hiding their whiteness under a coating of gray as he gradually lifted his body off the floor and stood up on unsteady legs.
With his back arched over from the added pain to his already injured torso, Helios tried to focus his eyes on Black Lady who stood a fair distance away from him. But the physical aftermath of the painful blow made the image before him shifty and obscure, like trying to look at a picture through a lens that's out of focus, and the sting of his injuries was not making it any easier.
Then, suddenly the image disappeared and Helios found him self face to face with Black Lady as she shot towards him, this time rapier raised and poised to strike. For a few milliseconds the two of them were so close Helios felt the woman's hot breath on his cheeks but they only turn his blood cold. Abruptly the moment ended as the blade, sparkling with black energy, flying down at a sharp angle, cutting into Helios' right arm and chest. Once again, Helios is pushed violently back with an agonizing scream before his legs gave way and he crumbled onto the floor.
Helios groaned, clutching his bloody shoulder, his face painted with pain and sweat as blood seep from his gaping flesh wounds. Black Lady watched from where she stood, fully capable of delivering another blow to the defenseless Helios but was held back by Wise Man's wordless orders.
"Why do you not fight Helios? You came here looking to confront me didn't you? Is it because you're too soft since you opponent is your beloved princess, or is it because you've simply grown too spineless to dare oppose me?" Wise Man jeered. The room was completely silent after Wise Man had spoke, then, quieter than a whisper, Helios' dry strained voice answered back defiantly.
"I don't want to fight the person I love..." weary and hurt, Helios slowly raised himself. At that moment, Sailor Moon swore she saw Wise Man flinch as Helios lifted his eyes to meet the hateful master-mind.
"But if it means it's the only way I can get her back, then I'll do whatever it takes!"
As Helios' voice fell, a hot golden glow began to encompass his body before a gold and white flame sprouted around him, forming a tornado-like wall. Helios straightened his back as the energy radiating from him seemed to seep out like a steady stream of heat and light in the form of the fire. The senshis marveled at the flames surrounding the once shy passive boy they had known, now standing tall and steadfast before Wise Man's overbearing presence. The light around him shone so brightly that it had reduced the reddish glow of the purple gems to a thinning morning haze inside the domed barrier as it pulsated with every beat of his heart.
"It's the same..." Saturn said quietly, her eyes were a blend of violet and gold, illuminated by the light before her.
Sailor Uranus turned questioningly to her adopted daughter "The same as the other time...?"
Saturn nodded in affirmation "Yes, and it's even stronger than before"
"But is he really going to attack Small Lady-sama using the Golden Crystal?" Diana asked, intensely worried.
Sailor Moon perched her lips and frowned "She's not Small Lady right now Diana, but Helios' the only one we have right now. He's our only chance to drive Wise Man's influences out of Chibi Usa." The corner of her eyes tapered in worry as she watched the red patch on Helios' white shirt grow bigger and blacker at the places where the sword wound him. I hope it'll work but he's injured so badly... she thought privately to herself; her hands pressed against each other even more tightly.
While the senshi watched, Helios had refused to tear his eyes from Black Lady who regarded him coolly, never letting pass a hint of emotion. The two observed each other, eyes locked between the walls of circling flames. Helios looked intently into Black Lady's eyes, trying to find an indication of the young woman he had known but found none. Remembering her bright smile and lively eyes, Helios winched as he stared at the dim emptied body that Black Lady exhibited. It had partially been his fault that these eyes were now looking blankly back at him, and it was his responsibility now to restore them to their rightful brilliance. Thinking this, Helios closed his eyes to the vision of the armored woman and summoned the crystal that resides inside his horn.
The Golden Crystal flashed and shimmered as a miniature lightning storm brewed inside of it, ready to unload its power and energy. In a flash, Helios snapped opened his eyes as the stream of gold and white fire erupted into action. The blazes roared and in an instant of blinding light it shooting forth towards Black Lady and engulfed her in a barrage of flames.
Helios watched the column of fire as it burned high into the air. Then, unexpectedly, the fiery barricade collapsed as clasps of black lighting killed off the sacred flames. Black Lady looked up from a crouched position, the crackling black light flashing periodically off her body before it died down. The blaze didn't faze her at all for there wasn't so much as a singed strand of hair. Black Lady had pushed back the power of the Golden Crystal and everyone suddenly felt a rush of chills in their blood at the implications of this development.
While others were still absorbing the result of the shocking event, Black Lady wasted no time in following her orders and vaulted into the air. Helios whipped his head around as he tried to follow her. But he didn't have to look up for long as the false version of Chibi Usa landed gracefully behind him. Helios only had enough time to stare wide eyed at a huge, volatile mass of black energy before it pushed all the light from his vision as it slammed into him.
"AAAHHHHH!"
The deep cry of pain was immediately swallowed by the resounding explosion that followed as the force of the blast rushed through the large chamber, forcing even the senshis to hold on tightly to each other despite the double barriers between themselves and the explosion.
Finally the shock wave passed and Sailor Moon was able to reopen her eyes. The blonde froze and felt her heart stop when she saw the magnitude of the destruction. A giant crater had been created where Helios once stood and chunks of the shattered floor littered the ground. Sailor Moon looked franticly around for the young priest, but it took her several nerve racking moments before she identified him amongst the rubbles as he lay at the edge of the crater. Covered in bloody gashes and cuts, Helios lay unconscious between pieces of the paved floor. A line of blood flowed down near his face, staining the white of his hair to a dreadful crimson. The force of the blast and the broken stone shards of the floor tile had cut into his flesh and torn at his cloth as his arms and legs lay limply upon the uneven ground. His eyes were closed shut and his skin pale as in death beneath the bruises and blood. Sailor Moon felt her throat tighten at the sad sight, a sickening feeling welled up in her stomach made her turn away.
Uranus slammed her fist into the barrier with fury itched in her features. At first she had thought the boy was a liar and then a coward, yet he had come here and tried his best to safe the one he loved, only to be beaten down and broken. Uranus felt a rush of guilt for having said what she said back at the temple. She shouldn't have treated him that way, shouldn't have given him the idea of coming here by himself. But now he was here and possibly dead because she had lost control of her temper and her tongue.
Feeling her partner's anguish, Neptune reached out and held Uranus' arm as she looked out forlornly, also fearing the worst. The other senshis were silent as they each hang their heads. Mercury fought back a chocking sob as she covered her face with her hands while Saturn closed her eyes and looked away. Jupiter, Mars, and Venus lowered their heads, each with a mien of grief and helplessness on her face. Pluto was the only one with an unchanged expression on her face, but even her brows were tightly pulled together. The somber mood had the opposite effect on Wise Man whose glee only grew in the form of a base laugh, proudly declaring his minion's victory and the devastating blow to his adversaries.
Kamen gritted his teeth but refused to give up so soon. He knew Helios was still there, thought it was clear that he was seriously wounded. He has to stand up! The prince thought to himself. Helios was the only hope his little girl has of returning to herself. He didn't care if she could wield any crystal or transform into a senshi, all Mamoru wanted from her was for her to be his sweet little girl again. But with the situation as they are right now, it seems everything is over.
Wise Man's laugh faded and he returned to a business-like but still triumphant tone as he glanced down at the bloodied white figure below him. "It's time we end this permanently. You have tried Priest Helios, but your attempt was futile from the beginning" He looked at Black Lady "Make sure he won't stand up again."
Black Lady responded with a small nod. She picked up her sword and started walking towards Helios.
"Chibi Usa, don't listen to him! Please don't do this!" Horrified, Sailor Moon screamed as loud as she could, her hands pressed against the solid shield. But Black Lady didn't hear or react to her, only to stop before the boy's body. Emotionlessly, she raised her rapier and pointed the sharp tip over his heart, and slowly brought her other hand over the pummel of the weapon. She looked down at her victim's face and did not know who he was or why her master wanted him executed, except that that was his orders to her and she will follow it to the end. With that unquestioning thought reflected in her dulled red eyes, Black Lady plunged the sword down before a horrified audience.
An unexpected loud 'ping' noise echoed into the room. To each person's amazement, instead of striking Helios, the sword had stopped short of his chest and had struck a thin layer of light that had suddenly formed around the unconscious priest. Even Black Lady gave a faint expression of surprise before the film amplified, forcing her to jump back. Confused and amazed, the senshis rushed to see what was happening as a bright yellow light grew.
"No...it's not over yet..." a light fragile voice drew a gasp from all those present. Miraculously and yet expectedly, the voice belonged to Helios. Wise Man seemed especially startled as the last of his triumphant mood quickly evaporated.
Sailor Moon's eyes brightened for the first time since Chibi Usa was taken by the enemy, a thankful smile spread across her face. But she knew Helios was still in trouble. By watching the way he moved as he tried to stand, she could tell he was injured badly and wouldn't be surprised if something in his body was broken or torn in more than two places after the beating he had endured.
Helios reached out a hand against a large boulder that lay near him, using it to support himself as he pushed himself up from the destruction around him. The tiny pink star and cream colored moon pendent still hung around his wrist, slipping uneasily cross the stress lines that ran down the hand they rest above. The heat of the light had created large droplets of sweat that dripped off his chin and onto the ground beneath him. The sweat had dampened Helios hair and they hung over his eyes, hiding them from the light that seemed to radiate from every part of his body so that no shadow touched him as he tried to steadied himself. Breathing heavily, Helios spoke loud and clear as he stood defiantly before Wise Man.
"As I've said Wise Man, I am not going to give up, not while I still have a breath left in my body!" And as he spoke the Golden Crystal reappeared. This time it shone brighter than ever before. Short bursts of flares shot out from the bright gem and illuminated the entire room, completely casting out the wicked redness of the Black Crystal. A rush of wind followed the flames and swept across the room, moving debris the size of fists across the battered floor. Helios' robes rustled and fluttered in the gusting wind. His eyes, no longer the color of burning embers but rather golden sunlight, flashed occasionally as the draft moved his damp bangs from side to side.
Then, as all this happened, something phenomenal began to take shape. A pair of wings made of shimmering light extended from behind Helios' shoulder blades and stretched into the air behind him. Everyone watched in awe, so intense were the sunlit wings that one could only make out the bright outline of the wings since they seemed to be made of raw piercing light.
"This is it..." Kamen said silently. Sailor Moon looked at her lover and knew what he meant. To them it was clear; Helios had unleashed the full strength of the Golden Crystal despite the heavy cost he will pay. He was fully ready to sacrifice himself to bring back the girl he loves. But will it be enough, everyone wondered at the back of his or her mind. Will it be strong enough to reawaken the young woman sealed deep within the woman now known as Black Lady?
"Maiden..."
Sailor Moon looked back and saw that Helios was facing Black Lady. His eyes were briefly visible as they gazed sorrowfully to the lost young woman. "Please...listen to me..." Helios spoke beseechingly, his voice just barely audible above the rushing wind and flashing fire.
Helios however, ignored everything around him as he continued to plead to her. "I'm sorry, sorry for deserting you when you needed me, sorry for causing you so much pain..." Helios looked down and shook his head in shame. "Because of my overreaction I have helped turn you into the monster you had tried so hard to forget. I have failed in protecting your dream and I can only ask for your forgiveness." A long silence followed as Helios closed his eyes tightly, his mind beginning to reel from the combined effects of using the Golden Crystal and his still bleeding injuries. Finally he opened them and Sailor Moon felt her heart wrench when she saw tears flowing down the priest's weary eye and a poignant smile on his lips.
"But there is something I have to say, and this is something what I should have told you a long time ago, ever since I realized what is was. Even though I know you might not be able to hear me I still need to tell you this," Helios held his hands out to Black Lady, reaching for her with his soul. "I love you...I need you back...I need my maiden back..."
The sword in Black Lady's hand landed with a metallic clunk as it hit the floor. Black Lady held Helios' gaze, her eyes unblinking but a slight frown on her face as if there was something that had began to rouse behind her glazed irises.
Helios...
The small thought stirred like a tiny ripple in a pond. The thought transferred to Black Lady's lips as she echoed in a confused, trembling murmur "Helios...?"
Hearing this, an iota of hope sprouted inside the senshis hearts, but Wise Man had had enough. It had taken years of work to get to this point but now his loyal servant was about to turn on him. What's more, the person he had once deemed the least threatening has now turned the tables on him and from the looks of it, will surely defeat him if he hesitate any further. So without further delay, a cloud of red miasma began to surge around Wise Man's levitating form as he stretched out a hand.
"You have become an extremely annoying pest Helios! But I will not let you get away with it!" as he said this, the Black Crystals in the room began to hum in harmony, each releasing its storage of dark energy to its master. The energy quickly formed a mass far larger and more frightening than anything Black Lady has produced before as it gathered behind Wise Man.
"Now be gone with you!"
Wise Man screamed and let loose the energy in his hand as it shot towards Helios. Helios recoiled but suddenly realized belatedly that Black Lady will inevitably get caught in the blast as well. Without thinking twice, Helios leaped before the bewildered woman and wrapped her protectively in one arm before turning with his other hand, Golden Crystal in hand. The diamond shaped crystal exploded in an outburst of light and shot forth its own blast of scorching golden energy.
The two forces clashed in the midst of their path and sent dashes of black and gold lightning shooting into the air. A deafening boom was created when they came into contact and the loud crackling cacophony continued as the opposite energies jostled for supremacy. Helios stood facing the blinding clash, his face strained as he held his hand behind the lustrous Golden Crystal. Wise Man did not relent either and the flow of black energy continues to flow into him from the Black Crystals. The shoving and pushing went on, with one power gaining the upper hand for a few second before it was beaten down again. Everyone knew this will not last forever, and it was only a matter of time before someone gives way. The problem was, who?
As worry and anticipation racked everyone's face, Helios drew a deep breath and decided it was time to end this. He screamed at the top of his voice before thrusting his hand forward in one final push. The golden energy supported by him sequentially augmented, pushing the black energy back within the blink of an eye. Wise Man spoke no words when the Golden Crystal's power tore through his body except to let out a howling shriek as the entire chamber became enveloped in light and a deafening sonic boom.
Several minutes passed before anyone dared to reopen his or her eyes. And when they did, they were amazed to find that the two barriers had completely shattered. There was no sign of Wise Man and the senshis soon discovered they had been lucky, for the barrier had ironically protected them from the powerful blast of the Golden Crystal as they stood on an island of undamaged paved floor.
"Where are they, I don't see them!" Venus cried in panic. Indeed there was no immediate sign of either Black Lady or Helios, and from the looks of the room, their fate was gloom.
Then, scanning across the room, Sailor Moon saw a soft yellow glow coming from beyond a hill of crushed rubble. She ran towards the light; fear gripped her mind and heart as she prayed that the Golden Crystal's massive power did not backfire and harmed the two teens. But as she stepped over the pile of broken Black Crystals Sailor Moon saw that Helios, using his light crafted wings, had spread them protectively over himself and the pink haired girl beneath him. Through the faint gaps of the wings she could also see he still had his arms around the form of Black Lady as they sat crouched on the ground. The sight made Sailor Moon stop and watch the situation develop in silence.
Helios gradually lifted his face and looked down at the girl whom he clutched dearer than life in his arms. For a few seconds Black Lady did not stir, but the sound of a sharp breath proved that her conscious was resurfacing. Her eyes fluttered open, looking dazed and lost but no longer glazed over as they gradually opened fully. She moved her head and saw Helios looking down at her, an exhausted smile tugged at his lips, his mind relieved but his body was pale and weakened. Black Lady looked into Helios' now amber eyes with her own pomegranate colored eyes, as if realizing something very important. She lifted a hand to the boy's cheek and an aura of pink light emanated from her out stretched hand and began to spread downwards to the rest of her body. Soon the soft pink light engulfed her and when it faded away, the person looking back at Helios was no longer Black Lady, but the girl everyone knew as Chibi Usa.
Seeing this, a look of pure joy washed over Helios' face before he closed his eyes and slumped into Chibi Usa's arms. The wings on the white haired boy's back melted away feather by feather as he fell; the warm radiance that once enclosed him dissolved away like the last rays of the sun at night fall. Finally, the Golden Crystal, which had been hovering near its guardian, dropped to the ground, leaving a soft ring as it hit the floor before disappearing as well.
"Helios? Helios!"
Chibi Usa instantly had her hands over Helios' shoulders, her face painted with a deeply fixed look of distress. The young woman's alarmed voice snapped Sailor Moon out of her stupor as the blonde rushed to help. Just as Sailor Moon approached her daughter, the ground beneath them began to tremble and break up. A large chunk of the floor around the couple buckled up then collapsed before Sailor Moon could reach them. Screams and shouts filled the air as Chibi Usa saw the black hollow ground beneath her, but it was too late for she and Helios soon disappeared into the hole as the ground closed in after them, sealing out the senshis while they shouted their names futilely
As Chibi Usa fell, she tried to hang onto Helios' limp form, screaming in fear as they descended into the dark chasm. She was only faintly aware of the fading panic stricken voices above her when they suddenly disappeared and she felt her body slam against something very hard and cold.
Terrified and confused, Chibi Usa opened her eyes only to feel a shot of pain race through her body as a result of her rough landing. Carefully pushing herself up from the ground, Chibi Usa couldn't see any defined shapes in the dim gray-black surrounding even though there was some minute amount of light filtering through the vast space around her. A soft muffled moan brought Chibi Usa's mind racing back to the person somewhere beside her. She felt a slight movement on her hand and could make out Helios' white ghostly form lying next to her in the gloom.
"Helios..." Chibi Usa murmured softly as she crawled towards him, finally seeing the full extent of the boy's injuries. Even in the weak light of their surroundings the reddish black blood was obvious against the soiled white of his cloths. Ugly scratches and lacerations covered every visible part of his body and from the slow but deliberate short breaths he took, it was clear some of his ribs were broken. As carefully as she could, Chibi Usa lifted Helios into her arms and cradled his head with one hand. The wretched sight of someone who meant so much to her brought a rush of tears to the princess's eyes. This was all her fault, she had done it again; she had hurt someone she loved! Remorse and sorrow filled Chibi Usa's mind and heart as she wrapped her arm around Helios and held him close to her. Hot tears spilled as she wept, ribbons of liquid crystal ran down her flushed cheeks, the sound of her outpour echoed lightly off invisible walls.
A drop of tear fell upon the ashen face of Helios who slowly opened his eyes to see Chibi Usa crying, her features covered in long shadows. "Chibi Usa..." Helios whispered but his fragile voice only made guilt cut deeper into his beloved's heart.
"I'm so sorry Helios! I'm sorry! I-I was the one-the one who did this to you!" Chibi Usa sobbed between her sentences, her eyes squinting hard from the sting of the tears she shed.
"As you should be child!"
Wise Man's angry voice suddenly intruded into the room, making Chibi Usa gasp as she looked around wildly for the hooded figure but found none. The villain's voice continued, dripping with scorn. "Congratulations Priest Helios! You have successfully shattered my plans for revenge and have even managed to destroy my body with that cursed Golden Crystal of yours! However, I won't give up so easily! I may have lost my body again but my powers are still here and I intend to make you both pay for what you've done!"
A loud malicious laugh resonated in the room, sending cold shivers down Chibi Usa's spine. "But you had already completed part of my vengeance for me. You cannot survive in this world after expending the energy of the Golden Crystal and with the wounds dear Small Lady gave you, I can be sure you will be dying a slow and painful death!" Chibi Usa felt her heart stop, her gaze quickly shifted fearfully back to Helios and saw that his eyes were growing dimmer and his breaths slower by the minute. "Yes, the only chance you have of recovering right now is to return to Elysian. But I will insure that does not happen! Now princess, I'm sure you haven't forgotten about the little barrier I placed around this plane to keep you from escaping me. There is no way for you as you are now to break through the barrier and return Helios home, and even if Sailor Moon finds you in time, her powers won't be enough because I will put every last ounce of the Black Crystal's powers into it, even if it means exhausting my own energy in the process! Farewell princess, at least in the end I will have the joyous satisfaction to know that you will be forced to watch your beloved die a slow death!" with that Wise Man began to laugh and his resounding cackle continued long after his last words faded.
Finally the last of the haunting laugh echoed away and there was only a hollow silence inside the deep chasm the bygone figure had sealed the priest and princess in. Chibi Usa felt that Wise Man might as well have destroyed her rather than watch as Helios draw closer and closer to his last breath. A shuddering whimper only showed a small fraction of the anguish Chibi Usa felt as she sat there, unable to do anything except to hold Helios in her arms.
The tears in her eyes were breaking over her face again, refreshing the trail of tears that had dried earlier during Wise Man's "parting speech". But Helios' soft soothing voice pulled Chibi Usa back, making her focus on him instead.
"It's alright my maiden..." Helios' weak voice tried to comfort the heartbroken princess who sniffed while the tears slipped down. "Don't cry...I- I suppose I should have known this was going to happen..."
"Then why did you come! Why did you come here when you know this could happen!" Chibi Usa screamed "I don't want you to die Helios! I don't want to be without you! If only...if only-!"
Chibi Usa's words were silenced when Helios shook his head and smiled mildly, his brows covered in cold sweat. "Chibi Usa, I don't regret meeting you, even if this is truly my end...I'm glad that I had met you or else I would not have know what it would be like to have friends and to love someone so deeply..." Helios paused and tried to clear his mind as it came burdened with sleep but he continued, knowing he had to finish what he needed to say.
Struggling a bit through his murky consciousness, Helios said "...Let us put the bad memories from the past behind us, where they belong..." he closed his eyes for a moment to rest then reopened them to look at his true love with heavy eyes "you still have a long road ahead of you...don't let Wise Man win in the end, don't let him take that away from you..." Chibi Usa didn't respond except to take a sharp breath of air and bury her tearful face beside Helios' head. Her touch against his skin and the cool tears slipping between their cheeks made the overbearing urge to shut his eyes more difficult than ever. But in the end Helios simply did not have enough energy left to fight the temptation to close his eyes and finally allowed the heavy sleep to claim him. With a last regretful smile, he placed his hand beside Chibi Usa's temples, feeling her warmth for the last time.
"...You are my beautiful dream my little maiden...your light will guide my soul so long as you believe...believe in yourself...always..." he managed to say before at last the darkness of death embraced him.
Hearing this, Chibi Usa lifted her face as his hand slipped down and saw the peaceful expression on his face. She tentatively touched Helios' cheeks with the backside of her hand, feeling the tingle on her skin as she ran her hand though his hair. He looked as if he had gone to sleep, but Chibi Usa knew despite her deep sorrow, that without the reenergizing ability of Elysian, Helios will never wake up again. But she wants him to wake up! He had just told her that he loved her and that she was his beautiful dream. Chibi Usa fought back a terrible sob and thought to herself, was it really going to end like this? Was she to inherit the tragedy of the ruined Silver Moon Kingdom?
"Helios...I read a book once...a book about a magical Pegasus who fell in love with a human girl." Chibi Usa said in a quivering voice, whispering into Helios' ear. "The Pegasus loved the girl deeply, more than anything in the world, but he never revealed his love. Not until the end when he tried to protect her from evil but was struck down and died in her arms." Chibi Usa bit her lips and shook her head, smiling ironically "When I first read it I thought that it was a sad but romantic story, not a prediction of what was to come for us. But you know what Helios; I don't want our story to end that way."
Taking a deep shuddering breath, Chibi Usa touched the area of her chest where her heart was located. "You're right, I do have a long road ahead of me but I don't want to walk down that road without knowing you'll be at my side. You've become such a special part of me through our times together, both the good and the bad. I want to put my past behind me, put Black Lady in her rightful place as a memory. I want to regain my dream of becoming a lady, of being your lady." Chibi Usa picked up Helios' hand and held it to her heart as she closed her eyes and whispered "I won't gave up...I will be strong for you; I will be strong like the maiden you once knew!"
With that and a resolved look on her face Chibi Usa opened her eyes and was astonished to find a bright pink ball of light floating in front of her. The light of the ball threw color onto the couple as its reflection is held by Chibi Usa's astounded ruby eyes. The princess gently laid down Helios' hand and cupped the hovering sphere of light. Tiny pink particles spread from the bottom of the ball of light, like the seeds of a dandelion flying off in the wind. Chibi Usa watched as the fairy dust like flakes disappear, at last revealing a shimmering rose pink crystal that echoed to her old Silver Crystal.
Chibi Usa blinked several times as she couldn't take her eyes off the bright shinning object when she recognize it for what it was. "This is my sailor crystal...the Pink Moon Crystal..." As she said this, the crystal began to glow in response until its light forced Chibi Usa to shut her eyes against its brilliance. When she looked out again, she felt a new energy flowing through her. It was as if a fire had been kindled inside of her, providing her body with warmth and calming her mind. The change was also reflected on her body physically as the black dress she wore after turning back into Chibi Usa became a new sailor fuku.
With bubble-like sleeves and a skirt with two layers of different shades of pink, Chibi Usa found her outfit a lot more like Eternal Sailor Moon's own uniform except without the wings. The heart shaped pendent she once wore was now replaced by a simple pink star, sitting fittingly atop the cherry colored bows on her chest. As Chibi Usa marveled at her new outfit, another flash of light made her look out into the space before her. The once cold and stagnant air was vibrating with energy and light; an energy that the princess immediately recognized as her own. The light shifted and elongated, morphing into a scepter. Once the glow died down it revealed a scepter just like the one Sailor Moon possessed. Seeing this, Chibi Usa knew what she had to do and looked back down to Helios. The peaceful expression remained unchanged by the appearance of the Pink Moon Crystal, and this shot a disheartening arrow into Chibi Usa's heart. She touched his wrist and found that although it was still warm she couldn't detect a pulse.
"I don't know if it's too late or not, but I'm going to try me best for you Helios, just like you gave everything you had to save me; I'm going to put everything I have into breaking this barrier!" With that vow she gingerly laid Helios' body onto the ground and stood up in white with pink bordered boots.
A quiver of doubt throbbed in the back of the young senshi's mind. She didn't know what her new crystal was capable of but from the pure energy radiating from it she had a feeling what she was about to attempt was possible. Keeping that in mind, Chibi Usa suppressed her uncertainty and reached for the scepter, feeling a tsunami-like burst of energy flow up her arm and through her limbs as her hands closed around the handle.
The light passed from the scepter to the young woman and illuminated the dark space around her. She raised the wand above her head and narrowed her eyes in concentration, making the energy running free in her body to focus in on her scepter. The air itself became saturated with power and a breeze picked up where there ought to be none in the stall abyss. The light wind combed through Chibi Usa's stream of silky pink hair, rippling her skirts and sent the two long ribbons on her back fluttering behind her.
At last the energy grew to its apex and the princess of Crystal Tokyo released it towards the darkness which enclosed her, picturing the beautiful world of Elysian and commanded the crystal's powers to take her there by breaking Wise Man's spell.
"Pink Moon Crystal...POWER!"
The blackness of the room disappeared as it shattered like a mirror into a million pieces. Chibi Usa kept her hand steady, her eyes squinting shut against the great force pushing against all sides of her body but she never loosing her focus on the dream world which she must return Helios to. Finally she felt the energy in her wand drain away and her body lurch forward, exhausted from the huge amount of energy it too out from the newly evolved crystal. Chibi Usa felt her eyes closing from the task she had just performed, and felt herself drift into a bottom-less space as the cold floor she once cowered on dissolved into nothingness. Fatigue closed its drowsy arms around her as the wand fell out of her hand and disappeared in a twinkle of pink powders while Chibi Usa rested her spent body in sleep.
After an unknown length of time as her conscious returned, Chibi Usa felt something hard but smooth against her skin. She sluggishly opened her eyes and her reflection, mirrored in a diamond like crystal, greeted her. Opening her eyes further, she saw she was lying on the broad mangrove like root of a tall tree. Shimmering transparent crystals grew from the base of the tree and around the other trees that surrounded her. Canary yellow, golden orange and creamy cherry colored lights washed down on her from between the dense leaves, like someone had shone the sun light through a kaleidoscope filled with warm colorful glass.
It did not take long for Chibi Usa to realize she was in Elysian, and the elation at knowing she had made it to the dream world was quickly replaced by panic and alarm when she saw that Helios was nowhere to be seen. Slipping off the root of the tree, Chibi Usa stepped into the shallow waters that covered the ground all around her.
"Helios!" Chibi Usa cried, fear throwing her voice off to a tremble as she franticly looked under every nook and cranny in her immediate area. "Helios!" She called again, but alas there was no figure dressed in white or even a long slender feather to indicate the presence of the guardian. Walking still further, Chibi Usa looked up towards the sky as she came out of the grove of trees and saw a bright pink star twinkling in the skies lit by the ever changing Northern Lights.
"Is that the light of my dream..." Chibi Usa asked herself when a though suddenly occurred to her.
The light of your dream guides me to you... Helios had always said that he's guided by her dream light and there it was, shinning cheerfully at its owner.
"Follow the light..." Chibi Usa mused as she began walking in the direction the star indicated, hopefully in the direction of Helios.
As she walked, Chibi Usa worried. What will be waiting for her at the end of this journey, will she even find Helios? What if she found him but nothing has improved and it had been too late after all? These thoughts troubled her and when she looked up again she realized she had walked out of the area with the crystal trees and the shallow lake and was approaching a grassy area with tall pine trees growing around the edges. There was a thick fog that enveloped the place and Chibi Usa was temped to turn back and find a better way than through this depressing settling. However, the star was shinning over the mysterious forest and the princess knew she had no other real choice but to follow it. So she walked in and glanced up every now and then to check and make sure she was going in the right direction. As Chibi Usa carried on, she noticed how quiet the place seemed, like someone had just passed away and the forest was mourning. The through made her cringe and insecurity only pressed harder against her heart. The unnatural silence continued but Chibi Usa kept on walking. When she passed by a large tree, the princess abruptly stopped and gazed out in surprise as she beheld a wondrous site nestled in the middle of the thick woods.
Chibi Usa looked at the white buildings before her and slowly walked nearer, feeling a strong sense of age and mystery radiating from it with the thick fog covering the structures. From the mist Chibi Usa could make out two roman inspired buildings surrounded by a moat of clear flowing water. A path between the two buildings lead onto a sea of fog so thick that Chibi Usa couldn't make out anything beyond the first few yards. Behind the two buildings was a tower-like structure that from what Chibi Usa could tell, had a host of six or so ivy-covered ancient columns assembled atop a raised platform. Little did she know at that moment she had stumbled upon the central point of Elysian, and was beholding its great temple and prayer tower before her.
The bright star was now shinning squarely over the temple and as Chibi Usa took her first step onto the central mist covered path, she gasped when she saw her senshi fuku melt away in a flash of light into her formal gown. Chibi Usa stood and surveyed the buildings around her before the surprise died away and she once again focused on the path before her. Taking another tentative step forward, Chibi Usa held her breath as she kept her eyes on the foggy marble lane before her. As she walked forward the mist seemed to dissolve, almost as if acknowledging her presence and clearing the way so she might pass unobstructed. Chibi Usa watched then, as the fog lightened little by little. With each step, her heart thumped harder and harder. He could be just beyond the fog, at the very end of the path; she could even faintly distinguish his outline in the cloudy haze. The thought made Chibi Usa want to run down the full length of the marble lane but the atmosphere demanded that she kept her current pace to which she obeyed grudgingly.
Approaching the last of the thick mist, Chibi Usa saw a tall pediment supported by columns appearing high above the supposed end of the paved trail, sitting quietly beyond the trickle of the moat. With each step, more of the fog cleared and finally the last of it faded and the dark green of the trees was replaced by a crisp emerald from the sunlight. However, the silhouette Chibi Usa thought she had seen disappeared as well, like a dream touched by the morning sun. The stone structures around her looked at her whilst she stood motionlessly, them watching with ageless eyes as she realized there was nothing here at the end of the path expect perhaps for an imagined figure that has now vanished with the fog.
Chibi Usa's knees dropped to the floor, her hands touching the cool marble as tears collected at the edge of her eyes. She had come all this way and yet Helios was not here. She had wished so strongly to find him standing there at the end, smiling at her, alive and whole again. But that was not to be. Maybe it had been too late after all, and all that she had done was in vain. Face turned away from the light that shone forth from the direction she had came so that her shadow lay flat on the ground before her, Chibi Usa swallowed a sob, tears once again rolling down her rosy cheeks as she berated herself for her false sense of hope.
Stupid, this isn't a movie, there isn't always a happy ending! Chibi Usa lamented If only I could see his face one last time, hear his voice for one last time...
"Maiden..."
Chibi Usa didn't look up at the sound of her nickname, convinced it was a figment of her imagination and continued to weep. Only when she felt warm fingers touch her wet tear stained face did the princess lift her head, slowly opening her eyes and turning around in an expression of disbelief.
The sun was to his back but even so the comforting sunlight bordering his snow-white hair and outfit made him stand out from the backdrop of dark trees, creating an evanescent and surreal feeling to his presence. Ocher colored eyes shinning brightly and with a small smile on his face, the boy kept his fingertips on the princess' cheek; there was no evidence of any wounds or injuries as he bent down on one knee and looked straight into her crimson eyes.
Chibi Usa held his gaze for the longest moment, her eyes widen and trembled with emotion. This has to be a dream... Chibi Usa thought to herself, it'll all be over once I close my eyes, then I'll find myself all alone again...!
"This isn't a dream my maiden..." Helios said softly, as if he had heard the young woman's thoughts. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held the pink haired tightly to himself, the feeling of the transparent fabric covering Helios' arms sliding upon her skin only added to the reality of the moment.
"You've done it..." Helios' smile broadened and closed his eyes, their cheeks touching beneath the sunlight.
Chibi Usa could feel the warmth from Helios's body and hear the light inhale and exhale of his breath by her ear. Was this really him? Was the sensation her senses were telling her a lie? Chibi Usa asked herself. She wasn't sure what to do next but she wanted to know if this was a dream or not, so she raised her arms and place them across Helios' back. The air had been so silent and so tranquil; Chibi Usa could feel Helios' heart beat on her palm. Only a little while ago she had failed to find a pulse on the person now embracing her in his arms. Now he was holding her lovingly, his life restored.
A soft muffled cry slipped from Chibi Usa's lips before she tightened her grip and whispered his name, tears once again running down her face, but now they were tears of happiness and jubilation.
"Helios...Helios I thought you were...I thought you were...!" Chibi Usa driveled on but was silenced by a finger on her lips.
"I was, for a short while. But you brought me back, you were able to break the spell and return me to Elysian where its powers were able to restore me." Helios shook his head and looked at the girl kneeling beside him with a renewed sense of admiration and love. "You're an amazing person. You have recovered the power you thought you had lost, had in fact caused your crystal to evolve and even helped me realize my own strength over the Golden Crystal, a power I thought never existed. You've also preserved my life and broke away from Wise Man's influence; not everyone could do something like that." Helios added as a mild understatement.
"But I couldn't have done it without you! You were the reason why-why I didn't want to give up..." Chibi Usa hugged Helios tightly and rested her blushing face against his chest. "When I was inside Black Lady I heard your voice reaching out to me. It was then that I realized I didn't want to loose you; I don't want you to loose your beautiful dream."
Helios smiled and stood up. He helped the princess up with one hand and watched as Chibi Usa wipe away her last trace of tears. "I haven't lost my dream, either has you Helios." She continued "That's why the two of us are here, together." Chibi Usa nodded positively and a true smile broke onto her glowing face. A small smile yes, but radiant like a blooming rose in the festive spring air.
Helios returned the smile. Death had been a lonesome and empty place and it was good to be back, and to see his lady happy and smiling again.
Gazing out to the tree line, Chibi Usa tugged at Helios' hand and looked out towards the horizon, "Look". Helios turned his gaze in the direction Chibi Usa motioned towards and saw the sun just beginning to sink amongst the outline of towering pine trees. The majestic marble buildings were bathed in a wash of light yellow, their shiny surfaces reflecting the last rays of the day. The water in the stream at their feet was shimmering with patches of gold that danced as the water flowed.
"Sunset..."Chibi Usa said dreamily.
Helios looked at Chibi Usa and raised an eye brow "Remember our promise?"
At this Chibi Usa giggled and her face flushed before she nodded. "You've kept that promise. And you're right, it is beautiful!" She grinned and threw her arms around Helios, causing both of them to laugh.
As the laughter died down and the sun set lower, the two stood side-by- side, hands intertwined and for a long time neither of them said another word, only to quietly enjoy the scenery and each other's presence. A cool breeze brushed by, rustling Chibi Usa's dress hem. Chibi Usa felt relaxed, not just physically but mentally as well as emotionally. After the roller coaster ride she had gone through, from waking up after Bellona's nightmares to being turned back into Black Lady, the world seemed like a gentler place now. She was with Helios here in this breath taking place, with not a worry in the world, what more could she ask for? The princess beamed inwardly but something stilled tugged at the back of her mind. She was about to let it go when she felt the hand holding hers tighten a fraction.
"What is it Helios?" Chibi Us asked and saw that a sad frown had made its way onto Helios' features.
Helios hesitated before he sighed and looked towards Chibi Usa. "Chibi Usa...we...we can't be together like this forever, at least not yet. The others are still waiting for you. You need to go back soon."
At this Chibi Usa dipped her head. That's what the nagging feeling in the depth of her mind had been. Helios was right, Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Kamen, Saturn and the others must be worried sick about her by now. She had suddenly been swallowed up by the ground and no one knew she's here.
"I understand but..." Chibi Usa bite her lower lip "But I don't know when we'll see each other again..."
Helios cupped her face and said "I realize that. But we each have our places in life. Your home is in the 30th century while I must remain here to protect Elysian. You must remember your duty princess"
"But even if I were to return to the 30th century immediately after I find the others..." Chibi Usa demurred as a painful realization surfaced on her face. "You will still have to wait a thousand years before we'll have a chance of seeing each other again..."
Helios inclined his head, his resigned smile echoed Chibi Usa's own heartache. "Yes, a thousand years from now Crystal Tokyo will raise and you become its princess-"
"But it's just not fair!" she cried exasperatedly, moving away from Helios "I can return home in the blink of an eye with the Time Key while you have to wait...a thousand years!" Chibi Usa whispered heartbrokenly, the near unimaginable length of time Helios will have to endure seemed insurmountable to her.
"Chibi Usa," Helios walked closer to the dejected young woman. He lifted up her chin and looked into her eyes. "I have been alive since the time of the Silver Millennium, for me another thousand years is nothing compared to the millenniums I have already lived through. My appearance may change a little in that time but I will still be here, I will still be Helios, and I will always be the person you know and love."
Helios reached out and drew Chibi Usa into his arms again as the girl willingly slipped into his embrace. "Don't worry; I'll be here waiting for you, waiting for the day when we'll see each other again" He murmured into her hair.
Chibi Usa wrapped her arms around Helios' waist, her eyes clenched shut and tried her best to suppress her frustration before gently pulling away from him. "We will," she finally said and looked at Helios resolutely "and when we do, I'll be sure to gave you the present I've prepared for you! Until then," Chibi Usa laid her hands on Helios' wrist and looked at the necklace that still hang below the priest's hand, "keep this and don't lose it! Remember to give it back to me when we meet again!" with that she held up her pinky and Helios joined her as they hooked their fingers together in a new promise.
The sun had almost completely disappeared now and the fading orange-red light threw everything to a shade of ginger orange. Using his new found control over the Golden Crystal, Helios stepped back and a long oval stretched out beside him until it was a little taller than Chibi Usa in height.
"I will send you back to the surface. You should find yourself near the place where the other senshis are at the moment." Helios explained and waited patiently for Chibi Usa. The young princess stepped up to the portal and paused. She lowered her head, her face suddenly reddening visibly even in the evening glow.
"Helios..." the boy looked at Chibi Usa at the mention of his name and found the girl with her hands twisting nervously behind her back, her eyes hiding purposely behind her bangs. "You were the one who did it the last two times, so this time I..." but at that point Chibi Usa's voice has dropped to such a low whisper that Helios couldn't hear her despite the short distance between them. Instead he soon found out what she wanted to say when Chibi Usa closed her eyes, took a small step forward and touched her lips to his.
And so the sun watched as the two young lovers stood, their hearts linked together in a parting kiss. Then, as if out of modesty, the globe of light hid itself behind the horizon in the gorgeous land of Elysian.
Finally, Chibi Usa broke away from the kiss and was satisfied to see Helios' face as red as hers. She couldn't help but giggle at the blushing Priest of Elysian, who despite his age and vast knowledge, behaved like any other school boy who had just been kissed by a pretty girl.
Helios for his part, glanced at her as if he'd been tricked, but for a good while he had a look of absolute surprise and abashment on his face. Chibi Usa laughed at Helios' expression and her voice echoed through the trees around them like the laugh of a wood nymph. Helios only blushed harder as he touched his lips shyly and glanced away, trying to act discreet.
As her laughter subsided, Chibi Usa's expression grew sober as she stood in front of the portal that will take her home. "Goodbye Helios...remember our promise to each other..." she turned and looked at the white haired boy one last time, giving him a faint smile.
Helios smiled back and acknowledged her words with a nod; the star pendent on his wrist twinkled slightly. "Goodbye; for now..." he said, feeling the sadness that accompanies such farewells
At that Chibi Usa's smile broadened and she echoed "For now..." before her form disappeared into the portal and the oval closed in behind her.
-------------------------------------------------------
"Damn it, where did Wise Man take them to?" Mars screamed in frustration "We've already searched the whole place but there's not a trace of them!"
The senshis had indeed gone through a thorough search of Wise Man's ship but had come up with nothing. Back where they started, in the room once filled with Black Crystals, they had been surprised when on their return the crystals have all disappeared but Chibi Usa and Helios remained missing.
Mercury looked fearfully at her teammates "Guys, you don't think that maybe she's..."
"No." Sailor Moon's clear-cut answer surprised everyone. The other senshis raised their heads and looked at her questioningly.
"What makes you so sure?" Mars lowered her eyes "I can't even feel her any more..."
"But I can." Once again the others were surprised. Sailor Moon perched her lips "It's hard to explain but I know Chibi Usa's alive. I can feel it..." she looked to Kamen who nodded in turn.
"And Helios too, although his connection with me grew very weak with at one point, it's totally restored now."
Neptune sighed heavily "Even if they are safe, where could they be? I don't think they'll just reappear out of thin air-"
"Chibi Usa!" Saturn's delighted scream made every person in the room jump before each turned his or her head sharply to the direction of Saturn's voice.
Steeping out from a patch of shadows was Chibi Usa in her sailor fuku. She smiled warmly at her family and friends, skipping down the pile of debris she stood on to join Saturn who ran to meet her.
Saturn looked at Chibi Usa and asked urgently, her glaive raised just in case something unexpected happens. "Are you all right Chibi Usa?" The senshi of rebirth looked over her friend and noticed that she was wearing a fuku and the topic quickly changed. "Your powers...they've been restored!"
Chibi Usa smiled and embraced her friend "Yes, but oh I've missed you Hotaru-chan!" At that point Diana promptly jumped into the bunch and leaped her mistress' arms. Chibi Usa giggled as the cat purred in affection and rubbed its back against her chin. She then looked at the others who have gathered around her and gave them an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry I've worried you all. Everything's okay now; Wise Man's gone, for good this time."
Sailor Moon stepped forward and gave her daughter a big hug. No words were exchanged between the two but they each knew everything had been set right and there were no words that could express their thanks that they were together again.
Sailor Pluto watched silently from the back of the group, a knowing smile on her elegant face. It seems the new savior of the Earth has been born, and on a very appropriate day as well... she mused to herself.
Tuxedo Kamen placed a hand on the pink haired girl's shoulder and said bemusedly after glancing at her new uniform. "From the looks of things we'll have to remove the 'chibi' part of your title and call you 'Neo Sailor Moon' from now." He said proudly, looking approvingly at his daughter who blushed slightly and nodded approvingly.
"So what happened? How did you get your powers back and where's Helios- kun?" asked Saturn who looked back to see if the boy will reappear like her best friend and immerge from the shadows.
Neo Sailor Moon smiled but then the floor beneath them began to shake again, sending dust raining down upon their heads. "I have a lot of things to tell everyone but let's all go home first, this isn't a good place to stay right now." At that point a chunk of the ceiling came loose and crashed to the ground. The whole structure began shaking and it was apparent that without the energy of the Black Crystal to support it, the ship was falling to pieces.
"Right, sailor teleport time!" Sailor Moon rallied. After forming a circle, the senshis quickly took their leave of the place and watched atop a rooftop as the ship eventually crumbled away into dust. The black clouds that had covered the city washed away along with the ship and the bright stars and a full moon reappeared in the night sky. With the moon light on her face, Neo Sailor Moon sighed and was thankful that this nightmare was finally over.
Epilogue
It has been days now since the downfall of Wise Man. At the Tsukino's quiet suburban home, Chibi Usa sat atop her bed beside her tiny attic window, looking up at the sky. Her belongings were piled beside a partially packed backpack on the ground, ready for the trip back to the 30th century. Chibi Usa had told Usagi that she wanted to go home as soon as possible (of course, not giving her the real reason behind her rush), but Usagi had insisted for her to stay just a little longer and get certain things settled before she left. In the end Chibi Usa relented since Usagi had a point because she still had to wait until winter vacation ended and tell her friends at school that she was leaving again. The news of Helios' departure however, had the greatest effect on her peers. Many of the girls in the Hikaru fan club wept when they heard the news that he won't be coming back while others begged Chibi Usa for information regarding their idol's whereabouts. Since Chibi Usa could hardly redirect them to Elysian, she had to tell them-with a certain satisfaction-that he moved away and that most likely they won't be seeing him again.
After saying good bye to Momo-chan and all her other friends, Chibi Usa breathed a sigh of anticipation as she restlessly awaited returning home and immediately jumping to Elysian using the Time Key. In her hands was the picture frame she had dropped at the park, and which was returned to her by Minako who surprisingly did not squeeze her dry for the reason behind the gift. Frankly though, Chibi Usa would rather have it that ways, and let the secret behind the frame be kept between Helios and herself. The picture in the frame was no longer the one they took at Hokkaido for Chibi Usa decided that she didn't want to dwell on the bad memories of that trip. Instead during the past few nights she had put in a collage of photos, with pictures of her friends from school, the other girls, and even Mamoru and Usagi. The idea of putting in all the people Helios had known while on the surface came up when Chibi Usa realized she wanted to remind him of the happy times he spent during the last few months, and wouldn't be right if all their friends and family were left out. In the bottom right hand corner however, Chibi Usa put in a small picture of herself. It was a photo of her with a bright happy and energetic grin; a portrait of her true-self that she wanted him to remember her by.
"Chibi Usa" Usagi's voice brought Chibi Usa out of her wandering reveries. The young woman pushed the picture beneath her pillow before she grinned at the blonde.
"Hey Usagi, what is it?" Chibi Usa laughed as her future mother playfully ruffled her head as she plopped down on the bed.
"Just checking to make sure you're not getting yourself in trouble twerp!" Chibi Usa snorted and pushed Usagi's hand off her head. "But seriously," Usagi said in a more level tone, "you doin' okay with all that has happened lately? It was a big change that you just went through."
"Yeah," Chibi Usa sighed "Going from having no powers to having a whole new crystal is ...different...but I'll get use to it after a while" Chibi Usa finished with a smile. "By the way, how are those two doing?"
Knowing whom she was referring to, Usagi smiled warily "Well, considering those two use to be criminals, we thought we'd better help them find something to do to keep them out of trouble here on Earth. So we suggested Eisen to look into the bounty hunter business, since she wanted something exciting and 'fun' to do, as she put it." Chibi Usa giggled at this while Usagi continued, her smile sheepish all of a sudden "As for Oro, well...she wants to become a lawyer."
Chibi Usa stared at Usagi. Oro had been, as the woman herself had put it, one of the best con-artists and forgers in the universe. She had several run-ins with the law and Chibi Usa reasoned anyone with a reputation like hers would hate the severity of the legal service to its core. Usagi saw her expression and guffawed "Ha! That was our reaction when we heard that. But she's sharp and good with her tongue, so it's a good career choice I suppose" Usagi shrugged.
Chibi Usa nodded mutely as the conversation melted away and the two stood in silence. The distant noise of the city was occasional disturbed by the sound of an automobile driving past their street. Otherwise the fresh night air remained cool but not bitter and a thin line of bright line beyond the other houses displayed the location of down town Tokyo. It wasn't until minutes later that Chibi Usa spoke up.
"Usagi...what do you think will happen in the future? I mean, what Puu said, will there be even stronger enemies for us to fight in the future?"
Instead of an answer, Chibi Usa felt Usagi lay her arm across her shoulder. The blonde woman looked out towards the stars and in a tone she has heard many times before, began to reassure her with her voice. "Probably, but if that threat ever arise then we as senshis will be sure to meet it because we have people we love, whom we need to protect. We can't let them down."
"Yeah...you're right..." Chibi Usa nodded slowly. Battling evil is going to be tough but, as Chibi Usa thought to herself, her mind thinking back to the picture frame tucked beneath her pillow, there will always be something worth protecting as long as she doesn't give up.
The End (for now...)
A/N Wohoo! I'm finally done!
Six months and 15 acts later the "Return to the Past" saga has come to a close. Wow, I can't believe I actually did this! When I first started writing fan fictions I had never written anything creative outside of school before. Who would have thought a little daydream used to relieve boredom would become something people actually enjoy reading!
As for the future, I might make a few changes to the story but nothing to interfere with the plot line, just little spelling mistakes and stuff I want fixed. However, as you could probably tell by the little hint at the very end, I am itching to write a sequel. It's really weird how the story kind of carries itself on after you've start. Right near the end of this fanfic I began thinking about what else could happen and boom, another daydream was born!
Also, the doujinshi idea is still on so please gave me suggestions as to which acts I should draw. Angelgoddessmissy (she has an account here on has been kind enough to allow me to post my doujinshi on her site and if nothing goes wrong then you can start checking it out at her website over the summer.
A BIG "thank you" to all the people who've supported me, all the reviewers who reviewed my story and given me helpful comments and encouragements; you guys are the best! I also really want to thank Heavenly Pearl, Luna the Sage and others who were my beta readers. Of course I need to thank Takeuchi-sensei who created Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon and gave me something to daydream about.
Lastly, I'm sorry about being slow when it comes to updating, hopefully I'll be better at it in the future (cross fingers). Well, have a great summer now, and with a bit of luck and no writer's blocks, see you all soon!