Disclaimer: No.

"Over again"

Chapter 7

Let's forget who we've been

and give into the dream,

Maybe life is a song

that's how it seems,

And forever more we'll

hear the news it plays

Yes, forever more I'll take

you in my arms this way...

(From Tenchi Muyo, sung by Ryoko)

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One lonely woman, clad all in white stood in the middle of an empty room, clutching the big black cloak in her delicate hands, sobbing silently. Numbness gripped at every one of her senses and although she was near hysterics her mind wasn't completely clouded. Still her eyes full of bright tears, narrowed from the pain, reflected bits of anger too, staring right in front of her. A question rose throughout the room, coming from her soft lips.

"What did you do...?"

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The surface was calm, serene, giving away an ethereal glow. It did not falter it's image of peace, not even when soft steps, like sakura petals walked upon it. The steps were too light to put any real weight, to disturb the water. Among the midsts, devilish smile broke trough, settled on one little pretty face.

Oh yes, that face of an so called 'angel' smiled, sure of her self. Finishing her final step she raised her head, eyelids going up and revealing brilliant blue eyes. But as much this girl, almost woman was pretty, iced words drew out of her.

"Your turn now, Beryl."

The red haired Queen could only stand and watch the Princess approaching. She didn't believe her eyes. She killed the little pest! But the question remained - why was she then now walking towards her and on top of it all, making herself look like Death hasn't touched her at all?

Why is all of her careful planing falling apart? The woman, filled with the blinding rage, turned again to the little figure approaching her and grasping the staff harder in her hand, smiled viciously. She didn't have in mind to give up... Beryl never gives up... Evil neither.

Usagi didn't seem occupied by Beryl at all. She gathered her hands in front of herself, quickly forming a ball of silvery light between them. Closing her eyes, she stretched her arms as far as they could go, the light transforming into a shape that could be easily recognised as a sword.

Slowly, second by second, sword was forged in it magnificent shape. Finally when the last molecule was in it's place, with her right hand Usagi gripped the hilt firmly and twirled it around, taking a fighting stance.

Beryl grinned at the child before her and pointed with her staff at the right, to the remains of once beautiful empire. "My dearest, do you really think you can go against me? I really don't know how come you're standing here, but I know this. I've beaten you once, I'll do it again."

"That kind of presumption is for fool's." Usagi answered as she lunged forward, attacking her opponent head on.

Beryl managed to block the hit with her staff, although losing a bit of her balance, stumbled backwards. "You impotent fool! I will not be defeated by you..!" She struck against Usagi, delivering a forceful blow, which ended at the tip of the sword, formally sliding down it's full length.

Usagi only smiled at her. "You really don't know anything about me, Beryl." she spatt her name like a bad taste she couldn't get rid of. "But I know too much about you..."

Time wasn't of the matter to any of them. Only, Beryl really didn't have the patience for fighting. She summoned a ball of energy and released it at the Princess. Seeing it approaching, Usagi tried to dodge it's whole path but wasn't successful. It stroke her hand, forcing her to lose her grip on the sword which flew a few good meters away.

Cursing her lack of attention, she held her hand gently to herself, before sensing the power healing her. The blood retraced it's course back into the wound, which closed itself and Beryl only watched in amazement.

"What the hell did you do?!" the angry Queen screamed.

"Just a little spell. And oh yes, did I fail to mention you can't kill me?" Usagi smirked. It was good to see her 'greatest' enemy without words. She could swear that if she was in some cartoon, right know a question mark would appear over Beryl's head. As she imagined it she also went to answer the troubled woman.

"You see... I'm already dead." and that smirk from earlier only grew bigger upon the look of pure astonishment on the face across her.

Beryl, firstly astounded, kept staring at the young girl in front of her, only to break out of her short stupor and smiled evilly. "Well, well... well so the little one isn't so little after all. You could say I underestimated you."

"Mother always said - never jump to conclusions."

"Maybe your dear mother was right, but she dead now. Very much so." Beryl looked to her right again, to put meaning on her words.

Usagi followed her gaze, bitter smile creeping on her face. "True." Looking back at the Queen, she raised her sword again, "I think it's time I end this." and she charged.

White light blinded Beryl, and before she had the time to react, the cold blade ran through her, leaving her wondering how it was possible to lose so quickly and to a mere child...

The moment the sword touched Beryl's skin, Usagi felt light-headed, and the borrowed power slowly kept leaving her body. Understanding dawned on her, seeing her hand go transparent and the numb feeling of weakness filling the depth of her stomach. The sword fell to the ground and upon the touch disappeared, leaving only the traces of white snowflakes of power lingering in the air.

Usagi, lifting her eyes to look at the fallen Queen, saw blood, oozing out of the wound and sliding down Beryl's body, soaking her dress completely with the reddish colour. The picture faltered for a second, then turned clear again. She tried to raise to her feet, and almost succeeded, stumbling.

Her last view was the scene of the evil Queen falling wordlessly to the ground, presumably dead. Power that once fuelled her actions was now gone, and before closing her eyes, whiteness took her in. Only two sweet words, softly spoken on the whisper on a lost language were left behind when the yellow light hugging the Princess went down.

"It's over..."

The Princess was now gone, but the evil was not. Although Usagi's plan was perfect she forgot one little detail. She did kill Beryl, the Queen but she didn't defeat the Evil. For Metallica was still alive, in a form of one of the blackest energies and had a thousand years to plan how to rise again.

So much for the perfect planing and sacrifices..

***

It was beyond imagination what happened. The girls stood there, silently in the middle of the room, their brains slowly comprehending what happened just now before their eyes. Luna welcomed herself on her legs after the desperate jump and now with her head down stared blankly in the floor. Artemis was looking at her sadly, for he figured it out almost exactly when she did, and knew very well there was nothing to do now. Rei, finally gaining her words, was the first to respond.

"It was a trap! It was a trap all a long!" Her dark eyes immediately turned to Minako, anger burning in them. "And you knew! You lead us into it, didn't you?!"

Minako had nothing to say, remorse filling her entire being. She didn't know that Chibiusa was in danger. Usagi swore to her she wasn't. And she, herself knew that Usagi would never do anything to harm her daughter. Words quiet as a whisper left her lips, maybe in defence and maybe as accusation.

"It wasn't supposed to happen like this..."

She didn't get to say anything after that, for all the words would be silenced by the thundering outside. Blue light appeared in the yard of the Shrine and the girls rushed out, leaving Minako and Rei standing it the room still.

Rei turned to her blonde friend. "I don't know what happened, but I'll find out. I just can't believe you didn't say anything to us... I thought you were different, I guess I was wrong." with that words, she turned her back to Minako and went after the rest of the group.

As she was stepping down, once again the blue light broke through the sky. Rei raised her hand to shield her eyes, only to catch glimpses of the others doing the same thing.

Looking again, she laid her eyes on two figures lying on the ground, unmoving. One small, the figure of a girl she hasn't seen for a year and the another of a man she hasn't seen for the top amount of fifth-teen minutes. The difference between them was, that the girl soon moaned, raising up, and the man didn't.

Minako came running out of the Shrine, and threw herself into Usagi's arms, hugging her like there was no tomorrow. Sobs broke through the silence of everyone accounted for. Minako was the only one to approach Usagi, the other girls just standing a meter away and looking at them.

Usagi's eyes shone with tears, and you could say happiness. "It's over Minako. I did it..."

But the words didn't bring any comfort to the crying girl. Instead she only cried harder, pushing away a bit. "No, Usagi... no..."

Usagi looked at her, puzzled. "Minako, why do you say that? What happened?" She looked around, scanning the area, and surely saw her fighters for justice around her, and two cats in the background, one with a sad smile upon her face and tears brimming down her cat face.

"Luna... what...? Why...?" then her gaze fell on the lone figure of a man still lying on the ground. Her eyes widened, new tears already appearing, comprehension entering her tired mind. She turned to Minako, "Tell me," she shook her, "tell me what happened!!" then pushed her away and with effort picked herself up from the ground and run to the man she loved.

Grabbing his strong form, she shook him hard calling for him. "Mamoru... please... Mamo-chan..." She sounded desperate, clinging to him more and more every second. Her heart started breaking into tiny pieces, sorrow taking over. So, she looked at the girl now standing by her, for answers.

"Rei... what happened?"

Rei, looked at her formal leader in unhiden disgust, and uttered the words no-one else apparently dared to say.

"You happened.. Princess."

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The End of Chapter 7

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AN: Sorry of the long not-updating. Family problems. Not really an excuse. Sorry.

Thank you for ALL of your reviews and patience. Especially to ExDriverLiz.

Love,

Chiisana Anisa