Author's Note: Well, first as always, thank you to those who reviewed; although once again I didn't have time to check. Anyway, if you noticed last chapter, the story is more or less siding with the Manga now. We'll see where the romance between Usagi and Ran is heading now. Oh, and this chapter is a bit bloody. "No way to say" belongs to Hamasaki Ayumi. Yeah me and her songs. And big note, Eternal Sailor Moon CANNOT use the Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss. That's why you haven't seen it yet.
Rainbow
By: Sailor Moonac
Chapter Nine: Loss
By the time Ikuko, Kenji, and Shingo had come home, Usagi was still out cold. Ikuko insisted on sending Usagi to the hospital, but Ran pleaded against it. For the remainder of the day, Ran stayed by Usagi's side on the living room couch and had not eaten since lunch. Chibi-Chibi stayed with Usagi as well, but eventually the need of sleep beat her.
"Ran dear, it's getting late and you haven't eaten anything. Go to bed, Usagi will be fine." Ikuko laid her hand gently on Ran's shoulder as he sat staring at her. "Come on Ran."
Ran shook his head and continued to stare at Usagi. "Well, at least move her into her bed instead of leaving her on the couch." Ran looked up at Ikuko and nodded. He lifted Usagi gently into his arms and carried her up the stairs to her room. Upon entering, he immediately noticed Luna siting on her bed and Chibi-Chibi sleeping soundlessly beside her. Luna jumped of it so he could place her on it.
"Ran it's no use starving yourself worrying over Usagi." Luna hopped over to Usagi and placed a paw on her forehead.
"I know, but I'm not very hungry..." Ran laid his head down on his arms on Usagi's bed and closed his eyes. "I just want to sleep right now..."
Luna frowned at Ran but didn't say anything to let him sleep. Luna left from Usagi's window and jumped down to the pavement below. She started to head towards Rei's shrine. Halfway there she noticed a white cat in the darkness. "Artemis."
Artemis walked over to Luna and greeted her. "How is she?"
"She's still unconscious but Ran hasn't eaten anything or rested since this afternoon. He's just now going to sleep."
"Well he could probably use the rest. Let's get going Luna." Artemis led the way to the Hikawa shrine with Luna trailing behind him. When they finally reached the shrine, Phoebes and Deimos flew down from the Torii gate to meet them. Phoebes and Deimos crowed a bit and took flight again. Artemis looked after them and frowned.
"Artemis, do you notice something..." The trees around them had stopped rustling in the midnight breeze and the moon above them had suddenly become clouded. There was an eerie silence that perturbed the two cats.
"Yeah...I think Phoebes and Deimos senses it as well. Something is going on—" Artemis was interrupted by a sudden noise in the silence. Facing Luna, he whispered, "did you hear that?"
Luna nodded vigorously and moved closer to Artemis. The two crows had settled on the Torii gates and had become silent as well. The noise was heard again, then again, and again. "Footsteps..." Luna eased a bit but noticed Artemis and the two crows were still tense. "Artemis..."
"Evil. It's coming." Luna's eyes widened and her hair started to stand on end. "I can sense it now..." The footsteps were becoming louder and closer. "The stairs."
All eyes were on the stairs as a dark figure appeared at the base of the Torii gate. The figure placed its hands on the entrance to the Torii gates but was deflected back by the sacred barrier. The figure smirked and the Galatic bracelets started to glow. "It's like killing two with one stone. Or in my case, killing four with two stones." The barrier shattered and the two crows took flight.
"Sailor Tin Nyanko?!"
Rei woke up with a start and jumped off her futon. She slipped into her shoes and grabbed her wand that she kept underneath the pillow. 'Evil broke through the sacred barrier! It must be the Anima-mates!' Rei went out the front of the shrine and saw Tin Nyanko. "Sailor Tin Nyanko!"
Tin Nyanko looked at Rei and smirked. "You aren't of my concerns. Galatica Puppet!!" Rei was blasted into the shrine and knocked out cold. "Now for you four." Tin Nyanko smirked at the cats and crows and held out her hand. "I really don't want to kill you in these forms. Transform."
Luna and Artemis glared at Tin Nyanko and the two crows landed in front of them and started to glow. Their forms enlarged and they took the forms of human girls. One girl had a red jumpsuit, while the other had a dark blue jumpsuit. Both of them had raven black hair and black wings.
"Sailor Phoebes and Sailor Deimos. Perfect." Sailor Tin Nyanko charged at the former crows and attempted to claw them. Both of the Sailor Soldiers took flight and instead the claw hit Luna and Artemis.
"No!" Both Phoebes and Deimos charged down to attack Tin Nyanko, but Nyanko had used her Galatica Puppet attack to restrain the birds from flying or attacking. Tin Nyanko smirked and the two bracelets started to glow. Tin Nyanko fired two golden energy balls and blasted both Phoebes and Deimos's Sailor Crystal out. Both of them turned back into crows and disappeared.
"No..." Luna and Artemis had both tried to get up but they were both bleeding profusely. Both of them started to glow and turned into humans.
Tin Nyanko landed and smirked at them. One hand was holding two crystals and the other was directed at the two former cats. "That makes it so much more easier—"
"No you don't." Rei got up weakly and clutched her wand. "Mars Crystal Power, MAKE-UP!!" Sailor Mars readied her bow and summoned a flaming arrow. "Mars Flame Sniper!! The arrow was launched at a still smirking Tin Nyanko.
"You're dead." An attack intercepted Mars's arrow and a staff was stabbed through Mars's stomach.
"Sailor Mars!!"
Tin Nyanko turned to Luna and Artemis and fired two energy attacks. Two more crystals appeared in Tin Nyanko's hand. "Wouldn't Sailor Mau be so depressed..."
Sailor Chi landed next to bleeding the Mars and smirked. Unlike Sailor Phi, she was wearing a blood red dress instead of dark green pants. Blotches of liquid could be seen on her dress. Sailor Chi held out her hand and blasted Mars. A red Sailor Crystal was blasted out of Mars's body as her body disappeared.
Red eyes, blood red. Lots of red...lots of blood...Usagi woke up with a start and looked around to see that she was in her room. Usagi noticed Ran sleeping on the edge of the bed and took her bed sheets to wrap around him, leaving some for Chibi-Chibi as well. Usagi got off her bed to stand by the open window and looked out. 'Oh please just let that have been a terrible nightmare...'
Usagi went to her bed stand and took her broach, knowing deep inside that what she just saw was very real. Usagi headed to the window and stood on the perch, ready to jump out. With her broach clutched tightly in her hand, she jumped out. "Moon Eternal, MAKE-UP!!" Usagi flipped over in the air and flew off to the Hikawa shrine as Eternal Sailor Moon.
Within a few minutes, Sailor Moon landed in the front of the shrine in front of Sailor Tin Nyanko and Sailor Chi. There was a lot of blood on the ground. "Rei, Luna, Artemis, Phoebes, Deimos...you killed them..."
Both of the Anima-mates smirked and held out their hands full of crystals.
Sailor Moon glared at them and summoned the Eternal Tier. "Why you! Starlight Honeymoon Therapy KISS!!" The pink energy charged at the two Anima-mates.
Tin Nyanko looked slightly fearful, however Chi had just stepped forward in front of Tin Nyanko with her staff out. "Galatica Storm!!" A huge gale shot out of her staff and met Sailor Moon's attack in the middle. Both of the attacks exploded at contact and negated each other.
Feathers littered the area of the now wreaked shrine and now both of the Anima-mates were gone, leaving Sailor Moon in the middle of the shrine alone. At her feet were a broken red glass ball and two broken figurines of a cat and a crow. "No...NO!!" Sailor Moon fell to her knees crying and clutching her Eternal Tier.
The Sailor Starlights along with their princess stood in the distance watching Eternal Sailor Moon cry. Star Fighter's face was full of sympathy and anger. "Princess, we were too late."
Star Healer turned away to not have to see Sailor Moon's tears. "Yes, and it appears the latest Anima-mates is as strong as Sailor Moon."
Princess Kakyuu frowned and nodded. "Yes, all the more reason to stay and stop Galaxia. However, something tells me she is not out biggest enemy..."
Usagi had told the other Sailor Soldiers the next day at school and were all shocked. They seemed to have all forgotten about Ran since in the morning, Usagi was found sleeping on the couch with puffy eyes by her mom before school. Ran himself had not said anything to Usagi and avoided her all morning.
"It seems Ran still wants to leave..." Usagi looked at the other girls, eyes still puffy as a mushroom. "Right now, I really don't care. I just have to stop Galaxia first and get back the Sailor Crystals..."
"Usagi, you can't mean that you don't care about Ran right now. He is in danger too, remember, A!" reprimanded Ami in slight shock. The girls never really thought Usagi would stop caring about Ran.
"Yeah, if he wants to leave then he should leave. He'll be safer away from me."
Makoto slammed her fist to the table. "That is not true. He needs you to protect him. You need him to protect you. No one is abandoning anyone."
"It's not abandon when you choose to leave." Usagi smiled a fake smile at them. "And really, I can't have anything to do with Ran..."
Minako pulled the other two girls away from Usagi and started to whisper to them so Usagi wouldn't hear. "Usagi's afraid that she's going to put Ran in danger. However, she's also afraid to replace anyone in her heart aside from Mamoru."
"But Mamoru is dead..." Ami looked over sadly to Usagi.
"Yes, but Usagi must still have some hope of him being all right. She just doesn't want to love anyone else." Minako huffed a but angrily. "But you can't ignore the feelings in your heart!"
"Tell that to Usagi." Makoto went over to her bag and fished out the cookies for Usagi. "Here Usagi."
Usagi took it gratefully and started to nibble on them. Usagi had heard the last statement by Minako but pretended not to. Who wouldn't be able to hear Minako when she's shouting? 'Ignore the felling in your heart. I can't love Ran just because Mamoru is dead...Mamoru...' Usagi's eyes started to fill up with tears. 'I won't allow anyone else to die because of me. Ran has to leave, but what about A?
'A would kill Ran when he has the chance, and without me to protect him, then what? I'm the Champion of Justice; I just can't let someone die! What can I do? What should I do?' Usagi finally finished her first cookie and took another one. 'I could talk to the Starlight's Princess. Yeah, that's what I'll do.'
"Yes, may I talk to your Princess."
Taiki and Yaten looked at Usagi and frowned. "Why do you want to talk to her?"
Usagi looked down. "I just wanted to talk to someone who doesn't really know what's going on...so they won't be biased..." Usagi bowed to the two and started to leave. "I am sorry for having bother you like that. I'll leave."
"No please don't. I would love to talk to talk you Sailor Moon." Princess Kakyuu came out from the manor the Three Lights were staying in. "Please, come in."
The two members of the Three Lights stepped aside for Usagi to enter but glared at her. Princess Kakyuu led Usagi to the sitting room of the manor and beckoned her to take a seat. "What brings you in search of me, Sailor Moon?"
"Please, just Usagi Princess—?"
"Princess Kakyuu, Usagi. What is troubling you?"
"Have you ever lost someone you really love and feel that you are meant to be with?"
Princess Kakyuu smiled slightly and nodded. "Yes, I had lost my lover when Galaxia destroyed my planet."
"Oh, I'm sorry—"
"Usagi, please don't say that. You have nothing to be sorry about. It is Galaxia that should be sorry."
Usagi smiled weakly. "I think Galaxia had killed the one I loved as well. I'm not sure, but I believe so..." Usagi wiped away a tear. "But I seem to be falling in love with someone else."
"Ran?" Princess Kakyuu and Usagi looked up to see Seiya at the entrance of the sitting room.
"Seiya..." Usagi looked away from Seiya and focused on the Princess. "Yes Ran." Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see that Seiya had frowned.
"You fear betraying your lover with the boy, Ran?" Usagi nodded. "But if you really love him, wouldn't you follow your heart?"
"But Ran will be in danger with me—"
"But he'll be in danger without you." Usagi looked at Seiya in bewilderment. "I heard your conversation with your friends at school."
"Yes..."
"Look." Princess Kakyuu took Usagi's hands in her own. "It's not easy to find someone to love. I can't tell you what to do, but I can suggest to you to stay with Ran. If you really love him, you would do what your hearts tell you. It isn't a crime to love more than one person, which I'm sure Venus could tell you even better than I can. Just follow your heart."
Usagi nodded and stood up to leave. She turned around to bow to Princess Kakyuu and left the manor. Usagi walked down a street near the manor but stopped when she heard a radio. She looked over to the old woman that was playing the radio softly. "Excuse me, can you turn that up?" The old woman nodded and turned up the radio.
/The old wound left on me
Begins to ache
I hide my trembling heart
And pretend to smile
Even in my age now, I'm the same as before
As timid as before
I only learn how to pretend to be strong
Though my heart is filled with feelings to convey
You see, I seem to be unable to find anyway to say
If I had not met you
I wouldn't even have such a perplexing pain
Little by little, I've come to realize
That my past never heals
And that it's no use
Fearing the future I can't deny
How much more courage do I need?
To say it with my head held high
"This is the only important thing to me?"
Though I have firm feelings
You see, I can't find anyway to say as usual
Everyone is living this way
With feelings they can't express
Though my heart is filled with feelings to convey
You see, I seem to be unable to find anyway to say
If I had not met you
I wouldn't have such a perplexing pain and...
Though I have firm feelings
You see, I can't find anyway to say as usual
Everyone is living this way
With feelings they can't express/
"The only thing important to me...the most important thing to me is undoubtedly the ones I love." Usagi continued to walk home slowly pondering the thoughts of Minako, Princess Kakyuu, and that of the song. 'People can't express their feelings so well. What about Ran? Does he have feelings for me? Of course he does, that's why Minako went to all that trouble to find out—' Usagi stopped and blinked. "Figures she would forget to tell me. But Shingo already said he does."
'I'm worrying about Ran when Mamoru, Rei, Luna, Artemis, Phoebes, and Deimos are dead. But I should at least have Ran stay. Makoto is right in the fact that Ran needs me to protect him. And as Sailor Moon, that is what I should do. I can't believe my resolve weakened for even just a short time...' Usagi broke out into a run and headed towards her house as fast as she could. 'I have a feeling that if I don't tell Ran now, I might not ever get the chance to...'
Usagi was about a block away from her house when she sensed a very familiar energy. "That's coming from the school! Minako and Ami's powers!" Usagi grabbed her broach off her school uniform and raised her broach over her head. "Moon Eternal, MAKE-UP!!"
Eternal Sailor Moon flew off towards the school but the instance she took flight, an attack was sent her way. "Galatica Puppet!!" Sailor Moon flew high up to dodge the attack and faced Sailor Tin Nyanko.
Tin Nyanko smirked at her as Sailor Moon glared at her. "You killed Luna, Artemis, Phoebes, and Deimos! How could you?!"
"How could I? To repent for failing to kill you! Galatica Puppet!!" Energy shot out of her hand in a powerful stream and smashed into a house when Sailor Moon dodged it.
Sailor Moon gasped as the attack destroyed the house. Thankfully, no one was home at the time. "You have absolutely no heart, why would you join someone like Sailor Galaxia?!"
Tin Nyanko landed on the ground, eyes oddly dazed looking, even for an Anima-mate. "For power. That's why. I wasn't born a destined Sailor Soldier. I was born a commoner of the planet Mau. The same planet your two cats came from. And Sailor Mau was the protector of that planet. But I wanted her power, the power of a Sailor Soldier. So when Sailor Galaxia came and offered me the chance at her powers, I of course accepted. Even if I had to sell her my Starseed."
Sailor Moon's eyes widened. 'Luna and Artemis?!' Sailor Moon's gaze turned into a glare. "So you killed a person just to have power. You are DESPICABLE!!" Eternal Sailor Moon summed her Eternal Tier and the staff extended until it touched the ground. "Starlight Honeymoon Therapy KISS!!" Pink energy charged at Sailor Tin Nyanko with pure white feathers surrounding the attack.
"I won't be defeated! Galatica Puppet!!" Both attacks collided against each other but unlike last night, the two attacks were not equal in power. Sailor Moon's attack charged through Tin Nyanko's and struck her. The Galatic bracelets were instantly shattered and her body deteriorated.
The Eternal Tier went back to its original length as Eternal Sailor Moon headed towards the school. 'I hope I'm not too late.'
Sailor Venus and Sailor Mercury both smashed through the concrete building and landed on the pavement on the ground. Both of them were talking on the school roof about Usagi when Sailor Chi attacked them. Try as they might, their combined strength was still not enough to take on the new Anima-mate.
Sailor Venus struggled to her feet only to fall back down again. "Mercury, she must be the one that took down Rei—"
Sailor Mercury herself could barely lift her head but tried her best. "Yeah, she's stronger than the other ones." Mercury looked at her broken visors on the ground beside them. "Much stronger—"
"Are you done talking yet, because I want to kill you now." Sailor Chi landed down in front of them.
"You..." Venus tried to get back up but with no avail.
"Die."
"Starlight Honeymoon Therapy KISS!!"
Sailor Chi looked to her side nonchalantly as Eternal Sailor Moon's attack charged at her. "Galatica Plant Blizzard!!" An attack intercepted Sailor Moons' own and wrapped the vines around the two Inner Soldiers, constricting them. Sailor Phi flew down beside Sailor Chi.
"Twin Soldiers?!" Eternal Sailor Moon landed in front of the other Sailor Soldiers. "Who are you two?!"
The girl with neon green hair, red eyes, and a blood red dress stepped forward. "I am Sailor Chi, the one who killed the Soldier of Mars."
The other girl with the same features except with a dark green pants-outfit stepped forward after her. "And I am her twin sister Sailor Phi."
"We are the loyal subjects of Sailor Galaxia, and your reapers of death." Sailor Chi turned around and faced the constricted Soldiers. She held out her staff and fired.
"NO—"
"Jupiter Oak Evolution!!" Sailor Jupiter's attack collided with Sailor Chis' but could not deflect it. It instead weakened it a little bit and only shot Sailor Mercury. Sailor Mercury's Sailor Crystal shot out of her body into the hands of Sailor Chi as her body disintegrated.
"No, Mercury!! AMI!!" Eternal Sailor Moon burst into tears and Jupiter looked shocked.
Sailor Phi wasted no time and charged at Sailor Jupiter at full speed. She swung her staff at Jupiter who noticed it at the last second and barely dodged it. However she didn't notice Phi's kick coming her way and knocked her to the school fence.
Sailor Chi on the other hand had blasted Sailor Venus and extracted her Sailor Crystal. The vines that were binding Mercury and Venus now were constricting Sailor Moon to prevent her to fight. Sailor Chi abandoned Sailor Moon and instead went to Sailor Jupiter. "Would it hurt you to help me Phi?"
"It's your job, I won't deprive you of a kill. I have my own kill to work on." Sailor Phi instead of teleporting in a telephone booth, vines sprouted out of the ground and wrapped around her body. Unlike Sailor Moon, the vines covered her body completely from view and then opened up and shrank back into the ground. Sailor Phi was gone.
"Usagi, we are always here for you..."
Sailor Chi turned to face the fallen Sailor Jupiter and smirked. "I guess those are your last words then. Die." Sailor Chi shot Sailor Jupiter.
"No!" Eternal Sailor Moon struggled against the vines that surprisingly released her. Sailor Moon took little notice of her glowing Eternal Tier...
"Sailor Jupiter!!"
Sailor Chi smirked at her and a gale of a storm appeared from the ground. It surrounded her completely and disappeared back into the ground.
Usagi sunk to the ground with her broach in one hand and the Eternal Tier in the other. The place where Sailor Chi was standing at had three broken glass balls; a blue one, a green one, and an orange one. Usagi vaguely got up and gathered the fragments into her hand after she had reattached her broach. The sky above her clouded and started to rain as Usagi's tears trailed down her face. Usagi walked silently out of the schoolyard, fists still clutched tightly on the glass shard and her Eternal Tier. She didn't even seem to notice the glass cutting into her hand...
"Yes Lieutenant, I would like to come back to the Research Institute." Ran sat on his bed with his visors and wired gloves on.
"But you only got your freedom a few days ago, why would you want to go back after all of this time you ran away?" Lieutenant Gingetsu could visibly see that Ran was struggling with his emotions. "What is going on Ran? What has happened?"
"It's nothing Lieutenant Gingetsu, it's just...it's just I don't want to burden this family with my death."
Lieutenant Gingetsu could see that Ran was lying, or at least partially lying. "All right, but I want you to think about it. I'll contact you tomorrow at sundown if you don't call me before then."
"What do you mean call before then?"
"If you change your mind." With that Lieutenant Gingetsu ended the transmission.
Ran sighed heavily and made his visors and gloves disappear. 'I might as well tell Usagi that I'm leaving tomorrow. I was really cruel to her these past few days...' Ran got up off his bed and went to Usagi's room. The room door was closed so Ran knocked a few times. Upon receiving no answer, he decided to just go in.
Ran opened the door and went in. Immediately he noticed Usagi was not in there and that her bed hadn't been slept in since this morning. 'I guess she still isn't home, but what could be taking her so long?' Ran went to her bed and sat down on it. He picked up her photo of Mamoru and herself and looked at. Ran frowned even more and placed the picture frame back, picture down.
"Hmn?" Ran noticed some broken glass on Usagi's table and went to examine it. Upon closed inspection, Ran could tell it was a glass red ball, a cat figurine, and a bird figurine. Possibly a crow, but why was it all broken? And why would Usagi have broken figurines? 'She shouldn't leave it around for Chibi-Chibi to find and hurt herself with.'
Ran heard a noise downstairs and he heard Ikuko scream. Ran rushed downstairs to the front parlor and saw Usagi soaked from head to toe in water. In one hand, she had the Eternal Tier and her other hand was clenched in a fist with blood dripping from it...
"Usagi, what's wrong? Talk to mommy!" Ikuko turned to face Ran, although she was holding Usagi by her shoulders. "Ran get some towels and some dry clothes for Usagi!"
Ran nodded and ran upstairs. He returned to the kitchen a few minutes later with some fluffy towels, which Ikuko wrapped around Usagi, and a pair of slippers and pajamas. Shingo was on the stove boiling some hot water for some tea and Chibi-Chibi was sitting on the kitchen counter looking at Usagi with a worried expression. Ran stood by the kitchen entrance awkwardly and looked at the crying Usagi who was clutching her fist and the Eternal Tier close to her heart. She didn't seem to comprehend her mom.
Finally, Ikuko took Usagi to the upstairs bathroom that Ran didn't break the mirror in and asked Shingo to bring the tea up to her room when it was done. Ran stayed downstairs and finished cooking the dinner Ikuko was cooking with Chibi-Chibi.
In the evening when Kenji came back home, everyone went down to eat dinner except Usagi. According to Ikuko, she was still in her room crying. Also she wouldn't let go of whatever was in her fist nor her scepter. Ran ate in silence and had a pokerfaced expression. The Tsukinos could not figure out if Ran was sad or not and Chibi-Chibi had went to the living room to watch the television.
After dinner, Ran decided to go to Usagi's room to see how she was. He decided on not telling her yet about leaving tomorrow because it would probably sadden her more. But still...
Ran knocked on Usagi's door but got sniffs as answers so he just entered without her response. Usagi was leaning against her bed on the floor by her table. Ran noticed the glass shards weren't there on it anymore. He also noticed that Usagi hadn't touched her tea at all.
"Usagi..." Ran sat down next to her and saw that the blood had dripped on to her pajamas and were dry now. She was using two hands to clutch whatever she was holding and the Eternal Tier was leaning against her shoulder. Ran reached over to her cup of tea and warmed it with his powers. "Here, you should at least drink this."
Usagi took no notice of his presence and continued to sob. Ran placed the cup back onto the table and reached over to her hands. He tried to pry it open but Usagi struggled against him and buried it in her chest more. Ran sighed and gave up on opening her fist, so he went to the bathroom to get the first aid kit. He returned a minute later and sat back down next to her.
"Will you at least say what is wrong?" Ran pulled Usagi to his chest and gently pried open Usagi's hands instead of being forceful like the last time. This time, Usagi complied and winced when she opened her hand. Ran saw glass shards of the cat, the bird, the red ball, plus a green ball, a blue ball, and an orange ball as well. Ran gently placed the blood stain shards on the table and pulled her Eternal Tier away. He pulled out a pair of tweezers and summoned his visors to start pulling out the glass shards. "This must hurt a lot, especially to clench it for hours." Ran pulled the out the first shard and Usagi winced a bit. Ran set the tweezers down and grabbed the cup of tea. He slowly helped Usagi drink the tea, occasionally blowing it to cool it. He wouldn't let Usagi touch the cup with her hands.
After the tea was finished, Ran set the cup back down on the table and resume pulling out the shards. Once he was done pulling them all out with the help of his visors, he washed the wounds out with peroxide and bandaged them. He then just held Usagi lightly in his arms and leaned his head gently against hers. Usagi had stopped crying now, but her eyes were puffy and an occasional sob could be heard from her. After about five minutes of just holding her, Ran shifted a bit and decided to break the silence. "Will you talk to me now?"
Usagi as before didn't acknowledge his presence but rather more sighed and closed her eyes. Usagi reached out to the table, but Ran grabbed her hand to prevent her from grabbing the shards. Usagi pulled away from his grasp and grabbed her Eternal Tier. She held it close to her heart and leaned back against Ran. "I..."
Ran was slightly surprised that Usagi spoke and coaxed her a bit more for her to talk. "I—what?"
"I lost...everyone..."
Ran's eyes went wide and looked at the glass shards. "What do you mean?"
"Mamoru...Ami...Rei...Makoto...Minako...Luna...Artemis...Phoebes...Deimos...they are all gone." Usagi started to cry again. "Sailor Galaxia killed them all!"
Ran gasped. "Then the shards. A cat for Luna and Artemis. A blue ball for Ami. A red ball for Rei. A green ball for Makoto. An orange ball for Minako. A bird?"
"Phoebes and Deimos. Rei's crows. They're both Sailor Soldiers in disguise..." Usagi pulled the Eternal Tier away from her chest and looked at it.
"Why do you still have it? Doesn't it usually disappear when you de-transform?"
"Yes, but I wanted it close so I could fight easily if I needed too. And now...I don't even have enough power to defeat the newest Anima-mates."
"What do you mean?" Ran removed his hands away from Usagi.
"My attack can't even hurt the two new Anima-mates who killed the Inners..." Usagi placed the Eternal Tier down on the ground and turned around to face Ran. "Ran please don't leave me. I can't stand being alone, and..." Tears trailed down Usagi's face and hit Usagi's bandaged hand. "And I fear losing you...Today I could have been killed by those two, yet they didn't. They want me to suffer this loneliness. Please Ran, don't help them make me suffer—"
"Never!" Ran wrapped his arms around Usagi again. "I would never—"
"Then please stay with me, just a little bit longer. I don't know what would happen to me if I had to do this alone. I'm not that strong on my own..." Usagi buried her face into Ran's chest and cried there. 'Usagi, we are always here for you...' Usagi pulled away from Ran's chest and looked him in the eyes. 'Always...' The radio turned itself on, or maybe it was Ran?
/The old wound left on me
Begins to ache
I hide my trembling heart
And pretend to smile/
'Did Ran say that? No those were Makoto's dying words...But even after all of this time, they all still come back to me...'
/Even in my age now, I'm the same as before
As timid as before
I only learn how to pretend to be strong/
"Ran, would you...?"
/Though my heart is filled with feelings to convey
You see, I seem to be unable to find anyway to say
If I had not met you
I wouldn't even have such a perplexing pain/
"Would I..."
/Little by little, I've come to realize
That my past never heals
And that it's no use
Fearing the future I can't deny/
"Would you come back to me...?"
/How much more courage do I need?
To say it with my head held high
"This is the only important thing to me?"/
"Of course..."
/Though I have firm feelings
You see, I can't find anyway to say as usual
Everyone is living this way
With feelings they can't express/
"When you reach eternal sleep."
/Though my heart is filled with feelings to convey
You see, I seem to be unable to find anyway to say
If I had not met you
I wouldn't have such a perplexing pain and.../
Ran visibly frowned, and her face seemed to be much closer than it was. "I'll try..."
"No, please say you will. Because I don't think I can stand to live alone..." Ran could see every single tear on her face. How the tears cling to her lashes. How cerulean blue her eyes were, even when they were glassy and filled with tears...
/Though I have firm feelings
You see, I can't find anyway to say as usual
Everyone is living this way
With feelings they can't express/
"I'll come back to you...I promise..." Ran couldn't see anything else about her features. His eyes were closed. 'I may not be able to express my feelings in words, but I can still express my feelings. I'm sure they are clear now...'
"We have to go to our mother stars. These invaders some how are coming into the star system without us noticing." Haruka stood by her car outside of Hotaru's mansion with Setsuna, Michiru, and of course Hotaru.
Setsuna nodded. "Yes, the future will change at this rate, and the Inner Soldiers are all dead."
"Not only the Inners, but Mamoru, Luna, Artemis, Phoebes, and Deimos as well. What will happen to Chibi-Usa now?" Hotaru held back her tears and focused her attention on Setsuna.
"Most likely, she's dead now."
"We have to stop this at all costs." Michiru faced Hotaru. "You stay here on earth and protect the Princess. We three shall go to our planets to investigate."
Hotaru nodded. "Be careful. I'll protect the princess at all costs."
Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna nodded. "Uranus Crystal Power..."
"Neptune Crystal Power..."
"Pluto Crystal Power..."
"MAKE-UP!!" Once transformed, the three Outer Soldiers took flight and headed off to their castles.
"Good luck you guys."
In the shadows above the mansion, two twin figures stood floating against the blood red moon. Both of them were carrying staffs.
"Looks like it's your turn sister."
"Yes, and you had so much fun. I didn't want to interfere, that's why I didn't kill anyone."
"Well then, which shall you take down first."
"I could always take down her, or..." The figure tossed up four balls and caught three in the hand without the staff. She caught the last ball with her staff hand. "I could do that."
"Perfect, let's go. I'm glad Tin Nyanko is dead."
"Yes, no more of the weakling Anima-mates. With us, the Universe will not stand a chance." Both of the shadows disappeared then.
"Huh?!" Hotaru spun around and looked at the roof of her mansion. "I guess I imagined it...but I could have swore someone was there."
Two shadows could be seen behind Hotaru...
Done! Yep, I just had to leave it there. Oh and just to let you guys know if you didn't pick it up, Ran did kiss Usagi, and I don't mean any cheek kiss. I hope you guys like this chapter. I tried to do it all on Sunday since I have school every other day of the week.
Anyway, some of the attacks might be wrong because I didn't know how to translate it to English. Can anyone help me with them? Especially the attacks of the Anima-mates that don't show up in the Anime.
Yes, (sniffs) I just had to kill all of those guys off. That was sad to type. I pretty much cried, although I did cry watching Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon act 47. Now that was sad. "No way to say" belongs to Hamasaki Ayumi as always. I always use her songs because they always fit with everything. Don't take the lyrics, it takes too long to translate. Oh, and if anyone wants to listen to "No way to say" because it's just beautiful, e-mail me and I'll see if I could send it. Hmn, now what else. Oh, I'm still not done my fan art so, don't expect that in a while. Chibi-Chibi will get a bigger role in the next few chapters since she didn't do anything in this chapter.
Next chapter will mostly likely be in a while. I'll do my best to get at least one or two chapters out a month, so expect that.
Please Review!
-Sailor Moonac