Chapter 23: The Saving Grace

Eternal Sailor Moon watched in horror as her Saturn attack, one of the most power magic counters was feebly swallowed by the growing energies of Lord Sauron. She had failed, everything that the Fellowship had worked for had came to nothing. Suspended in the air, she berated silently to herself. Her face remained expressionless but her gale-blue eyes displayed the inner battle within.

Then in the distance, her enhanced hearing as Sailor Moon had caught the cries of Frodo and Sam. They were still alive but as rationale sank in, she realized that if they were alive then they certainly had destroyed the Ring. ESM was not the only one to hear the distant distress call. With his Elven hearing, Legolas caught it as well but he dared not cry out in a relief. Rather, the Elf started off, leaping over dead corpses of Orcs, Men and discarded weapons, calling out Gandalf's name. When the two met, the Wizard did not try to hide his emotions though he still had enough composure to call forth the Eagles, allies who also came to assist in the battle.

At that moment, the group were joined by the others, including Aragorn and Eternal Sailor Moon who had landed beside them. The Group starred momentarily at the female, for no longer was she Lady Serenity who had journeyed with them from Rivendell but the entrancing, powerful warrior who challenged the rise of Sauron.

"You must make haste, Gandalf the White, for the Dark Towers are weak. If Sam and Frodo are indeed trapped there, they will be in great dangers. I will summon the winds to carry you forth."

The White Wizard nodded as he climbed onto the Great Eagle's back and soundlessly took off toward the blazing towers. Sauron was still hidden in the hazy smoke emitting from the Towers and it was gaining strength from the gathering of vile energies. The Group on the ground watched until Gandalf became a single white point in the continuously darkening skies. They turned back toward Eternal Sailor Moon who radiated a pale yellow light. She uttered the words, "May the powers of Uranus, the Great Ruler of the Skies guide them forward."

The Group felt the winds pick up in favour toward Mount Doom. The aura around Eternal Sailor Moon dimmed as she addressed them, "I have failed for I should have used Saturn's attack sooner. Perhaps, all of this could have been prevented."

"No!" cried both Aragorn and Legolas simultaneously.

"The Dark Lord is fueled by Evil, evil that is the core of Mount Doom. Frodo and Sam destroyed the Ring, but even that did not prevent the rise of Sauron."

"Legolas is right. Perhaps, it is destiny, our paths are intertwined: mine, Saurons and yours... perhaps it was all fated ..."

"I knew all along in my heart that I may have to face Sauron. I heard the voice in the Paths of the Dead, the voice of the child whose mournful song spoke of a jewel that shall bring about the restoration of Middle Earth. I hold in my possession, the Imperium Silver Crystal, the Last Crown of the Stars, the willful power that manifest itself during the making of the Rings. I am its ruler, its protector, and its wielder ..."

Eternal Sailor Moon was no longer speaking to them for in her place stood Sailor Cosmos. Twin strands of silvery hair replaced her trademark golden treads. An eight-point star stood in the place of her crescent moon between her nereid-foam coloured eyes. She was clad in the attire of a Sailor Scout, a suit of pure white with pink ribbons adorning the bosom. She wore a striped pleated skirt and pink bands outlined the bottom of her ankle boots. In her gloved hand, she clutched the Celestial Staff, a weapon intricately designed with Elven - Lunarian engravings and a crescent moon on top of the staff. Sailor Cosmos was the oldest sailor scout, reborned thousand times over as the guardian of the universe, representing the powers of ice, earth, fire, stars, skies, water, time, death, reborn and love. Her origins could be traced back to the beginning of Age of the Rings when they were first forged. She bears within her the essence of the first-born Lunarian child, the sacred guardian of the Crystal whose duty was to one day return to the Land of her People.

Sailor Cosmos turned to each of them in turn, passing along a telepathic message of farewell. This was her path, her destiny in Middle Earth, and no, they could not stop her. Aragorn said solemnly, "You know that I would have fight with you to the end, Lady Serenity under all circumstances. We are alike in the course of our futures. Strength flows within you, may your heart's greatest desire triumphant over all." She nodded, as future King of Men strengthened her resolve.

She came last to Legolas. They knew from the start that their paths may one day diverge because of destiny. Still, whatever mental preparations they had placed upon themselves did not make parting any easier or the emotional burden any less. In one kiss, they poured forth every ounce of emotion to the other, spoke every unspoken word, broke down every impenetrable barrier, reliving and relishing every memory. They had lost and found themselves in the other and they allowed themselves this one kiss and one kiss only.

--oo--

Sailor Cosmos caught up quickly to Gandalf and the Great Eagles, flying alongside them towards Mount Doom. Gandalf needed no explanations for he could only imagine the feelings of the Sailor Scout beside him and the Elven Prince that she had left behind. Cosmos was the warrior, a part of Princess Serenity, a part of Serena Tsukino - and though she was fuelled by powers of love, she would not be deter from the callings of destiny.

As they neared the growing inferno, the Great Eagles, though they were powerful creatures did not fly toward the Dark Lord's territory. A hand was beginning to take form and the weapon, the Sword of Darkness was beginning to take shape in Lord Sauron's hand. Despite Gandalf's gentle prodding, the Great Eagles kept their distance but they remained suspended in the air while Cosmos continued forth. She searched the surface of the collapsing surface, straining to catch the calls of the two Hobbits.

--oo--

"Stay with me, Mr. Frodo," consoled Sam.

"I am not going anywhere, Sam. I am glad that you are here with me, here at the end of all things."

"This is where I belong, Mr. Frodo. I am always on your side."

Frodo smiled as his eyes began to feel rather heavy, slipping into the realm of dreams. Faintly, the young Hobbit heard the callings of Sam, but rather in his eyes, he was surrounded by the shower of silvery sprays, washing away all of his burdens. He heard the all-too-familiar callings of the female and as the light drew closer, he found himself being shake awake. It was not a dream, for an angel was indeed looking down upon them. She extended out her left hand, adorned by a white glove. "Come, do not be afraid," she called out.

It was the same voice that Frodo had heard serenading to him all along. Sam stared at awe. For a brief moment, he thought them to be the eyes of the Lady of the Golden Woods, but at a closer inspection, he came to the surprised conclusion that it was Lady Serenity. There was a different presence surrounding her. Despite her attire which were much more elegant, her eyes were hardened, purged of the feeling except for the sheer determination to defeat the enemy.

Sam wrapped his left hand around Frodo's shoulder and aided him to his feet. Frodo would have fallen and brought Sam down along with him, if Sailor Cosmos had not taken a hold of them. She lifted them easily enough, and she flew into the opposite direction towards Gandalf and the Great Eagles. Sam turned back only once more and sighed in relief as the site of Mount Doom disappeared from view. His eyes closed briefly but when he opened them once more, he was met by the eyes of the great Wizard, Gandalf. "Rest now, Samwise Gamgee. Frodo is quite safe."

"But where is she ..."

"I believe you yourself know the answer to that." Sam knew of course as he spoke to a silent prayer for the Maiden. He looked one last time towards the sleeping form of Frodo before he fell to a distressed but well-needed sleep.

--oo--

The rumblings of the mountain seemed to beckon her, the second time around. She had met Gandalf part way and had seen his relief when she saw the two Halflings secured in her embrace. "I must go," she whispered in a forlorn mystical voice.

"I cannot and will not stop you. I had sensed great powers emitted from you, even on that first day in Rivendell. I tried to look inside you but you hid yourself well even from the powers of the Istari. It is as Aragorn had said, 'it was fated'."

--oo--

As she was near enough, an onyx dome became to form around her and what was left from the former towers of Mount Doom. Sailor Cosmos clutched her Celestial Staff in front of her, as her senses heightened for her invisible foe. The moment needed not be postponed any further as she felt a presence behind. A swipe of the sword cut through the air, mere inches from one of her braids, before she easily blocked it with her staff. Whipping her opponent's sword around, she quickly sidestepped to the right and held up her staff in defence as another strike of sword aim for her head. They began a series of sword play, meeting each other stroke by stroke, counter by counter. They were testing the other, assessing the other's weaknesses and strength. While her opponent was stronger in offence, she made up for agility and grace. In whichever form she was in, sword warfare was never her area of expertise and her opponent knew it.

In a flash, both opponents broke their battle dance and took a step backwards. For the first time, they starred into the form of the other. There were no distinct features to Lord Sauron, except for his armoury of charcoal coloured metal. It looked as if it was expertly crafted, one that would allow for fluidity in battle but still emitted an ominous aura. It was a battle gear for which a Dwarf would admire its workmanship. He bears a stark contrast to Sailor Cosmos in her steely radiance. "I sense great powers in you, she-mortal. Yet, you are nothing but a child."

His voice seemed to echo within the structure. Sailor Cosmos could not help but feel the darkness clutching at her heart, the air stifling from her lungs, the light diminishing as she sought the darkness. She held her resolve though, for she knew what powers that she held at her disposal. She would never give her enemy the satisfaction of seeing any weakness in her demeanor. "You have sensed my powers, yet you have no common sense to understand that looks can be deceiving."

At that comment, she allowed herself a smirk to grace her rose coloured lips and her icy shimmers were dancing in mirth. Certainly, his ego would not be put down and his retaliation was reflected in the chambers. A series of fire balls rain down upon her, but with the raise of her staff and a lavender shield was erected. Saturn's Silence Wall was enough to block the attack but the distraction was all that Sauron needed to gather up his energy - magic instilled upon him by his loyal subjects.

Flaming arrows travelled toward her at an alarming rate. The two leading the way turned into a two glowing dragons at the last second in attempts to engulf her but quickly she unleashed the icy Mercury Rhapsody Attack. A funnel of blue water sprays blasted from the crescent moon on the Celestial Staff and aimed toward one of the incoming dragons, but the other continued with its course. It was too fast for it went through the left side of her arm and then encircling her around the waist. Its fire was that of Mount Doom, scathing her with its impurities. It felt as though a thousand pieces of glasses were embedded down the left side of her arm, and its poison coursed through her veins. The dragon still had a firm hold around her waist liked being penetrated by a thousand spears. The other arrows also continued their course, one embedded itself on her right shoulder, the other grazed her left calf and the other went between her legs and missed her entirely.

She bit her tongue for she had too much pride to scream out. Her face grimaced in pain as she put most her body weight onto her right leg and sank to the ground with her right arm holding her Celestial Staff. Abandoning the sceptre for a moment, she took one deep breath and quickly brought her hands together and pulled out the arrow immediately. She moaned when her arm jerked while the wretched arrows was cruelly forced out. It disintegrated quickly to dust in her hand. She herself was all too familiar with Morgul weapons, so without a doubt, the arrows were probably poisonous.

However, she had no time to ponder with that prospect. Instead, she concentrated in pulling herself up ignoring the numbing sensation from her left leg and calling forth the Neptunian Mirror of Reflections and focussed its rays upon herself. Since she was Cosmos, she could not be harm by an attack on herself. The Mirror revealed the dragon in its true form, flames and nothing more. As the dragon disappeared, Cosmos felt the weight lifted but the damage was already done. A burn scar was beginning to form around the same area where the dragon had its hold and its path down her left arm.

Sauron's onslaught did not end there for when he realized that his dragons were diminished. He wanted to break this she-mortal as he recognized her powers as the one who had challenged that of Saruman the White. Not only that, they had encountered not once but twice when she had somehow connected with the eye of the One. He wanted her power for she ridded him of his. He knew that the poison from the arrows would continue to surge through her and he could use that and the fires of Mount Doom to the fullest extent.

Cupping his hands together, he shot forth a bright orange whirlwind of energy that spiralled from the palm of his hand outward. Cosmos caught the action at the corner of her eye as she twirled her staff in front of her and called out, "Silvermoon Crystal Power Kiss!" It was the same powers given to her by Sailor ChibiChibi. It was a powerful attack and it was fairly effective.

As the orange flames and that of the silver beams found for domination, their wielders poured forth their energies into the attack. Since Cosmos had previously been injured, she fell short. In her stumble, the orange whirlwind surged and made contact with her body. She was flung backwards until she hit the rocky structure behind her. The energy still pulsated through her body as her back connected with the rough surface. She made an unceremonious drop to the ground. Her sailor scout was no longer white but charred to shreds. Her left glove was abandoned long ago and parts of her skirt were ripped in various places.

Cosmos painfully rolled herself to her right side, the only part of her body that was somehow left in better condition. Her back ached from the impact. Her stomach heaved painfully, as it took the direct hit from the Dark Lord's latest attack and from the earlier attacks of the flaming dragon. Her lungs fought for cleaner air but it inhaled and exhaled the fumes from inside Mount Doom. A headache had been formed, so loud that it distorted her vision. She shook her head slightly, only to aggravate the pounding of her head, but at least she could see the sight in front of her.

She was uncertain whether it was to her advantage or not, but she was Cosmos, the most powerful being in the universe. Sauron, on the other hand, was formed from all the dark energies of Middle Earth. His servants had loyally relinquished their powers for his uprising, almost as their last wish and sacrifice for all the evils that exist. Sauron had the powers of manipulation, when the One Ring was forged, to turn even the greatest of intentions to bend to his foul deeds. He was unrelentless in his attacks, leaving no room for recovery.

This time, he once again called upon the fires of Mount Doom. They answered his will, as various rings of fire was formed. They headed toward the fallen she-warrior on the ground and binded her hands, legs and chest firmly onto the ground. Her back screamed in agony at the rough treatment, sore it was as it once again hit the jagged surface. Fire seeped through the ground and formed a ring around the rock which she now laid upon. The piece was broken through as Sauron now lifted the rock from the surfaced and allowed it to hover in the air.

Cosmos now peered down upon the Dark Lord from the air, her eyes narrowed, even though she had no way to defend herself. Sauron was undeterred by the look from the female as he picked up the Celestial Staff. It burned in his hand for the weapon could sense the evil in him. He hissed as he clutched his hand but not before crushing the staff into two pieces and discarded the pieces into the fires below him. Cosmos winced and felt as a part of herself was broken as well. She was even more vulnerable before. Sauron began to levitate himself from the ground.

"Do you feel the pain, she-mortal? The path of the Morgul poison worked through your system but you can do nothing to stop its course. Soon you will feel cold, no matter how hot the flames may be. Your body will numb on impulse, until you feel nothing but more pain. You beg for warmth, but none will come."

She tried to tune out his voice, but she could not as he grabbed her chin was forced her to look into his eyes. Despite her protests and struggle, it was no use. "Yes, you know of what I speak. A warrior with the weight of the universe upon her shoulders, experiencing the trials and errors of the worlds, knowing that you can do nothing and everything to ease their pain. Their looks of pain speak for death, and their desire to leave their world behind, because you carry a great source of power. Your friends, what do you call them - the Sailor Scouts, died into saving you and to preserve your power. Their deaths are upon your hands. They too have abandoned you. The only solace that you have the constant cold, the loneliness and your own self."

He knew all this when he pierced into her eyes. In her weaken state, he had seen her fears, and her recent pasts. "And the Prince of Mirkwood, he too will abandon you when he chooses to leave Middle Earth. He may be an immortal but with so many years, you will be nothing but more than a fainted memory. You have nothing, only the sacred duty to watch as the universe drifts you by, age after age."

She knew that he had spoken true of her fears, the fear of loneliness and all the while, deep down, she had wanted the life of normalcy. Her friends had died to save her and that of the people of the 21st century. Her power was a curse, a cause of many destructions throughout the universe. She was tired of the loneliness and she wanted nothing more but to succumb to an end.

Series of Flashback

"One thing is constant is the act of duty that you have been entrusted as Princess, as Carrier, as Protector and as the Sovereign."

"The first moment upon that waterfall in Rivendell, there was completion even before I knew your name. I experienced a part of life that had never been privy to me. I admire your courage, your determination, your curiosity, your grace. The occasional moment when you let down the secluded barrier, I saw the vulnerability, the innocence, the friendship and the love that you held for Hobbits, Dwarves, Men and Elves alike."

"Destiny sets forth a duty for us to defend the world in which we live in. It is liked the river, always flowing but to where, only time could tell. We only know that it will continue to flow."

"Perhaps, it is destiny, our paths are intertwined: mine, Saurons and yours... perhaps it was all fated ..."

End Flashback

In her mind, she saw her journeys upon Middle Earth. The Dark Lord spoke of solitude, but it was part of her destiny, a duty that she must embraced as the ruler, protector and the mistress of the Imperium Silver Crystal. Her friends died for her because they believed in her and have faith in the world but most importantly, they have hope. For one last time, she made a wish upon the jewel, the Last Crown. 'I understand now, where I truly belong, as the saving grace of mankind.'

With that, a blazing shot of light was emitted from her broach. The Crystal worked its magic to relieve its Mistress from her fiery binds. Wings sprouted from her back as they supported her in the air. The light relieved the physical pain to a dull numbing sensation. Sauron's eyes mirrored his utter disbelief, for this was truly the power of Cosmos. "Cosmic Moon Power!"

End of Chapter 23


AN: The Celestial Staff mentioned here is the one that Cosmos carries with her in the manga. I took a lot of creative license in this chap, mostly because there isn't a lot about Cosmos out there and the description for Sauron was from the movie, so use your imaginations.

angelwings6117: I was a little worried about the scene switching myself, but I couldn't think of another way to portray the scene.

koosei: yup, his spirit is still alive, even with Saturn's attack. His loyal 'minions' has relinquish all of the powers in order to bring him back. Think of it this way, it is as though it is their last wish, to revive their master. Hopefully this chapter clarify it for you.

Llamrei: Hope you like the angst parts, maybe it will make up for the all the spelling errors / grammatical mistakes / uncreative fighting scenes. LoL

Special thank you to MidnightDragonShadow, Parasite Eve, Henio, rose, ejqHorseLady, Lady Light, Jypsee (Brenda-chan), JeRee for reviewing the fic.