She awoke to a dull gray light, and the soft pit pat of rain tapping against her window. The smell of fresh coffee seemed to permeate the air, and the sound of laughter came from down stairs. She sat up slowly as the full reality of what had happened hit her. He was gone. She felt like a part of her soul had been pulled out from her. Usagi Tsukino looked down at her hands. The hands that had held him as he gasped his last breath. She shuddered as the tears began again.

"...Mamoru..." She whispered. "Mamoru.. come back..."

Sailor Moon Apocalypse: Episode 205: The Day after

"They did it again.." Haruka whispered, flipping through channels. "They voted him in again. I can't believe it."

Michiru giggled lightly to herself. "Fifty four million people can't be wrong eh Haruka?"

Haruka nodded. "They just don't like people like us." Michiru wrinkled her nose.

"People like us? What ever do you mean?"

Haruka glared at her. Michiru giggled again. "They'll be out of power soon enough. Usagi and.." Michiru put a hand over her mouth.

"Oh my.. do you think..?"

Haruka shrugged. "Power was never the issue Michiru.. But the world would still be in better shape if she were in charge."

Michiru nodded. "She has grown up allot since we first met her hasn't she?"

Haruka nodded. "And suffered entirely to much." Michiru nodded, gazing at the wall. "It's her curse.. all of ours really. Its the price we pay being Sailor soldiers."

"A price I think is a bit to high.." Came Makoto's voice from behind the two. She limped over one of the chairs, and eased herself down.

"You look well." Haruka noted. "Much better in fact."

"I feel better to.. Just the powers of sleep I guess." Michiru nodded, and shot a quizzical look at Haruka.

"Did you at least sleep well?" Haruka asked.

"If you can call it sleep.. I had the strangest dream last night.. about two Sailor soldiers, and a succubae. It was.. an experience."

Haruka nodded and sipped her coffee. Makoto put up a finger, and opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it.

"What is it?" Asked Michiru, sipping her tea.

Makoto smiled. "I dreamt I had a new power.. stronger than even the oak evolution."

Haruka sighed. "There's that word again.. it's always about more power."

Michiru smirked. "She's just sore because some yahoo's re-elected another official that's against "People like us." Haruka shot Michiru a vicious glance back. Makoto eased up, and limped over to the coffee pot. She poured herself a cup, and leaned against the cabinet in thought.

"The two were so real though.. I can't stop thinking about them.." Michiru smiled.

"The two Sailor soldiers?" Makoto nodded. "Well, it was a man and a woman. One was a Sailor soldier, the other was her guardian I think.. Kind of like Tuxedo Kamen is to Sailor Moon."

Haruka and Michiru both sat straight up. "Oh no.." Michiru whispered. Haruka shook her head.

"No one's told you.. Makoto.."

Makoto quirked a brow, wincing as she leaned forward. Their faces were so serious, they almost looked pained.

"You'd better sit down." The words struck her like a ton of bricks. Memories of the day she had discovered her parents had died flooded back to her. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes already, and hadn't even heard what was so serious.

"Makoto.. there's no easy way to say this.." Michiru began. Haruka but up a hand.

"Mamoru is dead. Our new enemy attempted to kill Sailor moon, but.." She closed her eyes, and cursed under her breath. Regaining her composure she looked back at Makoto. "He took the hit.. "

Makoto's eyes opened wide. She shot straight up, ignoring her bodies protests. She dashed up the stairs and into Usagi's room to find her awake, her face buried in her arms.

"Usagi?" She asked gently, putting a hand on her friends shoulder. Usagi looked up, her normally porcelain completion streaked with red trails from tears. "Usagi.. are you.."

Usagi jumped up and grabbed Makoto around the neck. "Mako.." She sniffled. "I...I.. miss him.. so much.." Her body shuddered as she struggled to take in air. "Whenever I close my eyes.. I see him.. I see him laying there.."

Makoto squeezed her friend, and sat her gently back on the bed. "I know... I know..."

Usagi sniffled again, and began to sob, her entire body shaking so much it looked as though she was about to come flying apart.

"Usagi.. I'm so sorry." she whispered again, patting her friend on the back. Usagi opened up an eye and sat up. whipping her eyes with her sleeve she stood up and attempted to be what looked like a smile. She shuddered again, but managed to retain her composure.

"I'll be fine." She smiled. "We should probably go down stairs huh?"

Makoto shook her head. "No.. Not until you're ready." Usagi gestured to the window.

"I have to get out of here.. it's too gloomy... Is Setsuna up and around yet?"

Makoto shook her head. "I'm afraid not.. she was hurt pretty badly." Usagi shook her head.

"I was kind of hoping to ask her some questions.."

"Me too actually, but it will have to wait.." Makoto said making a face. Usagi shook her head.

"Makoto.. I just.. I can't believe he's gone for good.. there has to be a way.. Setsuna can control time.. do you think.."

"No Usagi." Makoto said standing up. "She would never allow us to tamper with time.. As cold and harsh as it may sound, there is a reason Mamoru died.. It may have been so that you could live to take care of something more important."

"But I don't want to take care of anything without him.." She whispered. She shook her head again, as if to clear it. "I' m sorry Marko.. I promised myself I wouldn't be like this." Makoto nodded.

"Usagi.. if you weren't, I'd be really worried about you." Usagi laughed a little, turned and headed for the door. "I'm starving." She feigned a pained smile. "Last one there's a rotten egg!"

Esmerodo walked into her darkened throne room with a smile of victory crossing her face. She waived a green gloved hand and the lights brightened, casting eerie shadows against the darkened walls. Vertigo stepped up from the corner of the room, her eyes sunken and red from tears.

Esmerodo stood up, pushing the wrinkles in her mini skirt out of existence. "Vertigo.. you look terrible. Is something the matter?"

Vertigo stiffened. "My sister..."

Esmerodo shook her head. "My dear.. we have entirely to much to do to be concerned with people who lost their lives in the line of duty. She took a hit for the team.."

"A hit for the team? Is that all you can say? A bloody hit for the team? My sister was the only family I had left Esmerodo! And you took her from me!"

Esmerodo flung her head back, and cackled. "What a temper!" She exclaimed. She brought her hand up in front of her, and whispered a word. Black rays of energy shot forth from her palm, blasting Vertigo against the wall.

"Foolish woman... Someone is going to have to be taught a lesson." Esmerodo stepped down from the Deis, her boots clicking on the stone floor. She stopped just in front of Vertigo. Gently she put a gloved finger up to vertigo, and traced her chin. Esmerodo's eyes began to glow a toxic green. Vertigo could feel clouds of mist began to take hold of her mind.

"You do still believe in the masters cause don't you?" Esmerodo cooed, her green hair flowing effortlessly in the wind beneath her. "Because the master doesn't take kindly to strangers."

"Yes.. of course.." Vertigo said, the last shroud of conscious thought leaving her. Again she was a vessel. One with her master Licec. Esmerodo smiled.

"Now my dear.. We have a mission. In a country called the United States, there is a top secret research facility.. It has developed what they call a "gateway." It acts like a whirlpool, creating a type of mini worm hole, that exits into the tunnels of time. My dear, we're going to go for a spin."

"Yes.." Vertigo said. "Where do we find it?"

Esmerodo smiled, and loosened her psychic grip on the girl a little bit. "In a territory known as Neevahduh."

Vertigo nodded solemnly. "We leave at dawn highness?"

Esmerodo nodded, and gestured to the door. Thoughtful for a moment she gestured. "You had best pack some of your belongings. We won't be returning her for quite some time." Vertigo only stared. Esmerodo rolled her eyes, and waived again. "Go on.. Get going. We don't have the entire millennium..." She paused for a second. "Or maybe we do." She took in a deep breath, and laughed heartily, her laugh echoing eerily off into the void beyond.

Sarah Grenich walked down the high security hallway with a clipboard in hand. She hummed gently to herself, as she turned the corner. She nodded to one of the armed guards.

"Captain." He said. She waived a hand at him, unimpressed. "At ease soldier. Has Mr. McLandon arrived?"

"Yes Ma'am. He's waiting in your office."

"Good. Keep an eye out. I want no visitors while I'm in there."

"Yes mam." Sarah opened the door and eyed the gentleman who was showing himself around her collection of crystal shards.

"Intriguing aren't they?" She asked him. "They say they're left over from the beginning of the universe."

"Very mystical then?" The gentleman asked, picking one up and observing. "How did they manage to get their hands on it?"

Sarah shrugged. "Honestly, I'm not sure. But it's how they power that monstrosity in there."

The man nodded. "Sarah.. it's all becoming true." She nodded.

"The watcher said that an alternate time line had opened.. this was one of the events we were sent here to stop."

"Don't you think we should alert Sailor moon?"

Sarah shook her head. "She'd be way in over her head. As it is you're magic is just barely bending time. Something stronger than the guardians is at work here." He nodded in agreement.

"I'm just barely able to conceal our identities.. We're running out of time.." Sarah nodded.

"I know.. but the thing is to heavily guarded.. and your shields wont work around it.. They've distorted time to much. Justin.. I'm worried for this world."

Justin nodded. "When do you think we should finish this job off?"

Sarah shook her head. "Tomorrow at dawn is when the guard is weakest. We could attack then. If worse comes to worse We'll blow the damn thing up."

Justin smirked. "I don't think it's going to be that easy... have you felt the ripples? It's no longer on the same power level as the Ginzoishou. It's much stronger."

Sarah brought a hand up to her chin. "Do you think it has anything to do with the amount of mineral they have powering the thing?"

Justin nodded. "Of course it has something to do with it. It's the galaxies only supply of it. We're sitting right on top of the worlds only deposit of Imperiax 793."

Sarah shook her head. "It was a mistake to ever even place spares on this plane.. Only Serenity should have had access to it."

Justin nodded. "I agree, but the fact of the matter is that now it's available for anyone to use."

"And someone's tipped off Esmerodo. She knows it's here Justin."

"That's why its only a matter of time.. Do you think we should alert the senshi?" Sarah shook her head.

"No. They're about as trusting to outsiders as we were at their age."

Justin smirked. "Gods Sarah, you make us sound ancient."

Sarah smiled. "You forget my friend.. compared to their ages.. we are ancient." Justin chuckled a little bit.

"I suppose.." Justin was cut off by a sudden shriek that sounded from below them.

"The space time continuum... They've activated the portal! Justin.. She'll find it.." Justin nodded to her.

"That's the plan.." Sarah's head shot up at her office door suddenly opening up. A woman dressed in purple walked in, her ensemble accompanied by a blood red bow, and purple heels balancing it all out. Her hair was tied in a tight green bun, uncharacteristic of her typical ensemble. Her eyes sparkled a deep blood red.

"I am sorry I am so late."

"Setsuna!" Justin stood up. "You should still be in bed!"

Setsuna smiled thinly. "I couldn't let you run this show alone. Especially not with so much on the line."

Sarah nodded. "How is Usagi?"

"As well as can be expected. She snapped out of her fit at least. I had Makoto take her shopping." Sarah chuckled in spite of herself. It was so typical.

"So, they've discovered the deposit?" Setsuna asked, glancing toward the door. Sarah nodded.

"We're waiting for Esmerodo to make her move.."

Setsuna rolled her eyes. "Out of all the villains we've faced, why did Licec have to choose the most annoying to re-activate?"

"Perhaps he's a bad judge in character." Justin said sarcastically.

"Very bad in her case." Sarah began. "Have you filled any of your senshi in?" She asked. Setsuna nodded.

"I have filled Neptune and Uranus in. They are on stand by."

Justin drummed his fingers against Sarah's desk. "I know I've been saying this allot lately.. But really all that's left for us to do is wait."

Sarah laughed. Setsuna nodded. "I am going to call Haruka. I'll be back in a moment."

Esmerodo nodded to Vertigo. It was time. The air hummed with power. She could heart he fabric of space scream in pain.

"Vertigo. They've activated it. We need to go."

"Don't you think the senshi will be waiting for us?"

Esmerodo nodded. "I'm counting on it." She smiled as she fingered a small stone. It began to glow in the palm of her hand. "I sincerely hope they will all be there.."

They stood, Five across, each keeping an eye on their own respective corner. Senshi, to senshi. The three soldiers of the outer planets, and the two intruders. The glow of the television screens shown on their hard determined faces.

Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto stood to one side of the display, weapons in hand. Justin and Magellan to the other.

"What makes you so sure that we'll be able to see her when she makes her move?" Uranus asked skeptically. Pluto looked to her friend with sad eyes.

"It's her style I'm afraid. She likes to do things Lavishly. Trust me.. We'll know when she arrives."

Magellan took a step toward one of the monitors. It displayed an image of a round object, with a flashing vortex shining in it. Slowly the camera panned to the left revealing a closed door. The room was empty except for the shifting rays of light from the portal.

"Amazing. It's all powered by the Ginzushou." Neptune muttered in awe. "Pluto, you knew about this all along and didn't tell Sailor moon? This could have helped her."

Pluto shook her head. "Not in this form. Imperiax 793 is very dangerous in it's native form.. that's why it was hidden on such a back water planet. True it has the ability to grant the desires of the one who wields it.. but in it's unrefined state it has an even more awesome power. It transforms people, Physically or mentally as it sees fit. It's what the transformation pens are forged from.. It's what grants us our planetary powers.. It's said that the gods forged the Sailor star seeds at the creation of the universe from this very material.."

Justin nodded. "Once refined it's safe to use amongst people.. well relatively speaking. The problem was that people were being transformed left and right during the Silver millennium... So Serenity in all of her wisdom had it brought to Earth, and hidden under many layers of Earth. No one knew of it's whereabouts.. until recently."

Uranus shook her head. "And how is it that you're suddenly the expert on this unrefined ore?" Justin shot Pluto a glance. Pluto sighed.

"Uranus..." Pluto began. "These two aren't.. well they aren't normal Galaxy Denizens.. They're kind of like me in that regard.."

Magellan nodded. "Much like Pluto, we have responsibilities dealing with the space time continuum.. We investigate anomalies in it, and intervene if necessary.. Most of the time it's something minor like a black hole just wrapping the fabric of space.. When we were sent here we never expected to stumble across the Imperiax."

Neptune sighed. "I still find it all very hard to believe." Magellan shrugged.

"To be honest, I really don't care what you believe." Neptune stepped back, aghast at the bold statement. Magellan shook her head. "The truth will show itself in time.. but if you're going to be skeptical, then I advise you watch your back."

Justin shot forward. "There. Look." He pointed to the screen in the portal room. Three points of light shone, a bright figure slowly materializing.

"It's time.." Magellan began. "Shall we ladies?" She glanced to the outer senshi. Uranus cracked her knuckles, causing Neptune to flinch.

"No time like the present." Pluto began. "It's time to end this." The five sprung out the door, running down the now abandoned halls. Justin began to whisper, bending time to wrap around them.

"Good move." Magellan began. "We really don't need the military bearing down on us." Justin nodded. They reached the door that lead to the portal room, and found that it had been blown out from the inside. Two blood smears stained the otherwise sterile white walls.

"There's our entrance." Pluto muttered. The five stepped inside, and immediately began to become disoriented. Purple and blue lights pulsated faster than they could processes at once. Magellan closed her eyes, and thrust her hands forward. She whispered some words which seemed to slow the pulsing down somewhat.

"Damn.. I was hoping that would melt your brains or something.." Esmerodo's voice seemed to come from all angles.

"Esmerodo! Show yourself!" Uranus demanded stepping further into the room. A scream of Neptune caused her to spin around, and momentarily lose her balance. She took a step back. Neptune, Pluto, Magellan, and Justin had all been wrapped by purple pulsating tentacles of energy.

"Uranus... The gate.. Shoot energy into the gate.." Magellan gasped. Uranus stood up, raising her hand into the air. She closed her hand into a fist, gathering energy.

"World Shaking!" She shouted, sending the globule of energy into the portal. A purple tentacle shot out, wrapping her up as well. She shrieked as her energy began to sap away. She could feel her consciousness ebbing.

A green disk of electricity sliced through the tentacle straight into the heart of the gate. A blast of energy emanated from it, throwing all of the senshi into separate corners. Uranus opened an eye.

"First you killed my husband.. and now you're trying to kill my friends. This is the kind of abuse that should only happen in the movies! Esmerodo- In the name of the moon.. you're punished!" Sailor Moon's voice rang through the room, waking all but Justin up. She and Sailor Jupiter stood Silhouetted against the light rushing in through the door.

Sailor Jupiter took a step in cautiously. "She's.. not in here.." Jupiter whispered. Her eyes opened wide as she came across Justin. He was sprawled against a patch of silver crystal, a point of it had punctured his left shoulder.

"It's.." Her jaw dropped. She spun and saw Magellan laying next to him. Justin slowly opened his eyes, a silver glow emanating in them. He reached for the shard with one hand while, pushing away from the patch of crystal with his feet. Slowly and painfully the crystal slid its way back out of his shoulder, all the time his face remained stationary. Finally he stood with a gaping hole in his shoulder. He whispered a few words and the hole closed up. He shook his head, suddenly dizzy and fell to the ground.. conscious, but barley able to stand.

"Damn!" Esmerodo shouted, appearing in the middle of the room. "That blast should have killed all of you!"

"Shame you forgot about the rest of us." Jupiter said, assuming her attack pose.

"Good thing I came with a contingency plan then.. I won't let you failures stand in my way." Esmerodo smiled, and raised a purple and Blue gem into the sky. Pluto's eyes opened wide.

"She has Imperiax!" She stood up, and raised her staff. Purple mists began to gather, as she spun to complete her spell.

"Dead.. Scream.." She whispered, a purple ball of energy flying toward Esmerodo. Esmerodo knocked it back with a blast of her own.

"Great Guardian Cronus.." Esmerodo began. "Open for me the gates of time... And send these seven to an era where even they won't be able to stop me!" She shrieked. Justin stood up, a flash of white overcoming the entire room. Suddenly his clothes shifted from a black cloak and tunic to A white sleeveless shirt, and pants. A white bandana crossed his forehead. He put a gloved hand up to the light.

"The spell you cast is that of a double edged sword." He began in hollow voice. "For if I cast these innocents into a bygone era so must the caster be sent.. "

Esmerodo gasped. "But..No! You can't.."

He put up a hand to silence her. "The spell is done.. it is to late Esmerodo.." He laughed, a deep hollow laugh that wasn't his own. The world began to twist and turn, fading slowly to black.