Alone

Her loud shoes clinked heavily against the linoleum floor beneath them, showering her ears with an array of echoes from a blaring Television and a loud beep coming from the kitchen. The smell of smoke laid heavily in the air, and a black cloud was silently leaking from a door. Ami easily sat down her friend and touched the door with the back of her hands.

They had just made it to Usagi-chan's house, after having left school. Only to find this mess when they returned. She wondered vaugely where Tsukino-san was. Shouldn't she be at home? Unless something had happened between her and Usagi-chan. A fight Perhaps?

She backed away in surprise at the warmth from the peeling white paint. Careful not to touch the door with her hands, she wrapped a nearby cloth around a golden doorknob, the sizzle of burning cloth loud against the soft beeping coming from the other room.

When she went to turn the knob, though, she found herself unable to, the piece of fabric now dripped slowly to the floor. She looked wide eyed at it and turned to see her emotionally distressed friend staring as well.

"Usagi-chan..."

"Transform, and kill those flames," she commanded, her voice rising to the occasion. Ami felt something akin to hope bubble within her, before pulling forth a bright blue pen. A wave and twirl and she was suited in the outfit of a warrior. Her icy water freezing the leaping fires towering around her.

The sound of a crashing building around her, caught her off guard, and she turned to move Usagi out of the way, only to see nothing but the clean entry way she had come. No fire, no dropping logs, and especially, no Usagi.

"Damn,"


Usagi ran up the stairs, a single thought whirling through her mind as she climbed each carpeted step, her eyes scanning for life. She found none, nothing!

Running towards her room, she thought she looked quickly for the one thing she needed to find at the moment, the one thing that coursed through her mind, the one and only thing she could think of at the moment.

She found only a sweating heat.

Turning, she prepared to check the other rooms, only instead she heard a soft sound, almost clicking noise. Slowly, she watched as her dresser began to titter back and forth, the shoes above vibrating from some unknown source. She held in a breath and watched a pair of glass slippers tip over the rocking edge and time fell still.

A sharp glint of light brightened the stuffy room and a curtain waved silently in an invisible wind, flutters of daylight leaked through, illuminating the specs on her blue carpet. She felt her feet slip from beneath her, tumbling over the cloth beneath her, and she fell forward. Touching down on the ground with her arms outstretched before her.

A cry left her lips as the cool glass touched her hot fingers. A searing light erupted and she was pushed away with great ferocity.

A scream pierced her lips before the creatures form even flashed through her mind. The monster loomed over her, its glossy green form blinking in the light.

Well Usagi, she thought to herself, Happy Birthday!


Rei straightened immediately when she heard the scream ring through the stale air. Turning immediately, she saw smoke rising in the direction where the shout had come from. Her blood turned cold at the thought that ran through her mind.

Usagi.

Spinning on the tennis shoes, she didn't bother herself at the thoughts that she was messing up her brand new shoes, or that the muddy ground was splattering all over her pants. All that she cared of was the smoke rising in the distance and the terror racing through her heart.

Usagi...

She shuttered and ran with all her might. If she lost her...

She didn't bother with the thought for the next thing she knew a familiar face was running beside her, aqua hair blowing in the winds. She stared wide eyed and almost tripped as she watched her pull out a small wand, almost exactly like her own.

"Neptune Planet Power, Make Up!"

Thunderous waves crashed around her and she stopped for just a second to stare in amazement as the light collided on the womans body, power raising every hair on her structure.

They looked so much like themselves, how could they be so terrible?

"Transform girl!" yelled the woman already starting ahead, heels clicking against the pavement. Knocking her from her thoughts.

"Mars Star Power, Make Up!" The fire princess ran with all her might behind the royal of the seas. Her mind preoccupied with thoughts of the tremors running through her heart. The aches of her princess.


Sailor Mercury fought away the fires as she tried to reach Usagi, fear trumpeting through her heart. A fear more cold than the ice she sprayed into the scorching inferno.

A large blast from behind, caused her to turn in fear, only to see the cool teal gaze sweeping the room before leaving up the stairs. The princess of wisdom was for once stumped on what to do.

Following the impressive form, she felt a gasp fill her when she saw the blood and glass on the ground, and a single broken green glass shoe lying in pieces on the ground. The sound of someone behind her had her turning, only to see the passionate warrior of the planet of war behind her. Mouth open agape, she felt humility take hold of her and turned to watch the impressive Senshi knell on the ground before curse vehemently.

"Damn it all!" she cried and ran back down the stairs. Sailor Mercury, felt a slight hazy feeling pass through her. The feeling of her other soul taking control. She relinquished all control to it, gladly. She was scared, and didn't want to think or feel.

The darkness was peaceful, she would welcome it warmly.


Usagi clutched her arm as she ran through the darkened alleyways, golden hair darkened by the shadows that reached towards her, their long fingers trying to stop her, obscure her from wherever she tried to run. Not that she knew exactly where that was. A sob caught in her throat and she tried hard not to let the tears fall from her eyes.

Hotaru's wise words singing in her mind as she ran.

She had to get out of there, had to run. The darkness was fixing in on her, overwhelming her.

She clutched her heart as she ran and shouted the words that came to her mind in moments of crisis, the words that had saved not only her own, but others as well. The words that protected her world, her people, her life.

"Cosmic Moon Power, Make Up!"

A dull throb echoed through her, nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Where were her powers in these times when she needed them most? Where was the overflowing river of ribbons? Where was her uniform that screamed of justice.

A tear drifted from a sapphire eye, tearing through the wind and mixing in with the blood that flowed from her.

But she couldn't give up! She couldn't let the darkness overtake her!

"Cosmic Moon Power, Make Up!"

Once more nothing happened and she tripped over a small piece of debris, her limbs falling limply around her. She felt so useless, so stupid. Why was she always so helpless? Why could she never protect herself?

"Found you at last, brat!" smirked the monster, anxious for the next meal. For her.

A scream burst from her and she could only watch through half open eyelids as the sun slowly faded, the echoes of her screams vibrating around her. Where was her powers now? Why was she always so helpless?


Michiru ran breathlessly through the alleys, her mind racing with the unspoken question that lurked within. But mostly, it lied on protecting the one she had learned to care for. Her sister, in a sense, and she never abandoned family. It was not the way of the Neptarians.

Turning slightly, she looked out of the corner of her eye, noticing the following girls, only they ran differently than she had first seen. These were not the same people she had spoken with earlier, no these people were much older. Much, much older.

The lost warriors of the imperial court, known for their fierce protection and quick thoughts. It had been due to this court that the princess had even survived. The Mercurian child having found the antiviral vaccination which had protected the princess from the spreading disease. A disease that had wiped out countless numbers.

And then there was the Jupiterians, boundless strength unclouded by the purest of blood, or so they proudly proclaimed. A great many heroes had come from Jupiter, the mighty lord of lords. But the moon, the moon was something completely different.

Whereas they were not weak, they held no great bronze arms, or steel biceps. Instead, they kept a purity of light within the universe. They drove out all political threats, with sharp minds, not much unlike their sister people, Mercury. And they all but despised war, peace holding much more love in their soft eyes.

Perhaps that was why she liked Usagi so much. The peace of not facing war, yet knowing the price of death. The clashing souls of the warrior and princess. The spiritual bliss that tormented both life and death.

Shaking her head to rid the thoughts, she felt a great piercing in her chest and knew instantly the cause, doubling her efforts, she was surprised to see the girls behind her do the same. But then again, they were her highness's royal protectors.

Sighing, she reminded herself that the girl she was trying to save, was actually worth it.

And besides, she didn't abandon family.