Alone

Sailor Moon watched on in disbelief as Uranus let out an attack. Watched as it ran towards the tall form she knew held the secrets to Hotaru's whereabouts. The only one who could help her find her mother's heart.

She took the blast.

Uranus swore heavily behind her, she knew, but she didn't care. She wouldn't loose Hotaru. She wouldn't loose her mother.

"Why thank you Sailor Moon," smiled the tall woman, Mistress Nine. She twisted her hand, and the two outer Senshi were thrown to the wall.

Sailor Moon fell to her knees. That wasn't supposed to happen! No one should have gotten hurt! She couldn't loose her friends. She couldn't!

Standing up she turned to the woman, pleading eyes boring into her.

"Where is Hotaru-chan. Please... Where is she!"

The woman turned annoyed eyes towards her. But then stood still when those eyes bore into her. Those brilliant blue orbs...

"She's gone. Give up, you'll never save her. I've swallowed her, with the help of you mother of course..."

Her eyes opened wide as she suddenly realized that this creature held both her mother crystal and her Hotaru's life... Body... Soul...

She stared in disbelief.

"Sailor Moon, kill her!"

She turned to the Senshi, saw the desperateness, the pleading in their eyes. She wanted to... She really did. She wanted to make all the pain go away. But she couldn't... wouldn't abandon Hotaru.

Never...

"No!"

They stared at her in disbelief. With betrayal. The stared at her as though she was a murderer.

She turned away. Away from the tears leaking from their eyes. From those broken eyes...

"Hotaru..." croaked a sound. She turned to see an aged man crawl into the room. His glasses were shattered and he was covered in cuts and dirt. He looked terrible, with that long white trench coat.

He crawled to her, and her eyes widened immeasurably.

"Papa?"

She almost cried with joy. Hotaru was alive! She was alive!

"Hotaru..."

The mistress turned around, clutching her head in pain. Breathing deeply. She wondered for a second who it was. But she didn't care. Hotaru was alive. She was alive...

"Hotaru..."

"Papa," whispered the little girl, the man held her in his arms. She quivered for a moment before falling to sobs. Tears leaking from her eyes.

"Hotaru, baby. What 's wrong..."

"The darkness. Papa, the darkness. It's eating me. Please. Please papa, please help me."

She felt a spark of hope. Hotaru was there. She was still there...

"Hotaru... Hotaru what can I do? I'm so sorry. I don't know what to do..."

"The purity chalice papa... I need the chalice to fight back... I'm so weak... Hurry papa. Please hurry..."

The elder man crumpled to the ground, his white hair falling in his eyes. Tears streamed down his face and he looked defeated.

"I don't know where it is. I'm so sorry my child. I don't know where... I'm so sorry."

She felt her tears well up. Hotaru was alive. The little girl was still okay. Everything would be okay...

"Please miss! Please, do you know where it is? I have to find it! I have to save my poor child. I can't loose her..."

Looking at the man, she felt the tears fall down her cheek.

Hotaru was alive. She would be okay. She was alive...

"I do," she whispered, her hands stretched out.

"NO! Don't! Usagi please! It's a trap!"

"Sailor Moon! Stop! It's not yours to give! Damn it Usagi stop!"

She ignored them. She wouldn't sacrifice the tiny girl, she refused. She couldn't loose her. Hotaru was alive! She was alive!

The chalice formed in her hands, and the man's eyes widened. She smiled softly and he thanked her over and over again. Hands shaking in anticipation. She handed it over to him. Hope rising in her.

She wouldn't loose another...

She wouldn't doom another...

"No! Sailor Moon..."

Their voices were lost and she looked at the bent form. She would not sacrifice another. She would not doom Hotaru!

"Hotaru. I have it... Please Hotaru, honey, I've got it..."

Shaky fingers reached out for the chalice. Sailor Moon felt her breath hitch. Hotaru would be okay. She would be okay.

The pale nailed fingertips touched hold of the golden edge, and those tired eyes narrowed with malice. And in seconds, they were thrown back by the power. Skidding off in the distance.

The woman placed it in an odd machine, Sailor Moon watched in horror as it destroyed it.

The Purity Chalice was destroyed...

Their hope was destroyed...

"What have you done?" the outer Senshi's reply cut her heart. She had betrayed them. She had doomed them all...

"Thank you Sailor Moon," smirked the tall woman, she glanced at her pitifully before turning to open a strange curtain.

"Pharaoh 90!" she called out. "This way Pharaoh 90!"

A large orb appeared through the gate, a small speck in the distance. It was headed towards them. Coming closer and closer...

Sailor Moon struggled to her feet. She wouldn't let them get away with this.

"Moon Spiral Heart Attack!"

The attack did nothing. But a large blast of light did return, knocking them all to the ground.

"What? Pharaoh..." The woman fell to the ground, and Sailor Moon prevented the scientist from falling to the attack as well.

When the smoke cleared, they were all terribly battered.

"Hotaru..."

The mistress was unresponsive. Her head rolling to the side.

"Papa?"

"Hotaru?"

"Papa?"

"O Hotaru!"

"Papa, it so dark... I'm scared..."

"I'm so sorry darling. But... but I don't know what to do..."

"Papa, I'm scared..."

"O Hotaru..."

"Pa-"

He words were cut off when the mistress tore away, her eyes glaring at the man and her hand clutching her heart.

Sailor Moon felt hope once more.

"Damn you," she whispered, breathing hard. "Leave me alone!"

"Hotaru..."

She backed away, flinging him across the room.

Her eyes widened as she did so, and she clutched her head even more.

Sailor Moon approached her, her eyes connecting with those violet storms.

"Hotaru-chan... There is something I need to tell you..."

The attention of the whole room diverted to her in that single moment. She stared sadly at her. Wishing she could take back all the pain in those eyes. Steal her away from the darkness.

"Hotaru-chan. I'm so sorry. I wish I wasn't so weak. I wish I could protect you like I want. But I can't. I'm not strong enough... I'm never strong enough."

Her voice broke off here, she had all of their attention. The end was coming, and she would tell her secrets. Her darkest fears.

"I was once a princess, Hotaru-chan. I once lived on the moon... But we died. I doomed us with my love. But my mother saved us. She gave up her life for me. She gave her life for our kingdom... And I was reborn in the past. O Hotaru, I wasn't strong enough to save us then. I could hardly even defend myself!

"But that changed, I've become stronger. I was given a chance I never had. I gained a chance to protect the people I loved. To protect them from the darkness..."

The mistress was breathing hard, her eyes shut, trying to block out the soft voice. But it wouldn't matter. She would tell it anyways. She would confess it to Hotaru... to Haruka... to Michiru...

"I fought an evil queen. The queen of the Dark kingdom. They threatened to destroy this world as they had the moon... the queen, Beryl... She killed my brother. She murdered him Hotaru-chan...

"I've never been strong. I only defeated the queen because my friends were there to give their lives and souls to help. They died for me whenever a monster arose. They died for their princess...

"And in the end, we almost didn't make it. We almost all perished. Only due to the crystal's power did we live. And then, it was only barely."

She cut off, falling to her knees. She bowed her head. The silence in the room was great. Terrible even. She wondered if this was what it would be like in the end. Would the lively world feel this empty?

"After that I battled alone, Hotaru-chan. I fought the monsters who came to destroy the Earth by myself. I was like that for months. I could trust no one. I had no reason to...

"But then, after what felt like eternity, two figures came. They saved me from the solitude that threatened to swallow me. The same blackness that threatens you, Hotaru-chan. Please. Please don't go. Those two people rescued me, and gave me renewed hope."

She cut off, swallowing hard. The large parasitic creature was almost upon them. It's huge form humming with power. With destruction.

She shut her eyes and stood on her feet slowly.

"Hotaru-chan, I almost lost my Senshi, my friends, my love. Please don't let me loose you. Please don't let the darkness swallow you..."

A scream echoed from the mistress and Sailor Moon stood to her feet, facing the large creature. She would not let it destroy those special to her. People depended on her, needed her.

She could be weak no more!

A large light broke through her locket, and she turned towards the monster, towards the approaching doom. She turned towards the creature fated to kill all those she loved.

Lifting her head high, she pulled forth the crystal. Her eyes wide and blue, shinning with life. With light.

She suddenly, didn't feel so alone.