Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Ami P.O.V.

I wasn't sure what to think. I knew Rei and Minako were close, but I didn't see it. I didn't see the love Rei had for Minako. It makes sense now. The longing looks. The way Rei glowed when Minako was around. The way she was always so much calmer when she was around. I couldn't believe my ignorance.

Mars was sitting on the ground. Her arms were crossed on top of her knees. Her forehead rested on her forearms as she waited for her sentence.

No one had spoken since the others left. It was just us, the senshi. The tension in the room was suffocating. Everyone avoided looking at Mars.

I looked at Jupiter. She was clenching and unclenching her fist. Her jaw was set.

"This is ridiculous!" Jupiter yelled. Everyone snapped their heads to her. Her chest was heaving. "She's our friend and she's a senshi. Of course, we forgive her."

Mars slowly rose her head. Her face was splotchy from crying.

"While that is true, we can't just forgive her betrayal," Neptune spoke. "None of us like the fact that we have to make this decision, but we do."

Uranus gave the ground a blank stare. I could never tell what she was thinking.

Saturn stood in front of Mars. She dropped to her knee and put her hand on her shoulder. Gently, she pushed Mars back. Saturn smiled kindly.

"Anyone can tell you feel guilty," she said. "No matter what, when Serenity came to you, you were going to betray someone in the end. If you'd refused Serenity, you would be betraying her and, in a sense, Venus. But you did tell her, thus betraying us.

"No matter what you chose, you were betraying yourself as well. To say no to her, would be betraying your love for Serenity and Venus both. Telling her what you knew, betrayed your love for us and your duty as a senshi."

Mars made a choking sound as she began to sob. I wanted to reach for her, but part of me commanded my body not to move.

Saturn made a noise of approval and nodded. She stood up and turned to us. "Jupiter and Neptune are both right. Mars is our friend and one of us, but she did betray our trust."

"What do you suggest then?" Pluto spoke up.

Saturn turned to Pluto. "I suggest we forgive her. I suggest we sympathize with her, but that we don't leave her alone. Let her prove her trust once more," she concluded.

We were all silent for a moment. How did this small child become so brilliant and wise?

"I agree," Uranus said. It surprised me that she conceded so quickly. Part of me thought she wouldn't forgive her and demand her exile.

"As do I," I said. Saturn was right. This was the best choice. Pluto, Neptune, and Jupiter each nodded.

"So, we're all in agreement," Pluto said.

"I would like to stay with her and talk with her in private," I said.

No one was surprised. They all merely nodded and headed to the palace. I looked at Mars. She was still sitting on the ground. She sniffled but was no longer crying.

I sat down on the cold ground next to her. Silently, I gathered my thoughts.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked.

Mars sniffled again and sighed deeply. She lifted her head and shook the hair out of her face.

"For the same reason you haven't told me that you care for Taiki," she said bluntly. My shoulders bunched up. She turned to me. I could tell that surprise and embarrassment were written all over my face. My cheeks started to get warm. "Neither one of us wanted to admit we had feelings for one of our friends."

I suppose she's right. I didn't want to admit it. I saw how hurt Seiya was when Usagi turned her down. I didn't want to go through that, plus, I would die of embarrassment.

"I suppose that makes sense," I agreed. She was breathing calmly again. I felt courage run through me. "When did you know you felt something for her?"

She chuckled. "I don't have the slightest clue," she said shaking her head. "One day, I realized how much I wanted to kiss her. That's when I knew. I never told her, but I'm sure she knew."

I nodded my head in understanding. Some things Minako just knew.

"It doesn't matter anyway. She wants Healer," she sighed disappointedly.

"We both have unrequited loves then," I admitted.

She turned to me. I couldn't tell if she was scrutinizing me or not. "You really can't see it, can you?" She asked me. I bunched my eyebrows together. She fought a smile. "Taiki is both intrigued by you and irritated with you. You're the only one that can put her to shame. You see the world differently than she does, but your also brilliant. She's fascinated by you."

I turned away and blushed. I brought my hands to my face to hide my reddened cheeks. My heart was racing. Was she right? Was Taiki really fascinated by me?

She laughed. I turned toward her expecting her to be making fun of me like it was a cruel joke, but she was just smiling.

"You don't have to hide your excitement just because we both know Minako doesn't care for me the way I care for her," she said. I hated that I couldn't tell her she was wrong. I wish I could urge her to tell the girl she cares for her feelings, but it's true. Minako has eyes for someone else.

"We better go," she said standing. "They probably need help cleaning up the palace. We all need some rest and I don't know about you, but I don't want to sleep on a bunch of hard rocks."

She extended her hand. I took it and let her help me up. For the first time in a while, I really felt like things were going to be okay.


Makoto P.O.V.

I was trying to keep my cool. I really was, but I'm so pissed. I didn't even notice that I had walked away from the rest of the senshi. I was in a completely different part of the palace. I looked around me and saw I was the only one there.

Screaming at the top of my lungs, my fist apparently thought it was a good idea to punch a pillar. So, I'm pissed and a fucking idiot. I groaned loudly and tried to shake the pain away. Instead of trying to calm down like a normal person, I kicked a piece of rubble into a pillar.

I wasn't entirely sure why I started freaking out right now. Any normal human being would have freaked out a long time ago. So why now? I lost two of my best friends and Mars is in love with one of our best friends, so she betrayed us.

I screamed again and a bolt of lightning shot down from the sky.

I heard a whistle from behind me. "Calm down tiger," a voice said.

I turned around and saw one of the many people I really didn't want to see.

"What the hell do you want, Nephrite?" I asked irritated.

He walked inside the dome. Now that I had calmed down a little bit, I'd realized I was in a gazebo. The roof was gone, and two pillars were completely torn off. I also realized how cold I was.

"The rest of the senshi returned twenty minutes ago. When you didn't come with them, I came to look for you," he explained.

"How observant of you," I said.

A hint of a smile graced the corner of his mouth. I turned away from him and tried to shake the pain from my hand again.

"Perhaps you should see Mercury about your hand. We don't need your lightning bolts raining down on your allies," he said.

I turned back to him. "Is that what you are?" I asked quirking an eyebrow.

For a fraction of a second he looked offended. He recovered quickly. He looked away for a brief second to maintain his composure.

"I know you don't like me-"

"I don't like any of you," I seethed. "Seleine may trust you, but I do not."

He pursed his lips into a thin line. He licked his lips and sighed.

"You have no reason to trust me. After what has happened in the past you have no reason to trust me," he reasoned. "But believe it or not, we're here to help. You have no reason to fear me. We do have to work together though. I'm a part of this team just like you now."

I lifted my chin in defiance. I knew he was right, but that didn't mean I have to like it.

"So, what did that poor pillar do to you? Did he jump in your way and prevent you from walking straight into the pond?" He asked. I looked over my shoulder and saw the pillar I punched did block my way to the pond, thankfully.

I laughed in response. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry about Venus and Serenity. I've lost comrades too," he sympathized.

I looked up at him. I hated that he was taller than me. I hated that he was being kind to me. But most of all, I hated that I was attracted to him. As soon as I thought it, I threw up my walls.

"Yeah, well, it's war. We lose friends all the time. After all, I've died twice," I said unfeelingly. "We should get back anyway, Seleine will be preparing to tell us our war tactics."

He nodded his head and walked with me back to the palace.


Seleine P.O.V.

*One hour ago*

"I'm going to make this really simple. Tomorrow, we'll likely being going to battle. Some of us my die. They are formidable, and we lack their strength. Do not put yourselves in one on one battles, for you will surely die.

"So, this is how it's going to go. Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, Fighter, you're going up against Serenity. If anyone can get her to see reason and come back to the light, it's you four. Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Saturn; you all are going up against Lilith. She's the second Moon Queen in history. She's strong and she fights dirty, so I expect you to fight dirty too.

"Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite, Kunzite, and Healer; you will be battling youma and most likely humans. Like I said before, they fight dirty. They will use humans to fight against us. I hope I don't have to tell you not to kill them," I ordered.

I turned to the Witches 5. "I'm going to need you all to come up with a spell or something to get the humans to sleep. I imagine you're going to have to continuously do this spell, so Saphir and Kakyuu will be the ones to protect you."

"What about you?" Kakyuu asked me.

"As for me, I will be fighting Hikari."

"You can't. He's too strong not to mention, he's your father!" Pluto reasoned.

"None of you can take him on," I said bluntly. "He could kill you all without batting an eye. You would certainly die. I'm not having anyone dying without doing any damage and that is final."

*Present*

My neck throbbed. I rubbed my neck and sighed. Why was this always so hard? Why do I have to fight my sister? Clearly, someone thought this was a cruel joke.

I had managed enough strength to set the war room into a habitable place. All of the pillars that held the room together had fallen. I'd used earth magic to put the pillars back into place. Most of the rubble went back into their pillars, but the room was still covered in dust. I had cast a light wind around the room and blew as much as I could into the fireplace. I summoned a fireball and started a fire in the fireplace.

I stood by the fire and warmed my hands and arms. It was always so cold on the moon. We had always needed several Martians around to tend to the warmest fires. I walked away from the fire and sat at my mother's desk. Broken quartz crystals littered the desk. I wasn't going to waste anymore magic to put them back together, but I wanted to.

I fingered a particularly sharp piece. I pushed on the piece too hard and pricked my finger. Blood started to seep out of the minor wound. I made no movement to stop the bleeding. I was in a trance. I remembered when my powers went out of control the first time. I had hungered for bloodshed. I couldn't leave my tower for a month without getting angry and injuring a servant.

I turned to the right and looked out the window of the war room. My warriors were moving rubble out of the center of the ballroom. I felt their strength diminish, but I also felt their mind temporarily at ease. Turning away from the window, I grabbed a blanket on top of a couch and shook the piles of dust off. I coughed and sneezed as dust swarmed me.

I sat on the hard sofa and leaned back. I closed my eyes and sighed again. Can I get my sister to come back to the light? Can I really do this? Can I really kill my father? Part of me wished I could be the woman I was when I first thirsted for blood. Planning war had been so much easier then. I put people where I needed them and didn't care who died. It was a terrible part of me back then, but it was very affective when at battle.

I looked back at my finger. The blood had hardened and stopped bleeding. I sent a probe to open the cut again. I watched as the cut opened a little more and forced myself back into that trance like state.

"Want a band-aid?"

I looked up to see Princess Haruka in the doorway. Her dark blue dress hugged her body in a way that wasn't sexually appealing but emphasized her strong arms and athletic body.

Without waiting for an answer, she walked into the room and sat by me. She peered at the already closed cut and wiped away the dried blood.

"You're freezing," she said solemnly. She closed her hands around mine and began rubbing heat into them. I sucked in a breath at her warmth.

She looked up at me, then pulled away.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I sometimes forget you don't always like being touched."

I got up and walked back to the fire. I leaned against the mantle and feigned interest in the fire.

"That was a stupid thing you did earlier," she declared. I swiveled my eyes briefly. She was still sitting on the sofa looking at her hands. "Part of me wanted to condemn her. She betrayed us. I understand her feelings for Minako, but Rei put us all in danger.

"What if we had condemned her?" She continued, rising from the sofa. She walked toward the fireplace and stood next to me. "Would you have interfered?"

Her eyes pleaded with me. I gulped and turned away from her. I hadn't really thought of what I would do. I just had hoped they would make the right decision.

"I wanted to condemn her," she whispered. She grabbed my shoulders and forced me to look her in the eyes. Her face was starting to get red. "I wanted to condemn her. I don't know what came over me, but thankfully it did. If it hadn't, I wouldn't have forgiven her. I would have said she's a traitor."

She shook my shoulders briefly. She squeezed my shoulders slightly. There was a fire in her eyes, a dangerous fire. I forced her hands off of me and took a step back.

"What do you want me to say?" I spat. "You made it very clear that if I had even tried to intervene you wouldn't listen."

She pushed her lips in a tight line. "Why am I the only one that hasn't earned my new powers?" She implored. "Are you punishing me?"

"Is that what you think?" I scoffed. "You think I'm punishing you just because you hurt my feelings?" Fire cracked. Haruka didn't budge. She welcomed the anger.

"Then why haven't I received them?"

I laughed. "That's your fault sweetie," I countered. "You haven't earned your powers because the gods don't see you worthy."

Her fist pounded the wall. Her fist dented the stone. Blood dripped from her fist. The rage in her eyes burned even more.

"You wonder why you haven't gained your powers?" I shouted. I gestured to her bloody broken hand. "This is why. The gods fear that if they give you more magic, you'll go berserk and destroy everything."

She jumped back as if I had struck her. "Your gifts depend on your emotions. The more you feel, the more powerful you are," I explained. "With your powers now, you're an admirable foe. If you get more power, who knows what could happen."

Haruka's eyes went dark as she hung her head. She hadn't anticipated this honesty. She hadn't anticipated that her anger was the reason why.

"How do I prove I'm worthy?" She mumbled.

I released a breath that I hadn't realized I was holding. I regarded her crumpled form. Most of the time, Haruka sported her 'I'm the toughest warrior of them all' façade. But now, now she just looked sad and broken.

"I don't know," I whispered. She looked up at me. Tears were spilling over her cheeks. My heart lurched seeing her this way. She tore down her walls that she built for everyone else. She was being unapologetically honest.

Heat fizzled between us. The hair on my arms stood on end. Breath hitched in my throat.

I sucked in a breath of air and backed away. I cleared my throat. "You have to prove to the gods that you can be trusted to keep yourself in check. That's the only advice I can give you."

Her eyes dropped back down again. Those beautiful teal eyes that were always so calm and collected were swirling with emotions. Her body was shaking. One tear dripped from her face. My chest tightened.

Was I being cruel?

Without meaning to, I put my hand on her shoulder. I didn't intend to offer her comfort. Right now, any touch between us was dangerous. I couldn't let myself lose control right now.

"Mama?"

Haruka and I simultaneously turned to the door. Princess Hotaru was standing in the doorway.

"What is it baby?" I asked. The girl was nearly twelve physically, but she still had a child's mind. The growth Galaxia caused to her body, didn't affect her mind.

"I can't sleep," she whined.

I looked out the window to the ballroom. The room was dark save for a small fire was lit in the furthest corner of the room. Everyone was huddled near the fire. The room had been cleared so quickly. I hadn't noticed the quiet till just now. I hadn't realized how late it was.

"Come here sweetie," I beckoned moving toward the sofa. I sat on the ground and let my beautiful daughter perch on the couch.

"What's wrong sweetie?" I asked.

Her eyes looked troubled. She looked scared. A fist clenched my heart.

She looked at her feet, then back up at me. "I'm scared." Duh Seleine. Of course, she was scared. The biggest battle of her life was coming. "Am I gonna die, Mommy?"

Tears came to my eyes. How could I answer her? 'We're all gonna die someday baby?' I could never succumb to that cruelty.

"I'll protect you, I promise," I reassured her. Her eyes lit up just a fraction. "You have your Haruka-papa, Setsuna-mama, and Michiru-mama there to protect you too. No one is going to let anything bad happen to you."

She sniffled and nodded her head. I brought her into my arms and held her. I stroked her hair to calm her down. Her breathing started to relax as she laid down on my lap.


Haruka P.O.V.

Seeing Seleine and Hotaru together made my heart warm. How anyone could think Seleine was a horrible person, has clearly never seen her with her daughter.

"Will you sing me a song?" Hotaru whispered. Seleine chuckled and thought for a moment.

I rose to get up and leave them alone. "Haruka-papa," Hotaru whispered my name. Her small doe eyes looked up at me. "Will you stay with us?"

Finding no words, I nodded my head. She reached for my hand. I took the tiny girl's hand and felt her warmth. I bowed my head at the tender moment.

"Come stop your crying
It will be alright
Just take my hand
And hold it tight."

Slowly, my head rose as she started to sing a lullaby from an American animated movie. Her angelic voice filled the room even though she was singing softly. She was smiling as she looked down at the sleepy Hotaru.

"I will protect you
From all around you
I will be here
Don't you cry."

Her lip quivered slightly. She was trying so hard not to cry in front of her daughter. The daughter she didn't have a chance to raise.

"For one so small,
You seem so strong
My arms will hold you,
Keep you safe and warm
This bond between us
Can't be broken
I will be here
Don't you cry."

She was slightly off pitch at the end. The emotions she was feeling were starting to get to her. She rose her head to keep the tears at bay as she started to sing again.

"'Cause you'll be in my heart
Yes, you'll be in my heart
From this day on
Now and forever more
You'll be in my heart
No matter what they say
You'll be here in my heart
Always."

She whispered the last line. Hotaru was fast asleep in her lap. I hadn't noticed before, but my face was damp. Seleine met my gaze. It was like I was seeing her for the first time. I no longer saw the badass warrior who took no prisoners. I now saw a young woman who only wanted acceptance. I saw a woman who wanted to be loved.

I now saw a mother who loved her daughter more than anyone else in the world.

Our eyes said all the things we couldn't say out loud. Her eyes said, 'I love you,' and mine reciprocated. She reached her hand out to me, and I took it without hesitation.