Original Author's Note: I need to warn you about this chapter. It isn't pretty. As a matter of fact, I spent two days deliberating on exactly how much I wanted to share of it. Heavy topic. I have to warn you, I cried my eyes out as I was writing one of these scenes. To be honest, I almost deleted this without posting it. Please review and tell me what you think. This is a bit darker than my other stuff, which tends to be more lighthearted and sexier.

Updated Author's Note (5/8/19): I really hope I've done this story, and the characters, justice with this rewrite. It was just as hard to read and to add more to this chapter as it was to write it originally, but I think it was important. I rarely have a chapter that affects me this much.

The Prison
Chapter Six
Fifth Day
True Dark

*****WARNING*****
This chapter speaks of institutionalized child abuse and death.

Usagi woke slowly. It was late morning she assumed, but for some reason no one had come to release them from their cells. She could tell how late it was through the light in the window of the bathroom, and that also came in through the cell door. Why hadn't anyone come to open their cell?

"What's going on?" She asked, her voice dull with exhaustion.

"I don't really know," Mamoru admitted.

"We didn't hear a Taking, but that doesn't mean there wasn't one." Kunzite sounded angry.

Her mind wandered back to the evening before and all the people that had been saved. She could feel good about that. And a large part of her was very proud, but nervousness and anxiety roiled within her, reminding her that there were others to protect. The children were at the top of that list. They knew something was up inside the prison the day before, and she wondered just what was happening now.

Someone should have been by their sleep cell, if not to escort them to the day cell, then to provide food. Or even Ichiro to taunt them and try and attack her. The fact that no one had come said whatever they feared was growing closer. And she knew what their next task had to be,

"Tonight, after we meet with the others, we need to smuggle those children out of here." Usagi's voice was firm, strong, and unyielding. "We can't put it off any longer."

The others didn't have so much as a thought of arguing, however. Fierce agreement came from everyone in the sleep cell. Fists were tight, teeth were clenched, heads nodded briefly as eyes hardened. None were willing to risk those children another day.

"When we rescue the other people though, it has to be from their night cells, like last night. We can't let some people out." Mamoru looked upset. "I know it would be easier from the day cells, but some of the prisoners are dangerous. As much as I hate leaving anyone for the Youma, we can't chance letting them back into the population."

"What if we took them somewhere else?" Ami's eyebrows were drawn together. "Like the sanctuary, but further away." Usagi nodded as she understood. A place where they would be safe from harm, but also couldn't harm anyone else.

"Are we going to end up doing a full-scale attack?" Zoicite looked concerned. "Some of the guards are good people. Most of them aren't bad at all. I know Motoki is gone, but he can't be the only one to hide in the ranks to help a friend."

"I say we destroy the Youma, rescue the inmates, and then leave ourselves." Minako said quietly. "I think we should leave the guards well out of it or take them with us if they want to go."

Usagi nodded and looked to Mamoru. "I think it needs to be discussed tonight. After all we don't know how much help we might get. I don't think Takeo and Yuzuki should be involved in anything but setting up a hiding place. And maybe locating parents. Even Shingo and Hotaru are a bit young for this." Mamoru stood looking out the cell door, watching in all directions to make sure no one was spying on them. His voice was quiet, low and even.

"We've never had this much time alone in the cell without seeing a single guard. This worries me." Kunzite ran a hand through his hair. He strode from one end of the cell to the other. "Something is wrong!"

Usagi nodded her head. "I agree." A chill had crept up her spine.

Unable to keep still, Mamoru felt like a caged tiger, ready to pounce at the first sign of movement. But nothing stirred. Across the hall he could see the group in another sleep cell. They too were growing agitated and worried. As he stepped closer to the bars, a woman called out to him.

"Any idea what's happening?" she asked.

Mamoru automatically wanted to hush her, but no guard came running at the sound of voices. He rolled his shoulders and frowned. No guards seemed to be around at all. That was not a good sign.

"I don't know," he said finally. "We heard rumors from people in the day cell yesterday and it seemed like the guards were agitated, but no one really knew what was happening."

In fact there should have been a search for the missing prisoners, but it sounded as though no one had even noticed their absence. Sixteen people gone should have set the guards on edge, but he doubted they even knew they were missing. Or that they cared.

"Something big is going to happen," said a man who walked to the cell door beside the woman. "Really big. You've been here a while. You remember when they took that cell block. It was quiet like this then too."

"It could just be a new wave of prisoners has them all busy," the woman argued. "I don't want to think about another missing cell block."

"At least it isn't ours," the man said, wrapping his arm around the woman. "The rest of my family is here in this cell," he added, looking behind him. Mamoru could see a teenage boy and girl, an elderly woman and a middle aged man. "We're all that's left," he said with a sigh.

"I'm sorry," Mamoru said sadly. He had heard far too many similar stories.

"It is what it is," the man said, then guided the woman away from the door.

Turning back to his own cell, Mamoru's gaze rested on each of the people he had helped. They had become his own family and he would do anything for them. Even sacrificing his own life didn't seem too hard if it would save them. He looked at Usagi, who was busy talking to Luna and Artemis, and sighed. For her, he would do anything.

Hours later, when no lunch had been brought, no guards had been seen, and no movement seemed to occur except in the cells, all of them were growing agitated. Kunzite's pacing was growing more frustrated with each sweep of the cell. Mamoru had gotten very quiet and was sitting next to her on their bunk, and Nephrite looked about ready to jump out of his own skin.

Something had to give. They needed answers. She turned to Mamoru and a look passed between them. He nodded once to her, and then turned to Kunzite and nodded again. It was amazing how much could be said without a single word.

"Nephrite," Kunzite said quietly. "Shadow."

"Keep a lookout," Nephrite replied, and a moment later he had projected his shadow, standing still for a moment, seeming to stare off into space at nothing. Several long minutes passed, and he still had not returned. Usagi stood and crawled under the bunk where they'd hidden the lunches from a few days before. She handed them out to everyone and tore into her own. She could feel the energy seeping back into her.

Nephrite was quiet a long time. The rest of them munched at their food, worry obvious in their posture and the stillness that surrounded them. The food didn't taste very good to Usagi, who was worried and anxious. She watched the light and shadow play across Nephrite's face, urging him to hurry.

Finally there was a stir of movement and his eyes opened. "We have to fight," Nephrite said as he came back. "Tonight, they're going after the entire East Wing. The children are being held there." His face was white. "There is something wrong with them." He sighed. "The children."

Usagi stood and looked at Mamoru. He nodded once, a fierce shake of the head. She turned to Luna. "Call the others. We're going now."

A moment later Luna tossed a small blue handheld computer to Ami. "Use this."

Ami, perhaps going on instinct, opened the little computer and pressed several buttons. She spoke a few words the others didn't catch, and a moment later the cell became even more crowded.

Haruka and Michiru came first with little Hotaru in tow. Setsuna followed shortly after, her long green hair mussed, her eyes wild. Moments later Haruki, Shingo, and little Takeo and Yuzuki appeared. There was really no space left in the cell, but a golden light filled the space and Helios stepped out, looking at everyone with sad eyes.

Mamoru and Usagi locked eyes and a quick mental conversation passed between them. :: We need to fight, :: she said, her heart aching.

:: We will. Give them a few instructions and let them at it. They won't let us down. :: Mamoru's eyes stayed on hers as he spoke into her mind, and she felt a touch of the agitation drift away.

"They're planning to go after the children." Usagi said to the others, her voice ice. "If the guards fight us, round them into a cell. The rest we let go or take with us, depending on what they want. Prisoners in black cannot be put with the rest. Find a safe place to hold them. Kunzite, you take charge of that. Any other prisoners bring to the Sanctuary."

"Split up," added Mamoru. "Sun Knight, Blue Moon Knight," he looked at Haruki and Shingo, "you're with Sailor Moon and me." He looked at the others. "We need at least two of you for transportation." He added.

"I think the two youngest of us can work to gather supplies for the night. Go get Naru and Umino and the others to help you. Blankets, food, clothing, and something for shelter will all be needed." Sailor Moon smiled when they nodded looking very serious. That would keep them safe and also help the others, which was important. Takeo and Yuzuki disappeared a moment later and she wished them well, but was grateful they were gone. She wanted to send her brother and Hotaru after them, but she needed them to stay.

"As for the rest of you, split into teams. I want at least one inner, one outer, and one Shitennou per group. Gather the prisoners together and transport them to the sanctuary. Black jumpsuits keep in their cells until someone finds a place for them. We move them last. Move out!"

Everyone nodded, and they moved back as Kunzite made his way to the cell doors. A blast of clear white energy erupted from his palm, blasting open the cell doors. He moved down the hallway and began opening other cells.

Usagi and Mamoru stayed where they were for a moment before they performed their henshin. They were joined by Haruki, Shingo, Nephrite, and Makoto, becoming Sun Knight, Blue Moon Knight, East Knight and Sailor Jupiter.

The family in the cell across from theirs stared in awe as Tuxedo Kamen led Sailor Moon and the others out into the corridor. He nodded to them and watched as Sailor Uranus sprinted down the hallway like the wind to unlock all the doors at once.

"Stay in your cells," he ordered. "Someone will be by to get you one cell at a time. We are taking you to away from here. Stay quiet until you reach safety. Once there you will find two young ones who will probably ask you to move, as well as others that will ask for your help. Do as they say please, they are trying to make sure everyone stays safe."

Done speaking, Tuxedo Kamen led his own group towards the East Wing. Voices followed them, growing louder, but he ignored them. The other groups would have to help the prisoners in each of the other wings. He could feel Sailor Moon's absolute focus on the children. They could not let them down. They would have to hurry.

They were on the far west side of the prison. It would mean traveling through all of the west wing and past the north and south wings which opened up at the same place east and west connected, just beyond the Main entrance to the prison itself, where he had first entered the doors four months before.

It amazed him that in such a short time his world had upended. Only a week prior he had been learning to accept that he would never leave the walls alive, and now, because of one tiny blonde, he was not only going to escape, he was going to help rescue hundreds, if not thousands, of others.

When they finally made it into the east wing, they found it had six hallways and six day cells, as did their own, but one of the hallways was blocked off by thick steel doors. A code was needed to enter, but having Sailor Jupiter with them solved that problem quickly. She sent a jolt of electricity into the panel and the doors opened with a click. Within seconds the six of them had made their way inside.

Sailor Moon gasped, then clenched her teeth in anger. The hallway they had entered was broken by four large cell doors with plaques over them. One read 7-8, then 9-10, 11-12, and 13-14. Anyone fifteen and older had been automatically placed with the other inmates.

She entered the cell of the youngest first, and tears immediately began to fall. There were thirty or so bunks, two children per, and none of them so much as moved as they walked into the room. She heard her brother gasp in horror and put a hand on his shoulder in comfort, then pointed to one of the bunks.

"This is worse than I imagined," she heard Sun Knight mutter. "It's bad enough what they're doing to the grown-ups," he continued, "but this is barbaric."

Sailor Moon hissed in response, looking at all the children. Very few were awake, and most of those could hardly move. A scream wanted to tears its way out of her throat, but she couldn't afford to let herself cry and rage. Not until they were all safe.

She put her hand to the pulse of the first child she reached. They were alive apparently. She knelt beside the bed, tears flowing freely. The child didn't open her eyes. Her light auburn hair was matted, her face pale. Putting one hand on the girl's forehead, Sailor Moon reached deep within and pulled on the light of the Silver Crystal. She sent healing energy into the child. Fluttering eyelids proved it was working. She whispered soothingly for a moment to keep her calm.

"Stay still little one." She bent and kissed the child's filthy forehead. "We're going to get you out of here." She turned and motioned to Jupiter, who gently lifted the girl from the bed, and cuddled her in her arms, leaving spots of blood on the bare mattress. She moved with the child to East Knight, whose cheeks were wet with emotion. He took the child and disappeared.

Sailor Moon stood and put her hand to the boy in top bunk. She repeated the process of healing, and before she had finished Jupiter was by her side. As she turned, she saw both Tuxedo Mask and the Sun Knight using their own healing energy into more of the children. Blue Moon Knight moved between bunks, tears falling as he reached for a young boy with curly blonde hair. Blue light sprang out around him like a hazy nimbus as he healed the child.

They moved throughout the room. In total there were fifty-seven children, and none of them were able to move or function without their aid. Sailor Moon wept through the process, her heart breaking for these little ones. And knowing three more rooms full of children waited for them made it so much worse.

"Sailor Moon!" Her cousin's voice was so full of pain she wished she could run from it. She knew what she was about to discover. She moved slowly, feeling much older than she should have. She felt a thousand years old, and so sad she wondered if her entire body wasn't made of tears. She went to the bunk he knelt beside. Tears poured silently down his face as he looked at a little girl, blonde hair spread over the pillow, so thin her bones were visible.

She put her hand on Sun Knight's shoulder, bent, and picked up the child herself. She appeared to be younger than seven. She was blonde, tiny and frail, and so utterly pathetic it broke her heart into a million pieces. She knelt, the little one cold in her arms, and bowed her head. How much energy had they drained to steal the child's life in this way? Could they be so inhuman?

Her tears wet the cheeks of the lifeless child. Her eyes feeling swollen and heavy. She wished she'd been able to save the girl. Perhaps if she had known who she was before entering the prison... She hugged the little one tightly to her and kissed her forehead. "I wish I could have saved you," she whispered.

A light echoed her thought, bright and shining, coming from the center of her chest in a gentle wave, enveloping the small child. It was warmth and love and peace that filled her and spread out into the body of the helpless one who had been through so much. As more tears fell upon the girl's face, she blinked her eyes open, staring up at the older girl holding her and sucked in a breath, coughing slightly.

"Are you an angel?" she whispered, sounding very shy. Sailor Moon had not been aware of the change in herself, though the others who had gathered around saw the white silken dress with golden embroidery, the golden glow of the crescent moon upon her brow, the change in her hair from golden to silver.

Sailor Moon, now Eternal Princess Serenity, opened her eyes with a gasp. At the sight of the blue eyes sparking from the girl in her arms she let out a cry of joy and hope and hugged her close. "No," she whispered. "I think you are."

The little one smiled, holding her hand up to touch her rescuer's cheek. "You're even more pretty than my mom," she said, a shy smile hovering on her lips. With a sobbing laugh she hugged the girl tightly and then turned and handed her over to Makoto, whose mouth was open in shock.

Her form changed again as she let the child go, and she looked around at the others. More and more of them had appeared as their own tasks were completed. They stared at their princess and the miracle she had created.

Tuxedo Kamen felt like screaming as he healed child after child. It was taking far too much time and energy. He could hear Blue Moon Knight sobbing, and Sun Knight drawing shaky breaths as he healed the little ones, but it was Sailor Moon who was affected the most. He could sense a weight of guilt on her and knew she was blaming herself for not having rescued the children sooner.

When Sun Knight called for Sailor Moon, he followed her across the room and watched in horror, realizing the little girl had died. There was a boy in the bunk above hers who had silent tears streaming down his cheeks as he reached for the girl, unable to move far, but unable to stay still. The look in the boy's eyes was utter devastation. He was whispering something Tuxedo Kamen couldn't make out, trying to get to the girl.

Sailor Moon took the little girl into her arms, weeping over her. Tuxedo Kamen reached out and lifted the boy into his own. The child sobbed, still trying to reach the tiny blonde whose life had been stolen. He could feel bed sores on the child's back and legs, and rage filled him, though he was gentle with the boy.

"Serena," the little boy whispered. "No. Serena." His voice was broken and tormented, and he continued to whisper, murmuring her name again and again.

A silver glow filled the room and he watched in complete awe as Sailor Moon changed. A white dress with silver and gold trim flowed over her form and the silver light sank into the girl in her arms, tears falling from her face.

"A true Heart Wish," came a voice and Helios appeared behind her, his own form glowing golden, his horn shining bright in the room.

The little girl coughed, open her eyes, and spoke. Tuxedo Kamen nearly fell over in shock. His Usako had brought her back from the dead. Her spirit of sacrifice, love, and hope, had done the impossible. The little boy in his arms wept louder. Bright golden light surrounded him and the child as he sent healing into him, causing the young one to gasp in shock.

East Knight came to him then, and took the boy, and Jupiter took the girl. As he watched the little boy reached for the girl's hand. She gave him a smile, and then the four were gone, to the sanctuary island. He stood still, staring, until a cough surprised him and he turned to see the others had joined them and were staring at the woman who had performed a miracle.

"Prince," North Knight said, and he turned to look at his friend in confusion. He wasn't a prince in this life. Then he saw Kunzite's eyes were trailing over him and looked down. His Tuxedo Kamen garb had disappeared, replaced with the uniform and light armor he had worn in the last days of the Silver Millennium, before he and Serenity had died.

Shock rolled through him, but he was still far more concerned with the woman who had just brought a child back from death. He gave his first a nod to acknowledge him, and immediately turned his attention back to her.

The silver glow faded and she was Sailor Moon once more. A golden light surrounded him for a brief moment and he found himself as Tuxedo Kamen again.

Sailors Uranus and Neptune helped Sailor Moon to her feet. "I think we should take the children at once, and heal them on the island," Uranus said with a small frown. "We can't take the time. We've gathered all the guards that were in the cell block, but more will come, I'm sure."

She didn't know when they had arrived, but many of the others were now in the room. Sailor Moon nodded, stumbling a little as she tried to stand. Tuxedo Kamen appeared behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist. She let herself lean on him, needing not just his support, but comfort and love.

"You need to rest before you do any more," he whispered. He turned on the spot and they appeared on a lush green hill on the sanctuary island. He gently helped her to sit, holding her tightly. "That was the most beautiful thing I've ever witnessed," he murmured.

Looking down the hill, where dozens of children were laid out in rows, some actually sitting up on their own, Sailor Moon smiled. "Me too." She sniffled. "When I saw her eyes staring up at me..." she choked on a sob and buried her face in his chest. He wrapped his cape around her and held her close while she cried.

Prisoners were setting up sleeping bags and small shelters under the direction of Naru and Umino, neither of whom seemed to notice their friend's arrival on the island. Naru bustled back and forth to a structure that had been sent up, filling her arms with blankets in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, and marched back to each group that arrived. Umino was handing out blue and grey tarps, food, and even medical supplies. She didn't know where everything had come from, but had to wonder if her mother and aunt had been working the whole time to prepare.

More and more children appeared. "We're going to have trouble finding all of their families." Jupiter was kneeling at the edge of the rise. "Highnesses," she whispered. "There were no other casualties." She bowed her head, then looked up at Sailor Moon with shimmering eyes. "You saved her."

"Does anyone know her name?" Sailor Moon asked.

"Serena." Jupiter said. "She and her friend Darien were taken while they walked home from school." She growled. "They were being held for no reason!"

Sailor Moon felt like growling herself. "Is the boy with her now?"

"Yes. Nephrite and I were going to put them in separate places, but he screamed for her until I brought her and put her next to him." She gave a small smile. "I think maybe one day those two will end up married." She let out a tiny laugh. "Thanks to you."

"He's one of the ones I healed," Tuxedo Mask admitted. "He kept whispering her name even before I healed him."

Sailor Moon couldn't help but smile and look up at her Soul-Bonded. She loved him so much. It was strange how her feelings from within the cell had only been added to with her memories. She had already begun to love him in this life. She wondered, if she had known him from childhood, what would their lives have been like?

It was dark, the moon high in the sky, before the last of the children appeared. Many of the guards came with them, though some had asked to be released into the city to protect their own families. The prisoners in black she never saw. Apparently the Shittenou had found an appropriate place for them to be hidden. She shivered when Kunzite laughed. He'd taken the worst guards to the same place, including Ichiro, he told her and Tuxedo Kamen, though he didn't say where. Sailor Moon, for once in her life, didn't want to know.

They were careful not to release their henshin in front of the prisoners. But knowing rest was needed, Tuxedo Kamen drew Sailor Moon behind the hill and they both transformed. He held her close for several long minutes.

"Naru and Umino organized some people to make food," he said, repeating what Jadeite had told him. The man had been walking around with a crow on his shoulder, helping people set up shelters and locate other prisoners.

"Okay," Usagi said, and gave a yawn. She needed rest as much as food. He grabbed her hand and led her to a spot hidden in the shadows of a tree. Rei appeared with bowls of canned foods. He thought he recognized the taste of spaghetti as he inhaled his own.

Usagi ate quickly and they both set their bowls and spoons to the side before he pulled her into his lap. Within minutes she was snoring lightly, the light of the moon shining on her legs as they waited.

They would have to return to the prison. There was more work to be done. But he couldn't let her go in without recharging first.

Zoicite approached their spot and bowed. "I have news," he started, "and you aren't going to like it."

"What?" Mamoru asked, worried. Had they missed something important?

The man held five thick books in his hands. Mamoru recognized them. They were the very books the prisoners had signed their names in when they arrived. His own was in the blue one. Usagi's would be in the yellow.

"Far more are missing than we might have thought," Zoicite answered sadly. "The white book alone makes me want to weep. More than seven thousand names are entered, over a thousand were under the age of fifteen. Only thirteen of those who were listed remain, and none of the children were in the rooms we cleared today. Not a single one." Zoicite swiped angrily at a tear.

"And the others?" Mamoru asked, not sure he wanted to hear the answer.

"More than two thousand in black," Zoicite muttered, "but almost half of them survived." He let out a growl. "The blue book held four thousand names, and only two hundred remain. In red there were nine thousand and more than half are gone. In yellow there were over twenty-four thousand, and now there are just over eight thousand left."

The numbers were staggering. It was truly worse than they'd imagined. All those unmarked graves. There had to be more fields of them they didn't see.

"Over a quarter of the names in the yellow book belonged to children," Zoicite said, his head turned toward the field where they were lain out in rows. "In total there are three-hundred and eighty-four children that were rescued today."

"Motoki and I only rescued seventeen children before he and the other guards were told they were no longer needed," Mamoru whispered. "But we got twenty-nine of the youngest teens in the adult cells out." It wasn't enough. Not nearly enough. Pain tore at his heart. Thousands of children had died. And more thousands of men and women, many of whom were guilty of nothing more than trying to feed their families, or find medicine.

Looking down at Usagi, he closed his eyes in thankfulness that she had the courage to spark a revolution. There was more work to be done. They couldn't rest until the prison was utterly ruined and the evil queen taken down for good. They had plans to return to the prison in only a few hours.

Looking back up, he met Zoicite's eyes. "Make sure you all get some sleep," he ordered. "There's still work to be done."

The return to the prison, well into the night, was done in one large group. They had left the two groups they had joined at the burial a few days before as those in charge until they returned. They were busily setting up bedding and a few tarps over a cook fire.

It took time to find the entrance to the caverns beneath the prison. A large metal door with a thick rod to hold it closed took up the entire span of one wall. South Knight lifted it with a wave of his hand, flower petals whirling on the wave of wind he created, and he tossed it aside.

"Please remember to pair up," Tuxedo Kamen reminded. "And we need to watch for surprise attacks." The entire group agreed.

As they climbed down the rough stone steps, water could be heard dripping from somewhere. They entered the chamber and gasped. On three sides, opposite the stairs, were cells. In each a Youma was held, the bars of the cells glowing green and black with dark energy.

The first cell had a Youma that appeared to be a woman made entirely of flame. "Mercury, Neptune, South," Sailor Moon motioned them to the cell. The three stood close and launched their attacks simultaneously. A large wall of water flew towards the cell, but it rebounded. The noise startled the monster and it turned to face them. North Knight unlocked the cage and the three stepped inside with the Youma.

"Deep Submerge!" shouted Neptune releasing a wave.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" shouted Mercury and water swirled from her.

"Ice Flow!" yelled South. A blast of icy water flew from his open palms.

The creature in the cell screamed, the flames on its skin dying, until only a spark remained, where the heart should have been. Sailor Moon lifted her tiara and threw it in one swift motion, as though she'd been making the throw for years.

The cell in the middle held a creature that looked nearly human, a male, with black eyes. It shot acid tears from its eyes, and poison darts from the inside of its wrists. North motioned East Knight to release his shadow, and while Sailor Venus whipped her Love Me Chain around the creature to hold it still, he blasted it with a wave of light golden energy. Sailor Moon again lifted her tiara and after another throw, the creature became dust.

The third looked nothing like a human. It appeared to be a wolf, but its tail was made of two snakes, and it had wings. It leaped about heads, coming in behind the Senshi and Shittenou. Sailor Moon tried attacking it with her tiara, but it moved too quickly. Mars was able to hit it with her Burning Mandala attack, but the creature wasn't even phased. Tuxedo Kamen blinded it and hit it with energy in his Smoking Bomber attack. The rest of them threw attacks into it, hitting it again and again.

Sailor Moon lifted her wand and shouted, "Moon Spiral Heart Attack!" The creature in the cloud of smoke disappeared.

Now utterly exhausted, the group of heroes made their way to the center of the main chamber and clasped hands. A bright light overtook them and as one, the disappeared from the prison. They appeared on the hillside and finally let their henshin go.

Usagi wondered what people would think when they heard the story. Then, after a moment, she realized that without people like her own father, no one ever would. She tried to take a step forward, to look for a comfortable place for herself and Mamoru, but the world faded into blackness.

Mamoru caught Usagi before she could fall and lifted her into his arms. Finding a soft place to lay her down in the moonlight, he lay beside her, wrapping his arms around her waist, and watched her sleep.

Naru bounded up the hill. "Is she alright?" the girl asked, looking worried.

"She is," Mamoru promised. "It's been a long day and night and she overworked herself, but with a little rest and food she'll be alright. How is everything going here?"

Naru frowned and looked back over her shoulder. "As well as can be expected I suppose. We've had some issues with people not wanting to be too close together, or with a few who are extremely territorial, but I suppose that's to be expected. I've brought in reinforcements though," she added with a grin. "And Miyu, Yuna, and Aoto are planning on breaking the story as soon as you give the word. They're down in the pavillion."

Mamoru yawned heavily, exhausted himself, and nodded. "We'll talk about it in the morning," he promised. "But right now I just want to make sure Usagi gets some sleep."

Naru nodded. "Good night then," she said with a small wave. "Sleep well."

Original Chapter 6 Reviews - Note (all reviews listed under chapter 5 are actually for chapter 6 as a new chapter was added)

JFVM chapter 5 . Sep 14, 2018
Nice I just love it plz keep going

TropicalRemix chapter 5 . Sep 12, 2018
i'm glad sailor moon was able to bring the girl back to life. Now that everyone is out of the prison and the youma destroyed is beryl going to find out about it?

Sailor MH chapter 5 . Sep 12, 2018
Well written.