Sacrifices we Make

The fight raged own late into the hours of the night, soldiers of both sides have fallen fast, the light of the moon was invisible through the thick smog that rose from the city streets. Most of the citizens in Lunaris had been evacuated successfully others had fallen to the blade of the enemy. Hope was out of reach; Queen Serenity made her way down the long corridor with Luna and Artemis not far behind. They made their way into the palace library where the Queen found another pocket door that descended a long and narrow winding staircase. Queen Serenity took and deep breath and placed one-foot forwards, she knew what she had to do even if it cost her life in the process.

Once they made their way to the bottom of the stairs Queen Serenity was face with two large double doors with statues on each side holding two large lances that made an X shape across the doors. "I, daughter of the Moon command you, let me pass" the Queen spoke the words and the statues immediately let their guard down and removed their lances from the door. "Open" the Queen commanded, and the doors opened a light shining through the cracks. Queen Serenity walked through the doors and into the room and there sitting in the center of the room on a high pedestal emitting a brilliant white light sat the Imperial Silver Crystal. The Queen made her way closer and placed her hands on each side of the silver orb, it was warm to the touch and beat to the rhythm of her heart. "It's time" said the Queen she lifted the crystal carefully and brought it closer to her chest where the crystal seemed to dissolve and disappear. Queen Serenity let her hands drop to her sides and took a deep breath, then she turned and walked back out the doors and up the stairs.

The Palace grounds…

Prince Darien fought with all his might against his father, but his strength was quickly leaving him. The King was a fierce fighter despite his rotund size and Darien was quickly losing ground under his blows. When he saw his opportunity, the King grabbed on to Darien's side causing him to cry out in pain and collapse on the floor and just as he was about to deliver the killing blow there was another sword there blocking him from making impact. "Serena" said the prince in surprise, Princess Serena had come back for him. The King turned his attention from the prince to the young girl who had just interfered. The King withdrew his sword and backed offs taking a renewed stance staring them both down. Darien picked up his sword and stood on shaky legs, he wouldn't let Serena face this alone and if he was destined to die then he gladly would, knowing that at least she was safe. All three of them stood in a circle ready to strike at a moment's notice.

The King smiled and charged straight at Serena; Prince Darien screamed at her to run only to find that that the princess could hold her own against his father. Every thrust, every parry the princess met with flawless conviction Darien smiled and, in that moment, he remembered all the reasons he loved her. But soon he realized that she was losing ground against his father, the King knocked the sword right out of her hands she dove right after it, but the king was too quick for her and kicked the sword away. Then suddenly there was a sharp object protruding from the King's chest. Darien had plunged his sword in his father's backside with a cry. The King turned around and looked at his son in the eyes and for a single moment Darien saw his father freed from Metaria's control, the king collapsed into his son's arms "Father!" the prince cried the tears streaked down his face as he saw the light fade from his father's eyes. Serena stood up and placed a hand on the prince's shoulders, she could feel them shaking violently from the force of his cries. "Darien, we need to go" she told him, but he just sat there holding his father's dead corpse.

Back at the temple…

Jupiter placed her hand on her head as she got up slowly from the chaise lounge. "What happened?" she asked at no one in particular "Nephrite" the single word was uttered from the other side of the room, Jupiter looked around and found Pluto standing by the window looking out at the carnage that plague the streets of their beloved Lunaris. "Oh" was Jupiter's only response, "Anyone want to tell me what is going on?" she asked Pluto

"The Shitennou have been taken over by Metaria, they serve her now" she told Jupiter with a sad face.

"Including Nephrite" said Jupiter forlornly

"Yes, I'm sorry Jupiter but the Nephrite you knew is gone"

"Yeah; I could tell, what about the others?"

"Still fighting"

"And why aren't you out there?"

"One of the perks of being the guardian of time, I am out there fighting but I'm also here making sure you are protected. They infiltrated the castle; the Queen has the crystal she plans to use it"

"WHAT! She knows what will happen if she does"

"The sacrifices we make for the good of those we care about" was all that she said before fading away into the battlefield. Jupiter approached the double doors that lead out into the courtyard it was eerily still and quiet. She placed her hand on the knob and opened the door she stepped out and gave a violent shiver it was cold, freezing she unfurled her wings and took off high into the sky.

The Palace Grounds…

Prince Diamond walked the palace grounds the sounds of swords clashing were dull to his ears he fell to his knees and heaved the contents of his stomach to the ground. He was broken, his brother was dead he was betrayed he looked up and saw that his sandmen had gathered all around him waiting for his command. "Gather the rest of the Sandmen have them go after the Lady Beryl's forces, put them to sleep put them all to sleep" he commanded the silent figures all nodded in unison and took off gliding gracefully into the night.

Uranus yelled as she slammed her fist into the ground. Neptune cause a wave of water to crashed down upon their enemies. With their backs against one another Neptune turned her head and called out to Uranus "They just keep coming, there is no end to this"

"Yes, there is we take out Beryl and all of this ends," said Uranus

"No!" said Neptune impaling another soldier with her trident

"No?!" said Uranus confused

"Beryl is just a puppet we need to take out the puppet master"

"Metaria!"

"And just how do you suppose we take her out she's a celestial only the one who created her can destroy her" said Uranus jumping over the enemy while taking the head of another and pushing his body down the shaft she had created. "I don't know!"

"Need a little help ladies" said a voice in the distance followed by a flaming arrow that landed in the chest of a nearby soldier.

"Now where have you been," said Uranus

"Taking care of a problem" she said solemnly taking aim and shooting another arrow. "What sort of problem" asked Neptune

"I prefer to not talk about it"

"Oh" said Uranus taking off the head of another soldier and slicing another in half

"Where is everyone?" asked Mars

"Jupiter took a hell of a hit, Pluto is with her now," said Uranus

"I don't think so" said Neptune looking up at the sky

"RUN!" yelled Mars as all three of them took off at a run as a bolt of lightning landed right in the middle of where they were all standing electrocuting all their enemies, those that were left were standing stood frozen and without movement until suddenly they turned to ash. "And there is Pluto" said Neptune, the clink of both their staffs audible in the still of the early morning. "It's almost dawn," said Neptune.

"The sun is rising," said Pluto

"We don't have much time" said Uranus "Move out" and with that command all five of the guardians took off at a run. "We need to find the Queen and the Princess," said Mars.

"And the Prince" said Uranus

"Should we split up?"

"No, we stay together Mars send a messenger hawk and find Mercury and Venus tell them to rendezvous in the gardens" said Uranus "Of course" said Mars she created a flaming bird and sent it off with the message.

"The message was sent"

"Good" said Uranus "Let's go" and they took off at a run. Fifteen minutes later they were in the gardens along with Mercury and Venus. "Nice of you to join us ladies" said Uranus "Status report"

"Malachite's dead, and so is Zoisite"

"Jadeite has been taken prisoner" chimed in Mars

"Nephrite is still alive and out there somewhere"

"The last two of the Shitennou"

"They've been taken over by Metaria's darkness who they were is not who they are now, you should go and take care of Nephrite Jupiter," said Pluto

"I know"

"Go, we'll find the Queen and the Princess," said Neptune

"Wait! We're missing someone. Where is Saturn?"

"I'm here" said a voice in the distance

"There you are," said Mercury

"Where is the Queen?" asked Uranus

"We were separated, I've looked for her all over the grounds she must be in somewhere in the catacombs of the palace"

"Or in the Crystal Chamber, after all the crystal is what Metaria is after it must be protected at all costs," said Uranus

"And what about the princess?" asked Mercury

"Last I saw of her she was with the prince getting people through the door of time," said Saturn. "After that I don't know, she must be somewhere in the grounds"

Suddenly there was a huge explosion.

"What was that?" asked Mars

"I don't know," said Pluto

"Guardians move out" and they all started running in the direction of the noise. As they arrived at the scene Dark Soldiers could be seen running through the grounds. "Nephrite" said Jupiter looking at the scene before her. Among the soldiers Nephrite stood fighting off one of the Lunarian soldiers "I'll take care of this" said Jupiter taking flight in the direction of the battle.

"Let her take care of this, we should go look for the royal family" The other guardians took off at a run in the direction of the palace.

Jupiter started spinning in the air as tiny shards of electricity emanating from her crown.

"Ah, I see you've caught your second wind," said Nephrite

Jupiter let out a piercing scream and let a bolt fly straight at his chest. Nephrite deflected the strike easily with his sword and laughed. "You missed!" he taunted with a smile. The thunder clouds roared to life as the early morning rains descended upon them. Heavy drops impaled their skins as she let out another bolt fly this time it caught him in the arm, Nephrite dropped his sword and laughed maniacally "You can't do it, can you?" he said, "You're weak" he laughed again "The strongest of the inner guardians, your nothing more than a stupid little bit…" and then there was silence. One last bolt hitting him from behind there was no sound no thunder just lightning and then the splash of spilt blood. Jupiter flapped her wings and descended to the ground, her toes touched the earth first and she walked over to the body that once belonged to a loyal soldier. There were no tears no cries of anguish she looked at him with a stony expression. "Goodbye, Nephrite" she told him and then took off back to the other guardians.

Palace grounds…

"Darien, we need to go" the princess repeated to the anguished prince "Darien!" but he wasn't listening he just kept holding the fallen king in his arms crying when suddenly he turned around Serena was staring off into the distance she turned back to him in that moment and looked at the prince screaming at him that they had to go, Darien looked at his father one last time and let his body drop to the ground.

"Come on" she said grabbing his arm and draping it around her shoulder carrying most of his body weight. They rounded the corner and away from the pillars when suddenly, they heard footsteps.

"How many of these idiots does Beryl have," said the princess

"A lot" said a familiar voice from the direction of the footsteps, Princess Serena smiled "Venus"

"Need some help" said Venus taking a long look at the fading prince and taking him by the shoulder to help Serena carry his weight.

"What's the status?" asked the princess

"The prince's bodyguards were taken over by Metaria I took care of Malachite, and Makoto is taking care of Nephrite as we speak, Rei managed to capture Jediete"

"Mars, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto" said the princess with a smile "Where are the others?"

"I'm here" called out Jupiter from above, she touched down and retracted her wings.

"Good, are you doing, ok?" asked Uranus

"I'm fine," said Jupiter

"What about Mercury?" said Mars

"I'm here" said a voice in the distance "Sorry I'm late, did I miss anything?"

"Nothing really, I just killed my father" said the prince who was now leaning against a wall bent over clutching his abdomen.

"I'm sorry," said Mercury

"Don't be sorry. Your father was long dead since the moment Metaria infected him with her darkness, whatever you killed it wasn't him," said Saturn

"It was, trust me" he said in a whisper

"What?" asked the princess

"Nothing" said the prince "So, what now?"

"Find Her Majesty, quickly," said Uranus

"Why, what is going on?" asked the princess

"She's planning on using the crystal," said Pluto

"What?! She can't she knows what will happen if she does," said the princess

"Yes, but it is one of the sacrifices we have to make if we are to preserve our way of life" said Uranus "It is a sacrifice you have to potentially make"

"NO! we can win this, you are the guardians of the moon kingdom, the most powerful soldiers in the universe… NO!" the princess yelled and ran off.

"Serena!" called Venus after her

"I'll go after her," said the prince

"No, your hurt"

"We'll all go, come on" said Venus while shouldering his weight on one side while Jupiter took his other side. "OK, come on"

They took off after the fleeing princess, through the garden. They entered the courtyard and saw that Beryl and her soldiers had the princess cornered on the other side.

"Are you okay to fight" Jupiter asked the prince

"I have enough strength for this" he said standing up and drawing his sword. "Let's go ladies" and they took off into the fight.