DISCLAIMERS:
All canon characters are (C) 1992 - whatever year it is Naoko Takeuchi and all other related parties. The Shadow senshi are (C) Wild Nature 2006. This is a fanfic based upon the anime version and all written work that this consists of is (C) 2006 Wild Nature.
Almost everyone has awakened - save for one. Pomona finally faces her loss, the final Triad Moon piece is revealed, and Void finally faced.
Episode Nineteen: Awakening the Powers Within; Pillars Reborn
"Boom Bomb Destruct!" Shadow Saturn seemed to toss a ball in the air before she swung her arms as if holding a invisible bat. The ball erupted and shot over Void, causing the parts hit on his frame to turn old and graying.
"Eizou.." Pomona knelt down to the other girl who had untransformed. Eizou's eyes fluttered, her lip slowly dripping blood.
"He's getting too strong.." Eizou whispered painfully. "I can't.. can't help him.."
"No, you're wrong," Pomona whispered back, desperately. "You can.."
"It's all my fault.." Eizou's eyes welled up. "I'm so sorry, Pomona.. you must hate me."
Pomona's eyes were leaking. "No.. I don't.. I... I blame myself.. it was my.."
Her head fell down slowly. "But.. it wasn't either one of us, was it? It was her choice.."
"But it wasn't Henshou's," Pomona's voice grew in strength. "Eizou.. even if.. even if in this life you cannot be together, you can still love him. You just.. need to let him go.."
Eizou's eyes closed briefly. "I know.." Pomona helped her up before Eizou turned toward her with a smile. "Did you know, you look just like her? The eyes are even the same.."
"I always wanted a sister.." Pomona smiled as she clasped Eizou's shoulder.
The Shadows had moved forward, leaving the Sol Senshi to the back.
"What do you want us to do?" Sailor Moon asked in confusion.
"Don't do anything," Eizou answered firmly. "This is our battle."
"Nepheline Shadowed Light, Make Up!" Eizou re-transformed, her staff forming in her fingers.
'Sister.. I will bring you the honor and love you were to stand for,' Pomona prayed and an orange blade formed in her hands.
It set off a reaction in the group. Everyone produced blades of their respected colors.
"How quaint.." Void wove fingers in the air, causing it to ripple and warp. The Sol Senshi faded as the Shadows were sucked into a familiar place.
"It's time.. for the sacrifice," Void's voice droned on. "This time, it won't fail."
"You bet it will!" Shadow Mars snorted. "We've got girl power!"
Shadow Jupiter blinked. "Wow...Someone thinks I'm a girl?"
Void jumped up and took off unexpectedly. "Uh.. where's he going?" Shadow Mercury asked finally.
"Follow him," Shadow Moon called out as she was the first to run forward.
They ran into the dark and crumbling building, down winding halls, slippery floors, and blackening stains.
"HENSHOU!" Shadow Moon shouted. "HENSHOU!"
It took a moment before she turned into a round garden. The earth was dead and surrounded but nine small pedestals, each having a solar planet symbol etched into each one. They were gray and old, covered in dust.
"This place?" Shadow Pluto looked around. "It's.."
"I have waited for eons. Last time, my holder refused me in all glory.." Void stepped out from the shadows. "I am Void.. I am the one to create the balance. Without me, everything of the elements would fight against the others..."
"If I'm correct in my nature history shows, that's already true," Shadow Saturn said dryly.
"Void needs us to control HIM," Shadow Neptune said coldly.
"You? Little children control ME?" His voice was mocking. "Oh, poor things.. I will bring the end to you, each and every lifetime.."
Shadow Moon was staring at the pedestal with the white crescent moon. It was too far away before she slowly reached out to it. She could've sworn she felt a tinkle of energy.
The group scattered as Void threw a surge of energy.
"He's stronger here!" Shadow Saturn called out.
"And we're weaker.." Shadow Mars retorted. "Great! What's the plan? Shadow Moon?"
Shadow Moon was standing at the pedestal when Void suddenly reared over her. His fingers grasped her throat and threw her far.
"Son of a bitch!" Shadow Mars aimed. "Fiery Crossfire!" She shouted, shots of fire coming from her palms as they exploded on impact.
He turned, his face ugly with rage. "Something's wrong with him," Shadow Uranus said wildly. "He's..."
"Losing himself," Shadow Pluto and the others gathered in a tight group.
"No! Split up and distract him," Shadow Moon shouted to them. Surprised, they all responded, jumping just out range of his swipes of darkness.
"Glacial Tempest!"
"Blossom Shower!"
Violent Sea Storm!"
Shadow Moon barely glanced at them as she hurriedly began to explore the pedestal. "Come on, how do I get you to work?!"
It took her a moment to see the top engraved marking of a hexagon. "Oh.. duh.."
Then she remembered the other problem. In such a state, she realized that she never found the other part of the Triad Moon piece.
"How the hell could I forget that!?" She moaned, banging her fist against the pedestal. "I just brought us all to our deaths..."
"Eizou!" A tiny voice buzzed in her ears as she looked around. "Eizou, it's me, Apple!"
She touched her choker. "What the hell..."
"Eizou, I'm sorry..." Apple's voice was gentle. "I could never remember who I was or my purpose. I assumed it was to be by your side.. I was never to talk, I was just a thing to be used when my master needed me and Eizou, you need me."
"Close your eyes, Eizou.." Apple asked as Shadow Moon did so.
She was lost in the darkness before a tiny beam of light hit her, growing larger until she was engulfed in it. She was dressed in a different outfit this time. A pure white, mid-thigh length dress with spaghetti straps tied to her back of her neck. She wore a off the shoulder purple top, tied tightly over the center of her chest and dipping into the back rapidly. At the back of her hips was a long portion a violet cape, that trailed to her ankles. She realized she wore no shoes and she touched her head, finding out that she wore gold band that hugged around her eyebrows, around the back of her head and to her other side, ending above the eyebrows. Dangling from this piece was a string of small, delicate purple round gems.
"It's time for the truth.." Apple began. "Honestly, I did forget everything. I am... I am Jaro.."
She blinked. "What?"
"I am at least a part of him. He doesn't know it though..." Apple, even for a dog, looked guilty. "I so badly wanted to be with you, all of you, that the need became what I am now. I have always felt the pull to protect.."
"Then why didn't he.. I mean... Jaro win?" Eizou asked thickly.
"He didn't have the emotions.. not like now.." Apple said finally. "Void needs something and it's not just you girls. He needs to know his heart, what he wants. Even if you do, it's still tricky. You must be constantly strong and without you to help him, Void falls so easily into despair himself."
"What does Void want now?" Eizou whispered.
Apple looked up at Eizou with big eyes. "Whatever Henshou wants."
And he glittered, his body turning into dust as the final Triad Moon piece formed. As if called forth, the other two pieces exited, as well as her gem and the three pieces merged together and merged into the gem afterward. The gem turned a brilliant white before reverting back to purple.
"Apple..." She opened her eyes, turning slowly as she stared in wonder. A single beam of light was coming from the pillar as she breathed. "Pillar of Light.."
"Eizou!" The other girls watched her in shock, at both the strange outfit she wore as well as the pillar. Void was doubling over, gasping in air.
"We need to activate these!" Eizou cried out. "Come on! Get by your own!"
They were quick to do so. "Un-transform and place your gems in!" Eizou looked as Void who staggered to the center. His eyes looked up and for a moment, a fleeting second, she could see Henshou.
Each one of them became engulfed in their respected colors, their outfits becoming like Eizou's, only where her clothes and accessories were purple, each had their own respective colors.
She stood at the pillar, unsure of what to do. "I don't.. I don't know what he wants.."
"Eizou!" Pomona was directly across from her as she looked to her. "Let him go," she said simply.
She closed her eyes as Void reared up, his body ripping from the ground as he howled in rage. They opened slowly as she held her hands to him, palms facing her.
"Nepheline Holy Light!"
"Nepheline Holy Lightning!"
"Nepheline Holy Fire!"
"Nepheline Holy Decay!"
"Nepheline Holy Sky!"
"Nepheline Holy Ocean!"
"Nepheline Holy Ice!"
"Nepheline Holy Love!"
The area became a hurricane of energies, the Shadows draining themselves to feed into it. It created a barrier of which Void tried to destroy but his body and his abilities was weakening.
"Henshou.." Eizou moved forward slowly, as if in slow motion. Her body was feeling light, her head empty. She reached him, cupping his face as she smiled. His face was ugly, strained, and wild, his eyes full of rage. "I'll always love you.."
His eyes flickered, a dim memory surfacing. Eizou began to sing softly.
"Sleep well tonight, my little one."
"I will still be here when the light of the sun arises."
"My love in my heart beats within your own."
"Hold fast to the light, and embrace the shadows."
"Someday, we will all be one and the same."
"Someday we will all love each other."
"And someday, we will not be apart because of the night."
"Ei..zou.." Henshou spoke, his voice beyond exhausted.
"What do you want most in the world, Henshou?" Eizou whispered to him.
His eyes fluttered. "Please... sacrifice me..." He grasped her front, his eyes widening. "Eizou.. I'll always.."
She cried out as he threw her hard against her pedestal. "Void.." Eizou closed her eyes. "No.. I won't get angry.. I won't!"
"All that I'll do is out of love, not hatred..." Eizou stood up on weak legs. Pain wracked her and her vision blurred.
"We are the Shadows..." Eizou began slowly. "We are the Pillars. We are the Elements. But we don't control Void.. we don't control you. We don't want to.."
"Void, I only can pray that you will finally find peace."
She pushed herself into the beam and closed her eyes. The others did so as Void began to look around in confusion.
He began to change, his body warping from that of Henshou into a monster, the eyes turning blood red, the fangs and triangle stripes along his face jagged. His neck and limbs seemed a tad too long, his body hunching forward to rest on his knuckles. His shirt ripped and black, torn bat wings pulled from his body. From his screams, it was obviously painful as the transformation.
"Come on, Eizou!" Kakure called out. "You have to guide us!"
"Easier said than done," Eizou muttered. She placed her hands over the stuck gem, feeling it throb against her fingers.
"Door of the Pillars! Release the Elements!" Eizou shouted as her voice echoed dimly in the barrier.
And each of the pillars shattered, the energy engulfing the others. Eizou felt as if she was being turned inside out and bit her tongue, refusing to cry out. The cascading energy hit the skies, spreading outward in spinning bands, lighting all of the corners and hidden places.
The darkness fled from the light, snapping back to Void who couldn't handle the darkness reentering him. The barrier shattered as the energy sucked in and hit into Void and the darkness had nowhere to run to. He glowed in rainbow lights before becoming pure white. He reformatted into Henshou, who wore a ghost of a smile as he became little particles of light that flew upwards.
The light that broke away from him shot over the scene, claiming each Shadow in its wake and they seemed to melt into nothing.
And on Earth, the skies became lighted by an aurora borealis, that rained down little drops of white light.
Kakushi and Jaro were outside, watching the skies is shock. The twins were tugging on their parent's sleeves, begging to know what was going on.
The Sol Senshi were still at the Hikawa shrine, watching the show with sadness.
"Momma! Momma!" Kashuryoku was looking up from her mother's side as Shinkon dropped her groceries in surprise.
And on the moon, in the far dark reaches of the place called the Dead Moon Realm, the Solar Cross erupted into fire, the light sweeping the lands as the people looked on in a mixture of fear and wonder.
"They've.. done it.." Duchess Nerthus stood up from her seat, Njord's eyes going wide.
"Pomona," he closed his eyes. "Please, oh, please, don't let me lose another one.."
And as the light cleared, a place of infinity beauty existed, where all the elements were present.
Soft, wispy clouds - representing the element Sky.
Endless waters - Representing Ocean and sustaining life.
Seasons - representing Decay, aided by re-growth.
An oversized clock tower - representing Time and changes.
Rain and snow - representing Ice and strategy.
Violent storms - representing Lightning of personality and energy.
Magma flowing under the ground - representing Fire and its spiritedness.
The warm sun - representing Love and the inability to be extinguished.
The cool moon and its silver light - to represent light as unwavering.
It was a new world, created by the elements. Hidden from sight of all, it existed in resonance to Earth, each mirrored to become interlocked pillars.