A/N: Yay! Okay, I got a bunch of reviews telling me to update quickly. But honestly, do you know how much of this I had done when I posted the previous chapter? None. Guess who had a 12 hour road trip this weekend with nothing better to do while sitting in the car? Me! So I decided I would type this chapter up. Technically, it's the last chapter, but there is an epilogue that follows. It is almost finished. Trying to hammer out the final details, and I will answer questions and such with in the epilogue or in the author's note at the end of the epilogue. Now, go read, enjoy this, the final battle of Dreaming a New Destiny...
Chapter 8: Stars
"Usako," Mamoru started, in that sickly sweet tone of his that made said girl want to throw up in her mouth.
"Mamoru-san," Usagi stated, matter of factly, like this wasn't the man she had been engaged to and in love with, but in a way, he wasn't.
The man's eyes narrowed slightly at her tone, but smiled through it. This was going to be finished, one way or the other; it was up to the dear princess on which way it was going to end. "I am sorry about the way I acted," Mamoru tried to sound sincere, but Usagi could still detect the slight hiss in his voice. "Please, come back, we can work this out."
The moon princess just shook her head, "No, Mamoru-san, we can't. You have been this way for a long time, and it's taken me this long to realize it. I'm not going to go back to you, and have to wait for the day you kill me. I've found someone who loves me for myself, and wants for my life whatever I want. I love them very much, so don't you see Mamoru? I'M taking control of my future, my destiny."
The man's eyes narrowed in rage, and turned a dangerous shade of red. "If that is the way you want it," he hissed, "so be it." His hands began to glow the same shade of red. Suddenly, nearly two-dozen youma appeared in the park, surrounding the scouts.
"Aw come on," Rei yelled, staring at the hideous creatures.
"Really, you think the bad guys would get a bit more creative with minions," Minako tisked.
"What do we do?" Makoto asked.
Usagi looked around them at all of the youma, then back at the man in the mask. "Can you guys take care of the youma," she said carefully, looking back at her friends.
"You're the only one with the power to destroy them, Usagi-chan," Ami reminded, fear evident in her voice.
"I know, but I've got to face Mamoru. Plus, I pretty sure that if I take him out, the youma will disappear."
The senshi looked at each other before Hotaru spoke up, "Alright princess, we will keep them occupied for you."
"Thank you," she said before turning back to face Mamoru. She took a deep breath, similar to what Michiru did before she turned to fight, and screamed out her new transformation, "Moon Imperial Power!" Her new uniform was similar to her old one, but had slight differences. Her odangos, for one, were gone, and instead, part of her hair was pulled back away from her face, while the rest streamed down to her lower back like a silver cascade. The bow on the front of her uniform was a turquoise blue in color, and the combined symbols of the moon and Neptune resided in the middle. Her skirt was an aquamarine blue, flecked with silver moon and stars, and her boots were a deep blue, lined in silver. A small golden band encircled her brow, an intricately woven crown of silver and gold. When Usagi looked down at her weapon, she gasped. It was the royal sword of the moon, used by the late king, her father Adonis, king of the new moon. The blade was deep gray, almost black, but with intricate silver designs, showing the royal seal of the New Moon kingdom.
The sailor senshi gaped at Usagi's new transformation, but they were rudely reminded by some of the youma, that they had something they had to do.
"How do we get the youma to stay away from Imperial Sailor Moon?" Makoto asked Ami, who was furiously typing at her computer, trying to figure out a good strategy.
"I'm working on it," Ami said.
The senshi of Venus looked at the frustrated sailor Mercury, and then back at the youma, her typical manor of getting someone's attention rearing its ugly head. "Yoo hoo, Youma-sans, you all are so slow I bet you can't catch me," she yelled, as took off in a random direction, with a mass exodus of the youmas following her. The other senshi sweat dropped, before taking off after her, to help with, distracting the youma.
Usagi smiled slightly at her friends in thanks, before turning back to Mamoru, pointing her sword at him in the process. He merely sneered at her, "Looks like you got some new tricks, well so do I!" He threw a sphere of dark energy at her, but Sailor Moon easily deflected it with her sword.
"Looks like there is no way to end this peacefully," the senshi of the moon stated calmly as she looked at the man before her. "I've never had the desire to kill anyone before, because I knew there was good in all of them. However, I can sense no good in you."
"That's because I have been living within him for years, born a part of him His soul is as evil as they come," a voice hissed from within Mamoru.
"Metalia!" Sailor Moon growled.
"Yes," the same hissing voice came, "now come and be broken." A whip appeared out of nowhere and pulled Usagi's feet out from under her. Mamoru appeared in front of her, sending her flying back with a massive burst of power to her stomach.
Sailor Moon pushed herself up with one arm, and glared at the man who was now emitting an evil cackling laugh. This is not going to be easy…
Michiru, Haruka and Setsuna appeared in another location of the park, isolated from others, which was odd, considering the time of day. However, most people were probably either at work, or at the fair, it was a weekday after all. While Michiru was looking around for civilians, Setsuna and Haruka were looking at their former friend's new sailor form. It was almost exactly the same as Usagi's. The only differences were that aquamarine, instead of silver, was the dominant color, and her weapon that came with it. Her weapon was also a relic leftover from her deceased father: a triton. The two traitorous senshi growled upon seeing the combined symbols of the Moon and Neptune, and the golden crown upon her brow.
"What have you done?" Setsuna seethed, launching a Dead Scream in Michiru's direction.
"Marine Wall!" She called out in response, forming a large structure in between herself and the rage fueled Dead Scream. When the sphere collided with the wall, an explosion sent both parties flying backwards. They groaned and slowly got to their feet.
"Why did you do it, Michiru?" Haruka asked softly, "To get revenge against me for cheating on you, well, fine I'm sorry! Now stop this!"
Michiru just stared at her with shock, before gritting her teeth and clenching her fists. "You think I'm with Usagi out of revenge, well then you are seriously mistaken. I spilled paint on and ripped some of you favorite clothes out of revenge. I would have taken a bat to your car out of revenge if I had gotten to it, but I am with Usagi because I love her," Michiru was boiling over with rage. Did they really think that she was stupid, and that a simple I'm sorry and I won't do it again will work? They must be seriously disturbed.
"But you are not allowed to love her!" Setsuna yelled, "She's Mamoru's! They are going to get married, have Chibi-Usa and rule Crystal Tokyo together! It's their destiny."
"That might have been her destiny at one point, possibly, but destiny changes, the future changes. I'm her destiny now, her new destiny, and she's mine," Michiru countered, glaring down the time senshi.
"Well then," Pluto said, "it seems that the only way to return to the right future is to get rid of you, right Uranus."
Haruka seemed a little reluctant to pop off her former lover, but she nodded in the end. "Sacrifices must be made in order to preserve the future," she murmured, her eyes narrowing, assuming a fighting posture.
Michiru just rolled her eyes, these two are idiots. The outer senshi began circling each other, Michiru careful never to turn her back to one of them, her triton in hand.
In the corner of her eye, she saw Haruka summoning her space sword, and Setsuna maneuvering her Garnet Rod into a fighting stance. "Looks like the fight has just began," Michiru murmured under her breath before they attacked.
"Flame Sniper!" Mars cried out, shooting a flaming arrow at one of the youma while dodging another one's attack.
"Oak Evolution," Jupiter cried out also before dodging another attack and hearing a "Love-Me-Chain!" coming from somewhere behind her. Mercury was trying to figure out the most effective way to take out the youma even though they couldn't exactly kill them. Saturn was protecting her with her Silent Wall.
"Have you got anything yet?" A disgruntled Venus called out as she tried to escape a group of youma.
"I'm working on it," Mercury yelled, huffing slightly before turning back to her computer.
Michiru-mama, Usagi-san, hurry, Saturn thought, as she watched her friends struggle to deal with the massive amount of youma.
Usagi struggled to her feet after that blow to her stomach. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her down. Banishing her sword until she needed it, Sailor Moon faced her opponent. He smirked at her, a smug little smirk that made her want to slap his face so hard that it would blow half way around the world. She hated that smirk, whenever she saw it, she gritted her teeth in annoyance.
"Ready for more?" He was taunting her, and it was pissing her off. He threw a barrage of poisoned black roses at her.
"Silver Vapor," she screamed. A silver mist crept forward, and smothered the roses, crumbling them into dust. He simply sneered at her in response to the destruction of his flowers, launching an onslaught of dark lances. Sailor Moon managed to dodge most of them, but one caught her on her upper thigh, making her cry out in pain. "Shit," she gasped out, "that's gonna cost me." She realized that the wound would slow her speed, making it harder for her to move. It was bleeding so bad that she couldn't tell how deep it actually was. If she could just rest for a moment, but there he was, firing more attacks at her. Usagi managed to dodge, and countered with a few attacks of her own. "Tranquil shooter," she said, forming a bow and arrow similar to that of Sailor Mars' flame sniper.
The arrow ripped through the air, not making a sound, and struck Mamoru in the right shoulder before he had a chance to move. He grunted in pain as it struck him, but his pain merely fueled his anger. Screaming in rage he lunged towards Usagi, but she evaded him, shooting another arrow in response, trying to keep some distance between them. She continued firing arrows, trying to keep him away, the wound on her leg was getting worse with the activity.
It would seem that Mamoru had enough of her antics, and fired a series of attacks at her, tiring her, confusing her, as he snuck up on her. Usagi sensed that he was no longer in front of her firing the attacks at her, so she whirled around in time to see him pull a similar move to what he did a the beginning, a blow of dark magic to her stomach but with an extra burst to her injured leg. She screamed out bloody murder as she flew backwards.
I can't lose here, she thought as she struggled to stand up, everyone is counting on me. I can't give up, not now.
In the mean time, Mamoru had formed a sword of dark energy, glowing like red blood. He charged at her, with a sick smile on his face. "You are mine," the hissing, sinister voice cried out.
Usagi's eyes widened as she saw him coming, No!
Michiru was getting tired; her new attacks, while powerful, took quite a bit out of her. Of course, Setsuna and Haruka were getting tired as well, having to go up against the new and improved Sailor Neptune.
"Give it up Neptune," Setsuna yelled, "you can't take us both!"
"If you give this up now, we might let you live," Haruka added.
Michiru got to her feet, panting for air. "Never," she hissed.
"So be it," Setsuna replied, charging her attack again, "Dead Scream."
"Space Sword Blaster," Haruka sent her attack as well, sending Michiru flying backwards, splintering a tree.
I can't give up! I can't let them win. I have so much more to live for, so much more to fight for! Michiru thought as she painfully got back on her feet, feeling some major bruising and lacerations on her back from where she and the tree crossed paths. She saw Usagi's face flash in her mind for a split second, causing her to smile and forget her pain. That's right, I have a future to fight for!
She turned back to the advancing outers, "Triton Charge." A blue beam shot out of the end of her triton and struck the ground in front of the advancing senshi. They flew back a ways but managed to stay on their feet and countered with attacks of there own attacks.
Michiru managed to dodge the Dead Scream but the World Shaking caught her skirt and singed it a bit. Looking down at her burnt skirt awoke a bit more rage in the sea senshi. All right, that's it. Once again, she turned to face the two outer senshi; a cold fury was evident in her eyes. "Water Cyclone," she called, summoning a tornado of water to descend on the two, very frightened, rogue senshi. It struck the two, whirling them up and around before sending them flying, water logged and a bit dizzy. Before the two could get up, Michiru called out another attack, "Triton Chains!" Strong metal chains came forth out of pools of water binding Pluto and Uranus. They struggled to get free, or to break the chains, but it was no use, the chains would not yield.
The senshi of Neptune walked up to the senshis of Uranus and Pluto. Michiru's glare had a final look to it, "I don't really care if you two can't accept my relationship with Usagi, but disrespecting both me and her, will that is another matter entirely. But just to be clear, we are done here."
With one last defiant glare, both of her opponents sagged in defeat. Michiru nodded once before turning and running in the direction of where her beloved was fighting for their future together. The chains followed after her, dragging two protesting senshi along with them. She paid them no mind; her only thought was on finding her wife and making sure that she was all right.
Michiru approached the area where the princess of the moon and the prince of Earth where fighting, and what she saw there nearly made her heart stop. No…
"I'm afraid it's time to toss in the towel," Minako cried, collapsing on the ground, "I don't have anymore juice left in me."
"We can't quit yet, Sailor Moon is counting on us," Rei replied, barely having enough strength to fire off another Flame Sniper, before collapsing on the ground next to Minako.
"Saturn can you keep up your wall?" Ami, who long ago gave up on finding a good strategy and instead jumped in to help her friends, asked the senshi of silence.
The senshi in question was crumpling closer towards the ground; the constant use of her Silence Wall was starting to affect her. "I'm afraid not Mercury," she said, just as the barrier collapsed.
"I can't believe this is it," Makoto murmured, watching the youma getting ready to pounce on her and her friends. However, just before they could, they disappeared.
"What the-" Rei started.
"Do you think?" Ami asked.
Minako jumped up and dashed back in the direction of her princess, the other senshi hot on her heels. When they reached the battle scene, what they saw there made their blood run cold. No…
Usagi felt a stinging pain in her side. Looking down, she saw that it was Mamoru's blade sticking in her side that was causing that pain. The senshi of the moon was confused; the pain was muddling up her brain. How did he miss his target? He was aiming for my chest wasn't he? She looked up and realized that the blade aticking through his stomach probably had something to do with him missing his target. Then she realized that it was her sword, and that her hands were on the hilt.
Mamoru's hands were still on the hilt of his sword. Blood was beginning to trickle out of his mouth. His teeth ground together as he glared at her as she turned her face up to look at him.
Out of the corner of her eye, Usagi saw Michiru and the others come up, but everything was starting to become a little fuzzy. She focused on Michiru's face for a split second, taking in how pale it was and the fear that was present on it. Turning back to look at Mamoru, she felt his grip tighten on his sword, and the stinging pain in her side got worse.
Gritting through it, Usagi remembered something her mother once told her about her father's sword.
Flashback
Queen Serenity showed her five year-old daughter her late husband's sword, the only thing that she had left to remember him, besides the little girl herself.
"This, my dear, was once your father's sword," the Queen told her, smiling at the awestruck look on her daughter's face.
"Papa used that sword, but it looks so big and heavy," little Serenity said, looking at the huge weapon (when you're five, everything looks bigger than it is).
Queen Serenity smiled fondly at the girl. Picking up the little princess so that she could have a better look, the Queen replied, "Yes, well, your father was a big and strong man, and one day, his sword will go to you."
"Really?" Little Serenity's eyes were wide with surprise.
"Yes," the Queen laughed, "this sword is very special. It has the power to dispel evil if the bearer is pure of heart."
"How does it do that mommy?"
Queen Serenity smiled, a mysterious smile, "Perhaps one day, you'll find out on your own. If you trust your heart, it will provide you with the answers you seek…"
End Flashback
Usagi closed her eyes, and breathed. When next she opened them, they were filled with such determination and confidence that Mamoru and everyone who could see were a bit taken a back. "Divine," Usagi choked out, "Justice!"
A hot white light erupted out of Sailor Moon, and coursed down through the sword. The intricate silver designs on the blade began to glow with the same white light and with the same ferocity. Mamoru began to writhe on the sword, still holding onto his own sword, causing it to move slightly. Usagi winced in pain, but held firm. Mamoru threw his head back and let out a silent scream, his mouth opened wide in a wailing form. A dark shadow began to form as the sword's light caused Mamoru's body to glow with the same light. The light attacked the shadow, which moved and undulated like it was alive. It tried to fight back, but the consuming power of the light overwhelmed it and destroyed it. Mamoru quit writhing, then dissolved into dust, almost as if he had never existed.
The sword that Mamoru had created disappeared when he did, freeing Usagi. Her own blade was still in the same position it was in when it went through Mamoru. The moon senshi stared at it in disbelief as if confused as to what just happened. The pain of her wounds made itself known once again, and Usagi's knees buckled, unable to hold her up anymore. However, before she hit the ground, Michiru had her cradled safely in her arms. The senshi who were not in chains, peered over Michiru's shoulder, not wanting to intrude on the two.
Usagi focused her fuzzy eyesight on Michiru's teary face, where relief and concern were the dominant emotions. The tired moon princess tried to lift her hand up to her wife's cheek but found that her arm wouldn't move that high. Michiru, however, seemed to know what her wife wanted, and grabbed Usagi's hand with her own and lifted it to her face. "We did it?" Usagi croaked, finding her voice after a moment.
Michiru let out a small barking laugh, and gave the small hand clasped in her own a squeeze, "Yes, we did it."
Usagi smiled. It was a small smile, but full of relief and happiness. "I'm glad," she murmured, snuggling closer to her wife before letting the darkness over take her.
The senshi of Neptune watched as her wife passed out and de-transformed, before turning to the ice senshi. "Mercury?" She asked softly.
"She's all right," Ami replied, "I've already scanned her with my computer. The silver crystal has stopped the bleeding and is healing her. She used a lot of power and is probably exhausted. It's best to let her sleep for a while."
Michiru nodded in understanding, and picked up her sleeping wife. She turned to Pluto and Uranus, who were left speechless at what they just witnessed. Walking up to them, she spoke, "I'm sure Usagi will want to talk to you, ALL of you when she is feeling better." They nodded emphatically, and Michiru released the chains that bound them. Receiving a nod from all of the senshi, Michiru and the sleeping princess disappeared in a flash of aquamarine light only to reappear again, alone, in their apartment.
De-transforming, Michiru carried the unconscious princess into the bathroom. She stripped and bathed her wife, dried her off and carried her back to their room. It was only after she had placed her in bed, that Michiru realized how tired she was. Trudging back to the bathroom, she took a quick shower, before crawling back in bed with her wife. Somewhere, in her state of unconsciousness, Usagi recognized her and snuggled into her. Michiru smiled at the act, kissing her lightly on the neck, and gathered her closer to herself, before drifting off to the world of dreams.
When they both woke up a few hours later, Michiru decided that she would help her wife "recover." Usagi also decided that Michiru needed some help "recovering" as well. Needless to say, it was a couple days before Usagi got around to talking to her senshi.
Usagi stood in front of the window of her and Michiru's apartment and looked out at the full moon shinning in the night sky. She was reflecting on her conversation with her senshi. All of their old enemies, her new friends, were there as well. She wanted the scouts to know everything, so she told them everything. Hiding things is what got them all into this mess, so she decided that it would be best to get everything out and in the open.
Flashback
"So that's what happened," Usagi said, telling the rest of the senshi about how her and Michiru got together. They were all crowded in Rei's sitting room at the shrine. Beryl and Nehellenia were seated next to Michiru and Usagi on the floor at the head of the table. Diamond and Emerald, Sapphire and Prizma, Rubeus and Catzy, and Bertie and Avery were seated across from the senshi and four generals. Makoto, Ami and Rei blinked at the new information before turning to Setsuna and Haruka with accusatory faces.
"You tricked us," Ami started.
"And lied to us," Makoto added.
"And tried to turn us against our best friend!" Rei yelled. If it were possible, Haruka and Setsuna would shrink into the floor to escape the furious glares that the three inner senshi were sending their way.
"Stop it," Usagi cried, getting the attention of the occupants of the room, "They will get their punishment soon enough. I will not have this division among the scouts any longer."
The three shrank back with apologetic looks on their faces. The two scouts in question cringed slightly when Usagi said punishment, and looked towards their princess. She shook her head, motioning she'd tell them later.
"One thing I don't understand," Emerald started, still trying to wrap her mind around the battle, which Usagi had told them about earlier, "Is what happened to Mamoru-san. What did you do to him?"
Diamond nodded in agreement with his wife, "Yes, I was wondering about that also."
Usagi sighed, feeling a slight reassuring squeeze on both of her hands. Michiru held one, and Beryl held the other one, with Nehellenia's hand on top of it. "Well," Usagi started, "I remembered something that mother told me about my father's sword a long time ago."
"What is that?" Luna asked. Both Luna and Artemis have been living with Minako ever since Usagi moved in with Mamoru. Naturally, Minako had neglected to tell them what was happening with Usagi and the others, so this was the first time they had heard of this. Of course, they were dying with curiosity about Usagi's new transformation and weapon.
"That it has the ability to dispel evil," Usagi replied, still hesitating on the full answer. She knew that they would be shocked, hell, she was shocked when she figured it out.
"And that means?" Catzy asked. They were all dying of curiosity.
The moon princess sighed in resignation, "It means that if there had been any good left in Mamoru, the sword would have left him alive, but there wasn't, so when the evil left him, he just turned to dust." The occupants of the room, minus Michiru, gasped. Usagi and worked this all out talking to Michiru, so the senshi of Neptune already knew. She shifted to where she was sitting behind Usagi, and hugged her to her body, her legs splayed out next to Usagi's. The princess smiled at the act, placing her own arms overtop the ones around her stomach. "Based on Mamoru's track record in this life, and when he was Endymion, evil has always existed in his soul, and Metalia attached herself onto it. They were soul mates, as weird as that sounds, and they were perfect for each other."
They all nodded, absorbing the information. After a while, the group spilt up. It was getting late, and they all decided they needed to rest their overloaded brains. The only ones who remained were Usagi, Michiru, Haruka, and Setsuna. Rei knew that Usagi wanted to speak to the two outer senshi alone, and so went to help her grandfather with the chores.
As the sun began to descend for the night, and the sky was donning her evening robes, the two remorseful outer senshi knelt in front of their princess, ready to receive whatever punishment she deemed fit. Michiru stood at Usagi's right side, holding her hand, providing her with the support and strength she needed.
"I know you two are sorry for what you have done," Usagi began, "And I have forgiven you for what you have done. However, you committed crimes against the other senshi, my wife, Michiru and myself. I cannot ignore these offences and so you must be punished accordingly. Setsuna you are to report back to the time gates and remain there until I say your time has been served. You are only to report back to me if and when you sense an emergency in the time stream or when something happens that affects Michiru, myself or the senshi, including Haruka and yourself. Haruka, you are to guard the far edges of the solar system against intruders, as was the outer senshi's previous duty, and not to report back unless something happens. You two are to have no contact with each other unless I deem it okay, or in which the time comes that your punishment is over." The two senshi winced slightly at this clause, but remained silent and compliant. Usagi saw the wince and her eyes soften, "If your love is as strong as Michiru tells me it is, you'll both get through this. Now, go! Your punishment starts now."
"Yes princess," they replied, standing up to walk away.
"One more thing," Usagi called out to them. They turned back to face her. "I expect to see you both at mine and Michiru's wedding wearing your best, smiling and together."
The two smiled in understanding, before disappearing to carry out there sentences…
End Flashback
"I wish I didn't have to do that to them," Usagi murmured into the night.
"I know you do," Michiru's voice came from behind her, as arms came and wrapped around her stomach, "but you had to do something, and you didn't like mine or your mother's suggestion."
"I wasn't going to take their senshi powers over this nor was I going to dangle them over a pool of sharks," Usagi nudged her lover a bit with her elbow before continuing, "It was a simple miscommunication issue, which I have resolved. I know that they had to be punished for their actions and take responsibility for them, I just wish I didn't have to be so harsh on them," Usagi sighed.
Michiru set her chin on the younger woman's shoulder, "I know my love, I know." They stood that way for a while, Michiru's head on Usagi's shoulder, and Usagi's head leaning against Michiru's.
Soon, it felt to the two that the temperature in the room had risen a couple notches as Michiru began to place wet kisses up and down her wife's neck, sucking softly on the nape. Usagi moaned and tilted her head to the side. She gasped out as Michiru bit her on her collarbone, licking the wound to soothe it. Turning in her wife's arms, Usagi crashed their lips together, tongues mingling as they battled for dominance. Michiru walked them into the bedroom, pushed Usagi down on the bed, and pounced. They made love, slowly and tenderly. After they had come together once more, they laid peacefully under the blanket. Michiru propped herself up with her elbow, and stared down at her beautiful wife, running her fingers through soft silvery hair.
"Is there anything that you want," Michiru murmured, tracing the outline of Usagi's face with her finger.
"Hmm?" Usagi asked, grabbing a hold of that finger, and kissing it.
"Is there anything that you want?" Michiru repeated. "Anything at all, I'd give you the stars in heartbeat if you asked for them."
Usagi giggled, a soft, sweet sound, "If I wanted the stars, I would ask for them." Raising up, Usagi pushed Michiru back down on the bed, and pinned her beneath her. "I don't need the stars," Usagi clarified, "Everything that I want, everything that I need is right here." Sealing with a kiss, they made love again and again into the night with moonlight shinning in through the window, witnessing the final sealing of the new royal couple.
Stay tuned for Epilogue in a couple of days, and edited chapters.
