Note from Azura: The formatting for this is all wrong, and I can't change it. To read it as it was written, please visit my website.

Chapter Sixteen

Ragnarok!
The End of the World

Sailor Orcus leapt at the giant, blinded by her fury. The rain had started to fall from the sunless sky, mixing with the tears from her own eyes. The final part of Aion's prophecy had come true. Creatures coming from another world, the dead returning to attack the living, and now giants roamed free; and this particular giant had stepped on the Hikawa Shrine where her friends gathered.

"Orcus Oath Breaker!" she cried, her attack having little affect on the thick-skinned being. "Get your foot off my friends!"

The giant blinked in the rain, regarding her as if she were an insect. Orcus picked up a piece of destroyed timber and beat the giant's leg with all her strength. One huge finger descended to scratch the area where Orcus had struck, as if the blow had been nothing more than a minor irritation. Breathing hard, Orcus cried out in frustration and began to throw debris at the massive leg. Eventually the giant moved his foot, taking another pounding step forward and leaving nothing but the ruins of the Shrine.

Dropping her impromptu weapon, Orcus raced to where the door had been and clawed her way through the wreckage. She was alone in this strange world, her only friends lay beneath her, her only family. She tore at the rubble with renewed strength, crying out for anyone to hear her. She felt herself losing control, her emotions taking over. She was the leader, always rational, always calm, always collected. She rolled her eyes when Michi asked a question, sighed deeply when Sei told a joke, looked the other way when Yume spoke of the Upper World. She was always cool, always alert.

Keishu-san can't relax.

Orcus paused as Yume's words came back to her. Is that what they thought of her? Did they think she was too cold? Did they even care about her, as she did about them? She was only this way to protect them, she told herself. They were like children sometimes. They needed her… or did she need them?

"I can change," Orcus muttered to herself as she continued to dig. "I can be nicer to Michi-chan. I can indulge Sei-chan a little. I can listen to Yume-chan. I can be the friend they deserve, just please don't take them from me!"

The wind and rain, her only audience, didn't listen to her plea.

"Vidar destroy!" the enormous demi-god said cheerfully.

"Scatter!" NeoSun shouted, unfolding her wings and launching herself into the air.

The senshi did as they were instructed, Tansei moving to the doorway and pressing himself in the corner. His heart was pounding in fear and he asked himself what he was doing here. Glancing up, he saw the woman he loved fighting for his life, and the lives of everyone on Earth, and he realized he had to be strong and brave for her.

Hodur was sitting on his throne, laughing maniacally. He held two Star Seeds in his hands, the other two floating above a silver bowl. Vidar lumbered aimlessly around the room, swiping his giant hand at any senshi within reach. Sailor Aion narrowly avoided his grasp, tumbling to one side and finding herself next to Sailor Mars. The fire senshi had her whip in her hand, the tip burning brightly, as she waited for an opportunity to strike.

"We need help," Aion said to her, watching Sailor Moon and Sailor NeoSun do their best against Vidar.

Mars nodded once. "Leave it to me. Just keep that thing busy."

Without waiting for an answer, Mars was gone from Aion's side. The elder senshi held up Sailor Pluto's staff at the looming giant.

"Eternity Sweep!" she called, sending razor sharp crescents towards her foe.

The attack certainly got Vidar's attention. As Aion raced across the room to join her allies, the giant tried several times to pound her into a pulp. Aion came to rest near Sailor Moon, and NeoSun flew down to join them. The deep sound of Hodur's laughter echoed across the hall, unnerving the senshi.

"Where's Rei?" Sailor Moon asked.

"She's fine," Aion assured the girl. "What we need to do now is get rid of this beast."

NeoSun shook her head. "Nothing we throw at him seems to do any damage."

A shot of dark energy broke through their circle, causing the senshi to escape in different directions. Hodur was standing in front of his throne, his eyes dangerously narrow as he frowned down at them. He shot another bolt, narrowly missing Sailor Moon.

"Enough chitchat," Hodur howled. "You are ceasing to amuse me."

Sailor NeoSun stepped forward. "Blinding Glory!"

Hodur hastily threw his arm in front of his face, crying out as NeoSun's attack struck him. The senshi of light held steady as long as she was able, while Aion and Sailor Moon kept Vidar occupied.

Around the back of the room, Sailor Mars had crept onto the dais where the throne was place and was reaching into the silver bowl that housed two of the four Star Seeds Hodur cherished the most. Grabbing the closest Seed, she rose to her feet and released it back to its host. NeoSun's attack died and Hodur spun around in anger as one of his prized senshi awoke.

"No!" Hodur snapped, firing a burst at Sailor Mars.

"Rei-chan!" Sailor Moon cried.

The dark energy struck the fire senshi, removing her Seed from her body. As the twinkling jewel settled in the silver bowl, Mars' body was pulled into the air to hang in the place of the one who had escaped. Sailor Moon stared at the prone body, tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

"Rei-chan, you promised," she whispered. "You promised to be with me until the end."

She turned to face Hodur once more, anger intensifying her determination to see Hodur defeated. Before she could read her enemy, however, she was confronted by the giant shape of Vidar. He grinned stupidly at her and swept her aside with one massive arm.

"Sailor Aion," Sailor Pluto remarked as she joined her sister senshi. "I'm glad you heard me."

"Pluto," Aion replied, peering into her double's face and holding out the Garnet Orb staff, "I believe this belongs to you."

"A little help here," Sailor Moon called. She was backed up against the wall, close to the entrance where Tansei cowered, with Vidar rapidly approaching.

"Dead Scream," Pluto said quietly.

The attack struck Vidar, causing him to howl in pain. He stuck his massive hand in his mouth, sucking the burned part of his skin. NeoSun floated down to the others and shook her head.

"He's too strong for me," she said. "We need more help."

"Like Akumu-chan?" Aion asked. "She would certainly help against Hodur's powers."

"Leave it to me," Pluto said with a wink. "I am the Guardian of Time and Space, after all."

"Vidar destroy!" Vidar said angrily.

The gloves on Sailor Orcus' hands were torn to ribbons, the crimson of her blood soaking through. Her hair was disheveled and falling in front of her eyes, but she paid it no attention. Rain continued to pour down, making the debris of the Shrine slippery and difficult to hold, but Orcus persevered. She would continue to dig until she reached her friends, or until the monsters found her and ripped her from her work. She could hear them now, in the streets below the Shrine, circling closer. She could feel the presence of the escaped souls, but for the first time in her life, she ignored them. Right now, more important than her mission, more important than herself, were the lives of her friends.

Her hand struck something soft as she pulled at a large beam that might have once supported the roof. Blinking in surprise, she peered through the cracks and saw a white gloved hand. Redoubling her efforts, it was not long before she found Sailor Neptune and Sailor Dis crouched in a small alcove. Both seemed unharmed, and Orcus smiled broadly as she helped the two senshi from their imprisonment.

"About time," Dis said, looking up at the falling rain in annoyance.

Sailor Orcus threw her arms around her sister senshi, hugging her tightly. Dis stiffened in surprise, her eyes wide and confused, before she relaxed into the embrace.

"Keishu-san," Dis said softly, "what's wrong? This isn't like you."

"I know," Orcus replied. "I can change. But first, we have to find the others."

Sailor Neptune had already started to dig, largely disregarding the affectionate scene between the two girls. Orcus noticed a hint of a tear in her eyes, as if witnessing her reunion with Dis had brought back an unwanted memory. With three senshi working, it was not long before they found Acheron and Hypnos, huddled together beneath the remains of Rei's table. Luck appeared to be on their side as neither of them were hurt severely. Orcus hugged them both as tightly as she had embraced Dis.

"I'm sorry," Orcus said to her three sisters over the sound of the rain. "I know I'm bossy and uptight. I know I treat you badly, but when I thought I had lost you forever, I was … I felt …"

Acheron put her hand on Orcus' shoulder and smiled gently. "It's all right, Keishu-san."

"Where's Akumu-sama?" Hypnos questioned.

Sailor Neptune looked up from where she was digging. She squinted through the driving rain towards the stairs leading up to the Shrine. Dark shadows were gathering there, darker than she would have liked to see. The foul beings had found their sanctuary.

"Akumu-chan will have to wait," Neptune said. "We've got company."

Orcus nodded, suddenly all business again, and motioned for the other Erebus senshi to join in the attack. Acheron gave a final, lingering look at the pile of rubble that had once been the Shrine, and said a silent prayer for the soul of Akumu.

"Dead Scream."

Vidar howled again, his massive bulk hitting the wall and causing the entire room to shake. Tansei covered his head as dust fell from the ceiling, but he found he could not look away for long. He was fortunate that Hodur had not thought to use him as a target yet, and not for the first time he began to wonder why he had not simply left the business of saving the world to Kami and the others.

"Blinding Light!"

Tansei squinted against the glow of the attack, smiling to himself as Vidar continued to be struck. Sailor Aion added her power to the assault, and the giant Vidar was reduced to a whimpering mass. Tansei could see Hodur seated on his throne, and he knew the dark god was not pleased. As Vidar crashed to his knees, Sailor Moon drew out her fan and held it up so all its eyes, as well as hers, were focused on Hodur's minion.

"Neo-Queen Justice Eyes!" she called.

As the glimmering sparkly dust fell on the form of Vidar, he gave an almost gentle sounding sigh and closed his beady eyes. A smile spread across his broad face as he vanished from sight, and there was nothing left standing between Hodur and the four angry senshi.

Hodur applauded sarcastically, the sound of his hands clapping echoing through the now empty room. Sailor NeoSun stood in the front and pointed a finger at Hodur accusingly.

"Enough," she said. "Release the senshi and call off Ragnarok."

"It's not that simple," Hodur replied sweetly. "And you scarcely have the power to enforce your demands."

"But I do."

From the shadows of the room stepped Noctis, her black wings folded behind her and her silvery dress sweeping the floor as she passed. A flickering of fear passed through Hodur's eyes as he saw his mistress standing defiantly before him, but the fear lasted only a split second before it was gone.

"My Lady," Hodur said, inclining his head slightly in her direction. "So good of you to join the festivities. I won't ask how you managed to join us."

"End this now, Hodur," Noctis told him. "You might still be forgiven for all you have done."

Noctis paused, her eyes moving to the darkened corner of the room behind Hodur's throne. She pursed her lips in thought and narrowed her eyes, before returning her concentration back to the enemy before her.

"You're too late, my Lady," Hodur laughed. "I have all I need to create the world you envisioned for us to rule."

"Power Steal!"

Hodur leapt from his throne and out of the way as Sailor Loki appeared behind him, her hands outstretched to absorb his power, the same way she had betrayed Baldur. Next to Loki was Sailor Aion with a slight smile on her face. Loki missed her target and pouted as she rejoined Aion and the rest of the senshi.

"Very sneaky," Hodur snarled. "I see I must keep my collection away from curious hands. That's two you've managed to reclaim, and only one addition for me."

He gestured to Sailor Mars, who still hung behind his throne. Sailor Moon clenched her hands into fists. Loki looked up at the other wall hangings and gasped when she saw Odin. Her eyes flicked between Moon and Odin, blinking in confusion at the similarities between the two. Aion put a hand on her shoulder and smiled reassuringly.

"I missed you," Aion said simply.

Loki blushed and tried to look away, but Aion caught her chin with two fingers and forced Loki to meet her gaze. Loki broke into a nervous smile and tears shone in her eyes as Aion returned the loving smile. Loki took her other hand and squeezed it tightly.

"You've no one left to hide behind," Sailor NeoSun said. "End this foolishness."

Hodur glared at her and raised his hand. A burst of dark energy shot out, as quickly as a bullet from a gun, heading straight for Loki. Aion's eyes widened in fear as she moved to intercept the attack. It was as if time had slowed down. Aion threw herself in front of the dark beam, and it struck her full in the chest. Closing her eyes in pain, she fell to the ground as the beam, fueled by Hodur's anger, continued towards Loki. The blonde girl was too preoccupied with Aion to notice the attack and was caught in the chest as well. The two girls fell to the ground almost at the same time, their Seeds spinning above their bodies. Loki reached out with one hand to try and touch the unconscious Aion's face, but her own body betrayed her as her strength vanished.

Hodur laughed as the bodies of the two recently defeated senshi appeared behind his throne, the two Seeds joining the others in the silver basin. Scooping Loki's Seed in one hand and Odin's in the other, he began to press them together.

"No!" Sailor NeoSun cried, reaching out futilely.

Hodur grimaced as he forced the two shining Seeds together, fusing them into one. A loud boom sounded, deep and primeval, from the bowels of the earth itself. The hybrid Seed spun slightly off-kilter in Hodur's palm, and the bodies of Loki and Odin slumped slightly in their crystalline prisons.

The room began to shake, slowly at first, then increasing so dust fell from the unseen ceiling. Without thinking, Tansei left the safety of the hallway and entered Hodur's hall, keeping himself near the door as debris began to fall. The senshi covered their heads, huddling together as the room continued to crumble.

"What's going on?" Sailor Moon shouted over the sounds of destruction.

Sailor Pluto regarded her sadly. "Loki's Seed was all Hodur needed for Ragnarok. Now that they're joined, there's nothing to stop it."

"But Ragnarok had already started," Noctis objected. "We were seeing it on Earth."

"Sailor Aion," NeoSun replied, staring at the body of her friend hovering lifelessly behind Hodur's throne. "Without Aion's Seed to contain it, the Void will expand and engulf this world."

Sailor Moon's eyes widened in shock and Noctis lowered her eyes sadly. Pluto only nodded, following NeoSun's gaze to her double.

"This is why she is eternal," Pluto said, looking straight at Sailor Moon as she spoke, "and why she must remain inside the Void."

Sailor Moon pursed her lips but said nothing. Noctis glanced towards the corner of the room.

"There's something more," she said. "Something almost familiar."

She exchanged a surprised look with NeoSun, who only nodded soberly. Closing her eyes, her mortal guise of NeoSun melted away, revealing her true from as Lucis. Her white angel wings stretched out once and she launched herself into the air. Noctis was only a moment behind her.

"This charade has gone on long enough," Noctis said sternly. "You've had your fun, and now it's time to come out, Chaos."

A figure separated itself from the dark corners of the room and stepped forward to face the two winged women. He was a tall man, with long black hair that flowed past his waist and black eyes. His skin was pale as moonlight and he wore only dark pants and boots. His chest was decorated with silver chains, each depicting one of the chosen symbols of Noctis' disciples. He applauded to his former mistress as Hodur stared at him in shocked disbelief.

"Well done, my Lady," Chaos said in a deep voice. "Pity it took you this long to find me."

"Chaos," Hodur breathed, relief replacing his earlier shock. "Master, brother, where have you been? I've been so lost without your guidance."

"You are a lost fool," Chaos snapped. "I have been with you all along. How else could you control Njord, Suisei, Vali, and Vidar? Do you think yourself strong enough for that?"

Hodur reeled as if struck. He held up the hybrid Seed, the trigger for the destruction of the world. "I have succeeded in our Mistress' plan."

Chaos laughed, his rumbling voice adding to the trembling room. Hodur slowly lowered his hand.

"Our Mistress' plan? You are more of a fool than I thought to believe that tale. It has always been my plan, Hodur. My plan to destroy the world our Mistress created. My plan to reform it as I see fit, and my plan to rule it."

Hodur's mouth opened and closed soundlessly as he struggled to comprehend what he was hearing. Lucis watched Chaos like a hawk, while Noctis' gaze turned to her troubled disciple. Hodur was looking at the Seed in his palm in horror, as the truth slowly sunk into his mind.

"You have done well," Chaos admitted grudgingly. "You brought both sisters to me, which was unexpected. I had hoped to crush them both as mortals, but your blunder will only make my victory that much more enjoyable."

Hodur sat heavily on his throne, staring at Noctis pleadingly. Chaos leapt up to the dais and picked up the double-Seed, admiring it as it spun in his palm.

"My Lady," Hodur said. "I have been such a fool."

"As I have already told you," Chaos interrupted. "But for now, I'm done with you. Farewell, foolish brother. I'll fashion a special hell for you in my new universe."

Chaos flicked his wrist in the direction of Hodur, and a dark beam of energy tossed the god across the room. Without thinking, Noctis ran after him, kneeling next to him as he began to fade away. He was cringing in pain, but opened his eyes to look up at her as she cradled his head.

"My Lady, I have always loved you," he whispered. "Forgive me. I thought to change the world to your liking, so you would smile. I always loved seeing you smile."

Tears fell from Noctis' eyes as Hodur vanished from her arms. She clenched her hands tightly as his weight melted away and stood to face the most powerful and troublesome of her disciples.

"Chaos," Noctis said, her eyes turning white in her fury.

The handsome man smiled at her, gently returning the Seed he held to the silver basin. A shockwave ripped through the room, and a geyser of black energy shot through the floor and towards the ceiling, narrowly missing Sailor Pluto. She fell back just in time to avoid being struck.

"My Lady," Chaos replied. "Ragnarok is unstoppable now. The Seeds have been joined, and cannot be separated. You have lost, my Lady; you and all your pathetic friends."

"Blinding Glory!" Lucis cried.

Chaos was knocked off the dais and landed on his back on the floor as Lucis unleashed her anger on him. Unable to move, or even raise a hand in his own defense, Chaos struggled against the weight of the attack.

"He was kind and gentle," Lucis snarled angrily. "He was trusting and innocent, and you robbed him of the life he should have had. You destroyed him, as you destroyed so many others!"

Noctis watched her sister's fury with tear filled eyes. She felt a pressure on the inside of her hand and slowly uncurled her fist. There, nestled on her palm, was a tiny Star Seed, no bigger than a needle. It spun softly, its light barely visible in the destructive darkness that surrounded her. A smile spread across her face in spite of the devastation. There was hope for the future, and she cupped it gently in her palm.

"This is ridiculous," Orcus snarled as she fought her way through another pack of monsters.

She could see the others nearby, each completely absorbed in their own problems. Her sisters, so recently recovered from death, fought as if nothing had happened. The ruins of the Shrine were behind them, and the black shadowless monsters continued to pour over the steps. There was no end to the battle, no way they could achieve any sort of victory in this strange world, and not for the first time, Orcus began to doubt their Master's decision to send them here. She blew a strand of hair from her eyes and kicked the closest monster in the stomach.

"Yume," she called over the sounds of battle, "everything okay?"

"Peachy," Sailor Hypnos replied. "The souls are increasing, but I think I have my power under control."

Sailor Neptune leapt towards them. "Clear the way!"

"Rivers of Power!" Orcus could hear Sailor Acheron shouting. "Acheron!"

As the lilac haired senshi invoked her namesake, Orcus and Hypnos dove out of the way. A torrent of moaning ghosts swept through the Shrine's courtyard, absorbing all the monsters in their path. Orcus watched as a few struggled to free themselves, frantically grasping at the air as the ghosts of the river Acheron pulled them deeper into their depths. The senshi gathered together in the momentary calm to regroup.

"We can't keep doing this," Sailor Dis said, breathing heavily.

"We have to," Neptune told her. "Until the others return, we have to keep the Earth safe."

Dis rolled her eyes. "I don't know where you've been, but we're not exactly doing a bang-up job here. Have you seen the city?"

Neptune's blue eyes hardened as she inadvertently gazed down at Tokyo. The city was in shambles, tall pillars of black smoke rising into the black clouds that blanketed the city. The screams of those who had survived the initial invasion continued to ring out, and the ground shuddered with every step of the giants who roamed free.

"We must fight. It's our mission," Neptune insisted.

"If Akumu-sama were here," Acheron began.

"Don't talk about her," Orcus snapped. "She's gone. If the collapse of the Shrine didn't kill her, the giants or the monsters have. We're on our own."

The leader of the Erebus senshi took a deep breath and passed a weary hand over her eyes. "If only the rain would stop, or the sun would come out. With less shadows for these creatures to hide in, maybe we'd stand a chance."

Neptune could only shake her head. "We're on our own."

"All we can do is hope that Lucis-sama and the others will defeat Hodur and make it back in time," Hypnos replied, gently placing her hand on Orcus' shoulder.

The ground shook as the creatures shook off the effects of Acheron's attack and began to come again. Orcus squared her jaw and nodded.

"We will hold our ground," she decided. "Let them come."

"Mai!"

The girl walked through the devastated streets of Tokyo, her long silver hair trailing behind her in a disheveled ponytail. She pressed her hand to her forehead, wincing as her palm touched the cut she had received, and stepped over some fallen rubble.

"Maiodoru! Where are you?" she called.

A growling rumble came from around the corner and the girl darted into the shadows to avoid being seen. She felt the coarse bricks of the building beneath her palms and counted to ten, hoping whatever creature was prowling around had moved on. As she resumed her search for her missing friend, she could not help but think about the past few days that had turned her life upside down. She had been a simple student, studying hard to get into university, when the sky had turned to charcoal and monsters began devouring her classmates.

"Mai! Answer me!"

She had assumed the creatures were after her, or after her friend Mai. She wondered how they had found her, what they wanted, but she had no time to find out. The attacks increased, the earth shook, and then she had seen giants. Still, no matter how hard she fought, no matter how many lives she tried to save, there was nothing she could do.

"Mai!"

"Zou?"

The silver haired girl scrambled towards the sound of her name, tossing aside pieces of brick and timber. She found Mai lying beneath a pile of debris, her own dark skin made lighter by a thin layer of dust. Grinning, Zou reached out a hand to pull Mai to her feet.

"Wow. What a blast," Mai said, shaking her long black hair that she wore in a ponytail similar to Zou.

"Are you okay?" Zou asked, looking her friend over. "We better help. That last attack might have knocked us out, but imagine what it did to the others."

Mai nodded, blinking as she noticed the cut on Zou's forehead. "You're hurt."

"I'm fine. We should hurry."

Mai raised an eyebrow. "Why Eizou, I believe you're finally developing a backbone."

Zou blushed and turned away as Mai laughed at her. Fingering the blue stone she wore around her neck, Zou pulled it over her head and held it up. Mai did the same with the purple stone she wore, still grinning at Zou.

"Varuna Asteroid Power," Zou called, "Make-Up!"

"Quaoar Asteroid Power," Mai echoed, "Make-Up!"

The two girls transformed into senshi, each wearing colourful outfits. Sailor Varuna wore a yellow halter-top with a sailor kerchief, short yellow shorts with her blue henshin stone resting on a crisscrossed red belt, and thigh high yellow boots. On her hands she wore yellow gloves that nearly covered the entire length of her arm. Sailor Quaoar wore a similar outfit in red, with her purple henshin stone resting on a yellow belt that laced across her midsection.

"We need to figure out what's going on," Varuna said as they ran down the street.

"Of course we do," Quaoar replied. "Let's go ask that monster over there."

Varuna slowed to a stop gazing into the spinning cloud above them. She let her gaze wander until she thought she spotted a focal point, an area with a much larger concentration of black cloud.

"Watch out!"

Varuna's eyes snapped back to street level in time to see a black creature nearly on top of her. She threw up her hands to block the attack, momentarily paralyzed by fear and surprise.

"Ice Snap!" Quaoar shouted, pointing to the creature about to pounce on her friend.

The monster literally froze in place, completely incased in ice. Varuna lowered her arms and took a steadying breath as Quaoar leapt to the top of her newly formed ice sculpture and winked at her friend.

"Shall I ask him for directions?" Quaoar asked.

"No need," Varuna replied. "I know where to go. Follow me."

"Watch out!" Tansei cried without thinking.

Another geyser of black energy shot through the floor, and Sailor Moon dove to one side in the nick of time. She rolled on the floor and came up next to Tansei, who kept his back firmly against the wall. He noticed that Sailor Moon was breathing hard as her blue eyes kept on the lookout for the dark eruptions.

"Are you okay, Tansei-san?" she asked.

He nodded and swallowed hard. "I'm beginning to think following you guys wasn't such a good idea."

Sailor Moon smiled, and he was grateful for the small hint of joy on her face. "Just say here and be careful," she told him as she moved to rejoin the others.

Lucis faced Chaos on the dais, where until recently Hodur had stood. She was completely absorbed by her rage, battling with the dark disciple and paying no attention to her allies as they fought to remain standing on the crumbling floor. Noctis stood with the infant Seed in her palm, a momentary calm amongst the destruction, wondering what she should do next.

The room heaved, knocking nearly everyone off balance. Chaos stumbled, grasping the arm of the throne for support as Lucis was thrown forward onto her knees. As she righted herself, Chaos grabbed the hybrid Seed from the silver basin, and bowed to her almost respectfully.

"I will leave you to your tomb," he said. "I have a universe to rebuild."

He vanished, but not before Lucis could make a final lunge forward and snatch the Seed from his hand. She rolled off the dais, cupping the Seed close to her chest as Chaos' frustrated howl echoed off the disintegrating walls. Triumphantly, she returned her prize to the silver dish.

"Usagi!" she screamed, looking up.

Sailor Moon had only a second to blink before the dark beam caught her through the chest. She gasped, only the slightest of sounds, as her Seed separated itself from her body and flew through the air, caught up in the momentum of the geyser. Spreading her black wings, Noctis launched herself into the air, her free hand reaching for the Seed as it fell back to the ground. As her fingers wrapped themselves around it, she headed once more to the ground and gently restored the Seed to its owner. Sailor Moon sat up at once, and smiled to her saviour.

"Careful of those beams," Lucis warned unnecessarily.

"What do we do now?" Sailor Pluto asked. "It's too late to stop Ragnarok."

Lucis shook her head. "Maybe not. We just need more allies."

Pluto nodded and ran to the dais where the silver bowl still remained. She dodged the dark beams expertly, noting that they were coming more frequently now. Noctis was sheltering Sailor Moon beneath her dark wings as the ceiling collapsed, raining rubble on them.

Pluto first reached Sailor Aion and snatched her Seed from the bowl. Breathing hard, she held the Seed to her double, and released it. Dutifully, the Seed flew to its rightful place, but did not enter Aion's body. Instead, it floated in front of her chest, lazily spinning on its axis.

"Lucis, help!" Pluto called.

In an instant, Lucis was there. She did her best to try and entice the Seed to reenter its host, but it stubbornly refused to budge. As Lucis worked to restore Aion, Pluto used the power of her Garnet Orb to try and separate the joined Seeds of Loki and Odin. Lucis joined her, cupping the Seed in her hands as Pluto held her talisman over it.

"It was their Seeds that started Ragnarok," Lucis told her, lending her power. "I think if anyone stands a chance of stopping it, it's those two."

Pluto nodded her agreement, and together they managed to break apart the fused Seeds. These Seeds were more than eager to return to their hosts, and in a few seconds both Sailor Loki and the purple haired Sailor Odin were standing before them. Loki blinked in confusion, looking first at her hands, then at Odin. Tears formed in her eyes as she rushed forward to embrace her sister senshi.

"Odin, I'm so sorry," she cried. "I didn't know! Hodur tricked me."

Odin patted her back soothingly. "It's okay, Loki, I know. You never have to ask forgiveness from me, no matter what mischief you do."

Loki grinned at her and glanced up at Sailor Aion with her Seed twirling before her. She looked to Lucis and frowned.

"Why hasn't she opened her eyes?" Loki asked. "Her Seed is right there!"

Lucis smiled sadly. "I don't know, Kiki."

Odin took Loki's hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. The double of Sailor Moon pulled her away from the still form of Aion. "Come on, we have to end this."

Lucis nodded. "Your Seeds began Ragnarok."

"Only we can end it," Odin agreed.

Tansei watched the whole scene with tears in his eyes. Eitai had always been kind, and it grieved him to know she would spend her life like this. He watched Lucis speaking with the newly restored senshi and felt a fierce pride well up in his chest. This was the woman he loved, the one who would save the universe. Unknowingly, he took a step forward, he eyes locked on Lucis, until he noticed a purplish light growing beneath her face. Terror gripped his heart; he had seen that light many times before since Ragnarok had begun. Each time, it heralded the arrival of one of those black geysers.

"Kami!" he yelled, rushing forward.

Too late! he thought. I'm going to be too late to save her.

Lucis turned to face him, the surprise evident on her face as he sped across the dying room towards her. The light beneath her feet grew brighter, and Tansei put all his energy into reaching her. As the floor began to crack, he felt his hand connect with her arm and he pushed her with all his force. Lucis fell backwards into the arms of Loki as the black geyser broke through the floor and caught Tansei full in the stomach.

"Tansei!" Lucis screamed as his Seed broke free of his body and soared across the room.

It was gone in an instant, moving even faster than light with the full force of the beam behind it. Lucis could only watch through her tear filled eyes as the Star Seed of her beloved soared across the room, and shattered into millions of sparkling pieces.

The beam vanished and Tansei fell to his knees, a smile on his face. A single tear rolled down his cheek, his eyes locked on Lucis as they lost their light, and he toppled forward.

Sailor Dis jumped to one side, wincing in pain as the claws of the shadow monster raked across her arm. She landed awkwardly near her comrades, one hand clenching her wound as the blood seeped through her fingers.

"Let them come, huh?" Dis said to Orcus angrily.

The leader of the Erebus senshi ignored her friend, her eyes narrowed in determination as the assault continued. They had fought the monsters and giants promised to them by Sailor Aion, but they had yet to encounter any of the lost souls. Orcus was a little annoyed at this fact.

"We should lure them away from the city," Hypnos suggested, the bruise on her forehead turning a shade of purple.

"How?" Sailor Neptune argued. "We're completely surrounded on this hill."

Another earthquake rocked through the city, nearly knocking the senshi to the ground. The quakes were unpredictable, but not as powerful as the earlier ones had been. The occasional tremor still shook them, however, and it was only a matter of time before a large vault swallowed the city whole.

"They must have lost," Dis said. "They've been gone too long."

"No!" Neptune snapped. "They will not fail."

"And neither will we," Orcus agreed. "We were asked to protect this city, so we shall."

Acheron sat heavily on the ground, her uniform dirtied and torn. "I'm exhausted, Orcus. We can't keep this up forever."

Only until we die, Orcus thought to herself. She shook her head. "No help is coming. We're in this alone, until Lucis-sama and the others return and Ragnarok is stopped."

Neptune nodded grimly and leapt back into the battle. The music of her Deep Sea Crescendo echoed through the devastated landscape. One by one, the Erebus senshi joined her, each aware that when their powers weakened, they would die.

Sailor Acheron was breathing hard as she ducked beneath the grasping hands of her opponent. She stumbled away and held up her hand to the slavering beast. She took a deep breath to give herself strength.

"Rivers of Power!" she called, summoning the waters of the Underworld. "Phlegethon!"

A ring of fire surrounded the group of black creatures in front of her. At first the flames burned strong and the monsters cried out in pain. Acheron, however, was too weak to sustain the river for long, and the flames flickered and vanished as the senshi fell to her knees. Completely drained of energy, Acheron looked up into the beady eyes of the creature that would kill her, and waited for the end to come.

"Ice Snap!"

The group of black monster who had been singed by Acheron's flames were instantly frozen where they stood, completely incased in ice. Acheron blinked in confusion. Suddenly the frozen statues exploded into crystals of ice, and the lilac haired senshi ducked to avoid being cut. When she raised her eyes again, a warrior dressed in a red uniform unlike any she had ever seen stood before her. The warrior had tanned skin and long black hair. She smiled down at Acheron as she extended a hand to help her up.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"I was just about to ask you that," Acheron admitted. "Who are you?"

"Sailor Quaoar," the senshi replied.

"I'm Sailor Acheron, and what's going on is the end of the world."

Quaoar smiled broadly. "Really? That's fantastic!"

She turned her head as Acheron stared at her in complete shock. Waving a gloved hand above her head, Quaoar seemed to be calling to someone. Acheron noticed Hypnos nearby and motioned for the other senshi to join her. As Hypnos drew near, another warrior similarly dressed as Sailor Quaoar approached.

"Hear that, Varuna?" Quaoar said happily. "The end of the world! You can't do better than that! We're going to stop the apocalypse!"
"Actually, Ragnarok," Acheron corrected her helpfully.

The new senshi, dressed in yellow with long silver hair and equally tanned skin, seemed skeptical. She pursed her lips and thought as her partner stared at her expectantly.

"We're not supposed to stop the apocalypse," Sailor Varuna said in a quiet voice.

"Ragnarok," Acheron repeated.

"We're supposed to find our princess," Varuna continued without acknowledging Acheron.

"Come on," Quaoar whined. "We can't just not help! It's the freakin' end of the world, here! Look at all the baddies we can fight!"

Sailor Varuna raised her head and exhaled sharply. "You're right." She bowed to Acheron and Hypnos. "We offer our assistance in your battle."

Hypnos looked at Acheron and shrugged. "We don't have time to ask questions right now," Hypnos said. "Feel free to join the battle, but know that by doing so, you fight a battle with no chance of victory."

Sailor Quaoar grinned brightly. "That's my favourite kind. Bring it on!"

Lucis stared in shocked horror at the body of Tansei lying on the ground. She was vaguely aware of someone pulling at her arm, someone shouting something to her, but for some reason it didn't matter. The world was crumbling all around her, and all she could do was stare. Stumbling, she moved forward and fell to her knees next to the body. The tear had dried on his cheek, but the smile was still there. He had died smiling, and for that she was grateful, but he was still dead.

"Lucis, nothing can be done," she heard Odin said. "The Seed shattered."

"Tansei," she whispered, trying to wake him.

"Sister, please," Noctis begged. "The Hall of the Gods can't shield us for much longer. We have to escape."

Lucis raised her head. "Escape? To where? The world is shattering, the universe not far behind. The Void will expand to engulf anything Ragnarok misses."

Noctis frowned. "This isn't like you, sister."

Lucis shook her head. "It doesn't matter now. Nothing matters."

"You were going to leave him," Loki reminded her sharply. "You were going to leave him on Earth to be eaten by monsters, then never come back. What's the difference now?"

"Loki!" Odin snapped.

"She's right," Lucis said at the same time. She smoothed Tansei's hair and smiled at the smile on his face. Slowly, she rose back to her feet. "I was going to leave him, but he left me first."

"Kami-chan," Sailor Moon whispered, tears in her eyes.

Pluto cried as a beam of energy narrowly missed her, and used her staff to propel herself out of the way. Turning to Loki and Odin, Lucis nodded.

"Noctis and I will shield you from the black beams," she said. "You must use the power of your Seeds to stop this chaos."

Loki and Odin nodded once. Lucis turned to Pluto and Sailor Moon, the only two remaining senshi of Earth, unless Neptune somehow had managed to survive. Sailor Moon was waiting bravely, but Lucis could see the fear and determination in her blue eyes. She put her hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Usagi-chan, lend them your strength," she asked. "You as well, Setsuna-san. They will need all the power they can muster to seal Ragnarok and hold back the Void without Aion to help them."

The two senshi nodded and moved to join Loki and Odin. Spreading her wings, Lucis gazed once more at the still form of Tansei and launched herself into the air. Noctis was only a moment behind her, and the two sisters joined hands above the four senshi. Below them, the senshi also held each other's hands, and had their eyes closed and heads bowed in concentration. Lucis could feel the energy building in the room, and slowly the sounds of destruction faded from her ears. She closed her eyes and concentrated.

Tansei, forgive me, she asked. It was as you said. I was being selfish, I know that now, and it cost you your life.

"Lucis!" Noctis gasped suddenly. "Look!"

Opening her eyes, Lucis looked down at the floor below them. It was slowly filling with ghostly shapes, walking single file from the room where Hodur's collected senshi remained. The figures each held a sparkling Star Seed in their hands, cupped gently before them as if they were bearing torches against the night.

"The senshi," Lucis breathed in awe. "The spirits of the senshi are coming to help."

As they drew closer, Lucis could make out the individuals. She saw Sailor Uranus and Sailor Saturn standing close together. Not far from them were the three Starlights, whom the senshi had not yet met, with Sailor Apollo close by. The senshi of Parallel Earth were crowding around Odin and Loki, just as Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Venus, Sailor Mars, and Sailor Mercury were moving behind Sailor Moon. Tears slide down Sailor Moon's face even though her eyes were closed and she could not see her friends. Hundreds of senshi gathered, their Seeds shining and calming the beams of dark energy that still burst through the ground. Sailor Chibimoon, in her adult form, stood close to her younger self, both sharing the same Seed, while Tuxedo Kamen watched. Lucis could scarcely believe her eyes as all the senshi she had sought, all the ones who had fallen before she had arrived, joined together to lend their strength to the four in the centre.

"Jun," Noctis breathed, her eyes locked on the white-haired senshi of Elysium.

Sailorelysion had her eyes closed, as did most of the senshi, but Noctis stared at her until she was lost in the growing crowd of senshi. Lucis squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"It is time," Lucis said.

A final specter stepped into the crowd, standing next to Sailor Loki and keeping one hand on her shoulder. Sailor Aion smiled proudly, holding her Seed in her free hand.

"Blinding Glory!" Lucis called, releasing her power to the four senshi below.

"Darkest Honour!" Noctis cried, her power joining her sister's.

"For Asgard and all the Worlds," Loki and Odin cried as one.

"Let our powers guide you!" the voices of the ghostly senshi rang as clear as a bell.

Lucis grimaced against the strain of the accumulated powers, and she saw Noctis wince. The twin Seeds of Loki and Odin separated themselves from their hosts, spinning around between the two senshi with incredible speed. The powers of all the senshi was focused through the two Seeds and sent straight down into the bowels of Asgard. The force of the attack was more than the senshi could handle, and as their powers struck the swirling mass of Ragnarok, it exploded back up at them. Lucis tried to shout a warning, but was not quick enough as the Hall of the Gods disappeared from her view in a blinding light. She felt herself falling, and wondered if they had succeeded, or if this was the true power of Ragnarok after all.

"I have to admit, you girls know how to have a good time," Sailor Quaoar shouted as she sliced through another monster.

Sailor Orcus raised an eyebrow, wondering how this could be considered a good time. Their two new allies had proved invaluable, helping them to fight off a lot of the horde of creatures, but she knew it was too little too late. The monsters were only increasing in number, and Hypnos had informed her of the growing number of souls. If they survived this, Orcus was not looking forward to the clean up.

"Look up there!" Sailor Dis gasped, pointing at the blackened sky.

The seven senshi gathered together as best they could, peering up at the sky. Orcus had not thought it possible, but a section was actually growing darker directly above them. The clouds seemed to part, and a gray mist separated itself from the darkness, forming into fingers of a massive hand.

"What is that?" Sailor Acheron asked.

"That can't possibly be good, whatever it is," Dis said.

The hand began to descend, and as it moved it absorbed anything that came close to it. Giants, dead souls, and black monsters were sucked into the arm, their shrill cries piercing the air.

"Is it on our side?" Hypnos wondered.

Sailor Neptune stared at it with narrowed eyes, her body tense and ready to fight. The hand continued to come towards them, focusing on the Hikawa shrine more than any other place in the city.

"Over there!" Sailor Varuna cried, pointing to the right. "Another one!"

"Not good," Dis confirmed.

Hands were coming from all directions, dozens of them descending on Tokyo. They picked up creature and humans alike, tearing buildings from their foundations and tossing cars like toys.

Neptune shook her head. "It seems familiar to me, somehow. I've seen this gray mist before." Suddenly, her eye widened in shock and she turned to the other senshi. "The Void! Sailor Aion used an attack that summoned a gray mist, like this one."

"That's the Void?" Sailor Acheron said doubtfully.

Sailor Quaoar elbowed her partner. "What's the Void?"

Varuna shrugged. "It must be something horrible for Sailor Neptune to be so alarmed."

"The Void destroys everything," Neptune said. "I saw it obliterate Vali, one of Hodur's minions. I thought Sailor Aion could control it."

"If it's out of control, that means Aion must be dead," Orcus said. "The others as well, perhaps."

Tears filled Acheron's eyes and she shook her head. "We're the senshi of death. We would know if they had fallen. Something else must be controlling the Void."

"Either way, I don't see how we can stop it," Neptune continued, "and it's almost upon us."

"Stay close," Orcus ordered. "Maybe our powers can shield us."

"What we have left, anyway," Dis mumbled.

The senshi huddled together in a tight group as the hand slowly drew closer. Suddenly Varuna moved apart from her friends, staring defiantly at the misty hand. Quaoar blinked in surprise.

"Zou, what are you doing?"

"Stay close together," Varuna said. "I think I can shield us."

Quaoar shook her head. "You're not strong enough against that thing, Zou! Please, we can run! Don't try to stop it."

Varuna smiled gently. "It's the end of the world, isn't it? Where can we run to, Mai?"

Helplessly, Sailor Quaoar watched as her best friend stepped free of the other senshi and held up her hands, palms facing the gray mist. Her face was full of determination, and Quaoar bit her lip as the hand made its final descent.

"Varuna Reflective Ray!" Sailor Varuna called.

A reflective surface appeared on her hands, expanding to encompass the other senshi. It shone with a faint yellow light, and Orcus could not help but admire the beauty of it. A second later, the hand struck the shield with such a jarring impact that Varuna nearly lost her balance. She held firm, her elbows bending under the weight of the gray mist. Still, as the mist of the Void engulfed the small bubble, the senshi were safe; for the time being, at least.

Sailor Moon opened her eyes and blinked. Slowly, she sat up and looked around the room. It was nearly completely destroyed, the walls and ceiling having fallen down. The dais where Hodur had his throne was gone, as were the senshi who hung behind it. The silver basin of Star Seeds was upside down, but there were no Seeds scattered around it. Sailor Moon rose to her feet, and realized the most disturbing thing of all: it was quiet. The rumblings of Ragnarok had stopped.

"Kami-chan?" she called through the rubble. "Kiki-san? Odin-san? Setsuna-san? Akumu-chan?"

Her voice echoed through the still room, the only sound in the oppressive silence. Sailor Moon shivered and hugged her arms close to her chest. Tears were forming in her eyes, she knew, but she angrily wiped them away. She thought back to the moments before the explosion. She had felt the powers of the senshi, of her friend. Mako-chan was there, and so was Minako-chan, Ami-chan, Rei-chan and Mamo-chan. She had felt them close to her, but now that her eyes were opened, they were gone.

"They're all gone," Sailor Moon whispered.

"Not all of us," a voice almost exactly the same as her own said.

Sailor Moon hurried towards it, pulling rocks and debris off of the speaker. She saw her own face beneath the wreckage, with long purple hair. Sailor Odin smiled at her, her face covered with dirt and blood. Sailor Moon held out a hand to pull her to her feet, and Odin gratefully accepted. The two stared at each other for a moment.

"I don't think I have to tell you how weird this is," Odin said.

"Pleased to meet you," Sailor Moon said politely. "Kiki-san spoke of you often."

"Kiki?" for a moment, Odin looked confused. "Oh, Loki! The senshi of Parallel Earth rarely use our mortal names. Speaking of Loki…"

Odin turned and began digging through the rubble again. Sailor Moon hesitated only a moment before joining her. Minutes passed before a wide smile broke out across Odin's face, and she reached through the ruins and pulled out a hand. Loki sat up and shook her head, dust flying everywhere. She coughed a few times and sneezed.

"Well, that was fun," she said sarcastically.

Sailor Moon stood and noticed others rising slowly to their feet. Most of the senshi she didn't recognize, and she saw Noctis going over to greet a senshi with reddish-yellow hair. Sailor Moon's eyes swept over the rising warriors until they landed on someone she hadn't thought to ever see again.

"Mako-chan," she whispered. "Mako-chan! MAKO-CHAN!"

Sailor Jupiter raised her head and looked back just in time to see Sailor Moon fly towards her, pigtails streaming behind her. Jupiter held open her arms and Sailor Moon flew into her embrace, tears rolling down her cheeks in rivers. Around Jupiter, the other inner senshi were getting to their feet. Sailor Moon hugged them each in turn, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Venus, and finally Sailor Mars.

"Everyone," Sailor Moon gasped, but found she could say nothing more to express her happiness.

"Usako."

Her eyes widening, Sailor Moon turned to see Mamoru's smiling face. Behind him were two Chibiusa's, the tall and stately Queen of Crystal Tokyo and the child who had traveled through time.

"Mamo-chan," Sailor Moon whispered as the tears poured down her face.

As Sailor Moon was once again reunited with her friends, Sailor Loki was digging her way through the destroyed room. Close by, Noctis shook out her wings and coughed against the dust, her sister only a short distance away cradling someone in her arms. Loki was growing more and more frustrated as she angrily tossed the rubble aside until she suddenly stopped and dropped her arms to her sides. Turning, she saw Sailor Aion and Sailor Pluto standing side by side, where the dais had once been. Loki hesitated only a second before running to Aion and wrapping her arms around the older senshi's waist. Aion calmly placed a hand on Loki's head, smiling weakly at her.

"I must hurry," Aion said to Pluto. "The Void is slowly consuming the Earths. If I wait much longer, both Parallel Earth and your Earth will be gone."

Pluto nodded. "The Rainbow Bridge can't be reformed, but Lucis has the power to bring us to Earth."

The two identical senshi turned to where Lucis sat, cradling the body of Tansei in her lap. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she smoothed his hair from his face, being careful not to let a single strand get into his eyes. Noctis crouched next to her, a concerned look on her face.

"Kami-chan," Noctis whispered. "You must let him go."

She shook her head. "I can't."

Closing her eyes, her body began to glow with a pale yellow light. Around them, the revived senshi gathered in small groups, eyeing their sister senshi suspiciously. Lucis paid them no mind and raised one hand to her chest. Taking a deep breath, she plunged her hand into her breast and pulled out her glowing Star Seed. Her eyes lost some of their luster as he hands worked mechanically, each seizing part of the Seed and pulling.

"Kami! No!" Noctis gasped.

Noctis reached out to stop her sister, but the light was too powerful and it burned her grasping hands. Wincing in pain, Noctis sat back and was forced to do nothing but wait. With a final tug, Lucis' Seed broke in half, still joined together by faint tendrils of light. She pushed half back into her chest, and forced the other into Tansei's cold body. The senshi waited expectantly. Sailor Moon clutched Mamoru's hand and he squeezed it, while Loki clung to Aion's arm. Lucis closed her eyes and seemed to slump forward but Tansei's eyes flickered and opened.

"Kami?" he mumbled drowsily, as if he had only been sleeping.

Lucis opened her eyes. "Tansei. Thank goodness."
The senshi cheered as the two rose to their feet. Tansei had a glowing aura around him, and he looked at his hands in amazement. Lucis smiled at him and kissed his cheek.

"What did you do?" he asked.

"I couldn't restore your mortal soul," Lucis explained. "That is beyond my power. I gave you part of my Star Seed, my soul, and made you immortal."

Tansei's jaw dropped. "Immortal?"

"Parallel Earth is in need of a new god of light," Lucis said, "and I can't think of a more fitting disciple."

The crowd of senshi cheered. Noctis wiped the tears from her eyes and Lucis hugged Tansei tightly. Mamoru bent to kiss Sailor Moon, as the other senshi shouted behind them. Aion smiled a little sadly, and the younger Chibiusa winked at Lucis, happy to know she had won her second chance for love.

As Tansei broke off from Lucis' embrace, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"What do you mean, disciple?"

"Varuna!" Quaoar cried.

The shield shattered and Varuna fell to the ground. The gray hand descended, grabbing first at the senshi who had held it at bay for so long. Orcus and Dis held Quaoar back as her friend was lifted into the Void and disappeared from sight. The remaining senshi held their ground, waiting for the hand to return.

"That is enough."

From the hazy mist that was left by the Void, a figure approached. She walked purposefully towards them, and as the fog lifted, Sailor Aion stood before them. The Erebus senshi and Sailor Neptune stared in amazement, but Quaoar could only look at the sky where seconds before Sailor Varuna had been.

"Aion!" Neptune said at last.

Sailor Aion nodded. "The battle has been won. Ragnarok is over."

Acheron cheered and grabbed Dis in a fierce embrace. The vain senshi stiffened at first, before smiling and joining her sister in her celebration. Hypnos laughed, and the three senshi danced around, their exhaustive battle behind them. Orcus and Neptune stared at Aion, fully aware of the lives lost while she had been gone. Aion did not meet their gaze, but turned to the mist that had come down from the dark shadows of Ragnarok.

"Void," she called. "Return to your domain!"

The mist jerked to a stop and began to slink back into the sky, like a chastised animal. Aion watched it carefully until it was gone, and the black clouds began to fade. Soon, the sunlight came out and fully illuminated the devastation of Ragnarok.

"Thank goodness that's done," Orcus said.

"Varuna," Sailor Quaoar whispered. "If she had only held for a few minutes longer."

Sailor Aion put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Her sacrifice was not in vain."

Turning on her heel, Aion began to walk away. Neptune ran after her and slapped her across the face. Aion's head flew back, and when she returned her gaze once more to Neptune, the aquamarine haired girl's eyes were brimming with tears.

"I must go," Aion said. "My time in this world is over."

"Without a word of thanks? Without an explanation? Were you the only one to survive?" Neptune demanded.

Aion sighed. "What I tell you of the battle will not matter, believe me when I tell you this. But if it's thanks you want, you have it. I shall remember this war for all eternity."

She moved passed Neptune and continued on her way. Neptune did not move, and Aion paused for another moment.

"If it's comfort you want," Aion told her, "then know that Haruka lives."

Neptune's eyes widened in shock as the senshi of Eternity disappeared from her world forever.