A Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Fanfic:
"A Promise of Forever"
by: s16thunderjet
Chapter 6:
Destiny's End
Part 1
Moon Kingdom,
The Silver Millennium
"Are we there yet?" Serenity asked in anticipation, the blonde chewing excitedly on her bottom lip.
Behind her and currently covering both of her eyes with her hands, Mars smiled at the other girl's impatience, sincerely hoping that her surprise was very much worth the wait.
"Take two steps to your right. Just a bit more... Ah, here we are." she uttered, maneuvering so that she was beside her Princess.
"I'm taking off my hands, OK? Don't open your eyes yet."
An excited nod was all the reply she got.
Chuckling at the blonde's childlike antics, she leaned as close as she could possibly get towards Serenity without actually touching her, then placed her lips by the other girl's ear.
"You can open your eyes now, Angel." she whispered.
A sea of sunflowers greeted the Princess of the White Moon, her eyes widening in absolute delight as the yellow blossoms decorated her entire field of vision.
"I've wanted to give you some flowers since the first time we met. I thought about a bouquet or two, but then, I realized that no mere flower could ever be enough." Mars admitted, a reddish hue coloring her cheeks.
"I know that this entire field doesn't even come close, but it's the biggest 'bouquet' I could find. Sorta... I hope you like it..."
"Oh, Rei-chan. They're beautiful! Thank you!" she cried, throwing her arms around her beloved in absolute delight.
"Really? You really like it?" Mars asked yet again, her unsure demeanor completely off-character.
Pulling back from their impromptu embrace, Serenity giggled at the unusually insecure raven haired girl, laying a gentle kiss on her lips for all her effort.
"Silly. Of course I do. They're from you, aren't they?" Serenity replied, her smile completely obliterating any lingering doubt in Mars' mind.
"Catch me if you can!" Serenity called playfully as she raced down the hill and towards the flower field, managing not to trip over herself as she teasingly pulled down one eyelid and blew a raspberry at her lover.
Not to be outdone, the Senshi of War stormed after her giggling Princess, cherishing the look of mock-horror on the blonde's face as she quickly gained on her.
The Moon Princess squealed in delight even as the other girl inched closer, the thrill of the chase providing her with equal parts nervousness and exhilaration.
Ahead of her and just past the remaining row of sunflower stalks, a small oasis lay hidden amidst the seemingly unending sea of yellow, crystal clear waters gleaming in the sunlight.
Slowing to a standstill, Serenity paused in admiration of the beautiful view afforded her, silently thanking the heavens for this little bit of paradise.
"Gotcha!"
Serenity managed a soft "Oof!" before she was tackled from behind by the trailing Rei, the pair tumbling to the flowerbed before them in a jumble of hair and limbs.
"Ow..."
"Are you all right? I'm so sorry, Usa." Rei blurted out as she crouched over her fallen love.
"It's my fault for stopping so abruptly. But I'm fine, Rei-chan." Serenity replied with a genuine smile as she laid her hand on the other girl's cheek.
Startled out of her remorseful state, the Fire Senshi grasped the hand on her cheek, leaning into her Princess' warmth, turning her head slowly to lay a gentle kiss onto the inside of her palm.
Breath caught in her chest at the utmost adoration her lover had just displayed, Serenity's eyes watered slightly, the blonde finding herself overcome with emotion.
"I love you." Serenity whispered, slowly raising her head upwards.
The kiss was like all their other kisses: warm and gentle, lips softly caressing lips in silent worship; love, desire and devotion all rolled into one passion-filled moment.
Mars could not help but groan at the feelings rushing through her body, her mouth parting even more to accommodate the velvety tongue snaking out to meet her own.
"Love you, Angel." Mars answered breathily before dipping her head again towards her beloved's waiting lips.
Without noticing it, a man was watching them from within the surrounding stalks of sunflowers. Careful not to get caught, he quietly maneuvered himself out of the field and made his way back towards the palace.
Lost in their own world, neither realized that that moment marked the beginning of the end.
Present Day Tokyo
The sounds of combat echoed in the distance, causing Sailor Saturn to grit her teeth in frustration. Up ahead, the Hikawa Jinja appeared in her line of vision, close, but nowhere near enough.
She could feel Sailor Pluto watching her intently from behind, the Senshi of Revolution choosing to remain silent despite the fact that she already knows what is going to happen.
Muttering under her breath in annoyance; whether it was because of their ostensibly endless route to the shrine or because of Sailor Pluto's apparent obscurity; she forced herself to concentrate on the task at hand.
Ahead of them, Sailor Uranus practically flew up the stone steps leading to the shrine, her partner Sailor Neptune hot on her heels. Moments later, her and Sailor Pluto joined the pair and found themselves in utter disbelief.
Encased in what looked like a translucent, yet dark tinted rectangular energy field were Rei and Tuxedo Mask. Not only were they trapped, but the ebony haired man looked hell-bent on killing Rei while she desperately tried to defend herself.
Around them and evidently just as helpless, the Inner Senshi stood in various states of duress.
Sailor Mercury was furiously typing away at her micro computer, desperately trying to find a way to neutralize the field. Beads of sweat covered her tired, yet determined features.
Beside her, Sailor Jupiter clenched her fists in contained rage, lightning crackling around her like a second skin. She willed herself to be more patient, the raging tempest within calmed only by her beloved's presence.
Across the yard, Sailor Venus looked on calculatingly, the Leader of All the Senshi remaining steadfast and strong in the wake of this latest incident.
Deep inside, however, she struggled with the fact that she had been, yet again, rendered powerless to protect the people she had sworn to protect.
Reminding herself that all was not lost, the blonde pushed back the guilt that threatened to consume her and instead focused on deciphering a way to end this conflict.
Tuxedo Mask was obviously being controlled by an unseen force, though she would not discount the possibility that the future Neo-King Endymion was acting partly on his own accord.
Seeing your fiancée in someone else's arms could drive even the most rational of men to lunacy. She thought, mentally chiding herself for the awful pun.
Not far from her and fidgeting like there was no tomorrow was the distraught Eternal Sailor Moon. The blonde could do nothing but watch in despair as two of the most important people in her life were subjected to this farce.
"How did they get trapped in there? How long has it been?" Sailor Neptune asked as she came up to them.
"About 10 minutes. Mamoru snapped after finding Rei and Usagi snuggling in their sleep. Rei tried to draw his anger away from Usagi by getting him to chase her. When we found them, they were already stuck in there." Sailor Venus replied, eyes never leaving the pair in question.
"Have you tried breaking the field down?" Sailor Uranus asked, albeit a little impatiently.
"It just absorbs any kind of energy based attack." Sailor Mercury replied almost mechanically, the blue haired Senshi not missing a beat.
"How about physical attacks?" Sailor Saturn asked, tightening her grip on the Silence Glaive ever so slightly.
"Doesn't work either." Sailor Jupiter answered, showing them her injured and bloodstained hands.
"It's up to Rei-san then..." Sailor Pluto murmured, the look on her face easily mistakable for impassivity.
"Why hasn't she transformed?" Sailor Neptune asked as Rei blocked a punch, but failed to dodge another.
"Because she doesn't want to hurt Mamo-chan." Eternal Sailor Moon uttered, the blonde steadfast in her vigil.
"But he's trying to kill her! She could at least transform to have a better chance of defending herself!" Sailor Uranus cried, surprised at her own vehemence.
The Senshi of Wind and Flight had come to the Hikawa Jinja looking to destroy the real enemy once and for all, but instead found their supposed target willingly letting herself be pummeled to death.
What the fuck is going on? Who the hell are we supposed to fight? I don't... I...
A hand gently, but firmly squeezing her shoulder pulled her from the downward spiral that was her thoughts. Turning, she found Sailor Neptune looking worriedly at her.
"There's no use torturing yourself when there really is nothing you can do. Have faith." Sailor Neptune uttered quietly, though a part of her was wondering just who it was she was trying to convince.
"Rei-chan!"
"Look out!"
Barely evading another swing of Tuxedo Mask's cane, Rei maneuvered herself behind the Prince of Earth and kicked him for all he was worth, sending him slamming into the far side of the energy field and knocking him out cold.
"Anything, Mercury?" Rei asked, her attention split between her fallen opponent and the blue haired genius.
"Nothing on the energy field. But there seems to be some kind of frequency controlling Tuxedo Mask."
"Yeah, I kinda figured, seeing as he still hasn't stopped trying to kill me." Rei muttered under her breath, earning her a glare from Sailor Jupiter and a very light chuckle from Sailor Venus who was amused that the girl had not lost her flair for sarcasm.
"She's doing her best Hino!"
"Yeah, I know, Jupiter. Sorry, Mercury. It's just... I'm trying not to die in here."
"I'm sorry, Rei-chan. If I can just find the origin of the signal then we can get you out of... Behind you!"
The warning was a bit too late as Tuxedo Mask pressed his cane across the raven haired priestess' throat, pulling as far back as Rei's hands would allow him.
Hands trembling but keeping a strong grip on the cane being used to choke her into oblivion, Rei used all of her human might to throw Tuxedo Mask over her shoulder, successfully creating some distance between them.
"Dammit Hino, you've got to transform now!" Sailor Uranus growled in equal parts worry and anger at her own helplessness.
"I can't. You know I can't." Rei replied a bit hoarsely, clutching her throat as she eyed her opponent warily.
"It's either you or him, Rei-san." Sailor Neptune reminded her.
Rei felt a sharp pain in her chest at the aqua haired Senshi's words. Frantically scanning the area for her blonde love, her heart virtually stopped as she saw the worried, but indecisive look in those sapphire eyes.
Unwilling to show her real feelings, and yet suffering inside, Rei silently pleaded with Eternal Sailor Moon to ask her to fight back while cursing herself for wanting to break her lifelong oath.
"That's not my decision to make." Rei replied to the Senshi of Sea, but her gaze was clearly directed at the Princess of the White Moon.
Taken aback by the underlying impugnation thrown at her by her own best friend, the girl she had just recently realized that she loved more than anything else, Usagi found herself unable to respond, guilt gnawing at her relentlessly.
"He's coming to. C'mon Mercury." Rei muttered as she went into a defensive stance.
"I've got it. The frequency's coming through a nearby inter-dimensional portal."
"How nearby is nearby?" Rei ground through grit teeth as she grappled for control of the cane with a still influenced Tuxedo Mask.
"Give me sec..."
"Take... your... ti-me..."
Rei's melodious, yet unmistakably stressed reply triggered something in the Senshi of Time, causing her to turn towards their youngest teammate who quickly nodded in understanding.
Closing her dark violet eyes in concentration, Sailor Saturn carefully utilized her latent extrasensory ability to search for the aforementioned gateway.
It took the Senshi of Wisdom and the Senshi of Death a moment to get the exact location of the anomaly, both women pointing a few feet above the energy field.
"It's up..."
The words were barely out of their mouths when a purplish orb blew past them and towards the space they had just pointed out. Dark currents of energy exploded upon impact, Sailor Pluto's Dead Scream successfully destroying both the control on Tuxedo Mask and the energy field itself.
"Holy fuck!" Rei growled as she braced for impact, gravity pulling the both of them quickly to the ground.
There was a pair of loud cracks as they slammed to the stone-paved shrine floor: a wrist snapping broken at an ugly angle, the connecting arm brutally shattering in a multitude of pieces; both of which belonging to Rei.
Cursing the now de-transformed Mamoru's weight for throwing off her balance and upsetting what would have been an okay landing; the raven haired girl gingerly shrugged the taller man off of her to keep from aggravating her injuries.
Rei was only allowed a moment to catch her breath before her and Mamoru were surrounded by relieved comrades and worried friends. Behind the pack and obviously unsure of what to do was Eternal Sailor Moon.
Taking pity on the blonde who, for the life of her, could not decide on who to run to, the Senshi of Fire nodded even as warm tears welled up in her eyes, forcing a smile despite the searing pain in her heart.
Granted the permission she had inadvertently beseeched, Eternal Sailor Moon proceeded to kneel down beside the unconscious Mamoru, Sailors Mercury and Jupiter parting to give her some space.
Reassured that the crown Prince of Earth was relatively unharmed, the Senshi of Flight joined the Senshis of Time and Affinity in playing guard duty as they watched their surrogate daughter work on Rei.
"It'll be a bit hot. Please bear with me."
Rei closed her eyes as she allowed the Senshi of Rebirth's powers to wash over her body, the raven haired girl feeling slightly lethargic at the gentle, caressing warmth healing her injuries.
"Stupid. Valiant, but stupid."
"Shut up, Venus." Rei spat back, a self-satisfied smirk playing on her lips.
"Even after everything, we still end up playing second fiddle to that bastard."
Hearing the absolute revulsion in a voice that sounded very much like her own sent chills down Rei's spine, her shock mirrored by various exhibitions of disbelief from everyone present.
Grinning madly at them from the other side of the shrine grounds and backed by over a hundred snarling and growling youma was another Rei, although this one was garbed in white cloths similar to those worn by the crown Princesses of the Silver Millennium in the Moon Kingdom.
"No need for melodrama. It's not like we all haven't met before."
"What in the he..."
"Hell? Really, Jupiter. You shouldn't use words like that so loosely. Especially if you've never experienced..."
"And you have?"
"As a matter of fact, I have Neptune. Oh, for the past two thousand years or so."
"Two thousand... Pluto, can she be...?"
"And her garments... Aren't those...?"
"You're both right in your assumptions, Mercury, Saturn. There is a possibility that this woman is indeed from the Silver Millennium." the ruby eyed Senshi replied, albeit a little impassively.
"Oh, cut the crap. You still haven't changed, still boring and manipulative as ever."
The Senshi of Time and Revolution stayed silent amidst the obvious accusation, the dark green haired Senshi staring deadpan at the girl from a long concluded past.
"And silent, too. It's a wonder how you and Serenity ever managed to..."
"You shut up! Pluto, is it true? Did you know?" Sailor Uranus looked her in the eyes as she asked.
The expressionless look on Sailor Pluto's face left everyone in disarray, her stillness practically signifying that she had kept silent even though she had some knowledge of what was truly happening.
"Oh, she knows. She just never told you anything. Some comrade, huh? Some friend."
"I don't care what you say. Setsuna-mama would never betray us. This is all some ploy to turn us against each other." Sailor Saturn spat rather venomously as she stood, her Silence Glaive held at the ready.
"Setsuna-mama, huh? Another surrogate daughter? Tell me, did Sailor Saturn somehow get reborn as Princess Serenity's siste..."
"I believe we have heard enough. Yes, I have some knowledge of the whys and hows. None concrete, most of them feelings and impressions, as I always have." Sailor Pluto began, her eyes never leaving the menace smiling smugly at her from across the grounds.
"Pluto, you don't have to..."
"I think she does, Neptune. She owes it to all of us, to me, and most especially to Eternal Sailor Moon." Sailor Venus demanded.
The ruby eyed Senshi turned her gaze towards the blonde standing to her right, the Leader of All the Senshi asserting her authority. Sailor Pluto nodded in respect as she continued.
"Just like all of you, I have yet to achieve my final form and thus am unable to clearly decipher what my visions of the future mean. So no, I did not know that things would happen exactly like they have."
"And even if you did, you wouldn't interfere." Sailor Venus spat, in mock challenge.
"I did once to save my friends; and by doing so changed the course of history. As retribution, I had to watch Chibiusa almost lose her life twice. I begged and pleaded, but was not allowed to do anything except watch in utter helplessness."
Memories of their battle with Mistress 9 and Pharaoh 90 came to mind, of how Sailor Pluto used her powers to save Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune from imminent death.
They were also reminded of their conflict with the Dead Moon Circus and Nehelenia, the Queen of Darkness and how the Outer Senshi were absent the entire time.
"No, I would not interfere, Venus. I will only guide, as I am supposed to. I cannot, will not let something like that happen ever again."
They were at a standstill for a moment; the young, brash leader staring down the eldest and presumably wisest of all of them, as if trying to gauge the sincerity of her words.
A smirk then found its way onto the Senshi of Love and Beauty's lips, followed by a carefully raised elegant eyebrow as she turned to glare at the raven haired girl pretending to be their friend.
"Good answer. Now, I believe explanations are in order. Starting with, oh, who the fuck are you?"
"C'mon, Venus. I know you can be a bit flighty at times, but I never figured you to be blind. As you can see, I am me." she uttered, flicking her wrists as if to mock the blonde.
"But Rei-chan's here. How can you be..."
"She's from the past, Jupiter. The Silver Millennium to be more precise. I don't know exactly how she got here or how she's still alive or what paradoxes she may have caused by her presence..."
"Ah, Mercury, perceptive as always, but please spare us from your gory scientific theories." she complained, waving off the blue haired Senshi.
Taking a step forward to separate herself from the massive number of youma barely restraining themselves from attacking, the doppleganger bowed in a manner befitting royalty.
"I am the crown Princess of Mars, Mistress of the Flame and a Senshi of Princess Serenity, heir to the throne of the Moon Kingdom and the Silver Millennium."
"Tell us something we don't already know!" Sailor Uranus growled.
"I am also Princess Serenity's lover."
The silence that ensued was deafening. Skepticism ran rampant as did turmoil and frustration as the Senshi began questioning everything they knew to be true.
"As for the why? I'm just taking back what is rightfully mine."
Her smoldering dark amethyst gaze settled on the Princess of the White Moon who for her part looked light a deer caught on proverbial headlights.
"Over my dead body." the newly healed Sailor Mars vowed as she stepped into her 'twin's' line of vision; effectively shielding her Princess from those penetrating eyes.
An arrogant smirk found its way onto Princess Mars' lips even as the Senshi assumed a two tiered defensive formation around Eternal Sailor Moon and the still unconscious Mamoru.
"That... can be arranged."
With the wave of a hand, the youma broke free of their invisible restraint, charging towards the outnumbered Senshi like a pack or starving, ravenous wolves.
At the back of the defensive line stood Sailor Venus, her face scrunched up into a frown as she barked orders left and right, directing some into attacking while keeping the rest to defend their sovereign.
Chancing a glance behind her, she was not too surprised to find Mamoru still dead to world. Beside him, Eternal Sailor Moon was a mess, the blonde seemingly unable to focus on anything other than him being injured and unresponsive.
"All right fan out! Jupiter and I will join the Outers. Mercury, assume command of the situation. Order us if you have to." Sailor Venus cried.
"And me?"
The Leader of All the Senshi turned to look at the Senshi of Fire, an impish grin plastered on her lips. Feeling as though she was being teased, Sailor Mars thought up a verbal barrage of epic proportions as she prepared to give the other girl a piece of her mind.
"Do what you do best. Protect the Princess." Sailor Venus finished with a mischievous wink as she entered the fray.
Left with no chance to reply due to the handful of youma making their way towards her and the people she was to protect, the Senshi of War concentrated all of her energies into destroying the creatures she deemed were stupid enough to attack her.
I'll get you for that Blondie! She grinned, firing a Burning Mandala to reduce the crowd slowly beginning to gather.
Far from them and surprisingly accustomed to navigating the labyrinth of trees surrounding her was Sailor Neptune. The aqua haired goddess used the flora to her advantage both for camouflage and for launching her attacks.
In another part of the grove, Sailor Pluto teamed up with Sailor Saturn in dispatching some of the bigger, heftier youma, the pair using their respective weapons and powers to obliterate the monsters they come into contact with.
"World Shaking!" Sailor Uranus' cry reverberated across the courtyard as a golden ball of energy traversed the angry mob, annihilating more than a handful of the vile creatures at one go.
Flanking the sandy haired blonde on the right was Sailor Jupiter, the auburn haired girl dispatching the youma like martial arts practice dolls in a training dojo.
On their other side stood the Senshi of Love and Beauty, her golden chain held loosely as she seemingly toyed with the youma while using her Crescent Beam to push back and destroy them.
The three of them formed a vicious triangle that allowed almost none to pass, forcing Princess Mars to resort to more drastic measures to get to Eternal Sailor Moon.
Surveying the area, she spotted the Senshi of Wisdom effectively managing the battle without so much as breaking a sweat. Having Sailor Mars for a bodyguard was a very big reason for that.
Perfect. Just the distraction I was looking for. Princess Mars thought as she shimmered out for a moment only to reappear behind blue haired genius.
With a relieved sigh, Sailor Mercury noted that the number of youma in the woods was gradually decreasing; the bigger contingent now concentrated in their general vicinity.
Neptune, Pluto and Saturn should be able to return in a few minutes. Between all of us, I think can we take care of the remaining youm-aaahh...
A hot, sweltering pain robbed her of all thought, the Water Senshi falling face first onto the ground in obvious pain as a cavernous, flaming hole in her stomach rendered her practically half-dead.
She could not even manage a whimper as Princess Mars smiled smugly down at her, pelting her with drops of her own blood as the raven haired girl shook the hand she had used to skewer the other girl in a effort to remove the excess fluid.
"Ami-chan!"
Eternal Sailor Moon's horrified cry resonated across the entire shrine, carrying with it her anguish at the sight of her gravely wounded friend.
Attention drawn towards the horrendous scene, Sailor Jupiter broke their defensive perimeter and dashed towards her fallen love, forcing the two blonde Senshi to adjust their positions to carry the load.
"Dammit! Get back here Jupiter!" Sailor Venus barked at the breakaway Senshi, her brows furrowing as she tried to hold the youma at bay.
To her right and almost equally overwhelmed was Sailor Uranus, her Space Sword and superior physical conditioning the only things allowing her to keep back most of the youma.
Worried that something had happened to her Princess, Sailor Mars turned to look at the blonde; part thankful that no harm had befallen her beloved and part aghast at the scene that greeted her.
"Mars! Flame Sniper!"
Her prediction holding true, Princess Mars stepped sideways to evade the flaming arrow, the maniacal grin on her lips widening as everything went as planned.
Aim spoiled by her healed, yet still shaky arm, Sailor Mars muttered a curse at her 'twin' as she readied herself for another attack. A set of claws digging into her shoulder, however, reminded her that there were still a number of youma clamoring for her attention.
"Tsk, tsk. That's what you get for interfering in other people's business!" Princess Mars mocked, her own shoulders shaking in mirth.
"Silvermoon Crystal Power Kiss!"
The wave of golden energy washed over the youma surrounding Sailor Mars, the attack turning the lot of them into dust. Surprised, but certainly thankful, the raven haired priestess could not stop the huge grin from reaching her lips.
"Thank you. How's...?"
"Unconscious, but safe." Eternal Sailor Moon replied, gesturing to the slumped formed under the nearby tree.
"Ami-chan though..."
Before the Moon Princess could finish her sentence, however, a blur of auburn and green sped past them, almost making her jump into Sailor Mars' arms in alarm.
Neither could help what happened next.
"You're such a wuss." the Fire Senshi teased, blowing the other girl a raspberry.
"And you're as mean as ever!" the blonde fired back, engaging her best friend in one of their ever famous tongue wars.
Unbeknownst them, Princess Mars was smiling at them despite having one of the strongest Senshi charging towards her, the raven haired girl genuinely happy to see the pair together.
Chiding herself for letting memories of the past and these images of the present distract her, the amethyst eyed Princess shook herself out of her stupor just in the nick of time.
"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"
The lightning spheroid roared towards the fading Princess Mars, narrowly missing her as she shimmered out of sight. Sparks of lightning emanated from Sailor Jupiter, rage barely contained as she carefully knelt down beside the unconscious Water Senshi.
"Ami-chan? Wake up. It's me." she whispered, her hands shaking wildly, afraid to touch the other girl for fear of aggravating her injuries.
"Please Ami-chan. I don't know what I'll do if you..." she babbled uncontrollably, her tears mixing with the pool of blood by her knees.
"Ma... ko... -chan..." came the soft, almost unintelligible murmur from her beloved, allowing the Senshi of Thunder a small semblance of hope.
"I'm here Ami-chan."
"Protect... the... Princess..."
"What are you...?"
"You must... protect... Usagi... -chan..."
The determination in those teary, yet lucid cerulean eyes reminded the auburn haired Senshi of her duty, the one she had unintentionally failed to do in her haste.
"I'm sorry, I just..."
A gentle shake of the head told her that the other girl understood why she did what she did, that there was no need to worry and that she needed to focus on the bigger picture.
Loathe was the Senshi of Wisdom to admit it, but she was more than a bit grateful that her friend's concern for her outweighed the taller girl's better judgment.
She would never condone it, seeing as Eternal Sailor Moon must always come first, but in that fleeting moment, she felt, for the first time, absolutely, unconditionally loved.
"I got this Jupiter. Go help the others." Sailor Saturn said, her voice startling the both of them out of their reverie.
Looking up, the Senshi of Protection noted that Sailor Neptune had taken up her post. Sailor Pluto had also joined the trio up front, effectively reinforcing their defenses, and then some. Hanging back and acting as a safety were Sailor Mars and Eternal Sailor Moon.
"Thank you, Saturn. Hang in there Ami-chan." she uttered before rushing to join the others.
Eyes fluttering in a effort to stay awake, the blue haired Senshi could only smile in response as the Senshi of Rebirth's healing powers engulfed her body, the warm energy almost lulling her to sleep.
"Nice to have you back." Sailor Venus called even as she fired a Crescent Beam, causing the Thunder Senshi's to blush in embarrassment.
"Sorry about that... I just..."
"Yeah, yeah. People do crazy things when they're in love." the blonde finished with a wink and a Venus Love and Beauty Shock.
"Please don't tell me that you, for even a second, think that that explains what that... person is doing!" Sailor Neptune uttered rather incredulously even as she fired a Deep Submerge.
"Why not?" the blonde Senshi replied a-matter-of-factly.
"Oi, be serious, Venus! We're in the middle of a battle here!" barked the Senshi of Wind, letting lose a flurry of Space Sword Blaster attacks.
"I am being serious! It's just... you don't know what it's like to be forcefully separated from the one you love."
She rounded up a handful of youma using her Venus Love Me Chain, leaving the rest of the Senshi to wonder where all that moderated aggression came from.
"It's scary and painful... and not something everyone can live through." Sailor Venus finished, knowing full well that had things been different, she could have ended up just like Princess Mars.
Chastised and more than a little embarrassed, Sailor Uranus could do nothing but cringe in slight pity at the unlucky creatures within range of Sailor Venus' attacks.
Behind her, the Senshi of Sea looked on solemnly at the younger girl's calculated precision, a shiver running down her spine at the cold, almost uncaring look in those blue eyes.
"If she really is from the past, then that would explain Pluto's vision wouldn't it?" Sailor Saturn uttered in hopes of changing the subject, the underlying tension scaring even the Senshi of Death.
"I guess it kinda does." Sailor Jupiter supplied, her Jupiter Oak Evolution attack slicing through the nearby youma.
"So Rei-chan, our Rei-chan wasn't the enemy after all."
Eternal Sailor Moon's words brought about a multitude of emotions from her Senshi; some were humbled and remorseful, others thankful and relieved; but one was, most importantly, vindicated.
"Now's not the time for any of that." Sailor Mars muttered as two separate Fire Soul attacks emerged from each of her hands, secretly allowing herself a cheeky grin.
There was a certain kind of energy in the air, as though the dark veil of doubt that had surrounded them for the most part of this grueling battle has finally been lifted.
Without realizing it, they had managed to finish off majority of the youma, leaving only a couple dozen of the vile creatures along with Princess Mars herself.
Not that I was expecting anything less from the Sailor Senshi.
A proud smile accompanied that errant compliment as Princess Mars surveyed the situation. She would never admit it, but she was quite happy to see the chemistry between her current self and Eternal Sailor Moon.
It's almost as if they're dancing. She thought as she watched the pair fight alongside each other, their movements fluid as if choreographed, their smiles loving and unguarded.
Yes. As long as things remain like this maybe I won't have to...
Her thoughts came to a standstill as Tuxedo Mask suddenly joined the fray, rudely taking Sailor Mars' place beside the Moon Princess and effectively destroying the mood that was slowly forming between them.
Her anger was magnified even more when the Senshi of War began moving away from her sovereign, as if conceding to the Prince of Earth even though she had just as much of a right to be there.
The clincher, however, came when Eternal Sailor Moon found herself in the middle, visibly torn between the two of them, but seemingly leaning more towards Tuxedo Mask.
Whether it was her own imagination or the feeling of jealousy that erupted within her, she did not know, and at that point, she did not care. Listening to the voice within her, Princess Mars finally allowed Chaos to consume the last vestiges of her humanity.
"Mars! Flame Sniper!"
With the fury borne from over two thousand years of pain and torment, Princess Mars let the arrow loose from her bow, sending it flying across the Hikawa Jinja's courtyard and towards its target.
Eternal Sailor Moon found herself rooted to her spot in utter disbelief as she watched the flaming attack come closer. Before it could connect, however, there was a flash of black followed by a loud thud as a body fell to the ground.
Crimson mixed with ebony as blood began to pool around the fallen figure. Dropping to her knees, the Princess of the White Moon could do nothing but weep at the sight of her lifeless love.
"Wake up! You can't be dead. You said that you would never let me go. Keep your promise to me, please..." the blonde cried, but to no avail.
Rei Hino, the love of her eternal life, was dead.
All was silent for a moment; Eternal Sailor Moon's quiet sobs the only sound echoing in the stillness of the night. The moon shone in the heavens, a silent witness to the tragedy that had befallen her children.
"What have I done?" Princess Mars uttered, unbidden tears falling down her cheeks as confusion engulfed her heart.
She had aimed her attack at the blonde Princess knowing that the only way Tuxedo Mask could protect her from his current position was to shield her with his body.
What the raven haired girl did not take into account, but should have foreseen, was her current incarnation doing the same thing to protect not only the Princess, but the Prince as well.
Carefully snapping both ends of the arrow, Tuxedo Mask slowly pushed the offending pole out of the Fire Senshi's body, leaving a gaping, flaming hole where her heart used to be.
"Saturn! Hurry!" he called as he gingerly turned the inanimate girl face up and laid her head on Eternal Sailor Moon's bloodstained lap.
The Senshi of Rebirth laid her palms over the horrendous wound, pouring practically all of her energy into her healing gift, hoping and praying that she was not too late.
She loved Chibiusa with all her heart and she knew that saving Sailor Mars could mean losing the love of her life forever; but she realized that at that point, the Senshi of Fire had become for the blonde Princess what Chibiusa is to her.
And no matter how much she loved her pink haired Princess, she just could not, would not be selfish.
"Fight dammit! Stay with us please." she pleaded wholeheartedly on Eternal Sailor Moon's behalf, her tears mixing with the blood on her hands.
Realizing that Sailor Saturn's powers were not going to be enough, Eternal Sailor Moon began activating the Legendary Silver Crystal in hopes of saving her best friend.
Alarmed by the lengths they knew the blonde would go through to get the other girl back, Sailor Venus embraced her sovereign from behind while Tuxedo Mask held her hands away from her chest.
"Let me go! I have to do it! I can't lose Rei-chan!"
She fought both of them with all her might even as tears continued to flow down her cheeks. As much as they wanted to grant her wishes, neither released their hold on her for fear of losing her as well.
Exhausting majority of her powers when she healed two of their comrades earlier, Sailor Saturn forced whatever energy she had left from her body into her arms and hands, her limbs beginning to shake from the self-inflicted abuse.
"It's all right, Saturn. You can stop now."
"But Eternal Sailor Moon!"
"It's all right."
With great reluctance, the Senshi of Destruction removed her hands from Sailor Mars' body, her own form sagging backwards and into the Senshi of Sea's waiting arms as her adrenalin levels began to normalize.
"I'm sorry, Mama."
"You did your best, sweetie." Sailor Neptune assured her, laying a soft kiss on her forehead.
Nodding to the former Prince Endymion in agreement, Sailor Venus cautiously released her hold on her Princess, Tuxedo Mask following suit with her hands.
Instead of reaching for the Legendary Silver Crystal to bring the now de-transformed Rei back to life, Eternal Sailor Moon surprised them all by disengaging her own transformation and reverting to Usagi before lowering herself to hold the other girl tenderly in her arms.
Around them, the rest of the Senshi finished off the remaining youma with barely contained rage until it was only Princess Mars that stood before them.
"I wouldn't try coming nearer if I were you." Sailor Uranus warned, her fist balled and ready to fire anytime.
"I didn't mean..." Princess Mars' explanation was interrupted by the newly revived Senshi of Wisdom, the Mercury Aqua Mirage attack leaving bruises and gashes all over.
"Don't. Just don't." the blue haired Senshi spat, unforgiving, her threat made even more ominous thanks to Sailor Jupiter standing menacingly behind her.
"Please..."
"It's all right."
Everyone turned to Usagi in disbelief, the sight of their lifeless friend being held by their equally devastated Princess breaking all of their hearts.
In deference to their Princess' wishes, the Senshi parted like the Red Sea, allowing Princess Mars to slowly make her way towards the bloodied pair on the ground.
Kneeling beside Tuxedo Mask and in front of her dead 'twin' and her former lover, Princess Mars was surprised when tears began falling from her eyes thinking that she had none left after weeping for all those centuries.
"Even without your memory, you still love her."
Looking eerily similar to a lifeless, broken doll, Eternal Sailor Moon remained silent, the slight upturn of her lips an unspoken confirmation of the other girl's words.
"I thought that I would be strong enough to stand the test of eternity. Sometime in those two thousand years, however, I began losing hold on my sanity, my humanity. And when Chaos came and offered me power, I just..."
"It's all right."
"It's not! Hate me! Kill me! Ask one of them to do it if you can't! Don't just sit there and tell me it's all right because it's not!"
"You've felt firsthand what hatred can do to a person. I'm sorry, but I cannot allow myself to be consumed by it. I will not be the cause of someone else's death."
"I should've been stronger. I shouldn't have let all my anger and hatred consume me. All I ever wanted was to love you and to have you love me. I never wanted this to happen."
"I know."
Touched by the genuine forgiveness offered her by the girl only moments ago she had so desperately wanted to slay, Princess Mars closed her eyes and mustered up all her energy.
"Take my hand, Princess."
A confused look was what she got as a reply.
"Keep a tight hold on Rei. Now, take my hand and activate the Ginzuishou." she instructed, hoping against hope that this sacrifice would bring her redemption.
With nothing left to lose, the Princess of the White Moon took the hand offered her, causing a bright light to engulf them all as the last of Princess Mars' power merged with that of the Legendary Silver Crystal; taking them back to a past well removed from their memories.
End of Part 1
Author's Notes:
1. "Senshis" - Sorry for this. It's grammatically wrong, I know, but I didn't want to use "Sailors" again. The first time gave me the creeps already.
2. The white costume I mentioned that Princesses in the Silver Millennium used to wear came from the ending video of Sailor Moon S entitled "Tuxedo Mirage."
3. The "final form" that Sailor Pluto is referring to is their final incarnation or their "Eternal Senshi" forms (i.e. Eternal Sailor Mars). I'm just assuming that when the Senshi reach this manifestation, their powers would grow and evolve. In case you're wondering, Sailor Moon's final form is her ascension to Neo - Queen Serenity.
4. All mention of Sailor Moon S (Mistress 9 and Pharaoh 90) and Sailor Moon Super S (Dead Moon Circus and Queen Nehelenia) refer to the anime and not the manga. In case anyone got confused or lost, please re-read those parts with this information in mind.
5. "Doppleganger" - A term that means "double", I think. Borrowed this from an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. (Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon. Please don't sue me. There's no infringement intended on my part whatsoever.)
6. Taken from the Author's Notes section of Chapter 1 (literally cut and paste):
I know that the Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss attack is supposed to turn humans who were turned into monsters back into humans. I don't know what kind of effect the attack has on a youma, but I just made it so that any other enemy/monster that wasn't previously a human be turned into dust. (That explanation sounds kinda confusing... blech.)
7. True to form, my inability to write convincing fight scenes has yet again turned a big chunk of this fanfic into some crazy, idiotic sequence of non-choreographed events. And if you hadn't noticed, yes, I did try to avoid writing the fight scenes by putting everything in short paragraphs instead of spending a small amount of time on each of the Senshi's battles. I do apologize for all that mess. Luckily, this is the end, so I won't have to write anymore of those. As always, constructive criticism is very much welcome and appreciated.
8. The Red Sea reference comes from the Bible. I obviously do not own it and have no plans of stealing it whatsoever. I just used it as an idiomatic expression.
All comments, suggestions, criticisms and the like, please click the 'Review' button below.
All Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon characters copyright to Naoko Takeuchi. They are used without permission. Please do not sue me, I don't have money.
©2008 Shirley Joy Gadia, all other characters used in the fanfic and the story itself, all rights reserved.
Thank you!