Authors Note: One more chapter to this season, then finally 'R', which is planned out to perfection – I can hardly wait! That's when things get even more confusing – I'll try to make things clear. This chapter is confusing in itself… but it brings around a short-lived return of Haruka (none of the others until R…)! The Sailormoon manga time line is incredibly confusing, so please forgive me when I say I used the anime one (which can in fact total out to 4 years by summers)! Therefore, the manga starts in 1992, and the Stars arc ends in 1994.
Underline indicates mental speech.
Disclaimer: For Christmas this year, Santa brought me a nice license to… absolutely nothing. Naoko Takeuchi and Toei still own Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon… I know that might come as a surprise. ;)
"Mamoru-sa…" The voice grew yet more distant, strained, broken – the strongest emotion, cracked and scared, hidden by a veil of reassurance. He found it disturbing, so cold, unsure, and willing to smile despite the impending fate. Mamoru realized with a pang that the inevitable was not fate; it was the cruel hand of death, and the willingness to accept it. The readiness to die; to watch death unfold, to aid death… It disgusted him, yet he trusted it, proud of its existence, thankful.
He shook his head thoughtfully, glancing from the particular spot of counter to Motoki, unaware of his lack of audience save the flickering, low-class lights of the Crown Arcade and the flies accompanying them. Mamoru glanced passively at the calendar set lazily against the counter: November 1996. "You must consider the quality of Jade; it can be quite… unreliable." He whirled around to find a man slightly older than himself, silver hair swept back over his shoulders, two seats away, smirking in his general direction, eyes shifting lightly from Mamoru to Motoki. "You would be wise to take heed, Mamoru-san; though you probably already know of Jade's poor quality..."
Mamoru raised an eyebrow before smiling lightly himself, before he spited the other, "I do, though I also know that Kunzite pales in comparison." Queen Selenity had taken enough pity to grant him memories – or were they thoughts? – Of his guardians, and their folly to the Dark Kingdom. The fall of the moon, the silver empire, and the crystal, sleeping chillingly at the edge of impending fate, tipping precariously on another's life. To which senshi was this infinite crystal borne? The Moon Princess –Tsukino Usagi-, Sailormoon, a guardian, or – if the fates had played so cruelly – Sailorcosmos? The Phantom Silver Crystal… "Mamoru-sa…"
"Mamoru-sama! Furu-chan! Reika-chan! Ah… Hello…?" He swung around, first to catch initial sight of Reika, already busily watching Motoki, and then Sere, flushing brilliantly as she entered the Crown, swinging wildly as others fluttered out of her reach. Peripheral vision allowed Mamoru to see Kunzite stand, anger flashing over his face, fists clenched, while the others lazily leaned over the counter. "Oh – K-K-Kunzite?" Sere stuttered lightly, and tripped precariously and fell in against a window, eyes widening as she grabbed at her wrist, fumbling slightly as her hands shook with a catch atop her watch.
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"Ah, Rei-chan! This is so awkward! I can't possibly run with this thing! Mako-chan, would you please – just while I transform? Oh…" Minako quickly caught sight of Usagi, smiling thickly at her words, raising a shapely eyebrow at the sword the other fidgeted with feverously from hand to hand. "Um… hello, Tsukino-san! We were… role-playing – but I got an emergency call from… my mother! We were… going to see my… my brother in the... the hospital!" She managed, jutting lightly on the balls of her feet, eyes unwavering over the floor.
Usagi smiled cynically, eyes sparkling as she stepped up to Minako, drawing one finger down the blade's flat side, "Minako-chan… No. Sailorvenus, Sailormercury, Sailormars, Sailorjupiter," She ducked her eyes downward, shaking her head to free her eyes from the bangs falling into their depths, "You'll win, I know you will, and then maybe… this Tokyo will fade away! Maybe, maybe you'll come back to me. Maybe Sere-san will just… fly away." She whispered dreamily before silently hugged Minako and turning over her heel and running through the door.
"Wait! Princess!" Makoto cried at the retreating form, wrestling an arm trapped by Ami into her own possession as she struggled forward. The resistance only grew, Ami besieged as she dug her feet beneath her, twisting an ankle stealthily about Rei's foot in order to stabilize herself. "Let me go, Ami-chan! We can't let Tsukino-san get away! She'll… We can't let her destroy Japan! She controls the Dark Kingdom!" Minako grabbed at Makoto's other arm, pulling back just as abruptly until all were in danger of collapsing within the intricate maze Ami had made.
"Do you think that wise?" She whispered quietly, swiftly setting the Sword of the Phantom Silver Crystal to sit in front of the other, its overwhelming menacing beauty. "Do you remember what Queen Selenity told us? The Princess… she awoke the Dark Kingdom. She may be our ruler – even if she doesn't comprehend it – but Sailormoon has the crystal. The Queen wouldn't have killed herself for a progeny of evil, Mako-chan. If she's our downfall, it shall not be a fall in vain. Now, let's go find Sere-chan! Venus Power, Make Up!"
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Usagi dug her clenched fists into her thighs as she ran; she bowed her head to the onslaught of moon shine as she mentally cursed herself. She hadn't a clue where she was going, yet continued the trend as the lights of Tokyo slowly flickered in lost life as a response to her every footfall. Your time is waning, Cosmos. Have you yet figured the problem that has been made to cause you to lead the fate you now live? The being had returned to haunt her footsteps and whisper into her ear frigidly, giving her reason to wonder what would happen once the sands of time had run out as predicted. The most questionable statement given was the one repeated – what could have been forgotten throughout her penance as Sailormoon to cause the strands of the future to tangle?
Too many unanswerable inquires… what of Bishoujo Senshi Sailorcosmos, so ready to translate upon its own unearthly will? The sudden future, the unchanging past? Sailorcosmos – the very calling of the name? The being that had dismissed her into this tangled mess of spider's web? The forms of a reborn Chaos raking the souls and destroying the bodies of the present senshi? Her mother's fleeting name over the contract to which her name was signed? And finally, what of the disappearing memories, the white moments in the black abyss of thoughts that had shattered after Galaxia's defeat? You have discovered nothing. Will your life live in vain?
"No!" Usagi screamed as she continued her headlong run into instinct, her breath wavering into mist before her, confusing her eyes as the chill grew still more. Her fingers soon grew numb into unfeeling as the sounds of her footfalls became distant and disconnected, her head growing light. "Riddle me this! Riddle me that! You will tell me answers… Is that not implacably clear? I am your pawn, I'm well aware of it – now, why am I here in actuality? Why did you lie, tell me I was not the Moon Princess, and call me Cosmos?"
I do not lie to those who believe me, Cosmos. You are here to retrieve what has been forgotten, to save the senshi of your time. Perhaps I will gain from it, perhaps you are correct in your assumption: you might be my pawn, this may all be an alternate reality. Or do you endeavor to endow faith: you are not Princess of the Moon, you are the Cosmos? Usagi shook her head lightly as though to clear the clouds confusing her vision and thoughts. The air grew still more chilled, a faint buzzing growing increasingly audible and a faint light gently caressing the ground.
"Odango Atama! Move!" Usagi turned slowly, though she was immediately forced to shield her eyes with either forearm, crossed before her face as she quivered. The bumper rocked neatly scant inches from her calf, though she could not bring herself to see more than the wheels as the defining smell of burnt rubber drifted casually through the air. "Damnit! Odango, why didn't you move?" She peered silently upward, unconsciously raising her crossed arms until they rested over the crown of her head. Someone stood just in front of the jarring headlights of the car, silhouette painstakingly outlined, though features where indistinguishable from the night's sky.
"Ha – Ha – Haruka-san! You… you can't be here! You're… you're…" She struggled momentarily as realization became apparent; Tenou Haruka, Sailoruranus, was dead; Hotaru had given voice to the fact weeks before hand. At this point in the Sailor Wars, her appearance was not reconciled, even acknowledged – yet here she stood, easily older than Usagi as though she, too, had walked the lines of time. "Did you… just call me 'Odango Atama'?" The air grew increasingly frigid, pressing silence as Usagi blinked dumbly, instinctively shivering as she waited for a response.
"Of course, I've always called you Odango Atama! Now, why didn't you move? It'll costs thousands of yen to get new tires! Nevermind… you'll just have to pay me back later – I have to get down to the Crown, Michiru caught sight of something in her mirror. Neo Queen Serenity forbid we have to transform, come on!" Haruka grabbed at Usagi's wrist before dragging her further down the road as the chill stealthily grew. "Someone steals the car, and you're dead, Odango! Probably couldn't get far on those tires though… and I've got the keys."
Usagi allowed herself to be pulled, deftly refusing to will her feet before granting wings to her own inquiries, "How are you here? Hotaru said – everyone said – that you are… that Michiru-san is… dead! We're stuck in the past… how did you get here? Isn't it that there can't be two of one person in the same place at the same time?" Any thoughts she had on the mysterious being were abolished, millions of unvoiced options occurring to Usagi, and thousands more doors creaking open in mock slowness. Perhaps she would not have to do another's bidding… perhaps it was possible to pursue and gain her fellow senshi and Mamoru without losing herself to them.
Haruka laughed before breaking into a run, unconsciously aware of the corners she cut as the Crown loomed nearer. "But you did not see me die, Odango! How can you be so certain I am dead at all? Furthermore, who killed me, and when did I 'die'? You say the strangest things… besides; we're not in the past, its 1996, two whole years after the defeat of Galaxia! Do not tell me you are actually from the future? Then you might have to worry about being in the same place at the same time as Usagi-san." She could see the bright lights of the Crown gracing the skies before realizing all of what Haruka had said, what it implied, and finally what was about to occur, judging solely by the presence of the Sword of the Phantom Silver Crystal.
"Wait! Haruka-san! That makes no sense! The senshi… they are about to battle the Dark Kingdom! It can't be 1996; Galaxia can't be gone! The senshi are all 14; we have to be in the past! Queen Nehelenia… she told Hotaru-chan that you, Michiru-san, and Setsuna-san were killed by herself when she came to murder Sailorsaturn! This doesn't make any sense!" Usagi ungracefully dug her heels into the sidewalk, forcing Haruka to stop, lest she lose hold over Usagi and fall herself. "You can't fight Queen Metallia! That would ruin everything… If I can't fight, neither can you!"
Haruka turned slowly, eyes widening slightly, allowing the circulation to return throughout Usagi's hand as she dropped either of her own hands to her sides, "Dark Kingdom? Queen Metallia? But you sealed everything in 1992…" Her eyes narrowed until they formed cat-like slits, "Don't poke fun at Chaos, Usagi-san. Queen Nehelenia is long gone, Hotaru-chan hasn't transformed in years, and Michiru, Setsuna-san, and I are certainly not dead. You are most unquestionably going to fight if an enemy is located at the Crown, Odango." A scream painted with millions of colored lights burst behind Haruka in a sudden flash of fury until the better part of the Arcade was engulfed by white flame.
Usagi screamed in response as the streets were filled with tainted blackened smoke until she could no longer draw breath to make any noise whatsoever. She could, however, hear, and she became deafly aware of the same helplessness she'd felt when the inner senshi had been 'taken'. Usagi suddenly found reason to the increasing cold temperature; the Dark Kingdom was rising for its final attack against the senshi. "Uranus Crystal Power, Make Up!" She found herself almost uncannily afraid as she dropped to her bare knees in a vain search for the Crown, feverishly praying she could find way to stop Sailoruranus. 'Sailormoon' would have to develop her own way to seal Queen Metallia, just as Usagi had, but not alone.
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The arrival of the other senshi had offered a small reprieve for Sailormoon, until Makoto was corrupted and Sailorvenus was forced to transform. Now each bore her sailor suit in all its finery, waiting for a response from Kunzite, who himself seemed ambiguous to the fact. They stood in a vague circle, with no defiant outline to distinguish it. Flames snaked themselves around the walls, though Sailormercury made no move to slow their progress. The room was lost in silence, save Motoki's constant cries of helplessness as he hid beneath the counter of the arcade. Mamoru, however, seemed oblivious to all, eyes tracing the floor, never moving save an inch from his chosen square of linoleum.
"Why are you all just standing around here? Move!" Sailormoon staggered lightly over the balls of her feet, fighting with her will not to provoke Kunzite and her curiosity towards the sudden voiced opinion. A figure jumped down in front of her, grabbing at either shoulder until she was immobilized. She would have fallen backward if it were not for the unknown senshi holding her, blue eyes narrowed suspiciously. The senshi bore a sailor suit of blue and gold, though her arms were coated from hand to mid upper arm in a white glove. A transparent orb covered either shoulder, and the white boots over her feet ran to her knee. "And who might you be?"
Sailormars was the first to react, taking a hasty step forward, before recoiling slightly as the senshi turned ominous face toward her. Sailormoon quivered, knees willing to give way beneath her, mind racing to an uncomforting blank. "Are you an enemy?" That was the sole response she managed to obtain, Sailorvenus raising an arm stealthily until the Sword of the Phantom Silver Crystal rested against the senshi's neck. "P-Please don't hurt us! We have to defeat the Dark Kingdom!"
The senshi cast her frigid gaze toward Sailorvenus, "Put the sword down Minako-chan. Don't pretend you can use it." She quietly acquiesced, eyes wide to the use of her civilian name, the new senshi losing her grip over Sailormoon until she collapsed to the floor. "I am Eternal Sailoruranus – as you well know! Now transform properly! And you," she glanced down at the quivering form of Sailormoon, "You're no senshi I've heard of – leave before you get hurt."
"Sailoruranus! Please… they can't transform any more than that! They haven't a clue that you're a senshi! And that… that is Sailormoon." Kunzite smiled amusedly as each senshi turned their backs to him in turn to find Usagi breathlessly leaning against the Sailorv game. Sailoruranus' eyebrows knit lightly, stepping backward several uncounted paces, silence allowing itself to fit neatly through the blackened air. The first burning beam fell with it malicious glory a mere inch before her foot, though it made no sound as the background twisted to form a landscape of pure white.
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"Mamoru-san, you…" Brilliantly blue light, reaching to the heavens in its infinite glory, breaking the bonds of reality, riding through the wind, powerful, it was, yet as transparent , and fragile as glass. Sailoruranus had provoked the word to the sentence, no matter its triviality; the words, they were something more important than Kunzite, the Phantom Silver Crystal, finding himself in the Arctic – or so he thought that was the strange land – the sudden appearance of Tsuki – the Moon Princess, everything. He was strongly tempted to collapse in against the snow, allowing the senshi to do as they thought proper.
The possibility was probable until yet another beam of colored flame danced from the bleached sky as though it were rain. The smoke quickly formed the only spot of color against the vivid white, and hid the senshi from view, save Sailorvenus and Kunzite. He watched carefully, making no move, as Kunzite grabbed at Sailorvenus' wrist, surprised, she gave little immediate struggle. He managed to loosen her hold over the hilt of the Sword, and twisted her hand backward until she let go. Kunzite twisted her arm behind her back as she visibly flinched before pressing the flat side of the Sword to her throat.
A blur of colored movement broke the mass of shadowed smoke, even as another beam fell to the ground, shattering to send a thousand fiery masses to burn the feet and scar the skin. The hazed shapes took forms until Mamoru could see Sailormoon, Tsukin – the Moon Princess, and 'Sailoruranus', all attempting to reach Sailorvenus. A sudden swirl of dark energy erupted as the three senshi, the Princess, Kunzite, and Mamoru himself, disappeared.
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The world of white melted, glazed over Usagi's eyes, to reveal stones, cobbled equitably over the floor and along the walls. Shadows danced, though there was little to give them life or will, save the occasional flickering candle, flame only the size of a fingertip dipped in gold. The air was dead, even as the wind whistled through the open arches decorating the walls; it drew nothing of the living, and could not shift what was gone. The curious attribute was the lack of life – not even settled dust found homage, as though someone had taken great pains to insure the cold atmosphere – daily.
Her mind was slowly failing her, almost as though the grim atmosphere was seeping through her skull. It was strange, she'd been in the exact situation, yet this time she had no control over the conclusion, no control over the Swords blade meeting Sere's flesh. Perhaps nothing would happen, without any confusion involving Endymion becoming corrupted by the Dark Kingdom. Queen Metallia had yet to come – who would cast her shadow, grant her breath of life… what about the Phantom Silver Crystal?
A light gasp sounded behind Usagi as she whirled around, eyes flickering to find Kunzite leaning over Sailormoon, Venus sprawled over her front several feet behind him. "Pretty little crystal, isn't it? Funny such an insignificant thing should cause so much… damage." His voice had risen as he spoke, suddenly grabbing at a thin, golden chain, omitting light even as the night sky bore down onto it, strangled lifelessly over Sailormoon's collar bone. He clutched it, before the chain fell silently apart, reveling the Phantom Silver Crystal lying over his palm as Sailormoon dissolved into Sere. With a sudden pang of realization, Usagi gasped at the fact that all of the crystal now lay in the hands of the Dark Kingdom: Mamoru would not have absorbed a speck of it.
A flash of rich golden light erupted somewhere to Usagi's left, crouched dutifully in a corner, followed shortly by a, "Space Turbulence!" A great amount of the energy merely wavered, before evaporating, as though it were steam, into the ceiling. The bricks glowed lightly, before blackening, shadowing, spreading as the better half of the room was enveloped in darkness; Kunzite began to laugh. The rest of the room dutifully sparkled into life in response, as Sailorcosmos emerged, turning to Sailoruranus and slapping her roughly across the face.
"Fool! You have awakened Queen Metallia – " The floor shuddered as raindrops of black collapsed to the ground, forming a mound of rising darkness. The shadow erupted in its entirety, throwing out bands of black, slowly retracting backwards before another onslaught would occur. Sailorvenus made no sign of movement, much less acknowledgement, Uranus' face paled, and Sere was hanging wildly to Kunzite's arm, attempting vainly to snatch the Crystal. Sailorcosmos looked thoroughly disgusted, though sidestepped until she stood in front of Uranus, "Don't dare move." She snapped in an audible whisper without as much as a twitch of movement.
Usagi hadn't the slightest idea of what to do, casting quick glances until a bright rush of silver caught her eye. The Sword of the Phantom Silver Crystal lay alongside… Mamoru – apparently oblivious to anything occurring throughout the… room. Her hand began to spin, though she silently began crawling along the wall towards the opposite corner in which Mamoru sat, having slumped down as soon as the room came into view. She succeeded with little stealth due to her school uniform before a collective gasp sounded, followed by a loud crash, forcing Usagi to spin her head around to the blackened area.
Queen Metallia had managed to seize the Phantom Silver Crystal from Kunzite's outstretched hand, the glittering light extinguishing. The only small serenity allowing Usagi to stay calm was the memory of the exact event years prior, save the detail that Mamoru had not become the Dark Queen's slave. She felt a small pang throughout her body at the thought, though shoved it aside, attempting in a nearly futile attempt to wrap her fingers around the hilt. The laughter of Kunzite and Queen Metallia bore down on her, and suddenly she could hear Sailormoon's voice, "She's egging it on! It's following her movement!"
She could distantly hear footsteps, and suddenly there was a red boot over the Sword, forcing the hilt to become stationed down in turn. An abrupt footstep ensued, but ended almost immediately, "I knew it! You did awaken Queen Metallia! You are connected to Sailorcosmos! Even if you are the Moon Princess… if I kill you this will all go away!" Usagi's eyes widened as Sere cried hysterically, first glancing toward Sailoruranus, who seemed not to notice any development whatsoever, and then Mamoru, staring inattentively at the floor. "All I have to do is kill you with this Sword!"
"Mamo-chan!" She attempted to gain some attention frantically, even if it was futile to imagine him knowing her, for the slightest of moments. There was no response, and she quickly turned her gaze to Sere, still setting her weight over her palms and knees. A flick of the Sword caught her eye as she attempted to roll as a sudden sharp pain dug into her side. Sere had actually done it – she could feel hot blood rush over her stomach, already there were shimmering rivers of crimson running down her arm. "Mamo… chan?"
Usagi continued to stare blankly at her hands, mouth open in surprise, vision blurring to black at the edges, distantly aware of the battle establishing itself to the side. "Mamo-chan…" Suddenly she couldn't feel her arm anymore, tears reveling the trails of crimson. She could see strange things cover her arms; first, little ashen jewels set between each of her fingers… then she could see nothing but white, as though her hand had been gloved… and finally a little golden bracelet, looking to be made of golden hued pearls hanging loosely over her wrist. She couldn't think… "Endymion…?"
"Endymion!" Usagi's face lit momentarily, even as her voice grew weak, as Mamoru finally turned to face her, no recognition illuminating his features. Her blue eyes flickered lightly as she managed to crawl the foot or so that remained between them, bringing her face up until it was level with his, laying sidelong over her calves and pushing herself up by her bloodied hands. She searched his eyes momentarily, willing herself to maintain an inch between her own nose and his. Usagi grinned madly, eyes sparkling dimly, before toppling over completely, "No… he is… Mamo-chan…" She suddenly couldn't see anything but darkness, and couldn't will herself to move, "He… is… Mamo-chan."
The chapter was not meant to be exiting… and it definitely succeeded in that. I'm perfectly aware I said Usagi was not princess of the moon – and I meant it. The infamous laws of Sailormoon are at play here: if there is any confusion what so ever, the senshi will always be given time to figure out what is going on before an attack against them occurs.