"This is not over!" Rei marched toward Ataxia. The tattered woman took a step back, her sword trembling in her hand. "I do not wish to hurt you." Everyone could see Ataxia facing Rei because it almost seemed as if she was talking to someone else.

"You already did. You hurt Serenity, Darien, the scouts and even yourself." The raven-haired woman lunged at the sun princess. Ataxia swung her sword in defense. Rei dodged enough to avoid most of the attack. But the tip still met its target. An empty-handed Rei fell backward on the ground. A slash mark was embedded on her shoulder. A dark mist seemed to seep out from the wound and Rei could feel her arm grow lax. She couldn't move it. The pain wasn't paralyzing as much as the crazy look she saw in Ataxia's blue eyes.

"I told you to stop!" Ataxia moved to finish Rei.

"Rini!"

"Come back, Rini!"

Rei saw the pink-haired girl fly in front of her. Setsuna tried to follow the girl but stopped in her tracks as she realized it was too late. "Sailor Crystal Chibi Moon! Make- Up!" Crystal Chibi Moon… Why? Rei thought.

Then Ataxia's sword plunged into the girls abdomen. Only then did Rei realize the girl used what power she could muster to move Rei far out of the way.

"Rini! NO!" Rei scrambled to the bleeding girl. Her legs gave way again. Rei continued to move forward on her hands and knees. Her wounded shoulder gave as well, till Rei was left dragging herself with one arm. "Stop! I'm the one who failed to reinstate my oath! I failed! Stop! Rini!"

"I told you. I told you. I told you -." Ataxia kept stabbing the girl with each phrase. Her eyes never fixed on one person. She just continued to swing her sword until a tiny pink crystal rose from Rini's chest. "I told you."

"Rini!" Setsuna saw it happening. She couldn't move. She could only watch. She could have prevented this, Rini's death. But she knew what Rini wanted to accomplish and she would not let Little Lady die in vain. The bloody, obsidian sword tore right through the pink crystal that was Rini's existence. It tore through and was stopped not when the sword pierced Rini's heart, not when the tip touched the ground beneath the girls body, but when the hilt pressed so hard on Rini's chest that everyone could hear her ribs shatter.

"RINIIII!" Rei ran to the girl. She ignored any pain in her body. She could feel the adrenaline rushing through her veins. Rei ran to Ataxia.

"AH!" Rei slammed into an invisible wall. She could only feel it wrinkle and strength under her weight like rubber. But she refused to stop pushing till she got to Rini. Rei could feel the wall give more and more. And then it stiffened so quickly Rei flew to the ground again.

"Look! Look at what you made me do! Just stop. It's over." Ataxia's eyes were no longer blue. They were orange, her pupils were so dark it seemed they would ear the color in her irises.

Rei hunched over her knees. Her eyes were blank. Rib shaking sobs spilled from her mouth. Why?

Then she stood. She paid no heed to Seiya, the stalights, or the scouts standing with defeated looks. Nor did she take notice of the black skies and restless youkai. She stood tall. "This is not OVER!"

"No, it is. It is." Ataxia stepped back. Her footsteps gave birth to a huge fire. It was tall as the tress and as hot as the sun. The sun. That was what made the Great Fire. The same Fire htan drew her moher to insanity and her people to a scorching existence. And ataxia killed her princess. Both of her princesses. Rei knew what was to be done.

The fire beckoned Rei, challenged her. It's orange tendrils evasively lunged at the human. It was as if the fire was too scared to actually touch Rei. Orange. The fire was orange like Ataxia's eyes. Rei saw it now. It was fear that drove Ataxia. Nothing else, not a man, not joy , not power, fear. And this Great Fire was in the way of Rei soothing that fear. She ran, right into the flames.

It hurt at first. Millions of cells burned. Her eyes scorched. But the pain in her heart from losing Rini and Serena, from leaving her people to suffer, what far trumped her burns'. She continued to run. She ran till she reached the center.

The center was warm, not hot. It did not have flames. It was peaceful, the like of a tornado. All that stood in this eye was her mother, clad in her scout uniform. She faced Rei, who was dressed in burnt, and torn grey dress that used to be white. "You've disappointed me. You can never be princess. "

Rei remembered her hand reaching for Serena's moon crystal when this all started. She told Rei, "This is mine. My birthright. I would rather die than let anyone that this from me, anyone."

"No Mama. I am already a princess. This is my birthright. No matter what mistakes I make, not a single person, not even you can ever take my birthright. I am worthy. No one else can tell otherwise. Not anymore. Mars is mine to protected and rule. And serenity is my princess; my queen and I love her unconditionally. I realize that now. I love her as I do all the scouts. We are family. And nothing can separate us, not betrayal, not enemies, not death, and definitely not a paranoid woman like you. I am Princess Mars, Sailor Mars, protector, and defender of my Princess, the Crystal Millennium, the Moon and our home, Earth."

"Never! I will not allow it-" Rei's mother moved toward her.

"You are dead already." Rei said this like something clicked. " You aren't my mother."

"I am you-"

"Ataxia, I won't let you hurt my family anymore!" A light shone around Rei. A gentle red aura. And as if she had her powers this entire time, her bow and arrow appeared. "Sailor Crystal Mars, Make UP!" Now, also clad in her scout uniform, and mirroring her mother, Rei released an arrow. She watched as it pierced her "mother's" chest. The flames died down and suddenly Rei could see everyone. The scouts all stared past Rei in shock. Sailor Mars looked at her opponent to see a flaming bow embedded in Ataxia's chest.

A gentle voice resounded throughout the clearing. "Crystal Mars, welcome your ruler, Astral Queen Ryenia of Crystal Mars. Congratulations." And light shone from the sky. "The Crystal system is complete, the Crystal Millennium has begun."

The voice was soft, gentle, lovely. It was undeniably Serena's voice.

AN:

I didn't want to leave you guys hanging for too long. I hope you all enjoy :) And yeah its more and than a little dark, it couldn't be helped.