Breathless

Sesshy's Mistress

Summary: He could hardly recall the last time he had gazed into those familiar blue eyes. Even now as he stood watching her, he could hardly believe what his eyes were showing him. It was in that instant when their eyes met that he knew for certain it was her-the same eyes, the same smile, and the same face. It was all the same…

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters

AN: So, apparently, not a lot of you liked the previous chapter. Oh well… I'm finishing this, with or without your approval :)

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When the light had finally died, Sebastian and Ciel found that the sheer power from the explosion of power had slammed them into the nearest wall. The force of the blow was enough to leave cracks from the impact, and the slight smell of burnt flesh filled the air. The heat of the power wave had been enough to burn their skin, but their demonic abilities had allowed them to heal quickly. It still hurt like hell, though, and both felt the ache remain as they recovered from the damage.

As their vision returned to them, the two were surprised to see the new form of Usagi Tsukino sitting up on the edge of the hospital bed. Her bare feet brushed the floor and silver hair piled next to them. Eyes that had once been a brilliant blue were now cold and a distant silver with only specs of the previous color to fill them.

This new version of Usagi was observing herself. Her hands were held out before her and after the first inspection, she moved them to comb through her hair, taking note of the color. She paid no mind to the two demons in the room with her, not until Ciel coughed loudly after freeing himself from the wall. The sound jarred her from her thinking, and had her on alert.

She was on her feet in an instant and she regarded them through narrow eyes. She dismissed Sebastian quickly, but when her eyes caught sight of Ciel, her entire demeanor changed. She was more aware, watching his every move.

Sebastian and Ciel were not so lenient when it came to her, though. The pure power that radiated from her form was enough to wet their appetite, but both new not to make a move. Power that great would inflict more harm than even a demon as old as Sebastian could sustain. The atmosphere became tense as the three stared each other down.

"Who are you?" Finally it was Sebastian to break the silence. The silver woman gave him a brief glance before turning her attention back to the younger demon. Sebastian was truly confused as to this. While Ciel had become an exceptional demon over the years while under Sebastian's tutelage, Sebastian was still more powerful and knowledgeable. All logic pointed to him being the greater threat, and yet this woman ignored him completely.

"Who I am is no concern of yours," She spoke, and her voice was ethereal in every sense of the word. She reminded the two demons much of an angel, only her purity seemed to radiate beyond the limits of an angel. She seemed almost… almost…God-like.

"What happened to Usagi Tsukino?" Ciel questioned her. Before the silver haired beauty could respond, a figure entered the room. It was Will, the reaper. In his hands he held the three talismans belonging to the outer Senshi. Upon entering, he immediately fell into a bow before the majestic being of Cosmos.

"Your Highness," He spoke while offering the three talismans to her. Cosmos finally removed her gaze from Ciel, and he felt as if a weight had been removed from his person. Slowly, so as not to draw her attention again, he moved to Sebastian's side and the two watched the happenings before them.

"It was you who summoned me?" Cosmos questioned. Her eyes were glowing as the eight pointed star upon her brow pulsed with life in time with her heart and her emotions. Her mouth was set into a dissatisfied frown. "For what purpose?"

"I and my companions summoned you," Will acknowledged without rising from his kneeling position. "Your presence was required for the world as you once knew has become nothing but a hollow shell that it once was. Darkness has consumed this planet and the people of it. No longer can we, the reapers, hold the balance for the scales have tipped to far to the other side."

The silver Usagi moved closer to the man, taking a regal stance as she stared him down. She completely ignored his offerings. "And who among you decided that the balance was thrown?" She demanded of him. Her eyes narrowed and in her right hand, a staff appeared. When her fingers closed around it, her form, which had been clad in the garb of the hospital, transformed into a style similar to Sailor Moon. Instead of a fuku, however, she adorned a white dress with few, but intricate, trimmings.

As soon as Sebastian saw her transformed, his eyes widened in shock, and he spoke the name that not even the reaper at her feet would say, "Cosmos…"

Will moved suddenly to stand before Sebastian. His glaive appeared in his hands and he pointed it towards the Sebastian's throat. "How dare you speak of her, foul demon." With his back turned, Will was not aware as the staff in Cosmos' hand transformed into a sword of stone nor did he see as she moved forward to plunge the sword through his back.

Will's mouth opened but the only thing that came out of it was a spray of blood. The sword had pierced one of his lungs before breaking free to the other side of his body. "If you are wondering why," Cosmos spoke lowly to him. "You are no better than the world you so scorn. Slaughtering innocence to summon me? You are a fool, but don't fear, the others that aided you will suffer the same fate and you shall reunite in hell."

She twisted her wrist, allowing the blade to twist inside of his body. More blood spilled from his wound and his mouth. Sebastian and Ciel watched in fascination as the power of the reaper died and the soul left behind was ripped from his body and flung through a portal that would send it to the deepest part of hell.

"If you wish to live," Cosmos spoke as her sword transformed back into her staff. "Then you will tell me who else was involved." Her eyes flashed silver, daring them to argue or deny her what it was she sought. Cosmos completely ignored the fallen form of Will that was bleeding out into the floor, staining the bright white tile a beautiful dark red color.

"Reapers have been gathering here since the beginning of your summoning," Sebastian spoke, cutting off Ciel who had begun to open his mouth. Sebastian knew his master well, and anything that was to come from his lips now, would not have bode well for either of them. Cosmos was newly risen and she was pissed!

"I can sense them now, but I want to know which ones specifically," She took a step forward, placing her heeled foot on Will's back, right over the inflicted wound. "Though he was stronger than most, it would take more than one reaper to cause such detrimental damage. A power like mine cannot be summoned so easily, and to force me to awaken early? Don't take me for a fool or I will put you in your proper place."

"There is only one we know of for sure," Ciel spoke. "His name is Grell. He has an obsession with the color red and would be hard to miss." It wasn't a lie but it wasn't the truth either. Ciel knew that the Undertaker had some part in this, but Ciel wanted answers first. If he told this woman about the Undertaker, it was likely that Ciel or Sebastian would ever see the man again.

When Cosmos' silver eyes returned to him, Ciel froze. The heated look in those eyes, there was so much hate and contempt for him. Why? As Usagi Tsukino, she had not remembered him, but the look he received now… It was confusing to say the least. The few moments that their gazes were connected, it felt like eons to him. A heavy weight settled over him and he didn't know what to make of it.

"Very well," Cosmos stepped back. "I will allow you to live for now." She gave the two one more look before summoning a portal and quickly entering it. The portal closed behind her, leaving a shocked Ciel and Sebastian left in the room with a bloody corpse and no Usagi Tsukino.

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She didn't begin her search at first. No, she had other things to take care of, like grieving. Let the reapers believe that had succeeded; it would only make her revenge all the much sweeter in the end when she tore them apart, limb from limb, and made the live the pain her loved ones had felt. Until then, she would take her time to mourn the loss of her friends, lover, and child.

In the eye of the public, of the mortals who encompassed this earth, she allowed her transformation to melt away. Her hair was pulled into a tight and intricate ponytail. She dared not take the chance of someone associating her style with that of her former self. She had no time to spare on manipulating the minds of others.

She walked the streets in search of the places where her loved ones were mercilessly cut down. She started at the shrine. Crime scene tape still covered the area, and she could see from the top of the stairs the huge blood stain that stretched over the grounds in front of the shrine. Her heart ached as she used the first of her powers to watch the scene of her first senshi's death. Tears fought their way to the surface and freed themselves to fall down her pale cheeks. Her heart ached and the need to scream pushed at the back of her throat.

How could they commit such atrocious acts? Did they not realize the danger it brought? No matter, she could already feel her opposite stirring from his prison. A prison he had only recently been forced into by her weaker form. Scoffing, Cosmos turned from the scene and moved to the next of one. She visited each site, Rei, Ami, Minako, Makoto, Michiru, and Haruka. Each place had the bodies removed but she could still see them clear as day and watched as they were cut down.

Hotaru and Mamoru were another matter. The bodies had yet to be discovered. When she arrived at the tower, she was horrified to see the forms of her loved ones. Hotaru's head lay to the side, in a puddle of blood with a look of pure torture on her face. Her body was a ways away, and to the right of her, laid the remains of Mamoru. The trunk of his body had been hashed to unrecognizable pieces. His face, however, was left untouched. The only thing to mar it was the trail of blood dribbling from his mouth.

Cosmos fell to her knees before her lover. She took his head in her hands, laid it in her lap, and softly stroked the silky strands of raven black hair. She gazed into his lifeless blue eyes for several minutes before allowing her hand to close over them, forcing them shut. Reaching into her subspace pocket, she retrieved a phone and dialed the police.

"Yes, I'd like to report two bodies at the top of Tokyo tower," she spoke in a broken voice over the phone. "I don't know the male, but the woman looks to be one of the Sailor Senshi." She allowed her voice to waver further. "I-I don't know what happened. I c-can't…" She hung up the phone, hoping that was enough to make the police believe that she had ran after reporting to them. Once they arrived, they would know why.

Cosmos stayed there until she heard the sirens drawing closer. With tears running down her cheeks, she bent down to place a kiss on her lover's cold lips. With one final "I love you," she disappeared from the scene in search of Pluto.

Pluto's body was still at the time gates, but now she lay in a crumpled heap on the ground. Cosmos looked sadly down at the woman that had been a mentor to her and her future daughter. Just like all the other times, the events of her death played over again. So far, Cosmos counted three reapers, but the demons stated only one other.

If she learned of their deceit, then they would pay just like the reapers. For each time she found one of her loved ones and watched them die, her anger and hatred grew. Truly, that one reaper was right. The world was not what it once was. It was cold, cruel, and full of evil. Power hungry fools reigned over the world of the mortals, and she would see the end of it.

Curiosity tickled the back of her senses. Summoning Pluto's staff, Cosmos stepped over Pluto's body and inserted the key into the lock. Twisting it, the massive doors swung open. Without a second thought, Cosmos jumped through the tangled mess that had become the time stream. She went in search of what had been the once beautiful Crystal Tokyo.

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The Undertaker found them first. Somehow, Ciel and Sebastian were sure that the Undertaker was more aware of what was happening then he let on. Could he have possibly foreseen what was going to happen? If Cosmos spoke right, then she would kill the Undertaker just as she killed Will. Was he aware? Was he prepared? Could he stop it?

"So you witnessed the power of our Goddess?" The Undertaker smiled gleefully. His green eyes twinkled in delight. "I take it dear Will is dead?"

"How did you know?" Ciel questioned.

"I know Cosmos," the Undertaker responded with a shrug of his shoulders. "She is more alike her opposite than she would ever confess. This is the part of her being that scares her." He moved to take a seat on the massive chair that sat next to the grand fireplace in Ciel and Sebastian's hotel room.

"Are you prepared to face your consequences? She won't be deterred," Sebastian spoke.

"Consequences?" The Undertaker tilted his head in confusion while tapping his chin thoughtfully.

"She plans to kill everyone involved," Ciel supplied. "She stated that much before leaving."

"Ah," The Undertaker grinned again. "This was to be expected. Her anger is not something one wishes to be the receiver thereof." He took a bite of a delicate chocolate that had been laid out for the high paying visitors of the hotel. It was complementary, of course. "Yet, it was necessary."

"Necessary?" Sebastian spoke out of curiosity.

"Even now, as she visits her dead and questions herself of her next action," The Undertaker stood and his form seemed massive. "Her destiny has already been re-written. That which was and that which was forced to be forgotten will come alive. The truth of the past shall be known and, with it, a new world will be born. History will look at this day and the coming ones as the start of a new era."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Ciel demanded. He was tired of the riddles. He wanted straight answers and he wanted them now!

"War," The Undertaker spoke gleefully. "Prepare yourselves, because the ultimate battle between good and evil has arrived. Demons, humans, angels, and reapers alike. Even the gods of this world will tremble."

"You're insane," Sebastian spoke in disgust.

"Yes," The Undertaker grinned. "Yes I am."

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When she arrived, it reminded her of the time when the Dark Moon had invaded the future of the world and attempted to destroy it. The once thriving and shinning city was destroyed and lifeless. There was nothing and no one, save for the palace which stood erect. It was standing, but it was dull, lifeless, and cracked. The future had been wrecked.

Cosmos walked through the destruction, eyeing the damage and counting the corpses that littered the ground. This damage had taken a period of time to occur. It was not fresh like the slaughter of her loved ones. Something, some event, had triggered this destruction long before the reapers had moved to take action. The image of the two demons flashed to her mind.

It must have been them.

Narrowing her eyes, she set her sights on the palace, and when she drew close enough to enter, a small and dull glow lit up to allow her entrance. The halls of the palace were bare and quiet. No one and nothing moved. There was no one in sight, and she moved to start her search. Knowing her, Cosmos moved to the throne room. Looking into it, she found what she was searching for. There, nine bodies had been gathered and laid on marble tables. Standing over the one which held the King was the form of Neo-Queen Serenity.

"I knew you would come eventually," the Queen spoke without looking up. Her gaze was centered on the peaceful form of her husband. Her hands continuously ran through his hair lovingly. "It was only a matter of time."

"Then you know why I am here," Cosmos spoke as she moved forward. She stood at the feet of the King, looking down on what could have been hers had the reapers not interfered. Yes, it was true, the peace would not last, and Chaos would have been free beforehand. But…

Cosmos veered away from those thoughts. Her eyes connected with the lifeless ones of the Queen. This woman, this version of Usagi in the future, was broken. You could see it in her eyes. "Yes," the Queen spoke.

"In this form, I am given little choice other than to fight as always," Cosmos spoke. "I am still a Senshi. I right wrongs, and I triumph over evil. Yet, revenge is not part of that normally. Tell me now, Neo-Queen Serenity, what you would have me do to the ones who destroyed all that you loved and held dear. As the former Usagi Tsukino, tell me what you would have me do when the time comes and I face Chaos once again."

"You would have me decide the fate of my world in the past? A world I no longer know?" The Queen laughed, but it was a cruel laugh. "Look around!" She waved her hands to her loved ones. "There is nothing left. I have nothing left. Why I'm even here is beyond me."

"Then decide," Cosmos stated. "By your word, the world you knew will live or die."

"I am nothing without them," The Queen spoke with a tone of finality. In her eyes was a look of defeat. No enemy had ever brought that look to her eye until now.

"Understood," Cosmos spoke. She turned and left, and once the Queen sensed her headed for the gates, it was then that she took up the sword of old, the one of stone, and thrust it into her chest. Her body collapsed over the King's in a manner similar to the past, when she was just a foolish Princess defying the words of her mother, and he a Prince of the land of old.

As Cosmos reached the doors that would lead her back to her time, the palace crumbled to the ground, making dust and debris rise in a dark cloud. Without looking back, the Queen of Stars stepped through the doors, letting them slam shut behind her.

It was final and there was no turning back. There would be no mercy for those who dared to get in her way. The choice was made and she refused to back down.

If it was war they wanted, war they would get…

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Well, damn, I just keep making things worse, don't I? I decided to be nice, at the urging of MoonMageGoddess, to update again. I don't know why I'm doing this but whatever. Thank her, because otherwise you all would not have received this chapter until I had another review. I doubt this will get much attention. They never do when updates are so very close together.

You know, it is kind of depressing that 18 people keep my story on alert and 17 have favorite my story so they can keep up with the chapters, and only 3 will take the time to review it from those lists. Wow, just wow…

But, to those that have, and you know who you are, thank you! Also thank you to my other reviewers, those who just keep up with me on the main pages :) You rock!

AN: I know at least one person was slightly disappointed that Haruka went down so easy. I'll explain, remember when the talismans were being hunted? Turned out Pluto, Uranus, and Neptune had them? During the attack, Haruka and Michiru were pushed to their limits, and it showed that one could not live without the other. So, yeah, that is where I got it from. Also, the reaper was gone when Uranus got back. He'd killed Neptune, and Hotaru had fled the scene, so he had no reason to stick around. If he had, Uranus woulda fought, but oh well. Sorry, if you were not happy with it. I'm moving on though :)

Later peeps!

Sesshy's Mistress

RxR