Chapter 29-Hell's Fire

Sailor Moon and the starlights ran into the room, just in time to witness Setsuna and Hotaru fading away. She screamed in agony as she watched. I hold on to that scream and allowed it to fuel the fury inside of me. My mind was clear.

Sailor Moon turned toward Galaxia and was shocked to see Uranus and I standing beside the throne. "No, no!" The princess shook her head slowly, unable to believe her eyes. "Why, why are you doing this? Neptune? Uranus? I thought we are friends."

I allowed the evil part of me to speak. "Then I will take your star seed before you feel any pain. Because we are friends."

Sailor Moon looked at us with her sympathetic eyes. "I believe in you." Even now, knowing what we just did, Princess still believed in us. I smiled inside and I felt new courage. This was why we did what we did. For her, we would do anything. For she was the only one that could heal this world when it was all over. I lamented the fact that she would have to do this all alone now.

Uranus raised her bracelets, getting ready to attack. Surprisingly, Galaxia ordered us to wait. She narrowed her eyes and said to Sailor Moon, "Why do you still believe? They just killed two of their own soldiers." She then turned to us and said, "Neptune, Uranus, don't kill her yet. Toy with her, we will see how she believes after this."

"World shaking!" An unusually powerful attack came from Uranus. The bracelet had increased the power exponentially. Star fighter tried to counter attack but it was useless. The energy ball hurled toward the four of them. The floor gave away and they fell through. "Good aim, Haruka." I thought silently, as I noticed she hit the floor on purpose.

We jumped through the hole and continued to chase them. Painful as it was, we had to make Galaxia believe. Each time we attack, I felt like dying. We also had to make sure that the Starlights would continue to protect our princess. When our time came, we need to know they would look out for Usagi.

I said coldly to the starlights, "Do you think you can beat Galaxia if you can't beat us?" Uranus joined in on the taunting, "You guys are so weak. That's why you can't protect your princess."

That sentence drove through Star fighter's heart like a sword. Angered, Star fighter ran straight at Uranus. The fight had become personal. I watched as Uranus dodging Seiya's punches with a smirk on her face. The arrogant face must have driven Seiya mad, as she increased her power and intensity of her punches. Finally, she landed a solid punch in Uranus's stomach. Uranus smiled. "You can do alright," She whispered to Seiya.

Uranus leapt away and landed beside me. We gave each other a knowing look. "World shaking!" "Deep submerge!" We combined our attacks and carefully aimed it at the ground near the soldiers. The explosion rocked the building, collapsing some more floors. The soldiers once again plunged through. I sighed in relief when I saw Star fighter grabbing Sailor Moon and used her own body to shield our attacks.

We followed them as they landed several floors below. Galaxia appeared behind us, laughing. She had been enjoying the show. "Do you still believe, Sailor Moon? Look at your friends attacking you, torturing you. I will snuff out your light. Take their star seeds now, Neptune and Uranus."

All the pain and suffering, this was it.

We raised our bracelets and stood facing Sailor Moon. I cleared my mind and I focused on the people that had fallen in this war. Ami, Makoto, Rei, Minako, the future princess, Mamoru, Setsuna and Hotaru. "Lend me your powers," I silently said.

"NOW" Uranus shoot me a glance and said to me silently.

We turned and faced Galaxia, sending out four shots from the bracelets. The energy hit Galaxia directly and she screamed out in pain.

Time seemed to stop for the next three seconds. The shot from the bracelet had encased Galaxia in a light tunnel. The energy continued to rip through her as it tried to extract the star seed. Uranus and I watched, hoping that this would be it. This would be the end and Sailor Moon could rebuild the world.

That moment of hope sizzled away when Galaxia laughed. There was no star seed inside her. We couldn't kill her. I sunk to my knees, defeated. That was our only way. All the sacrifices were futile.

Galaxia continued to gloat. "You betrayed your people and pretended to be my soldiers, all the while looking for an opening? Well, I am impressed. No one has ever resisted my mind control before. You are strong soldiers. What a waste…" She waved her hand and recalled our bracelets.

The power drained from our bodies quickly. This was the end.

"We no longer have the wings to fly freely in the blue sky. We've dirtied our hands with the blood of betrayal." Haruka lamented.

I turned and said to my love, "I can endure anything if I am with you, even being burned by the fires of hell." Then I turned and apologize to my princess. Usagi was sobbing, utterly heartbroken. "I am sorry, I didn't believe in you. I doubted you. Why did you do this?"

Oh, princess. This was our way. This was the cross we bear as soldiers. I had no regrets. At no matter the cost, Sailor Moon must live. We gladly jumped into the fires of Hell if that was what it took.

Uranus looked at Seiya and the rest of the starlights. "Please protect our princess. Sometimes she is a crybaby, but please believe in her."

"Are you scared, Michiru?" Haruka looked at me. She was starting to shimmer, slowly disappearing. I reached over. Our hands touched for the last time.

A weird sense of peace washed over me. It had been a long, exhausting journey. No more pain now. No more suffering. For some reason, I was certain that without our star seeds, our souls could not return to the planets. This was truly the end.

I looked at Haruka and smiled. She looked peaceful. I closed my eyes, feeling myself disappearing.