Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Sailor Stars: Rebirth
Act 12: Alone Against My Darkest Fear
Sora Kazeno
Jadeite never stood a chance against the enraged Moon Princess.
She saw another one of her friends die; the very thing she vowed in front of the others she would not let happened when she fought Queen Beryl. Sailor Venus is gone because she wasn't strong enough to protect her. She should have stopped Jadeite sooner. She had so many missed opportunities. Maybe if she became Princess Serenity, she would have stopped him. Too many maybes. All of these emotions, fuel that brightens the strength of the Ginzuishou.
The light hits him and he disappears.
Sailor Moon lowers her hand, her eyes coming back into focus. She gasps and rushes over to Sailor Venus to check on her, praying somehow she will be okay. "Minako-chan?" Sailor Moon calls her name softly. The senshi of love is unresponsive. "Minako-chan!" Sailor Moon calls her name again, louder and shakes her slightly.
Sailor Venus' eyes remain closed with no signs of movement.
Sailor Moon shakes her again, telling herself, Sailor Venus will wake up any moment. When she is unsuccessful, she is forced to accept Sailor Venus died. Sailor Pluto is gone. Sailor Saturn will be reborn. What if the others are gone too? She needs to check on them and continue on to the Meiji Shrine. They have to be okay.
Sailor Moon rises to her feet gradually. Her body still feels numb.
Tuxedo Kamen doesn't utter a word but hugs her tightly.
Sailor Moon's shoulders quiver as she tries to suppress the tears.
Their moment is disrupted by Polaris. "Your time is up."
Tuxedo Kamen lets go of Sailor Moon and materializes several roses. He moves forward stepping in front of Sailor Moon. She's not ready to continuing fighting yet. She'll be injured if he doesn't intervene and he won't let that happen.
He tightens the grip on his roses, he's sure he'll need them at a moment's notice against Polaris.
Polaris eyes the two of them carefully. "I guess I should commend you for making it this far, but it was expected of you." Polaris smacks her lips. "The others were stronger than I thought, but not strong enough."
Sailor Moon's eyes widen and she takes a few steps to the side of Tuxedo Kamen to look directly at Polaris. "What about the others?"
Polaris grins at Sailor Moon but doesn't respond. She has her right where she wants the senshi.
When Sailor Moon does not hear a response from the other woman she adds, "I'm sure they will be here any minute!" She shouts confidently. The senshi have always shown up to help her in the past, this time it will not be any different.
Polaris laughs loudly at Sailor Moon's declaration. "I wouldn't bet on that!" She responds gleefully as the facial expression on the Moon Princess changes from confident to worry.
Sailor Moon gasps. "No… they can't…" She can't finish the thought. They're all strong. She is sure they will be here soon. They can't be gone. She won't let it be true. "You're lying!" She accuses the older woman. She can't believe the others are gone. They might not be standing in front of her, but they could still be alive. She will find a way to save Venus, Pluto, and Saturn just like last time. Tears sting her eyes as images of battling Queen Beryl and Sailor Galaxia and the losses experienced in both fights. She won't lose everyone again.
Sailor Moon is deep in her thoughts not paying attention to Polaris, giving her opponent the opening she needs to strike.
Polaris gathers dark energy in her hands. She'll end this now, before Sailor Moon realizes what is happening.
Tuxedo Kamen grabs Sailor Moon and jumps out of the way with her in his arms. "Sailor Moon, you have to focus on the enemy," he instructs her. His tone softens. "I know it is hard, but we can't stop until she is defeated." He encourages her.
"But the others, I have to help everyone." Sailor Moon interjects. All she can focus on is her friends and Polaris' remarks.
Tuxedo Kamen shakes his head no. "You can't help the others until this battle is over," He reminds her sternly, trying to make her understand how a lack of focus could be deadly in this situation. He gently places her back on her feet.
Sailor Moon does not verbally response. All she can so is stare at the form of Sailor Venus.
"Usako." He calls her. No response. "Usako," Tuxedo Kamen calls her name loudly, hoping she will snap out of her daze.
Hearing her name called a second time, jolts her back to the present. She shakes her head slightly to clear her thoughts, trying to focus. She looks at Tuxedo Kamen, giving him and his words, her full attention.
Polaris snickers. "You really think you're a match for me?" She laughs at how naïve he is. "I've yet to see you stop any youma on your own. You're powerless without Sailor Moon."
Tuxedo Kamen glares at Polaris, her words bring up an inner struggle he has felt but never talked about with the others.
"That's not true!" Sailor Moon shouts, immediately defending the man she loves.
Polaris laughs at Sailor Moon's outburst in response.
The Sailor Starlights are near the exit of Yoyogi Park when they pause to catch their breath. They have spent a lot of the evening going from one place to another, only to be too late to help the other senshi. They are exhausted but they have to press forward. The prophecy is coming true. They haven't been able to save one person yet. It seems like each time they have a mission on Earth they utterly fail it. Failed to protect their Princess from Galaxia and now they weren't able to prevent the prophecy since most of the senshi have died.
Sharing a quick glance with each other, break time is over and they start moving forward again. They pass the Yoyogi National Gymnasium and walk in the direction of the NHK Broadcasting Center.
They don't dare teleport since the light was closer than they anticipated. They risk overshooting their target. All they know is they have to move south. Somewhere in that direction another battle is taking place and judging by everything they have seen, it is likely the last one.
"As soon as you can, attack her," Tuxedo Kamen whispers to Sailor Moon, trying to devise an easy way to defeat Polaris. He is running out of ideas to stop Polaris. She is considerably stronger than Jadeite.
He can only do so much to help Sailor Moon, but she is struggling to fight back. She's too focused on everyone else. The losses she experienced in the past are clouding her judgement. Everything she wanted to avoid is playing out before her.
He wants to do nothing more than comfort her but its impossible right now. If she doesn't snap out if soon, they'll both die. She's only half paying attention. "Usako." He tries to convey the urgency. "I need you to focus or we'll both die."
Sailor Moon's shoulders slump at his word choice. She's feeling defeated more than ever and despair is taking over. "What's the point?" Her voice is quiet. "Two of the senshi are dead. What if I can't bring them back, then what?" Her mind will not let her focus on anything else, putting them at a disadvantage.
"Usako, you can't give up. We can't let Queen Beryl destroy the Earth." Tuxedo Kamen pauses to look at her. "You can't let the death of the others be in vain."
Sailor Moon gasps as his words sink in. It's horrible her friends are not here with her but she can't let their sacrifices be meaningless. That is the worst thing she could do. She can't give up. It would be the same as running away. She grabs her wand tightly. She's done running away. The entire city is counting on her. The other senshi are alive, they have to be.
She looks into Tuxedo Kamen's eyes, determined to end this.
He grabs her free hand and squeezes it tightly.
Polaris stares at them for a moment, enjoying the indecision of the Moon Princess. "I don't know how you plan on stopping Queen Beryl if you can't even stop me." She laughs and throws a black bolt of energy at the pair.
Tuxedo Kamen helps Sailor Moon dodge the blast but his shoulder is hit in the same spot from earlier. The blast ripped more of his cape and it is barely attached on his right side near his injury.
A purple haze spreads out in the horizon.
The sight sends a shiver down Sailor Moon's spine. This is what happened on Earth when Sailor Galaxia arrived at the Tokyo Dome. She takes a few deep breathes; she can't let memories of the previous battle stop her from finishing this one.
Polaris looks up at the sky in interest. She pouts her lips slightly; knowing her opportunity to kill them is shrinking. "You're too late, Queen Beryl has arrived. She has drained enough energy from this planet to destroy it." Her grin widens.
Black energy crackles in the purple sky. The energy hits various sections of Tokyo. Some bolts hit the ground or the buildings. As the energy hits some of the buildings, they catch fire.
A wave of dark energy washes through the city. The Starlights stop as the energy passes them.
"It's just like Galaxia," Sailor Star Healer stares up at the sky wide eyed. She wishes they could go back to the dark clouds only moments ago.
Another sign they failed. Today was full of constant reminders. "How could we let this happen?" Sailor Star Fighter asks angrily for the umpteenth time.
Sailor Star Maker is calmer than her two teammates. "Look." She points, directing their attention to some of the buildings ahead. A lump forms in her throat and it begins to make sense. Damaged skyscrapers. "This is another part of the prophecy we witnessed." It was if there was nothing they could do to stop it.
Sailor Star Healer puts everything in perspective, "Sailor Moon is next."
Sailor Star Fighter turns to stare at Healer, with determination in her eyes. "I'm not going to let that happen."
"But we don't know where she is," Sailor Star Healer points out. She scans their surroundings for anything that is familiar.
Sailor Star Maker takes a different approach with Fighter. "We'll find her somehow, if we keep moving."
As if on cue, a bright flash of light illuminates the sky up ahead, significantly closer than before.
"We're really close!" Sailor Star Fighter exclaims, relieved they are on the right path.
That is the moment when they hear a bloodcurdling scream in the distance.
The hairs on the back of Sailor Star's Fighter's neck stand up. It was her voice. Fighter heard a scream like this before, when the Inner Senshi disappeared right in front of Sailor Moon after protecting her from Sailor Galaxia. Fighter doesn't even wait for the others. She sprints.
Sailor Star Maker loses some of her composure. "No…" she whispers, hoping they are not too late.
"We might still make it!" Sailor Star Healer shouts as she tries to catch up to her leader. She hasn't felt a light go out yet, whatever happened, Sailor Moon is still alive.
Tuxedo Kamen holds his cane out in front of him, using it as a shield the best he can from Polaris. It is a struggle to keep his arm steady. He is nearing his limit and injured. He knows Sailor Moon is as exhausted, if not more than he is from using her powers on the youma earlier.
Polaris appears only mildly worn down from Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen's efforts. "You are a little stronger than I expected, but I still don't understand how someone as weak as you defeated Queen Beryl the first time." She continues to taunt Sailor Moon, trying to shatter her confidence. She shrugs her shoulders in indifference. "It doesn't matter. She'll be arriving soon." She pauses to smile at them wickedly. "But that's if you can defeat me first." She creates a large black bolt of dark energy attacking the couple.
Tuxedo Kamen protects Sailor Moon with his body. He grunts as he feels the energy hit him.
"Mamo-chan, stop this!" Sailor Moon cries out in horror. "Your body won't be able to take much more of this and you're already hurt." She pleads with him.
Tuxedo Kamen is stubborn. "It doesn't matter as long as you are safe." He falls to one knee; not having the energy to stand. He knows Usako would do the same for him. He is reminded of the time Sailor Moon ran in front of the balloon Lemure and started suffocating from lack of oxygen but she refused to move because it meant he was safe. They are both stubborn that way when it comes to protecting each other.
Sailor Moon sobs when she realizes how injured Tuxedo Kamen has become. She needs him with her. She needs him to be okay. She moves to the side of him to give her a clear shot of Polaris to attack with her Moon Stick. "Moon Healing Escalation!"
The older woman is caught off guard by Sailor Moon's sudden attack. She had assumed the Moon Princess would be too worried about her Prince to even think about attacking. Her eyes narrow into slits and her anger boils over. The attack hit her head on, injuring her substantially. Polaris' anger fuels her powers. She doesn't try to put her thoughts into words. She attacks on instincts of a warrior engaged in a fierce battle.
Her hands glow as she summons dark energy. She isn't going to let Sailor Moon off easily. She should have stopped toying with the younger girl sooner. She underestimated the Little Princess. She will send an attack so powerful and large she will have nowhere to go to avoid the radius.
Tuxedo Kamen sees the massive energy Polaris is gathering. "Sailor Moon, you have to get out of here." He warns her.
"No. You're injured. I won't leave you." Sailor Moon is persistent looking into his eyes.
Tuxedo Kamen looks away for a moment, back to Polaris. He knows what he has to do. He would rather be hurt than Sailor Moon. But she'll be sad with the outcome. It is a no win situation. He waits until the last moment to essentially push Sailor Moon out of the way from the same attack she wanted to block from hitting him. The massive energy discharge slams into his back.
Sailor Moon lets out a second bloodcurdling scream, seeing him take the blast meant for her in his current state.
Tuxedo Kamen falls forward into Sailor Moon with his eyes closed.
Sailor Moon sobs, trying to form words but her mind is racing. She can't handle seeing him die in front of her. She holds his body close to hers. The tears won't stop falling as they land on Tuxedo Kamen's hair. "I…" She starts to find her voice. "I'm sorry I wasn't stronger to save you." She cries harder.
Tuxedo Kamen is breathing but he is badly injured.
Polaris smiles at the display. She might not have physically hit Sailor Moon, but the damage was done. She is about to attack again but pauses when the air begins to swirl with a blend of black and purple energy.
A woman in a floor length purple dress with flowing red hair appears. In her right hand she holds a silver staff with a black orb.
Polaris ignores the appearance of the Queen. She is out for blood; Sailor Moon's blood. She is seconds away from discharging another attack at the senshi whom is distracted by Tuxedo Kamen's injuries.
"The Moon Princess is mine," Queen Beryl hisses at Polaris.
"No. She's mine. After the attack she just used, I owe her!" She ignores Queen Beryl's request and releases the attack.
Queen Beryl's eyes flash red and the energy from Polaris' attack dissipates before it can reach Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen.
Polaris turns her full attention to Queen Beryl. How dare she stop the attack meant for Sailor Moon. "What are you doing?" She demands. She's livid. No one has ever stopped her from attacking a foe before.
"I told you the Moon Princess is mine." Queen Beryl snarls at her.
Polaris isn't going to back down. "Why is she yours when I've done all the work? She is mine to kill!"
Queen Beryl's lip curve up slightly in the corner. "You don't release how insignificant you are." The orb on her staff flashes brightly and Polaris is knocked over by a powerful force of energy like nothing she has ever felt before.
Polaris is on the ground looking up at Queen Beryl in disbelief. She split out blood from her mouth. "After everything I have done for you. Everything my Master has done to free you, to allow you to get this far…." Her voice trails off. She underestimated Beryl. She never imagined the true power the woman was hiding this entire time.
Queen Beryl laugh's at Polaris' tantrum. "You were only a pawn to be disposed of when you were no longer useful." To emphasize her point, the Queen blasts her again.
Polaris doesn't even have time to screen as her body is destroyed and disappears in the black energy discharged from Queen Beryl's staff.
Beryl turns her focus to Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen, her first time acknowledging their presence.
Sailor Moon's heart begins to race the moment she sees Queen Beryl's smug expression. Her stomach drops. The time for them to battle again is here. She clutches Tuxedo Kamen tighter in her arms, the back of his head propped up near her chest.
"I've waited a long time for this Moon Princess." Queen Beryl's voice is cold. "How dare you seal me away." Her eyes flash red to emphasize the anger she feels.
Sailor Moon responds by wrapping her arms tighter around Tuxedo Kamen's. She isn't sure how she will protect him while she fights against Queen Beryl. She can't abandon him.
"It's going to be okay, Usako…" his voice is weak. He tries to reassure the Princess. "I know you can defeat Queen Beryl, you just have to be strong."
Sailor Moon gasps and looks down at him. "We can beat her together," She tries to sound like her normal bright and happy self but she doesn't believe her own words even as she utters them. She refuses to face reality.
Tuxedo Kamen smiles at her optimism. "You're so much stronger that you give yourself credit for, don't ever give up Usako." He closes his eyes.
Sailor Moon stares at him for a moment. "…Mamo-chan…" She says his name softly at first. When he is doesn't respond, she tries again. "Mamo-chan?" She shakes him a little with her hands. He doesn't move. Her eyes widen as she is starting to understand what happened. "No… Mamo-chan…." She shakes him, more forcefully. "MAMO-CHAN!"" She screams his name.
The Starlights run south for a while but without any other sounds or lights, they are not sure where else to go. They stopped in front of Tower Records, a few blocks from Shibuya Crossing.
They hear screaming in the distance, not able to quite make out what was said. But the voice was Sailor Moon. Her screams don't last long.
Sailor Star Fighter closes her eyes tightly for a moment, imagining the worst.
Sailor Star Healer exhales. "A light… burned out…" Her voice cracks at the end. Was this it? Did they miss saving everyone?
Sailor Star Maker looks at the other two Starlights. "Did the prophecy come true?"
Silence hangs in the air as they continue running toward the sound of the shriek they heard. They are close.
The trio passes Zara, a clothing store. As they run, they notice more of the buildings around them show signs of a battle. Just like the prophecy. The streets are empty; allowing them a chance to pick up any sounds that would indicate which direction the battle is being fought.
A minute later they pass an American Eagle department store. The billboards are coming into focus.
They run a little further and find a woman with fiery red hair standing in the middle of Shibuya Scramble. They slow their speed to not make a sound.
As they close the distance, they find Sailor Moon in the far corner under a red Glico sign. She is holding Tuxedo Kamen tightly in her arms with her head down.
Sailor Star Fighter is about to intervene.
Sailor Star Maker grabs her arm and whispers, "Queen Beryl doesn't know we're here."
"We only get one shot at this," Sailor Star Healer emphasized the word one.
Sailor Star Fighter is about to protest as she looks at her teammates in disbelief. She opens her mouth to argue and then stops. They have the element of surprise from here. If she rushes ahead it will be gone. They are going to need every advantage they can muster. She closes her eyes and exhales, attempting to regain control of her emotions. She nods her head in agreement.
The three stay in the shadows, waiting to attack Queen Beryl, an enemy they know little about.
Queen Beryl scowls at Tuxedo Kamen in Sailor Moon's arms. "I see no matter what lifetime it is, Prince Endymion will continue to make poor choices and risk everything to protect you." Her tone reflects one of arrogance. "If only he never left Earth to warn the Silver Millennium…" Her voice grows in volume, her anger staring to bubble over. "Such a waste."
Sailor Moon slowly picks up her head, taking her eyes off of Tuxedo Kamen to glare at Queen Beryl's for her words. Without a word, she gingerly lays Tuxedo Kamen's unmoving body down on the pavement. She has to follow his wishes, she has to fight, end this for once and for all. It's now or never and she has to put everything into this showdown.
She stands up without stumbling and takes a few cautious steps forward. "I'm going to stop you this time so you can't harm anyone else." Her voice is confident. She can feel the crescent moon on her forehead glowing slightly as she channels her power and strength of being Princess Serenity.
Queen Beryl snickers at her response. "Who is there left to hurt? All of the other senshi are dead." She makes the statement causally, as if the information was common knowledge.
Sailor Moon gasps at the Queen, wide eyes. "No…" She pauses to stop her voice from shaking. "I'm sure the others will be here soon."
Queen Beryl cackles at Sailor Moon's delusion everyone else is safe. "They are all dead! No one is coming for you."
Sailor Moon can feel tears in her eyes. Since she never saw what happened to the others, she can still believe they are alive. "No!" She is adamant Beryl is lying to her. "I don't believe you, we're going to fight together and stop you!" Sailor Moon yells at Queen Beryl.
Queen Beryl smiles, "see for yourself." The black orb on the Queen's staff flashes several times and small portals begin to open up in front of Sailor Moon on the ground. The bodies of the other senshi appear in front of Sailor Moon and the portals vanish.
Sailor Moon can't speak as she sees all the senshi lying motionless. Deep down she knew they were likely gone but if she didn't see what happened to them, she could pretend they were fine. But to witness this, it broke her.
Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune are bloody and bruised as they lie next to each other. Their skin looks a little pale, a sign this happened a while ago.
Sailor Pluto reappeared, her staff nearby her as if she was trying to reach it, even in death. Sailor Saturn is close to her with her glaive facing downward, confirming the suspicion she used her ultimate attack in Odaiba, the only time her glaive faces downward.
Sailor Mercury's face has fragments on her visor. Sailor Mars still clutches at her remaining ofuda in her gloved hand.
Sailor Venus' body was moved to be next to the senshi. Her red bow is still missing from earlier. Sailor Jupiter's antenna is broken off her tiara.
Sailor Moon can feel the large lump in her throat. What she sees before her is the prophecy Sailor Mars and the Starlights mentioned. She can't make these disturbing images disappear. She lowers her head into her hands, covering her eyes. The images of her friends dead, burned into her mind forever.
They all died protecting her in their own way. The exact same thing she tried to avoid. Her shoulders slump and begin to shake. She cries quietly. Rage is building. She is angry at herself for not being able to stop Queen Beryl the first time, not being stronger and angry at Queen Beryl for returning and doing this to everyone. She could have avoided all of this.
The words of Sailor Galaxia when she was consumed by Chaos echo in her mind. She's weak. She's lost her pride as a senshi by not fighting back. This battle is different than Galaxia; there is no reasoning with Queen Beryl. She needs to fight back, but what is the point if everyone is dead?
Queen Beryl smiles at how easily it has become to break Sailor Moon's spirit. So much was already laid out before her, she has just has to finish the final blow. One she will enjoy immensely.
She raises her staff; she can destroy the Moon Princess without much of a fight. She gathers large amounts of dark energy, in a few more seconds this will be over and she will finally conquer Earth, unopposed.
The Starlights move into action when they see Queen Beryl about to attack Sailor Moon while the senshi isn't even looking. They have to time their attacks just right.
"Star Serious Laser!"
"Star Sensitive Inferno!"
"Star Gentile Uterus!"
Blue, yellow, and purple energy fly out of the darkness directly at Queen Beryl.
Queen Beryl sees the light approaching her and turns in the direction of the light. She disposes of most of her attack meant for Sailor Moon, opting to use that energy to protect herself. The bright energy hits her faster than she expected, some of her own energy hits her in the process. She staggers back slightly on her feet, eyeing the three senshi she had ignored; the outsiders that are not part of the Silver Millennium. The ones she never considered a threat until this moment.
Queen Beryl looks in the direction of the attack and sees nothing. She looks around Shibuya Scramble to find the three Starlights now standing in front of Sailor Moon. The Moon Princess still has her hands covering face. Even the sounds of battle did not faze her after seeing her friends dead lying before her.
"Looks like you forgot about us," Sailor Star Healer mocks Beryl's well laid out plan. Healer sounds and appears more confident than she is. The entire prophecy was seconds from coming true.
Sailor Star Maker adds, "A mistake that is going to cost you." Is this the moment where the prophecy changes? Maker mentally asks herself.
Instead of challenging Beryl, Sailor Star Fighter turns to face Sailor Moon. "Sailor Moon." She needs the Moon Princess to snap out of her daze. "Sailor Moon." She tries again, louder this time. Still nothing. Sailor Star Fighter presses her lips together for a moment trying to think of something. On Kinmoku, it's unheard of to call a senshi by their civilian name when they are transformed in battle, but she needs to do something. "Oiii Odango?" She is louder this time and she moves closer to Sailor Moon.
This time she hears Fighter. Sailor Moon's head snaps up her hands. She slowly opens her eyes to see Sailor Star Fighter staring at her. She is shocked to see Fighter and the two Starlights behind her as they come into focus.
When she seen the bodies of the other senshi, she assumed everyone was gone. "You… you're alive?" She stammers in disbelief. She blinks her eyes a few times to make sure she isn't seeing things. A very small smile tugs at the corners of her lips. She's not alone after all.
Queen Beryl glares at the new senshi that appears before her. "One senshi or four senshi. It doesn't matter; the Earth will belong to me in a moment." She gathers energy, more than before for a deadly blow.
The Starlights shift their position ready to flee with Sailor Moon given the chance. As Queen Beryl continues to gather more energy, it limits their options of where they can move to avoid a direct hit.
And we will find out how well they can dodge in the next and final part! This chapter was rough to write. Poor Sailor Moon losing Tuxedo Kamen like that right in front of her. I tried to convey all the loss she felt to witness it.
So the final battle against Queen Beryl will take place and some revelations for one of our characters that she was not expecting. Find out in the conclusion of the prequel. Act 13: We Have the Strength to Carry On. Available on October 28th.
In the meantime, be on the look for the shorts for Seiusa week starting tomorrow, October 15th! Six of out seven take place in Chaos Theory, and one during Rebirth. Spoilers if you never read Chaos Theory.
Side note, the prequel is now has a longer word count than the original arc for Chaos Theory. Good thing it is almost over!