Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Sailor Stars: Chaos Theory

Act 16: Princess Serenity

By: Sora Kazeno

Showdown of the senshi in this act and the return of Princess Serenity!

Seiya stared out the window of his bedroom. 'It has been too quiet.' He thought to himself. It had been days since he last saw her. Once Mamoru received his memories back he took a backseat in a way. If there was anything he learned was the kiss they shared was due to Chaos talking control of Usagi. But the event created so many issues and when she was back to herself she would be with Mamoru. Seiya took a sharp intake of breath as he thought of Mamoru. 'Does he know?' Seiya wondered. He knew if he was in Mamoru's spot and learned someone had kissed his girlfriend he would be furious with that person. He shook his head to try and clear his thoughts but the setting Moon was not helping as a new day began.

Mamoru watched a family at the park in the distance. It had been two days since he last seen her. The longer the gap in time, the more nervous he became. He was in constant contact with Galaxia since she believed he was the key to helping Sailor Moon. Galaxia seemed to randomly pop up at various times. He sighed as he continued to wait. He looked down at his shoes for a moment as he thought about how empty he felt without her around. He suddenly felt like he had to look up. When he did he saw Princess Serenity in the distance. He jumped to his feet and quickly ran to the spot he had seen her in a wooded area. She was nowhere to be found. Mamoru started to wonder if he had hallucinated from not being able to see her.

"Endymion…" a voice whispered softly behind him.

Mamoru spun around and Princess Serenity stood twenty feet behind him. Mamoru slowly walked toward her.

"Don't come any closer Endymion it's a trap!" Princess Serenity warned him.

He ignored her plea and like a man possessed he continued to walk forward to her. He reached out his arm to touch her but she vanished. He felt frustrated at the game that was being played.

"I knew you would come," said Sailor Cosmos.

The sound of her voice made his head snap up. Sailor Cosmos stood a short distance away. On her right stood the four Inner Senshi and to her left stood the four Outer Senshi. He knew how this was going to go. He pulled out a rose and transformed into Tuxedo Kamen.

Sailor Galaxia suddenly appeared in the Three Lights apartment. "She's returned! I can feel her presence close by!"

"Lead the way," Seiya said as he felt anxious to see Sailor Cosmos once more.

Tuxedo Kamen looked at the nine senshi before him. He was hesitant to make any moves knowing they could easily overpower him. Then he thought about the past discussions he had with Sailor Galaxia. He hoped the others were going to be there soon and until then he was going to try to talk to Sailor Cosmos. He took a deep breath. "Usako, snap out it," he said softly as he tried to find the girl he loved.

Sailor Cosmos laughed at him. "Whatever you're trying is not going to work," she said as she laughed again. She turned her attention to the other senshi. "I want his starseed."

"You don't mean that Usako," said Tuxedo Kamen. "You have to remember the good times," he said as he tried to reason with her.

Sailor Cosmos sneered at him. "The good times? What would those times be? The two times you forgot your memories? Or how about the time you broke up with Usagi and told her that you didn't love her because of a dream you had that your future self gave you? Then you were a complete jerk when you first met Usagi or did you forget that to? Refusing to spend time with her so she would study for her entrance exam, but the best one yet is leaving her here and going to America without discussing it with her first!" Sailor Cosmos practically screamed at him. "How many times do I have to repeat myself?"

Tuxedo Kamen was unaware that the three Starlights and Sailor Galaxia stood behind him amazed at the anger Sailor Cosmos directed at him. It made them wonder how they were ever going to reach Usagi. "You're right Usako. I should have talked to you before deciding to go to America," Tuxedo Kamen apologized as he struggled to look her in the eye. "I'm sorry."

Sailor Star Fighter clenched her fist tightly as she tried to control the rage she felt. She couldn't believe all of the things Mamoru had done to her and how he had treated her in the past. She deserved better.

"It's too late to apologize," spat Sailor Cosmos. "I see we have an audience. Hmm. I have five starseeds to choose from. Decisions. Decisions. Where do I start? Everyone you know what to do."

The Inner and Outer Senshi took a few steps forward forming a straight line in front of Sailor Cosmos.

"We will end this with one final attack…" Sailor Neptune said as her voice trailed off. The symbol of Neptune began to glow brighter on her forehead. Within a few seconds the planetary symbols on each senshi's foreheads grew brightly.

This made everyone else very nervous. Sailor Galaxia took a few steps in front of the others as she told them, "I will do my best to protect you."

Each Sailor Starlight held their star compact close to their chest. They were going to pull their powers and try to create a barrier.

The eight senshi began to glow brighter as their power potential increased. Sailor Uranus looked directly at Sailor Galaxia as she spoke quietly, "have the cauldron ready," she said with a wink.

"Now!" Sailor Venus shouted as the eight of them spun around to face Sailor Cosmos.

"Galactica Planet Attack!" The all shouted in unison.

Sailor Cosmos stood there shocked as the energy headed straight at her. Once she came to terms with what was happening it was too late to put up a barrier since the senshi were so close to her. "Damn you!" She cursed at them.

"I don't believe this is actually happening," said Sailor Star Maker in utter disbelief or what she saw before her.

"She actually pulled it off," said Sailor Galaxia with a small smile .The cauldron was in her right hand and it began to glow.

Sailor Cosmos screamed out in pain as the energy hit her. The energy swirled around her and she began to feel dizzy.

Sailor Galaxia was close by as some dark energy slowly seemed to leave Sailor Cosmos' body and gradually head to the cauldron.

Tuxedo Kamen closed his eyes to try and block out the sounds of her screaming in agony. He understood what was happening and knew it was for the best. They had to eliminate Chaos's power. A bright flash of white light caused him to open his eyes.

Tuxedo Kamen was surprised to see Sailor Cosmos transforming into Princess Serenity. The ten pointed star was no longer on her forehead. It had been replaced with a crescent moon. Her hair became more golden and her fuku continued to transform into a flowing white dress.

"Endymion!" Princess Serenity cried out as she stretched her arm out as if trying to reach him. The crescent moon on her forehead continued to shine brightly. She collapsed to her knees as she cried out in pain. "Endymion, please help me!" She pleaded with him. There were tears in her eyes.

Tuxedo Kamen was about to rush forward to help her but an arm with a long black glove blocked his path. It was Sailor Star Fighter. "As difficult as it is," she began with her eyes downcast, "you know that Sailor Galaxia has to separate Chaos and this might be the only way to save her," she said as she raised her head. It was clear by the look in her eyes that it was difficult for her to see as well.

Tuxedo Kamen did not respond as he thought about Fighter's words. He knew she was right. All he could do was stand by and watch, no matter how difficult it was.

Princess Serenity transformed back into Sailor Cosmos as she slowly stood up. The symbol of the crescent moon was still on her forehead but it was no longer glowing.

Sailor Galaxia frowned. She was no longer collecting Chaos' energy. It seemed like only a small fraction of her power had been taken. 'At least it is something,' she thought to herself.

Sailor Cosmos glared at the eight senshi before her as they seemed to have a limitless supply of power to attack her. She slowly steadied her balance. She began to glow in white light again as she became Princess Serenity again. Dark energy slowly began to leave her body again. But it didn't last long. Galaxia collected next to nothing. She was surrounded by golden light and became Sailor Cosmos once more.

No one expected what happened next.

Sailor Cosmos began to appear blurry to everyone as she began to split apart. The form of Princess Serenity began to emerge from Sailor Cosmos. Princess Serenity fell to the ground as Sailor Cosmos focused all of her energy to remain on her feet. She felt extremely weak.

She used the little energy she had on the eight senshi that stood before her. The senshi began to emit a faint golden aura. All of their bracelets disappeared from their wrists.

Sailor Cosmos nearly fell over. She used the last of her energy to retreat from the battle. She was visibility shaken and left without saying a word.

The Inner and Outer Senshi collapsed.

Sailor Star Maker was the first to rush forward as she tried to find answers. "What happened?"

"We tried to separate them but it seems we were only able to separate Princess Serenity. Usagi-chan is trapped inside Chaos, as is Sailor Moon. At least we were able to do something," said Sailor Pluto as her power began nearly invisible.

"The best we could do was the separate her past self, Princess Serenity," said Sailor Neptune as her voice bean more faint. "The Princess is the key."

All of the senshi's bodies began to fade rapidly without their starseeds or Chaos' bracelets. It was only a matter of time before they all disappeared.

Sailor Star Fighter walked closer to Sailor Uranus in disbelief. This was the second time that Sailor Uranus turned evil to try to stop Chaos. "So this was your plan all along when you asked Neptune to take your starseed," Sailor Star Fighter said amazed at her resourcefulness.

Sailor Uranus smiled at Sailor Star Fighter's words. "Help Tuxedo Kamen protect the Princess," she said. "After everything that has happened… thank you for protecting this planet in our absence."

Sailor Star Healer stood near Sailor Venus, Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter.

"You have to work with Sailor Galaxia and forget the past if you want to protect the future," Sailor Venus said, her voice barely above a whisper. The usual twinkle in her eye was disappearing.

Sailor Saturn was also near Tuxedo Kamen. "Please save Chibi Usa-chan," said Sailor Saturn as she closed her eyes.

Sailor Mercury addressed the Three Starlights that were in earshot of her, "We haven't given up on Usagi-chan."

"We still believe in her," added Sailor Mars as she also closed her eyes one final time.

"Usagi-chan will save this world," Sailor Jupiter said with confidence in her voice. "She never lets us down."

A gust of wind blew by and the eight senshi completely vanished from sight. Their disappearance refocused everyone's attention to Princess Serenity that was still lying on the ground next to where Sailor Cosmos once stood.

Tuxedo Kamen quickly rushed over to Princess Serenity to check on her. He slowly raised her head and was relieved that she was only sound asleep.

Sailor Galaxia gasped as she turned her head in Princess Serenity's direction. She quickly walked over to her and Tuxedo Kamen. For the first time in days she smiled.

"That light…" said Sailor Star Fighter as stared at Princess Serenity. "There is no mistaking it. She has Odango's starseed." Sailor Star Fighter slowly made her way over the others. Sailor Star Healer and Sailor Star Maker slowly followed behind her.

Tuxedo Kamen carefully lifted Princess Serenity up in his arms. Sailor Galaxia carefully examined the Princess. She was able to confirm Sailor Star Fighter's suspicion. "It's true. She has Sailor Moon's starseed, err rather the Moon Princess…" Sailor Galaxia's voice trailed off as she tried to figure out the best way to word whose starseed it was. She thought about Sailor Star Fighter's comments and turned around to face her. "How did you know recognize the starseed so fast?" She asked.

"A person doesn't forget a shine like that," Sailor Star Fighter said as he looked at the sleeping girl in Tuxedo's Kamen's arms. "But how is it possible? Her starseed was taken by Chaos when it first consumed Odango."

Sailor Galaxia stood silent for a moment while she considered Sailor Star Fighter's question. "I'm not sure. All I can assume is the senshi are somehow behind it. But if we have the Moon Princess' starseed on our side, our chances of defeating Chaos have greatly increased." Sailor Galaxia turned her attention to Tuxedo Kamen. "No doubt Sailor Cosmos will be after Princess Serenity. Please take her somewhere safe."

Tuxedo Kamen nodded his head in agreement.

"I'm confused," said Sailor Star Healer as she looked at Tuxedo Kamen. "How is she not Sailor Moon?"

"Sailor Moon is actually Princess Serenity's reincarnation on Earth. During her previous lifetime she was never meant to be a Sailor Senshi but rather the future Queen of the Moon." Tuxedo Kamen paused for a moment before he added, "her place was never in the battle field." No one spoke as they considered his words. She was never raised nor trained to be a senshi as the others were in their past lives. Tuxedo Kamen turned to leave but was stopped by Sailor Star Healer.

Sailor Star Healer gave him a scrap of paper with numbers written on it. "This way it will be easier to stay in contact."

Tuxedo Kamen nodded his head in response and then realized he couldn't grab the paper while he was holding Princess Serenity. "… could you put the paper in my pocket?" He asked as he tear dropped.

Sailor Star Maker began to laugh at the awkwardness of the situation before her as Sailor Star Healer stumbled while trying to place the paper in the breast pocket of his tuxedo.

"Thank you," Tuxedo Kamen said as the paper finally made its way to where it needed to be. "I will call later tonight with an update."

"Thank you," said Sailor Star Fighter as she felt relief to be updated on her condition as she continued to watch the sleeping Princess.

Tuxedo Kamen nodded his head and quietly left.

It did not take long for Tuxedo Kamen to return to his apartment. He gingerly laid Princess Serenity down in his bed. He watched over her for a moment but she didn't stir. He hoped that she would wake up soon but realized it would be unlikely. His stomach growled. He realized it was already late in the day and headed to the kitchen.

Mamoru pulled a water glass out of the cabinet and retrieved ice from the freezer. He found a frozen rice bowl with beef. He always kept a few in the freezer so he would have something to eat in case of emergencies. Given the day he had the food sounded wonderful.

Five minutes later the microwave beeped and he pulled the food out and left it on the counter. He walked over to the other counter and nearly dropped the glass when he saw Luna sitting on the carpet. He took a deep breath to try to calm his racing heart.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted to see if you heard anything. Its' been so long," Luna said as her tail twitched.

"We had another run in with Sailor Cosmos," replied Mamoru as he looked at the black cat. "Long story short, Princess Serenity was separated from Chaos and she is sleeping in the other room."

Luna beamed when she heard the news. She then tilted her head to the side and asked, "what do you mean Princess Serenity?"

"See for yourself, then I'll tell you the whole story," Mamoru said as he began to eat his food.

A few minutes later Luna returned and Mamoru told her what happened.

"How could a person be split into two completely different people?" Taiki asked out loud as he thought about Tuxedo Kamen's explanation from earlier. "To be pulled between a past life and the present one must be difficult."

"How is that any different from us? On Kinmoku we are women and on planet Earth we are men. Our forms depend on what planet we are on and if we are in battle or not," said Yaten as he looked over at Taiki.

Seiya thought about their words before he spoke, "but how can a person be forced to choose between two lifestyles that are so different?"

"We don't have to make a choice," Yaten immediately added. "It is clear who we are and where we belong."

Seiya stood up and felt irritated at Yaten's remarks. "It is not that easy for all of us," Seiya said as he walked out of the room.

Taiki shook his head at Seiya's behavior and went back to a poem he was trying to write.

"Usako is still trapped by Chaos," Mamoru concluded. After a moment he added, "I'm glad to have even a part of her back."

"I wonder how we'll be able to help Usagi-chan. My understanding is the longer Chaos has control over her, the harder it will be," Luna said with downcast eyes. "I'm really worried about Usagi-chan. She's been through so much."

"She seemed really distant the day Chaos took control," Mamoru said as he recalled the events of that day. "I was going to walk her to school that morning but she was running late and ran past me. I couldn't believe that she didn't see me there. It was as if she was in her own world."

"Well…" Luna said as she looked down at the carpet. "Usagi-chan has been through a lot recently and she probably had a lot on her mind."

"What do you mean she's been through a lot?" Mamoru asked as she looked at Luna closely. "She has been acting different ever since my memories returned and I don't understand why. It's like something happened that I don't know about."

Luna refused to look at him. She knew he was worried about her but she was afraid of losing Usagi's trust. She knew it would hurt the both of them but it explained why Usagi was acting so distant. She had to tell him something. "It must have been Chaos," Luna finally said.

"I wish I could have spent more time with her or received my memories back sooner so she wasn't alone. If only there was something I could have done to prevent the attack," Mamoru said.

"You can not blame yourself Mamoru-san!" Luna said as she tried to cheer him up. "With everything that happened the day before it isn't surprising Usagi-chan was distant."

"What happened the day before?" Mamoru asked as he looked at Luna.

Luna gasped when she realized what she said. There was no way she could avoid it now.

"Luna, what are you keeping from me about Usako?" Mamoru asked as he became very concerned.

Luna sat still for a moment and carefully chose her next words. "I promised Usagi-chan I wouldn't say anything," Luna stammered.

"Luna, I understand you want to keep your promise to Usako but I want to do everything that I can to help her and I can't help her if I don't know what is bothering her," Mamoru pleaded with her as he hoped she would share what she knew.

"Well…" Luna started before her voice faded, "you can't be upset with her since it happened less than twenty four hours before she was consumed by Chaos."

"It?" Mamoru asked with a raised eyebrow. "You're being very vague."

"Usagi-chan and I were supposed to discuss it more after school but we never had the chance so I don't know any of the details. She was really upset when she told me…" Luna said as she tried to delay the conversation as much as she could.

"Luna, please tell me what happened," Mamoru said as he became very concerned. He was afraid of what Luna was about to tell him.

"Usagi-chan, she… she…" Luna paused for a moment and then forced herself to finish, "she kissed Seiya-san."

Mamoru sat there for a moment in stunned silence. He couldn't believe what Luna had just told him. He felt like all of the air was sucked out of his lungs. He was visibility upset but he didn't say anything at first and then said, "I never should have went to America and left her alone. None of this ever would have happened." Mamoru got up and walked over to the picture he had of himself and Usagi. He noticed Chibi Usa was no longer in the picture. He wasn't too surprised since she had disappeared in front of him. "What else happened?" Mamoru asked his voice barely above a whisper.

"Nothing else that I know of," Luna responded quickly. She wanted to try to find a way to ease his pain.

After a few moments, Mamoru left the room to check on Princess Serenity. She was still sound asleep. He sighed. A part of him was upset at Usagi, part upset at Seiya, but he was mostly upset with himself. He thought about everything Sailor Cosmos had said to him. A part of him thought about the hurt she must have experienced because of him.

Mamoru returned to the main room. He really wished he could be alone but he knew it was going to be impossible at the moment. "I'm going to go grocery shopping. I'm sure she will be starving when she wakes up. Can you stay with her until I get back?" He asked Luna.

"Of course," Luna said as she watched him grab his keys and wallet. "Take all the time that you need."

Usagi shivered. She felt really strange as if a part of her being was suddenly gone. She also felt so confused and isolated. No matter what she tried she wasn't able to break free. This time she was truly alone, she didn't have anyone there to support her. An evil presence made her look up. It was Chaos.

"Your senshi are more cunning than I thought," Chaos said as he approached the outside bars of the cells.

"What do you mean?" Usagi asked.

"After I collected all of their starseeds, I gave them a second chance by giving each one a set of bracelets. Some of them collected starseeds like they were supposed to but they used my own power against me!" He exclaimed in anger. "The nerve after I let them live! But in the end they all faded away to nothingness."

Usagi gasped when she realized what Chaos meant. The Inner and Outer Senshi were gone. "Everyone…" she murmured as she pictured each of them in her mind.

"They paid the price, as did the Starlight's Princess for interfering," he gloated.

"No!" Usagi yelled at him as she quickly rose to her feet. "Bring them back!"

Chaos laughed at her request. He stopped his laughter and became serious again. "They separated your other half and took the Moon Princess' starseed with her. I don't know what trickery they used but they will pay. I know that Serenity with protect her prince but who will protect the Sailor Starlights?" Chaos asked as he began to laugh again. "They will be the ones to lose their starseeds next!"

"Stop hurting everyone! They have done nothing wrong!" Usagi yelled at him while tears streamed down her face.

Chaos turned and walked away, He ignored her.

Mamoru had returned a while ago and he had been distant toward Luna since he was still thinking everything over. Luna eventually left.

Mamoru now sat in a chair near where Serenity slept. It was evening now and a crescent moon was visible through his window. He continued to watch her sleep. He brushed a few loose strands of her hair out of her face. He then pushed the few that remained to the side behind her ear. Regardless of everything he learned in the past few hours he was still relieved to have her here.

He stood and walked over to the window and put his hands in his pockets. His fingers tips brushed against a scrap of paper. He was confused as he pulled the paper out of his pocket. It was the paper he had received from Sailor Star Healer with their contact number. He sighed. He didn't want to call them at the moment but he had promised to keep them updated. He didn't want to break his word.

Mamoru walked into the other room and stared at the telephone. Everything Luna had told him earlier still replayed in his head. Mamoru picked up the receiver and began to dial the number. As he dialed the number he hoped someone other than Seiya would pick up the telephone.

"Hello?"

Mamoru's fist clenched as he recognized his voice immediately. His heart began to race as he felt his anger increase. After a pause he finally spoke, "its Mamoru."

"How's Odango?"

'That nickname again.' Mamoru thought. The longer he was on the telephone talking to Seiya, the angrier he would become. "There hasn't been any change in Serenity. She's still sleeping." Mamoru decided to keep the interaction as short as he could. He could feel himself losing his patience quickly.

"That's good, I guess. I hope she wakes up soon. Galaxia told us she was able to collect a small fraction of Chaos' power and hopefully it was enough to weaken Chaos. Call us when she wakes up."

Mamoru could feel himself losing it the longer Seiya spoke. "When this is all over, stay away from Usako," he said as he hung up the telephone.

Seiya heard a dial tone on the other end of the line. He stared at the receiver that was now a foot from his face. Her turn his head slight to the side in confusion.

"Who was that?" Asked Taiki as he looked up from the pot he was cooking in.

It took Seiya a moment to respond. "… that… that was Mamoru-san. She's still asleep."

"I wish I could sleep that long," said an irritated Yaten as he looked up from the couch.

Seiya stood there for a moment as he tried to figure out why Mamoru was so irritated. Then it dawned on him. 'He knows.' Seiya thought as he felt a knot developing in his stomach.

Drama between Mamoru and Seiya! What is going to happen when Princess Serenity wakes up? Is Chaos going to let Princess Serenity keep such a powerful starseed? Which Sailor Starlights will lose their starseed first if Chaos has his way on May 18th? Act 17: The Final Battle Against Chaos