This is it, guys! The final chapter of the Super S/Eternal Arc and the last Pledge of the Sun chapter for 2024!
Let me say thank you all so much for being here on this wild ride! It means so much to me that you guys appreciate and love my story so much, which is what keeps me going!
I also want to say that everything in the real world and on the web is off-the-handle crazy, but I will try my best to see this story through till the end, and I hope you continue to support me!
Until then, please enjoy the chapter, and stay tuned for a special message at the end!
It wasn't long before the entire group was teleported to Elysion. Super Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask, and Solaris then led the party to the stone shrine in the middle of the lake. When they got there, they found two women in white gowns with pink hair styled in ordango twin tails waiting for them on the stairs.
They were the same maenids that Super Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask, and Solaris had seen trapped inside the crystal before.
"We've been expecting you," said one of the maenids, thankfully.
"We are maenids, the priestesses who serve here and keep this shrine," introduced the second.
"Where's Helios?" asked Super Sailor Chibi Moon.
"Come this way," said the second maenid as she and her twin went up the stairs.
The guardians followed them, unsure of what would await them, except for Super Sailor Moon, Solaris, and Tuxedo Mask, who already knew. When they got to the top of the stairs, they saw the cage with Helios lying inside it, only now he appeared to be lifeless.
"Helios!" Super Sailor Chibi Moon cried.
The little guardian attempted to rush over to the caged horse, but Super Sailor Moon stopped her by holding her back.
"You can't, Chibi Moon!" she said. "If you get too close to the cage, you'll get shocked!"
But Super Sailor Chibi Moon struggled as she desperately called out, her eyes filled with unshed tears. "Helios, open your eyes! Answer me! Give me a sign that you're okay! Any sign! Please!"
"Chibi Moon, I don't know if he can," Tuxedo Mask said solemnly. "He was the one that sent up that crystal barrier to save us and protect Juuban."
"And was the one that not only healed us but also teleported us back to Earth safely," said Solaris. "It must have taken all of his strength to protect us the way he did along with everyone else."
"Do you mean… he died?" Super Sailor Chibi Moon spoke mournfully. "No… No, it can't be true! It's a lie! It has to be!"
Then, something fell out from Super Sailor Chibi Moon's person onto the ground, making a tiny clinging sound. It was her Crystal Carillon. When she saw it, she picked it up while hugging it to her chest, having a small glimmer of hope.
"No, he's not dead," she said. "This bell is proof of that. He's still alive! I know it! He's as alive as Mamo is because they're both connected!"
But no sooner than when she said this, everyone felt an overwhelming malevolent presence, causing everyone to be on guard as they looked around.
"Someone's out there," said Sailor Neptune. "And they're watching us."
"Chibi Moon's right about one thing," Sailor Uranus spoke grimly. "He's indeed alive, but so is our enemy. This fight isn't over yet."
Then, both the maenids each let out a scream of fright as they looked up towards the sky. The Guardians also looked up, and they saw a sight that made them even more uneasy.
A large portal of darkness had ripped open, and from it emerged the belonging to the Dead Moon Circus. It hovered over until it stopped just above the water. Then, an object descended from the ship, and a familiar eyeball with wings followed while circling it. It was a mirror, but not just any mirror, as Super Sailor Moon and the others discovered upon inspection.
"That mirror!" Super Sailor Moon gasped. "It's that same one from before!"
Sure enough, it was. However, it still retained the damage from when it was shattered, and the opening where its surface was was still with an ominous purple space, making it seem like another portal. Zircon flew inside it, disappearing, and not long after it did, a familiar, not-so-friendly someone appeared in the mirror, her long black hair as well as her gown billowing about while her ice-blue eyes beamed and her mouth was in a twisted grin she cackled.
"It's her," Super Sailor Moon confirmed warily. "Queen Nehelenia."
Her mirror then released a pulse of dark energy, and in an instant, the water changed into a plain of black flowers, and as the wind from that blew, made petals scatter all around.
"To those who may not know me, I am the beautiful queen of the Dead Moon, the kingdom of the New Moon Darkness, Queen Nehelenia," she introduced. She looked at Super Sailor Moon. "It's nice to see you again, Sailor Moon. Or should I say, the young princess of the White Moon Kingdom known as the Silver Millenium, Serenity? I must admit, your mother's idea was quite clever, having you reincarnated in a new form on a different planet. Although, despite being reborn, you're the spitting image of your late mother in my eyes."
"Hold on, you knew the queen?" Super Sailor Moon asked suspiciously.
"That is correct," said Nehelenia. "After all, I, too, rule a moon kingdom, and this part is a part of it. Hence why, the time has come for us to determine the true ruler of the planet Earth!"
"The Earth isn't yours to rule or anyone else! It belongs to the people!" Super Sailor Moon objected. "You infected them all with your evil heart and your nightmares! Therefore, in the name of the Moon, I'll punish you! Your reign will come to an end as you vanish along with your darkness!"
"You and the rest of the rabble can punish me all you want," scoffed Nehelenia. "You won't defeat my curse!"
At her words, Super Sailor Moon felt a flash of pain run through her chest, causing her to wince.
"What's wrong, princess? Can't attack?" Nehelenia mocked. "Or are you curious as to why?"
At her words, the mirror's broken glass began to slowly repair itself. Not wanting to give her a chance to recover, Super Sailor Moon summoned her Moon Kaleido Scope and fired her signature move.
"MOON GORGEOUS MEDITATION!"
But her attack came a second too late as the mirror became fully repaired. As the attack struck it, it absorbed it all at once before unleashing it right back at Super Sailor Moon and the other guardians.
The next thing everyone knew, they found themselves floating in a strange space that was beautifully colored and fragmented, much to their surprise and confusion.
"What… is this?" Tuxedo Mask wondered in shock as he looked around.
"It's like… we're trapped inside of a kaleidoscope," murmured Super Sailor Chibi Moon.
"This isn't good," Sailor Neptune said worriedly. "She bounced Sailor Moon's attack back on us!"
"So does that mean we're inside of it now?" Solaris asked.
Then, as they looked around, trying to find a way out, everyone heard a voice that seemed to echo in their minds. A voice that belonged to a woman and was as gentle as it was benevolent.
"Serenity…"
Upon hearing it, every single guardian began to see a vision that played out in their minds like a movie.
A newly born Princess Serenity lay in a cradle with flowers while her mother, Queen Serenity, smiled with pride and gently pressed her forehead against hers with affection.
"Sweet Princess Serenity… my lovely baby girl… I'm so happy that you were born."
She gently took her baby into her arms and cradled her. As she did, a child then scampered into the room. It was a young Taiyou who appeared to be just shy of six years old.
"Mother, is that her?" Taiyou asked.
"Yes, my son," smiled Queen Serenity as she kneeled down and showed him. "This is your little sister, Serenity."
Taiyou looked at the baby and couldn't help but smile, which the infant returned with some happy babbles.
"She looks so cute and beautiful," said Taiyou.
"And in honor of the birth of your sister, this calls for a celebration," said the queen. "Let's invite everyone over to the palace so they can too."
"That sounds great," said Taiyou.
The two then left to do so, and while they did, a mirror stood in the corner of the room they were in. The same mirror that belonged to Nehelenia.
"Are these our memories?!" Super Sailor Moon wondered in her thoughts. "From our past lives?!"
"And what was Nehelenia's mirror doing in the queen's room?!" Solaris also questioned internally. "And how long has she had it?!"
The word soon spread throughout the kingdom, and a party in honor of the princess was underway. People came from far and wide to give their blessings while presenting gifts to the royal family. Among the guests were the Inner Guardians, who were about as young as Taiyou.
"Congratulations, Queen Serenity!" the four tiny guardians said happily. "Congratulations, Prince Taiyou!"
"Thank you very much," said the queen. "And I bid you welcome, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus. I've been waiting for this day for a while for the four of you to become the princess's four guardians deities."
The four guardians then kneeled before the queen.
"We've also been looking forward to this day," chirped Sailor Venus. "And we are honored to do so."
"We promise to protect her with our lives," chimed Sailor Jupiter. "As she will be the next in line to become the queen."
"That goes for me as well, Mother," said Taiyou as he also kneeled before the queen. "As the elder brother of my sister, I swear to protect her no matter what."
Queen Serenity smiled. "You don't know how happy and proud it makes me to hear you all say that," she said thankfully. "But she's going to grow up fast and catch up to you before you know it. I can't wait to see what kind of princess she'll grow up to be. It's rather exciting to think about."
Then, the mirror's surface clouded into an ominous purple, and not long after, someone stepped outside from the mirror. That someone was Nehelenia. The joyous atmosphere of the celebration quickly changed into tension and foreboding as the evil queen approached them.
"Congratulations, Queen Serenity," said Nehelenia. "Although, with such a joyous event, and you didn't think to invite me?"
Sailor Venus, while holding her head with her hands, realized as she began to remember. "That's right! Nehelenia was an uninvited guest!" she thought as she shivered from the memory. "I remember her casting a dark shadow over everything! She truly was a creature from the dark world!"
The Inner Guardians immediately stepped in front of the queen while she held her baby, stanced and ready to defend her. Taiyou also joined them, taking a defensive stance.
"How dare you taint this sacred palace with your darkness!" Sailor Venus admonished bravely. "Identify yourself!"
"Well, well. Here I came all this way from the moon's depths, and this is the greeting I receive?" Nehelenia said, feigning being offended. "How crude. I would have expected more from my fellow moon folk."
"You lie!" accused Sailor Jupiter. "You can't possibly live on the Moon!"
"No! She does, and I know what she is!" said Sailor Mars. "She's the evil embodiment of the devil that snuck into our kingdom and has been spreading around her darkness to everyone!"
"I've forgotten," Sailor Mars thought as she also recalled. "I've kept the awful events of what happened on that day buried in the back of my memory! The moon of that time was a beautiful orb of light without a single trace of darkness. Happiness and peace were the only things we've ever known. But then… she appeared. An enemy that settled deep in the dark recesses of the moon without anyone noticing or knowing that such a light could attract darkness like a moth to a flame."
Queen Serenity set her baby back in her cradle and sternly faced Nehelenia.
"I bid you welcome, stranger," she said. "If you've come here seeking coexistence, I shall abide you. However, I will not forgive someone who has been spreading evil darkness in my kingdom! You will have to leave."
"Your kingdom?" scoffed Nehelenia. "You act as if you were native-born here even though you share the same origins as I do. After all, we both came from different parts of the galaxy. Therefore, you have no right to force me to leave, nor do I you."
The evil queen then held up an offering hand as an ominous aura enveloped her body.
"But I didn't come to argue with you, Queen," she continued with a tempting glint in her eyes. "Darkness isn't evil. It's the inverse of light. Accept that, and there will be balance. Darkness calls for light, and the light calls for darkness. They are forever intertwined and need each other!"
"You evil spirit!" Sailor Mars snarled, having enough. "Begone from here now!"
The little guardian then fired a Fire Soul, only for Nehelenia to move to the side, easily avoiding it. Her aura multiplied in strength, causing the wind to buffet and blow in response.
When she did, Queen Serenity summoned forth her Crescent Moon Wand, and with a wave of it, she unleashed a powerful spell in the form of a mighty blast of rainbow light at her. Nehelenia howled in agony and surprise as the blast eroded away her body before it was sucked inside the wand. Then, Queen Serenity aimed her wand at the mirror.
"Now, foolish creature, I hereby seal you away in the darkness for all eternity!" commanded the queen.
She sent another blast toward it, sending Nehelenia inside and sealing her in it. But not long after the spell was completed, a pair of evil eyes filled with revenge appeared on the mirror's surface, and Nehelenia's voice came from it.
"Go ahead then! Seal me away! But not before I leave you with this parting gift!"
A dark flurry of darkness erupted from the mirror and shot straight toward the infant princess. Reacting quickly, Taiyou quickly jumped to his sister's defense, shielding her with his body, but as a result, he and his sister were both enveloped by it, much to the horror of all.
"No! Serenity! Taiyou!" cried the queen.
Nehelenia's laughter then echoed throughout. "I curse this kingdom and its people!" she crowed spitefully. "The Silver Millenium will fall to ruin, and your precious offspring will never ascend the throne and fall into tragedy! Consider that my present to her!"
Upon this declaration from her, the baby Serenity began to wail, frightened as much as everyone else at this declaration.
Everyone then heard Nehelenia, her voice echoing throughout the space and breaking the stunned silence.
"And thus, my curse came to fruition," she said. "Both the prince and princess died, and Silver Millennium fell."
"So then… the Moon Kingdom fell… because Nehelenia caused it?" Super Sailor Moon thought incredulously.
"Y-You're kidding…" murmured Solaris. "So she's… she's the reason all of that happened, enough for Saturn to reset everything?"
"No! It can't be true!" Sailor Neptune burst out. "A measly curse like yours can't cause an entire destruction or tragedy to a kingdom! That was fate's doing, which can't be manipulated by the likes of you!"
Sailor Saturn sadly hung her head, remembering that fateful day when she used her Silence Glaive. "I'm afraid she's correct," she thought. "There have been multiple casualties and tragedies, each happening one after the other, all of which would lead to its eventual fall. I thought I had managed to wipe the slate clean and reset everything, but it seems there was still one more piece left in play."
Nehelenia's voice came again.
"When the White Moon Kingdom fell, its light was lost along with its people and the Silver Crystal. However, I knew that they all wouldn't perish just like that, so I set my sights on the planet Earth with the intention of ruling it. Doing so would prove that I was the true queen of the Moon. I could sense that Earth had powers similar to that of the Silver Crystal, but I never would have thought that it held the Silver Crystal itself!"
Suddenly, the Silver Crystal came shooting out from Super Sailor Moon's brooch, causing the girl's eyes to grow vacant as her body became limp. As it did, her costume came undone as she reverted back to her civilian identity.
"SAILOR MOON!" cried Sailor Venus in alarm.
"USA!" yelled out Tuxedo Mask.
"SIS, NO!" shouted Solaris.
The three rushed over to her as the Silver Crystal took off on its own before coming into the hands of Nehelenia, who appeared while cackling in triumph as she savored the glow of it.
Usagi then began to violently cough, along with Mamoru, both of them spitting up black blood.
"This is not a dream!" Nehelenia continued. "There's no escaping from my eternal curse! Silver Millenium and Elysion are doomed to perish once and for all!"
The Silver Crystal then began to turn to a dark shade of dark, and using its power, Nehelenia released a powerful shockwave of power, electrocuting everyone at once and making them scream out in agony.
"Yes! This is the day I've been dreaming of!" Nehelenia kept on cackling gleefully. "With your powers stripped away from you, princess, you and the rest of your foolish court are nothing more but dust! You will all die here, and everything will belong to me! Now that I've obtained the invincible power of the Silver Crystal, I will become the true ruler of the entire universe!"
But as her body radiated with the power of her darkness and the tainted Silver Crystal, a voice called out in defiance.
"No, you won't!"
The voice came from Usagi, who, while still weak without her crystal, desperately tried to reach out to get her crystal back. However, her hand was met by Mamoru's, his fingers interlocking with her, and whose mask came off from the last attack.
"Usa, please lend me your power," Mamoru urged. "We're not going to die here! That isn't our fate!"
Usagi's eyes filled with tears as they filled with brand new hope. "That's right, my love! This nightmare could never defeat us!"
Then, the two lovers leaned in close and shared a tender kiss. When they did, the kaleidoscope dimension shattered like glass as they were brought back to Elysion. The Silver Crystal also teleported away from Nehelenia's grasp and back to its original owner's brooch, which shone brightly in a warm light while transforming Usagi back to Super Sailor Moon. Mamoru's chest also began to glow.
"My chest feels hot!" Super Sailor Moon marveled to herself. "It's as if… a new power is taking form!"
"I-Impossible!" Nehelenia cried in utter disbelief. "What is this?!"
Super Sailor Moon faced the evil queen in response. "True power is something that can't be taken away!" she said. "You have to create it! And when you do, it can't be used alone! If you think you know true power, then allow me to show you what it truly is!"
From her brooch, a sphere of rainbow-colored light came forth, and as she held it up high, the other guardians' costumes changed into civilian forms while they wore elegant dresses, each in their respective colors.
Solaris couldn't help but let his jaw drop. "Whoa! What the heck is going on?!" he exclaimed.
Then, a group of three people suddenly appeared. One of them was Artemis in human form. However, the other two were two unfamiliar females. One was a woman with fair skin, long curly and black hair with two buns, and wore a long and elegant yellow dress. The other was a little girl who had gray hair styled in twin heart-shaped ordango buns and wore a grey long-sleeved dress with matching stockings. She also had a gray cat's tail.
Minako and Chibiusa recognized them immediately after seeing them.
"Artemis!" gasped Minako.
"Diana!" Chibiusa also squeaked.
"Small Lady!" Diana said happily as she rushed over to her partner.
"Hold on, if those two are Diana and Artemis," Solaris spoke as he looked across to the woman who was with them. "Then… Luna?! Is that you?!"
The woman looked at herself. "Y-Yes. It's me, but… I'm not sure how."
But there were more surprises to come. The mini versions of the Inner Sailor Guardians also came forth along with mini versions of the Outer Guardians, surprising everyone further.
"Hello to you, Sailor Princesses of the Solar System," greeted the mini Sailor Saturn. "We are your Sailor Power Guardians."
"Sailor Power Guardians?" the princesses reacted. "And we're Sailor Princesses?"
"That's right," confirmed the mini Sailor Saturn. "And allow me to extend my congratulations to all of you for receiving new transformation powers."
"Now, gather all of your strength from your planet's castles…" began the mini Sailor Uranus.
"And send it to Sailor Moon through the Holy Grail!" said the mini Sailor Venus.
Sure enough, as Super Sailor Moon continued to hold the sphere of light up, everyone saw the item in question appeared inside it. But now, it looked vastly different, being a bright blue sphere adorned with white wings and a crown with a yellow crescent moon on top that rested on top of a silver stand with handles.
"Is… that the grail?!" gasped Chibiusa.
"It has to be," murmured Haruka. "The symbol of our unity as guardians."
"The one we've been searching for all this time," marveled Minako.
"My friends!" Super Sailor Moon spoke out. "Lend me your power!"
Hearing her plea, the planetary princesses obliged, their bodies shining brightly.
"O, Mariner, Castle of my mother planet, Mercury!" Ami shouted.
"Phobos and Deimos, Castle of Mars!" Mars yelled out.
"Io, Castle of Jupiter!" Makoto shouted.
"Magellan, Caste of Venus!" Minako cried out.
"Miranda, Castle of my planet, Uranus!" joined in Uranus.
"Triton, Castle of my planet, Neptune!" yelled Michiru.
"Charon, Castle of my planet, Pluto!" cried Setsuna.
"Titan, Castle of my planet, Saturn!" commanded Hotaru.
"Crystal Palace of the 30th century!" Chibiusa also shouted. "Give us strength!"
"And send our power to the Holy Grail!" the nine guardians shouted.
Every one of their auras was sent to the new Holy Grail, and the blue sphere shone brighter than ever before, enveloping Super Sailor Moon and blinding Nehelenia. When the light dimmed, the guardian of the moon reemerged a different-looking woman.
Her tiara had vanished, revealing only a golden moon mark on her forehead. Her unitard's collar was dark blue with three gold stripes and pink bubble-like shoulder sleeves with rose-pink ends while it retained its white color. Her gloves had extended up to her upper arms with the same rose-pink ends and v-shaped designs. She now wore two belts, one yellow and one pink, clipped together by another gold moon, and her skirt had three layers, the top yellow, the middle rose-pink, and the bottom blue. Her boots were now white with pink v-trims and gold moons in the middle. Most of all, in the center of where her chest bow usually was, her brooch had changed into a golden heart with wings, jewels outlining it, each representing one of the other guardians, resting on top of another pair of white wings. And where her back bow should be was a pair of beautiful white wings.
Upon seeing this transformation, Diana couldn't help but gasp in amazement, recognizing this new form. "It's Eternal Sailor Moon! Her powers are the closest to rivaling Queen Serenity!"
Solaris couldn't even speak as he stared in awe.
Eternal Sailor Moon held out her hand, and a long, white staff appeared. I had a lustrous pearl surrounded by a gold heart with a flower-shaped crystal on top of it.
"O celestial lights that have been our protection!" she called out as he raised it high. "Sailor Crystal Power of our sun's planetary system! Send your strength to my Eternal Tiare!"
At her call, the Silver Crystal emerged from her chest, and when it did, like a closed bud, it suddenly bloomed into a flower that shone bright, its previous dark luster gone.
All of the guardians then shouted out loud again while sending their leader their strength again.
"VENUS CRYSTAL POWER!"
"JUPITER CRYSTAL POWER!"
"MARS CRYSTAL POWER!"
"MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER!"
"URANUS CRYSTAL POWER!"
"NEPTUNE CRYSTAL POWER!"
"PLUTO CRYSTAL POWER!"
"SATURN CRYSTAL POWER!"
As they summoned their powers, they also underwent an evolution in their costumes, all reminiscent of Eternal Sailor Moon.
"Come on, Uncle Sunny! Us, too!" Chibiusa urged Solaris. "Let's send our power to Sailor Moon!"
Solaris nodded as he raised his hand, and Chibiusa did the same.
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER!"
"SOLAR QUASER POWER!"
Mamoru, while watching his lover gather everyone's strength, wanted to help, too. "If it's true that the Golden Crystal is inside of me," he thought with determination. "Please, send Eternal Sailor Moon my power, too!"
He kneeled to the ground while closing his eyes, summoning his will, and from his chest and into his hands emerged the Golden Crystal that bloomed into a flower and shone bright, just like the Silver Crystal.
With every single one of her friends lending their strength, the orb in Eternal Sailor Moon's staff shone brightly, forcing Nehelenia to shield her eyes. Then, she charged forward at her enemy, soaring into the air before giving her staff a twirl and swinging it forward at her.
"STARLIGHT HONEYMOON THERAPY KISS!"
With a mighty yell, her staff erupted with white light, blasting Neheleina with its glow, causing her to shriek and howl in pain as she shrunk in size while her mirror fell to the ground with a clatter. As she continued to writhe in pain in a dying plume of her darkness, her skin began to wither, and her hair was ripped from her head. Before long, she became a withered shell of a woman who looked just like Zirocnia, much to the shock of all.
"No! This can't be!" howled Nehelenia. "I am the eternal and beautiful queen, Nehenelina!"
She then looked up and saw Mamoru, who still had the Golden Crystal in his hand. When she did, she reached out for him while growing more feeble and desperate by the second.
"Prince! Prince of Earth protected by the Sun! I will take your hand and become the true queen of the moon!"
But Mamoru simply stared at her, expressionless yet uncaring.
The plume of dark power increased further, enveloping the evil queen and pulling her into the mirror. This was when Nehenelina knew that this was the end for her, but as her body began to lose its form, she erupted into laughter, which surprised everyone.
"Very well then. I'll admit defeat," Nehelenia's voice distortedly spoke. "But mark my words, my curse will never be rid of! Tragedy will still befall you, and I'll take great satisfaction knowing that it will soon come to pass!"
Her demonic eyes fell in Solaris's direction, and she jabbed a finger straight at him.
"And the one who will make this come about will be you, Solaris!" she snarled. "Or should I say, Taiyou, you imposter of a guardian!"
Solaris couldn't help but flinch in surprise.
"That's right! You know that Prince Endymion is the guardian of the sun, so that would make your status as empty as your blind faith in the White Moon Kingdom! If I were you, I would reconsider who your allies are because if you continue to blindly serve the White Moon, your tragedy will be worse than those before!"
And with her final words, Nehenelia was sucked inside of the mirror with one more final crack as it broke. This time, it crumbled into sand, never regenerating again. No sooner than that, the cage that held Helios disappeared, and the black hole in the sky silently shrunk and closed up. Just as it did, little rays of light began to peek through the clouds until, finally, the sun started to shine through them, filling the landscape of Elysion with color as it slowly returned to normal.
Sailor Neptune then looked through her Submarine Mirror, which showed her that things on the Earth had also begun to return to normal. The clouds were clearing, the fog had faded along with the crystals, and the Dead Moon was no longer in the sky.
"It looks like everything is returning to how it should be," she said happily. "The nightmare of the solar eclipse is finally over."
Eternal Sailor Moon felt relieved as she savored the feeling of the sun's warmth. "It seems that nightmare went on forever," she thought. "But it's over."
Then, she began to remember a time when she was a child and her mother, Queen Serenity, was still alive.
Princess Serenity came into her mother's room, sobbing and sniffling.
"What the matter, Serenity?" asked the queen.
"When I try to close my eyes, a black monster attacks me!" cried the princess. "Venus and the others told me a scary story about a black monster that lives in the mirror and gobbles up crybabies like me, no matter how many times Big Brother told them it's just a story. It's not true, is it?"
Queen Serenity softly smiled as she got down to her daughter's height and gently held her cheeks.
"Serenity, every person has a star inside their heart," she spoke gently. "Wherever there is light, there is also darkness. If you show the darkness you're afraid, it'll feed off of your fear and will try to harm you. And if it continues unchecked, it will consume the light inside of you. But there is a way to overcome that darkness, my dear."
The princess looked up at her mother. "Really?" she asked.
"Yes, so listen well, for it's something you should never forget to do," said the queen. "You must keep that star in your heart shining brightly always. If you do, you'll become strong enough to defeat whatever evil soul you encounter."
Then, Sailor Chibi Moon looked back and saw Helios. While he was now free from his cage, he had also returned to his human form, still appearing lifeless.
The little guardian approached him, touching his cheek gently.
"Helios, can you hear me?" she spoke quietly. "Please open your eyes."
But, of course, Helios didn't, causing the girl's eyes to fill with tears as she held his hand. Then, she gently leaned towards him and gave him a kiss on his lips while making a wish from her heart.
"Please! Come back to me, Helios!"
Then, as she pulled back, a pink crystal that was the same shape as her father's and mother's appeared in front of her chest, also blooming into a flower. Just as it did, Helios's eyes fluttered open, and Chibi Moon couldn't help but be surprised but overjoyed to see him awake, her eyes overflowing with tears.
"F-Fair Maiden?" Helios murmured as she reached up and cupped her cheek, wiping a tear away with his thumb. "Why do you shed tears?"
"D-Don't worry, I'm just so happy," Chibi Moon replied as she held his hand. "You finally opened your eyes and woke up. I was just so happy… that I couldn't help but cry."
Helios then took notice of Chibi Moon's crystal. "That crystal… is that…?"
Diana then approached them. "That's Small Lady's Pink Moon Crystal," she explained. "Each Sailor Guardian has their own crystal that carries the power of their Guardian Planets." She smiled proudly at Chibi Moon. "And the one that you have is yours, Small Lady. It's your Pink Moon Crystal, Chibi Moon."
"Y-You mean… this is mine?" Chibi Moon questioned as she looked at her crystal in amazement. "The Pink Moon Crystal?"
"That's right," smiled Diana. "And it's power, or rather your power, was what revived Priest Helios."
Helios was not only amazed but also realized something from this revelation. "So, this little maiden was the one who saved me?" he thought. "But that would mean… the maiden that I saw in my vision… was you all along, Sailor Chibi Moon."
And the more Helios thought about this, the more he couldn't help but smile and feel grateful.
Sailor Chibi Moon then took his head, pulling him along. "Come on, Helios! Come see! Everyone's waiting!"
Helios then followed her, and when he saw Elysion back in its former glory, he couldn't help but be amazed and happy to see it. But not more so when he saw Eternal Sailor Moon, Mamoru, and the other guardians.
"Helios!" Eternal Sailor Moon and Mamoru spoke happily.
"My prince," Helios murmured. "So Sailor Moon managed to break the seal, releasing your golden crystal."
Mamoru smiled as he handed the crystal over to Helios into his hands. Then, as he waved his hands, Helios made a staff materialize forth, placing the Golden Crystal on top and then handing it to Mamoru. As soon as he did, and in a brilliant flash of light, both Eternal Sailor Moon and Mamoru changed their past selves, Queen Serenity and King Endymion, the two of them clad in brilliant white.
"The king and queen?!" gasped Luna and Artemis.
The royal couple pointed the ends of their staffs at the pile of sand that was once Nehelenia's mirror. Then, with an upward wave from both, they sent the sand straight up into the air and into the sun, ensuring that the Dead Moon was indeed gone for good just in time for the eclipse to completely vanish away from the sun.
While this went on, everyone couldn't help but watch in stunned silence, the sailor guardians returning to their princess gowns.
"How incredible," murmured Artemis. "It's like we're witnessing a coronation ceremony."
"Yes, it really is," agreed Luna.
"It certainly is a beautiful sight to see," said Solaris.
Then, Sailor Saturn approached the king and queen, kneeling before them while presenting the four stones the Amazoness Quartet had been sealed inside earlier.
"What is it, Saturn?" asked Queen Serenity.
"Please, Your Highness. Use your Silver Crystal's power to help them," said Sailor Saturn.
Queen Serenity smiled as she waved her staff, bathing the stones with the Silver Crystal's glow. All four of them floated up into the air, and from them emerged the Amazoness Quartet. However, each one of them wore a sailor guardian uniform, showing their status as such, much to the surprise of everyone else.
"N-No way!" gasped all of the Inner Guardians. "The Amazoness Quartet are…!"
"Sailor Guardians!" finished Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
"We're Sailor Guardians protected by the four asteroids of the Solar Systems," the pink sailor guardian introduced. "I'm Sailor Ceres."
"I'm Sailor Pallas," said the guardian in light blue.
"I'm Sailor Juno," the guardian in light green said.
"And I'm Sailor Vesta," said the guardian in light red.
"OK, will somebody mind telling me what the heck is going on?!" Solaris exclaimed. "Where did you all come from, and whose guardians are you?"
Sailor Ceres frowned. "To put it simply, we weren't supposed to be here," she said. "We should be in deep sleep in the recesses of the Amazon jungle."
"Right when Nehelenia arrived on Earth, she found us by sensing our dormant power," said Sailor Pallas. "She used her powerful curse to awaken us into a nightmare by making us her pawns and doing her bidding."
"But now, we're finally free from that nightmare and her control," smiled Sailor Juno. "And it's all thanks to all of you."
"And now, we must return to the recesses of the jungle and sleep again," said Sailor Vesta. "It's still a bit too early for us to have our true awakening."
Sailor Ceres then glanced at Chibi Moon with a smile. "But Sailor Chibi Moon, you'll stand on your own as a full-fledged guardian one day, and we'll be eagerly awaiting that day," she said. "For that is when our true awakening will take place. Once that happens, should you ever need our help, we will gladly risk our lives to protect you."
Sailor Chibi Moon couldn't help but gasp. "So, that means… these four… are my guardian deities!" she thought incredulously.
Sailor Saturn then stepped forward. "You needn't worry," she promised them. "Until that day comes, we'll protect princess while you sleep."
The four guardians gave one more smile before disappearing from sight, their orbs silently flying away into the wild blue yonder. As she watched them go, Sailor Chibi Moon was still amazed, feeling excited about her future.
"Sailor Cere, Pallas, Juno, and Vesta. Someday, my time as a real sailor guardian will come. And the next time I see you, I will have worked hard enough to become one. Or maybe by then, a true lady just like Usagi."
After a while, everyone went back to the surface, returning to Juuban. But while they were pleased to be home, it was for Helios to return to Elysion.
"Goodbye," Helios said to everyone. "Please take care of yourselves. I will continue to pray for everyone's safety at Elysion Shrine. And you as well, my prince."
Chibiusa then approached him. "Helios, will we ever see you again?" she asked.
"Yes, we shall," Helios spoke kindly. "And I'll be looking forward to it when that happens, fair maiden. From the bottom of my heart."
A white pegasus then came forth at Helios' call, and as he mounted it, he gave one more smile to Chibiusa before the pegasus took flight. Then, in a flurry of feathers, he was gone.
Chibiusa's heart couldn't help but ache as she started to cry.
"Someday in the future, I'll become the lady I'm meant to be," Chibiusa thought to herself. "When that day comes… Please… Please let Helios be my prince!"
Then she felt someone pat her head affectionately, Minako, who gave her a reassuring smile.
"Cheer up, kiddo," she soothed. "You'll see Helios again. Count on it."
"But first, you'll have to work hard," winked Haruka. "And maybe grow a foot or two."
Chibusa felt much better as she wiped her tears away, feeling that if she worked hard and did her best, she would make her dreams come true.
But Mamoru, for some reason, felt a strange warm feeling in his chest that concerned him.
"It's odd," he murmured aloud. "The battle's already over, yet something still feels hot in a way I can't describe. Could this be caused by the Golden Crystal's power?"
Usagi then smiled at him. "Mamo, someone once told me that everyone has a star in their heart," she said. "What you're feeling inside your heart is proof that your star is shining."
She turned her gaze to the sky and held a hand to her chest, feeling determined as she made a silent vow.
"To make our dreams come true, to keep protecting those we care about, to keep fighting for truth and justice, the star shining in my heart, please keep giving me power as you keep shining on!"
Then, as Chibiusa was cheered up by her fellow guardians, she soon realized that a particular uncle of hers wasn't with them.
"Hey, has anyone seen Uncle Sunny?" she asked.
Upon this inquiry, everyone else noticed this, too, but no one had any idea where.
Harusuke now stood alone in front of the gates of the Hikawa Shrine, staring out toward the town of Juuban. As he did, he still couldn't help but brood about what Nehelenia had said to him before her death, along with what Helios had said.
"I've always been raised and trained to be the guardian of the sun to protect Usagi and my friends," the boy thought. "But now that I know that Mamoru's the real guardian of the Sun, what does that make of me? Am I a guardian at all… or am I just a phony? A fake guardian? And if I am… why hasn't anyone said anything to me?"
And the more questions Harusuke had, the more confused he got, his inner turmoil with his identity clawing at his mind as well as his heart.
In a dark alleyway in Juuban, people walked past it, going about their day, oblivious of the battle that had just transpired. But further inside the alley, a dark hole slowly opened up, and from it, an armored hand broke out as its owner's laughter came from it.
And there you have it, folks! The Super Sailor Moon Arc is finished!
Now, in regard to that announcement, I'm going to take a break from this series and focus on some things.
Most notably, I'm thinking about giving this series a re-amp, adding some things from past seasons because someone pointed out that Solaris doesn't get enough time to shine in them despite him being my most popular OC in this.
I also would like to get my How to Date Four Guardian series up to date now that I've revealed their true fusion names, along with some fan art.
Plus, I'm going to need to watch the Sailor Moon Stars season, which may come as a shock to some, haven't watched yet.
Until then, I would like to once again thank you for staying with me on this wild ride, and I hope you all continue to do so!
I'm also kind of scared because the Stars Arc is the last season ever, but I intend to make the season an awesome one!
Also, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year, just in case.
Dragomaster, signing off!