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"SAILOR MOON ETERNAL"
The 6th Season of the Sailor Moon Saga
Chapter 15
"Take My Hand...Never Let Go"
"Amara!" Super Sailor Neptune's pain-ridden sweet voice rings through the night, down the darkened ally, where her eyes look up to see Sayer's Sailor Star Fighter form cradling her dearest friend's still body in his arms.
Running as never before, the closer Neptune approached, the more obvious the look of dazed shock on Fighter's face beams in the moonlight. Falling to her knees, Sailor Neptune throws herself on her motionless partner, sobbing uncontrollably. As Star Healer reaches an empathic hand out to console her, he and Neptune both suddenly stop in mid motion.
"She's still alive!" Super Sailor Neptune cries out, her link with her dying cousin was blessedly, as yet, unbroken. Michelle puts her ear to Amara's bloody chest, her pristine aqua hair becoming soaked with the crimson liquid, as the faintest of faint heartbeats could still be heard. "Robin! Do something! Do something!" Michelle's desperate screeches pierce through his soul.
What can I do!? His mind races, desperate to save this fellow Sailor Soldier who meant so much to Neptune. Alex, we can't lose you! Michelle wouldn't be the same without you. But, even if healing is supposedly in my star's destiny, I personally have never been able to—Suddenly he turns to the silent girl trembling in a corner of the alley.
"Evelyna! Your family comes from the most ancient bloodlines of our planet. Long ago, they had the powers to heal. Your latent abilities have been handed down from them. You can heal Uranus…" Pulling her to the side, Robin speaks assurances to the young Healer girl quickly, in one breath, aware that precious time was dwindling.
"Healer, I—I can't…" The uncertain waif stammers, never believing in her own capabilities to do anything, much less heal a dying person.
"Please try, Evelyna." Michelle cries softly in her mind as the unsure young female still stands hesitant.
"DO IT." An ominous command emanating from somewhere in the darkness gives her the final push she needed. Healer's eyes slit to find the source of the voice in the pitch black alley, he sensing a strangely familiar presence near that was not exactly friendly.
Kneeling to the comatose woman who was Sailor Uranus in Star Fighter's arms, Evelyna places a hand on her still chest and closes her eyes. At first nothing, then slowly a greenish white light begins to glow from her hands. Points of light from far above the exosphere travel down her fingers, to their tips and reach into Alex's wound, pulling, pulling at the penetrated hole's edges…
I have to close this wound. It's not working! I can't heal her if I haven't the strength! Though she did possess the gift of healing as Queen Melodia and Fireball both encouraged this special refugee girl from the decimated star, Evelyna's green light begins to flicker and grow dim.
But that's when Sailor Star Healer's hand suddenly presses on top of hers.
"Use my energy, Evelyna." Summoning all his energy to mingle with Evelyna's, Robin closes his eyes, sending all his power to her through their newly opened astral transmission.
"I will assist you." He whispers in the overwhelmed girl's soul, sensing her need and Uranus' were so diametrically intertwined.
With Star Healer's added energy boost, her grateful light glows brightly again, and Evelyna carefully works on the intricate weaving of sliced asunder flesh back together. All while simultaneously isolating the rushing blood from the multiple severed veins, arteries and corpuscles to not coagulate, but rather flow back in the restructured blood vessels of the circulatory system. Robin's mind was side by side with Evelyna, like a doctor and nurse, monitoring and taking care of Alex's fatal wounds.
Focus...Focus…
The puncture that went straight through Alex's pierced chest, just millimeters from eviscerating her heart, throbs with doubled Healing power now. But when even the dual light wavers in the difficult, almost impossible task, threatening to go out, Neptune's hand joins overtop Star Healer's and Evelyna's, adding her planetary strength as well.
Though she was not a child of the star Healer, Neptune's enormous love energy for her dying best friend certainly made the turning point. Michelle merges her deep, extrasensory soul to enhance Robin's, and thusly Evelyna's, for Amara's sake.
Because nothing was impossible for God-granted true Love.
Empathic Michelle then directs her own fervent prayers and those gathered from all over Tokyo from all her fellow Sailor Scouts' combined hearts she mentally contacts to restore to health this tough warrior. The rings of Neptune mirror each planet's Moon enhanced beacon that catches way out in the depths of outer space to reach up through the heavens to Alex's distant guardian planet, Uranus.
And in the full Moon's reflective, sympathetic light, the gaping wounds on Uranus' chest and back disappear in a burst of white light. But even that light was soon surpassed by the brilliant gleam of a new yellow glow, enveloping then squeezing closed whatever remained of the sword's damaging puncture to this Guardian Soldier's physical body. All scars on both sides of Uranus' repaired torso were covered by the 'U' shaped golden light which symbolized the true power source of the sixth planet from this galaxy's sun.
The shredded and bloodied dark navy blue Sailor uniform that hung bedraggled about her wounded body then suddenly begins to palpitate with new and mesmerizing energy, all golden hued and splendid. The streams of light encompass Alex Sokova in Uranus' power source planetary color with a pristine new and un-bloodied Sailor skirt, crisp golden yellow collar, star choker, shimmering brooch and stiletto high heeled ankle boots to boot, all wrapping around her tall slender form where it still lay upon Star Fighter's lap.
Fighter's bedazzled, shimmering eyes were wide in amazement, he utterly energized by Uranus Planet Power revitalization as the winds of its energy surge through his touch to Uranus' skin.
Slowly, Alex's nonexistent breathing begins to intensify. She gasps for air, and her eyes flutter open to see Michelle's tearful ones.
"Michelle…" Uranus whispers, her voice still weak, as she struggles to raise her hand to her beloved's cheek. Michelle guides it the rest of the way, kissing her adored cousin's hand caressingly, too overcome to speak. All that needed to be said passes between them silently.
Turning, Alex brings her other hand to Fighter's face, her heart filling with joy in the knowledge that she still had time left, perhaps to spend with him. Still weakened, she feels her strength slowly returning, and along with it, comes her sense of humor.
"I'm glad I didn't die. I was already changing my mind about that promise I forced you to make." Alex's eyes look playfully up at Sayer, who wipes away his tears, feeling a bit shell shocked. But still more alike than either would care to admit, Fighter, too, was always ready to tease back.
"Which one? When I was carrying you around before, you made quite a few interesting requests, Ally. Some I might take you up on later…" His eyebrows raise flirtatiously, as Alex's cheeks flash red, picking up his innuendo's drift.
"What 'requests?' What did I say?" Alex's deep voice grows stronger as she lifts her head to look Fighter in the eye, removing her hand quickly from his cheek, like pulling away from fire as she jumps back up to her own two sturdy feet without any assistance.
"I don't think you really want me to repeat them in mixed company. I'll tell you later when we're alone. By the way, love the new yellow version of you, U. That transformation on my lap was…electrifying, to say the least. Leaves me panting for more action down there." Fighter winks up at her with an unafraid ruffle to her again pristinely pleated satin Sailor skirt yet in his dark leather hand's wolfish reach as he stood and boldly patted her backside familiarly one more time.
Now it was Alex's turn to raise her eyebrows at his overtly amorous wandering thoughts and just as amorous wandering hands. Michelle tries to suppress a giggle, joyous beyond words to see Amara well enough to feud with Sayer again, diffusing the tension rising between the tactile two.
But, just when all seemed right with the world, suddenly an explosion of light breaks through the sky to the east of them, accompanied by a deathly thunderous roar.
The steely-eyed Sailor Soldiers gathered look up, then to each other, knowing full well what they must do as Super Sailor Uranus instantly rises to her tall, now golden yellow uniformed stature.
"Duty calls." Awarding Fighter a gratifying cheek pat, her back to no-nonsense, low voice gives Neptune a nod, and the pair race side by side into the danger ahead on this Earth they had pledged to protect for the sake of the Moon Princess.
"Let's answer it, Fighter." Sailor Star Healer may have been recalcitrant in the past to respond to 'matters concerning earthlings that had nothing to do with their mission,' but his connection with Neptune and friendship with Sailor Moon, not to mention responsibility which came with maturity, had changed Robin Starr's outlook on 'battles at midnight.'
"Then after this, I've got some General ass to kick." Obviously not forgetting, much less forgiving, Commander General Jarrod for nearly killing Uranus, Fighter streaks after Healer's leaping trail following Neptune and Uranus' brave race into the perilous unknown.
"Have I died?"
Terry Starr opens his clouded eyes within the palpitating silence with the apprehensive query. Only to be looking up at the fiery flames which had seemingly been paused around him, fixed in midair, though not a single one was touching Star Maker's wide open, vulnerable form.
"No. I would not let Hades take you...my darling."
Behind him, suspended in the air, was his Susan, aglow, radiant in a purple light as she was extending her silver Garnet Rod out above both their heads.
My angel. Certain he was no longer in the world of the living, Terry reaches out to her, believing she was no more than his cherished vision of a heavenly messenger. "Susan, my love…" Terry smiles up at her, sadly. But meeting her eyes, he finds them oddly and unexpectedly, filled with fear and sorrow, neither of which belied an afterlife touched dream.
"Hurry. Time is short. Leave this place, I could not stop the dragon, only Time. You must leave now, please!" Super Sailor Pluto's voice commands, she feared for his safety and nothing else anymore.
But Maker did not comprehend her words. After all, even if she had halted time, there was no hope for the two of them alone against the power of such a beast when they return to the present. So he calls out to her. "Pluto! Come! We'll retreat this area and return with the others!" He didn't understand why she remained hovering in the air, still and unmoving in this previously urgent scenario.
"I cannot. It is Time now. Farewell, my Darling." She whispers, floating down to him. Raising her Garnet Rod, Pluto prepares to teleport him away. Extrapolating this about to occur, quick thinking Star Maker quickly envelops Sailor Pluto in his arms as Time resumes its course.
The black dragon's searing flames encompassing where they stood a moment before had faded, and Maker, with Pluto wrapped in his arms, reappears not too far away, hidden amongst a grove of trees in the darkness.
Hearing the monster's thunderous footsteps, knowing that soon they would be found, Sailor Star Maker pulls at Pluto for an escape, but finds the soft touch of her body different from that he remembered so well, indefinably changing. Looking down, he sees his beloved Susan's diaphanous legs, gossamer arms and transparent torso beginning to fade away.
"Susan? What is happening?" He whispers, looking into her magenta eyes, kneeling with her filmy figure to the ground, thoroughly confused.
"I have used my forbidden power, Maker. I am prepared to accept Time's punishment now." She says solemnly in a small voice, just meeting his eyes.
"Punishment?" Terry's heart fills with dread at the way this quiet, dutiful female was so very final as she was certain and resolute.
"I can no longer be…a part of this world. Only my own. I'll be fine, as long as you're safe." A single tear falls down Susan's cheek as she touches his face caressingly, her hand ghostly.
"Susan…" Terry's low voice trembles. "Why did you…?" Overcome, Sailor Star Maker's stunning wisteria eyes fill with painful tears. "…Don't leave me."
"Remember our song. And that I will love you…through eternity…" Her body disappears from his strong arms, with the memories of the short times they shared together now part of her soul forever.
Susan de Venici gazes up into Terry Starr's eyes once more. And as this lush, green world she had been privileged to enjoy for just a season begins to fade away, she had but one regret.
A painfully important one to her lonely soul.
"I was wrong. I should have let you say it…Terry! I need to hear you say it…before I go…" The lamentation of incorrect choices rests upon her heart, knowing there was no going back a second time for her, once the curtain was drawn.
But seeing the purity of love in his crystal jewel eyes, Susan's voice, which was fading into whispers in these final stages, with her body all but gone, cries out urgently.
And all at once the brilliant heart within Terry understood her request, her desire, her need perfectly clear.
"Susan, I love you!" His deep voice was filled with passion and emotion for the woman slipping away in his arms, his need to say it was as great as hers was to hear it. Unsure if his words made it to her in time though, Star Maker could almost see the faint trace of a smile upon Sailor Pluto's sweet lips which a single teardrop had touched, affirming she had.
For taken from his arms, the forgotten Sailor Soldier of duty was returned to the lonely world demanded of her, where Time was her only companion.
"No…" He whispers softly, his arms now empty. "NO!" Sailor Star Maker screams in agony, tears falling freely, despair, hopelessness, and anger at the one responsible for his loss, welling up in his vengeful soul.
Terry rises to his feet, a low rumble escaping his throat, every bit as threatening as the dragon's roars behind him. Turning towards the danger, blinded by anger and vengeance, Maker rushes straight towards the creature, standing directly in its path, the fate of neither his body nor soul important to him after losing the most precious piece of his heart.
Star Maker, unshaken, looks up, a murderous intent in his violet eyes.
"STAR RAGING UTERUS!" Star Maker cries out, as never before, his star power at the full killing setting. But instead of ineffectively blasting the shadow monster this time, the intelligent star soldier had learned from past experience, and the broiling acid shoots past the creature.
It strikes its intended invisible target squarely, and the man controlling the dragon falls to the ground with a mighty crash.
"How did you—?!" Nastrus begins to question, his force field obliterated beyond repair by Star Maker's pinpointed acid. Seeing the crazed look in Maker's eyes, the mage realized this was no longer a mere enemy, but one intent on his demise now.
"Dragon destroy!" Fearing for himself, cowardly, Nastrus hides behind the deadly creature which his evil energy had summoned from far beneath the catacombs of Kinmoku. No longer caring of the worthless Royal class, who should bow before him and his great power, Nastrus shakes his lavender hair, wiping his demented hands of these traitorous Starlights, as the dragon launches its ferocious attacks on lone Star Maker...
Racing up to the shadow looming over the parkland, the four gathering Sailor Soldiers had watched Sailor Pluto's heart wrenching fade out, and dissolve into Time's stream nothingness in the distance. They had witnessed the ultimate sacrifice she had made for the man whose usual gentle soul had cried out in despair for the love he just lost and consequently lashed out at the one responsible.
Maker, filled with rage, was doing a bang-up job of attacking the beast and its master on his own, thus far. But it became increasingly more obvious, as the dragon set the forest aflame all around the tall, mahogany haired Starlight, smoking its choking opponent out, that his attempts would be futile if he didn't get backup soon.
His brother Starlight in danger, instinctively, Fighter takes off running into the engulfed with flames park. But he pauses for a moment, when in the corner of his eye he realized the still just recovering, delicate condition of the woman yet catching her newly restored breath. Uranus was charging right into battle, Space Sword slinging at the dragon creature who nearly eviscerated her again. But now she was leaning against a nearby oak tree bough while Neptune ran ahead to try to douse the apparently unquenchable shadow flames with her frantic 'DEEP SUBMERGE!' attempts, Star Healer right at Neptune's side with electro magnetic inferno cover, shielding his heroic partner.
"What are you waiting for!?" Uranus' stern voice yells, frustrated at how weak she felt, but not willing to admit it, as the burning smoke of the backfire was sucking the wind right out of her. "Go get the creature! I'm fine!" She berates as Fighter steadies her recently healed body up with a concerned stare.
"'U…it's too soon!'" He starts to object, having a feeling that freshly knit together veins and tissue should not be so hard pumped and racing or demanded of intense combat in such fierce fighting.
"Let go of me!" The rebellious soldier screams loudly in his ear, not thanking anyone for mollycoddling her. Taken aback by her venom, Star Fighter removes his gloved hand from her as ordered. Defiantly, Uranus stands on her own, her fist reaching to the skies for her planet power. But still weakened, her hand wavers in the air, until Fighter's grasps it, boldly daring to touch Sailor Uranus in a way few others would.
And rather than shelter her or insist she sit this one out or some other macho idiocy, Fighter raises both their arms up high to the sky they both commanded on either side of the earth's hemisphere.
Super Sailor Uranus smiles, feeling his touch's star energy strengthen her in a new and thrilling way as she then prompts him to sink their paired fists to the ground.
"STAR SERIOUS…SHAKING!" Sailor Star Fighter and Super Sailor Uranus' powers touch one another to merge to form a huge, yet precise blast of pale blue encircled in yellow aura. As Fighter kneels to the ground at Uranus' feet with a saucy smirk, his snapped fingers conduct the path of her wind-whipping energy to be sent through the earthen cracks and violently disrupt the ground from beneath the beast's path. Careening laser bolts implode upwards from the ground below with their combined raw energy, the resulted kicked up sediment dirt, exploded rocks and gravel hit the dragon hard in its underbelly, as it lets out a mighty indignant roar at the unorthodox sneak assault.
But at least Uranus and Fighter's joint attack got the creature to turn away from a cornered Maker with just enough time for Terry to leap away.
"I wondered when the rest of "Your Royal Highnesses" would grace us with your defector presences." Nastrus shouts in disgust, appearing behind Fighter and Uranus, with a newly formed staff raised over them, about to strike. Coming right out of their perhaps distracting, but not successful attack on the dragon beast, a noxious black, blinding smoke was directed at them now, and neither was ready for this surprise from behind.
"I see Jarrod did not finish off the job." His scepter sizzles with magical energy, as Nastrus swings it at them both from the vulnerable rear, bringing its deadly pulse down for the double kill—
SMASH!
A metal bow staff, electrified with its own energy blocks the unforgiving blow.
"That's COMMANDER GENERAL Jarrod to you, Nastrus." Jarrod's no nonsense voice echoes across the battle field. "You've misled my mind with your evil ambitions; my jealousy made me weak. No longer. I will not allow you to harm these just people." The finest warrior on the planet of Janus strikes out at Nastrus, blow by powerful blow, knocking the coward to the ground.
"Traitor as well, Jarrod! What would Queen Fireball say?" Nastrus taunts, knowing his current adversary's mindset well and how to manipulate this military man.
"She would say I was blindly wrong, Magician. And that you are a blackheart!" Jarrod smashes his javelin to the ground, inches from Nastrus' head, intending it as a threat, not a death blow, or he would not have missed. Nastrus laughs as he simply teleports away.
"Losing your touch, Old Timer."
"My touch, perhaps, but no longer my principles!" Jarrod turns to the two Sailors standing behind him. "Forgive my foolhardy jealousies, young Soldier. I should have been man enough to realize I ought to have no hand in your affairs, I was the one blindly wrong." Coming from such a proud man, it truly meant something to admit his inadequacies to another.
Finding it easy to fight enemies one on one, but hard to forgive them when they attack someone dear, Sailor Star Fighter narrows his eyes at the military man before him.
Jarrod then turns his gaze to Uranus. "I have never encountered a warrior as well matched to myself as you, Sailor of the Planet Uranus." He bows down at her booted feet, subserviently, taking her hand in his, like a servant to a queen. "No, I am wrong again. You are far better, for you have a greater heart."
Super Sailor Uranus exchanges a look with Fighter, who sighs. Sayer swallows his injured pride and puts his gloved hand up on Jarrod's tall shoulder.
"Hey, I've got a brother to save and a dragon to slay. I wouldn't mind the "two greatest warriors" in the galaxy at my side." Star Fighter offers his infamous smile to Jarrod and Uranus both as he sprints off towards the blazing inferno surrounding Star Maker, who had courageously reentered the fray, with Star Healer and Neptune backing him up.
Glancing at each other, willing to let heat of battle bygones be bygones, Super Sailor Uranus and Commander General Jarrod follow Fighter, racing as allies now, side by side into the raging battle.
"NEPTUNE DEEP SUBMERGE!" An ocean of water sweeps over the flames, dousing them, steam rising from the hot tar, as Super Sailor Neptune and Sailor Star Healer were back to back fighting at the heart of the mêlée.
"STAR SENSITIVE INFERNO!" Sailor Star Healer aims some cold fire of his own at the dragon towering over them. "What kind of creature is this?" Healer asks in astonishment when his attack takes no effect on it whatsoever, his slender arms waltzing his aqua mademoiselle out of the dragon's angered, putrid fire breath just in the nick of time.
"STAR SENSITIVE…SPLASH EDGE!" As one perfectly joined fighting unit, Sailor Star Healer and Super Sailor Neptune, their souls hearing one another, hold back the monster with a mint green and aquamarine power merged water and electromagnetic surged attack. While they were running interference, Fighter dashes to Maker's fallen form, helping his brother to his feet, but there were severe burns scarring the exposed parts of the Starlight's distressed PVC leather covered body.
"Shall we find out, dearest?" Pulling up a shield of water to protect them from the searing flames engulfing, Super Sailor Neptune calls over her shoulder to Healer. Her mirrored talisman then appears in her clairvoyant hands as she trusts Healer to block another round of incoming flames with inferno matching fire. To do so, his thigh high heel gracefully rides her intuitive ocean waves for the best vantage, in remarkable fluid minds' unison.
Watching the pair as she approaches, Uranus couldn't help but note how cohesive Neptune and Star Healer were as a fighting unit, relying wordlessly on one another in the heat of fierce battle.
A lot like Michelle and I…Impressive in such a short time of knowing one another, Shrimp…
"NEPTUNE SUBMARINE REFLECTION!" The power of the mirror's reflection shines, revealing the true nature of its evil. The monstrous dragon for a moment reflected in Sailor Neptune's truth seeking talisman, flickers back into the small statue with only the jeweled ruby on its stone belly glimmering.
"That's why it was so disturbed before by your combined attack with Uranus, Fighter! Hit its underside!" Sailor Star Maker's voice calls, realizing the ruby on the creature must be its power source. Badly burned in body and terribly disheartened in spirit for Susan's loss, Maker summons up whatever energy he possessed to shoot at this conjured shadow dragon's deduced weak point.
"STAR GENTLE UTERUS!" Sailor Star Maker's deep voice shouts furiously, his precise strike causing the creature to shriek back in pain. Falling from his perch overhead in a tree, Nastrus cries out simultaneously, for his wicked summoning of the forbidden legend had linked him to the evil creature.
"Stop! He's connected to the dragon!" Compassionate soul Sailor Neptune runs to the enemy's aid, believing the alien young man simply must have been possessed and tempted by the dark forces binding the dragon long ago. And she was right, Nastrus was possessed—
Possessed by the promise of power.
Rising to his feet, Nastrus shoves the soft-hearted female away from him. But the energy field he throws up knocks Michelle to the ground and captures her within it. Both Alex and Robin run to retrieve her, but the pulsating flux surrounding the magician again repels them both.
"NEPTUNE!"
"Let her go, Nastrus! Or I swear I will annihilate you—" The real anger rising in Sailor Star Healer's flashing lime green eyes threatening would have been frightening to anyone save for this young man who had chaos madness running rampant in his darkened heart.
"You? The weakest link who cares for nothing but your own good looks, annihilate me?! Ha! And the other a sad excuse for a star soldier, always looking towards earth as though someone more special than our revered Princess Fireball exists here? I am tired of being trodden upon by the inferior! I will destroy this worthless planet you three traitors treasure so. For always thinking you were smarter than me, Teacher, I will show you who holds the more intelligence!" He was spouting grievances on the three Starlights while floating up in his energy ball, which still held Neptune imprisoned inside. That is, until it dissolves on the wicked dragon's back, where Nastrus touches his hand to its ruby heart.
"You and I are now one!" Stepping over Neptune's semi-conscious, groaning form, also unwittingly now on the dragon's neck, like she was nothing, Nastrus' human form walks straight into the huge ruby, his body dissolving as he merges with the creature. Strange, demented laughter comes from the monster's sharp-fanged mouth, laser fire now charging to shoot from its crimson eyes as it lowers its head to the ground in order to first raze the despised Sailor Soldiers there with its razor sharp teeth.
Running from out of nowhere, quiet and unnoticed little Evelyna, in conjunction with Healer's psychic command, had nimbly crept up the dragon's tail while Star Healer was distracting the villain. The young Healer girl takes this prompted opportunity to bravely rush right onto the dragon's neck from behind, pulling Neptune out of danger as they both escape to the ground, unharmed in Star Healer's leapt up arms.
"I've got you, Michelle." Robin's voice was as soft as his again soft mint green eyes were only for her.
Neptune awakens with a smile to Sailor Star Healer's protective, caring embrace, both giving Evelyna a grateful nod for her role in the daring rescue.
Star Fighter then comes charging the dragon's vicious head in rapid fire, slick basketball player bounds, armed with Jarrod's borrowed bo-staff. While Commander Jarrod barrels in with a mace type weapon, the two of them fend off the dragon's snapping teeth as Uranus, Healer, and a recovered Neptune aim their energy attacks to block the incoming electro bolts streaming from its eyes.
Despite the burns all over his body, despite his power being drained, in spite of the pain in his heart, Maker struggles on. Pooling the energy fueled by his anger, impassioned by his love, Star Maker directs his power to the creature's ruby heart once again.
"STAR—!" He starts to call, all gentleness in him waning like the hidden moon, Terry was fully prepared to destroy what had taken away so much from him.
For you, Susan.
But suddenly the dragon falls back, convulsing on its own, inexplicably. It was all the Sailor Guardians could do to keep out of the way of its swishing tail and thrashing blows as it bodily descends to the earth, screeching in agony.
"Help Me!" They could hear Nastrus' pompous voice now grow terrified and small. "Such evil! Such evil! I can't control it! I CAN'T—! AHHHHH!" His voice in its final death throes was a painful reminder of how unchecked power corrupts, how unbridled evil power destroys.
Now rid of the human nuisance, the dragon rises up from the ashes with an evil wickedness glowing in its eyes, proof of its reestablished powers that promised to be as relentless as it was, according to legend, damning.
"URANUS SPACE SWORD BLASTER!"
"NEPTUNE SUBMARINE REFLECTION!"
"STAR SERIOUS LASER!"
"STAR GENTLE UTERUS!"
"STAR SENSITIVE INFERNO!"
Even after the five Sailor Soldiers had unleashed all of their powers in succession, the cursed dark shadow dragon seemed unaffected. Left panting and drained of all their energy, yet fighting with all they had in them, the Sailor Soldiers gathered prepare themselves for the struggle of their lives in order to protect the innocents of this world—of any world.
This, their one true mission as chosen Sailor Guardians of the cosmos, even if it meant their deaths.
The dragon roars ferociously, filled with the evil spirits of time immemorial that foolish Nastrus had unlocked in his insanity. And that pure evil was ready to take its vengeance upon this living world until it, too, was dead.
Suddenly a reddish light envelops them all from above.
Screaming, shrieking, roaring, the dragon writhes on the ground, thrashing to and fro as if trying to resist a power even greater than itself. In a bright blinding flash, the huge Shadow Dragon disappears. In its place, cracked and broken, though its red ruby still untouched, laid the innocent looking statue—all that remained of the fiery creature, and the poor misguided soul that had foolishly become part of it.
Standing there, all blinking in shock, Jarrod, Evelyna and the five Soldiers look up at the empty battlefield before them—their enemy mysteriously had been vanquished for them. All at once a familiar scent wafts to them on the wind and suddenly, appearing in all her beauty and splendor, the Princess Fireball drifts from the night sky to stand before them, aglow in that crimson light.
"Nice entrance, 'Ball." Fighter winks playfully, aiming his finger at his royal "sister."
"Always ready with a witticism, my Fighter? I'm pleased you are back to your old self again." Fireball caresses his cheek lovingly, her eyes locking with Uranus for a second, and the two women respectfully nod to each other.
"Healer, I see your charge has blossomed into a fine soldier. I would ask you to watch over this for me, Evelyna, for it has been the responsibility of my ancient ancestors to guard over this evil." The statue of the ebony dragon rises to Fireball's outstretched hands, its evil sealed once again as the ancients on Kinmoku did long ago.
"And I will permanently entrust it to your care, if you still would like to be a soldier in my army on Janus." Wise Fireball gives to the young girl the decision to make for herself.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I would be honored. Now that I have the perfect model of a beautiful souled female soldier to look up to." Evelyna smiles sweetly at Michelle, whose heart fills with pride at the compliment.
"That's sweet of you to say." Super Sailor Neptune smiles coyly, claiming Sailor Star Healer's hand proudly in hers as Robin squeezes his hand in hers back.
Seeing this deep connection, Queen Fireball lifts their coupled hands to the light. "The joining of our galaxies. How fitting." She smiles at the symbolism between her half responsibility of the outer cosmos and that of the Moon Princess, who ruled the inner cosmos, with reformed Sailor Galaxia the guardian of the entire universe overlooking them all. "Keep your love shining." Fireball says to Robin, a tear in her eye at the loss she intuitively recognized of her dear Healer. But it was a tear of joy now, finding his bond with Sailor Neptune so incredibly strong in such a short period of time.
"So sad, Maker…" Fireball then moves to her third Starlight protector, the mature, responsible one whom she naturally worried the least about. The long, dual looped pigtail princess who had become a queen brushes a mussed hair from Sailor Star Maker's eyes. "Don't let it stay like this for long." She tries to comfort the young genius. In watching over her beloveds from afar, Fireball had become aware of the source of his sorrows.
"Commander Jarrod." The new Queen pf Janus turns to the leader of her army, her calm, composed countenance, her moderate voice, masking her emotions. Jarrod falls to his knees, speechless, his eyes closed in deference to his queen, not knowing how else to explain his unforgivable behavior. I could never stand between you and your happiness. He remembers moments ago how she had touched the boy's face caressingly, reinforcing his thoughts; that were no longer jealous, just now hopeless and defeated.
"I am glad things turned out as they did. I would not have liked to have lost my finest warrior." Thinking she was speaking of Star Fighter, Jarrod nods respectfully, seeing the boy's worth in battle firsthand, though Jarrod still kept his eyes respectfully down.
"Your Majesty, forgive my countless mistakes. If it is the boy you desired, I should never have meddled in your private affairs." He begs the forgiveness of the woman he was in love with. And Fireball's eyes were now open for the first time, at the source of his standoffish behavior with her, causing the young red-headed monarch to smile with a blush.
"I was speaking of you, Commander. You, who are my finest warrior." She takes his hands, pulling him to his feet. Standing, towering over her dainty form, Jarrod brings his eyes to meet hers, finding something quite extraordinary in them, hope warming his cold heart.
"All this trouble—just for me?" She whispers. "I am flattered." Queen Fireball of Janus smiles timidly at her general.
"Well—I…" For once, this serious man stumbles over his words, a sweet shyness coming across his stern features, making him even more handsome in Fireball's smitten eyes.
"Not too bad, old man." Fighter pokes Jarrod in the ribs, obviously still smarting from the older man calling him a 'boy.'
"Fighter—your manners." Fireball reprimands her youngest charge. The youngest, yet he was also growing up—and leaving home. She looks at Uranus again, the golden-haired woman, standing bruised and a little piqued. But still there was an attractive defiance about her Fireball could not deny.
Yes, I believe she can handle my wild one. Fireball gazes at Uranus with approbation. "Take care of him, my dear." She smiles as she signals to Evelyna and Jarrod and they gather into her osmanthus scented energy field. "Goodbye, my loves." Queen Fireball whispers with tears forming in her eyes, knowing this was truly 'goodbye,' waving to her Starlights from her own energy bubble, which floats away into the dark night sky as Fireball and Jarrod gaze into each other's eyes.
"Why does every woman in the galaxy ask me to take care of you?!" Uranus asks indignantly as they disappear from sight. Shrugging his shoulders, Fighter suddenly notices something amiss.
"Where's Terry?" He asks worriedly.
Scanning the battered park lands, four pairs of eyes finally rest on Maker's still form, kneeling to the ground where he had last held Susan in his arms, glistening eyes down to ground in agony. Rushing to him, the group of soldiers understood what was exactly on Maker's tormented mind.
"Why did I let her go?" Sailor Star Maker asks the stars, tears in his wisteria lilac eyes. "This solitary realm she spoke of, which I didn't first comprehend—what could it be? Where is it?" The Starlight which held Terry Starr's spirit looks pleadingly up at Neptune and Uranus when they approach.
"The Doorway of Time. She used the power forbidden to her. Time forgave her once—to care for and raise Tara. It won't be so kind again." Sadly, Uranus also remembers that time Pluto had sacrificed herself for her two Outer Scout partners. Alex sighs, knowing neither she nor Neptune would be here right now if not for that unselfish soldier.
"How do I get there?" Maker stands tall, a determined look in his eye to cross whatever distance it took to get there, despite her ominous words.
"There's no way you can! No matter how much we wish it, only Sailor Pluto is allowed in…" Neptune starts to explain just as forlornly, when Uranus cuts her off with a halting hand.
"The child." The golden haired and now golden yellow Sailor uniformed Guardian of Uranus says simply, filling Terry's distraught soul with hope. "The Princess' child has a key to the Doorway as well."
"'The Princess' child'!?" Fighter asks, disbelieving his ears. "Do you mean 'Meatball?'"
"YES, your 'Meatball' is a mother." Uranus rolls her eyes with a knowing smirk at the philandering wolf, then turns back to Maker. "The little pink rabbit you met at the wedding, posing as her 'little sister?' It's just a ruse. Rini is their daughter from the future."
"Take me to her, please." Maker questions nothing, only asking Neptune and Uranus to lead him to the little girl. The Sailor Guardian women nod, understanding his feelings, though still uncertain he could do anything about it.
"Let's go." Super Sailor Neptune takes the lead off towards Serena's house, with Maker and Healer at her sides. About to sprint off after them, Uranus suddenly feels dizziness coming over her, the night's immediate, tough battle proving too much just to sweep aside after her serious, near death injury's recovery. And embarrassingly, she wavers in her stance.
Uranus' spiritual soul was determined, but her physical body was threatening to faint.
"Whoa! Ally!" Sensing this, Star Fighter races to her rescue, impulsively lifting the dizzied soldier up in strong arms.
"What are you doing, you fool?! I don't need you to carry me!" She tries to gain control of her senses, attempting to pull out of his firm grasp and stand on her own two feet.
"Yes—you—do!" Argumentative Fighter begs to differ, twisting his cute lip down right in her displeased face.
"No—I—don't!" Uranus wouldn't give up without a fight with this equally stubborn Fighter.
"Yes—you—do!" But he squeezes her body to his tighter, not taking no for an answer.
"No—I—" Their frenetic arguing adds to her dizziness, and Alex's overtaxed, newly repaired innards just could not hold out any longer, despite her spirited denials.
Until finally, Uranus does indeed faint, her head falling peacefully to Fighter's chest.
"See. I told you so." Smirking smugly, Sailor Star Fighter races off after his teammates to catch up, the unconscious Super Sailor Uranus lying comfortably in his wiry arms. Sayer won the battle this time, but, knowing Alex, it was definitely not something he should become too accustomed to.
After getting the wedding reception and all the niceties in meeting with family and friends behind them, Mr. and Mrs. Hart had returned home late, exhausted and happy to find the house quiet and at peace.
Peeking in their respective rooms, Irene Hart gazes down lovingly at her two pink-haired cherubs within. She was unaware they belonged to her just-married daughter and son-in-law, albeit far into the future, making them, in reality, her grandchildren. But at this present moment, Irene was blissfully ignorant of this fact as the indigo haired woman blows a motherly kiss to her growing son in his own messy bedroom she looks in next.
Going back to the girls room, she tucks in little RiRi, wiping the lingering chocolate from her chubby cheeks, then pulls the covers up over Rini and Tara, who were bunking together.
Sweet girl, that Tara. Mrs. Hart strokes her delicate head, really not knowing much about the child, save that she was motherless and that her father was continually on important business somewhere in Switzerland. I'm glad my Rini can be a good friend to you. She smiles at the two girls' slumbering forms. Turning off the light, Serena's Mom leaves the room.
"Good night, my dears." She whispers, closing the door behind her as she does.
The minute she does, Rini's one eye pops open mischievously. "Told you we could fool her." Rini giggles, whipping out potato chips, cookies, and magazines not quite appropriate for their young eyes, plus a handy flashlight from under the pillow.
"Is it right to do this, Rini? Maybe we should really go to sleep…" Placid Tara Tomoe was raised an obedient child. Unlike Rini, as you can imagine from her parentage, who was not necessarily unruly—simply naughty and playful.
"Come on! Sleepovers are supposed to be fun! Oooooh, look at this guy? Isn't he hunky?" Growing older for Rini also meant growing more and more interested in boys. It was all just in fun though, for her little heart already belonged to a certain golden-horned young man from an Elysian dream world.
"Where did you get these, Rini?" Tara asks curiously as the pink haired imp leafs through the Go Teen Magazines aimed at teenage girls with fluttering hearts.
"Oh, I found them under Serena's bed when we were packing her stuff before." Rini says nonchalantly, chomping on a cookie, crumbs falling everywhere.
"What did she say when you took them?" Tara whispers, picking one up to join her friend's messy 'fun.'
"I didn't tell her." Rini giggles mysteriously, then stops at a particular poster page. "Hey! Look, it's—" She starts, holding it out for Tara to see, not expecting her friend to violently rip the magazine from her hands.
"…Terry!" Tara excitedly exclaims, holding the poster up in the air, her heart aflutter at his handsome Three Lights' suit and tie.
"Lemme see! Lemme see!" Rini grabs it nosily, anxious to see anything of her "Terry-Papa" in the past. Turning the page, she sees Robin in his blue suit to match, and dismisses it, as she quickly turns the page again and frowns. "Where's the other one? They always come in threes. See: 'THREE Lights.'" Rini points back at Terry's picture's inscription as Tara takes the book back, studying it intently.
"I think it's already been ripped out." Tara answers Rini's question vaguely, gazing at her poster of Terry again. The young girl in love hugs it to her chest, like a long-lost treasure.
"Why would Serena rip HIS out, and not the others?!" Still steaming over Sayer Starr's missing photogravure, Rini's lip twists at the damning evidence against her future mother.
"Maybe because she has stellar taste." Suddenly from out of nowhere, a husky, smooth voice in close proximity surprises the pair of vulnerable girls from somewhere in the darkness. The two girls tucked in their bed were about to let off terrified screams.
But they are stopped by two other figures easily hopping through the open window, covering Rini and Tara's shocked open mouths.
"Why did you do that, you idiot? Don't you know you'd scare them like that?!" One raspy whispered voice yells back at the first who spoke. Thinking they were under attack, Rini does what her Daddy taught his good little soldier to do to the whispering kidnapper holding her mouth shut.
She bites down hard.
"AHHH—!" Sailor Star Healer almost screams in bitten pain, but holds the muffled sound back through gritted teeth, as his aqua beauty partner holding Tara's mouth beside him, stifles a giggle.
Recognizing that sound, Rini fumbles for her flashlight, shining it directly in her attacker's eyes.
"Oh. Just you guys. Sorry." Her apology didn't sound very apologetic. "What's happened?" Way mature when it came to the seriousness of battle for her age, Mini Moon's voice becomes fearful when she sees Sailor Star Fighter holding an unconscious Uranus as he finishes squeezing into the window.
"She fainted in my arms. Cool, huh?" He smiles at the pink-haired imp whom Sayer had been told was Bunhead's little brat. Rini rolls her eyes at him, with a sigh. As immature as ever, she thinks to herself, of this irreverent excuse for a Sailor Soldier her own papa, Darien never took to.
"There was a battle, Rini. Uranus was seriously wounded. But she's all right now, just weak." Super Sailor Neptune brushes her partner's hair back from her sleeping eyes.
Recognizing the third Starlight as the man she knew as Terry Starr, Tara instinctively rushes to him.
"You're hurt, too!" She whispers, concerned for Sailor Star Maker, as he enters through the window, as well. "Here, let me." She touches Maker's skin where the dragon's flames had left burnt welts.
And the burns disappear and heal when this special Soldier of Rebirth devotes her energy for him.
"It's nothing." Star Maker's male attitude was still trapped inside his female body as he brushes her off, turning to Rini, the one he had urgently come to see.
"Miss Rini, you may not know who I am, but I am asking you—no, I am begging of you—a favor." His voice was very serious, and Rini nods her head at Star Maker solemnly. "I am told you have in your possession a key to which you can traverse to the Doorway of Time. Please, may I have it?" Maker's voice was breathy, filled with pure emotion.
"Oh, I—" Rini pauses, uncertain how to respond. She would gladly give this honorable, upright Sailor Soldier anything, anytime, anywhere, trusting him implicitly. But it wasn't only her teacher Pluto, in the future, whom she swore to never impart the key to anyone—anyone at all.
"Please, child. Susan—Sailor Pluto—had exchanged her freedom from this Doorway for my life. I must do all in my power to release her from it." Sailor Star Maker pleads with the young twelve year old girl—his fate and his future, depending on her answer.
At the mention of Pluto's name, Rini begins to worry for her sweet guardian. But isn't this exactly what you warned me against, Puu? If I give the key to Terry-papa, the future might change. I wasn't here the last time to give it to him in the first place…was I? But if I don't give it to him now, everything might change, too! Puu! What do I do!? I wish Serena was here. And Darien, too. They would know what to do... My first command decision on my own. And I have to decide your fate, my beloved Puu... What do I do?! Fearing a time loop paradox, Rini confusedly looks into Star Maker's clear purple eyes.
Eyes which were filled with love and concern for her adored Puu, and in a few seconds, Rini's choice was made. Reaching down to the chain strung around her neck, Rini tugs at it hard, breaking the secured clasps keeping it firmly in place.
"Terry-papa…" Rini whispers as she hands over the powerful little object, forgetting her time and place, only knowing she would trust this brave soldier, of all people, with the future.
"Thank you." Maker was grateful as he turns to the window, the key of Time gripped firmly in his gloved hand.
"Terry, wait!" Tara suddenly breaks her silence, putting her hand on his arm. Her kind soul was already filled with remorse for saying those terrible things to sweet Susan. And now, Tara's heart feels itself about to break open, hearing of her Sailor partner's unselfish sacrifice. She was sent here to earth, just to care for me, and I was so cruel to her. The fact that she may never see Pluto again, to never have the chance to say she was sorry, cuts deep into Saturn's sorrowful little soul. Still seeing the intent look in Terry's eyes, Tara knew that he was in love with Susan, and she must accept it.
I'm glad, Susan. Truly, I'm glad for you. I've been so selfish. Tears fall down her cheeks, at her unforgivable behavior towards her gentle guardian. Then Tara continues on in a whisper.
"Please bring her back." Her purple eyes look up hopefully into Maker's.
Lightly, he touches her pale, thin hand. "I will." Maker says confidently, purposefully, looking out into the stars. "No matter what it takes." In a flash, he jumps out the window into the dark, indeterminate night, with nothing but a small key and the light of love shining in his heart to guide his path.
"Hey! Who was that!? Who are all of you!? Rini!" Sammy's quizzical voice comes from his spying hole near the top of the stairwell. Looking at each other, the Sailor Soldiers gathered exchange guilty "found-out" glances.
"Oh, what the hell. He's Meatball's kid brother, isn't he?" Fighter smiles, ready to spill all, now that they'd been spied out.
"He'd probably find out sooner or later anyway…" Neptune looks to Healer, who shrugs his shoulders. Not appreciating these strangely dressed Sailors—they were obviously Sailor Soldiers, Sammy was an expert due to playing all those Sailor V video games—continue to talk as if he wasn't there. But Sammy Hart butts in, wondering what they were all doing in his house, with a thousand questions to the conversation he just overheard.
"Find out what? Rini!?" Sammy shouts at his would-be 'sister.'
"What do you say, Luna? Should I tell him?" Rini looks to the Guardian Cat who'd been silent up to now, soaking it all in, for some guidance in this serious matter.
"I suppose we can trust Serena's brother. I've known him these many years and he's a trustworthy lad—well, sometimes. More so at least than Serena herself, so that's saying something." Luna scoffs at her recollections of Serena's past irresponsible behavior as Sammy's eyes bulge out of his head upon hearing his sister's dumb cat, Luna, speaking.
Sighing, Rini pats the bed next to her.
"You'd better sit down, Sammy. It's a long, long story." She says, as the rest of the soldiers rudely take their exit without a word, leaving Rini and Tara holding the bag to explain just what secrets they've been holding back from this nosy young boy.
Maker races through the deserted streets, his heart beating wildly. Can I save her? No, I mustn't even think of failing! I will save her! I must!
When he returns to the spot where he last held Pluto, Sailor Star Maker holds the Time Key up to the dark sky and, silently praying for it to work, he cries, "Doorway of Time, open for me!"
In front of him, the lavender mists swirl and part to reveal a huge door with columns, which the Starlight promptly flings open. As he steps inside, everything disappears. All he sees are clouds, mists and darkness.
Those beautiful Maker eyes scan the area for her, but he could see nothing. As Terry walks deeper into the fog, he suddenly hears her voice, and his heart jumps with relief and longing. He starts to smile, but then finds himself abruptly defending himself from a fierce blow of her Garnet Rod.
"WHO GOES THERE?!"
Shocked, Star Maker keeps dodging the attacks, not wanting to hurt her—How could I? I can never harm my beloved lady?! Finally, after he manages to escape from the Time Guardian again, he calls her name, "Susan!"
The tall female stops and seems to suddenly see him, as if for the first time through the pervasive mists.
"Terry...?" Sailor Pluto whispers in disbelief, for she could not think it him, here in this desolate place.
"Yes." He says with relief, "Yes, it's me," and he steps closer to her. Her long, dark green hair unmoving in the stagnant air, Pluto then throws down her Rod and runs into his arms. He holds her close protectively and buries his face in her hair. Feeling her warm tears on his neck, Maker caresses her face. After many desperate caresses, it was Pluto breaks the joyful silence first.
"How did you find me? Why did you come here!?" Her questions spill out all at once, even as she was still held tenderly in his arms. He holds her face up to see his.
"Because I love you. For you I would do anything. Anything. I would give everything I have for you. Nothing in this universe can keep me from you." As his words sink in, Susan feels her eyes fill with new tears.
How I love you! But there is nothing to be done. Nothing...
Now that she had used her forbidden power, she must forever remain in the Doorway. Her solitary life was overwhelming to her now, especially that she had finally experienced true love after two thousand lonely, empty years here in this doorway, with only a few short seasons spent outside it.
Susan hears Terry's deep voice murmuring something to her as she snaps out of her reverie.
"It will be all right, Susan. I'll take care of you. No matter what, I'll protect you. But you have to let me do what I must. Do you understand?"
She barely hears him, so lost she felt. But Susan did trust him—trusted him with her life, her soul, her heart. So Pluto nods and he kisses her desperately, passionately one more time.
If this is a dream, I never wish to awaken. But then, he lets go and she feels his warm arms leave her. All alone again, Susan felt frightened as Terry steps forward, away from her.
Sailor Star Maker picks up Pluto's dropped Garnet Rod and turns back towards her. Super Sailor Pluto greedily soaks up his beautiful warm smile. That one he gives only to me, as he holds the talisman staff out to her. She takes it questioningly, but trusted him, so she says not a word. Maker chooses his next words to her carefully, so she could not think what he was going to do, yet still be able to understand him fully when it was necessary.
"You'll need this to protect yourself now." He says as their hands brush for what he hypothesizes would be the last time.
Believing he only meant she would have to watch out for him and her both at this time, though she didn't know against what, Pluto obeys Star Maker completely and remains where she stands, nodding.
That's when Sailor Star Maker turns away and calls out in a deep, purposeful voice.
"Mists of Time, answer my plea!" Immediately, upon hearing his command, Susan feels a chill. Surprised by his words, she longed to run to him, but checks herself. Instead, The solitary female hears a ghostly, yet deep voice—or was it many voices? And high? Or is it low? She could not tell anymore, it only seemed to be everywhere and every time all at once. Though she had been here in the Doorway for most of her existence, Puto still feels smothered by it and wonders how her ibeloved could bear it. Susan wants him to hold her, reassure her and caress her, yet she could only stand still, lost in the voices. Though she had been here for over a millennia or two, Sailor Pluto had never heard them before and feels paralyzed, so in tune with time as she was.
Terry was surprised at first, but does not reveal it, so used to strange things, he always remained calm. Standing his ground as the voice booms angrily, "WHO DARES CALL FOR TIME ITSELF?!" Terry feels this wasn't going very well.
Holding out his hands in a gesture of peace, he says, "I am Sailor Star Maker, and I wish to ask a favor of you, Great Time. In fact, what I ask may be beneficial to us both. Please grant me the audience with you I request." Maker lowers his head in respect to the invisible force.
Susan doesn't know what to make of all this. Time was not merciful, as she knew firsthand, and her soul trembles, frightened for her love.
"AUDIENCE IS GRANTED, SAILOR OF THE STAR MAKER. STATE YOUR FAVOR AND IT WILL BE JUDGED." The voices bellow. Terry takes a deep breath and, undaunted, begins.
"Great Time, I have come to offer my services as the Keeper of Time, in exchange for that of this woman before you. It was I for whom she used her forbidden power and was so punished. She saved my life in exchange for her freedom. And thus, I request that I be taken in her place for the sake of justice and truth."
As Pluto gasps and clutches her silent throat, Time pauses for endless seconds at the quandary presented by this audacious newcomer.
"YOUR REQUEST HAS BEEN HEARD AND ACCEPTED. PREPARE, STAR MAKER."
Sailor Pluto dashes forward. "NO!" She exclaims, "Terry, no don't do this! I don't want you to do this! I'm not worth it. You've never known such solitary imprisonment as I have! Please, you won't survive it. You don't know what you're asking! I won't let you do this for me!" She clings to him, looking up at him beseechingly. "Please don't. I don't want you to exchange places with me." She turns to the cool mists. "Don't allow it, Great Time. Please release him and forgive his impudence. I will serve you forever faithfully and gratefully if you just let him go!" she begs. Terry stops her there, and takes her shoulders, gently but firmly.
"Susan, let me do this. I know what I'm doing. Remember your promise." Susan vaguely remembers agreeing to something he had said before. But I didn't know he meant this!
"Terry, no! I can't let you—" He gently presses his fingers to her protesting lips and kisses her forehead tenderly.
"For you, I will give everything." Is all he says. But the way Terry looks at her and the emotion of his voice drives Susan into silence again, tears welling in her lovely eyes. He would do this for me? Susan's heart weeps. Just for me. She couldn't believe that anyone cared for her so much. No one ever has, and now he loves me. Love with such intensity that he was going to give up his life and freedom all for her. She falls to her knees on the cloudy mists and weeps openly, emotion sweeping over her.
Star Maker kneels and takes her in his arms, kissing away the tears on Sailor Pluto's face, then he whispers gently, resigned: "Remember that I will always love you. You are my everything. You are my own Princess." Then he slowly takes her hand and tenderly kisses it, front side and back.
So overcome with grateful awe, a thunderstruck Susan couldn't say anything, only feel. With one last loving look at her, Terry says, "Forgive me for loving you." Then he bravely stands and chokingly speaks. "I am ready."
The mists swirl furiously around him, and Susan watches in shock and sorrow as her beloved Terry is lifted. And the invisible bonds which encircled her wrists since she first had been dealt the lonely title of 'Time guardian,' now fade and re-master themselves as they now clasp around his. Tears streaming down her cheeks, Pluto hears silent Time cordially say, "YOUR REQUEST HAS BEEN AGREED TO, SAILOR OF THE STAR MAKER, WITH ONE PROVISION."
Pluto watches in amazement as the wristbands slowly fade from Maker's now as well, only leaving a misty glow around both of their wrists. Maker feels himself being dropped and lightly hits the ground on his feet, so agile was he. Susan can't help but admire his athleticism and grace immensely, even though he was Star Maker at the moment. She didn't care at all, for she loved him, with all her heart and soul for everything he was.
As she muses this, Time continues on, "THE TWO OF YOU WILL BE FREE TO LIVE YOUR LIVES OUTSIDE OF THE SACRED DOORWAY. YOU WILL BE TOGETHER, SINCE YOU ARE BOTH SO MUCH IN THE HOLD OF LOVE. TIME CANNOT DENY TWO HEARTS THAT ARE AS ONE. BUT IT CAN EXTRACT A PRICE FOR ITS MERCY. TIME REQUIRES YOUR FIRST-BORN AND THE FIRST-BORN OF EACH GENERATION THEREAFTER TO BE BOUND TO THIS DOORWAY AS THE "KEEPER OF TIME." YOU WILL BE FREE OUTSIDE THESE SACRED PRECINCTS, BUT WHEN DANGER TO THE TIMELINE ARISES, YOUR PRESENCE HERE WILL BE REQUIRED AND HERE YOU MUST REMAIN UNTIL THE PROBLEMS ARE MITIGATED BEFORE YOU CAN RETURN TO YOUR NORMAL EXISTENCES. YOUR BONDS HAVE BEEN LOOSENED, THOUGH THEY STILL REMAIN."
Maker and Pluto look down at their arms, seeing the invisible glowing lilac and lavender bonds still there, though transparent, but they could still feel their heaviness. Terry pulls Susan closer to him and wraps his arms protectively around her.
Feeling so safe and happy in his arms, Susan doesn't know what was happening, only that she was secure in the embrace of the man she loved, and that he loved her. Bursting inside, she only closes her eyes and feels him about her, his very soul she touches now, and she knows he could feel hers through this new bond of Time. They were truly one, feeling the strands of Time weaving them together, coursing through their bodies.
Sensing it too, though it was new to him, Terry feels overwhelmed by it, and simply succumbs to the new sensations. Time was incorporating itself into him, becoming him, joining with him, until he could feel every second of Time, and be sensitive to the minute distortions which were now his joint duty with Susan to guard against. Their mission assigned, Time now speaks its parting words to them both.
"TOGETHER YOU ARE MY GUARDIANS, SAILOR STAR MAKER AND SAILOR PLUTO. DO NOT FAIL ME."
Terry suddenly feels himself being transformed back into his normal self before all the danger began, wearing the grey and yellow designer tuxedo he had worn at Serena's wedding—from just a few hours prior, but seeming eons ago. Still holding Susan tightly, he tries to take the brunt of the fall. They land out in the dark street, which he recognized as the one he had started this amazing journey on only minutes earlier.
Terry Starr gets to his feet, gentlemanly helping Susan up to hers. Standing, she flings herself on him, wrapping her arms around his neck as the earthen breezes blow the pair to one another.
"Oh, Terry! You've rescued me! You've set me free! You are so brilliant! You can do anything! I will always believe in you. What I thought could never happen, has come true! All because of you." Here she stops and looks up at him. He seemed happy, though a little sad, she couldn't help but think to herself. "Why do you look so sad, my love?" She asks gently.
He softly removes her hands from his neck and lets them go. "You're free now, Susan. I am so glad I could give you that, at least." Here he pauses.
"It's just that…I understand if you don't want to be with me anymore…And yet, forgive me, I can't face my life without you in it..." He turns away with tears in his eyes. But upon realizing that he just made a pact with Time, he knew he could not leave this galaxy. "I suppose I can't return to Janus anymore, either…so I'll return to the Doorwa—"
But Susan cuts him off, floored by his words. "What are you saying!? Why wouldn't we be together? Don't you still love me,?" She asks, with tears starting to form in her bright eyes, now confused.
"Too much. I love you too much. Forgive me, my lady, for presuming to love you, knowing who I am, what I become…"
Susan, relieved at his words, finally understanding his train of thought, laughs lightly saying, "Do you mean because you are also Sailor Star Maker? Did you think I didn't already know that?"
"I had…foolishly hoped…you had perhaps forgotten." He looks away from her, his traditional morals making him believe he was unfit for his esteemed lady. "Can you forgive me for loving you?" He whispers. She moves forward and takes his face in both her tanned hands.
"Does it bother you that I'm Sailor Pluto?" Susan asks, one eyebrow raised.
"Of course not! Why should that matter at all?" Terry fervently responds to what the intellect deemed an irrelevant question.
"Then, what difference should it make to me that you're also a proud Sailor Soldier?" Susan prods him, in a voice that was gaining confidence with every word.
"A big difference…I change—I become—" Terry, for once, seemed at a loss for words, as he stumbles, looking down, brows furrowed.
"My hero, in any form." Susan smiles, placing a finger on his lips to silence him. "Just kiss me, my Sailor Star Maker..."
Terry's eyes widen at her boldness and her complete acceptance of him—in any form. His smile reaches his eyes as he pulls her closer.
"With pleasure—my own, my Lady, my Princess...my Sailor Pluto." Star Maker cradles her head in his hands softlytas he kisses her gently, longingly—deeply.
His Princess! His own Princess! How much he loves me! I never felt such devotion and care before—I never dreamed I would ever experience such a love! I am his...and he is mine! Mine forever!
Susan's eyes fill with tears and she chokes down a sob, overwhelmed by Terry's adoration and love.
Terry pulls back, concern in his lovely wisteria eyes, as he sees the tears running down her cheeks.
"Tears, my love?" He strokes them away with his capable thumbs caressing her. "I never wished to make you cry..."
She shakes her head, smiling, taking his hands which were yet caressing her face in both of hers, kissing his palms, closing her eyes.
"Tears of joy...my Prince…you have crossed over my lonely solitude to become truly mine in every way now, did you not?" She queries eagerly, truthfully. Then Pluto looks up shyly at him at her bold words, and holds her face up to be kissed. She was his now and she wanted to show it openly. She belonged to him and he to her. They were irrevocably bonded now.
Time had been kind. It had been impressed, maybe even touched? by her beloved's heartfelt words and consequential actions for her in the Doorway.
Terry smiles gently, as they hear the clear ring of church bells beckoning believers to the midnight mass just starting.
The mahogany haired man looks up, then back to Susan. "Shall we attend the service, and give thanks to the One who has bestowed such blessings on us both tonight?"
She smiles again, nuzzling her head on his shoulder, thinking he could not be more perfect.
"Yes, I'd like that very much."
She would be forever grateful that she had been given her dream—that one day her own true love would find her, and rescue her from the lonely existence that once claimed her soul—and her everlasting solitude would be no more.
They kiss in the bright moonlight, and Susan keeps hearing the now glorious strains of love that have finally come into her Eternal song.
As the glorious carillon bells continue to ring, Terry and Susan head, hand in hand, towards the sacred melody, grateful to the Lord for His mercy and goodness shown to anyone who calls upon His name, for the sake of the gift of love He had preordained...