|
rlm@2
|
1 Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon - Infinity Alternate
|
|
rlm@2
|
2 'Eye of the Beholder' - Chapter Four
|
|
rlm@2
|
3 by AmazonessDuo
|
|
rlm@2
|
4 amazonessduo@hotmail.com
|
|
rlm@2
|
5
|
|
rlm@2
|
6
|
|
rlm@2
|
7
|
|
rlm@2
|
8 Tomoe laughed the laugh of a madman, someone who has started to
|
|
rlm@2
|
9 lose grip on reality. The man had lived a harsh, painful life and his
|
|
rlm@2
|
10 sanity had begun to slip years ago. The loss of his wife and near
|
|
rlm@2
|
11 death of his daughter had thrown him over the brink, from a place
|
|
rlm@2
|
12 that he could not recover from in this life. “It appears that they’re
|
|
rlm@2
|
13 already on their way down. But it’s a death sentence for them. They
|
|
rlm@2
|
14 can’t possibly hope to understand what awaits them here. The time is
|
|
rlm@2
|
15 nigh! My entire life has built up to this very moment. All of my work
|
|
rlm@2
|
16 will finally pay off, my dreams will finally come true. The
|
|
rlm@2
|
17 superhuman hybrid I have designed will be hundreds of times stronger,
|
|
rlm@2
|
18 smarter, and faster than any average man. It’s life span will be
|
|
rlm@2
|
19 equally lengthened, making normal humans completely obsolete. Not
|
|
rlm@2
|
20 that they’d survive the planets rebirth as it is.” He shrugged, as if
|
|
rlm@2
|
21 the matter didn’t concern him in slightest. Nor did he notice that he
|
|
rlm@2
|
22 was talking to himself. Again. But then, everyone has their own
|
|
rlm@2
|
23 little quirks. And it was his way of thinking things through. His
|
|
rlm@2
|
24 wife had gently teased him about it in what seemed like a lifetime
|
|
rlm@2
|
25 ago. “I just need to finish a little more research on genetic
|
|
rlm@2
|
26 manipulation and mechanical adaptations and I will be ready to
|
|
rlm@2
|
27 construct a perfect cyborg. The perfect form of life. A hybrid. No
|
|
rlm@2
|
28 one ever understood my genius, but soon my children will flourish.
|
|
rlm@2
|
29 Just as they were meant to. I’ve been given a second chance since the
|
|
rlm@2
|
30 accident. A second chance to prove myself. The first testing wound up
|
|
rlm@2
|
31 being on my own daughter’s body when I had to reconstruct what was
|
|
rlm@2
|
32 left of her after the fire. That was the birth of my dream, to make a
|
|
rlm@2
|
33 perfect being, a superhuman.” He paused for a moment, checking his
|
|
rlm@2
|
34 work as he heard the elevator making it’s way down to him.
|
|
rlm@2
|
35 “Then they came to me, coming from another world. They brought
|
|
rlm@2
|
36 their eggs, another species altogether from humans. One that was
|
|
rlm@2
|
37 highly adaptable. And God chose me to be the one to assimilate our
|
|
rlm@2
|
38 races, to create a superhuman hybrid that took the best of both and
|
|
rlm@2
|
39 increased it a thousand fold.” He adjusted his glasses, double
|
|
rlm@2
|
40 checked his findings, and continued. “I had made a mistake while
|
|
rlm@2
|
41 reconstructing Hotaru. She wouldn’t live after all. But they promised
|
|
rlm@2
|
42 me that she would survive if I utilized one of their eggs along with
|
|
rlm@2
|
43 her cyborg body. And there the egg slept inside my beautiful daughter
|
|
rlm@2
|
44 until the egg finally reached maturity and Mistress 9 became the sole
|
|
rlm@2
|
45 occupant of that body.” He tilted his head to the side thoughtfully.
|
|
rlm@2
|
46 “I’m surprised Hotaru lasted as long as she did.” Shaking his head,
|
|
rlm@2
|
47 he pushed onward. “But I had finally found the chance to use these
|
|
rlm@2
|
48 eggs to further my research. I managed to create beautiful, perfect
|
|
rlm@2
|
49 beings from my tests, leaving them to fulfill their original
|
|
rlm@2
|
50 objectives. The Daimons succeeded quite admirably, even with the
|
|
rlm@2
|
51 Sailor Senshi involved. I won’t regret those failures at all, for
|
|
rlm@2
|
52 they helped me further my knowledge and to create even better things.
|
|
rlm@2
|
53 And when our master’s utilization is complete and he is brought into
|
|
rlm@2
|
54 this world, I will surely survive. And then I can create others like
|
|
rlm@2
|
55 myself, perfect beings to repopulate the earth. I am the god of a new
|
|
rlm@2
|
56 creation, the superhuman.” Again he laughed, a dark, twisted version
|
|
rlm@2
|
57 of the gentle, kind laugh that he once had.
|
|
rlm@2
|
58
|
|
rlm@2
|
59 “Dad..” Hotaru closed her silver eyes sadly.
|
|
rlm@2
|
60
|
|
rlm@2
|
61 The elevator moved slowly. Too slowly, for Setsuna. She was usually
|
|
rlm@2
|
62 much more patient, but she couldn’t help but fear that time was
|
|
rlm@2
|
63 running out. When the night was through, this would all be over. But
|
|
rlm@2
|
64 who would be victorious? Who would survive? And were they already too
|
|
rlm@2
|
65 late to save the princess? Setsuna clutched her Time Staff closer,
|
|
rlm@2
|
66 wishing that she could know the outcome of all this already.
|
|
rlm@2
|
67 Michiru offered a small, reassuring smile to the green haired
|
|
rlm@2
|
68 woman, but it didn’t seem to be of much help. She sighed and crossed
|
|
rlm@2
|
69 her arms. Usagi had finally regained her Super Sailormoon
|
|
rlm@2
|
70 transformation, but she wasn’t sure if that would be enough in the
|
|
rlm@2
|
71 coming battles. And she still had the feeling that she would get in
|
|
rlm@2
|
72 the way. Usagi still wanted to save everyone and that just wasn’t
|
|
rlm@2
|
73 possible. But she was tagging on whether or not she liked the idea,
|
|
rlm@2
|
74 so there really wasn’t anything she could do about it. She cast a
|
|
rlm@2
|
75 withering glance at Haruka as she noticed the two blondes flirting
|
|
rlm@2
|
76 again. The flirting abruptly stopped and Michiru had to suppress a
|
|
rlm@2
|
77 smile of triumph.
|
|
rlm@2
|
78 Haruka frowned, leaning against the back wall, her hands behind her
|
|
rlm@2
|
79 head. This whole situation was bothering her. They were rushing
|
|
rlm@2
|
80 headlong into a situation that could very well mean their deaths.
|
|
rlm@2
|
81 And, hey, that was all well and good. They’d done it often enough
|
|
rlm@2
|
82 lately. But did they have to be in this damned elevator? She was
|
|
rlm@2
|
83 starting to feel claustrophobic. Haruka had always liked wide open
|
|
rlm@2
|
84 spaces and the wind against her face. Stuffy little compartments with
|
|
rlm@2
|
85 God knows what on the other side wasn’t quite her cup of tea. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
86 smiled softly at Michiru and released a breath she didn't know she
|
|
rlm@2
|
87 was holding when the aqua haired woman smiled back. She hoped they
|
|
rlm@2
|
88 lived through this so she could make it up to the other girl. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
89 just couldn’t resist a little more flirting with Usagi before their
|
|
rlm@2
|
90 possible deaths.
|
|
rlm@2
|
91 As the door began to slide open ever so slowly, Setsuna held her
|
|
rlm@2
|
92 Time Staff in front of her defensively, leaping out as soon as the
|
|
rlm@2
|
93 doors were open wide enough. The other three Senshi followed shortly.
|
|
rlm@2
|
94 Haruka was to her right with Michiru on her left. Usagi was standing
|
|
rlm@2
|
95 a little behind her.
|
|
rlm@2
|
96 “It sure took you girls long enough. But welcome to my lab,
|
|
rlm@2
|
97 nonetheless,” Professor Souichi Tomoe said from the other side of the
|
|
rlm@2
|
98 room. “You don’t know how much I’ve been waiting for this moment. You
|
|
rlm@2
|
99 girls have really been a bother lately, killing my pretty Daimons and
|
|
rlm@2
|
100 my Witches 5. But this batch of Daimons is feeling hungry, so I
|
|
rlm@2
|
101 suppose it’s feeding time.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
102 All around the room, shadows seemed to shift, low snarls coming
|
|
rlm@2
|
103 from them. Michiru could barely make out the shapes of the Daimons
|
|
rlm@2
|
104 hiding in the shadows. They were ugly, vicious looking creatures. And
|
|
rlm@2
|
105 they were all ready to pounce. “Watch out!!” she yelled as the first
|
|
rlm@2
|
106 few came bounding towards them. Her elegant form barely dodged large,
|
|
rlm@2
|
107 swiping claws. It took her a moment to realize that it was just
|
|
rlm@2
|
108 distracting her. The other two had headed for.. Usagi! “Super
|
|
rlm@2
|
109 Sailormoon!! Get out of the way!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
110 Usagi stood like a dear caught in headlights. The large brutal
|
|
rlm@2
|
111 looking creature moved much faster than she thought possible as it
|
|
rlm@2
|
112 eliminated the distance to her.
|
|
rlm@2
|
113 “Chronos Typhoon!” Setsuna’s attack tore through one of the Daimons
|
|
rlm@2
|
114 just as it was about to swipe Usagi in two.
|
|
rlm@2
|
115 The second Daimon had moved around to Usagi’s left and she barely
|
|
rlm@2
|
116 backed out of the large swiping distance of it’s claws.
|
|
rlm@2
|
117 “Submarine Reflection!” Michiru called out before her attack came
|
|
rlm@2
|
118 crashing into the next Daimon.
|
|
rlm@2
|
119 “Do you really think that’s all I’ve got? I can make an infinite
|
|
rlm@2
|
120 amount of my precious Daimons for you to play with! Yes, play with my
|
|
rlm@2
|
121 precious!” The professor laughed maniacally.
|
|
rlm@2
|
122 Usagi took a step forward, holding her hands out. “Stop it!! We
|
|
rlm@2
|
123 don’t want to fight you. We know that you’re Hotaru-chan’s papa. We
|
|
rlm@2
|
124 just want to know where she is.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
125 “My former daughter, Hotaru? Oh, she’s busy. She can’t come out and
|
|
rlm@2
|
126 play with you now. She’s up at the holy sanctuary, devoting all of
|
|
rlm@2
|
127 the energy from that mockery of the Taioron Crystal, the Ginzuishou,
|
|
rlm@2
|
128 to Master Pharaoh 90,” the professor stated matter-of-factly.
|
|
rlm@2
|
129 “Pharaoh 90?!?” Setsuna exclaimed. Damn, maybe they really were too
|
|
rlm@2
|
130 late. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t try. If only they could get
|
|
rlm@2
|
131 there in time..
|
|
rlm@2
|
132 Souichi nodded. “Yes, the master had very nearly arrived. And when
|
|
rlm@2
|
133 he does, this world will cease to exist as you know it. I’m sure
|
|
rlm@2
|
134 you’d love the results if you could live through it. It’s too bad you
|
|
rlm@2
|
135 won’t see it for yourselves, but this place is to be your graveyard.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
136 His skin began to ripple as if something was moving under it, pushing
|
|
rlm@2
|
137 it out and deforming it. His glasses cracked and shattered,
|
|
rlm@2
|
138 splintering as the pieces fell to the floor. His skin ripped apart as
|
|
rlm@2
|
139 his body shifted to a monstrous form. “I’m no longer Souichi Tomoe. I
|
|
rlm@2
|
140 am Gelmatoid!!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
141 “He’s a Daimon?!” Haruka exclaimed as the beast stood up to it’s
|
|
rlm@2
|
142 full height.
|
|
rlm@2
|
143 “No, not a Daimon. I am infinitely beyond those creatures. I am a
|
|
rlm@2
|
144 hybrid superhuman!! The first of my kind. The perfect union of humans
|
|
rlm@2
|
145 and life from the outer reaches of the universe. Now, die!!” The
|
|
rlm@2
|
146 creature that had once been Souichi Tomoe fired off a powerful blast
|
|
rlm@2
|
147 at the Senshi, but they all dodged.
|
|
rlm@2
|
148 “That.. That thing was Hotaru-chan’s papa! We can’t just kill it!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
149 Usagi frets, barely dodging another attack.
|
|
rlm@2
|
150 “He isn’t human! He’s a Daimon, Super Sailormoon! An Enemy! We have
|
|
rlm@2
|
151 to kill him!” Haruka leapt out of the way of another blast of energy,
|
|
rlm@2
|
152 making her way towards the large monster. She kept glancing back to
|
|
rlm@2
|
153 Usagi. This wasn’t the time for her to be worried about who they
|
|
rlm@2
|
154 could fight. She knew that she should have stayed behind. But there
|
|
rlm@2
|
155 was no time for that now. Moving closer, she pulled up her sword.
|
|
rlm@2
|
156 “Space Sword Blaster!!” The monster ducked the attack and knocked her
|
|
rlm@2
|
157 away violently. Pain shot through Sailoruranus as she felt the claws
|
|
rlm@2
|
158 slash through some of the flesh on her side, throwing her to the
|
|
rlm@2
|
159 floor.
|
|
rlm@2
|
160 “Uranus!!” Usagi screams as she watches the taller blonde roll
|
|
rlm@2
|
161 along the floor, a slight trail of blood behind her. Pain shot
|
|
rlm@2
|
162 through the younger girl at seeing her hurt like that. She lifted her
|
|
rlm@2
|
163 Heart Moon Rod, concentrating on the beast as Neptune and Pluto
|
|
rlm@2
|
164 continued to hold its attention. It was moving slower now, the Space
|
|
rlm@2
|
165 Sword wedged deep in it’s chest.
|
|
rlm@2
|
166 “Rainbow Moon Heartache!!” Energy flew from Supersailormoon to the
|
|
rlm@2
|
167 superhuman, tearing it apart as it gave an unearthly howl.
|
|
rlm@2
|
168 Hotaru watched the battle, invisible to the participants without
|
|
rlm@2
|
169 her body. “Papa.. My gentle papa from before mama’s death.. The papa
|
|
rlm@2
|
170 that came to save me in the fire.. He died that day. That wasn’t my
|
|
rlm@2
|
171 papa anymore. Goodbye, papa. I’ll see you soon.” Hotaru closed her
|
|
rlm@2
|
172 eyes. She couldn’t die just yet. ChibiUsa still needed saving or
|
|
rlm@2
|
173 they’d both die. But she knew she didn’t have much time left. And she
|
|
rlm@2
|
174 didn’t even have a body to use for what she needed to do.
|
|
rlm@2
|
175 “Who’s that?” Usagi asked suddenly, staring directly at Hotaru. “It
|
|
rlm@2
|
176 felt like someone was right there..” She shook her head, trying to
|
|
rlm@2
|
177 focus on the spot, but nothing appeared.
|
|
rlm@2
|
178 Haruka had finally gotten to her feet with Michiru’s help, but it
|
|
rlm@2
|
179 hurt to breath, like her entire chest was on fire. Nothing serious,
|
|
rlm@2
|
180 but the pain shot through her with every breath.
|
|
rlm@2
|
181 Setsuna looked up from Haruka and Michiru as the ground began to
|
|
rlm@2
|
182 shake. “Something’s coming! Garnet Ball!” An orb of light surrounded
|
|
rlm@2
|
183 the four Senshi as the ceiling began to cave in.
|
|
rlm@2
|
184 “What’s going on?” Usagi yelled above the cacophony of noise.
|
|
rlm@2
|
185 “They’re up there! The rest of the Senshi are up there!” Squinting
|
|
rlm@2
|
186 through the dust and debris still hanging in the air, she tried to
|
|
rlm@2
|
187 get a better view of her Sailor Senshi. Before she could get a good
|
|
rlm@2
|
188 look, her entire body felt like it had taken a sudden hit. Ribbons
|
|
rlm@2
|
189 played across her sailor suit as the energy that had filled her
|
|
rlm@2
|
190 started to dissipate. Looking down in shock, she realized that she
|
|
rlm@2
|
191 had changed back to normal Sailormoon. “What happened? Why am I not
|
|
rlm@2
|
192 Super Sailormoon anymore? Something must have happened to the others.
|
|
rlm@2
|
193 Our souls aren’t connected anymore.” Usagi got back to her feet,
|
|
rlm@2
|
194 straining again to see the Sailor Team. She had become Super
|
|
rlm@2
|
195 Sailormoon through the combined powers of the Sailor Senshi. If she
|
|
rlm@2
|
196 had changed back, what did that mean about them? Were they... No,
|
|
rlm@2
|
197 that couldn’t be.
|
|
rlm@2
|
198 “Damn it.” Haruka watched Usagi for a moment before turning back to
|
|
rlm@2
|
199 Michiru. Her sense of loss was evident. She had finally put her faith
|
|
rlm@2
|
200 in Sailormoon and now it looked like she wouldn’t be of any help.
|
|
rlm@2
|
201 This whole situation was getting worse and worse. It would probably
|
|
rlm@2
|
202 be up to them after all. It only took a look from Michiru to realize
|
|
rlm@2
|
203 what had to be done. If Super Sailormoon couldn't provide victory,
|
|
rlm@2
|
204 they would have to do things their way. Which meant killing Hotaru.
|
|
rlm@2
|
205 Or whatever it was she was calling herself now. The planet was the
|
|
rlm@2
|
206 important thing. They had to save what they could. A sigh escaped the
|
|
rlm@2
|
207 blonde’s lips, but she nodded to the violinist. She would do whatever
|
|
rlm@2
|
208 was necessary, even if the cost had to be paid in blood.
|
|
rlm@2
|
209 “Small Lady... Please hold on. I’m coming,” Setsuna whispered,
|
|
rlm@2
|
210 unheard by the others. Her eyes caught on something other than the
|
|
rlm@2
|
211 Sailor Senshi. Long, dark hair, a silhouette in the sky. That was
|
|
rlm@2
|
212 her. She was the one that had nearly killed her little friend. And if
|
|
rlm@2
|
213 she didn’t act quickly, she wouldn’t be able to retrieve the
|
|
rlm@2
|
214 princess’s soul. Her eyes narrowed as she concentrated her energy,
|
|
rlm@2
|
215 the orb they were all in lifting through the hole in the roof. As the
|
|
rlm@2
|
216 Guardian of Time, she was in a unique position to understand what it
|
|
rlm@2
|
217 was they were dealing with and the future that would not be if they
|
|
rlm@2
|
218 were to fail. And the gentle princess that would be lost if they
|
|
rlm@2
|
219 didn’t hurry.
|
|
rlm@2
|
220 Darkness swirled in the sky above, a black tempest that grew
|
|
rlm@2
|
221 harsher as they rose higher into the air. It was quickly devouring
|
|
rlm@2
|
222 the skyline of Tokyo, a dark cloak ready to drop over the city below.
|
|
rlm@2
|
223 It cast the entire area in shadows, grasping out in surreal patterns
|
|
rlm@2
|
224 along everything. It increased the sense of urgency, as if showing a
|
|
rlm@2
|
225 picture of what was to come. A dark dream that was ever ready to
|
|
rlm@2
|
226 lunge out and consume the planet itself.
|
|
rlm@2
|
227 The main building in the center of the Delta Area lay in wait in
|
|
rlm@2
|
228 front of the four. Ominous silence fell upon attentive ears, the only
|
|
rlm@2
|
229 sounds that of their own boots upon the concrete as they drew nearer.
|
|
rlm@2
|
230 A glass room stood at the entrance, it’s slightly reflective surfaces
|
|
rlm@2
|
231 showing the dark skies above. Inside, they could see a figure
|
|
rlm@2
|
232 shrouded by a dark haze. As she moved, the haze slid over her,
|
|
rlm@2
|
233 finally showing itself as long, raven hair.
|
|
rlm@2
|
234 “Hotaru-chan?” Usagi asked after a moment of silence. The woman
|
|
rlm@2
|
235 turned around, long hair flowing behind her like a cape. She looked
|
|
rlm@2
|
236 directly at the champion of love and justice, her dark eyes glinting
|
|
rlm@2
|
237 in the dim light. She grinned slowly, joyously. As if all was right
|
|
rlm@2
|
238 with the world. Or that it soon would be. The thought chilled Usagi.
|
|
rlm@2
|
239 She didn’t seem to see the Sailor Senshi as any possible threat to
|
|
rlm@2
|
240 the completion of years and years of work. It was only a matter of
|
|
rlm@2
|
241 time for her... Usagi shook her head. “No, that’s a daimon. She’s
|
|
rlm@2
|
242 using Hotaru-chan.” Holding up her rod, she begin heading for the
|
|
rlm@2
|
243 dark haired woman.
|
|
rlm@2
|
244 Michiru felt her heart clench up as she followed right behind
|
|
rlm@2
|
245 Usagi. Now it was the moment of truth. They had come all this way,
|
|
rlm@2
|
246 through long and twisted paths that had led them throughout their
|
|
rlm@2
|
247 lives to this single moment. The road hadn’t been entirely
|
|
rlm@2
|
248 unpleasant. After all, she had met Haruka, a partner and lover
|
|
rlm@2
|
249 throughout all of this madness. But now they had reached the point of
|
|
rlm@2
|
250 no return, if they had ever had a choice in the matter in the first
|
|
rlm@2
|
251 place. Here they would see what would become of them and of the
|
|
rlm@2
|
252 planet and it’s people. They would see if they really could turn back
|
|
rlm@2
|
253 the tide. She walked determinedly towards the woman in the glass
|
|
rlm@2
|
254 room. Even her mirror wouldn’t tell her the outcome of all this, but
|
|
rlm@2
|
255 she would give her all. She had made her decision long ago.
|
|
rlm@2
|
256 Before the four could reach the room, the ground in front of them
|
|
rlm@2
|
257 lurched violently, nearly throwing them off their feet. The building
|
|
rlm@2
|
258 began to rip apart in front of them, exposing the center of the Delta
|
|
rlm@2
|
259 Area. The glass room shattered into thousands of tiny glass shards,
|
|
rlm@2
|
260 the woman standing in it’s center calm amidst the destruction. Into
|
|
rlm@2
|
261 the air she floated, followed by the reflecting pool that had been in
|
|
rlm@2
|
262 the room with her, her link back to Pharaoh 90. Four balls of light
|
|
rlm@2
|
263 followed close behind, the bodies of the Sailor Senshi barely visible
|
|
rlm@2
|
264 through the light.
|
|
rlm@2
|
265 “No! Come back!! That’s them! She has the others! Mercury! Jupiter!
|
|
rlm@2
|
266 Mars! Venus!” Usagi cried out, trying to follow her fallen soldiers.
|
|
rlm@2
|
267 Her head sank seeing them all lying so still in the balls of light.
|
|
rlm@2
|
268 She had almost reached the lowest of them when she was thrown back by
|
|
rlm@2
|
269 the energy surrounding it. It felt like a giant had knocked her back
|
|
rlm@2
|
270 down to the floor the same way someone would swat away a fly. She got
|
|
rlm@2
|
271 uneasily to her feet, watching the floating forms of the Sailor
|
|
rlm@2
|
272 Senshi and Mistress 9 up ahead of her. “No... I can’t get near!
|
|
rlm@2
|
273 Please, wake up! Everyone!!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
274 But Haruka wasn’t paying attention to the prone Sailor Team. Her
|
|
rlm@2
|
275 vision was instead on the aquamarine haired girl who had suddenly
|
|
rlm@2
|
276 gone pale. And then she knew why. The sea was wild, an untamed beast
|
|
rlm@2
|
277 howling in anguish. And the wind was following suit. She could hear
|
|
rlm@2
|
278 it all around her in the harsh winds blowing past. “Are we too late?
|
|
rlm@2
|
279 It feels like the planet’s coming apart at the seams.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
280 Mistress 9 landed slowly, her eyes opening up as if she had just
|
|
rlm@2
|
281 awakened from a deep sleep. The grin returned to her face as she
|
|
rlm@2
|
282 looked at the Sailor Senshi facing her. “No, you’re wrong. The planet
|
|
rlm@2
|
283 is ready to be born. It has spent long enough as this lonely egg out
|
|
rlm@2
|
284 in space. Now that the energy has been gathered, Master Pharaoh 90
|
|
rlm@2
|
285 can bring about the utilization. He will assimilate the planet. This
|
|
rlm@2
|
286 planet will be born anew soon enough. Thank you for keeping it safe
|
|
rlm@2
|
287 this long. But you are no longer needed.” She frowned slightly. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
288 could no longer feel the scared little soul that had been flitting
|
|
rlm@2
|
289 about the Ginzuishou. The Crystal’s power was probably just
|
|
rlm@2
|
290 interfering. She shrugged it off and prepared to face whatever these
|
|
rlm@2
|
291 gnats had to say regarding the fate of what had used to be their
|
|
rlm@2
|
292 planet.
|
|
rlm@2
|
293 “Assimilate the planet?” Usagi asked worriedly.
|
|
rlm@2
|
294 Mistress 9 sighed. Why were they acting like school children?
|
|
rlm@2
|
295 Didn’t they understand that greatness was about to fall upon this
|
|
rlm@2
|
296 world? No longer would it be the scared, sick little child out all
|
|
rlm@2
|
297 alone by itself that it was. It would become something much greater,
|
|
rlm@2
|
298 the resurrection of a once great world. “When all is said and done,
|
|
rlm@2
|
299 this world will be one with Master Pharaoh 90. It will become the
|
|
rlm@2
|
300 second Tau star and spread it’s light throughout the cosmos. This
|
|
rlm@2
|
301 planet will become our new mother world, and our proud legacy will
|
|
rlm@2
|
302 never be forgotten!” She was really getting into this. How long had
|
|
rlm@2
|
303 it been since she had really been able to bask in what they were
|
|
rlm@2
|
304 doing? Too long. So she had that to thank the school girls for. It
|
|
rlm@2
|
305 gave her a chance to look at it all again. A wave of anxiety swept
|
|
rlm@2
|
306 through her. It was almost done. After all these years... ‘Master,
|
|
rlm@2
|
307 we’ll be together again soon,’ the dark haired woman thought to
|
|
rlm@2
|
308 herself.
|
|
rlm@2
|
309 Michiru ignored the last of what the harbinger of the chaos that
|
|
rlm@2
|
310 was surrounding them had to say, turning instead to her mirror and
|
|
rlm@2
|
311 then out to sea.
|
|
rlm@2
|
312 “Neptune?” Haruka asked, noticing the nearly panicked look in her
|
|
rlm@2
|
313 partner’s eyes. Of course she never panicked, but right at that
|
|
rlm@2
|
314 instant it sure looked close enough.
|
|
rlm@2
|
315 “The sea, it’s subsiding all at once. It could be the signs of a
|
|
rlm@2
|
316 tsunami. The sea itself is being thrown into a frenzy from all of
|
|
rlm@2
|
317 this,” Michiru explained, still gazing towards the ocean.
|
|
rlm@2
|
318 Haruka felt it, too. The sky was growing darker, the winds fiercer.
|
|
rlm@2
|
319 The smell of rain was in the air. She could feel the uncertainty in
|
|
rlm@2
|
320 the wind. “Is it a storm? Or is something else coming?”
|
|
rlm@2
|
321 “The planet’s facing a catastrophe. It’s being ripped apart by this
|
|
rlm@2
|
322 power. We need to protect it.” Haruka saw Michiru nod in agreement.
|
|
rlm@2
|
323 She clutched the Space Sword closer but paused for a moment. Where
|
|
rlm@2
|
324 was Setsuna?
|
|
rlm@2
|
325 Mistress 9 laughed as she watched the Sailor Senshi in front of
|
|
rlm@2
|
326 her. It was like watching small animals. Poor, confused animals that
|
|
rlm@2
|
327 had absolutely no idea what was going on. “Why did you girls come
|
|
rlm@2
|
328 here? To die? Why can’t you accept the Fate of this planet? It’s
|
|
rlm@2
|
329 meant for greater things than this. We’ll see to that. Whether or not
|
|
rlm@2
|
330 you had come here tonight, it changes nothing. This was destined long
|
|
rlm@2
|
331 ago.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
332 “I like to think I know a thing or two about destiny. And this...”
|
|
rlm@2
|
333 Setsuna’s voice, a mere whisper, reached Mistress 9’s ears. She was
|
|
rlm@2
|
334 very close. Right behind her. “This is not destiny. Dead Scream.” A
|
|
rlm@2
|
335 bolt of purple energy shot out of Pluto’s Time Staff, tearing into
|
|
rlm@2
|
336 the body that had once belonged to Tomoe Hotaru. Setsuna watched with
|
|
rlm@2
|
337 a measure of grim satisfaction. She knew that Usagi had come here to
|
|
rlm@2
|
338 save everyone, but that was now an impossibility. They were on the
|
|
rlm@2
|
339 verge of losing their planet. The Time Guardian wasn’t about to make
|
|
rlm@2
|
340 anymore mistakes that might cost the life of her future friend or the
|
|
rlm@2
|
341 planet. Letting Hotaru live was no longer an option. “How dare you
|
|
rlm@2
|
342 come here and expect us to lie down and let you succeed? How dare you
|
|
rlm@2
|
343 take what’s dear to us and think that we won’t fight with every part
|
|
rlm@2
|
344 of our being to get it back?”
|
|
rlm@2
|
345 Usagi gasped in mute horror as Mistress 9 fell forward, slumping to
|
|
rlm@2
|
346 her knees. Blood was dripping down her sides from her injuries. Her
|
|
rlm@2
|
347 dark eyes were wide in shock. She was trembling, obviously in pain.
|
|
rlm@2
|
348 “Pluto!!” Weren’t they going to save Hotaru? Wasn’t that the plan?
|
|
rlm@2
|
349 Had the Senshi from the Outer planets been listening to her at all?
|
|
rlm@2
|
350 “No!!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
351 “You... bitch.. You think I don’t know what it’s like to lose
|
|
rlm@2
|
352 everything?! To see everyone dying right before your eyes? Why do you
|
|
rlm@2
|
353 think I’m here!? Stop being so self-righteous. You’d be doing the
|
|
rlm@2
|
354 exact same thing in my position.” Mistress 9 forced herself to her
|
|
rlm@2
|
355 feet, still shaking as pain wracked her small frame. Tears fell down
|
|
rlm@2
|
356 her pale cheeks as anger and sadness mixed together through her. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
357 had come too far to let some pathetic soldiers stand in her way.
|
|
rlm@2
|
358 “That may be true. But you would be trying just as hard to stop
|
|
rlm@2
|
359 me,” Setsuna said, her voice still quiet yet forceful. She barely saw
|
|
rlm@2
|
360 the hair whip out and wrap painfully around her neck, yanking her off
|
|
rlm@2
|
361 her feet. Her heart sank as she felt the hair start crushing around
|
|
rlm@2
|
362 her throat. No, this wasn’t fair. She was supposed to save the
|
|
rlm@2
|
363 princess. She couldn’t have failed.
|
|
rlm@2
|
364 “You foolish woman. Now that the utilization has begun, I don’t
|
|
rlm@2
|
365 need this worthless body. Attacking me was pointless. After I discard
|
|
rlm@2
|
366 it, you won’t be able to touch me. And don’t worry about what’s
|
|
rlm@2
|
367 precious to you. I’ve already been taking very good care of it.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
368 Mistress 9 closed her eyes, ready to cast off the body she was in.
|
|
rlm@2
|
369 Nothing. Her eyes shot open. “I can’t get out! Something’s holding me
|
|
rlm@2
|
370 here!!” Fear shot through her as she felt the slick blood under her
|
|
rlm@2
|
371 fingertips. Her hair wrenched more painfully at Pluto’s neck. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
372 most certainly wasn’t going to die in this stupid body alone.
|
|
rlm@2
|
373 “I won’t let you escape!” a voice rang out through Mistress 9’s
|
|
rlm@2
|
374 head.
|
|
rlm@2
|
375 “Who are you?! Get out of my head!” Mistress 9 screamed, struggling
|
|
rlm@2
|
376 to get free of the body that was quickly becoming her tomb.
|
|
rlm@2
|
377 “This is still my body, not yours. You won’t get out of it! I’ll
|
|
rlm@2
|
378 never let you be free!” Hotaru soul flashed defiantly inside the
|
|
rlm@2
|
379 pained Mistress 9.
|
|
rlm@2
|
380 “I thought you were dead after I took over. Your soul should have
|
|
rlm@2
|
381 passed on by now. Your weak, pathetic soul isn’t necessary to any of
|
|
rlm@2
|
382 this. I have the Ginzuishou now. There’s no more reason for you at
|
|
rlm@2
|
383 all. I’ll cast off this worthless body and tear it apart. Now let me
|
|
rlm@2
|
384 go!!” Mistress 9 growled angrily at the young girl inside of her.
|
|
rlm@2
|
385 Everything was falling apart. Her beautiful dream was fading because
|
|
rlm@2
|
386 of these frustrated girls. The anger boiled within her. They weren’t
|
|
rlm@2
|
387 the only ones who would try their all.
|
|
rlm@2
|
388 “You can tear my body to pieces! You can ruin it, break it apart if
|
|
rlm@2
|
389 you wish. It doesn’t mean anything in the end. But I won’t let you
|
|
rlm@2
|
390 get ChibiUsa-chan’s soul or her shining crystal! Whatever happens,
|
|
rlm@2
|
391 I’ll protect them! I’ll gladly give my body away for that. I don’t
|
|
rlm@2
|
392 care what you do to me.” Hotaru’s voice was sad but determined. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
393 had mixed feelings about losing her body. It had always been so
|
|
rlm@2
|
394 horrible, a corpse kept alive by machinery. It had been her prison
|
|
rlm@2
|
395 for so many years. But now she had already lost it. No, that was all
|
|
rlm@2
|
396 right. It was better now. It had died years ago. There was no reason
|
|
rlm@2
|
397 to keep it. What really saddened her was that it also meant she was
|
|
rlm@2
|
398 going to die. She had somehow managed to hold on for the moment, but
|
|
rlm@2
|
399 she knew she couldn’t for much longer. She was a soul without a body.
|
|
rlm@2
|
400 It was only a matter of time. And even that held some relief in it.
|
|
rlm@2
|
401 The pain would soon be over. But she didn’t want to leave ChibiUsa.
|
|
rlm@2
|
402 She didn’t want to go away yet. She finally had a reason to live. But
|
|
rlm@2
|
403 that wasn’t really her choice anymore. She closed what passed for
|
|
rlm@2
|
404 eyes in her spirit form. If she had to die, she wouldn’t let ChibiUsa
|
|
rlm@2
|
405 go with her just yet. It didn’t matter if she herself died, but she
|
|
rlm@2
|
406 couldn’t let that happen to her sweet princess. So she would protect
|
|
rlm@2
|
407 the pink haired girl.
|
|
rlm@2
|
408 “Impudent humans! Why do you insist in making yourselves such a
|
|
rlm@2
|
409 nuisance? No one can stop this! You’re already too late!!” Mistress 9
|
|
rlm@2
|
410 forced herself forward, Setsuna’s struggles growing weaker and weaker
|
|
rlm@2
|
411 by the second.
|
|
rlm@2
|
412 “Moon Spiral Heart Attack!” Usagi yelled, trying to focus her
|
|
rlm@2
|
413 powers on the injured woman making her way towards her. She felt
|
|
rlm@2
|
414 awful doing it, but she didn’t know what else to do. Maybe the others
|
|
rlm@2
|
415 had been right about not being able to save Hotaru. But nothing
|
|
rlm@2
|
416 happened. The Ginzuishou was growing brigher, having blocked Usagi’s
|
|
rlm@2
|
417 attack. Raising a hand, Mistress 9 sent Usagi sprawling back, her
|
|
rlm@2
|
418 body skidding across the ground.
|
|
rlm@2
|
419 “I won’t be stopped now! Too much is riding on this for me to give
|
|
rlm@2
|
420 up! I already have the full power of the Ginzuishou! Ruined body or
|
|
rlm@2
|
421 not, you can’t take that from me.” Mistress 9’s eyes darkened as she
|
|
rlm@2
|
422 watched the Sailors of Wind and Sea ready to attack. Damn them. Why
|
|
rlm@2
|
423 were they all struggling so much? Couldn’t they make this easy on
|
|
rlm@2
|
424 themselves? She would see to her Master’s revival. She had promised
|
|
rlm@2
|
425 the tiny spirit that had been protecting the Ginzuishou that she
|
|
rlm@2
|
426 would show her the wonders that the new world had to offer. And she
|
|
rlm@2
|
427 would not be made a liar. “Their souls. I need more power. The Sailor
|
|
rlm@2
|
428 Senshi’s souls should be abundant with it.” The floating bodies
|
|
rlm@2
|
429 dropped lifelessly into the reflecting pool as tiny orbs of light
|
|
rlm@2
|
430 left their bodies, hurrying towards Mistress 9.
|
|
rlm@2
|
431 “No!! Mars! Mercury! Jupiter! Venus! No!!! Give them back!” Usagi
|
|
rlm@2
|
432 screamed, struggling to her feet.
|
|
rlm@2
|
433 Setsuna kicked weakly, still trying to get free. By now she was
|
|
rlm@2
|
434 fairly sure that it was pointless. The hair was just growing tighter
|
|
rlm@2
|
435 around her throat and she was growing weaker. Her vision was starting
|
|
rlm@2
|
436 to fade and there was a pounding in her ears. Visions of her last
|
|
rlm@2
|
437 death kept coming to mind, slipping away after using her final
|
|
rlm@2
|
438 attack, Dark Dome Close, to help save the future. But this time, she
|
|
rlm@2
|
439 had failed miserably. She would die, as would the princess. If only
|
|
rlm@2
|
440 she hadn’t been so careless... She could only hope that her sacrifice
|
|
rlm@2
|
441 hadn’t been in vain.
|
|
rlm@2
|
442 “Space Sword Blaster!” Uranus slashed forward, the energy blade
|
|
rlm@2
|
443 shooting through the air. It missed Mistress 9’s barrier, instead
|
|
rlm@2
|
444 cutting through the thick raven hair that clung to Setsuna’s throat.
|
|
rlm@2
|
445 The older Senshi dropped to the ground, Neptune catching her and
|
|
rlm@2
|
446 dragging her away from the injured Mistress 9.
|
|
rlm@2
|
447 In the vast emptiness, Hotaru spotted the light of the Sailor Team.
|
|
rlm@2
|
448 She was already holding a single glowing orb close to her heart.
|
|
rlm@2
|
449 Reaching out, she grabbed the other four as they rushed deeper into
|
|
rlm@2
|
450 Mistress 9. Clutching all five orbs of light, she tried desperately
|
|
rlm@2
|
451 to hold on to them. “I have them, ChibiUsa-chan,” she whispered to
|
|
rlm@2
|
452 the original ball of light she had been carrying.
|
|
rlm@2
|
453 “Let go!!” Mistress 9 yelled in rage, trying to utilize the power
|
|
rlm@2
|
454 of the souls inside of her to accomplish her mission.
|
|
rlm@2
|
455 Hotaru cried out as the mental assault on her grew worse. Mistress
|
|
rlm@2
|
456 9 was trying to drag the souls away. But she had to hold on. If they
|
|
rlm@2
|
457 slipped through her fingers... “I want to protect ChibiUsa-chan and
|
|
rlm@2
|
458 her shining crystal and the four soldiers... But I don’t even have my
|
|
rlm@2
|
459 body. My soul’s all that’s left. I’m already dead. So how can I save
|
|
rlm@2
|
460 them? My dad is gone, my body dead long ago... I have nothing left.
|
|
rlm@2
|
461 I’m all alone. So why do I still have enough power to hold onto them
|
|
rlm@2
|
462 like this? How can I hold her off? I’ve always been so weak... But
|
|
rlm@2
|
463 somehow I can still fight her, even without my body. And inside me, I
|
|
rlm@2
|
464 feel someone else. Not like when she was taking over my body. It’s
|
|
rlm@2
|
465 another me. A stronger me. She’s telling me to keep these lives, to
|
|
rlm@2
|
466 save everyone. But I don’t know how. I can’t save everyone. But I can
|
|
rlm@2
|
467 take these five souls and ChibiUsa’s crystal and escape from this
|
|
rlm@2
|
468 terrible prison. I don’t need my body anymore.” Hotaru clutched the
|
|
rlm@2
|
469 orbs tighter. “Let’s go, ChibiUsa-chan.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
470 A glowing ball of violet light tore out of Mistress 9, pulling away
|
|
rlm@2
|
471 from her. Mistress 9 fell back to her knees. “Damn! The souls have
|
|
rlm@2
|
472 been taken away.” A slight grin crossed her lips. “But now I’m free.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
473 The fear that she had come so far for nothing slowly began to
|
|
rlm@2
|
474 dissipate. She had been right in the first place. These pathetic
|
|
rlm@2
|
475 soldiers were beneath her notice.
|
|
rlm@2
|
476 “That light...” Usagi watched as it flew past. Four lights
|
|
rlm@2
|
477 splintered from it, flowing to the bodies of the Sailor Team. Slowly,
|
|
rlm@2
|
478 one by one, their eyes opened again. “Minna-san!!” The blonde magical
|
|
rlm@2
|
479 girl ran to their side. Her eyes fainly caught a glimpse of Hotaru
|
|
rlm@2
|
480 standing beside her, smiling softly. Before she could say anything,
|
|
rlm@2
|
481 the younger girl had disappeared in a ball of light. “Hotaru-chan?”
|
|
rlm@2
|
482
|
|
rlm@2
|
483 Mamoru yawned as he opened his eyes. Getting up, he went over and
|
|
rlm@2
|
484 felt ChibiUsa’s forehead. “I must have dozed off.” He sighed as he
|
|
rlm@2
|
485 looked down at his future daughter, lying so still. “ChibiUsa-
|
|
rlm@2
|
486 chan...” There had to be more he could do. It was so painful to watch
|
|
rlm@2
|
487 her as she lay dying. His eyes finally caught on Diana. She was
|
|
rlm@2
|
488 sitting at the edge of the bed, ready to pounce. She was hissing at
|
|
rlm@2
|
489 something. He followed her gaze and saw a dark haired girl sitting in
|
|
rlm@2
|
490 his window. She looked like a ghost, not quite there. Her eyes never
|
|
rlm@2
|
491 left ChibiUsa’s prone body. “Who are you?”
|
|
rlm@2
|
492 Two lights shot into the room past the girl’s head, one going into
|
|
rlm@2
|
493 ChibiUsa’s body and the other forming the Ginzuishou. ChibiUsa’s
|
|
rlm@2
|
494 crimson eyes opened slowly, her body starting to move again. Where
|
|
rlm@2
|
495 had she just been? She felt so disoriented. Hadn’t she been with
|
|
rlm@2
|
496 Hotaru? Oh good. The Ginzuishou was right there. She’d been afraid
|
|
rlm@2
|
497 that she had lost it. She was in her body again. So that meant...
|
|
rlm@2
|
498 “ChibiUsa-chan!!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
499 “Mamo-chan!” ChibiUsa sat up. Her body felt like she had just
|
|
rlm@2
|
500 awoken from a nap. Her gaze went past her future father to the spirit
|
|
rlm@2
|
501 sitting in the window. She scrambled over, hurrying to the spirit’s
|
|
rlm@2
|
502 side.
|
|
rlm@2
|
503 Hotaru smiled gently, her silver eyes looking deep into the big
|
|
rlm@2
|
504 crimson ones of the princess. “Good.” Her ethereal fingers played
|
|
rlm@2
|
505 through ChibiUsa’s cotton candy hair. It was a huge relief to her to
|
|
rlm@2
|
506 know that the younger girl was finally safe. She felt a burden lifted
|
|
rlm@2
|
507 now that she saw her up and about. It had worked after all.
|
|
rlm@2
|
508 “Hotaru-chan...” ChibiUsa whispered softly. She wasn’t really
|
|
rlm@2
|
509 there. At least, her body wasn’t. But she could almost feel her
|
|
rlm@2
|
510 fingers brushing through her hair. Hotaru’s reassuring presence had
|
|
rlm@2
|
511 comforted her throughout the whole ordeal she’d just gone through.
|
|
rlm@2
|
512 That feeling was still there with the girl in the window.
|
|
rlm@2
|
513 “I was able to save you, ChibiUsa-chan. I’m happy. It’s good. We’re
|
|
rlm@2
|
514 both girls, but it’s strange. It must have been fate that we met.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
515 Hotaru had spent most of her life alone, crying in the shadows. Pain
|
|
rlm@2
|
516 and loneliness had been constant companions. But that had all changed
|
|
rlm@2
|
517 because of this genki little girl. She wasn’t alone anymore. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
518 wasn’t in pain anymore. Her entire life, she had been pushed away
|
|
rlm@2
|
519 from everyone. So she hid from them all, wanting the cold solace of
|
|
rlm@2
|
520 the shadows. ChibiUsa was the only one to ever reach out for her, to
|
|
rlm@2
|
521 pull her from her hiding place and actually embrace all that she was.
|
|
rlm@2
|
522 “I thought that, too,” ChibiUsa said quietly, still looking up into
|
|
rlm@2
|
523 Hotaru’s eyes. “Hotaru-chan...” The two girls held hands as best they
|
|
rlm@2
|
524 could with one of them not quite being there. Hotaru leaned down and
|
|
rlm@2
|
525 kissed the princess. ChibiUsa’s eyes closed after seeing the dark
|
|
rlm@2
|
526 haired girl’s face right next to hers. Even if she wasn’t fully
|
|
rlm@2
|
527 there, ChibiUsa thought she felt a feathery kiss before Hotaru pulled
|
|
rlm@2
|
528 away. Her eyes fluttered open at the realization that it was a
|
|
rlm@2
|
529 goodbye kiss. Her heart began to pound in her chest, too many things
|
|
rlm@2
|
530 she wanted to say fighting to be said, but her throat felt too
|
|
rlm@2
|
531 painful to say anything.
|
|
rlm@2
|
532 Hotaru cried out in pain, the last links with her body being
|
|
rlm@2
|
533 destroyed as it was torn apart by Mistress 9’s escape from it. It was
|
|
rlm@2
|
534 gone. There was no going back. But it was all right. ChibiUsa was
|
|
rlm@2
|
535 safe. And she would never be alone again.
|
|
rlm@2
|
536 “Hotaru-chan?!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
537 Hotaru smiled weakly, her fingers hovering over ChibiUsa’s cheek.
|
|
rlm@2
|
538 “It’s good we met. I’m glad we became friends, ChibiUsa-chan. Thank
|
|
rlm@2
|
539 you.” She paused a moment, silvery eyes sparkling sadly. “Goodbye.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
540 ‘I promise I’ll always watch over you, ChibiUsa-chan,’ she thought as
|
|
rlm@2
|
541 she faded away.
|
|
rlm@2
|
542 “Hotaru-chan!!” ChibiUsa cried out, grasping for the spirit that
|
|
rlm@2
|
543 had been there moments before. Tears began spilling down her cheeks
|
|
rlm@2
|
544 as she hugged herself. She barely felt Mamoru pulling her away from
|
|
rlm@2
|
545 the window, holding onto her. “No... Don’t go, Hotaru-chan..” She
|
|
rlm@2
|
546 shook her head, tears falling to the floor. “It’s not fair! Why
|
|
rlm@2
|
547 should she have such a sad fate? Where’s her happy ending? How come I
|
|
rlm@2
|
548 got to come back but not her? There are people who must live that
|
|
rlm@2
|
549 fate?” She wiped at her eyes with balled up fists. She felt so empty,
|
|
rlm@2
|
550 so alone. It felt like a piece of herself had been ripped away. When
|
|
rlm@2
|
551 she closed her eyes, she could see Hotaru as if she was still there
|
|
rlm@2
|
552 with her. Hotaru had protected her, just as she had promised, but
|
|
rlm@2
|
553 ChibiUsa hadn’t thought that meant she’d leave when she was through.
|
|
rlm@2
|
554 Mamoru pulled ChibiUsa at arms’ length, looking down at the young
|
|
rlm@2
|
555 Sailor Senshi. “ChibiUsa-chan, can you fight with me? To help
|
|
rlm@2
|
556 Sailormoon? She needs you now.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
557 ChibiUsa looked up, sniffling. She nodded quickly, determination
|
|
rlm@2
|
558 overcoming the sadness in her eyes. “I can fight. I won’t cry
|
|
rlm@2
|
559 anymore. I’m a Sailor Senshi, too. I can help the others. With the
|
|
rlm@2
|
560 life Hotaru-chan returned to me, I’ll fight with everything I have! I
|
|
rlm@2
|
561 won’t let it be wasted. Moon Prism Power! Make Up!” The pink haired
|
|
rlm@2
|
562 girl appeared in her Sailor fuku, clutching her moon rod in one hand.
|
|
rlm@2
|
563 With the other, she wiped her eyes again. She had to do this. For
|
|
rlm@2
|
564 Hotaru. Now that she was back, she had to put a stop to all this.
|
|
rlm@2
|
565 “Thank you, Mamo-chan! You protected my body while Hotaru-chan was
|
|
rlm@2
|
566 protecting my soul. We might not be as strong as Sailormoon or the
|
|
rlm@2
|
567 others, but let’s go fight together!” ChibiUsa turned and ran out of
|
|
rlm@2
|
568 the room, Mamoru close behind.
|
|
rlm@2
|
569 ‘I feel like I’d just given my wife a daughter,’ Mamoru thought to
|
|
rlm@2
|
570 himself while changing into Tuxedo Kamen. ‘She’s so full of energy
|
|
rlm@2
|
571 now. It’s like Hotaru-chan’s power did more than bring her back, she
|
|
rlm@2
|
572 revitalized her as well. But then, it was a strange visit, so
|
|
rlm@2
|
573 ChibiUsa-chan obviously has a lot of emotion involved in all this.
|
|
rlm@2
|
574 Hang on, Usa. We’re coming!’
|
|
rlm@2
|
575 Diana sighed in relief as she watched the two hurry off. It seemed
|
|
rlm@2
|
576 that Death had been merciful on this trip. When Diana had spotted
|
|
rlm@2
|
577 her, she had been sure that Death, the dark haired girl that she was,
|
|
rlm@2
|
578 had been there to end ChibiUsa. Instead she had brought her back.
|
|
rlm@2
|
579 Diana whispered a silent thank you as she finally let herself fall
|
|
rlm@2
|
580 asleep after all the hours of watching her mistress.
|
|
rlm@2
|
581
|
|
rlm@2
|
582 The monstrous form of Mistress Nine screamed out as it rose high
|
|
rlm@2
|
583 above the Sailor Senshi. She was no longer under the constraints of
|
|
rlm@2
|
584 Hotaru’s body, what was left of it lying torn and shattered
|
|
rlm@2
|
585 underneath her. Now was the time she had waited so long for, the time
|
|
rlm@2
|
586 of their resurrection. And she could not allow these bothersome and
|
|
rlm@2
|
587 blind soldiers hinder her progress. The three Outer Senshi had gone
|
|
rlm@2
|
588 to the three main points of the Delta Area and had set up a barrier
|
|
rlm@2
|
589 with their remaining power, barely holding back her master. But she
|
|
rlm@2
|
590 knew it couldn’t last long. Gathering her strength, she lunged forward.
|
|
rlm@2
|
591 “What the hell is that thing?” Makoto asked in shock at what had
|
|
rlm@2
|
592 looked to be a human woman moments before she had left the bonds of
|
|
rlm@2
|
593 the body she had been inhabiting. “It sounds like it’s in pain.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
594 Glancing to Ami, she saw the blue haired senshi nod in agreement.
|
|
rlm@2
|
595 Makoto smiled briefly as she braced herself for the monster. She had
|
|
rlm@2
|
596 found her reason to fight. And in a way, that was much more important
|
|
rlm@2
|
597 than the fight itself.
|
|
rlm@2
|
598 Usagi held up her wand, trying to concentrate on the demonic figure
|
|
rlm@2
|
599 heading towards her. Her mind was in so many places at once. She had
|
|
rlm@2
|
600 failed Hotaru. The Outers methods had disgusted her, but she had
|
|
rlm@2
|
601 proven inept at doing any better with her own way of doing things.
|
|
rlm@2
|
602 She had failed in saving the dark haired girl and quite possibly had
|
|
rlm@2
|
603 lost ChibiUsa in the process. Working up the strength to continue
|
|
rlm@2
|
604 onward was almost impossible. “Pink Sugar Heart Attack!!” came a
|
|
rlm@2
|
605 sweet voice from behind her. Energy shot out past her, forcing
|
|
rlm@2
|
606 Mistress Nine back before she could get any closer to Sailormoon.
|
|
rlm@2
|
607 “Chibimoon?” Blue eyes lanced around for the source of the voice and
|
|
rlm@2
|
608 finally latched onto the pink haired Sailor Senshi. Her eyes sparkled
|
|
rlm@2
|
609 as hope returned to her heart. “But... How?”
|
|
rlm@2
|
610 Swallowing the lump in her throat, ChibiUsa forced back the tears
|
|
rlm@2
|
611 that were still just under the surface. Strong. She had to be strong.
|
|
rlm@2
|
612 There would be time to cry later. Her returned life was a gift from
|
|
rlm@2
|
613 Hotaru. She couldn’t let it go to waste. Hotaru’s sacrifice wouldn’t
|
|
rlm@2
|
614 be in vain. “Hotaru-chan rescued me. She protected me in the
|
|
rlm@2
|
615 darkness. She gave her life for me.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
616 “Gave her life?” Usagi repeated. Then it was true. Hotaru was gone.
|
|
rlm@2
|
617 She hadn’t been able to save her after all. Maybe the Outers had been
|
|
rlm@2
|
618 right the entire time. But she had saved ChibiUsa. They were wrong
|
|
rlm@2
|
619 about killing her. “Arigato, Hotaru-chan,” she whispered.
|
|
rlm@2
|
620 “What are you waiting for?” Tuxedo Kamen yelled over to Sailormoon,
|
|
rlm@2
|
621 still standing beside Chibimoon. “Hurry! You have to henshin into
|
|
rlm@2
|
622 Supersailormoon!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
623 “Tuxedo Kamen-sama!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
624 “If you don’t act quickly, the entire planet will die! Those three
|
|
rlm@2
|
625 are expending an enormous amount of power sustaining their barrier.
|
|
rlm@2
|
626 You have to hurry and defeat it, Sailormoon!” Tuxedo Kamen watched
|
|
rlm@2
|
627 the blonde girl intently. His faith was always with her. And
|
|
rlm@2
|
628 sometimes all he could offer was his belief in her. He hoped it would
|
|
rlm@2
|
629 be enough. Pulling out a rose, he tossed it to Sailormoon. “For all
|
|
rlm@2
|
630 it’s beauty, a rose is still painful to those who misuse it.
|
|
rlm@2
|
631 Sailormoon, show them that the same is true of the earth and it’s
|
|
rlm@2
|
632 pretty sailor suited protectors.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
633 Usagi nodded, holding the rose close to her heart. “For our
|
|
rlm@2
|
634 beautiful planet. I have to save everyone.” Determination coursed
|
|
rlm@2
|
635 through her as her hands reached up in the air. “Holy Grail! Please
|
|
rlm@2
|
636 appear before me! I need your help! Gather the sacred power of the
|
|
rlm@2
|
637 Holy soldiers to protect this planet!” The shining chalice appeared
|
|
rlm@2
|
638 above her, shimmering with light. The Inner Senshi held hands,
|
|
rlm@2
|
639 concentrating their power to the one they believed to be the Messiah.
|
|
rlm@2
|
640 “Sailormoon... You really are everyone’s mother. Someday I’ll be
|
|
rlm@2
|
641 like you. I’ll be strong. I’ll protect everyone, too. Because
|
|
rlm@2
|
642 everyone needs a protector. There’s still hope for our world filled
|
|
rlm@2
|
643 with lonely hearts. If even for a moment our hearts can touch
|
|
rlm@2
|
644 another, we aren’t truly alone after all,” ChibiUsa said, watching
|
|
rlm@2
|
645 Usagi intently. Her heart burned fiercely as the thoughts raced
|
|
rlm@2
|
646 through her mind. She had learned so much in her short time back in
|
|
rlm@2
|
647 the past. There was so much pain that she had never known existed.
|
|
rlm@2
|
648 Her own loneliness in the future even made more sense now that she
|
|
rlm@2
|
649 had met Hotaru. But it had also taught her that there was hope. That
|
|
rlm@2
|
650 even in the darkness, even when surrounded by loneliness, there was a
|
|
rlm@2
|
651 heart shining out there, waiting. And she couldn’t let this world end
|
|
rlm@2
|
652 all of those hopes and dreams. A gasp escaped her lips as a golden
|
|
rlm@2
|
653 crescent moon began shining on her own head seconds after one lit up
|
|
rlm@2
|
654 on Usagi’s. The air shimmered in front of her as a chalice took
|
|
rlm@2
|
655 shape. “The Holy Grail? Two Holy Grails?!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
656 “Crisis Make Up!!” Usagi and ChibiUsa shouted in unison. The two
|
|
rlm@2
|
657 Sailor Senshi carried with them the love and courage of the present
|
|
rlm@2
|
658 as well as the hopes and dreams of the future. Ribbons of light
|
|
rlm@2
|
659 surrounded the two of them as their Sailor Fukus shifted into their
|
|
rlm@2
|
660 super forms.
|
|
rlm@2
|
661 “Supersailorchibimoon,” Mamoru whispered as he watched the two.
|
|
rlm@2
|
662 Something had happened to ChibiUsa in those moments after she had
|
|
rlm@2
|
663 awoken. She was stronger now, truly a Sailor Senshi as opposed to the
|
|
rlm@2
|
664 Senshi in training she had been. A memory of Usagi stabbing him
|
|
rlm@2
|
665 before stabbing herself with his sword back in the fight against the
|
|
rlm@2
|
666 Dark Kingdom while he was brainwashed ran through his mind. ChibiUsa
|
|
rlm@2
|
667 truly was her daughter. The pain of losing a loved one brought out
|
|
rlm@2
|
668 the strength in their hearts and the will to fight.
|
|
rlm@2
|
669 Usagi and ChibiUsa looked at each other for a long moment before
|
|
rlm@2
|
670 crossing their moon rods together. They both knew that they had to
|
|
rlm@2
|
671 end this now. This pain couldn’t be allowed to continue any longer.
|
|
rlm@2
|
672 “Let’s go, Supersailorchibimoon! We have to join our power together!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
673 Usagi yelled out as they flew towards the monstrous form of Mistress
|
|
rlm@2
|
674 Nine.
|
|
rlm@2
|
675 Mistress Nine watched the two as they sped towards her. The power
|
|
rlm@2
|
676 was incredible. And that soul of the pink haired one was the same
|
|
rlm@2
|
677 that had been protecting the Ginzuishou when she had possessed it.
|
|
rlm@2
|
678 Why did they insist on stopping the beautiful Fate that lie in wait
|
|
rlm@2
|
679 for their world?
|
|
rlm@2
|
680 “Rainbow Double Moon Heartache!!” The two Senshi of the Moon yelled
|
|
rlm@2
|
681 in unison. Energy lashed out from their entwined moon rods at
|
|
rlm@2
|
682 Mistress Nine. ChibiUsa felt a twinge of regret as she poured herself
|
|
rlm@2
|
683 into the attack. She knew that they had to protect the future, her
|
|
rlm@2
|
684 future, but she could still remember Mistress Nine’s soothing words
|
|
rlm@2
|
685 while she had been protecting the Ginzuishou. But she had to stop
|
|
rlm@2
|
686 her. For Hotaru’s sacrifice. For her mother. For all of the lonely
|
|
rlm@2
|
687 hearts that had yet to meet the one who would release them from their
|
|
rlm@2
|
688 cold prison. ‘Thank you, Hotaru-chan... You saved me in more ways
|
|
rlm@2
|
689 than you know.’
|
|
rlm@2
|
690 On their three separate buildings, energy surrounding them as they
|
|
rlm@2
|
691 continued to hold up their barrier despite the onslaught of power
|
|
rlm@2
|
692 against it, Setsuna, Michiru, and Haruka held up their Talismans. The
|
|
rlm@2
|
693 monster that had been Mistress Nine grew larger as Chibimoon and
|
|
rlm@2
|
694 Sailormoon continued to attack it. “No! It’s being exposed to the
|
|
rlm@2
|
695 light of both the Ginzuishou of the present and of the future and
|
|
rlm@2
|
696 it’s still growing! It’s not working!” Setsuna yelled in frustration.
|
|
rlm@2
|
697 Her heart had been relieved to see the ‘young’ princess again, but
|
|
rlm@2
|
698 she didn’t want to see her get hurt against the Enemy. Nothing seemed
|
|
rlm@2
|
699 to be working. What would it take to stop them?
|
|
rlm@2
|
700 “More power! We need to hit it with enough to shatter it!” Minako
|
|
rlm@2
|
701 called out. There had to be something they could do. She refused to
|
|
rlm@2
|
702 sit back and watch as her world was torn asunder around her. Her
|
|
rlm@2
|
703 entire being would go into this. ‘I guess this might be the last time
|
|
rlm@2
|
704 Sailor V is in action, Natsuna-san. I hope you’re watching. This will
|
|
rlm@2
|
705 be my finest performance,’ she promised mentally to a certain police
|
|
rlm@2
|
706 chief. “We’ll do it, too! We have to stop that thing’s growth! We’ll
|
|
rlm@2
|
707 defend this planet till our dying breaths! Venus Wink Chain Sword!!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
708 “We’ve come so far. We’ve fought through so much. Our world’s dream
|
|
rlm@2
|
709 isn’t ready to end. Mars Snake Fire!!” Rei shouted as she
|
|
rlm@2
|
710 concentrated her energy.
|
|
rlm@2
|
711 “Jupiter Coconut Cyclone!!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
712 “Mercury Aqua Mirage!!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
713 The two attacks came at the same time, almost a counterpoint to the
|
|
rlm@2
|
714 other. The fight was far from over for them. Even if they lost, they
|
|
rlm@2
|
715 would know that they had fought to the end for their own special
|
|
rlm@2
|
716 reasons. The girls symbolizing Jupiter and Mercury couldn’t see each
|
|
rlm@2
|
717 other through the haze of battle, but knowing the other was their
|
|
rlm@2
|
718 bolstered them to throw everything into their attacks. This couldn’t
|
|
rlm@2
|
719 be the end. It was just the beginning for them.
|
|
rlm@2
|
720 “Tukishido La Smoking Bamba!!” Mamoru yelled out, his heart and
|
|
rlm@2
|
721 mind focussed on the two girls that were fighting for the life of the
|
|
rlm@2
|
722 planet. They were both incredibly important to him. He would do his
|
|
rlm@2
|
723 best to help.
|
|
rlm@2
|
724 Mistress Nine bathed in the power that was being focussed on her.
|
|
rlm@2
|
725 Silly humans. They had no idea what they were doing. This power was
|
|
rlm@2
|
726 only helping her to grow stronger. But what better way for them to
|
|
rlm@2
|
727 continue their struggle than to actually help bring about the new
|
|
rlm@2
|
728 world that awaited them? “Mmmm... This energy, it’s the power of the
|
|
rlm@2
|
729 carriers of the planets’ protection! Such wonderful, glorious power!
|
|
rlm@2
|
730 Give me all of your power! Open up the gateway for me!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
731 Minako gasped in shock. “It’s not affected? No...” Her spirits
|
|
rlm@2
|
732 dropped as the realization hit her. ‘I’m sorry, Natsuna-san. I tried.
|
|
rlm@2
|
733 I really did. It looks like this really is Sailor V’s last adventure.’
|
|
rlm@2
|
734 “She’s absorbing our power! It’s only making her stronger!” Ami
|
|
rlm@2
|
735 yelled out, her eyes wide. Why hadn’t she seen it before? The Death
|
|
rlm@2
|
736 Busters had been trying to gather power to bring about the
|
|
rlm@2
|
737 assimilation the entire time. Now Mistress Nine was using the very
|
|
rlm@2
|
738 power they were attempting to use against her.
|
|
rlm@2
|
739 “You will all be assimilated along with the planet. You will be
|
|
rlm@2
|
740 reborn along with it. Don’t you understand? You have no reason to
|
|
rlm@2
|
741 blow me apart. You should welcome my Master with open arms,” Mistress
|
|
rlm@2
|
742 Nine explained. Things seemed to be going very well indeed. Soon
|
|
rlm@2
|
743 enough it would all be... “What?! I can’t move! The barrier...!!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
744 “We won’t let you outside the Delta!” Michiru called out, her eyes
|
|
rlm@2
|
745 focussed on the floating Daimon. After all she had been through, it
|
|
rlm@2
|
746 came down to this. All of the sacrifices, all of the hard work. All
|
|
rlm@2
|
747 of the blood and tears. Now was the time when she would see the
|
|
rlm@2
|
748 results of all she had strived for. She didn’t even regret getting
|
|
rlm@2
|
749 Haruka involved in all this anymore. She could ask for no better
|
|
rlm@2
|
750 partner. If she was to die, then so be it. But she wasn’t about to go
|
|
rlm@2
|
751 alone and let these invaders take away all that she had fought so
|
|
rlm@2
|
752 hard for.
|
|
rlm@2
|
753 “This will be your graveyard!” Haruka added, brilliant gold light
|
|
rlm@2
|
754 outlining her as she continued to pour her energy into the barrier.
|
|
rlm@2
|
755 The blonde tomboy had come a long way in the short time she had been
|
|
rlm@2
|
756 a Sailor Senshi. It had eaten her up for so long, knowing the dark
|
|
rlm@2
|
757 path she had to travel. But with such a traveling companion, even the
|
|
rlm@2
|
758 darkest roads of hell had seemed cheerful enough. ‘I’ll always follow
|
|
rlm@2
|
759 you, Michi. No matter where you lead.’
|
|
rlm@2
|
760 The sky above began to fade and swirl, black gathering through the
|
|
rlm@2
|
761 shadows. Pinpricks of stars shone through to the Senshi below.
|
|
rlm@2
|
762 Ami recognized the layout of the stars immediately from her run in
|
|
rlm@2
|
763 with Viluy Yuri of the Witches 5. “The Tau Star System!! The gateway
|
|
rlm@2
|
764 is opening!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
765 Mistress Nine watched the stars with a mix of nostalgia and hope.
|
|
rlm@2
|
766 “The long forgotten distant mother stars, the Tau Star System! After
|
|
rlm@2
|
767 all of this time, this planet will finally be our second home! Our
|
|
rlm@2
|
768 society will be revived! For all of those wandering souls, their
|
|
rlm@2
|
769 homecoming is nigh.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
770 “I can’t allow you to do that! I won’t let you have this planet!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
771 Usagi clutched her moon rod tighter, unsure of how to stop the
|
|
rlm@2
|
772 catastrophe that was approaching, but unwilling to give up.
|
|
rlm@2
|
773 “I can’t...” ChibiUsa whispered, her crimson eyes fluttering as she
|
|
rlm@2
|
774 tried to concentrate. She felt weak, tired. Unconsciousness was
|
|
rlm@2
|
775 beginning to pray on her mind, defeating every attempt she made to
|
|
rlm@2
|
776 fight it off. Her power was waning quickly, the strain too much for
|
|
rlm@2
|
777 her. As her Super Sailor Fuku disappeared, she plummeted from the sky.
|
|
rlm@2
|
778 “ChibiUsa!!!” Mamoru barely managed to catch the pink haired
|
|
rlm@2
|
779 soldier. She was already passed out.
|
|
rlm@2
|
780 “Master Pharaoh 90! I will be your partner! I will do all I can for
|
|
rlm@2
|
781 this planet, the master, and the utilization!” Mistress Nine shouted,
|
|
rlm@2
|
782 the light of her home world spurring her forward. Her heart beat for
|
|
rlm@2
|
783 her master. She would not fail him. And they would be together for
|
|
rlm@2
|
784 all eternity. Darkness burst out of her forehead as she fell from the
|
|
rlm@2
|
785 sky, crashing down amongst the rubble below. “Wha..? What happened to
|
|
rlm@2
|
786 me... my body.. I can’t... No, not now...”
|
|
rlm@2
|
787 Setsuna wobbled precariously, dropping her staff as she collapsed
|
|
rlm@2
|
788 to her knees. Michiru and Haruka quickly followed suit, clattering to
|
|
rlm@2
|
789 the floor themselves, their Talismans dropping from their fingers.
|
|
rlm@2
|
790 The light from the barrier above flickered and shattered into a
|
|
rlm@2
|
791 million slivers of light, quickly fading away. .
|
|
rlm@2
|
792 “Their force field.. It’s gone!” Usagi watched in horror as the
|
|
rlm@2
|
793 only thing keeping back the gateway disappeared. “Uranus! Neptune!
|
|
rlm@2
|
794 Pluto!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
795 “No... I can’t put out anymore power... I don’t have anything
|
|
rlm@2
|
796 left..” Setsuna said as she gasped for breath. Her eyes closed, pain
|
|
rlm@2
|
797 tearing at her. She had given up her previous life as a college
|
|
rlm@2
|
798 student to protect the world as Sailorpluto and she had failed. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
799 had thought that she could make a difference. “I’m sorry, Small Lady.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
800 “Damnit!” Haruka beat her fist into the concrete under her. “We’ve
|
|
rlm@2
|
801 come too far to lose now... This can’t be the end...”
|
|
rlm@2
|
802 The shining light of stars from a far away system loomed over the
|
|
rlm@2
|
803 Sailor Senshi, sparkling above them hauntingly. “The earth, it’s
|
|
rlm@2
|
804 dying... Will this be the new home to the Enemies?! No!! I won’t let
|
|
rlm@2
|
805 you take away our home! You’re uninvited visitors! Get out!! Rainbow
|
|
rlm@2
|
806 Moon Heartache!!” Usagi focussed her power again, fighting till the
|
|
rlm@2
|
807 end. Her four Sailor Senshi attacked along with her, throwing
|
|
rlm@2
|
808 themselves fully behind her. All of their power swirled into the vast
|
|
rlm@2
|
809 darkness that was building.
|
|
rlm@2
|
810 “Our power... Drawn into the darkness... It’s all gone..” Minako
|
|
rlm@2
|
811 stated weakly before she and the other three collapsed.
|
|
rlm@2
|
812 “Everyone...” Usagi looked over the battlefield. The three Outer
|
|
rlm@2
|
813 Senshi could barely move, her own Inner Senshi too weak to go on.
|
|
rlm@2
|
814 Mamoru held onto Chibimoon’s limp body. She looked pale from Usagi’s
|
|
rlm@2
|
815 viewpoint. Everyone was falling. They had given their all and it
|
|
rlm@2
|
816 still wasn’t enough. When would they wake up from this nightmare?
|
|
rlm@2
|
817 “They all pushed themselves past their limits. They have no power
|
|
rlm@2
|
818 left to fight anymore. No... That’s not true. There’s still some
|
|
rlm@2
|
819 left. Everyone’s power is still inside me as Supersailormoon. It was
|
|
rlm@2
|
820 all of them together that gave me this strength. So I will fight on
|
|
rlm@2
|
821 for them. I’ll show their power to the fullest extent. I can fight
|
|
rlm@2
|
822 with their dreams in my heart. Sleep well, my friends. I’ll carry
|
|
rlm@2
|
823 your dreams with me until you wake up. Only me. Alone. No, with your
|
|
rlm@2
|
824 dreams in my heart, I will never fight alone! With the Ginzuishou and
|
|
rlm@2
|
825 the Holy Grail, I’ll keep fighting! Holy Grail, please lend me more
|
|
rlm@2
|
826 strength. Fill me with the final power of the nine Sailor Senshi!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
827 Mamoru watched Sailormoon up above as she gathered up all the power
|
|
rlm@2
|
828 she could. He held onto ChibiUsa’s unconscious form as the wind
|
|
rlm@2
|
829 whipped past him. "Usako, what are you planning on?!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
830 Usagi smiled in reply, clutching the Holy Grail in front of her.
|
|
rlm@2
|
831 Pure white light was lashing around her, illuminating her in the dark
|
|
rlm@2
|
832 sky. Dropping from the sky, she headed for the ruins below.
|
|
rlm@2
|
833 “Usako!!” Mamoru watched in horror as he finally understood what
|
|
rlm@2
|
834 she was doing. The nine Sailor Senshi watched on helplessly.
|
|
rlm@2
|
835 Falling through the air, Usagi smiled softly. “There’s only one
|
|
rlm@2
|
836 chance left. I’m going to show it the true power we have to offer.
|
|
rlm@2
|
837 I’m going to open the full power of the Ginzuishou and the Holy Grail
|
|
rlm@2
|
838 inside that thing!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
839 “Usako!!!!” Mamoru screamed as he watched her plummet towards the
|
|
rlm@2
|
840 gathering darkness. This couldn’t be happening. After all that they
|
|
rlm@2
|
841 had fought through, she couldn’t sacrifice herself for this. She was
|
|
rlm@2
|
842 the world’s only hope, but his world would still be lost if she was
|
|
rlm@2
|
843 gone.
|
|
rlm@2
|
844 ChibiUsa gasped in Mamoru’s grip as she watched, finally regaining
|
|
rlm@2
|
845 consciousness only to see Sailormoon’s last ditch effort. Why did
|
|
rlm@2
|
846 their have to be so many sacrifices? Why did so many have to pay for
|
|
rlm@2
|
847 things with their lives? Hotaru had paid for ChibiUsa’s life with her
|
|
rlm@2
|
848 own and now Usagi was going to give herself for the planet. Why was
|
|
rlm@2
|
849 the price always so high? With a grim thought, ChibiUsa realized that
|
|
rlm@2
|
850 she would be sacrificed as well. If Usagi died, she would never be
|
|
rlm@2
|
851 born. But it was all right. If she had to die for the sake of the
|
|
rlm@2
|
852 planet and all the lonely souls on it, then she would gladly be down
|
|
rlm@2
|
853 there with Usagi. Some things were worth sacrificing for. ‘I guess
|
|
rlm@2
|
854 I’ll see you soon, Hotaru-chan.’ A small smile crossed her lips.
|
|
rlm@2
|
855 Darkness enveloped Usagi as she plunged deeper into the blackness.
|
|
rlm@2
|
856 The light flowing around her exploded in a tremendously bright shower.
|
|
rlm@2
|
857 Up above with the three Senshi of the Outer system, the Deep Aqua
|
|
rlm@2
|
858 Mirror, Garnet Orb, and Space Sword began to flash, reacting to
|
|
rlm@2
|
859 something. “The Talismans?!” Michiru said in shock. The three objects
|
|
rlm@2
|
860 lifted into the air, glowing brighter.
|
|
rlm@2
|
861 A hole tore open through Mistress Nine down in the darkness. A
|
|
rlm@2
|
862 sphere of light lifted into the air. Inside lay a beautiful Sailor
|
|
rlm@2
|
863 Senshi lying on her back. The storm seemed to stop in the immediate
|
|
rlm@2
|
864 vincinity around her. The entire area was covered in silence for a
|
|
rlm@2
|
865 breathless moment.
|
|
rlm@2
|
866 “That’s...”
|
|
rlm@2
|
867 “Oh my God...”
|
|
rlm@2
|
868 The Sailor Senshi stood up in the air, her eyes slowly opening as
|
|
rlm@2
|
869 she took in the scene around her. The Saturn symbol flashed on her
|
|
rlm@2
|
870 forehead. There was a serene calm about her, as if she knew exactly
|
|
rlm@2
|
871 what she was here to do and it was no more of a chore than washing
|
|
rlm@2
|
872 the clothes. She held a long staff in her left hand, the end curving
|
|
rlm@2
|
873 into a wicked looking blade. “I am the messenger from the depths of
|
|
rlm@2
|
874 death. I come from far off to set right what has been led terribly
|
|
rlm@2
|
875 astray. I am carrier of the protection of the planet of ruin, Saturn.
|
|
rlm@2
|
876 The Senshi of Silence. Sailorsaturn.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
877 “She’s awakened...” Michiru said in horror.
|
|
rlm@2
|
878 “Sailor Saturn!” Haruka shook her head. If only they had killed
|
|
rlm@2
|
879 Hotaru before! No, wait... Hotaru was already dead. Saturn had still
|
|
rlm@2
|
880 come even then. Was there no way to stop this even worse monster than
|
|
rlm@2
|
881 the Enemy they were fighting?
|
|
rlm@2
|
882 “Then... This is the end, isn’t it?” Setsuna asked after a moment.
|
|
rlm@2
|
883 Of course, this meant it was all over. They had failed.
|
|
rlm@2
|
884 Rei looked up at the figure. “Does that mean.. Is Sailormoon... Is
|
|
rlm@2
|
885 she dead?!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
886 Saturn turned to look at them, her silver eyes cold. Her pale skin
|
|
rlm@2
|
887 and curved weapon made her look dangerously similar to images of
|
|
rlm@2
|
888 Death itself. "I was called by the pulled trigger long ago. It
|
|
rlm@2
|
889 doesn't seem that it's been that long yet. I seem like an invited
|
|
rlm@2
|
890 guest. I slowly met accidents one after another, and disturbing
|
|
rlm@2
|
891 occurrences were brought about. Suddenly history seemed to have gone
|
|
rlm@2
|
892 a bit wrong."
|
|
rlm@2
|
893 “Hotaru-chan?!” ChibiUsa asked, pulling away from Mamoru. “Hotaru-
|
|
rlm@2
|
894 chan!! No... Sailorsaturn... Please, tell me what’s going on!!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
895 Chibimoon ran forward towards the apparition, tears spilling down her
|
|
rlm@2
|
896 cheeks. Saturn stood like a statue, her silver eyes watching her
|
|
rlm@2
|
897 intently. “Hotaru-chan...” ChibiUsa sniffled as she reached the
|
|
rlm@2
|
898 silent soldier. “It’s you, isn’t it? It is you, Hotaru-chan.. It has
|
|
rlm@2
|
899 to be...” She lunged forward grabbing onto the dark haired Sailor
|
|
rlm@2
|
900 Senshi. Clutching on tightly, she let loose a sob, shaking against
|
|
rlm@2
|
901 the taller girl.
|
|
rlm@2
|
902 “Small Lady!! Get away from her! Now!!” Setsuna screamed to the
|
|
rlm@2
|
903 future princess. Her heart lurched as she watched the two Senshi. The
|
|
rlm@2
|
904 princess was going to die and there was nothing she could do about
|
|
rlm@2
|
905 it. ChibiUsa hardly seemed to hear her and she had no power left to
|
|
rlm@2
|
906 get to her in time, let alone to fend off the final soldier.
|
|
rlm@2
|
907 ChibiUsa was wracked with sobs as she held onto Sailorsaturn.
|
|
rlm@2
|
908 Saturn shifted slightly in her grasp. The future princess felt arms
|
|
rlm@2
|
909 encircling her, holding her close. A gloved hand gently brushed past
|
|
rlm@2
|
910 her cheek before running through her hair. She looked up at the
|
|
rlm@2
|
911 taller girl, sniffling. Gloved fingers wiped her tears away. Saturn
|
|
rlm@2
|
912 was looking down at her gently, following the contours of the smaller
|
|
rlm@2
|
913 Senshi’s face. “Hotaru-chan...”
|
|
rlm@2
|
914 Saturn shook her head slowly, still holding on to the pink haired
|
|
rlm@2
|
915 princess. “Through an accident here in the Infinity Zone, the one I
|
|
rlm@2
|
916 was supposed to sleep eternally inside, Hotaru, began to live life as
|
|
rlm@2
|
917 a cyborg. In that girl’s body, I was never supposed to awaken. It was
|
|
rlm@2
|
918 a shock to my soul and an enormous strain living inside of her after
|
|
rlm@2
|
919 that. Then another came to live inside that body. Mistress Nine.
|
|
rlm@2
|
920 Professor Tomoe’s twisted mind had summoned those from a far off
|
|
rlm@2
|
921 world and had given them the body of the girl I was inhabiting. But
|
|
rlm@2
|
922 there was nothing I could do. I was immersed in darkness, only able
|
|
rlm@2
|
923 to watch sleepily as time marched forward. But now, I have been
|
|
rlm@2
|
924 called forth. We were all drawn here. The passage of the other world
|
|
rlm@2
|
925 opened here. This land was chosen for this final battle. All of the
|
|
rlm@2
|
926 power has gathered here. Everything began to descend to ruin,
|
|
rlm@2
|
927 foretelling my awakening. It was all set up by fate.” One arm
|
|
rlm@2
|
928 continued to hold ChibiUsa close while her right hand rested on the
|
|
rlm@2
|
929 princess’s cheek. ChibiUsa just looked into her eyes, unsure of what
|
|
rlm@2
|
930 to say, her arms around Saturn’s shoulders. “All of it. Even my
|
|
rlm@2
|
931 meeting you, ChibiUsa-chan.” The cold look faded for a second, a
|
|
rlm@2
|
932 smile similar to the one Hotaru had given her before she had
|
|
rlm@2
|
933 disappeared on her face. “Thank you, ChibiUsa-chan. I’ll be waiting
|
|
rlm@2
|
934 for you when my job is finished. Don’t be afraid of death. I’ll be
|
|
rlm@2
|
935 waiting to lead you through when it greets you.” Leaning down, she
|
|
rlm@2
|
936 kissed the pink haired girl softly. ChibiUsa stood on her tiptoes,
|
|
rlm@2
|
937 holding on tighter as she returned the kiss. It was bittersweet, a
|
|
rlm@2
|
938 final kiss before the end. Saturn pulled away slowly, her fingers
|
|
rlm@2
|
939 trailing on ChibiUsa’s cheek for a few lingering seconds as her cold
|
|
rlm@2
|
940 exterior returned. Clutching the Silence Glaive, she turned away from
|
|
rlm@2
|
941 her princess. ChibiUsa slumped to her knees behind her. Leaping
|
|
rlm@2
|
942 forward, the Senshi of Death and Rebirth stabbed into the blackness
|
|
rlm@2
|
943 with her Silence Glaive.
|
|
rlm@2
|
944 “I can’t move!? No!!! My power... It’s all being soaked up!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
945 Mistress Nine screamed as she tried to struggle against Saturn. It
|
|
rlm@2
|
946 was useless. All of the power she had gathered was being torn from
|
|
rlm@2
|
947 her. Her dreams shattered as she felt the icy cold hand of death
|
|
rlm@2
|
948 waiting just behind the dark haired girl.
|
|
rlm@2
|
949 “Now that I’ve awakened, I must bring down the Silence Glaive,”
|
|
rlm@2
|
950 Saturn explained, gripping it tighter.
|
|
rlm@2
|
951 “The Silence Glaive.. That’s the scythe of the Goddess of Death.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
952 Michiru had drawn it before in a dark painting she had done. A
|
|
rlm@2
|
953 beautiful goddess dressed only in what amounted to a white sheet. And
|
|
rlm@2
|
954 wielding that same deadly weapon. Haruka had wondered why she would
|
|
rlm@2
|
955 draw such a beautiful girl with such a dangerous looking weapon
|
|
rlm@2
|
956 surrounded by bodies in a macabre painting, but this seemed to be the
|
|
rlm@2
|
957 same celestial embodiment of Death.
|
|
rlm@2
|
958 “Id she brings down the Silence Glaive, then everything will end!
|
|
rlm@2
|
959 Sailorsaturn, don’t do this!” Setsuna yelled out. She was shocked at
|
|
rlm@2
|
960 the display with the princess, but the reprieve of not killing
|
|
rlm@2
|
961 ChibiUsa then would only mean that she would die with the rest of
|
|
rlm@2
|
962 them in moments.
|
|
rlm@2
|
963 “Damnit!! Why would Fate bring about all of this? It can’t be! This
|
|
rlm@2
|
964 can’t be the Fate of our world! Sailorsaturn, stop!!” Haruka clutched
|
|
rlm@2
|
965 onto Michiru.
|
|
rlm@2
|
966 ChibiUsa’s crimson eyes followed Saturn as she stayed on her knees,
|
|
rlm@2
|
967 the rubble biting into her skin. “Hotaru-chan.. Does this mean
|
|
rlm@2
|
968 there’s no future for us? Is this the end?” She didn’t have the
|
|
rlm@2
|
969 strength to get up. She was so thrilled to see Hotaru again, but she
|
|
rlm@2
|
970 hadn’t expected her to turn out to be Death. Her mind was still
|
|
rlm@2
|
971 swirling in confusion. All she could do was watch.
|
|
rlm@2
|
972 “Death Reborn Revolution!!” Saturn yelled out, still calm amidst
|
|
rlm@2
|
973 the destruction around her. Ribbons surrounded her as she lifted up
|
|
rlm@2
|
974 the Silence Glaive above her head. She briefly wondered if she should
|
|
rlm@2
|
975 have hurried along ChibiUsa’s death so that she wouldn’t have to
|
|
rlm@2
|
976 witness the destruction to come, but decided that it was too late to
|
|
rlm@2
|
977 worry about such things. The pink haired girl would be dead soon
|
|
rlm@2
|
978 enough, along with everything else. And she would be there to escort
|
|
rlm@2
|
979 her once it was all over.
|
|
rlm@2
|
980 “No!! All of my power.. It’s being pulled away from me!! I’m losing
|
|
rlm@2
|
981 all that I’ve gained.. Master, I’m so sorry! It was all for you! This
|
|
rlm@2
|
982 negative aura is soaking up everything I had! No, it can’t be!! She
|
|
rlm@2
|
983 can’t have awakened! Is this the true Silent Messiah?! She will guide
|
|
rlm@2
|
984 everything to ruin!” Mistress Nine’s struggles became weaker and
|
|
rlm@2
|
985 weaker as Saturn’s power grew. Her thoughts began slipping from the
|
|
rlm@2
|
986 mission she had tried so hard to accomplish, focussing instead on her
|
|
rlm@2
|
987 reason behind it all, her master, the one she loved.
|
|
rlm@2
|
988 The gathering darkness became entangled in ribbons. The ribbons
|
|
rlm@2
|
989 seemed to sap away the darkness, drawing it away as it forced it all
|
|
rlm@2
|
990 up into the sky and towards the Tau Star System that could be seen up
|
|
rlm@2
|
991 above. “You, who has already lost your world, already know the pain
|
|
rlm@2
|
992 of losing everything. Soon this planet will join your own, for it’s
|
|
rlm@2
|
993 death is soon. But you, abominable creature, will die first. Invader!
|
|
rlm@2
|
994 Return to the dead! Then death will befall this world as well!” Power
|
|
rlm@2
|
995 surrounded her as more ribbons began flowing from her. Darkness and
|
|
rlm@2
|
996 energy began to build up around her, ripping through the rubble
|
|
rlm@2
|
997 underneath her.
|
|
rlm@2
|
998 “It’s over! We can’t stop it anymore! We’ve finally reached the
|
|
rlm@2
|
999 end,” Mamoru shook his head, defeat starting to seep through his
|
|
rlm@2
|
1000 weary body.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1001 Haruka staggered to her feet, wincing in pain as she got closer to
|
|
rlm@2
|
1002 the ledge of the building for a better look. “She’s going to bring
|
|
rlm@2
|
1003 down the Silence Glaive! She’s going to kill this world along with
|
|
rlm@2
|
1004 that Daimon!!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
1005 As the Silence Glaive began it’s slow descent towards the ground,
|
|
rlm@2
|
1006 the ribbons and darkness and energy lashed out. The city began
|
|
rlm@2
|
1007 tearing itself apart, buildings shattering and collapsing, the ground
|
|
rlm@2
|
1008 ripping open. Mamoru covered the still confused ChibiUsa as debris
|
|
rlm@2
|
1009 fell past them. Buildings were ripped to pieces in seconds.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1010 “Everyone.. Everything, it’s all disappearing,” ChibiUsa whispered
|
|
rlm@2
|
1011 softly, the world falling apart around her. The wind picked up,
|
|
rlm@2
|
1012 shrieking fiercely. Waves crashed nearby as the earth shook. For a
|
|
rlm@2
|
1013 moment, ChibiUsa regretted coming back to the past to train. This was
|
|
rlm@2
|
1014 too much for her. But she had to. She didn’t regret all that they’d
|
|
rlm@2
|
1015 done up till now. She didn’t regret meeting Hotaru. But did it have
|
|
rlm@2
|
1016 to end now?
|
|
rlm@2
|
1017 Mamoru dropped to his knees beside his future daughter, his cane
|
|
rlm@2
|
1018 dropping next to him. “Usa... Usako!! Only you kept me alive all this
|
|
rlm@2
|
1019 time! And I couldn’t even protect you!” His eyes followed a trace of
|
|
rlm@2
|
1020 red. The wind brought one of the red petals closer. The rose he’d
|
|
rlm@2
|
1021 given Usagi.. The beautiful rose was crushed. “Usako...” Tears
|
|
rlm@2
|
1022 dropped to the rubble underneath them.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1023 Watching Mamoru clutch onto the flower petal, ChibiUsa looked back
|
|
rlm@2
|
1024 towards the receding darkness that Usagi had plunged into.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1025 “Sailormoon... Mama.. You can’t be gone.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
1026 “Damn,” Haruka mutters, tossing a chunk of concrete across the
|
|
rlm@2
|
1027 ruined battlefield. “Isn’t there anything we can do?! Are we
|
|
rlm@2
|
1028 completely helpless? Everything will be destroyed if this isn’t
|
|
rlm@2
|
1029 stopped. I... I just wanted to protect that girl! That was all! I
|
|
rlm@2
|
1030 didn’t care for any of this!” Michiru took her hand as they watched
|
|
rlm@2
|
1031 the destruction.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1032 “Haruka-san!” a voice called out. “Haruka-san!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
1033 “Sailorsaturn..!” ChibiUsa said as she got up, stumbling towards
|
|
rlm@2
|
1034 the Senshi of Silence. She had to get to her. There had to be
|
|
rlm@2
|
1035 something she could do. She knew Hotaru the best. Hotaru trusted her.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1036 Even if Saturn was a bit different, she had to try. Mamoru grabbed
|
|
rlm@2
|
1037 her arm, pulling her back. “Mamo-chan, I have to!” she argued, trying
|
|
rlm@2
|
1038 to pull from his grasp. Up ahead, a bright light began shining near
|
|
rlm@2
|
1039 Saturn. It lifted up into the air, clearing the troubled sky around
|
|
rlm@2
|
1040 it. A figure emerged from the light, butterflies fluttering
|
|
rlm@2
|
1041 everywhere around her, mixing with the fireflies that had begun to
|
|
rlm@2
|
1042 take flight shortly after Saturn’s arrival. “Sailormoon?
|
|
rlm@2
|
1043 Supersailormoon?!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
1044 Usagi’s eyes opened as the crescent moon on her forehead lit up.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1045 She blinked curiously as she looked around at the battlefield. The
|
|
rlm@2
|
1046 other senshi were all staring up at her.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1047 “Usako!!” Mamoru called out.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1048 Mistress Nine saw the slight distraction as her last chance. These
|
|
rlm@2
|
1049 Sailor Senshi had nearly ruined all of their plans. She had to stop
|
|
rlm@2
|
1050 them now. “I’ll take you with me! Back to the Tau Star System! The
|
|
rlm@2
|
1051 gravity will pull you through to the darkness of our graveyard! Our
|
|
rlm@2
|
1052 dead home, the Tau Star System!” There was still hope. If she could
|
|
rlm@2
|
1053 pull them through, Master Pharaoh 90 could stop them. Then this world
|
|
rlm@2
|
1054 might still be reborn as their new home.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1055 Saturn looked up, her glaive nearly touching the floor. Her silver
|
|
rlm@2
|
1056 eyes watched with little concern at Mistress Nine’s attempt at
|
|
rlm@2
|
1057 salvaging the situation. A slight smile crossed her thin lips as she
|
|
rlm@2
|
1058 looked up. “It’s beautiful, the suffering at the moment of
|
|
rlm@2
|
1059 destruction. If you’re so eager, then let’s hurry! Right away! The
|
|
rlm@2
|
1060 guide to death, Sailorsaturn, will lead to the world of the dead!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
1061 “Saturn!? No!! We’ll all be drawn out into space together! We’ll
|
|
rlm@2
|
1062 all die!” Usagi clenched her fists, looking to Saturn concernedly.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1063 “You can’t let this happen! Everyone will die!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
1064 Saturn shrugged off Usagi’s outburst. It hardly seemed to matter
|
|
rlm@2
|
1065 now. Her full power was very nearly ready to be unleashed. “I don’t
|
|
rlm@2
|
1066 feel despair. Along with death, there is always hope and rebirth.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
1067 Her silver eyes caught ChibiUsa’s crimson eyes. She held her gaze for
|
|
rlm@2
|
1068 a few seconds, as if speaking directly to her. “If you remember that,
|
|
rlm@2
|
1069 then death is nothing to fear.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
1070 “Sailorsaturn?” Usagi asked, confused.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1071 “Sailormoon, because you have opened the power of the Holy Grail
|
|
rlm@2
|
1072 and the Ginzuishou, you still have a chance to save this planet.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1073 Perhaps now is not the time that has been fated for me to bring
|
|
rlm@2
|
1074 everything to ruin. Soon, this land will be the new Tokyo that you
|
|
rlm@2
|
1075 will bring about. For now, I must stop the outsiders from getting a
|
|
rlm@2
|
1076 grip in this world.” Saturn’s cold gaze fell upon Setsuna.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1077 “Sailorpluto! Close the gateway to the other world for eternity!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
1078 Pushing off the ground, Saturn drifted into the darkness, following
|
|
rlm@2
|
1079 Mistress Nine towards the Tau System. That was where she was needed
|
|
rlm@2
|
1080 now, to finally put the long dead system to sleep.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1081 Setsuna paused, pulling up her staff. She could see the pain in the
|
|
rlm@2
|
1082 princess’s eyes as they followed the dark haired senshi’s ascent. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
1083 was so tired of all of this fighting and pain. “Saturn!!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
1084 “Hurry!!” Saturn yelled back, her energy building as she closed the
|
|
rlm@2
|
1085 distance. She could feel Pharaoh 90 on the other side. He would be
|
|
rlm@2
|
1086 dead soon enough when she released the power building within her. Her
|
|
rlm@2
|
1087 Silence Glaive would drop today after all.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1088 Pluto nodded, closing her eyes as she began chanting. Her Garnet
|
|
rlm@2
|
1089 Orb began to glow. “Great guardian deity of time and space! My
|
|
rlm@2
|
1090 father, Chronos! Give me power! Close the door of the broken law!
|
|
rlm@2
|
1091 Dark Dome Close!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
1092 ChibiUsa watched up overhead as the space-time door began sucking in
|
|
rlm@2
|
1093 energy, sealing off the gateway. Sailorsaturn smiled down at her one
|
|
rlm@2
|
1094 last time before fading into it. The door slammed shut behind her.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1095 “Hotaru-chan..” ChibiUsa whispered, wiping at her eyes. Hotaru had
|
|
rlm@2
|
1096 sacrificed herself again, this time saving the entire planet and
|
|
rlm@2
|
1097 ChibiUsa’s future. But she couldn’t appreciate the victory knowing
|
|
rlm@2
|
1098 the price that had to be paid. Just when she had seen her again, she
|
|
rlm@2
|
1099 had been torn from her. How could love hurt so much? It wasn’t
|
|
rlm@2
|
1100 supposed to be this way.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1101 “Small Lady, Hotaru-chan wouldn’t want to see you crying. After all
|
|
rlm@2
|
1102 she gave up, she would want you to be happy with the new future she
|
|
rlm@2
|
1103 has ensured you,” Pluto explained, helping ChibiUsa to her feet. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
1104 smiled gently, brushing some of the dirt from ChibiUsa’s face.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1105 Nodding weakly, ChibiUsa slumped against the tall Guardian of Time.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1106 “Hai, you’re right, Puu. I know. I just miss her already. My heart
|
|
rlm@2
|
1107 feels like it’s shattered.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
1108 Setsuna sweatdropped. So the princess had already fallen in love as
|
|
rlm@2
|
1109 she’d thought. “She’s still watching you, Small Lady.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
1110 “Along with death.. Hope and rebirth begin,” Usagi whispered,
|
|
rlm@2
|
1111 repeating Saturn’s words. Her Sailor Fuku dissolved into her white
|
|
rlm@2
|
1112 princess gown, flowing regally around her. Raising her moon rod,
|
|
rlm@2
|
1113 light began to flash through the city. The destruction began to
|
|
rlm@2
|
1114 vanish as the dead began to get up, returned from their slumber
|
|
rlm@2
|
1115 before they could continue on their path to the afterlife.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1116 “Neo Queen Serenity,” Setsuna said quietly as she saw Usagi
|
|
rlm@2
|
1117 standing atop a pillar, holding up her rod.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1118 A baby’s cry broke the silence, coming from somewhere nearby. “A
|
|
rlm@2
|
1119 baby?” ChibiUsa asked in surprise. What would a baby be doing there
|
|
rlm@2
|
1120 after the battle? How had it gotten there?
|
|
rlm@2
|
1121 Michiru ran to the sound, quickly spotting the tiny baby. It was a
|
|
rlm@2
|
1122 little girl with ivory skin and short, dark hair. The Saturn symbol
|
|
rlm@2
|
1123 was glowing on her forehead. “Hotaru-chan?”
|
|
rlm@2
|
1124 “She was reincarnated?” Haruka asked as she reached Michiru’s side.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1125 The blonde looked at the baby girl, shocked to see the girl that had
|
|
rlm@2
|
1126 nearly destroyed the world and had ultimately saved it.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1127 “She must be all alone,” Michiru said sadly, holding the baby
|
|
rlm@2
|
1128 close. “Let’s raise her ourselves.” A smile played out across her
|
|
rlm@2
|
1129 lips as she looked over at Haruka. The serious look of Sailor Neptune
|
|
rlm@2
|
1130 was gone, replaced by an earnest joy in her heart at being alive and
|
|
rlm@2
|
1131 having the chance to raise the lonely girl.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1132 “The three of us as parents?” Haruka asked skeptically.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1133 “It’s the least we can do after trying to kill her,” Setsuna added,
|
|
rlm@2
|
1134 taking Hotaru’s small hand with her finger.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1135 “What? You don’t think you’d make a good mommy, Haruka?” Michiru
|
|
rlm@2
|
1136 asked teasingly.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1137 “Uranus! Neptune! Pluto!” Usagi ran up to the three, catching her
|
|
rlm@2
|
1138 breath. “That baby...?”
|
|
rlm@2
|
1139 The three women turned to look at the blonde girl. “We’ll be going
|
|
rlm@2
|
1140 now. We’ve been given a new mission to complete now,” Haruka explained.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1141 “You’re going?” ChibiUsa asked sadly, looking from the three of
|
|
rlm@2
|
1142 them to the baby in Michiru’s arms. “Where?”
|
|
rlm@2
|
1143 Setsuna shrugged. “You never know, Small Lady. Perhaps we’ll be far
|
|
rlm@2
|
1144 off. Or maybe we’ll be closer to you than you’ll know. But we’re
|
|
rlm@2
|
1145 allies, Sailorchibimoon. We’ll surely meet again. You can count on
|
|
rlm@2
|
1146 it.” The darkly tanned woman smiled softly to the young Sailor Senshi.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1147 Michiru nodded in agreement. “Hai. We’re allies. So we’ll meet
|
|
rlm@2
|
1148 again soon. Small princess, we love you. We will return to you again
|
|
rlm@2
|
1149 soon.” She held out her mirror to ChibiUsa. The princess took it
|
|
rlm@2
|
1150 slowly. “A sign of our promise. Keep looking into this mirror. Until
|
|
rlm@2
|
1151 we meet again, grow up to be a stronger, more beautiful soldier and
|
|
rlm@2
|
1152 princess. ”
|
|
rlm@2
|
1153 “Neptune!” ChibiUsa held the mirror close for a moment. “I promise!
|
|
rlm@2
|
1154 I will!” She paused for a moment, looking down. “Ummm.. Can I see
|
|
rlm@2
|
1155 Hotaru-chan before you go? Please?” Michiru smiled and held the baby
|
|
rlm@2
|
1156 carefully out to Chibimoon. ChibiUsa held onto her shifting slightly.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1157 “I’m really gonna miss you, Hotaru-chan. Thank you so much for
|
|
rlm@2
|
1158 everything. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had. Thanks for coming
|
|
rlm@2
|
1159 back to me. I promise I’ll wait for you, not matter how long it
|
|
rlm@2
|
1160 takes.” She blushed slightly as she kissed the baby’s forehead. “I
|
|
rlm@2
|
1161 love you, Hotaru-chan.” Her heart skipped a beat as she gave baby
|
|
rlm@2
|
1162 Hotaru back to Michiru. Again Hotaru was leaving her. But this time,
|
|
rlm@2
|
1163 there was hope. Hotaru would still be out there. And she would grow
|
|
rlm@2
|
1164 up all over again. This time she prayed that Hotaru would be much
|
|
rlm@2
|
1165 happier. And she would be waiting for the dark haired girl. That was
|
|
rlm@2
|
1166 her promise. When they met again... “I love you,” she whispered
|
|
rlm@2
|
1167 again. “Here, please give her this.” ChibiUsa held out the Luna-P to
|
|
rlm@2
|
1168 Setsuna. “I want her to have it. Maybe when she’s older...” the
|
|
rlm@2
|
1169 princess trailed off.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1170 Setsuna took the gift and nodded. “Take care of yourself for us,
|
|
rlm@2
|
1171 Small Lady!” With that, the three women turned and left with the
|
|
rlm@2
|
1172 baby, disappearing swiftly.
|
|
rlm@2
|
1173 “Uranus! Neptune! Pluto!” Usagi called after the three, but they
|
|
rlm@2
|
1174 were already gone. “Uranus! Neptune! Pluto!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
1175 ChibiUsa hugged the mirror close to her heart, watching where they
|
|
rlm@2
|
1176 had last been. A small smile crossed her lips. “We will surely meet
|
|
rlm@2
|
1177 again someday. Haruka-san. Michiru-san. Puu. And Hotaru-chan. I’ll be
|
|
rlm@2
|
1178 waiting for you. Grow up to be a happy girl. We’ll see each other
|
|
rlm@2
|
1179 again. I promise.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
1180
|
