Mercurial > moonlitnights
comparison old/stories/eye-3.txt @ 2:fc00894c1d4a moonlitnights
[svn r3] moved all the bad stuff to 'old'
| author | rlm |
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| date | Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:53:12 -0500 |
| parents | |
| children |
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| 1:dbe144217c71 | 2:fc00894c1d4a |
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| 1 Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon - Infinity Alternate | |
| 2 'Eye of the Beholder' - Chapter Three | |
| 3 by AmazonessDuo | |
| 4 amazonessduo@hotmail.com | |
| 5 | |
| 6 | |
| 7 | |
| 8 The future Senshi of the moon raced against time to reach Hotaru | |
| 9 before it was too late. Her fuku was soaked from the rain and hail, | |
| 10 her pink hair a mess. “I have to save Hotaru-chan! I can’t let them | |
| 11 kill her. I can’t let them get to her. I have to protect her.” Her | |
| 12 long gloves wiped away the tears and rain from her eyes as she | |
| 13 spotted the fence to the Tomoe residence. Her heart sped up its | |
| 14 chaotic tempo in her chest. “I won’t run away from her this time. | |
| 15 Whatever form she’s in, whoever she is, whatever her destiny is, it | |
| 16 doesn’t matter. I love her...” Her body kept moving, despite her | |
| 17 mixed thoughts. She leapt over the fence and headed for Hotaru’s | |
| 18 room, ready for anything this time. | |
| 19 Setsuna’s eyes followed the young Senshi’s movements from the tree | |
| 20 she was waiting in with Haruka and Michiru. “Is that | |
| 21 Sailorchibimoon?! She’s not supposed to be here!” Pluto immediately | |
| 22 jumped down from the tree, followed closely by Uranus and Neptune. | |
| 23 She raced for the ‘younger’ girl in an attempt to stop her. If | |
| 24 anything happened to her... | |
| 25 “Hotaru-chan?” ChibiUsa crawled through the window, unaware of the | |
| 26 Outers close behind. She looked awful, some dirt streaks on her fuku | |
| 27 and some scrapes from when she’d slipped in on the street on the way | |
| 28 there. | |
| 29 “ChibiUsa-chan?” came Hotaru’s weak voice from the bed, unable to | |
| 30 believe her eyes. The other girl had come back? But... why? After | |
| 31 what she’d seen earlier, Hotaru had been certain that she would never | |
| 32 see the pink haired girl again. “Sailorchibimoon, why..?” | |
| 33 ChibiUsa didn’t say anything as she sat down next to the pale girl. | |
| 34 Her heart pounded in her chest. Nothing sounded right. She wanted to | |
| 35 tell her everything that was in her heart, but she knew the Outers | |
| 36 were intent on killing her. She had to protect her above all else at | |
| 37 the moment. Her arms wrapped tightly around the dark haired girl, | |
| 38 Hotaru shivering in her arms. She looked awfully sick. Holding the | |
| 39 other girl close, she let her eyes fall closed, trying to regain her | |
| 40 composure. “I’m so sorry, Hotaru-chan. I didn’t mean to run away. | |
| 41 You’re everything to me. I just got scared. Seeing you like that just | |
| 42 brought up everything I’d been frightened about in the first place | |
| 43 about falling in love with you. But I’ll never leave you again. I’m | |
| 44 here to make sure you never have to be alone again.” Her crimson eyes | |
| 45 sparkled as she pulled just enough away from Hotaru to meet her | |
| 46 silver eyes. “Hotaru-chan, I love you. I really meant that when I | |
| 47 told you earlier. I do love you. And I won’t let them hurt you.” | |
| 48 Brushing back some of Hotaru’s dark hair, she hesitated only | |
| 49 momentarily before kissing her. | |
| 50 Hotaru returned the kiss slowly, her body still shaking as salty | |
| 51 tears spilt down her ivory cheeks. Her heart latched onto this one | |
| 52 moment, everything else being too much for her to handle. As long as | |
| 53 she was in her princess’s arms, she would be safe. “I love you...” | |
| 54 she whispered softly. She swallowed painfully. Hotaru knew what she | |
| 55 had to say, but she couldn’t get herself to let go of ChibiUsa. “You | |
| 56 have to go, ChibiUsa-chan..” | |
| 57 Wet hair swung about as ChibiUsa shook her head. “I can’t go. If I | |
| 58 go, they’ll hurt you. I’m lucky I got here in time. I promise I won’t | |
| 59 let them do anything to you,” she said soothingly, stroking Hotaru’s | |
| 60 back through the dark cloth. She could actually feel some of the | |
| 61 wires underneath her flesh, but she didn’t care. Her poor firefly. | |
| 62 There had to be something she could do for her. | |
| 63 Hotaru shook her head. Everything was getting more distant, as if | |
| 64 she was watching it all from far off. “But if you don’t go... she’ll | |
| 65 hurt you..” It didn’t matter if someone was going to do something to | |
| 66 her. It was too late for her. But ChibiUsa had to get away. | |
| 67 ChibiUsa was confused by Hotaru’s words. The dark haired girl | |
| 68 sounded so tired, so weak. She wasn’t making sense. The princess | |
| 69 turned Sailor Senshi had come here to protect her from someone, not | |
| 70 the other way around. “What?” | |
| 71 Hotaru’s deep silver eyes opened again, their depths seeming | |
| 72 clouded by something. It wasn’t that sad look the depressing girl | |
| 73 usually had, but something entirely different. Something frightening. | |
| 74 The door slammed shut, startling the younger looking girl in her | |
| 75 arms. Before ChibiUsa knew what was happening, a hand snaked out from | |
| 76 Hotaru, wrenching the broach from Chibimoon’s chest. | |
| 77 Her eyes wide in shock, ChibiUsa slumped against Hotaru. Her fuku | |
| 78 reverted back to her normal clothes as everything started to grow | |
| 79 dark. Her last thoughts before she lost consciousness were a painful | |
| 80 understanding that she had been far too late to save Hotaru. | |
| 81 “Small Lady?! Damn it!” Pluto cursed herself for not being there | |
| 82 sooner to save the princess. | |
| 83 “ChibiUsa!!” Usagi cried as she and Mamoru ran to their future | |
| 84 daughter. | |
| 85 Hotaru’s conscious faded out at about the same time as ChibiUsa’s, | |
| 86 something more sinister taking over. Her hair grew past her | |
| 87 shoulders, pooling on the floor as her body grew stronger. A grin | |
| 88 creased her lips as her young body rapidly grew to a more suitable | |
| 89 age. Glaring at the Senshi imposing themselves upon her, they were | |
| 90 all forced back out of the room by a tremendous power. | |
| 91 Usagi held ChibiUsa’s cold hand as she looked back in at the girl | |
| 92 that had been Hotaru. “Is that Saturn? Are we too late? Is she | |
| 93 already awake?” | |
| 94 Haruka shook her head, keeping an eye on the new threat. “No, the | |
| 95 talismans haven’t been activated. Saturn hasn’t been called yet. So | |
| 96 that has to be something else.” The blonde shook her head, at a loss. | |
| 97 A black star began shining on what had been Hotaru’s forehead. | |
| 98 “What a stupid girl. But she really did come in handy after all. Now | |
| 99 I have the Ginzuishou. I’ve awakened! And soon I have a gift for you, | |
| 100 Master Pharaoh 90!” Her grin broadened as she clutched onto | |
| 101 ChibiUsa’s broach. | |
| 102 “ChibiUsa?!” Mamoru held onto the princess’s unconscious body | |
| 103 protectively. | |
| 104 “ChibiUsa!! ChibiUsa, wake up!” Usagi called frantically. “She’s so | |
| 105 cold, Mamo-chan... She’s not breathing!” She held ChibiUsa’s cold | |
| 106 hand tighter. | |
| 107 | |
| 108 She was going to kill that little bitch. That’s all there was to | |
| 109 it. This wasn’t just business anymore. It wasn’t just her duty. She | |
| 110 had gotten careless, sloppy. But what could be expected of her? She | |
| 111 had only been a Senshi for little over a week. She hadn’t been | |
| 112 reawakened as Sailor Pluto until very recently. But she’d had enough | |
| 113 time to puzzle over her memories. And Setsuna knew damn well that the | |
| 114 young princess had been her only friend in the future when she’d been | |
| 115 locked away guarding the Time Gate. And yet she had failed her. She | |
| 116 hadn’t been quick enough to save her. And now Small Lady was dying | |
| 117 because of that girl. Telling herself that the girl was possessed by | |
| 118 a powerful Daimon didn't help her in the least. She had to find her. | |
| 119 She didn’t even know why they were bothering to discuss all of this. | |
| 120 Time was of the essence. | |
| 121 “She’s gone into cardiac arrest. I’m afraid she’s dying. And | |
| 122 there’s nothing I can do to help,” Dr. Mizuno said hopelessly. There | |
| 123 was no way she could sugar coat this diagnosis. The girl was so | |
| 124 young, too. She always felt a pang in her heart at seeing children | |
| 125 taken from their parents. It worried her about her own daughter. Ami | |
| 126 hovered close to her side, as if mirroring her mother’s sentiments. | |
| 127 “No... That’s wrong... This is all wrong...” Setsuna shook her head | |
| 128 slowly as she watched her little princess dying in the arms of her | |
| 129 future mother. This wasn’t the way the time stream was supposed to go | |
| 130 at all. Time had taken a freakish twist, taking with it the life of | |
| 131 Princess Small Lady. She couldn’t help blaming herself, thinking that | |
| 132 there must have been something she could have done, some way she | |
| 133 could have prevented this. It felt like a nightmare that she couldn’t | |
| 134 wake up from. | |
| 135 “Small Lady...” Diana looked up at her mistress with tear streaked | |
| 136 eyes, nuzzling her cold side gently. She almost expected to feel the | |
| 137 gentle hand of the girl she was supposed to watch scratching under | |
| 138 her chin. This was worse than when she’d gone off into the past | |
| 139 without her in the first place. Much, much worse. ChibiUsa felt so | |
| 140 cold. Licking her unresponsive hand for a moment, Diana pressed her | |
| 141 head against it, her heart sinking as ChibiUsa’s arm slumped | |
| 142 lifelessly next to her. | |
| 143 Dr. Mizuno silently left the room, leaving the grieving family and | |
| 144 friends. She wished that she could do more to comfort them, but she | |
| 145 knew from experience that there wasn’t anything she could do. This | |
| 146 was the part of the job she hated the most. And seeing Ami with | |
| 147 them... She wanted to just quit for the day and take her dear | |
| 148 daughter home with her. To know that she was safe. But Ami was a big | |
| 149 girl now. The look in her eyes had told her that Ami would like | |
| 150 nothing better than to go home with her, safe and sound. But she had | |
| 151 other things she needed to take care of. And if that was the way | |
| 152 things had to be, so be it. Dr. Mizuno said a quick prayer for her | |
| 153 daughter’s safety, hoping that she would never have to be in the | |
| 154 situation that those poor people were in at the moment. | |
| 155 Clutching ChibiUsa’s cold body tightly, Usagi tried to suppress the | |
| 156 sobs that threatened to overwhelm her. “She’s dying... Hotaru-chan.. | |
| 157 No, Sailorsaturn killed ChibiUsa-chan..” Even in her deep, tortured | |
| 158 sleep, the pink haired girl’s face looked oddly serene. Usagi had to | |
| 159 wonder if she had been wrong, if maybe there had been no other way | |
| 160 than to kill Hotaru. That maybe her future daughter would have | |
| 161 survived. | |
| 162 “Her soul was ripped from her body,” Setsuna explained quietly as | |
| 163 she brushed ChibiUsa’s cheek in a motherly manner. At the puzzled | |
| 164 look she received from all but Haruka and Michiru, she continued. | |
| 165 “It’s been the Death Busters’ plan from the beginning. They’ve been | |
| 166 stealing souls the entire time that we’ve been fighting them. From | |
| 167 Mugen Gakuen and other places. The bodies are mere constructs for | |
| 168 them, being used like so many spare parts for a machine. They plan on | |
| 169 using them to build a body for Pharaoh 90. To convert them all into | |
| 170 one. So he can be reborn here on earth. I’m surprised they didn’t | |
| 171 take Small Lady’s body as well.” | |
| 172 Usagi shook her head in confusion. “But if that’s what they’re | |
| 173 after and Hotaru-chan was helping... So that wasn’t Sailor Saturn we | |
| 174 saw over ChibiUsa-chan?” | |
| 175 Michiru shook her head, aquamarine hair swinging to either side. | |
| 176 “No, the talismans have yet to activate. When they do, then Saturn | |
| 177 will awaken. Had it been Saturn, we would all be dead now. So this | |
| 178 might be out last chance.” | |
| 179 “We failed to plan for this. We were only worried about the girl | |
| 180 awakening as Saturn, but she has been used by the enemy for years. | |
| 181 That Daimon has been sleeping within her frail body from the very | |
| 182 beginning of Pharaoh 90’s gamble for earth. It isn’t even Hotaru any | |
| 183 longer. She died when Mistress 9 took over her body. At the same | |
| 184 time, she killed ChibiUsa. Or will. When she stole ChibiUsa’s | |
| 185 Ginzuishou, she dragged her soul along as well.” | |
| 186 “Then... What will happen to ChibiUsa-chan and Hotaru-chan?” Usagi | |
| 187 asked worriedly. She squeezed the young girl’s cold hand. There | |
| 188 wasn’t even the reassurance that ChibiUsa was there with her anymore. | |
| 189 It was just a body. | |
| 190 Setsuna felt a burning in her throat, but she refused to let it | |
| 191 through as she looked up at her future queen. Even if it pained her, | |
| 192 she couldn’t change the reality of what was happening. “The souls the | |
| 193 Death Busters have gathered are used to bolster Pharaoh 90 while he | |
| 194 waits for something stronger to sustain him. They keep him alive in | |
| 195 the meantime until he can be reborn. But even if he is reborn, the | |
| 196 souls will be utilized as Daimons. It would be impossible to save | |
| 197 them at that point. Their only salvation would be death and the | |
| 198 afterlife that awaits them.” The thought of Small Lady languishing as | |
| 199 a Daimon tormented her. She knew if that happened, she would have to | |
| 200 kill her personally, to save the princess from that life. | |
| 201 The Sailor Team was shocked by this revelation. “So all of the | |
| 202 Daimons we’ve fought up till this point...” Minako began. She was | |
| 203 starting to feel sick. “They were humans before?” How could they have | |
| 204 killed so many unknowingly? So many innocent lives had been | |
| 205 sacrificed already. | |
| 206 “You did them a favor. They were trapped in those Daimon bodies. | |
| 207 You have released them. For all intents and purposes, they had died | |
| 208 when their souls had been taken. You just allowed them to move on,” | |
| 209 Michiru explained coldly. She had to remain cold. This was her duty. | |
| 210 Too many people would die if she didn’t. Too many more innocents. She | |
| 211 wouldn’t let that happen. She glanced at Haruka for support but found | |
| 212 Haruka doing the same. Yes, she had to stay strong. | |
| 213 “ChibiUsa-chan... Hotaru-chan... If we don’t save them soon, | |
| 214 they’ll be changed into Daimons?” Usagi looked up to stare pointedly | |
| 215 at the Outer Senshi. Her mouth had gone dry. | |
| 216 “It’s too late for Hotaru,” Haruka explained, crossing her arms. | |
| 217 “She’s already been overcome by the Daimon that’s possessed her for | |
| 218 years. It’s a wonder that it took this long to break loose. Or it was | |
| 219 just biding its time. Whatever the case, we won’t allow Hotaru to | |
| 220 suffer. We’ll kill her before she can. We’ll release her from the | |
| 221 torment she’s in and send her on her way to the afterlife. It’s too | |
| 222 late for her in this life.” She didn’t mention that it might well be | |
| 223 too late for the princess as well. | |
| 224 Usagi gasped, standing up in protest. How could they be so cold? | |
| 225 How could they call themselves Sailor Senshi? “But you can’t..!” | |
| 226 Setsuna’s gaze grew angry as she drew herself up to her full | |
| 227 height. Her own heart was crying out at this injustice done to her | |
| 228 friend, but she wasn’t going to sit back and idly debate what they | |
| 229 could do to save everyone. This wasn’t all or nothing, it was a fight | |
| 230 to merely survive. They couldn’t be bothered by choosing a course of | |
| 231 action where everything worked out perfectly and everyone survived. | |
| 232 It just didn’t work that way. And if she had a chance to save her | |
| 233 princess, she was going to take it. The quiet little time guardian | |
| 234 inside of her snapped under the pain pushing on her heart. “Damn it, | |
| 235 Serenity! She has Small Lady’s soul and the Ginzuishou! What the hell | |
| 236 do you expect us to do?! What can we do?! If you want to save Small | |
| 237 Lady, you have to fight them and take it back! If we don’t kill | |
| 238 Hotaru, she’ll kill us. And ChibiUsa will die. If we don’t act | |
| 239 quickly, there won’t be anything left of this planet worth saving, | |
| 240 let alone your daughter. Even if Sailorsaturn doesn’t awaken, this | |
| 241 planet will crumble around your feet. We have to stop Saturn -and- | |
| 242 Pharaoh 90 -and- save your daughter. And yet you still want to go | |
| 243 that extra step and save everyone. We can’t do that! We can’t sit | |
| 244 around and hope for everything to be perfect! We have to fight! Which | |
| 245 would you choose, my Queen?” Setsuna didn’t wait for an answer. | |
| 246 Turning on her heal in a rage, she began to henshin into Sailor | |
| 247 Pluto. “We’re going. Not just for Small Lady, but for this planet! I | |
| 248 won’t sit back and watch you let it suffer any longer.” | |
| 249 Usagi sat back in silence as Setsuna stormed out of the room, | |
| 250 followed closely by Haruka and Michiru. Setsuna had been so serious. | |
| 251 Usagi felt like she had been slapped. “If we don’t save the planet... | |
| 252 Everyone we’ve fought up till this point, all the innocents... And | |
| 253 now Hotaru-chan’s one of them.. But I don’t want to hurt anyone...” | |
| 254 She looked down at the girl in her arms, her heart crying out. What | |
| 255 could she do? | |
| 256 Lifting the small girl in his arms, Mamoru began to walk for the | |
| 257 doors. “At this rate, ChibiUsa-chan’s going to die. We need to save | |
| 258 her. Let’s take her back to my apartment. I’ll keep an eye on her.” | |
| 259 He tried not to think about the lifeless body in his arms, the body | |
| 260 slowly shutting down as it had no soul inhabiting it. Nothing to keep | |
| 261 it alive. | |
| 262 “We’re running out of time. We can’t wait any longer or we’ll lose | |
| 263 ChibiUsa-chan. And maybe everyone else. We need to do something,” | |
| 264 Usagi mumbled to herself, trying to keep up as the rest of the Sailor | |
| 265 Team followed. | |
| 266 | |
| 267 Back at Mamoru’s apartment, Diana stood a silent vigil over her | |
| 268 mistress. The kitten didn’t take her eyes away from the pink haired | |
| 269 girl, still feeling guilty about not being with her earlier. Luna and | |
| 270 Artemis had tried to console her, but she was too distant, lost in | |
| 271 her own thoughts. She could smell death in the air. It was all around | |
| 272 her. And she was afraid that death would be a rather punctual visitor. | |
| 273 “ChibiUsa-chan’s body is linked with mine now. I’ll keep her body | |
| 274 alive as long as I can. But it’s still nothing without her soul.” | |
| 275 Mamoru held his future daughter’s hand, a faint glow starting to | |
| 276 envelope them as he felt the strain of her body drawing strength from | |
| 277 his own. | |
| 278 Luna fretted as she paced back and forth. Her daughter, Diana, was | |
| 279 still unmoving a short distance from her. “But the burden on your | |
| 280 body will grow tremendously the closer to death her body gets. I | |
| 281 don’t know how long you can hold it up.” | |
| 282 “We have to try something. I’m sure Minako and the others will get | |
| 283 her soul back soon.” Artemis tried a smile, but his voice sounded | |
| 284 doubtful. Luna leant against him with a sigh. | |
| 285 Mamoru could already feel his breathing growing labored, but | |
| 286 ChibiUsa’s body was starting to feel a little warmer. He smiled | |
| 287 softly, trying to keep the worry from his features. “It will be just | |
| 288 fine. I know it’s just her body, but I can keep it alive for the time | |
| 289 being. If you can find her, she’ll have a body to return to.” The bed | |
| 290 shifted as Usagi sat next to him, watching ChibiUsa’s soft breathing. | |
| 291 He looked up at the nervous expressions on the four girls in the room | |
| 292 with them. “Could we have some time alone for a moment?” | |
| 293 “Sure,” Rei said with a nod. The four girls took another quick | |
| 294 glimpse at ChibiUsa before leaving the room. Ami resolved to call her | |
| 295 mother before they left. Rei had faith that her grandfather would be | |
| 296 all right while they handled the situation. Minako had a certain | |
| 297 police chief that she needed to call before heading off. Makoto just | |
| 298 followed the others silently, her mind already running in circles. | |
| 299 Usagi sat in silence for a long moment, paying close attention to | |
| 300 the shallow breathing from her future daughter. “ChibiUsa-chan...” | |
| 301 she whispered softly, brushing some of her damp hair away from her | |
| 302 face. “ChibiUsa-chan, Hotaru-chan, the whole planet. I can’t just | |
| 303 abandon them! I can’t give up on anyone as hopeless. I can’t believe | |
| 304 that it’s all a lost cause. I can’t choose between any of them. Won’t | |
| 305 it just lead to ruin in the end whichever path we take? Isn’t there a | |
| 306 way to save everyone?” | |
| 307 Usagi held ChibiUsa’s hand, feeling the warmth slowly pulsing | |
| 308 through it. “Mamo-chan’s doing it. He’s managing to keep her body | |
| 309 alive. But what should I do? I feel so confused...” | |
| 310 “Usa,” Mamoru whispered softly. He could see the tension in her | |
| 311 eyes. Those blue, innocent eyes were clouded. He leaned forward and | |
| 312 gave her a kiss. | |
| 313 Usagi was taken by surprise at first, but she quickly relaxed into | |
| 314 the kiss. It got her mind off of how bad things seemed, albeit | |
| 315 briefly. She noticed that the kiss gave her the same breathless | |
| 316 feeling that Haruka’s kisses had given her. She chided herself for | |
| 317 thinking of that at a moment like this. Haruka already had a | |
| 318 girlfriend. And she was a girl. And Usagi already had Mamoru. And it | |
| 319 did feel nice to be with him. Especially with how awful she felt at | |
| 320 the moment. “Thanks, Mamo-chan,” she said, smiling weakly. | |
| 321 Mamoru wasn’t listening. His vision faded for a second to be | |
| 322 replaced by the image of a ravaged city, corpses strewn about like | |
| 323 the toys of a girl who was finished playing with them. A woman stood | |
| 324 in shadows, draped in ethereal garb as she stood atop a broken | |
| 325 pillar. He tried to make her out, to see past the shadows, but the | |
| 326 vision began to fade away. He’d seen this before. “We’ll get them | |
| 327 back, Usa. ChibiUsa-chan’s soul and the Ginzuishou. I’m sure we’ll | |
| 328 get them back soon enough. I believe in you. Don’t ever lose hope,” | |
| 329 he said, trying to concentrate on the here and now. She leaned her | |
| 330 head against his chest. ‘I had that vision again. But who is that | |
| 331 woman? The Messiah? Or the Goddess of Ruin?’ he asked himself. No | |
| 332 answers seemed forthcoming. | |
| 333 | |
| 334 Ami put the phone back down after she finished. Her mother was | |
| 335 worried about her, but she hadn’t asked many questions. Ami was glad | |
| 336 for that, because she really didn’t know how she could explain any of | |
| 337 it. Minako grabbed the phone seconds after it was down, already | |
| 338 dialing. Sweatdropping, Ami walked away from the blonde. Rei | |
| 339 concentrating, probably in prayer for what was to come. But Makoto | |
| 340 was nowhere in sight. | |
| 341 It took the blue haired girl a minute to locate the taller Sailor | |
| 342 Senshi. She finally found Makoto on the balcony, looking out at the | |
| 343 dark city below. Smiling sweetly, Ami approached the brunette, about | |
| 344 to ask what she was looking for. A sudden detail she had failed to | |
| 345 notice stopped her short. Crystalline tears dripped past Makoto’s | |
| 346 chin, falling countless stories to the streets below. Ami knew that | |
| 347 this was a rather stressful time, but there was still hope. They had | |
| 348 to cling on to that. She took a cautious step forward. | |
| 349 Makoto whirled around at the sudden noise behind her. Ami froze in | |
| 350 front of her, a concerned look on her face. The brunette wiped | |
| 351 clumsily at her tears, trying to force them away, to pretend that | |
| 352 everything was all right. She wasn’t sure whether to try a smile or a | |
| 353 frown. She just wanted to be left alone. “Ami...” | |
| 354 Ami took a few steps forward. “Mako-chan, what’s wrong? You look so | |
| 355 sad... I know that things look down, but I’m sure that we can solve | |
| 356 them. Just because things look dark doesn’t mean we can give up. | |
| 357 We’ve triumphed even when the odds were against us before.” But even | |
| 358 as she said it, she doubted that it was the reason that Makoto looked | |
| 359 so crestfallen. At least not the reason in its entirety. | |
| 360 “Yeah.. You’re right, Ami-chan.” Makoto turned back on the railing, | |
| 361 glancing down at the city below. She held back the anguish inside | |
| 362 that kept threatening to spill over. | |
| 363 “What’s wrong?” Ami asked, trying again. She licked her lips as she | |
| 364 watched, hoping for an answer but unsure of whether or not she would | |
| 365 get one. Anxiety washed over her as she waited for infernally long | |
| 366 seconds. She had almost given up hope and had turned to reenter the | |
| 367 apartment when Makoto finally spoke. | |
| 368 “Sometimes I wonder why I’m fighting, Ami-chan. I don’t have my | |
| 369 parents. I’m all alone. I don’t have a boyfriend who will stick with | |
| 370 me through it all. I don’t have a child to fight for, to hold dearly. | |
| 371 In the end, I have my tiny little apartment that I can go back to. | |
| 372 All alone.” Makoto paused for a moment, the tears starting up again. | |
| 373 It took a strong effort on her part to keep talking. “I know it’s my | |
| 374 duty. I know I have to do it. But I don’t know why. I know that Usagi | |
| 375 is important. I know that the earth is important. But I don’t have a | |
| 376 reason for why I fight. Maybe that makes me a liability to the team. | |
| 377 Throughout all of this fighting, I can’t find my reason for enduring | |
| 378 it all. I can’t reach inside myself and know what I’m fighting for.” | |
| 379 Another pause as she swallowed painfully. Why was she doing this? And | |
| 380 with Ami watching her, no less? It hurt too much to keep it bottled | |
| 381 up inside. “No, I guess I’m fighting for my friends. I’m fighting | |
| 382 because the rest of you are and because I can’t let you down. But | |
| 383 still... Sometimes..” Her voice cut off as a sob broke free. | |
| 384 A smaller body pressed against Makoto’s as Ami hugged her from | |
| 385 behind. She didn’t know what to say. She had no idea that this had | |
| 386 been troubling Makoto. It hadn’t occurred to her to think about her | |
| 387 own reasons, but she knew they were there. Because her friends were | |
| 388 important to her. Because she knew it was right. Because she believed | |
| 389 in the greater good of things. Because she wanted to protect her | |
| 390 mother who had to strive so hard to raise Ami all by herself. Makoto | |
| 391 shivered against her as she held tightly to the railing. Ami felt her | |
| 392 soul shudder in response. There was silence for a long moment. “I’ll | |
| 393 be your reason,” Ami said in a voice barely above a whisper. | |
| 394 | |
| 395 Mistress 9 scowled as she cut off some of her incredibly long raven | |
| 396 hair. “It doesn’t matter how much I cut it because it keeps growing | |
| 397 back. Crappy hair. This vessel is worthless. It was far too young for | |
| 398 me but it handled the enhanced aging poorly. I can’t wait until I can | |
| 399 be rid of it.” | |
| 400 Professor Tomoe burst into the room, followed shortly thereafter by | |
| 401 an excited Kaolinite. He knelt in front of the body that had once | |
| 402 belonged to his only daughter. “Mistress 9!! You’re finally here. | |
| 403 We’ve been awaiting your arrival for a long while now. We | |
| 404 transplanted your egg into Hotaru years ago. I was starting to fear | |
| 405 that you wouldn’t awaken.” | |
| 406 “Not that it hasn’t gone without problems. But I have finally | |
| 407 arrived. And not a second too soon, it seems. We need to revive | |
| 408 Master Pharaoh 90. He mustn’t be kept waiting any longer.” She turned | |
| 409 to the red head, barely suppressing an inner urge to kill the woman | |
| 410 for years of torment and abuse. She shrugged it off. Must be some | |
| 411 after affects from the previous owner of the body. “Kaolinite, you | |
| 412 have done very well in your service to Master Pharaoh 90. Unlike | |
| 413 those that have failed up to now, you survive. I am the master’s | |
| 414 partner from the old world. I will handle his resurrection and this | |
| 415 world’s glorious rebirth. You must handle another task for our | |
| 416 master. Eliminate the Enemy. They wish to end our very way of life, | |
| 417 and that of our master. They are ruthlessly interfering with a | |
| 418 magnificent process that has been repeated thousands of times in the | |
| 419 past. This world my shake in the throws of birth as it begins anew, | |
| 420 but it will be a glorious new birth for this planet. You must stop | |
| 421 them. I will not tolerate failure, Kaolinite.” | |
| 422 “Yes, Mistress 9. As you wish.” Kaolinite faded away to begin her | |
| 423 preparations. | |
| 424 Turning from the man who had once been Hotaru’s father, the ancient | |
| 425 woman made her way to an intricate stone hall, the place where they | |
| 426 contacted their master from the vast distances of time and space. | |
| 427 “Mistress 9, you have awakened. I have been waiting for this! I | |
| 428 knew your arrival would coincide with the rebirth,” a booming voice | |
| 429 said from everywhere in the large room. | |
| 430 The woman smiled as she bowed graciously. It had been so long since | |
| 431 she had heard that voice, since she had truly felt alive. “Master | |
| 432 Pharaoh 90! I bring you a gift.” Raising the broach she had acquired | |
| 433 from the young Sailor Senshi earlier, energy began to flow across the | |
| 434 tesseract that linked the two spaces. The small, silver crystal grew | |
| 435 brightly as it gushed forth waves of energy through the gate. | |
| 436 “You’ve only just awakened and you’re already bringing me such | |
| 437 power. I knew I could count on you, Mistress 9. But what is this | |
| 438 power? It’s more potent than any of the souls you have gathered | |
| 439 before,” the booming voice said, intrigued but pleased by this | |
| 440 offering. | |
| 441 The body that had once been Tomoe Hotaru grinned, pleased with | |
| 442 herself. “Master Pharaoh 90, this is not from the light of souls. It | |
| 443 is the Ginzuishou. The very light of the moon and the heart of a | |
| 444 precious young warrior. I’ve managed to get a hold of it thanks to a | |
| 445 rather beneficial situation I found myself in. And we can keep this | |
| 446 great power to speed up the process. We can use it’s limitless | |
| 447 strength to facilitate the rebirth, to bring this planet new life as | |
| 448 we remake it.” | |
| 449 Leaving her master satisfied for the time being, Mistress 9 | |
| 450 returned to Hotaru’s room to think. “This beautiful light... It’s the | |
| 451 same as the light the courses through the Tau system’s Taioron | |
| 452 Crystal. Such a holy relic does not belong in the hands of such dirty | |
| 453 creatures. I will take excellent care of it, just like it deserves. | |
| 454 It’s like something is dwelling inside of it, holding on. Peeking out | |
| 455 as it glimmers and sparkles. It’s relaxing, putting my mind at ease. | |
| 456 I know things will work out. We will change this world for the | |
| 457 better.” She held the crystal in her hands, feelings it’s warm glow | |
| 458 wash over her. Something caught her attention as she felt a flicker | |
| 459 run through the crystal. “I should have known it would be protected | |
| 460 by that girl’s pure, beautiful soul. She must have come along for the | |
| 461 ride. She’ll soon be part of something much grander than she ever | |
| 462 could have before.” | |
| 463 A chill shot through her entire being, unease beginning to build | |
| 464 through the raven haired woman, the crystal almost slipping out of | |
| 465 her hands. “Who’s there?” she demanded, a note of fear in her voice. | |
| 466 It felt like something was trying to push her out. No, it couldn’t | |
| 467 be. She was dead. It was just the crystal’s power. “It’s giving me | |
| 468 strength. With the Ginzuishou, our ideals will soon be realized.” She | |
| 469 felt the soul protecting the Silver Crystal offer resistance, but it | |
| 470 was too weak to impede her. She laughed. It was a cute little thing, | |
| 471 protecting the crystal so diligently even when it was pointless. | |
| 472 “Don’t worry, little girl,” she cooed, reassuringly. “Everything will | |
| 473 be all right. Soon your world will be an entirely new place and | |
| 474 you’ll be there to see it all.” Smiling gently, she felt the soul | |
| 475 waver for a moment. | |
| 476 “Mistress 9!!” Professor Tomoe hurried into the room, a look of | |
| 477 concern etched on his brow. “We’re running out of Daimon Eggs. After | |
| 478 Viluy’s death, a lot of the machines she’d programmed have been | |
| 479 shutting down and the Daimon egg production has stopped entirely. The | |
| 480 bitch must have planned for this if she didn’t get her sister | |
| 481 returned. She probably intended to use it as leverage when our new | |
| 482 world order was about to get underway. But I can’t start on the new | |
| 483 eggs in time for the utilization. There’s no way I can get a large | |
| 484 enough batch in time. But planting the eggs and using spirit energy, | |
| 485 it’s our only way to survive in this world.” | |
| 486 Mistress 9 laughed softly, still sending soothing impulses to the | |
| 487 soul in the palm of her hands. “That doesn’t matter in the slightest. | |
| 488 It has no affect on our plans. The utilization is useless now. We | |
| 489 have an entirely new source of power that far outweighs what we could | |
| 490 get with the Daimon eggs. The birth of our new world is right around | |
| 491 the corner. Soon, this old planet will be reborn as a shining goddess.” | |
| 492 | |
| 493 Setsuna leapt from rooftop to rooftop, silently landing and | |
| 494 hurrying through the shadows. She knew that Uranus and Neptune were | |
| 495 following, but she couldn’t hear them and it was difficult to make | |
| 496 anything out in the darkness. She, more than anyone else, knew that | |
| 497 time was truly of the essence. And so the Guardian of Time hurried as | |
| 498 quickly as she could, knowing that the princess’ life hung in the | |
| 499 balance. | |
| 500 A short time ago, the most stressful thing in her life had been her | |
| 501 college midterms. And she had known she could pass them easily | |
| 502 enough. But now she knew who she truly was. Sailor Pluto. And she | |
| 503 knew that the very earth hung in the balance of this one night. And | |
| 504 there was one soul in particular that her heart pushed her to save. | |
| 505 Her body ached from the nigh constant running. But she knew that she | |
| 506 might already be too late. No! She couldn’t think like that. There | |
| 507 were no second chances. This was the last dance. She would throw her | |
| 508 all into this. It wasn’t just her life. She would sacrifice it in an | |
| 509 instant. She felt more loyalty for the little princess than she ever | |
| 510 could for her queen. But it was whether her sacrifice would buy | |
| 511 anything. She had died before. And she knew, most likely, she would | |
| 512 die again before the night was through. A shiver shot through her | |
| 513 tanned body, but she didn’t slow a bit. | |
| 514 “I’m coming, Small Lady. Be strong. It won’t be much longer.” | |
| 515 | |
| 516 Mamoru sighed, shifting into a more comfortable position on the | |
| 517 bed. His future daughter stirred slightly in his grasp. He held her | |
| 518 closer, wanting to reassure her that everything would be all right, | |
| 519 but he knew there was nothing he could do. What he held was merely | |
| 520 her body. | |
| 521 Another sigh escaped the young man, his eyes heading for the | |
| 522 window. Out there somewhere was the girl he loved in a fight that | |
| 523 would determine the fate of the planet. And more importantly, the | |
| 524 fate of his future daughter. He had often said he cared about Usagi | |
| 525 and ChibiUsa the same and he meant that. But now, he was very close | |
| 526 to losing them both. It was a maddening blow to see the girl he would | |
| 527 one day have dying in his arms while his girlfriend was out trying to | |
| 528 save the entire planet. And there was nothing he could do to help but | |
| 529 sit there and keep the body alive. | |
| 530 Holding the cold hand tighter in his own, Mamoru brushed back the | |
| 531 pink hair covering ChibiUsa’s eyes. She looked so peaceful, like she | |
| 532 was asleep. But he knew that beneath those eyelids lay lifeless eyes, | |
| 533 the soul out there somewhere in the night. How painful it was to know | |
| 534 that he couldn’t protect her. What type of father was he? All he | |
| 535 could do was sit back and wait. | |
| 536 Diana was sharing that same desolate feeling that Mamoru was | |
| 537 experiencing. She hadn’t moved from her position near ChibiUsa’s head | |
| 538 for over an hour. The tiny kitten still blamed herself for this whole | |
| 539 thing. The position of guarding and advising the princess had fallen | |
| 540 upon her and she had gladly agreed, happy to follow her friend back | |
| 541 to the past. But now Diana felt like she had failed her, having | |
| 542 arrived too late to even see what had happened. | |
| 543 But what would she have been able to accomplish had she been there | |
| 544 when it happened? Was there anything she could have done? Had she | |
| 545 lost her best human friend? The one thing she was certain of was that | |
| 546 ChibiUsa’s body was losing it’s grip on life. The body was nothing | |
| 547 more than a shell and it wouldn’t last much longer. The stench of | |
| 548 death was beginning to grow overpowering, even though Mamoru didn’t | |
| 549 seem to be able to smell it at all. The kitten kept fearing that | |
| 550 Death would come to take the girl’s soul off at any moment. But then | |
| 551 she remembered that her soul had already been taken away, being used | |
| 552 for God knows what. So really, did it matter if the body died? Soon, | |
| 553 Death would be off to take ChibiUsa’s soul away. And that’s what | |
| 554 Diana was really afraid of. Not for ChibiUsa, but for herself. She | |
| 555 didn’t want to be left without a mistress. Or a friend. The kitten | |
| 556 yawned, but resolved not to sleep. She would keep her silent vigil on | |
| 557 the girl’s body until Death came. And she would fend him off herself | |
| 558 if she could. Little did she know that Death was female. And would be | |
| 559 coming much sooner than the kitten could anticipate. | |
| 560 | |
| 561 Mistress 9 frowned to herself as she watched the events going on as | |
| 562 the Sailor Senshi continued to try to impede their progress. These | |
| 563 ruthless killers had just blown away Magus Kaolinite and were trying | |
| 564 to get to their inner sanctum, no doubt in an attempt to kill them as | |
| 565 well. They were the army of the other side, Sailor Senshi bent on | |
| 566 killing all that did no fit their ideals or beliefs. They loathed all | |
| 567 that was not their own. But Mistress 9 was not about to let these | |
| 568 vicious soldiers put an end to her beloved Pharaoh 90’s plan to | |
| 569 restart the life of their people on this planet. It would be a new | |
| 570 golden age. “She’s found her way to the fortress. It won’t be long | |
| 571 now. Supersailormoon, I won’t let you stop us. It’s time for this | |
| 572 Omega Area to become the Sacred Land, to transform into what it was | |
| 573 always meant to be. There’s no longer anything to fear.” Her fingers | |
| 574 stroked over the warm feeling of the Ginzuishou, feeling the tiny, | |
| 575 brave soul inside as it tried to protect the crystal. “There’s | |
| 576 nothing to fear,” she repeated soothingly to the fearful little soul. | |
| 577 Smiling softly, she lifted up the Ginzuishou. “The time is now. This | |
| 578 world will be reborn and so will you. Won’t you come watch the | |
| 579 rebirth with me?” The soul seemed to skitter away, still a little | |
| 580 frightened, but she was patient with it, like the mother of a | |
| 581 newborn. If there was one thing that Mistress 9 had gotten extremely | |
| 582 good at, it was being patient. “Don’t worry. I’ll help you with the | |
| 583 transition, little one.” | |
| 584 Lifting the Ginzuishou higher, she concentrated it’s power to the | |
| 585 one being that could truly utilize it the way it was meant to be. She | |
| 586 felt a sense of peace inside, despite her growing excitement. Soon | |
| 587 she would be alongside Pharaoh 90 in their Promised Land. The crystal | |
| 588 lit up spectacularly, bathing the entire surrounding area in bright | |
| 589 crystalline light. Energy began to pour through her body, increasing | |
| 590 exponentially with each second. The energy surged along the weak link | |
| 591 from ChibiUsa’s soul to her body. It was only a single strand keeping | |
| 592 her tied at all with her body, but the energy raced along it, forcing | |
| 593 itself into the dying body. | |
| 594 | |
| 595 ChibiUsa’s eyes fluttered open for a moment, the crimson orbs | |
| 596 flashing for a brief second. Her entire body began to glow brightly. | |
| 597 “ChibiUsa-chan!!” | |
| 598 “Small Lady!!” | |
| 599 | |
| 600 “Ohhh... The strength.. It’s... almost overwhelming!” Mistress 9 | |
| 601 closed her eyes, feeling the steady pulse of the Ginauishou’s energy | |
| 602 as it filled her body with it’s gentle glow. The power of this | |
| 603 amazing crystal simply enthralled her. The sense of peace deep within | |
| 604 her grew with the energy coursing through her. | |
| 605 “I can feel it! That mystical power!” The booming voice echoed in | |
| 606 the room, coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once. “It’s light | |
| 607 is so similar to the Taioron Crystal. You have unleashed the | |
| 608 floodgate. This truly is the power of the Ginzuishou! And it will | |
| 609 recreate this entire world! It must have been preordained. Life | |
| 610 begets life. Such is the power of the Crystal.” | |
| 611 Mistress 9 smiled broadly and finally allowed herself to feel | |
| 612 something that had diminished in her for all of those grueling years | |
| 613 as they struggled to find a new home, a new place for their own | |
| 614 survival. She finally allowed herself to hope once more. “Master | |
| 615 Pharaoh 90, I acquired the Ginzuishou for you, to bring you here. I | |
| 616 will bring you it’s power.” Closing her eyes, the woman in what had | |
| 617 once been a young girl’s cyborg body lifted into the air, floating up | |
| 618 towards a large stone palace. Everything was almost complete. Their | |
| 619 battle was almost over. She felt the soul protecting the Ginzuishou | |
| 620 grow restless again as she neared her destination. Soothingly rubbing | |
| 621 the crystal in her hands, she let herself imagine the world to come. | |
| 622 The frozen flame in her hands flickered with the power surging | |
| 623 through her. | |
| 624 “It’s light is pure and untainted. Brilliantly lighting | |
| 625 everything,” the booming voice shot out. “It’s thousands of times | |
| 626 more powerful than the human souls! And it’s an unlimited source of | |
| 627 energy! The time has finally come. I will return to resurrect our | |
| 628 world here. It will become our second mother world! Now is the time | |
| 629 for my utilization. Hurry, Mistress 9! So close... I need more power!” | |
| 630 Mistress 9 gratefully offered it up to the once great ruler, | |
| 631 focussing as much energy as she could. “Open up your powers, | |
| 632 Ginzuishou! Show what you are truly capable of!” | |
| 633 | |
| 634 ChibiUsa’s body began shaking on the bed as if she were having a | |
| 635 seizure. Diana started growling anxiously as she watched the poor | |
| 636 girl shuddering in front of her. Mamoru continued to hold the small | |
| 637 princess close, trying to keep her from getting worse, but there | |
| 638 wasn’t much he could do. Diana feared the worst. Death must be on his | |
| 639 way. The bright light outside in the darkness only made her feel even | |
| 640 less at ease. “Small Lady...” | |
| 641 | |
| 642 “No!!” Hotaru screamed into the darkness. “I have to hold it in... | |
| 643 I can’t let you use the Ginzuishou like this. Not ChibiUsa-chan’s | |
| 644 pure heart. It’s power mustn’t be sent out like this. It shouldn’t be | |
| 645 opened up! I won’t let you!” Even all alone, even in the darkness, | |
| 646 even stripped of her body, Hotaru Tomoe clung desperately to the | |
| 647 memories that kept her going, through sheer will managing to brush | |
| 648 consciousness with the woman who had stolen her body. | |
| 649 Mistress 9 let out a cry of pain. Something inside her wasn't | |
| 650 feeling the same peace that she had, obviously. Her head hurt badly, | |
| 651 her vision blurring as she tried to concentrate. The poor, scared | |
| 652 soul protecting the Ginzuishou was starting to act fearful. Whatever | |
| 653 it was that was affecting Mistress 9 seemed to be affecting her as | |
| 654 well. “It hurts... Something’s trying to get control from inside of | |
| 655 me! But... I have to last a little longer... I’m almost done, Master | |
| 656 Pharaoh 90... And then I won’t need this body anymore. We’ll be able | |
| 657 to revolutionize this world! It will be a paradise! And we’ll finally | |
| 658 be together again!” She forced back the mental assault as best she | |
| 659 could, clinging to her hopes and dreams. Only a few more minutes | |
| 660 now... It would be all over soon enough. | |
| 661 “I won’t let that happen!” A voice yelled in her head. | |
| 662 | |
| 663 Everything was nothing. Everywhere she looked, there was darkness. | |
| 664 No, not quite darkness. Darkness was something. This was the utter | |
| 665 lack of anything and everything whatsoever. She was floating in the | |
| 666 nothing. And fear started to grip her shaken soul. | |
| 667 “Where am I? I’m all alone... I’m scared! Please, somebody help | |
| 668 me!” ChibiUsa yelled into the nothingness, but the shallow sound to | |
| 669 it did nothing to help her state of mind. She felt all alone, lost | |
| 670 and lonely in the void. She tried not to panic, but she couldn't help | |
| 671 the rising fear inside of her. What had happened? Was she dead? A | |
| 672 frightened part of her mind seemed to confirm that she was, indeed, | |
| 673 dead. But that still didn’t explain why she was here. Why hadn’t she | |
| 674 moved on? Unless, there was still need for her here. She could | |
| 675 vaguely remember the Ginzuishou. She had to protect it. Her mother | |
| 676 had given it to her, trusted her to keep it safe. But how could she | |
| 677 do that from here? Wherever here was, of course. | |
| 678 “ChibiUsa-chan...” A soft, shy voice called out through the void. | |
| 679 “Hotaru-chan?!” ChibiUsa looked around hurriedly, trying to spot | |
| 680 the girl somewhere near her. Her heart grasped at notion that she was | |
| 681 there as well. She needed her. She needed to hold onto her and know | |
| 682 that she wasn’t alone. A brilliant light caught her eye. A shining | |
| 683 crystal very near her. “Oh! My Ginzuishou!” She slowly floated down | |
| 684 near the shimmering gem, taking it gingerly in her hands. “I was so | |
| 685 worried when I lost it. My body couldn’t take the strain. It’s a part | |
| 686 of me.” She sighed as she held it close, feeling warmer as it’s light | |
| 687 cast over her nude body, or at least the image her soul cast of her | |
| 688 body. Her body was still in Mamoru’s apartment, but she had no idea | |
| 689 of knowing that. | |
| 690 “That’s right, ChibiUsa-chan. It’s the symbol of your pure heart.” | |
| 691 Hotaru’s laid her hand on ChibiUsa’s chest. “You can’t live without | |
| 692 it. Which is why you shouldn’t show it so easily to people. You’re | |
| 693 too trusting. You need to protect your pure heart. And I’ll protect | |
| 694 you.” Her arms wrapped around the younger girl, holding her close in | |
| 695 the emptiness that surrounded them. She held ChibiUsa closely, | |
| 696 comfortingly. | |
| 697 ChibiUsa blushed faintly as she rested her head on Hotaru’s | |
| 698 shoulder. It felt different from her mother’s embrace. It was warmer | |
| 699 and made her heart jump. But it still had the same soothing quality | |
| 700 to it. She felt safe in Hotaru’s arms. “Hotaru-chan...” | |
| 701 “Everything will be alright,” Hotaru whispered in her soft voice, | |
| 702 holding ChibiUsa reassuringly. “I’ll protect you, no matter what. I | |
| 703 won’t let them get your beautiful, pure soul. And I won’t let them | |
| 704 get the Ginzuishou. ChibiUsa-chan, I’ll be sure to save you. I | |
| 705 promise.” Determination built inside of her as she now knew what she | |
| 706 had to do. Her soft lips kissed ChibiUsa’s forehead, right above her | |
| 707 crescent moon. Even though neither was in their physical body, the | |
| 708 gesture still registered as gentle and pleasant. “I won’t let | |
| 709 anything hurt you.” | |
| 710 ChibiUsa nodded slightly, her head buried against the crook of | |
| 711 Hotaru’s neck. | |
| 712 | |
| 713 “The Ginzuishou’s power’s weakening!!” Mistress 9 yelled in | |
| 714 frustration. How could this be happening? When they were so close? | |
| 715 Something was ebbing the flow of power from the crystal, keeping her | |
| 716 from fulfilling her duty. Her slivers of hope began to collapse, but | |
| 717 she latched on to one, not willing to give up just yet. Not when they | |
| 718 had come so far. She would just have to find another way to bring her | |
| 719 beloved here. And then the world would begin anew. | |
| 720 | |
| 721 “ChibiUsa-chan?!” Mamoru watched as his daughter slowly stopped her | |
| 722 rhythmic motions on the bed. “The convulsions... They’ve stopped.” | |
| 723 Reaching out gently, he took her hand in his own and felt that it was | |
| 724 warm to the touch. His heart began to pace. “Does this mean... | |
| 725 Someone’s protecting her soul? But who?” He let himself relax | |
| 726 slightly, glad that someone was watching the part of his daughter | |
| 727 that really counted. | |
| 728 Diana sat warily, not quite as certain as the man who would one day | |
| 729 be king. She was still worried that Death was visiting ChibiUsa’s | |
| 730 soul even as they waited. And it looked like there was no way for her | |
| 731 to help. |