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     1.4 +Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon - Infinity Alternate
     1.5 +'Eye of the Beholder' - Chapter Four
     1.6 +by AmazonessDuo
     1.7 +amazonessduo@hotmail.com
     1.8 +
     1.9 +
    1.10 +
    1.11 +	Tomoe laughed the laugh of a madman, someone who has started to
    1.12 +lose grip on reality. The man had lived a harsh, painful life and his
    1.13 +sanity had begun to slip years ago. The loss of his wife and near
    1.14 +death of his daughter had thrown him over the brink, from a place
    1.15 +that he could not recover from in this life. “It appears that they’re
    1.16 +already on their way down. But it’s a death sentence for them. They
    1.17 +can’t possibly hope to understand what awaits them here. The time is
    1.18 +nigh! My entire life has built up to this very moment. All of my work
    1.19 +will finally pay off, my dreams will finally come true. The
    1.20 +superhuman hybrid I have designed will be hundreds of times stronger,
    1.21 +smarter, and faster than any average man. It’s life span will be
    1.22 +equally lengthened, making normal humans completely obsolete. Not
    1.23 +that they’d survive the planets rebirth as it is.” He shrugged, as if
    1.24 +the matter didn’t concern him in slightest. Nor did he notice that he
    1.25 +was talking to himself. Again. But then, everyone has their own
    1.26 +little quirks. And it was his way of thinking things through. His
    1.27 +wife had gently teased him about it in what seemed like a lifetime
    1.28 +ago. “I just need to finish a little more research on genetic
    1.29 +manipulation and mechanical adaptations and I will be ready to
    1.30 +construct a perfect cyborg. The perfect form of life. A hybrid. No
    1.31 +one ever understood my genius, but soon my children will flourish.
    1.32 +Just as they were meant to. I’ve been given a second chance since the
    1.33 +accident. A second chance to prove myself. The first testing wound up
    1.34 +being on my own daughter’s body when I had to reconstruct what was
    1.35 +left of her after the fire. That was the birth of my dream, to make a
    1.36 +perfect being, a superhuman.” He paused for a moment, checking his
    1.37 +work as he heard the elevator making it’s way down to him. 
    1.38 +	“Then they came to me, coming from another world. They brought
    1.39 +their eggs, another species altogether from humans. One that was
    1.40 +highly adaptable. And God chose me to be the one to assimilate our
    1.41 +races, to create a superhuman hybrid that took the best of both and
    1.42 +increased it a thousand fold.” He adjusted his glasses, double
    1.43 +checked his findings, and continued. “I had made a mistake while
    1.44 +reconstructing Hotaru. She wouldn’t live after all. But they promised
    1.45 +me that she would survive if I utilized one of their eggs along with
    1.46 +her cyborg body. And there the egg slept inside my beautiful daughter
    1.47 +until the egg finally reached maturity and Mistress 9 became the sole
    1.48 +occupant of that body.” He tilted his head to the side thoughtfully.
    1.49 +“I’m surprised Hotaru lasted as long as she did.” Shaking his head,
    1.50 +he pushed onward. “But I had finally found the chance to use these
    1.51 +eggs to further my research. I managed to create beautiful, perfect
    1.52 +beings from my tests, leaving them to fulfill their original
    1.53 +objectives. The Daimons succeeded quite admirably, even with the
    1.54 +Sailor Senshi involved. I won’t regret those failures at all, for
    1.55 +they helped me further my knowledge and to create even better things.
    1.56 +And when our master’s utilization is complete and he is brought into
    1.57 +this world, I will surely survive. And then I can create others like
    1.58 +myself, perfect beings to repopulate the earth. I am the god of a new
    1.59 +creation, the superhuman.” Again he laughed, a dark, twisted version
    1.60 +of the gentle, kind laugh that he once had. 
    1.61 +
    1.62 +	“Dad..” Hotaru closed her silver eyes sadly. 
    1.63 +
    1.64 +	The elevator moved slowly. Too slowly, for Setsuna. She was usually
    1.65 +much more patient, but she couldn’t help but fear that time was
    1.66 +running out. When the night was through, this would all be over. But
    1.67 +who would be victorious? Who would survive? And were they already too
    1.68 +late to save the princess? Setsuna clutched her Time Staff closer,
    1.69 +wishing that she could know the outcome of all this already.
    1.70 +	Michiru offered a small, reassuring smile to the green haired
    1.71 +woman, but it didn’t seem to be of much help. She sighed and crossed
    1.72 +her arms. Usagi had finally regained her Super Sailormoon
    1.73 +transformation, but she wasn’t sure if that would be enough in the
    1.74 +coming battles. And she still had the feeling that she would get in
    1.75 +the way. Usagi still wanted to save everyone and that just wasn’t
    1.76 +possible. But she was tagging on whether or not she liked the idea,
    1.77 +so there really wasn’t anything she could do about it. She cast a
    1.78 +withering glance at Haruka as she noticed the two blondes flirting
    1.79 +again. The flirting abruptly stopped and Michiru had to suppress a
    1.80 +smile of triumph. 
    1.81 +	Haruka frowned, leaning against the back wall, her hands behind her
    1.82 +head. This whole situation was bothering her. They were rushing
    1.83 +headlong into a situation that could very well mean their deaths.
    1.84 +And, hey, that was all well and good. They’d done it often enough
    1.85 +lately. But did they have to be in this damned elevator? She was
    1.86 +starting to feel claustrophobic. Haruka had always liked wide open
    1.87 +spaces and the wind against her face. Stuffy little compartments with
    1.88 +God knows what on the other side wasn’t quite her cup of tea. She
    1.89 +smiled softly at Michiru and released a breath she didn't know she
    1.90 +was holding when the aqua haired woman smiled back. She hoped they
    1.91 +lived through this so she could make it up to the other girl. She
    1.92 +just couldn’t resist a little more flirting with Usagi before their
    1.93 +possible deaths. 
    1.94 +	As the door began to slide open ever so slowly, Setsuna held her
    1.95 +Time Staff in front of her defensively, leaping out as soon as the
    1.96 +doors were open wide enough. The other three Senshi followed shortly.
    1.97 +Haruka was to her right with Michiru on her left. Usagi was standing
    1.98 +a little behind her. 
    1.99 +	“It sure took you girls long enough. But welcome to my lab,
   1.100 +nonetheless,” Professor Souichi Tomoe said from the other side of the
   1.101 +room. “You don’t know how much I’ve been waiting for this moment. You
   1.102 +girls have really been a bother lately, killing my pretty Daimons and
   1.103 +my Witches 5. But this batch of Daimons is feeling hungry, so I
   1.104 +suppose it’s feeding time.”
   1.105 +	All around the room, shadows seemed to shift, low snarls coming
   1.106 +from them. Michiru could barely make out the shapes of the Daimons
   1.107 +hiding in the shadows. They were ugly, vicious looking creatures. And
   1.108 +they were all ready to pounce. “Watch out!!” she yelled as the first
   1.109 +few came bounding towards them. Her elegant form barely dodged large,
   1.110 +swiping claws. It took her a moment to realize that it was just
   1.111 +distracting her. The other two had headed for.. Usagi! “Super
   1.112 +Sailormoon!! Get out of the way!”
   1.113 +	Usagi stood like a dear caught in headlights. The large brutal
   1.114 +looking creature moved much faster than she thought possible as it
   1.115 +eliminated the distance to her. 
   1.116 +	“Chronos Typhoon!” Setsuna’s attack tore through one of the Daimons
   1.117 +just as it was about to swipe Usagi in two.
   1.118 +	The second Daimon had moved around to Usagi’s left and she barely
   1.119 +backed out of the large swiping distance of it’s claws.
   1.120 +	“Submarine Reflection!” Michiru called out before her attack came
   1.121 +crashing into the next Daimon.
   1.122 +	“Do you really think that’s all I’ve got? I can make an infinite
   1.123 +amount of my precious Daimons for you to play with! Yes, play with my
   1.124 +precious!” The professor laughed maniacally. 
   1.125 +	Usagi took a step forward, holding her hands out. “Stop it!! We
   1.126 +don’t want to fight you. We know that you’re Hotaru-chan’s papa. We
   1.127 +just want to know where she is.”
   1.128 +	“My former daughter, Hotaru? Oh, she’s busy. She can’t come out and
   1.129 +play with you now. She’s up at the holy sanctuary, devoting all of
   1.130 +the energy from that mockery of the Taioron Crystal, the Ginzuishou,
   1.131 +to Master Pharaoh 90,” the professor stated matter-of-factly. 
   1.132 +	“Pharaoh 90?!?” Setsuna exclaimed. Damn, maybe they really were too
   1.133 +late. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t try. If only they could get
   1.134 +there in time..
   1.135 +	Souichi nodded. “Yes, the master had very nearly arrived. And when
   1.136 +he does, this world will cease to exist as you know it. I’m sure
   1.137 +you’d love the results if you could live through it. It’s too bad you
   1.138 +won’t see it for yourselves, but this place is to be your graveyard.”
   1.139 +His skin began to ripple as if something was moving under it, pushing
   1.140 +it out and deforming it. His glasses cracked and shattered,
   1.141 +splintering as the pieces fell to the floor. His skin ripped apart as
   1.142 +his body shifted to a monstrous form. “I’m no longer Souichi Tomoe. I
   1.143 +am Gelmatoid!!” 
   1.144 +	“He’s a Daimon?!” Haruka exclaimed as the beast stood up to it’s
   1.145 +full height.
   1.146 +	“No, not a Daimon. I am infinitely beyond those creatures. I am a
   1.147 +hybrid superhuman!! The first of my kind. The perfect union of humans
   1.148 +and life from the outer reaches of the universe. Now, die!!” The
   1.149 +creature that had once been Souichi Tomoe fired off a powerful blast
   1.150 +at the Senshi, but they all dodged. 
   1.151 +	“That.. That thing was Hotaru-chan’s papa! We can’t just kill it!”
   1.152 +Usagi frets, barely dodging another attack. 
   1.153 +	“He isn’t human! He’s a Daimon, Super Sailormoon! An Enemy! We have
   1.154 +to kill him!” Haruka leapt out of the way of another blast of energy,
   1.155 +making her way towards the large monster. She kept glancing back to
   1.156 +Usagi. This wasn’t the time for her to be worried about who they
   1.157 +could fight. She knew that she should have stayed behind. But there
   1.158 +was no time for that now. Moving closer, she pulled up her sword.
   1.159 +“Space Sword Blaster!!” The monster ducked the attack and knocked her
   1.160 +away violently. Pain shot through Sailoruranus as she felt the claws
   1.161 +slash through some of the flesh on her side, throwing her to the
   1.162 +floor. 
   1.163 +	“Uranus!!” Usagi screams as she watches the taller blonde roll
   1.164 +along the floor, a slight trail of blood behind her. Pain shot
   1.165 +through the younger girl at seeing her hurt like that. She lifted her
   1.166 +Heart Moon Rod, concentrating on the beast as Neptune and Pluto
   1.167 +continued to hold its attention. It was moving slower now, the Space
   1.168 +Sword wedged deep in it’s chest. 
   1.169 +“Rainbow Moon Heartache!!” Energy flew from Supersailormoon to the
   1.170 +superhuman, tearing it apart as it gave an unearthly howl.	
   1.171 +	Hotaru watched the battle, invisible to the participants without
   1.172 +her body. “Papa.. My gentle papa from before mama’s death.. The papa
   1.173 +that came to save me in the fire.. He died that day. That wasn’t my
   1.174 +papa anymore. Goodbye, papa. I’ll see you soon.” Hotaru closed her
   1.175 +eyes. She couldn’t die just yet. ChibiUsa still needed saving or
   1.176 +they’d both die. But she knew she didn’t have much time left. And she
   1.177 +didn’t even have a body to use for what she needed to do.
   1.178 +	“Who’s that?” Usagi asked suddenly, staring directly at Hotaru. “It
   1.179 +felt like someone was right there..” She shook her head, trying to
   1.180 +focus on the spot, but nothing appeared.
   1.181 +	Haruka had finally gotten to her feet with Michiru’s help, but it
   1.182 +hurt to breath, like her entire chest was on fire. Nothing serious,
   1.183 +but the pain shot through her with every breath. 
   1.184 +	Setsuna looked up from Haruka and Michiru as the ground began to
   1.185 +shake. “Something’s coming! Garnet Ball!” An orb of light surrounded
   1.186 +the four Senshi as the ceiling began to cave in.
   1.187 +	“What’s going on?” Usagi yelled above the cacophony of noise.
   1.188 +“They’re up there! The rest of the Senshi are up there!” Squinting
   1.189 +through the dust and debris still hanging in the air, she tried to
   1.190 +get a better view of her Sailor Senshi. Before she could get a good
   1.191 +look, her entire body felt like it had taken a sudden hit. Ribbons
   1.192 +played across her sailor suit as the energy that had filled her
   1.193 +started to dissipate. Looking down in shock, she realized that she
   1.194 +had changed back to normal Sailormoon. “What happened? Why am I not
   1.195 +Super Sailormoon anymore? Something must have happened to the others.
   1.196 +Our souls aren’t connected anymore.” Usagi got back to her feet,
   1.197 +straining again to see the Sailor Team. She had become Super
   1.198 +Sailormoon through the combined powers of the Sailor Senshi. If she
   1.199 +had changed back, what did that mean about them? Were they... No,
   1.200 +that couldn’t be.
   1.201 +	“Damn it.” Haruka watched Usagi for a moment before turning back to
   1.202 +Michiru. Her sense of loss was evident. She had finally put her faith
   1.203 +in Sailormoon and now it looked like she wouldn’t be of any help.
   1.204 +This whole situation was getting worse and worse. It would probably
   1.205 +be up to them after all. It only took a look from Michiru to realize
   1.206 +what had to be done. If Super Sailormoon couldn't provide victory,
   1.207 +they would have to do things their way. Which meant killing Hotaru.
   1.208 +Or whatever it was she was calling herself now. The planet was the
   1.209 +important thing. They had to save what they could. A sigh escaped the
   1.210 +blonde’s lips, but she nodded to the violinist. She would do whatever
   1.211 +was necessary, even if the cost had to be paid in blood.
   1.212 +	“Small Lady... Please hold on. I’m coming,” Setsuna whispered,
   1.213 +unheard by the others. Her eyes caught on something other than the
   1.214 +Sailor Senshi. Long, dark hair, a silhouette in the sky. That was
   1.215 +her. She was the one that had nearly killed her little friend. And if
   1.216 +she didn’t act quickly, she wouldn’t be able to retrieve the
   1.217 +princess’s soul. Her eyes narrowed as she concentrated her energy,
   1.218 +the orb they were all in lifting through the hole in the roof. As the
   1.219 +Guardian of Time, she was in a unique position to understand what it
   1.220 +was they were dealing with and the future that would not be if they
   1.221 +were to fail. And the gentle princess that would be lost if they
   1.222 +didn’t hurry. 
   1.223 +	Darkness swirled in the sky above, a black tempest that grew
   1.224 +harsher as they rose higher into the air. It was quickly devouring
   1.225 +the skyline of Tokyo, a dark cloak ready to drop over the city below.
   1.226 +It cast the entire area in shadows, grasping out in surreal patterns
   1.227 +along everything. It increased the sense of urgency, as if showing a
   1.228 +picture of what was to come. A dark dream that was ever ready to
   1.229 +lunge out and consume the planet itself. 
   1.230 +	The main building in the center of the Delta Area lay in wait in
   1.231 +front of the four. Ominous silence fell upon attentive ears, the only
   1.232 +sounds that of their own boots upon the concrete as they drew nearer.
   1.233 +A glass room stood at the entrance, it’s slightly reflective surfaces
   1.234 +showing the dark skies above. Inside, they could see a figure
   1.235 +shrouded by a dark haze. As she moved, the haze slid over her,
   1.236 +finally showing itself as long, raven hair.
   1.237 +	“Hotaru-chan?” Usagi asked after a moment of silence. The woman
   1.238 +turned around, long hair flowing behind her like a cape. She looked
   1.239 +directly at the champion of love and justice, her dark eyes glinting
   1.240 +in the dim light. She grinned slowly, joyously. As if all was right
   1.241 +with the world. Or that it soon would be. The thought chilled Usagi.
   1.242 +She didn’t seem to see the Sailor Senshi as any possible threat to
   1.243 +the completion of years and years of work. It was only a matter of
   1.244 +time for her... Usagi shook her head. “No, that’s a daimon. She’s
   1.245 +using Hotaru-chan.” Holding up her rod, she begin heading for the
   1.246 +dark haired woman. 
   1.247 +	Michiru felt her heart clench up as she followed right behind
   1.248 +Usagi. Now it was the moment of truth. They had come all this way,
   1.249 +through long and twisted paths that had led them throughout their
   1.250 +lives to this single moment. The road hadn’t been entirely
   1.251 +unpleasant. After all, she had met Haruka, a partner and lover
   1.252 +throughout all of this madness. But now they had reached the point of
   1.253 +no return, if they had ever had a choice in the matter in the first
   1.254 +place. Here they would see what would become of them and of the
   1.255 +planet and it’s people. They would see if they really could turn back
   1.256 +the tide. She walked determinedly towards the woman in the glass
   1.257 +room. Even her mirror wouldn’t tell her the outcome of all this, but
   1.258 +she would give her all. She had made her decision long ago. 
   1.259 +	Before the four could reach the room, the ground in front of them
   1.260 +lurched violently, nearly throwing them off their feet. The building
   1.261 +began to rip apart in front of them, exposing the center of the Delta
   1.262 +Area. The glass room shattered into thousands of tiny glass shards,
   1.263 +the woman standing in it’s center calm amidst the destruction. Into
   1.264 +the air she floated, followed by the reflecting pool that had been in
   1.265 +the room with her, her link back to Pharaoh 90. Four balls of light
   1.266 +followed close behind, the bodies of the Sailor Senshi barely visible
   1.267 +through the light. 
   1.268 +	“No! Come back!! That’s them! She has the others! Mercury! Jupiter!
   1.269 +Mars! Venus!” Usagi cried out, trying to follow her fallen soldiers.
   1.270 +Her head sank seeing them all lying so still in the balls of light.
   1.271 +She had almost reached the lowest of them when she was thrown back by
   1.272 +the energy surrounding it. It felt like a giant had knocked her back
   1.273 +down to the floor the same way someone would swat away a fly. She got
   1.274 +uneasily to her feet, watching the floating forms of the Sailor
   1.275 +Senshi and Mistress 9 up ahead of her. “No... I can’t get near!
   1.276 +Please, wake up! Everyone!!”
   1.277 +	But Haruka wasn’t paying attention to the prone Sailor Team. Her
   1.278 +vision was instead on the aquamarine haired girl who had suddenly
   1.279 +gone pale. And then she knew why. The sea was wild, an untamed beast
   1.280 +howling in anguish. And the wind was following suit. She could hear
   1.281 +it all around her in the harsh winds blowing past. “Are we too late?
   1.282 +It feels like the planet’s coming apart at the seams.”
   1.283 +	Mistress 9 landed slowly, her eyes opening up as if she had just
   1.284 +awakened from a deep sleep. The grin returned to her face as she
   1.285 +looked at the Sailor Senshi facing her. “No, you’re wrong. The planet
   1.286 +is ready to be born. It has spent long enough as this lonely egg out
   1.287 +in space. Now that the energy has been gathered, Master Pharaoh 90
   1.288 +can bring about the utilization. He will assimilate the planet. This
   1.289 +planet will be born anew soon enough. Thank you for keeping it safe
   1.290 +this long. But you are no longer needed.” She frowned slightly. She
   1.291 +could no longer feel the scared little soul that had been flitting
   1.292 +about the Ginzuishou. The Crystal’s power was probably just
   1.293 +interfering. She shrugged it off and prepared to face whatever these
   1.294 +gnats had to say regarding the fate of what had used to be their
   1.295 +planet. 
   1.296 +	“Assimilate the planet?” Usagi asked worriedly. 
   1.297 +	Mistress 9 sighed. Why were they acting like school children?
   1.298 +Didn’t they understand that greatness was about to fall upon this
   1.299 +world? No longer would it be the scared, sick little child out all
   1.300 +alone by itself that it was. It would become something much greater,
   1.301 +the resurrection of a once great world. “When all is said and done,
   1.302 +this world will be one with Master Pharaoh 90. It will become the
   1.303 +second Tau star and spread it’s light throughout the cosmos. This
   1.304 +planet will become our new mother world, and our proud legacy will
   1.305 +never be forgotten!” She was really getting into this. How long had
   1.306 +it been since she had really been able to bask in what they were
   1.307 +doing? Too long. So she had that to thank the school girls for. It
   1.308 +gave her a chance to look at it all again. A wave of anxiety swept
   1.309 +through her. It was almost done. After all these years... ‘Master,
   1.310 +we’ll be together again soon,’ the dark haired woman thought to
   1.311 +herself.
   1.312 +	Michiru ignored the last of what the harbinger of the chaos that
   1.313 +was surrounding them had to say, turning instead to her mirror and
   1.314 +then out to sea.
   1.315 +	“Neptune?” Haruka asked, noticing the nearly panicked look in her
   1.316 +partner’s eyes. Of course she never panicked, but right at that
   1.317 +instant it sure looked close enough. 
   1.318 +	“The sea, it’s subsiding all at once. It could be the signs of a
   1.319 +tsunami. The sea itself is being thrown into a frenzy from all of
   1.320 +this,” Michiru explained, still gazing towards the ocean.
   1.321 +	Haruka felt it, too. The sky was growing darker, the winds fiercer.
   1.322 +The smell of rain was in the air. She could feel the uncertainty in
   1.323 +the wind. “Is it a storm? Or is something else coming?”
   1.324 +	“The planet’s facing a catastrophe. It’s being ripped apart by this
   1.325 +power. We need to protect it.” Haruka saw Michiru nod in agreement.
   1.326 +She clutched the Space Sword closer but paused for a moment. Where
   1.327 +was Setsuna?
   1.328 +	Mistress 9 laughed as she watched the Sailor Senshi in front of
   1.329 +her. It was like watching small animals. Poor, confused animals that
   1.330 +had absolutely no idea what was going on. “Why did you girls come
   1.331 +here? To die? Why can’t you accept the Fate of this planet? It’s
   1.332 +meant for greater things than this. We’ll see to that. Whether or not
   1.333 +you had come here tonight, it changes nothing. This was destined long
   1.334 +ago.”
   1.335 +	“I like to think I know a thing or two about destiny. And this...”
   1.336 +Setsuna’s voice, a mere whisper, reached Mistress 9’s ears. She was
   1.337 +very close. Right behind her. “This is not destiny. Dead Scream.” A
   1.338 +bolt of purple energy shot out of Pluto’s Time Staff, tearing into
   1.339 +the body that had once belonged to Tomoe Hotaru. Setsuna watched with
   1.340 +a measure of grim satisfaction. She knew that Usagi had come here to
   1.341 +save everyone, but that was now an impossibility. They were on the
   1.342 +verge of losing their planet. The Time Guardian wasn’t about to make
   1.343 +anymore mistakes that might cost the life of her future friend or the
   1.344 +planet. Letting Hotaru live was no longer an option. “How dare you
   1.345 +come here and expect us to lie down and let you succeed? How dare you
   1.346 +take what’s dear to us and think that we won’t fight with every part
   1.347 +of our being to get it back?”
   1.348 +	Usagi gasped in mute horror as Mistress 9 fell forward, slumping to
   1.349 +her knees. Blood was dripping down her sides from her injuries. Her
   1.350 +dark eyes were wide in shock. She was trembling, obviously in pain.
   1.351 +“Pluto!!” Weren’t they going to save Hotaru? Wasn’t that the plan?
   1.352 +Had the Senshi from the Outer planets been listening to her at all?
   1.353 +“No!!”
   1.354 +	“You... bitch.. You think I don’t know what it’s like to lose
   1.355 +everything?! To see everyone dying right before your eyes? Why do you
   1.356 +think I’m here!? Stop being so self-righteous. You’d be doing the
   1.357 +exact same thing in my position.” Mistress 9 forced herself to her
   1.358 +feet, still shaking as pain wracked her small frame. Tears fell down
   1.359 +her pale cheeks as anger and sadness mixed together through her. She
   1.360 +had come too far to let some pathetic soldiers stand in her way.
   1.361 +	“That may be true. But you would be trying just as hard to stop
   1.362 +me,” Setsuna said, her voice still quiet yet forceful. She barely saw
   1.363 +the hair whip out and wrap painfully around her neck, yanking her off
   1.364 +her feet. Her heart sank as she felt the hair start crushing around
   1.365 +her throat. No, this wasn’t fair. She was supposed to save the
   1.366 +princess. She couldn’t have failed. 
   1.367 +	“You foolish woman. Now that the utilization has begun, I don’t
   1.368 +need this worthless body. Attacking me was pointless. After I discard
   1.369 +it, you won’t be able to touch me. And don’t worry about what’s
   1.370 +precious to you. I’ve already been taking very good care of it.”
   1.371 +Mistress 9 closed her eyes, ready to cast off the body she was in.
   1.372 +Nothing. Her eyes shot open. “I can’t get out! Something’s holding me
   1.373 +here!!” Fear shot through her as she felt the slick blood under her
   1.374 +fingertips. Her hair wrenched more painfully at Pluto’s neck. She
   1.375 +most certainly wasn’t going to die in this stupid body alone. 
   1.376 +	“I won’t let you escape!” a voice rang out through Mistress 9’s
   1.377 +head. 
   1.378 +	“Who are you?! Get out of my head!” Mistress 9 screamed, struggling
   1.379 +to get free of the body that was quickly becoming her tomb. 
   1.380 +	“This is still my body, not yours. You won’t get out of it! I’ll
   1.381 +never let you be free!” Hotaru soul flashed defiantly inside the
   1.382 +pained Mistress 9. 
   1.383 +	“I thought you were dead after I took over. Your soul should have
   1.384 +passed on by now. Your weak, pathetic soul isn’t necessary to any of
   1.385 +this. I have the Ginzuishou now. There’s no more reason for you at
   1.386 +all. I’ll cast off this worthless body and tear it apart. Now let me
   1.387 +go!!” Mistress 9 growled angrily at the young girl inside of her.
   1.388 +Everything was falling apart. Her beautiful dream was fading because
   1.389 +of these frustrated girls. The anger boiled within her. They weren’t
   1.390 +the only ones who would try their all. 
   1.391 +	“You can tear my body to pieces! You can ruin it, break it apart if
   1.392 +you wish. It doesn’t mean anything in the end. But I won’t let you
   1.393 +get ChibiUsa-chan’s soul or her shining crystal!	Whatever happens,
   1.394 +I’ll protect them! I’ll gladly give my body away for that. I don’t
   1.395 +care what you do to me.” Hotaru’s voice was sad but determined. She
   1.396 +had mixed feelings about losing her body. It had always been so
   1.397 +horrible, a corpse kept alive by machinery. It had been her prison
   1.398 +for so many years. But now she had already lost it. No, that was all
   1.399 +right. It was better now. It had died years ago. There was no reason
   1.400 +to keep it. What really saddened her was that it also meant she was
   1.401 +going to die. She had somehow managed to hold on for the moment, but
   1.402 +she knew she couldn’t for much longer. She was a soul without a body.
   1.403 +It was only a matter of time. And even that held some relief in it.
   1.404 +The pain would soon be over. But she didn’t want to leave ChibiUsa.
   1.405 +She didn’t want to go away yet. She finally had a reason to live. But
   1.406 +that wasn’t really her choice anymore. She closed what passed for
   1.407 +eyes in her spirit form. If she had to die, she wouldn’t let ChibiUsa
   1.408 +go with her just yet. It didn’t matter if she herself died, but she
   1.409 +couldn’t let that happen to her sweet princess. So she would protect
   1.410 +the pink haired girl.
   1.411 +	“Impudent humans! Why do you insist in making yourselves such a
   1.412 +nuisance? No one can stop this! You’re already too late!!” Mistress 9
   1.413 +forced herself forward, Setsuna’s struggles growing weaker and weaker
   1.414 +by the second. 
   1.415 +	“Moon Spiral Heart Attack!” Usagi yelled, trying to focus her
   1.416 +powers on the injured woman making her way towards her. She felt
   1.417 +awful doing it, but she didn’t know what else to do. Maybe the others
   1.418 +had been right about not being able to save Hotaru. But nothing
   1.419 +happened. The Ginzuishou was growing brigher, having blocked Usagi’s
   1.420 +attack. Raising a hand, Mistress 9 sent Usagi sprawling back, her
   1.421 +body skidding across the ground.
   1.422 +	“I won’t be stopped now! Too much is riding on this for me to give
   1.423 +up! I already have the full power of the Ginzuishou! Ruined body or
   1.424 +not, you can’t take that from me.” Mistress 9’s eyes darkened as she
   1.425 +watched the Sailors of Wind and Sea ready to attack. Damn them. Why
   1.426 +were they all struggling so much? Couldn’t they make this easy on
   1.427 +themselves? She would see to her Master’s revival. She had promised
   1.428 +the tiny spirit that had been protecting the Ginzuishou that she
   1.429 +would show her the wonders that the new world had to offer. And she
   1.430 +would not be made a liar. “Their souls. I need more power. The Sailor
   1.431 +Senshi’s souls should be abundant with it.” The floating bodies
   1.432 +dropped lifelessly into the reflecting pool as tiny orbs of light
   1.433 +left their bodies, hurrying towards Mistress 9.
   1.434 +	“No!! Mars! Mercury! Jupiter! Venus! No!!! Give them back!” Usagi
   1.435 +screamed, struggling to her feet.
   1.436 +	Setsuna kicked weakly, still trying to get free. By now she was
   1.437 +fairly sure that it was pointless. The hair was just growing tighter
   1.438 +around her throat and she was growing weaker. Her vision was starting
   1.439 +to fade and there was a pounding in her ears. Visions of her last
   1.440 +death kept coming to mind, slipping away after using her final
   1.441 +attack, Dark Dome Close, to help save the future. But this time, she
   1.442 +had failed miserably. She would die, as would the princess. If only
   1.443 +she hadn’t been so careless... She could only hope that her sacrifice
   1.444 +hadn’t been in vain. 
   1.445 +“Space Sword Blaster!” Uranus slashed forward, the energy blade
   1.446 +shooting through the air. It missed Mistress 9’s barrier, instead
   1.447 +cutting through the thick raven hair that clung to Setsuna’s throat.
   1.448 +The older Senshi dropped to the ground, Neptune catching her and
   1.449 +dragging her away from the injured Mistress 9. 
   1.450 +	In the vast emptiness, Hotaru spotted the light of the Sailor Team.
   1.451 +She was already holding a single glowing orb close to her heart.
   1.452 +Reaching out, she grabbed the other four as they rushed deeper into
   1.453 +Mistress 9. Clutching all five orbs of light, she tried desperately
   1.454 +to hold on to them. “I have them, ChibiUsa-chan,” she whispered to
   1.455 +the original ball of light she had been carrying. 
   1.456 +	“Let go!!” Mistress 9 yelled in rage, trying to utilize the power
   1.457 +of the souls inside of her to accomplish her mission. 
   1.458 +	Hotaru cried out as the mental assault on her grew worse. Mistress
   1.459 +9 was trying to drag the souls away. But she had to hold on. If they
   1.460 +slipped through her fingers... “I want to protect ChibiUsa-chan and
   1.461 +her shining crystal and the four soldiers... But I don’t even have my
   1.462 +body. My soul’s all that’s left. I’m already dead. So how can I save
   1.463 +them? My dad is gone, my body dead long ago... I have nothing left.
   1.464 +I’m all alone. So why do I still have enough power to hold onto them
   1.465 +like this? How can I hold her off? I’ve always been so weak... But
   1.466 +somehow I can still fight her, even without my body. And inside me, I
   1.467 +feel someone else. Not like when she was taking over my body. It’s
   1.468 +another me. A stronger me. She’s telling me to keep these lives, to
   1.469 +save everyone. But I don’t know how. I can’t save everyone. But I can
   1.470 +take these five souls and ChibiUsa’s crystal and escape from this
   1.471 +terrible prison. I don’t need my body anymore.” Hotaru clutched the
   1.472 +orbs tighter. “Let’s go, ChibiUsa-chan.”
   1.473 +	A glowing ball of violet light tore out of Mistress 9, pulling away
   1.474 +from her. Mistress 9 fell back to her knees. “Damn! The souls have
   1.475 +been taken away.” A slight grin crossed her lips. “But now I’m free.”
   1.476 +The fear that she had come so far for nothing slowly began to
   1.477 +dissipate. She had been right in the first place. These pathetic
   1.478 +soldiers were beneath her notice.
   1.479 +	“That light...” Usagi watched as it flew past. Four lights
   1.480 +splintered from it, flowing to the bodies of the Sailor Team. Slowly,
   1.481 +one by one, their eyes opened again. “Minna-san!!” The blonde magical
   1.482 +girl ran to their side. Her eyes fainly caught a glimpse of Hotaru
   1.483 +standing beside her, smiling softly. Before she could say anything,
   1.484 +the younger girl had disappeared in a ball of light. “Hotaru-chan?”
   1.485 +
   1.486 +	Mamoru yawned as he opened his eyes. Getting up, he went over and
   1.487 +felt ChibiUsa’s forehead. “I must have dozed off.” He sighed as he
   1.488 +looked down at his future daughter, lying so still. “ChibiUsa-
   1.489 +chan...” There had to be more he could do. It was so painful to watch
   1.490 +her as she lay dying. His eyes finally caught on Diana. She was
   1.491 +sitting at the edge of the bed, ready to pounce. She was hissing at
   1.492 +something. He followed her gaze and saw a dark haired girl sitting in
   1.493 +his window. She looked like a ghost, not quite there. Her eyes never
   1.494 +left ChibiUsa’s prone body. “Who are you?”
   1.495 +	Two lights shot into the room past the girl’s head, one going into
   1.496 +ChibiUsa’s body and the other forming the Ginzuishou. ChibiUsa’s
   1.497 +crimson eyes opened slowly, her body starting to move again. Where
   1.498 +had she just been? She felt so disoriented. Hadn’t she been with
   1.499 +Hotaru? Oh good. The Ginzuishou was right there. She’d been afraid
   1.500 +that she had lost it. She was in her body again. So that meant...
   1.501 +	“ChibiUsa-chan!!” 
   1.502 +	“Mamo-chan!” ChibiUsa sat up. Her body felt like she had just
   1.503 +awoken from a nap. Her gaze went past her future father to the spirit
   1.504 +sitting in the window. She scrambled over, hurrying to the spirit’s
   1.505 +side.
   1.506 +	Hotaru smiled gently, her silver eyes looking deep into the big
   1.507 +crimson ones of the princess. “Good.” Her ethereal fingers played
   1.508 +through ChibiUsa’s cotton candy hair. It was a huge relief to her to
   1.509 +know that the younger girl was finally safe. She felt a burden lifted
   1.510 +now that she saw her up and about. It had worked after all.
   1.511 +	“Hotaru-chan...” ChibiUsa whispered softly. She wasn’t really
   1.512 +there. At least, her body wasn’t. But she could almost feel her
   1.513 +fingers brushing through her hair. Hotaru’s reassuring presence had
   1.514 +comforted her throughout the whole ordeal she’d just gone through.
   1.515 +That feeling was still there with the girl in the window.
   1.516 +	“I was able to save you, ChibiUsa-chan. I’m happy. It’s good. We’re
   1.517 +both girls, but it’s strange. It must have been fate that we met.”
   1.518 +Hotaru had spent most of her life alone, crying in the shadows. Pain
   1.519 +and loneliness had been constant companions. But that had all changed
   1.520 +because of this genki little girl. She wasn’t alone anymore. She
   1.521 +wasn’t in pain anymore. Her entire life, she had been pushed away
   1.522 +from everyone. So she hid from them all, wanting the cold solace of
   1.523 +the shadows. ChibiUsa was the only one to ever reach out for her, to
   1.524 +pull her from her hiding place and actually embrace all that she was. 
   1.525 +	“I thought that, too,” ChibiUsa said quietly, still looking up into
   1.526 +Hotaru’s eyes. “Hotaru-chan...” The two girls held hands as best they
   1.527 +could with one of them not quite being there. Hotaru leaned down and
   1.528 +kissed the princess. ChibiUsa’s eyes closed after seeing the dark
   1.529 +haired girl’s face right next to hers. Even if she wasn’t fully
   1.530 +there, ChibiUsa thought she felt a feathery kiss before Hotaru pulled
   1.531 +away. Her eyes fluttered open at the realization that it was a
   1.532 +goodbye kiss. Her heart began to pound in her chest, too many things
   1.533 +she wanted to say fighting to be said, but her throat felt too
   1.534 +painful to say anything.
   1.535 +	Hotaru cried out in pain, the last links with her body being
   1.536 +destroyed as it was torn apart by Mistress 9’s escape from it. It was
   1.537 +gone. There was no going back. But it was all right. ChibiUsa was
   1.538 +safe. And she would never be alone again. 
   1.539 +	“Hotaru-chan?!”	
   1.540 +	Hotaru smiled weakly, her fingers hovering over ChibiUsa’s cheek.
   1.541 +“It’s good we met. I’m glad we became friends, ChibiUsa-chan. Thank
   1.542 +you.” She paused a moment, silvery eyes sparkling sadly. “Goodbye.”
   1.543 +‘I promise I’ll always watch over you, ChibiUsa-chan,’ she thought as
   1.544 +she faded away.
   1.545 +	“Hotaru-chan!!” ChibiUsa cried out, grasping for the spirit that
   1.546 +had been there moments before. Tears began spilling down her cheeks
   1.547 +as she hugged herself. She barely felt Mamoru pulling her away from
   1.548 +the window, holding onto her. “No... Don’t go, Hotaru-chan..” She
   1.549 +shook her head, tears falling to the floor. “It’s not fair! Why
   1.550 +should she have such a sad fate? Where’s her happy ending? How come I
   1.551 +got to come back but not her? There are people who must live that
   1.552 +fate?” She wiped at her eyes with balled up fists. She felt so empty,
   1.553 +so alone. It felt like a piece of herself had been ripped away. When
   1.554 +she closed her eyes, she could see Hotaru as if she was still there
   1.555 +with her. Hotaru had protected her, just as she had promised, but
   1.556 +ChibiUsa hadn’t thought that meant she’d leave when she was through. 
   1.557 +	Mamoru pulled ChibiUsa at arms’ length, looking down at the young
   1.558 +Sailor Senshi. “ChibiUsa-chan, can you fight with me? To help
   1.559 +Sailormoon? She needs you now.”
   1.560 +	ChibiUsa looked up, sniffling. She nodded quickly, determination
   1.561 +overcoming the sadness in her eyes. “I can fight. I won’t cry
   1.562 +anymore. I’m a Sailor Senshi, too. I can help the others. With the
   1.563 +life Hotaru-chan returned to me, I’ll fight with everything I have! I
   1.564 +won’t let it be wasted. Moon Prism Power! Make Up!” The pink haired
   1.565 +girl appeared in her Sailor fuku, clutching her moon rod in one hand.
   1.566 +With the other, she wiped her eyes again. She had to do this. For
   1.567 +Hotaru. Now that she was back, she had to put a stop to all this.
   1.568 +“Thank you, Mamo-chan! You protected my body while Hotaru-chan was
   1.569 +protecting my soul. We might not be as strong as Sailormoon or the
   1.570 +others, but let’s go fight together!” ChibiUsa turned and ran out of
   1.571 +the room, Mamoru close behind.
   1.572 +	‘I feel like I’d just given my wife a daughter,’ Mamoru thought to
   1.573 +himself while changing into Tuxedo Kamen. ‘She’s so full of energy
   1.574 +now. It’s like Hotaru-chan’s power did more than bring her back, she
   1.575 +revitalized her as well. But then, it was a strange visit, so
   1.576 +ChibiUsa-chan obviously has a lot of emotion involved in all this.
   1.577 +Hang on, Usa. We’re coming!’
   1.578 +	Diana sighed in relief as she watched the two hurry off. It seemed
   1.579 +that Death had been merciful on this trip. When Diana had spotted
   1.580 +her, she had been sure that Death, the dark haired girl that she was,
   1.581 +had been there to end ChibiUsa. Instead she had brought her back.
   1.582 +Diana whispered a silent thank you as she finally let herself fall
   1.583 +asleep after all the hours of watching her mistress.
   1.584 +
   1.585 +	The monstrous form of Mistress Nine screamed out as it rose high
   1.586 +above the Sailor Senshi. She was no longer under the constraints of
   1.587 +Hotaru’s body, what was left of it lying torn and shattered
   1.588 +underneath her. Now was the time she had waited so long for, the time
   1.589 +of their resurrection. And she could not allow these bothersome and
   1.590 +blind soldiers hinder her progress. The three Outer Senshi had gone
   1.591 +to the three main points of the Delta Area and had set up a barrier
   1.592 +with their remaining power, barely holding back her master. But she
   1.593 +knew it couldn’t last long. Gathering her strength, she lunged forward.
   1.594 +	“What the hell is that thing?” Makoto asked in shock at what had
   1.595 +looked to be a human woman moments before she had left the bonds of
   1.596 +the body she had been inhabiting. “It sounds like it’s in pain.”
   1.597 +Glancing to Ami, she saw the blue haired senshi nod in agreement.
   1.598 +Makoto smiled briefly as she braced herself for the monster. She had
   1.599 +found her reason to fight. And in a way, that was much more important
   1.600 +than the fight itself. 
   1.601 +Usagi held up her wand, trying to concentrate on the demonic figure
   1.602 +heading towards her. Her mind was in so many places at once. She had
   1.603 +failed Hotaru. The Outers methods had disgusted her, but she had
   1.604 +proven inept at doing any better with her own way of doing things.
   1.605 +She had failed in saving the dark haired girl and quite possibly had
   1.606 +lost ChibiUsa in the process. Working up the strength to continue
   1.607 +onward was almost impossible. “Pink Sugar Heart Attack!!” came a
   1.608 +sweet voice from behind her. Energy shot out past her, forcing
   1.609 +Mistress Nine back before she could get any closer to Sailormoon.
   1.610 +“Chibimoon?” Blue eyes lanced around for the source of the voice and
   1.611 +finally latched onto the pink haired Sailor Senshi. Her eyes sparkled
   1.612 +as hope returned to her heart. “But... How?”
   1.613 +	Swallowing the lump in her throat, ChibiUsa forced back the tears
   1.614 +that were still just under the surface. Strong. She had to be strong.
   1.615 +There would be time to cry later. Her returned life was a gift from
   1.616 +Hotaru. She couldn’t let it go to waste. Hotaru’s sacrifice wouldn’t
   1.617 +be in vain. “Hotaru-chan rescued me. She protected me in the
   1.618 +darkness. She gave her life for me.”
   1.619 +“Gave her life?” Usagi repeated. Then it was true. Hotaru was gone.
   1.620 +She hadn’t been able to save her after all. Maybe the Outers had been
   1.621 +right the entire time. But she had saved ChibiUsa. They were wrong
   1.622 +about killing her. “Arigato, Hotaru-chan,” she whispered. 
   1.623 +	“What are you waiting for?” Tuxedo Kamen yelled over to Sailormoon,
   1.624 +still standing beside Chibimoon. “Hurry! You have to henshin into
   1.625 +Supersailormoon!”
   1.626 +	“Tuxedo Kamen-sama!”
   1.627 +	“If you don’t act quickly, the entire planet will die! Those three
   1.628 +are expending an enormous amount of power sustaining their barrier.
   1.629 +You have to hurry and defeat it, Sailormoon!” Tuxedo Kamen watched
   1.630 +the blonde girl intently. His faith was always with her. And
   1.631 +sometimes all he could offer was his belief in her. He hoped it would
   1.632 +be enough. Pulling out a rose, he tossed it to Sailormoon. “For all
   1.633 +it’s beauty, a rose is still painful to those who misuse it.
   1.634 +Sailormoon, show them that the same is true of the earth and it’s
   1.635 +pretty sailor suited protectors.”
   1.636 +	Usagi nodded, holding the rose close to her heart. “For our
   1.637 +beautiful planet. I have to save everyone.” Determination coursed
   1.638 +through her as her hands reached up in the air. “Holy Grail! Please
   1.639 +appear before me! I need your help! Gather the sacred power of the
   1.640 +Holy soldiers to protect this planet!” The shining chalice appeared
   1.641 +above her, shimmering with light. The Inner Senshi held hands,
   1.642 +concentrating their power to the one they believed to be the Messiah. 
   1.643 +	“Sailormoon... You really are everyone’s mother. Someday I’ll be
   1.644 +like you. I’ll be strong. I’ll protect everyone, too. Because
   1.645 +everyone needs a protector. There’s still hope for our world filled
   1.646 +with lonely hearts. If even for a moment our hearts can touch
   1.647 +another, we aren’t truly alone after all,” ChibiUsa said, watching
   1.648 +Usagi intently. Her heart burned fiercely as the thoughts raced
   1.649 +through her mind. She had learned so much in her short time back in
   1.650 +the past. There was so much pain that she had never known existed.
   1.651 +Her own loneliness in the future even made more sense now that she
   1.652 +had met Hotaru. But it had also taught her that there was hope. That
   1.653 +even in the darkness, even when surrounded by loneliness, there was a
   1.654 +heart shining out there, waiting. And she couldn’t let this world end
   1.655 +all of those hopes and dreams. A gasp escaped her lips as a golden
   1.656 +crescent moon began shining on her own head seconds after one lit up
   1.657 +on Usagi’s. The air shimmered in front of her as a chalice took
   1.658 +shape. “The Holy Grail? Two Holy Grails?!” 
   1.659 +	“Crisis Make Up!!” Usagi and ChibiUsa shouted in unison. The two
   1.660 +Sailor Senshi carried with them the love and courage of the present
   1.661 +as well as the hopes and dreams of the future. Ribbons of light
   1.662 +surrounded the two of them as their Sailor Fukus shifted into their
   1.663 +super forms. 
   1.664 +	“Supersailorchibimoon,” Mamoru whispered as he watched the two.
   1.665 +Something had happened to ChibiUsa in those moments after she had
   1.666 +awoken. She was stronger now, truly a Sailor Senshi as opposed to the
   1.667 +Senshi in training she had been. A memory of Usagi stabbing him
   1.668 +before stabbing herself with his sword back in the fight against the
   1.669 +Dark Kingdom while he was brainwashed ran through his mind. ChibiUsa
   1.670 +truly was her daughter. The pain of losing a loved one brought out
   1.671 +the strength in their hearts and the will to fight.
   1.672 +	Usagi and ChibiUsa looked at each other for a long moment before
   1.673 +crossing their moon rods together. They both knew that they had to
   1.674 +end this now. This pain couldn’t be allowed to continue any longer.
   1.675 +“Let’s go, Supersailorchibimoon! We have to join our power together!”
   1.676 +Usagi yelled out as they flew towards the monstrous form of Mistress
   1.677 +Nine. 
   1.678 +Mistress Nine watched the two as they sped towards her. The power
   1.679 +was incredible. And that soul of the pink haired one was the same
   1.680 +that had been protecting the Ginzuishou when she had possessed it.
   1.681 +Why did they insist on stopping the beautiful Fate that lie in wait
   1.682 +for their world?
   1.683 +	“Rainbow Double Moon Heartache!!” The two Senshi of the Moon yelled
   1.684 +in unison. Energy lashed out from their entwined moon rods at
   1.685 +Mistress Nine. ChibiUsa felt a twinge of regret as she poured herself
   1.686 +into the attack. She knew that they had to protect the future, her
   1.687 +future, but she could still remember Mistress Nine’s soothing words
   1.688 +while she had been protecting the Ginzuishou. But she had to stop
   1.689 +her. For Hotaru’s sacrifice. For her mother. For all of the lonely
   1.690 +hearts that had yet to meet the one who would release them from their
   1.691 +cold prison. ‘Thank you, Hotaru-chan... You saved me in more ways
   1.692 +than you know.’
   1.693 +	On their three separate buildings, energy surrounding them as they
   1.694 +continued to hold up their barrier despite the onslaught of power
   1.695 +against it, Setsuna, Michiru, and Haruka held up their Talismans. The
   1.696 +monster that had been Mistress Nine grew larger as Chibimoon and
   1.697 +Sailormoon continued to attack it. “No! It’s being exposed to the
   1.698 +light of both the Ginzuishou of the present and of the future and
   1.699 +it’s still growing! It’s not working!” Setsuna yelled in frustration.
   1.700 +Her heart had been relieved to see the ‘young’ princess again, but
   1.701 +she didn’t want to see her get hurt against the Enemy. Nothing seemed
   1.702 +to be working. What would it take to stop them?
   1.703 +	“More power! We need to hit it with enough to shatter it!” Minako
   1.704 +called out. There had to be something they could do. She refused to
   1.705 +sit back and watch as her world was torn asunder around her. Her
   1.706 +entire being would go into this. ‘I guess this might be the last time
   1.707 +Sailor V is in action, Natsuna-san. I hope you’re watching. This will
   1.708 +be my finest performance,’ she promised mentally to a certain police
   1.709 +chief. “We’ll do it, too! We have to stop that thing’s growth! We’ll
   1.710 +defend this planet till our dying breaths! Venus Wink Chain Sword!!”
   1.711 +	“We’ve come so far. We’ve fought through so much. Our world’s dream
   1.712 +isn’t ready to end. Mars Snake Fire!!” Rei shouted as she
   1.713 +concentrated her energy.
   1.714 +	“Jupiter Coconut Cyclone!!”
   1.715 +	“Mercury Aqua Mirage!!” 
   1.716 +	The two attacks came at the same time, almost a counterpoint to the
   1.717 +other. The fight was far from over for them. Even if they lost, they
   1.718 +would know that they had fought to the end for their own special
   1.719 +reasons. The girls symbolizing Jupiter and Mercury couldn’t see each
   1.720 +other through the haze of battle, but knowing the other was their
   1.721 +bolstered them to throw everything into their attacks. This couldn’t
   1.722 +be the end. It was just the beginning for them.
   1.723 +	“Tukishido La Smoking Bamba!!” Mamoru yelled out, his heart and
   1.724 +mind focussed on the two girls that were fighting for the life of the
   1.725 +planet. They were both incredibly important to him. He would do his
   1.726 +best to help.
   1.727 +	Mistress Nine bathed in the power that was being focussed on her.
   1.728 +Silly humans. They had no idea what they were doing. This power was
   1.729 +only helping her to grow stronger. But what better way for them to
   1.730 +continue their struggle than to actually help bring about the new
   1.731 +world that awaited them? “Mmmm... This energy, it’s the power of the
   1.732 +carriers of the planets’ protection! Such wonderful, glorious power!
   1.733 +Give me all of your power! Open up the gateway for me!”
   1.734 +	Minako gasped in shock. “It’s not affected? No...” Her spirits
   1.735 +dropped as the realization hit her. ‘I’m sorry, Natsuna-san. I tried.
   1.736 +I really did. It looks like this really is Sailor V’s last adventure.’
   1.737 +	“She’s absorbing our power! It’s only making her stronger!” Ami
   1.738 +yelled out, her eyes wide. Why hadn’t she seen it before? The Death
   1.739 +Busters had been trying to gather power to bring about the
   1.740 +assimilation the entire time. Now Mistress Nine was using the very
   1.741 +power they were attempting to use against her. 
   1.742 +	“You will all be assimilated along with the planet. You will be
   1.743 +reborn along with it. Don’t you understand? You have no reason to
   1.744 +blow me apart. You should welcome my Master with open arms,” Mistress
   1.745 +Nine explained. Things seemed to be going very well indeed. Soon
   1.746 +enough it would all be... “What?! I can’t move! The barrier...!!”
   1.747 +	“We won’t let you outside the Delta!” Michiru called out, her eyes
   1.748 +focussed on the floating Daimon. After all she had been through, it
   1.749 +came down to this. All of the sacrifices, all of the hard work. All
   1.750 +of the blood and tears. Now was the time when she would see the
   1.751 +results of all she had strived for. She didn’t even regret getting
   1.752 +Haruka involved in all this anymore. She could ask for no better
   1.753 +partner. If she was to die, then so be it. But she wasn’t about to go
   1.754 +alone and let these invaders take away all that she had fought so
   1.755 +hard for.
   1.756 +	“This will be your graveyard!” Haruka added, brilliant gold light
   1.757 +outlining her as she continued to pour her energy into the barrier.
   1.758 +The blonde tomboy had come a long way in the short time she had been
   1.759 +a Sailor Senshi. It had eaten her up for so long, knowing the dark
   1.760 +path she had to travel. But with such a traveling companion, even the
   1.761 +darkest roads of hell had seemed cheerful enough. ‘I’ll always follow
   1.762 +you, Michi. No matter where you lead.’
   1.763 +	The sky above began to fade and swirl, black gathering through the
   1.764 +shadows. Pinpricks of stars shone through to the Senshi below. 
   1.765 +	Ami recognized the layout of the stars immediately from her run in
   1.766 +with Viluy Yuri of the Witches 5. “The Tau Star System!! The gateway
   1.767 +is opening!”
   1.768 +	Mistress Nine watched the stars with a mix of nostalgia and hope.
   1.769 +“The long forgotten distant mother stars, the Tau Star System! After
   1.770 +all of this time, this planet will finally be our second home! Our
   1.771 +society will be revived! For all of those wandering souls, their
   1.772 +homecoming is nigh.”
   1.773 +	“I can’t allow you to do that! I won’t let you have this planet!”
   1.774 +Usagi clutched her moon rod tighter, unsure of how to stop the
   1.775 +catastrophe that was approaching, but unwilling to give up.
   1.776 +	“I can’t...” ChibiUsa whispered, her crimson eyes fluttering as she
   1.777 +tried to concentrate. She felt weak, tired. Unconsciousness was
   1.778 +beginning to pray on her mind, defeating every attempt she made to
   1.779 +fight it off. Her power was waning quickly, the strain too much for
   1.780 +her. As her Super Sailor Fuku disappeared, she plummeted from the sky.
   1.781 +	“ChibiUsa!!!” Mamoru barely managed to catch the pink haired
   1.782 +soldier. She was already passed out. 
   1.783 +	“Master Pharaoh 90! I will be your partner! I will do all I can for
   1.784 +this planet, the master, and the utilization!” Mistress Nine shouted,
   1.785 +the light of her home world spurring her forward. Her heart beat for
   1.786 +her master. She would not fail him. And they would be together for
   1.787 +all eternity. Darkness burst out of her forehead as she fell from the
   1.788 +sky, crashing down amongst the rubble below. “Wha..? What happened to
   1.789 +me... my body.. I can’t... No, not now...”
   1.790 +	Setsuna wobbled precariously, dropping her staff as she collapsed
   1.791 +to her knees. Michiru and Haruka quickly followed suit, clattering to
   1.792 +the floor themselves, their Talismans dropping from their fingers.
   1.793 +The light from the barrier above flickered and shattered into a
   1.794 +million slivers of light, quickly fading away. . 
   1.795 +	“Their force field.. It’s gone!” Usagi watched in horror as the
   1.796 +only thing keeping back the gateway disappeared. “Uranus! Neptune!
   1.797 +Pluto!”
   1.798 +	“No... I can’t put out anymore power... I don’t have anything
   1.799 +left..” Setsuna said as she gasped for breath. Her eyes closed, pain
   1.800 +tearing at her. She had given up her previous life as a college
   1.801 +student to protect the world as Sailorpluto and she had failed. She
   1.802 +had thought that she could make a difference. “I’m sorry, Small Lady.”
   1.803 +	“Damnit!” Haruka beat her fist into the concrete under her. “We’ve
   1.804 +come too far to lose now... This can’t be the end...”
   1.805 +	The shining light of stars from a far away system loomed over the
   1.806 +Sailor Senshi, sparkling above them hauntingly. “The earth, it’s
   1.807 +dying... Will this be the new home to the Enemies?! No!! I won’t let
   1.808 +you take away our home! You’re uninvited visitors! Get out!! Rainbow
   1.809 +Moon Heartache!!” Usagi focussed her power again, fighting till the
   1.810 +end. Her four Sailor Senshi attacked along with her, throwing
   1.811 +themselves fully behind her. All of their power swirled into the vast
   1.812 +darkness that was building. 
   1.813 +	“Our power... Drawn into the darkness... It’s all gone..” Minako
   1.814 +stated weakly before she and the other three collapsed. 
   1.815 +	“Everyone...” Usagi looked over the battlefield. The three Outer
   1.816 +Senshi could barely move, her own Inner Senshi too weak to go on.
   1.817 +Mamoru held onto Chibimoon’s limp body. She looked pale from Usagi’s
   1.818 +viewpoint. Everyone was falling. They had given their all and it
   1.819 +still wasn’t enough. When would they wake up from this nightmare?
   1.820 +“They all pushed themselves past their limits. They have no power
   1.821 +left to fight anymore. No... That’s not true. There’s still some
   1.822 +left. Everyone’s power is still inside me as Supersailormoon. It was
   1.823 +all of them together that gave me this strength. So I will fight on
   1.824 +for them. I’ll show their power to the fullest extent. I can fight
   1.825 +with their dreams in my heart. Sleep well, my friends. I’ll carry
   1.826 +your dreams with me until you wake up. Only me. Alone. No, with your
   1.827 +dreams in my heart, I will never fight alone! With the Ginzuishou and
   1.828 +the Holy Grail, I’ll keep fighting! Holy Grail, please lend me more
   1.829 +strength. Fill me with the final power of the nine Sailor Senshi!”
   1.830 +	Mamoru watched Sailormoon up above as she gathered up all the power
   1.831 +she could. He held onto ChibiUsa’s unconscious form as the wind
   1.832 +whipped past him. "Usako, what are you planning on?!”
   1.833 +	Usagi smiled in reply, clutching the Holy Grail in front of her.
   1.834 +Pure white light was lashing around her, illuminating her in the dark
   1.835 +sky. Dropping from the sky, she headed for the ruins below.
   1.836 +	“Usako!!” Mamoru watched in horror as he finally understood what
   1.837 +she was doing. The nine Sailor Senshi watched on helplessly. 
   1.838 +	Falling through the air, Usagi smiled softly. “There’s only one
   1.839 +chance left. I’m going to show it the true power we have to offer.
   1.840 +I’m going to open the full power of the Ginzuishou and the Holy Grail
   1.841 +inside that thing!”
   1.842 +	“Usako!!!!” Mamoru screamed as he watched her plummet towards the
   1.843 +gathering darkness. This couldn’t be happening. After all that they
   1.844 +had fought through, she couldn’t sacrifice herself for this. She was
   1.845 +the world’s only hope, but his world would still be lost if she was
   1.846 +gone.  
   1.847 +ChibiUsa gasped in Mamoru’s grip as she watched, finally regaining
   1.848 +consciousness only to see Sailormoon’s last ditch effort. Why did
   1.849 +their have to be so many sacrifices? Why did so many have to pay for
   1.850 +things with their lives? Hotaru had paid for ChibiUsa’s life with her
   1.851 +own and now Usagi was going to give herself for the planet. Why was
   1.852 +the price always so high? With a grim thought, ChibiUsa realized that
   1.853 +she would be sacrificed as well. If Usagi died, she would never be
   1.854 +born. But it was all right. If she had to die for the sake of the
   1.855 +planet and all the lonely souls on it, then she would gladly be down
   1.856 +there with Usagi. Some things were worth sacrificing for. ‘I guess
   1.857 +I’ll see you soon, Hotaru-chan.’ A small smile crossed her lips. 
   1.858 +Darkness enveloped Usagi as she plunged deeper into the blackness.
   1.859 +The light flowing around her exploded in a tremendously bright shower. 
   1.860 +Up above with the three Senshi of the Outer system, the Deep Aqua
   1.861 +Mirror, Garnet Orb, and Space Sword began to flash, reacting to
   1.862 +something. “The Talismans?!” Michiru said in shock. The three objects
   1.863 +lifted into the air, glowing brighter. 
   1.864 +A hole tore open through Mistress Nine down in the darkness. A
   1.865 +sphere of light lifted into the air. Inside lay a beautiful Sailor
   1.866 +Senshi lying on her back. The storm seemed to stop in the immediate
   1.867 +vincinity around her. The entire area was covered in silence for a
   1.868 +breathless moment. 
   1.869 +“That’s...”
   1.870 +“Oh my God...”
   1.871 +The Sailor Senshi stood up in the air, her eyes slowly opening as
   1.872 +she took in the scene around her. The Saturn symbol flashed on her
   1.873 +forehead. There was a serene calm about her, as if she knew exactly
   1.874 +what she was here to do and it was no more of a chore than washing
   1.875 +the clothes. She held a long staff in her left hand, the end curving
   1.876 +into a wicked looking blade. “I am the messenger from the depths of
   1.877 +death. I come from far off to set right what has been led terribly
   1.878 +astray. I am carrier of the protection of the planet of ruin, Saturn.
   1.879 +The Senshi of Silence. Sailorsaturn.”
   1.880 +“She’s awakened...” Michiru said in horror. 
   1.881 +“Sailor Saturn!” Haruka shook her head. If only they had killed
   1.882 +Hotaru before! No, wait... Hotaru was already dead. Saturn had still
   1.883 +come even then. Was there no way to stop this even worse monster than
   1.884 +the Enemy they were fighting? 
   1.885 +	“Then... This is the end, isn’t it?” Setsuna asked after a moment.
   1.886 +Of course, this meant it was all over. They had failed.
   1.887 +	Rei looked up at the figure. “Does that mean.. Is Sailormoon... Is
   1.888 +she dead?!”
   1.889 +	Saturn turned to look at them, her silver eyes cold. Her pale skin
   1.890 +and curved weapon made her look dangerously similar to images of
   1.891 +Death itself. "I was called by the pulled trigger long ago. It
   1.892 +doesn't seem that it's been that long yet. I seem like an invited
   1.893 +guest. I slowly met accidents one after another, and disturbing
   1.894 +occurrences were brought about. Suddenly history seemed to have gone
   1.895 +a bit wrong." 
   1.896 +	“Hotaru-chan?!” ChibiUsa asked, pulling away from Mamoru. “Hotaru-
   1.897 +chan!! No... Sailorsaturn... Please, tell me what’s going on!!”
   1.898 +Chibimoon ran forward towards the apparition, tears spilling down her
   1.899 +cheeks. Saturn stood like a statue, her silver eyes watching her
   1.900 +intently. “Hotaru-chan...” ChibiUsa sniffled as she reached the
   1.901 +silent soldier. “It’s you, isn’t it? It is you, Hotaru-chan.. It has
   1.902 +to be...” She lunged forward grabbing onto the dark haired Sailor
   1.903 +Senshi. Clutching on tightly, she let loose a sob, shaking against
   1.904 +the taller girl.
   1.905 +	“Small Lady!! Get away from her! Now!!” Setsuna screamed to the
   1.906 +future princess. Her heart lurched as she watched the two Senshi. The
   1.907 +princess was going to die and there was nothing she could do about
   1.908 +it. ChibiUsa hardly seemed to hear her and she had no power left to
   1.909 +get to her in time, let alone to fend off the final soldier. 
   1.910 +	ChibiUsa was wracked with sobs as she held onto Sailorsaturn.
   1.911 +Saturn shifted slightly in her grasp. The future princess felt arms
   1.912 +encircling her, holding her close. A gloved hand gently brushed past
   1.913 +her cheek before running through her hair. She looked up at the
   1.914 +taller girl, sniffling. Gloved fingers wiped her tears away. Saturn
   1.915 +was looking down at her gently, following the contours of the smaller
   1.916 +Senshi’s face. “Hotaru-chan...”
   1.917 +	Saturn shook her head slowly, still holding on to the pink haired
   1.918 +princess. “Through an accident here in the Infinity Zone, the one I
   1.919 +was supposed to sleep eternally inside, Hotaru, began to live life as
   1.920 +a cyborg. In that girl’s body, I was never supposed to awaken. It was
   1.921 +a shock to my soul and an enormous strain living inside of her after
   1.922 +that. Then another came to live inside that body. Mistress Nine.
   1.923 +Professor Tomoe’s twisted mind had summoned those from a far off
   1.924 +world and had given them the body of the girl I was inhabiting. But
   1.925 +there was nothing I could do. I was immersed in darkness, only able
   1.926 +to watch sleepily as time marched forward. But now, I have been
   1.927 +called forth. We were all drawn here. The passage of the other world
   1.928 +opened here. This land was chosen for this final battle. All of the
   1.929 +power has gathered here. Everything began to descend to ruin,
   1.930 +foretelling my awakening. It was all set up by fate.” One arm
   1.931 +continued to hold ChibiUsa close while her right hand rested on the
   1.932 +princess’s cheek. ChibiUsa just looked into her eyes, unsure of what
   1.933 +to say, her arms around Saturn’s shoulders. “All of it. Even my
   1.934 +meeting you, ChibiUsa-chan.” The cold look faded for a second, a
   1.935 +smile similar to the one Hotaru had given her before she had
   1.936 +disappeared on her face. “Thank you, ChibiUsa-chan. I’ll be waiting
   1.937 +for you when my job is finished. Don’t be afraid of death. I’ll be
   1.938 +waiting to lead you through when it greets you.” Leaning down, she
   1.939 +kissed the pink haired girl softly. ChibiUsa stood on her tiptoes,
   1.940 +holding on tighter as she returned the kiss. It was bittersweet, a
   1.941 +final kiss before the end. Saturn pulled away slowly, her fingers
   1.942 +trailing on ChibiUsa’s cheek for a few lingering seconds as her cold
   1.943 +exterior returned. Clutching the Silence Glaive, she turned away from
   1.944 +her princess. ChibiUsa slumped to her knees behind her. Leaping
   1.945 +forward, the Senshi of Death and Rebirth stabbed into the blackness
   1.946 +with her Silence Glaive. 
   1.947 +	“I can’t move!? No!!! My power... It’s all being soaked up!”
   1.948 +Mistress Nine screamed as she tried to struggle against Saturn. It
   1.949 +was useless. All of the power she had gathered was being torn from
   1.950 +her. Her dreams shattered as she felt the icy cold hand of death
   1.951 +waiting just behind the dark haired girl.
   1.952 +	“Now that I’ve awakened, I must bring down the Silence Glaive,”
   1.953 +Saturn explained, gripping it tighter.
   1.954 +	“The Silence Glaive.. That’s the scythe of the Goddess of Death.”
   1.955 +Michiru had drawn it before in a dark painting she had done. A
   1.956 +beautiful goddess dressed only in what amounted to a white sheet. And
   1.957 +wielding that same deadly weapon. Haruka had wondered why she would
   1.958 +draw such a beautiful girl with such a dangerous looking weapon
   1.959 +surrounded by bodies in a macabre painting, but this seemed to be the
   1.960 +same celestial embodiment of Death. 
   1.961 +	“Id she brings down the Silence Glaive, then everything will end!
   1.962 +Sailorsaturn, don’t do this!” Setsuna yelled out. She was shocked at
   1.963 +the display with the princess, but the reprieve of not killing
   1.964 +ChibiUsa then would only mean that she would die with the rest of
   1.965 +them in moments.
   1.966 +	“Damnit!! Why would Fate bring about all of this? It can’t be! This
   1.967 +can’t be the Fate of our world! Sailorsaturn, stop!!” Haruka clutched
   1.968 +onto Michiru. 
   1.969 +	ChibiUsa’s crimson eyes followed Saturn as she stayed on her knees,
   1.970 +the rubble biting into her skin. “Hotaru-chan.. Does this mean
   1.971 +there’s no future for us? Is this the end?” She didn’t have the
   1.972 +strength to get up. She was so thrilled to see Hotaru again, but she
   1.973 +hadn’t expected her to turn out to be Death. Her mind was still
   1.974 +swirling in confusion. All she could do was watch.
   1.975 +	“Death Reborn Revolution!!” Saturn yelled out, still calm amidst
   1.976 +the destruction around her. Ribbons surrounded her as she lifted up
   1.977 +the Silence Glaive above her head. She briefly wondered if she should
   1.978 +have hurried along ChibiUsa’s death so that she wouldn’t have to
   1.979 +witness the destruction to come, but decided that it was too late to
   1.980 +worry about such things. The pink haired girl would be dead soon
   1.981 +enough, along with everything else. And she would be there to escort
   1.982 +her once it was all over.
   1.983 +	“No!! All of my power.. It’s being pulled away from me!! I’m losing
   1.984 +all that I’ve gained.. Master, I’m so sorry! It was all for you! This
   1.985 +negative aura is soaking up everything I had! No, it can’t be!! She
   1.986 +can’t have awakened! Is this the true Silent Messiah?! She will guide
   1.987 +everything to ruin!” Mistress Nine’s struggles became weaker and
   1.988 +weaker as Saturn’s power grew. Her thoughts began slipping from the
   1.989 +mission she had tried so hard to accomplish, focussing instead on her
   1.990 +reason behind it all, her master, the one she loved.
   1.991 +	The gathering darkness became entangled in ribbons. The ribbons
   1.992 +seemed to sap away the darkness, drawing it away as it forced it all
   1.993 +up into the sky and towards the Tau Star System that could be seen up
   1.994 +above. “You, who has already lost your world, already know the pain
   1.995 +of losing everything. Soon this planet will join your own, for it’s
   1.996 +death is soon. But you, abominable creature, will die first. Invader!
   1.997 +Return to the dead! Then death will befall this world as well!” Power
   1.998 +surrounded her as more ribbons began flowing from her. Darkness and
   1.999 +energy began to build up around her, ripping through the rubble
  1.1000 +underneath her.
  1.1001 +	“It’s over! We can’t stop it anymore! We’ve finally reached the
  1.1002 +end,” Mamoru shook his head, defeat starting to seep through his
  1.1003 +weary body. 
  1.1004 +	Haruka staggered to her feet, wincing in pain as she got closer to
  1.1005 +the ledge of the building for a better look. “She’s going to bring
  1.1006 +down the Silence Glaive! She’s going to kill this world along with
  1.1007 +that Daimon!!” 
  1.1008 +	As the Silence Glaive began it’s slow descent towards the ground,
  1.1009 +the ribbons and darkness and energy lashed out. The city began
  1.1010 +tearing itself apart, buildings shattering and collapsing, the ground
  1.1011 +ripping open. Mamoru covered the still confused ChibiUsa as debris
  1.1012 +fell past them. Buildings were ripped to pieces in seconds. 
  1.1013 +	“Everyone.. Everything, it’s all disappearing,” ChibiUsa whispered
  1.1014 +softly, the world falling apart around her. The wind picked up,
  1.1015 +shrieking fiercely. Waves crashed nearby as the earth shook. For a
  1.1016 +moment, ChibiUsa regretted coming back to the past to train. This was
  1.1017 +too much for her. But she had to. She didn’t regret all that they’d
  1.1018 +done up till now. She didn’t regret meeting Hotaru. But did it have
  1.1019 +to end now?
  1.1020 +	Mamoru dropped to his knees beside his future daughter, his cane
  1.1021 +dropping next to him. “Usa... Usako!! Only you kept me alive all this
  1.1022 +time! And I couldn’t even protect you!” His eyes followed a trace of
  1.1023 +red. The wind brought one of the red petals closer. The rose he’d
  1.1024 +given Usagi.. The beautiful rose was crushed. “Usako...” Tears
  1.1025 +dropped to the rubble underneath them.
  1.1026 +	Watching Mamoru clutch onto the flower petal, ChibiUsa looked back
  1.1027 +towards the receding darkness that Usagi had plunged into.
  1.1028 +“Sailormoon... Mama.. You can’t be gone.” 
  1.1029 +	“Damn,” Haruka mutters, tossing a chunk of concrete across the
  1.1030 +ruined battlefield. “Isn’t there anything we can do?! Are we
  1.1031 +completely helpless? Everything will be destroyed if this isn’t
  1.1032 +stopped. I... I just wanted to protect that girl! That was all! I
  1.1033 +didn’t care for any of this!” Michiru took her hand as they watched
  1.1034 +the destruction.
  1.1035 +	“Haruka-san!” a voice called out. “Haruka-san!”
  1.1036 +	“Sailorsaturn..!” ChibiUsa said as she got up, stumbling towards
  1.1037 +the Senshi of Silence. She had to get to her. There had to be
  1.1038 +something she could do. She knew Hotaru the best. Hotaru trusted her.
  1.1039 +Even if Saturn was a bit different, she had to try. Mamoru grabbed
  1.1040 +her arm, pulling her back. “Mamo-chan, I have to!” she argued, trying
  1.1041 +to pull from his grasp. Up ahead, a bright light began shining near
  1.1042 +Saturn. It lifted up into the air, clearing the troubled sky around
  1.1043 +it. A figure emerged from the light, butterflies fluttering
  1.1044 +everywhere around her, mixing with the fireflies that had begun to
  1.1045 +take flight shortly after Saturn’s arrival. “Sailormoon?
  1.1046 +Supersailormoon?!”
  1.1047 +	Usagi’s eyes opened as the crescent moon on her forehead lit up.
  1.1048 +She blinked curiously as she looked around at the battlefield. The
  1.1049 +other senshi were all staring up at her.
  1.1050 +	“Usako!!” Mamoru called out. 
  1.1051 +	Mistress Nine saw the slight distraction as her last chance. These
  1.1052 +Sailor Senshi had nearly ruined all of their plans. She had to stop
  1.1053 +them now. “I’ll take you with me! Back to the Tau Star System! The
  1.1054 +gravity will pull you through to the darkness of our graveyard! Our
  1.1055 +dead home, the Tau Star System!” There was still hope. If she could
  1.1056 +pull them through, Master Pharaoh 90 could stop them. Then this world
  1.1057 +might still be reborn as their new home.
  1.1058 +	Saturn looked up, her glaive nearly touching the floor. Her silver
  1.1059 +eyes watched with little concern at Mistress Nine’s attempt at
  1.1060 +salvaging the situation. A slight smile crossed her thin lips as she
  1.1061 +looked up. “It’s beautiful, the suffering at the moment of
  1.1062 +destruction. If you’re so eager, then let’s hurry! Right away! The
  1.1063 +guide to death, Sailorsaturn, will lead to the world of the dead!”
  1.1064 +	“Saturn!? No!! We’ll all be drawn out into space together! We’ll
  1.1065 +all die!” Usagi clenched her fists, looking to Saturn concernedly.
  1.1066 +“You can’t let this happen! Everyone will die!”
  1.1067 +	Saturn shrugged off Usagi’s outburst. It hardly seemed to matter
  1.1068 +now. Her full power was very nearly ready to be unleashed. “I don’t
  1.1069 +feel despair. Along with death, there is always hope and rebirth.”
  1.1070 +Her silver eyes caught ChibiUsa’s crimson eyes. She held her gaze for
  1.1071 +a few seconds, as if speaking directly to her. “If you remember that,
  1.1072 +then death is nothing to fear.”
  1.1073 +	“Sailorsaturn?” Usagi asked, confused.
  1.1074 +	“Sailormoon, because you have opened the power of the Holy Grail
  1.1075 +and the Ginzuishou, you still have a chance to save this planet.
  1.1076 +Perhaps now is not the time that has been fated for me to bring
  1.1077 +everything to ruin. Soon, this land will be the new Tokyo that you
  1.1078 +will bring about. For now, I must stop the outsiders from getting a
  1.1079 +grip in this world.” Saturn’s cold gaze fell upon Setsuna.
  1.1080 +“Sailorpluto! Close the gateway to the other world for eternity!”
  1.1081 +Pushing off the ground, Saturn drifted into the darkness, following
  1.1082 +Mistress Nine towards the Tau System. That was where she was needed
  1.1083 +now, to finally put the long dead system to sleep. 
  1.1084 +	Setsuna paused, pulling up her staff. She could see the pain in the
  1.1085 +princess’s eyes as they followed the dark haired senshi’s ascent. She
  1.1086 +was so tired of all of this fighting and pain. “Saturn!!”
  1.1087 +	“Hurry!!” Saturn yelled back, her energy building as she closed the
  1.1088 +distance. She could feel Pharaoh 90 on the other side. He would be
  1.1089 +dead soon enough when she released the power building within her. Her
  1.1090 +Silence Glaive would drop today after all.
  1.1091 +	Pluto nodded, closing her eyes as she began chanting. Her Garnet
  1.1092 +Orb began to glow. “Great guardian deity of time and space! My
  1.1093 +father, Chronos! Give me power! Close the door of the broken law!
  1.1094 +Dark Dome Close!” 
  1.1095 +ChibiUsa watched up overhead as the space-time door began sucking in
  1.1096 +energy, sealing off the gateway. Sailorsaturn smiled down at her one
  1.1097 +last time before fading into it. The door slammed shut behind her.
  1.1098 +“Hotaru-chan..” ChibiUsa whispered, wiping at her eyes. Hotaru had
  1.1099 +sacrificed herself again, this time saving the entire planet and
  1.1100 +ChibiUsa’s future. But she couldn’t appreciate the victory knowing
  1.1101 +the price that had to be paid. Just when she had seen her again, she
  1.1102 +had been torn from her. How could love hurt so much? It wasn’t
  1.1103 +supposed to be this way.
  1.1104 +“Small Lady, Hotaru-chan wouldn’t want to see you crying. After all
  1.1105 +she gave up, she would want you to be happy with the new future she
  1.1106 +has ensured you,” Pluto explained, helping ChibiUsa to her feet. She
  1.1107 +smiled gently, brushing some of the dirt from ChibiUsa’s face. 
  1.1108 +	Nodding weakly, ChibiUsa slumped against the tall Guardian of Time.
  1.1109 +“Hai, you’re right, Puu. I know. I just miss her already. My heart
  1.1110 +feels like it’s shattered.”
  1.1111 +	Setsuna sweatdropped. So the princess had already fallen in love as
  1.1112 +she’d thought. “She’s still watching you, Small Lady.”
  1.1113 +	“Along with death.. Hope and rebirth begin,” Usagi whispered,
  1.1114 +repeating Saturn’s words. Her Sailor Fuku dissolved into her white
  1.1115 +princess gown, flowing regally around her. Raising her moon rod,
  1.1116 +light began to flash through the city. The destruction began to
  1.1117 +vanish as the dead began to get up, returned from their slumber
  1.1118 +before they could continue on their path to the afterlife. 
  1.1119 +	“Neo Queen Serenity,” Setsuna said quietly as she saw Usagi
  1.1120 +standing atop a pillar, holding up her rod.
  1.1121 +	A baby’s cry broke the silence, coming from somewhere nearby. “A
  1.1122 +baby?” ChibiUsa asked in surprise. What would a baby be doing there
  1.1123 +after the battle? How had it gotten there?
  1.1124 +	Michiru ran to the sound, quickly spotting the tiny baby. It was a
  1.1125 +little girl with ivory skin and short, dark hair. The Saturn symbol
  1.1126 +was glowing on her forehead. “Hotaru-chan?” 
  1.1127 +	“She was reincarnated?” Haruka asked as she reached Michiru’s side.
  1.1128 +The blonde looked at the baby girl, shocked to see the girl that had
  1.1129 +nearly destroyed the world and had ultimately saved it.  
  1.1130 +	“She must be all alone,” Michiru said sadly, holding the baby
  1.1131 +close. “Let’s raise her ourselves.” A smile played out across her
  1.1132 +lips as she looked over at Haruka. The serious look of Sailor Neptune
  1.1133 +was gone, replaced by an earnest joy in her heart at being alive and
  1.1134 +having the chance to raise the lonely girl.
  1.1135 +	“The three of us as parents?” Haruka asked skeptically. 
  1.1136 +	“It’s the least we can do after trying to kill her,” Setsuna added,
  1.1137 +taking Hotaru’s small hand with her finger. 
  1.1138 +	“What? You don’t think you’d make a good mommy, Haruka?” Michiru
  1.1139 +asked teasingly.
  1.1140 +	“Uranus! Neptune! Pluto!” Usagi ran up to the three, catching her
  1.1141 +breath. “That baby...?”
  1.1142 +	The three women turned to look at the blonde girl. “We’ll be going
  1.1143 +now. We’ve been given a new mission to complete now,” Haruka explained.
  1.1144 +	“You’re going?” ChibiUsa asked sadly, looking from the three of
  1.1145 +them to the baby in Michiru’s arms. “Where?”
  1.1146 +	Setsuna shrugged. “You never know, Small Lady. Perhaps we’ll be far
  1.1147 +off. Or maybe we’ll be closer to you than you’ll know. But we’re
  1.1148 +allies, Sailorchibimoon. We’ll surely meet again. You can count on
  1.1149 +it.” The darkly tanned woman smiled softly to the young Sailor Senshi.
  1.1150 +	Michiru nodded in agreement. “Hai. We’re allies. So we’ll meet
  1.1151 +again soon. Small princess, we love you. We will return to you again
  1.1152 +soon.” She held out her mirror to ChibiUsa. The princess took it
  1.1153 +slowly. “A sign of our promise. Keep looking into this mirror. Until
  1.1154 +we meet again, grow up to be a stronger, more beautiful soldier and
  1.1155 +princess. ”
  1.1156 +	“Neptune!” ChibiUsa held the mirror close for a moment. “I promise!
  1.1157 +I will!” She paused for a moment, looking down. “Ummm.. Can I see
  1.1158 +Hotaru-chan before you go? Please?” Michiru smiled and held the baby
  1.1159 +carefully out to Chibimoon. ChibiUsa held onto her shifting slightly.
  1.1160 +“I’m really gonna miss you, Hotaru-chan. Thank you so much for
  1.1161 +everything. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had. Thanks for coming
  1.1162 +back to me. I promise I’ll wait for you, not matter how long it
  1.1163 +takes.” She blushed slightly as she kissed the baby’s forehead. “I
  1.1164 +love you, Hotaru-chan.” Her heart skipped a beat as she gave baby
  1.1165 +Hotaru back to Michiru. Again Hotaru was leaving her. But this time,
  1.1166 +there was hope. Hotaru would still be out there. And she would grow
  1.1167 +up all over again. This time she prayed that Hotaru would be much
  1.1168 +happier. And she would be waiting for the dark haired girl. That was
  1.1169 +her promise. When they met again... “I love you,” she whispered
  1.1170 +again. “Here, please give her this.” ChibiUsa held out the Luna-P to
  1.1171 +Setsuna. “I want her to have it. Maybe when she’s older...” the
  1.1172 +princess trailed off. 
  1.1173 +	Setsuna took the gift and nodded. “Take care of yourself for us,
  1.1174 +Small Lady!” With that, the three women turned and left with the
  1.1175 +baby, disappearing swiftly.
  1.1176 +	“Uranus! Neptune! Pluto!” Usagi called after the three, but they
  1.1177 +were already gone. “Uranus! Neptune! Pluto!”
  1.1178 +	ChibiUsa hugged the mirror close to her heart, watching where they
  1.1179 +had last been. A small smile crossed her lips. “We will surely meet
  1.1180 +again someday. Haruka-san. Michiru-san. Puu. And Hotaru-chan. I’ll be
  1.1181 +waiting for you. Grow up to be a happy girl. We’ll see each other
  1.1182 +again. I promise.”
  1.1183 +