rlm@2: Author’s Note: This songfic was originally meant to be part of the rlm@2: manga series that I was working on, but after taking nearly two years rlm@2: to finish merely the S season, I don’t think I’ll be able to finish rlm@2: SuperS or Sailorstars as I had originally planned. On the other hand, rlm@2: this afforded me the opportunity to write another songfic that I had rlm@2: wanted to do for quite a while. I thought that the song ‘Kryptonite’ rlm@2: by Three Doors Down fit this scene perfectly, so I wanted to rlm@2: incorporate it into the story. This takes place late in the Bishoujo rlm@2: Senshi Sailormoon Sailorstars manga right up near the end. All of the rlm@2: Senshi have been killed with the exception of Sailormoon, ChibiChibi rlm@2: (Sailor Cosmos), and Sailor Chibimoon. The Quartet survived this rlm@2: encounter in the manga, but were knocked unconscious by two of the rlm@2: Inners. I thought it would have been much more fitting had they been rlm@2: killed by the girl who had positioned them as ChibiUsa’s guardians in rlm@2: the first place, Hotaru. All of the other Senshi have been brought rlm@2: back by Galaxia as dark versions of themselves to halt Sailormoon’s rlm@2: progression into the Shadow Galactica and the Cauldron. This story is rlm@2: a what might have been if Saturn had been able to confront Chibimoon rlm@2: instead of Chibimoon simply dying when Mamoru got killed. The rlm@2: characters are copyright the wonderfully talented Naoko Takeuchi and rlm@2: whatever other parties are involved while the song is performed by rlm@2: Three Doors Down. I’m just borrowing all of these elements for a rlm@2: romance story starring one of my absolute favorite couples. ^-^ rlm@2: Please enjoy! rlm@2: rlm@2: // means song lyrics. rlm@2: rlm@2: rlm@2: rlm@2: Kryptonite rlm@2: by The Amazoness Duo rlm@2: amazonessduo@hotmail.com rlm@2: rlm@2: rlm@2: rlm@2: The Silence Glaive swung down in a long arc towards the pink haired rlm@2: Sailor Senshi. ChibiUsa barely outdistanced it, the sweep of air rlm@2: passing along her bare skin. Blank violet eyes met her gaze as she rlm@2: looked pleadingly at the girl she loved. Saturn lunged forward, again rlm@2: trying to cut the future princess in two. “Hotaru-chan, please! You rlm@2: have to listen to me!” In answer, the raven haired Senshi of Death rlm@2: and Rebirth merely took another swipe at her former lover. Chibimoon rlm@2: lifted her wand, ready to attack, but she couldn’t get herself to rlm@2: concentrate. Saturn took advantage of the slight hesitation, bringing rlm@2: herself within inches of the other girl before bring her Glaive rlm@2: sweeping towards ChibiUsa. The blade serrated cloth and skin alike as rlm@2: a biting pain flared in ChibiUsa side. Blood dripped down her side rlm@2: from the cut, seeping into the white cloth. rlm@2: rlm@2: //I took a walk around the world to rlm@2: Ease my troubled mind. rlm@2: I left my body laying somewhere rlm@2: In the sands of time. rlm@2: I watched the world float to the rlm@2: Dark side of the moon. rlm@2: I feel there is nothing I can do, yeah// rlm@2: rlm@2: Reeling back, ChibiUsa let out a stifled cry. She didn’t have time rlm@2: to fully dodge Saturn’s next attack, a sharp explosion of pain and rlm@2: color appearing in her right arm. Saturn was still moving towards her rlm@2: from the movement of her attack, but it would take vital seconds to rlm@2: get her Glaive ready, giving ChibiUsa a perfect chance to attack. She rlm@2: quickly lifted the wand with her left hand, her vision blurring with rlm@2: hot tears. This wasn’t Hotaru. It was her body being used by Galaxia rlm@2: to fight them. Hotaru was dead, her Sailor Crystal stolen. rlm@2: The wand fell from numb fingers, clattering uselessly to the floor. rlm@2: The princess couldn’t accept that. She couldn’t just give up on her rlm@2: best friend, her love. “Hota-chan! I know this isn’t you.. Please, rlm@2: please.. please...” Tears rolled down her cheeks rlm@2: as she kept her gaze on the cold form of Saturn before her. “Hota- rlm@2: chan, I love you. Please fight this. Don’t let her use you.” ChibiUsa rlm@2: barely had time to dodge the swipe to her legs, hopping back. “Please rlm@2: remember. Hota-chan, I love you. Don’t you remember me?” rlm@2: rlm@2: //I watched the world float to the rlm@2: Dark side of the moon. rlm@2: After all I knew it had to be something rlm@2: To do with you. rlm@2: I really don't mind what happens now and then rlm@2: As long as you'll be my friend at the end.// rlm@2: rlm@2: A stab of fear shot through her, tenfold worse than the pain in her rlm@2: side and arm. Hotaru had just killed the Sailor Quartet, her rlm@2: guardians. The guardians she’d decided to have protect ChibiUsa. What rlm@2: if she was wrong? What if there was nothing left of the girl she rlm@2: loved in there? Had she just made a terrible mistake? No. Even if she rlm@2: died, she knew that she could never fight Hotaru. She had to get rlm@2: through to Hotaru the only way she could. She -had- to. “It’s me, rlm@2: ChibiUsa. Hota-chan, you’re important to me. Can’t you remember that? rlm@2: You were everything to me. You are everything to me. Please.. I won’t rlm@2: fight you. I don’t care what’s at stake. I can’t. You mean too rlm@2: much to me.” Another slash, another cut. ChibiUsa’s lungs were rlm@2: starting to burn, aching with each breath. She was laboring to keep rlm@2: up her pace. At this rlm@2: rate she knew there was no way she could keep dodging Saturn. rlm@2: Saturn leapt into the air, bringing the Glaive down as she landed. rlm@2: Some wisps of pink hair fell slowly to the floor. ChibiUsa’s vision rlm@2: blurred further, blood mixing with her tears. Her gloved fingers rlm@2: brushed the wound on her head and she rlm@2: immediately wished she hadn’t. Pain shot through her, a wave of rlm@2: dizziness engulfing her. She stumbled back, catching another swipe in rlm@2: her side. The pain rlm@2: was becoming unbearable for the pink haired girl. She wanted to curl rlm@2: up, for this to all go away. To wake up back in her own bed back in rlm@2: Crystal Tokyo. rlm@2: rlm@2: rlm@2: //If I go crazy then will you still rlm@2: Call me Superman? rlm@2: If I'm alive and well, will you be rlm@2: There holding my hand? rlm@2: I'll keep you by my side with rlm@2: My superhuman might. rlm@2: Kryptonite// rlm@2: rlm@2: Chibimoon slowly regained her resolve as she remembered why she was rlm@2: there in the first place. When she’d found out in the future that rlm@2: something was wrong, she knew she had to come back, to help Hotaru. rlm@2: Finding out that Galaxia had killed her love had torn her up inside. rlm@2: The only thing that kept her going was the hope that Sailormoon would rlm@2: be able to bring her back along with the others when this was all rlm@2: over. Seeing Hotaru here at the Cauldron had caught her off guard. rlm@2: That had cost the Quartet their lives. In her moment of jubilation at rlm@2: seeing Hotaru alive, Saturn had attacked, killing the Quartet as they rlm@2: took the attack that had been meant for her. rlm@2: rlm@2: //You called me strong, you called me weak, rlm@2: But still your secrets I will keep. rlm@2: You took for granted all the times rlm@2: I never let you down. rlm@2: You stumbled in and bumped your head, rlm@2: If not for me then you’d be dead. rlm@2: I picked you up and put you back rlm@2: On solid ground.// rlm@2: rlm@2: Now here she was, face to face with the girl she loved, pain rlm@2: wracking her young body as they squared off. This was it, all or rlm@2: nothing. The last hurrah. She had come back for Hotaru. And now was rlm@2: her one and only chance. Mustering the last of her strength, the pink rlm@2: haired girl stood up as she rlm@2: locked eyes with her raven haired counterpart, her arms held in rlm@2: front of her chest. Those dark eyes.. so many other times she’d gazed rlm@2: into them, losing rlm@2: herself in their mysteries. This time it was like looking into those rlm@2: of death itself. “You can fight this, Hota-chan. I know that. I know rlm@2: you. You were rlm@2: always such a mystery, but I finally understand. You’re the strong rlm@2: one out of us, Hotaru. You always overcome the pain, the obstacles in rlm@2: front of you. You rlm@2: fought off Mistress 9’s control to save my life. You survived a life rlm@2: that I never could have hoped to live through. You’ve fought off rlm@2: Saturn’s control for me. You came to fight with me again, even after rlm@2: Elios. Hota-chan, this won’t defeat you.” A small smile rlm@2: crossed her soft lips. “Because I believe in you, Hota-chan. I know rlm@2: you can overcome this. I know you. I love you.” rlm@2: rlm@2: //If I go crazy then will you still rlm@2: Call me Superman? rlm@2: If I'm alive and well, will you be rlm@2: There holding my hand? rlm@2: I'll keep you by my side with my rlm@2: Superhuman might. rlm@2: Kryptonite// rlm@2: rlm@2: ChibiUsa’s arms opened as her smile rlm@2: grew, realization dawning upon her. Her sparkling crimson eyes met rlm@2: dark violet. “You always said you needed me, but you were wrong, it’s rlm@2: I who needs rlm@2: you. I can’t live without you. I need you.” rlm@2: Saturn thrust forward in a fluid motion. The future princess hadn’t rlm@2: the time nor will to dodge. The Glaive cut deep into ChibiUsa’s small rlm@2: body. Time seemed to freeze as the pink haired girl crumbled to rlm@2: the floor. Saturn stood over the fatally wounded princess, dark rlm@2: blood dripping from the end of her Silence Glaive. The color had rlm@2: drained from ChibiUsa’s usually warm skin. Pain burned through her rlm@2: entire body like a forest fire, catching everything in its path. rlm@2: “Hotaru...?” the future princess got out weakly, her voice sounding rlm@2: like it was coming from the long forgotten past. All she could see rlm@2: was Sailorsaturn standing over her, Silence Glaive held tightly in rlm@2: her hand as blood dripped down the curved blade. And even that was rlm@2: fading quickly. What hurt more than the searing pain that now claimed rlm@2: every inch of her being was the thought that she had been wrong, that rlm@2: there was nothing left of the girl she loved inside of her killer. rlm@2: But even through that sense of betrayal, even though she knew she lay rlm@2: dying, she couldn’t completely give up hope. There had to be rlm@2: something left. Coughing painfully, a small cloud of blood further rlm@2: blurred her vision. rlm@2: rlm@2: //If I go crazy then will you still rlm@2: Call me Superman..? rlm@2: If I'm alive and well, will you be there rlm@2: Holding my hand..? rlm@2: I'll keep you by my side with rlm@2: My superhuman might. rlm@2: Kryptonite... rlm@2: Yeah!!// rlm@2: rlm@2: rlm@2: This couldn’t be the end. There was still so much she had wanted to rlm@2: say, so much she had wanted to do with this dark haired girl. She rlm@2: wanted to spend her life with her, to follow its trail wherever it rlm@2: led alongside the pale woman. But now that future she had so longed rlm@2: for was slipping through her fingers like grains of sand. Cold tears rlm@2: slipped their way unnoticed down her cheek. She tried to speak again, rlm@2: but nothing came out as her lips trembled. Trying desperately to rlm@2: remember Hotaru’s words from so long ago, dismay overcame her as they rlm@2: eluded her. She was so tired. Fear of her own imminent death clung rlm@2: franticly to her heart, but it was short lived. She could already see rlm@2: Death coming for her. Her unseeing eyes followed Death’s movements as rlm@2: she came closer, a raven haired girl wearing what amounted to a white rlm@2: cloth. Bending down gently, Death pulled her close, her pain replaced rlm@2: by a warmth that flooded through her being. rlm@2: rlm@2: rlm@2: As the life slowly drained from ChibiUsa's eyes, she quietly let out rlm@2: a single word.. "Hotaru..." Driving the scythe of the goddess of rlm@2: death deeper into the pink-haired girl's body, the phage of Saturn rlm@2: finally spoke. "Farewell, ChibiUsa." She was mildly uneasy about the rlm@2: way ChibiUsa’s crimson eyes had been following something that wasn’t rlm@2: there, but she hardly had time to concern herself with it. The deed rlm@2: was done. Blood stained her white gloves and the skirt and bodice of rlm@2: her costume. The blood of her lover. She brought her fingers to her rlm@2: lips, briefly rubbing the still warm liquid into them. She had done rlm@2: Galaxia’s bidding, had been reincarnated by the Golden Senshi for rlm@2: this specific task, just as the other Senshi had been brought back to rlm@2: stop Sailormoon’s progress. rlm@2: But what Galaxia hadn’t counted on was that Rebirth was Hotaru’s rlm@2: role in the grand scheme of things. She was the one who was behind rlm@2: rebirth, the one who guarded the thresholds of death. One did not rlm@2: resurrect Saturn and expect to command her. She was no one’s tool. rlm@2: But to get to Galaxia, to put a stop to her mad attempt at finding a rlm@2: purpose in this swirling mass of confusion, she had to get to her. rlm@2: And the only way to do that was to appear controllable, to follow the rlm@2: commands of her new ‘mistress’. Which is why she had to kill the only rlm@2: one her lonely heart had ever truly loved, the only one that could rlm@2: quell the darkness that reigned over her lonely world. “ChibiUsa- rlm@2: chan, I’ll join you soon,” she whispered as she watched the unmoving rlm@2: corpse of her future princess. rlm@2: No, things ended here. No more games. No more enemies. Saturn’s job rlm@2: was to put an end to things when they got out of control. She would rlm@2: accomplish that task once and for all. She would follow Sailormoon rlm@2: and Galaxia to the heart of the Cauldron, to the heart of Chaos rlm@2: itself and she would put an end to everything. Let Galaxia find her rlm@2: purpose in death. Let Sailormoon find peace in eternity. When she rlm@2: brought down her Glaive this time, all life in the galaxy would rlm@2: cease, the Cauldron feeling the true power of the Goddess of Death. rlm@2: She would lead all of the souls to their final resting place. And rlm@2: there she would finally be able to spend forever with her pink haired rlm@2: princess. Her heat pained her at that thought, at the betrayal that rlm@2: must have coursed through her lover as the blade pierced her soft rlm@2: skin. But it had to be done. And she had told ChibiUsa long ago that rlm@2: with death came hope and rebirth. rlm@2: Hoisting the Silence Glaive up in front of her, the Silent Messiah rlm@2: turned on her heel and ran into the darkness. The end was nigh. rlm@2: rlm@2: //If I go crazy then will you still rlm@2: Call me Superman? rlm@2: If I'm alive and well, will you be rlm@2: There holding my hand? rlm@2: I'll keep you by my side with my rlm@2: Superhuman might. rlm@2: Kryptonite//