The Return

Part 16: Beryl's Shadow

By Richan

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. God it makes me sad to say that. What's even worse is that I don't own much either. Stupid non-winning lottery ticket. >.<

Warnings: Extreme violence in this chapter. Death. I blame the bad dreams I've been having lately for this one, and being sick (with the stupid flu, no less). -_-

Vulcan saw the attack coming, but he knew he didn't have the strength to move. He also knew that this was the moment he had known was coming for a while and he didn't dread it. He had been almost out of energy, anyway.

Raising his hammer one last time, he swung it at Faunus to catch him off guard.

Black ribbons sliced through the air as he did so and he fell into darkness.

Eternal Sailor Saturn stood for a moment and looked at the two lifeless bodies that lay on the floor. All of her energy had been given in that single attack, and there was nothing left for Tomoe Hotaru to live on.

'My child.' Pluto mourned his loss.

Sailor Mars held back tears even as the power flowed through her. Armor began to cover her as her wings spread open to twice their size. A flaming bow appeared in her hand as she raised it.

Quirinus found himself staring at Eternal Sailor Mars as flame began to surround him. Bracing himself, he gathered his energy for this last battle. Concentrating, he aimed at the bow flaring to life with an arrow cocked directly at him.

Eternal Sailor Mars reached for the attack she knew would stop Quirinus. She knew that Minerva had given her the energy she would need to continue after this fight in order to fight against Beryl. She would not let this energy go to waste. Her bow in position, she pulled back the invisible string.

"Ultimate Flame Sniper!"

Flames engulfed the room, leaving only one person standing. The armor of Minerva protected Eternal Sailor Mars from being consumed by her own power. As the fire burned down, she searched for signs of the other battles that had taken place.

Sadness flowed through her when she couldn't find the energy wave emitted by either Sailor Saturn or Vulcan. 'Hotaru. Shingo.' Tears threatened to fall as she strode through the doors. She kept her hopes up in finding the others soon. What she found made her heart break.

The former ThreeLights had given their energy as well to defeat the goddess Cybele. Water dripped from her eyes unheeded as she tried to make sense of all this. She couldn't find anything that connected in the tragedy that lay before her.

"Find the others."

The whisper sounded all around her, but she couldn't tell where the source was or who said it.

"Who said that?"

"Find the others."

Knowing that she wouldn't be answered if she asked her question again, Eternal Sailor Mars headed on to find the others.

******

Beryl sat on her throne, seemingly calm yet inwardly seething. Before her, the rest of the senshi and the guardians were foolishly battling shadows, but she also knew that the three sent to protect her had been defeated.

She knew that the full moon approached in minutes, in which time she could still lose the fight. No, that wasn't going to happen. She would finally defeat her enemies and reign as the supreme ruler of the Earth.

Kunzite sensed something was wrong. The senshi were fighting with only half their attention on the battle. Whatever had happened elsewhere in the castle was affecting them. He pulled his sword from the shadow he just sliced through and turned to the others, opening his mouth when he closed it again.

Instead, he raced over to protect Luna and Artemis. The two former cats were almost defenseless against the shadow warriors. Seeing him do so, the other three generals joined him.

Suhai looked at Janus before searching out the other immortals. They were using energy that should be put to better uses. In an instant there were all in tune, agreeing on what they should do next. Out of the corner of his eye, the god of love saw Eternal Sailor Mars standing in the doorway, glaring at the dark queen on her throne. With her appearance, the shadow warriors moved in her direction, giving him the time he needed.

Kunzite felt something hit him and he turned to see what it was. As he did so, he felt power pulse through him. He looked over at Zoisite and found him engulfed in a white light. In turn he looked at Nephrite and Jadeite and found the same.

Eternal Sailor Mars knew in a flash what had happened. There would be time to mourn later as the shadow warriors rushed towards her, drawn by the immense amounts of energy pouring off of her. The other senshi broke out of their trances at both events. They could not take the time to be slow when they had to find Serenity and Endymion. There were only a few minutes left and they couldn't waste them.

"Luna, Artemis!" Zoisite shouted. "You have to change, now!" The general didn't know where that came from, but he knew it had to happen. Some force within him was giving him the power he needed to fight. Whatever it was, he was thankful for it.

Power began to grow within the small circle the generals made, unleashing itself towards some invisible spot within the room. Luna and Artemis focused on sending the energy to Serenity, to help awaken her guardian. The two released the energy, crumbling back to their original forms, not moving.

"Beryl."

The soft voice halted everyone in their tracks.

Up on her throne, Beryl paled. How had that energy reached Serenity? The barrier she had put up was her strongest! It had been originally used to help contain Metallia against outside forces until she was strong enough to regain her full power. A bright light flooded the throne room. The shadow warriors were unable to withstand such a powerful light, and dissipated into nothing.

Serenity and Endymion stood regally, ready to begin the final showdown with Beryl.

The former Queen of the Dark Kingdom quaked. Where had they gotten this energy? It certainly hadn't all come from those cats.

"Beryl." Serenity's voice carried along the light towards her. The waves hit Beryl back into her throne as she stood up, smashing the globe in front of her.

The silver crystal began to pulse, the beats speeding up until it burst in a huge flash of light. The sailor senshi and generals were left alone in the throne room.

******

Beryl's energy was just about gone, but she had enough to raise her head. What was this place?

"You failed me, Beryl."

That cold voice that had lifted her from the darkness she had dwelt in sent shivers through her.

"No, I can defeat them!" Beryl tried to stand, but her legs gave out on her. "I will defeat them." She slammed her fist into the ground in frustration.

"I cannot trust you to do what I gave to you."

Darkness enveloped Beryl again. "NOOOOOO!"

******

Serenity's eyes opened, the soft light making everything around her glow. She looked around and found Luna and Artemis laying to her right, Endymion in front of her as she sat up.

"Welcome, Serenity."

The new queen lifted her head to see a tall woman kneeling next to her on her left. A pack of dogs were quiet behind the woman. "You are...Diana?"

The woman nodded. "Thank you for waking me." Diana smiled and held out her hand to help Serenity off the ground.

Serenity took her hand and almost fell back onto the ground. "This.... The Moon Palace? But how?"

"The crystal did this when Luna and Artemis awoke me, but they were not strong enough to give me the chance to add my power," Diana said. She smiled again as they and Endymion woke at last. "Still, I was able to give you energy when you would need it most to finally set me free."

Endymion rose to stand next to Serenity. "Will you be able to help us in the fight?"

Diana nodded. "Yes, but we will have to waken Apollo. He is the one who guards the Golden Crystal."

"What about the others?" Luna asked.

"They will be safe for the time being. The one who is darkness herself is more concerned with gaining your crystals. They hold the power she needs to overtake Olympus."

"Who is she, though?" Artemis still had no idea who they were battling.

"Hecate..." The voice was very faint. The five of them looked over to find those already taken, who had given their lives to continue the battle, as well as the god Pluto. "This will test the strength of those two crystals. You must be prepared to face your greatest fears. That is what Hecate feeds on to make her more powerful." Pluto bowed his head before he looked at those who had fallen and turned to Serenity and Endymion. "Please, defeat her before I must lead them to Hades."

"We are behind you, Serenity-sama," Sailor Saturn said.

"Go for it!" Minerva encouraged.

"You have the strength within you, sister," Vulcan reminded her.

"Protect Serenity well," Ceres said to Endymion.

Vesta smiled at them. "You have the power to defeat her."

"Rely on your friendships," Demeter finally said.

Juno stood on tiptoe, "I know you can do it!"

Janus nodded. "Do well."

Mithra smiled. "Remember that we will help if need be."

"Sometimes Death is not a boundary for love," Suhai said.

They began to fade as Serenity reached a hand out to them. Once they were no longer in sight she turned to Diana. "Please help us find Apollo."

Diana nodded. "Follow me." She turned to the dogs. "Mithras!"

The largest dog came to sit next to her.

"We must find Apollo." The dog bounded off, the five trailing behind him with the rest of the pack of dogs.

******

Eternal Sailor Mars found herself surrounded by the rest of the senshi.

"What happened? Where's Sailor Saturn? Where are the others?"

The questions stopped when they saw the look on her face. Eternal Sailor Mars shifted uncomfortably in her protective armor. She wasn't quite sure where to begin. She knew that Sailor Venus and Sailor Mercury would be devastated if she told them the truth, but she also knew she couldn't keep it from them. They would need to deal with this later when there was a time to mourn.

"They are gone," she finally said. Once more tears tracked down her cheeks. "They fought with all they could." She collapsed, the armor clinking against the floor. "She gave up her life to help me. They gave their lives to help us. WHY?????"

The senshi and generals shifted at the sight of the fiercest of them breaking down into tears. They weren't sure who was more surprised when Sailor Pluto slapped her, they or Eternal Sailor Mars.

"Rei-san!" Sailor Pluto's voice broke them from their trance. "Serenity-sama and Endymion-sama need your strength and compassion. Not your tears! There will be a time for this, but it isn't now. Do you not think we don't feel the same way?"

Something jolted down deep inside of Eternal Sailor Mars. Sailor Pluto had lost a sister and a lover, Sailor Venus had lost her lover as well. Sailor Mercury had as well. She herself had lost a lover. And they had all lost a comrade in Sailor Saturn. Eternal Sailor Saturn. How did she know that? It hit her that the voice that had spoken to her was Eternal Sailor Saturn. Maybe they weren't quite dead.

She lifted her head. "What is the name of the river the dead must cross to get to Hades?"

"The River Styx," Nephrite said. "Charon is the one who guides the boat across the river when he is paid his coin."

"Then we can still save them!" Eternal Sailor Mars jumped up. "If we can defeat the one Saturn talked about, we can save them before they cross into Hades."

Sailor Uranus nodded her head. "Then we will." She put her hand out and the other senshi did as well. Finally, the four generals laid their hands on top of the pile.

Energy poured from them, transforming them once more. Each of the senshi became their Eternal form, the generals changing into what they were before Beryl had made them into her warriors. The changes were subtle as far as appearance, but their power was much greater than it had been. It was the power that they had been given by the gods.

Sailor Mars closed her eyes for a moment. 'Thank you, Minerva, for protecting me. We will save you and the others.' A giggle sounded in her ears. Thank you, Rei-san.

Her eyes shot open. Now she knew the path was still open enough for them to rescue the others. Determination began to flow through her as she thought about what they must still face. 'Serenity. Endymion. We are ready to fight with you.'

******

Endymion looked at the flowers that surrounded them. "This is the place?"

Diana nodded. "You should know this place well, Endymion. This is the palace that ruled the Earth during the Silver Millennium. This is part of the land of dreams."

Serenity gave him a small smile at his astonishment. The palace had been destroyed when Beryl and her army had attacked, demolishing building and courtyard alike. How had it been restored to its glory without his knowing? Endymion shook his head. "How is this possible?"

"As you are connected with Serenity, so is this connected with the moon," a male voice said behind them.

They all turned to see a tall man, his golden hair gleaming like the sun, smiling at them. He gave a slight bow to Diana before turning back to Endymion. "Ah, my champion arrives."

Luna stared for a moment. For some reason she thought she had seen this man before. But it was before the Silver Millennium fell so long ago. 'Where...?'

Apollo noticed Luna's gaze. "Luna." He turned to Artemis. "Artemis. You who have guided the protector of the moon, I and Diana thank you." He turned back to Luna. "I have been watching you since you left Mau to help Queen Serenity three millennia ago, when Diana and I could no longer help. I was your escort then, as I will be now."

Luna's face lit up. Yes, he had been their guide from their home planet when they had been chosen to help the new ruler of the Silver Millennium. He had been the one to protect them when their ship had been attacked by the shadows that had lain in wait between the plants of this solar system, left over from the battle that had created the Silver Millennium three thousand years ago. But there was still something she wasn't quite sure about. Something else had happened on that trip, but she couldn't remember what it was. For now, she would mull it over as they prepared to face Hecate.

Serenity looked at Diana. "Now that you are awake, how are you to help us?"

"We will become one with your crystals," Diana said. "That is our destiny, what the Fates have decreed."

"But," Artemis interjected, "What will happen to you?"

Apollo stepped forward. "This is what we have been woken for. When our use is over, the Fates will cut our string. Once the Silver Millennium is restored, there will no longer be a need for us as we are now."

"No, please," Serenity said. "You will be needed."

Diana shook her head. "We will be reborn, but the sun and the moon have their protection in the crystals you carry. Once you call upon their ultimate power, we will cease to exist. Our power will have been given to the crystals."

Endymion looked thoughtful. "What happens when we are gone? Will the solar system return to the chaos it was before the Silver Millennium ruled?"

"No," Apollo said. "As long as the two crystals survive, this solar system will be safe from Chaos. It is only if people let him rule them that he grows with power." He looked at Serenity. "Because you were able to let every person have a little of him within them, there is little chance that he will get strong again."

He turned to Diana, who nodded. "We cannot wait any longer. I feel Hecate is growing impatient. We must finish this before she attacks."

******

The throne room slowly began to melt away, startling the senshi and generals.

"What's happening?" Sailor Venus asked.

Sailor Mercury pulled out her visor. "The castle is slowly warping to become...Olympus?"

"That's impossible!" Kunzite said. "How can this be?"

"It's only made to look like Olympus," Serenity's voice carried across the ever-growing darkness. She and Endymion stood behind them, the two cats at their feet.

"Serenity-sama!" The senshi began to take a step forward to her and Endymion when a gulf appeared between them and the two. "Nani?" Sailor Mars shouted.

"You will stay out of this, sailor senshi," a chilling voice said out of nowhere. "I must deal with these two first. Then you will be next."

"Hecate." Serenity's voice sent chills down their spines at the name. Now Sailor Mars knew why Saturn had refused to name her. Hecate was the goddess of darkness and controlled your fears. Sailor Mars also knew that each of them had fears big enough to stop them in their tracks if they were confronted with them. She just hoped that Serenity and Endymion had been able to awake their own guardians to help with this battle.

A chill swept over the ground, swirling quickly into a shadowy figure. There was no definition to the shape, no matter who you looked at it. The shape constantly changed as well, never staying in one configuration more than a second. It would be hard to fight an enemy such as this.

Sailor Mars looked over at Serenity and Endymion again. They showed no sign of fearing this powerful goddess. The darkness covered everything at one point or another. They should know this. Diana or Apollo would have told them, wouldn't they? What if they hadn't met up with their guardians?

It's beginning. Don't let her use your fears.

Sailor Mars shook her head. Hecate had begun and she hadn't even noticed her doing so.

The darkness does that. You don't realize it is there until it's almost too late. Be strong. Your queen and king have met their guardians. They will guide all of you to defeat Hecate.

This time she nodded her head. Sailor Mars looked directly at Hecate, not letting anything she might see within those shadows to bring her down.

"You have powerful warriors," Hecate said to Serenity and Endymion. "I think after I defeat you I will use them myself."

"You will not get past us," Endymion replied. "Your march stops here."

Dark laughter filled the air, threatening to oppress everybody it touched. "You really think so, do you? You are weaker than I thought."

The shadow grew larger as it swallowed the darkness that lay under every object in the area.

"Very well, let's see you battle your own fears," Hecate said. Shadows raced towards Serenity and Endymion, engulfing them.

"Serenity-sama!"

"Endymion-sama!"

*******

Serenity opened her eyes and only found darkness. She must be inside of Hecate.

This is the best place to defeat her. Darkness and light must be mixed together in order for the world to become right again.

She listened to Diana's advice, knowing that it was true. In order for the light to shine, there must be some darkness for it to go up against. This was what she had learned in all her previous fights, and now she would have to prove it once again.

"Why do you not face me, Hecate," she said.

"Very well." A shape appeared, the lines wavery. "What?" The darkness shivered for a moment. "What is it you fear most? Why can't I change into it?"

She is confused, Diana said. This is the chance that we have been given. I will release my power to you.

Serenity felt power flow over and through her as she closed her eyes. It was soft and gentle, much like her mother's touch had been so long ago on the moon. Her eyes shot open as she realized her mother had been Diana's human form.

"Mother..."

"NO!" The shape twisted against the light that shone from the silver crystal in Serenity's right hand. "I will defeat the light!"

"That is not possible." Endymion had joined Serenity and the shadow. The golden crystal was pulsing in his left hand, and in time with the silver crystal. "The darkness and light need each other in order to live."

"How is this possible?" The shadow grew smaller, the darkness growing dim. "You cannot beat me!"

Serenity shook her head. "No we cannot defeat, in the same way you cannot defeat us. Light and shadow are the ultimate pair of opposites, but they also alike. Shadow cannot live without the light to cast it, and the light cannot live without a shadow to battle against."

The shadow shifted, becoming the image of a young girl. Black hair fell from her crown to the floor in soft waves over light gray eyes. Her face was twisted for a moment before it calmed down. "Is this true?"

Endymion and Serenity nodded. "Yes," Endymion said. "They are the true Yin and Yang, the twins that hate and love each other."

"Why didn't you destroy me?" the little girl asked.

Serenity knelt down next to her. "If we were to destroy the darkness, the light would have no reason to shine." She smiled at the girl before standing. "Let us return to the way things should be."

"But," the girl Hecate was said, "I don't want to live in the shadows anymore."

"You don't need to live in the shadows, Hecate," Serenity said. "Just make sure that they exist."

Endymion and Serenity stood calmly as she thought. "Very well," she finally said. "I think that I can do that."

******

The darkness began to dissipate, but didn't entirely disappear. As the senshi and generals watched, Serenity and Endymion were once again standing before the shadow. This time, however, the shadow was much smaller than they had ever seen it. It bowed slightly to the two in front of it before it turned to the senshi and generals.

"I will see to it that your friends are returned to you," came a young girl's voice. "I apologize for all that I have put you through." She vanished a second later.

"Serenity?" Sailor Mars ran up to her. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes it is, Rei-chan," Serenity smiled at her. "Everything is as it should be."

Sailor Uranus spoke up. "She's getting away!"

"Hecate is very important," Endymion said. "Without her, we cannot shed the light of the crystals onto others. Their light would be unimportant in the universe."

"Will she return those we have lost?" Sailor Mercury finally asked.

Serenity nodded. "Yes, I believe she will."

******

AN: Only one more part to go. Some things need to be wrapped up. ^_^

Back

Next