La Soldier
Well... I wrote the title... don't know what the actual fic is about yet... hm.... I guess we shall see, ne?
All rights to Sailor Moon and all affiliated characters thereof belong to Takeuchi Naoko, Kodansha Comics and Toei Animation.
Oo! This one has dedications!!!
First, I want to dedicate it to all my friends, Rei, Minako, Usagi, Naru, Makoto, Ami/Haruka (And NO, I'm NOT changing it, Ami-chan!) Michiru, Setsuna, and all my family. My last dedication is to a new fanfic writer on the net, Keiichi Asahino, who inspired me to (Finally) get back to my fanfic writing, which is the only reason this fanfic is here to day! Thank you, Keiichi! (And hopefully he will one day have a fanfic page I can link to... hint, hint!)
La Soldier
The crescent moon rose over the city of Crystal Tokyo, as if unawares of all that would occur that night. Everything was silent, not even a breeze dared to push aside some old fallen leaves. An eerie feeling had covered the land.
In her bedchamber, Neo-Queen Serenity turned uneasily in her sleep. Endymion had been away for far too long. Although she would always be Usagi, the queen and Endymion had both grown up. She didn't cry and mope around as much as she used to. But she still missed her husband; she prayed for his safety. As the moonlight crept in through the bedroom's open window, Serenity awoke with a start. A cold, ice feeling... something was wrong. The moon seemed to look back at her through the window. Pushing aside the sheets, Neo-Queen Serenity got up and dressed, then went outside to see what had happened.
Mercury rubbed her eyes. She really should get to sleep. It was two in the morning in Crystal Tokyo, and she had spent all day and night reading over some medical-sciences texts, just so she wouldn't have to think about him. Urawa. Whom she was... was.... she flushed. Going out with on a date tomorrow. She knew it was a small deal to the others, but it would be her first date in a century. Urawa had been granted a much longer life than the other citizens of Crystal Tokyo. Not from Neo-Queen Serenity, but rather from the yellow shard of the ginzhuishou that had been in his body since he was born. Its effects had given him a longer lifespan, even after all these years. Mercury sipped her coffee, looking wearily at the small table lamp, the only source of light in the great library. Mercury yawned, then stopped, her mouth still open, as her Queen walked in.
"Serenity?" The Queen looked over to her anxiously.
"Mercury, I'm glad I could find you. We are having a meeting in the war room in ten minutes. Something has happened."
"Yes, my Queen."
"And Mercury?"
"Yes?"
"Please stop calling me that," and so her friend smiled as she left, her white dress trailing behind her.
Mars turned in her sleep.
"JEDITE!!!" she screamed, over and over, "JEDITE!!!"
"Mars!" Serenity shook her friend roughly, trying to wake her from her nightmare, "Mars!"
"Jedite... I'll find you again... and kill her, kill Ber-" Serenity gazed as Rei's purple eyes as she opened them cautiously. "Hun?"
"Rei-chan,"
"Serenity?"
"Mars, we have to get to the war room. Call the Outers. Something's happened..."
"Yes, Usagi."
A sprinkle of salt, a bag of chocolate chips... and Voila!!! Makoto thought to herself as she cheerfully put the cookies into the stove, humming quietly to herself as she cleaned up. A shadow cast itself over the kitchen tiles.
"Serenity?"
"Come on," she said.
Minako snored. Loudly. Repeatedly.
"Venus?" Serenity asked. Another snore. "Venus?" *Snore* "MINAKO-CHAN!" Usagi barked. Minako groaned and groggily pulled herself out of bed.
"Hun?"
"Venus, there's a meeting in the war room. Get dressed and meet us there."
"Yes, your majesty." Serenity walked out, looking troubled. Venus looked at her stuffed teddy bear.
"Hm. Bet no one ever wakes YOU at two in the morning."
***
Rei looked at the computer screen, which was flashing images of the palace on Uranus.
"Uranus! Neptune!" She kept saying to the machine. No answer. "Blast it!" She yelled. Rei sat down and swivelled in the seat, trying to think of something to do in the meantime. A hand rested on her shoulder, nails painted black.
"Pluto?" Meiou Setsuna stood beside her.
"Good morning, Mars." Mars groaned.
"Setsuna-san, it is nearly two thirty in the morning. How is there anything good about this?"
"You are alive."
"Arigato, Setsuna. Do you know where Haruka and Michiru are?" Setsuna... blushed.
"Um, I don't know when they will be back..." Just then there was some cursing from the other side of the screen at Miranda palace. Uranus ran up to the screen.
"Sorry, Mars, I was busy." Rei could make out Michiru giggling in the background. Haruka flushed. "That is to say... uh..."
"Can you be here within ten minutes?"
"Yeah, we could teleport. What's happened?"
"I... don't know." Haruka nodded.
"We'll be there immediately."
***
The eight senshi sat assembled around Neo Queen Serenity.
"Your majesty," Neptune said.
"Yes, Michiru. It is.... ending."
"What is, Serenity?" Mercury asked.
"Everything."
***
What Serenity had discovered she whispered quietly to the senshi around her. It had begun, long, long ago... nearly a thousand years....
Do you remember?
Of course, it was when we became senshi...
I had been at the cram school...
An angry priestess....
I had just transferred. It had been a new school, a new life...
Sailor V. Hun, that's been awhile...
Racing. I remember racing... *Wink*
I remember meeting you... *blush*
It was less time than you think...
My dad was alive.
A deafening silence fell over the room.
Do you remember, later?
I met Urawa...
She means later.
Yuuchiru....
Try again...
After Beryl?
Yes.
What about the Talismans? When we learnt about Haruka and Michiru?
Later.
Hm. How about that time at the hotel?
What time at the hotel?
*Cough* Never mind...
Later?
*Giggle* I think so.... and I hope you're not thinking about that nurse...
Uh....
We defeated Nehrenia.
Closer, Setsuna.
Saturn stood.
You fought the final battle against Galaxia. Then there was the ice wave...
You remember Galaxia?
How could we ever forget?
***
"Then, do you remember Chaos?" The dreamlike state left the room.
"Chaos..." Haruka closed her eyes.
"We remember," Michiru said.
"It was then, when it began. Before we knew that she even existed. I banished her, Sailor Chaos... but to where?"
***
It was then. Let me tell you this: The thing that is ending is our solar system, our galaxy, and in the end, our universe. A blackness has been created, and in it, lives Chaos. And it is devouring light, everywhere.
A long time ago, on Earth, we used to call it "A black hole."
And it is, my friends. It is reaching our solar system, moving, even, propelled by Chaos' will. The end is nigh.
***
"Serenity..." Mars stood. "We can fight such a thing. If it is the will of a senshi in it, we must summon Cosmos. She can battle, we already know she-"
"Cannot."
"What?"
"Cosmos... cannot be summoned."
"Why?"
"Because she comes at the sign of the battle. I'm afraid there is no battle... just the conquering. And even if there was a battle, I do not know how to summon her. It is outside of my power."
"Then," said Mercury, "We fight Chaos."
"How do you fight a black hole?"
"What about Silver Crystal Power?" Uranus suggested. Mercury nodded 'no.'
"None of it will work. Our powers are, essentially, of light. Energy. Atoms, molecules. All power; forces that can be touched or seen. The Silver Crystal; creation, hope, light. Only the Galaxy Sapphire Crystal was its equal, in darkness. But a black hole is anti-everything. If we shot the Silver Crystal Power at it, it would dissipate into anti-matter. No good."
"Nothing will work?"
"Even if we could destroy Chaos, it wouldn't change the fact that we would still have a black hole in the middle of our solar system. It's too close to stop now."
"There must be a way..."
***
It was a week later, when Pluto fell sick...
***
Mercury sat by her bedside, her face in her hands. Setsuna Meioh was fading in and out, disappearing every few minutes before reappearing. Her bed chambers were ornate, antiques lining the shelves of her ancient bookcase. She had once joked to Rei that "Maybe one day she'd open an antiques shop." It was the only joke Rei had ever heard the Time Senshi say. Now she felt it may be her last. All the senshi were in the room. Setsuna had been like this for only two days now, but with each passing moment she seemed to grow worse. The dark planet of Pluto had been destroyed. And, as Time Senshi, guardian of the planet of Pluto, when it went...
So would she.
***
Planet: Pluto
***
Guardian Pluto looked out of the window in Charon castle. On the horizon sat the immense, black orb, darkly destroying everything within its reach. The winds whipped up around the tiny sprite, and she hugged herself to the wall. The castle shook, and then it was there, like a bolt of lightning, appearing as if from nothingness, devouring everything. The whole of the planet, in its entirety. And then she too disappeared, and the planet of Pluto was no more.
And the space winds blew.
***
Planet: Earth
***
"I believe in you..." she whispered, her hand reaching out to something they could not see.
Setsuna disappeared.
"SETSUNA!!!" Haruka screamed. Usagi fell down, crying. Ami tried to hold back her tears, but it was no good. She turned and sobbed on Rei's shoulder, who was also doing the best not to cry. Makoto just buried her face in her arms, and Minako sobbed along with Usagi. Hotaru reached out and touched the last glowing embers of the Time senshi, her friend and equal. Only Mamoru stood tall, fighting back his own pain that he was so accustomed to. He had returned from the planets of Lethe and Mnemosyne, when the two had fallen ill. To his horror, he had returned to find Setsuna in much the same way. Pluto, we're all so very sorry...
"SETSUNA!!!"
***
The rain fell softly on the green meadow. Wildflowers grew here, gently blowing in the small lifts of the breeze, shaking off drops of the fallen silver from the pale grey clouds above. Mamoru held Usagi close, he in his tuxedo, and she in her old school uniform, for no reason at all. No one knew what to say, standing there, at her grave.
"Setsuna..." Michiru said, taking a breath, but choking on her tears. Haruka pulled her close, but she pulled herself away and stood stronger. "None of us really knew you so well... but you were our sister, and when the world seemed at a loss, we always knew that we could trust you, that you would fight till the end. It was in those days in the old farm house when we truly became close, Haruka, Hotaru and I. We will always miss you... we loved you, Setsuna." Haruka nodded and the two cried together. Hotaru sat on the grass, crying softly. Ami stood.
"Setsuna... you always were there to teach me, to show me what I would need to know in life, from computers to battle. I will honour your memory..." Rei stood.
"Setsuna, you were brave and strong, stronger than any of us... forgive us for not being able to save you." Makoto stepped forwards as Rei moved back.
"Ja ne, Setsuna-san."
"Absence makes the heart grow fonder..." Minako said. Artemis glanced briefly at her. She had never, ever, gotten a quote right before. Setsuna would have been honoured. Mamoru stood, still holding Usagi's hand.
"Meioh Setsuna, thank you for everything, everything that you lived for, everything you were, and everything you tried to accomplish. We will defeat Chaos, and never forget you who fell first in this battle." Usagi cried a bit, and Mamoru tried to hold her up, but could not, and Usagi fell to the ground.
"Setsuna-san..." she wailed, "Don't go!!"
***
"We.... we need a way to fight..." Serenity said. Everyone at the table nodded silently. "A good plan... Mercury?"
"I will try, my Queen, but..."
"Thank you, Mercury." Rei noticed Michiru glancing at her hand nervously, then putting it under the table where the others could not see it. What Rei didn't see was Michiru gingerly rubbing it, and glancing at it in horror as it began to fade away.
"What is Chaos going to do when she's destroyed everything?"
"I don't know, Rei."
"I might be able to destroy it, my Queen." Saturn said. She stood.
"Hotaru..." Haruka whispered. For a moment, the child returned, but was quickly overtaken by her understanding of destiny.
"Destroying Anti-matter may, in theory, turn it to matter. If we can do that, the ginzhuishou can fight it. And so can Cosmos, if she chooses to appear. We cannot fight something without form. I will fight."
"Saturn!" Too late, Serenity called out. Saturn, seeing no need to waste time, vanished in a purple glow. Serenity put her face in her hands. Not Hotaru too...
***
Planet: Saturn
***
Saturn stood on the greek like ruins of her palace and stared at the great black orb out near Neptune. Her Silence Glaive rested in her right arm, barely missing the ground. A coldness had entered her eyes. As senshi of destruction, it was her duty to try and eliminate the monster. Leaping up, she appeared to fly for a moment before vanishing once more in a purple glow.
***
Planet: Above Neptune
***
Saturn floated by Chaos.
"Sailor Chaos! Show yourself!" She called out. The orb didn't seem to be listening. Saturn lowered her head and narrowed her eyes. "Very well." She leapt forward, the Glaive head pointed at the black hole. She knew that the senshi believed she would be reincarnated. It was a given with a senshi like her. But a black hole would destroy her Sailor Crystal. Hopefully, they didn't know that.
"Death Ribbons!!!"
***
Planet: Earth
***
Michiru cried on her bed as pain racked through her body. Only Haruka had been allowed to come in, and the white haired girl was holding her hand tightly and crying. Michiru lifted her left hand to brush away her tears.
"Haruka... mou nakanaide... don't cry, please...."
"Michiru..."
"You... have to go on with the battle. Defeat Chaos... I'll be fine. I love you. I have always loved you... Live, Haruka, and see the ocean shore for me, one last time..."
"Michiru..." Haruka's hand started to glow, and the two vanished in a blue light.
***
The waves tumbled across the shore, creating a soft roar. Golden sands glistened gently as the red fires of the sun sank into the sea. Michiru smiled in pleasure. Michiru looked up at the stars.
"Hotaru..."
"Michiru?"
"Thank you, Haruka...."
Michiru vanished, and Haruka was once more alone.
***
Planet: Just above remains of Neptune
***
"REVO.... Michiru?" Saturn suddenly cried out, realising that the woman who had protected her as a child was gone. Chaos wasted no time devouring Sailor Saturn, who screamed as darkness took away pain and memories alike.
***
Planet: Earth
***
"Haruka?" Serenity walked in to Michiru's room.
"She's gone..." Tenoh Haruka said quietly, hoarsely. "Gone..." She screamed. "CHAOS!!!" She instantly henshined and vanished, as Usagi leapt forward to stop her.
"Uranus! No!!!"
***
Planet: Uranus
***
"COME AND GET ME, YOU LOUSY MONSTER! COME FOR ME! TAKE ME THE SAME WAY YOU DID MICHIRU! MAY YOU BE DESTROYED IN THE END FOR KILLING HER!" Uranus screamed at the top of her lungs, brandishing the Space Sword. The winds turned into tornadoes with her anger, and Chaos appeared in the sky, prepared to oblige.
***
Planet: Earth
***
They put up a headstone for Haruka and Michiru the next day. A smaller one was beside them for Hotaru. The Outer senshi lay in a row. It was Rei that had told them them that Hotaru was destroyed too. She said there had been a moment of great pain the moment Michiru died, then nothing. There was silence. Four of them were already dead. No one knew what to say. Makoto finally touched each of the new graves.
"Michiru-san, Haruka-san, I hope your happy together, wherever you are. You always wanted it this way... Hotaru-chan, I hope you can come back... I hope we all stay around long enough to find out. Have peace, wherever you are." Minako placed her hand on Mako's shoulder, then just fell to the ground crying.
"Haruka... I'll never get to beat you at the racing game, now.... Michiru, you tried helping me find a way to prove I had a pure heart.... Hotaru-chan, you saved us from the game monster.... I don't want any of you to go!!!" Minako's eyes were filled with tears, and bloodshot.
"Goodbye, Haruka, Michiru, Hotaru." Rei said, "I hope you're with Setsuna now."
"Haruka-san... you were always strong when I felt weak. When we battled Nehrenia, I felt new respect for you. Michiru, you gave me my confidence. And Hotaru, I hope your with your father again.... and..." Ami fell into tears and Mamoru helped her up. Mamoru was next.
"Haruka-kun, there has never been anyone I knew who was so strong and fierce. You took every stereotype, every drawback, every possible limit, and broke it. I was honoured to know you and fight alongside you. Michiru-san, you are undoubtedly the finest violin player in the world. But more importantly, you were kind, caring, and sensitive, and you and Haruka belonged together. Hotaru, you felt the tests of destiny harder than any of us, the destiny to destroy rather than to save, to kill rather than live. I hope that you are at peace now, and happy."
"Haruka-san, Michiru-san, Hotaru-chan..." Usagi whispered, "You can't leave! You can't! I need you! My friends...."
***
Rei put the worn book down. The red threads that had once made it a shining cover had begun to tear, withering with age. It was her diary. It had been awhile since she had wrote in it; she wanted to make sure it lasted, and when you had a lifespan of oh, say a thousand years, it could be a fairly difficult task. Her last entry was splattered with tears. Rei's feeling of helplessness was overcoming. She wondered why she didn't just do what Haruka had done, brave, arrogant Haruka, running to Chaos and ordering to be destroyed, so as not to put off the waiting, the miserable waiting.... it would come eventually, would it not? But she knew why she couldn't go yet. She wouldn't leave her. She could never leave Usagi.
***
Ami's arms stroked slowly back and forward in the water, mixing with her own salty tears as she swam. It was her own pool that Serenity and the senshi had given to her on her birthday one year. Now it was where she let the cold water chill her, as if it would stop the pain, the shivering, the anger and hate and sorrow and pity which would overcome her. Everything was wrong, and she wanted to stop it. She wanted to save everyone, yet it was too late. So late... She stood up and walked out of the pool, the water falling in droplets around her. She took one light blue towel and wrapped it around herself, and put a white one in her hair. She had to think...
***
Mamoru was in the main hall. The entire palace seemed silent, the stress proving to be too much for most of the citizens. He shivered. The one he was afraid for was, of course, Usako. He had a feeling, an overwhelming feeling, that the Moon would be the last planet Chaos would attack. And that meant that when the final battle came, Usako would be alone...
"I found you," said a voice. King Endymion gasped and turned around. He could barely make out a woman's profile and a gleam of purple hair from the shadows.
"Who's there?!"
"I am the servant of Chaos, Sailor Heavy Metal Papillion!" Endymion pulled out his rose and henshined.
"You're dead."
"I am a senshi of death! I am revived. And I have one order; to dispose of you."
***
A scream echoed through the halls.
"Mamo-chan?..."
***
"MAMO-CHAN!!!" Serenity hollered, "MAMORU!!!" His body was fading, the Sailor Crystal still in Heavy Metal Papillion's hands. She stood there, watching everything. Tuxedo Kamen-sama struggled to stand, even as Serenity held him.
"TUXEDO LA SMOKING BOMBER!!!" he shouted. A huge orb of gold energy swirled in his hands, then flew towards Papillion, who vanished in a scream and burst of purple flames. He fell back.
"Usa..."
"Mamo-chan.... don't go..."
"I... didn't know, didn't think.... Chaos wants the Earth... last... last planet. She wanted the senshi gone, though. Forgive me... I should have known..."
"Mamo-chan! It's not your fault! Just please, don't leave. You've been with me the longest! My best friend, my only love, Mamoru, if you go, how will I fight? How can I go, live, without you? Mamo-chan..."
"Please, save the others.... save the people of Earth..."
"MAMO-CHAN! NOOOOO!!!" Mercury ran into the room.
"Usagi? Mamoru-san!!!" Mercury tried to assess the situation, scanning the room, finally noticing the golden Sailor Crystal. Holding it in her hands, she ran towards Usagi, who was holding the last sparkling vestiges of Mamoru's body.
"Usagi-san..."
"Mamo-chan! Mamo-chan is gone!!!" Mercury tilted her friends face.
"Look, Serenity. His crystal. Long ago, Kakyuu Princess told us that the hope was in the Sailor Crystals. As long as we have it, he can be reborn. He'll be fine."
"The others?..." Mercury nodded 'no.'
"Sailor Crystals are joined to their planets, Usagi. I'm sorry..."
***
Makoto punched the bag as hard as she could. Almost satisfyingly, it flew out of the way.
"Good," she could hear Haruka's voice, "But you can do better." They left. They all left... and they couldn't stay, and I can't stay, and it's going to end... She punched the bag one more time for good measure. It was going to be a long night...
***
Minako threw her little crane-doll up in the air. It really was ugly, when she stopped to think about it. But mostly, she just didn't. It meant a lot to her. So much had happened that day. It was the day when she had found out what the Outer senshi were really about. Their determination, their power, and their understanding of destiny. Now it didn't matter. Haruka was dead. Hotaru was dead. Michiru was dead. Minako dropped the doll and went to make herself some coffee.
***
Planet: Just past Saturn
***
The black hole moved menacingly onward, as if driven by an unseen force, which, of course, it was. It could feel the souls, the life, of the senshi somehow struggling within it. Dead, it told itself. Destroyed. But anger flared, powers that were gone, and yet she could still see, like memories trying to attack. But they were small, and she was going to destroy everything. A red planet lay past the meteor ring, coming closer.
***
Planet: Earth
***
Rei looked up. Why, she thought, couldn't Mars be closer to the sun? She sighed. It was too late for anger, for worry. Fear was there, but fear would always be there. She could sense Chaos, but it was unlike anything she had felt before. It was a hole. It was a black hole, a dark hole, and it was eating away at her. It was eating her memories. One minute she felt like Yuuchiru was there, and then he wasn't. She couldn't remember him. Her leg faded briefly. So this is what it's like to simply not be, she thought. She had to find Usagi and the others. Her time was short, and what she wanted to say would take it all.
"Rei-chan..." Usagi was howling. Rei looked up, and she was being held in Serenity's arms.
"Usagi... where?..." she whispered. What had happened? How had this come about...
"Rei, your my strength, please don't go, Rei, hold on..." Usagi pulled out the ginzhuishou. A silver glowed covered Rei's body, and she felt warm again.
"Usagi, please, don't...."
"Rei, no more of us! No more of us are going to die!"
"Usagi, I have to go... Please, defeat her, Sailor Chaos. I'm with you always, Usagi, Minako, Makoto, Ami, Mamoru, because..."
"Rei?"
"I love you all, my only friends..."
"REI-CHAN!!!"
***
Rain fell all over Tokyo, as swiftly as Neo-Queen Serenity's tears. Her arms were hugging her chest, closing in on herself when Mars had disappeared.
"I want to fight her," she said. Ami knelt down beside her.
"Chaos or Mars?"
"Both... I'll never be able to argue with her again, ever... Rei-chan..." Ami held back her tears.
"Usagi-chan, be strong..."
***
No one said anything at Rei's tomb. A silence fell over the remaining senshi.
"Usagi," said Ami, "If we can't stop this thing, it'll mean the end, of everything, of the Universe.... we have to fight."
"You're right, Ami... that's what Rei would have wanted..."
Goodbye, Rei.
***
Serenity stood defiantly. (If you can call it standing, there isn't much to stand on out in space...) Jupiter stood to her left, Venus and Mercury to her right. It had to come to this. Ready to fight for everything. Chaos loomed just above Earth. Usagi rose the ginzhuishou above her head. (Maybe Moon Revenge playing?) This was the battle... to avenge her friends!!!
"Ginzhuishou, give me the strength to destroy this monster!!!"
"MERCURY STAR CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
"JUPITER STAR CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
"VENUS STAR CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
It was as if darkness had covered the universe, such was the light of the ginzhuishou. Darkness, then a like unlike any the senshi had seen, a light of hope and power, force ripping through time and space to attack this menace.
Setsuna, this battle we start for you, in the past, present, and future, soldier of time...
Haruka, we will run from our destiny no longer. We can't.... you taught us that, soldier of flight....
Michiru, we embrace all that we know and care for, and hold it in our hearts, we remember you, soldier of embrace...
Hotaru, let our light shine with power akin to yours, so that we can right a great wrong. You told us of that, soldier of destruction....
Rei, our friend, please be near us as we enter this battle, for you were the soldier of war....
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER!!!"
***
Black power exploded from Chaos, as if it were expanded. The orb of silver flew towards it, onwards, as if to destroy it. When the two met, the shockwave was great enough to knock the fourth senshi down. Mercury screamed.
"Did we...?" Mako asked. Mercury cried out, pointing ahead of them.
"NO!" The black hole remained, and began drawing the remaining senshi towards it.
"Usagi! We have to get out of here!" Usagi stood numbly.
"It didn't work... everything we had left..."
"Usagi! Teleport! Now!"
"What can we do, now?" Venus shook herself.
"Come on, guys." The three senshi formed a triangle around the despairing Serenity.
"MERCURY STAR CRYSTAL POWER!"
"JUPITER STAR CRYSTAL POWER!"
"VENUS STAR CRYSTAL POWER!"
"Sailor...."
"TELEPORT!!!" they cried out in unison.
***
Planet: Back on Earth
***
Ami tucked Serenity into bed then went out to the kitchen to talk to others. She was still trying to understand the fact that Makoto was still here.
"How is she?" Minako asked.
"She'll be fine, I think." Ami answered. "I don't mean any offense, Makoto, but I'm trying to figure out why Chaos left Jupiter to go for Mars."
"Strategy? Rei and Usagi were close. When you think about the order..."
"Yes... Setsuna, Michiru, Hotaru, Haruka..." Starting from the senshi that Usagi had been with the least... but that doesn't explain passing over Jupiter to head for Mars... and killing Mamoru"
"What about Saturn? A planet that size being destroyed..." Ami considered this.
"You might be right, Venus. Debris from the rings would cause a surrounding sphere of matter around Jupiter. Chaos may have decided that it would be quicker to just leave for the smaller planets...."
"Okay. Let's look at this objectively. There is a total of, of, one relevant point here. The ginzhuishou DIDN'T work. What does that leave us with?"
"Not much, I'm afraid. Chaos has to have a weakness, something we can use against it..."
"Do YOU know anything we can use against a black hole? Because I don't."
"What about Galaxia? She's still around, right? A senshi that powerful..." Ami shook her head 'no.'
"Galaxia came to our Solar System last, meaning that it must have been the one furthest from her. The one furthest from her would be Lethe and Mnemosyne's system. Since we know that they're already gone..."
"But what if she's still there? Fighting, I mean. And Chaos did the same thing it did to Jupiter, just left her for another time? Maybe she's still out there!"
"On what planet? Galaxia told us that she was the senshi without a home, since it had been destroyed, or more likely, never even existed. She grew up without a planet, so she became Sailor Galaxia, Ginga no Senshi, the Sailor Soldier of our Galaxy."
"She should still be around, then."
"Maybe. I'll see if I can find traces of her energy on my computer, okay, Mako-chan, Minako-chan?"
"Great," said Makoto.
"I'll go talk to Usagi," Minako said, standing up and heading for Neo-Queen Serenity's room.
***
"Usagi-chan?" Usagi was silent, curled up on her bed, crying. "Usagi?" She pulled the Queen close to her and rubbed her back. "Serenity, it's going to be okay. A little bit of luck is all we need. I promise."
"Minako-chan," Usagi said quietly, "I don't know what to do..."
"No one does. None of this is our fault. Don't worry, please, Usagi. It'll be alright. You'll see. Aino Minako swears it!"
"V-chan. What if they can't come back? What if there's nothing left..."
"We don't know that. Cheer up, Usagi. It'll be alright, in the end."
"Minako-chan..."
***
Ami closed her eyes. She had been trying to track down energy patterns of any remaining senshi in their galaxy. She counted two in a system fairly close to them, but they were just hanging on. When she had tried to find Galaxia's signature she had come up with nothing; she must have been destroyed.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Makoto's scream echoed in the hall. Already? Ami rushed to her friend. Perhaps Chaos had gone back to Jupiter... oh no... not Mako-chan... Ami froze in mid-step as the purple cloaked stranger emerged from the shadows, it's hand still glowing from the dark blast it had sent at the fallen Sailor Jupiter. Ami's eyes narrowed.
"Who are you? What have you done to Jupiter?"
"She is Jupiter?"
"Yes. Which brings us back to my first question: Who are you?"
"Forgive me, it's been so long..."
"Yes. Who are you?" Mercury persisted. The cloaked figure emerged fully, and pulled back her hood.
"I'm Sailor Galaxia," she said, as her golden hair fell down around her.
***
Galaxia helped Mako up.
"I apologize once more. I'm afraid that the most recent battles have made me quite paranoid." Ami stood in awe.
"Galaxia... but I couldn't find a trace of you... how did you escape?"
"I am a planetless senshi, Galaxia. Chaos can not destroy me until every planet has been destroyed. Unfortunately, there aren't many left."
"What's brought you all the way here?" Makoto asked.
"I've been trying to get to Earth for the last year. I'm searching for your Queen, Sailor Moon. I thought that together, we may be able to fight her. Chaos."
"Galaxia..."
"She is still alive?"
"Yes. But Usagi has already tried using the ginzhuishou on Chaos. We're at a loss for what to do."
"We must try again. As many times as it takes..." Galaxia stumbled, and Makoto got up to catch her in her arms. Makoto couldn't believe what she saw. Galaxia was covered in scars, and as Makoto tried to help her up, she realised that she was also missing her left hand. Galaxia nodded in acknowledgement.
"No senshi can stay in space for ever. I've been planet-hopping just trying to get here. But Chaos kept destroying the ones I was on. If I wasn't so strong, I wouldn't have escaped them alive."
"What about those planet's senshi?"
"What could I do?"
"What could any of us do..."
***
Ami ran to tell Minako what had happened, hoping that it might help cheer up Serenity. When she left, Jupiter turned to Galaxia.
"How long?"
"About a year. Chaos has been here for a year."
"What would you say are odds are?"
"I don't want to think about it."
"Oh. That good, hun?"
***
Serenity stepped into the hall. The moment she saw the gold haired woman, it was as if the worries had left her heart entirely. Happily, she ran up to Galaxia and hugged her. The war-torn senshi smiled lovingly.
"It is good to see you again, too, Tsukino-Usagi."
"Galaxia!!!"
The senshi ate dinner that night in the royal hall. But Venus could not help noticing the rows of empty seats, the meals that were not being served, the people were not there to eat. She supposed Usagi was noticing Mamoru's empty seat in particular. Each senshi assessed this silently. Usagi put down her fork.
"It is good that you have come, Galaxia. But do you have any idea how we can defeat Chaos?"
"I was hoping you might." Serenity sighed and put her face in her hands. Ami patted her on the back, then turned to Galaxia.
"Could you two attack at the same time? With the Galaxy Sapphire Crystal and the Ginzhuishou combined..." Galaxia nodded.
"Yes, the could work... I know nothing else to try. If we don't save the galaxy soon, there won't be any galaxy left to save."
"So, we'll do it?"
"Yeah. I'll do it."
"So will I."
"I'm in."
"It's the most logical decision," Ami said. Makoto, Minako, Usagi, and even Galaxia sweatdropped.
"Uh... yes..." Makoto said. The others nodded to this response, and Ami turned red.
"I am ready," Serenity said, "And so there is no reason to delay the inevitable. Let's go, and save this galaxy. It's all we have left."
***
Planet: Above the Moon
***
Galaxia scanned the view. What had once been one of the most magnificent solar systems had been left in ruin. The stars themselves had been blotted out by the great black orb that sat there, an obscene monstrosity waiting to take everything into the darkness it was. She stepped forward, her metallic armour glinting in the brilliance of the sun.
"Chaos!" She yelled, "Chaos!!!" The black hole did not, of course, answer, but Galaxia took it that it had heard her. "I am Sailor Galaxia. On behalf of this Galaxy I stand before you, to stop you from destroying all that which we treasure. Will you surrender?" Chaos made no answer. "Didn't think so..." Galaxia mumbled. She took a deep breath, a stepped backwards. Serenity stepped towards the blackness.
"Chaos! I am Neo-Queen Serenity, guardian of Earth and Moon. On behalf of light in this Galaxia, of legend and love, I will punish you! I am Sailor Moon!" Makoto stepped forwards.
"As senshi of protection, it is my duty to protect this world, this universe. It was my duty to protect my friends!!! On behalf of Jupiter," she screamed in anger, "I will punish you!!!"
"As senshi of love, I loved each of my friends, and I loved the life on this planet, Earth. For all the hearts and souls which you have torn apart, and in the name of Venus, I will punish you!!!"
"As senshi of knowledge, I have learnt that with all power there is a duty, a duty to life, to love, and to learning. By all that you have destroyed, Chaos, you have hurt those that I care for most. So, on behalf of the planet Mercury, I will punish you!!!"
"Ready, everyone?" Usagi asked. Everyone nodded. Mercury began.
"MERCURY STAR CRYSTAL POWER!"
"VENUS STAR CRYSTAL POWER!"
"JUPITER STAR CRYSTAL POWER!" The three senshi began glowing. Galaxia began.
"GALACTIA INFLATION!!!"
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER!!!!"
The bolt of light grew, joined by Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus' powers. Galaxia's golden beam of destruction joined with the light of the ginzhuishou's creation. In the moment, and golden and silver orb formed, as giant as the black hole. And it moved towards it, closer, and closer. The life or death of the universe was about to be decided. Over the powers that were about to collide, Galaxia screamed out.
"We have to get out of here!!!"
***
It was light a giant suction had been created. Light and dark met, and became a swirling, no, expanding, orb of energy! Galaxia cringed. At the rate the orb was expanding...
"Teleport!" she shouted, "NOW!!!"
The senshi arrived back on earth as the powers of light and dark battled it out. Each held their breaths, each daring to wonder what the others could possibly be thinking. The sky was not unlike a firework display, each shine or shadow appearing and disappearing, like a blossoming flower that wilts away with time. The bright threatened to burn the eye of earth and it's peoples, but the soft light of Serenity's Ginzhuishou protected them, and they forced themselves to watch the terrible sky, filled with awesome power no mere mortal was meant to behold. And so it went, for minutes, with breaths of air coming unevenly, and rarely, for no one would dare, no, not one set of eyes, would dare miss this event. Serenity froze. Galaxia froze. Makoto, Ami, and Minako all froze. In one burst of defiance, the black orb grew, grew monstrously large, swallowing up the light. And with that new power, it grew, grew, and grew, and the people of Earth, the last survivors in the Galaxy, knew, finally, that the long prophisized Armageddon had come.
***
Earth is very, very small to something the size of our sun. As Chaos now was. And it took only seconds to expand to earth, only seconds to see the blue jewel be swallowed up, swallowed up into oblivion, to the endless void, and to the sweet taste of victory rising in its soul.
***
Planet: Earth
***
In New York, cars began crashing left and right. Never had so many taxi-cabs left the streets of the gigantic city at once before. Those who were lucky did not die from Chaos herself, but from the mobs of people swarming, crushing, killing...
In England, the same panic was about. Hundreds of thousands of people were abandoning the cities, running for, for.... they really weren't quite sure, but were praying that they would make it, anyways...
In Africa, some of the few remaining tribes danced for the sun to return, and to save them. The lions growled, and lay down; a beast often goes with more peace than a human.
In Canada, people watched from the CN tower, those who dared, that is, as the rest of the city turned into a bloody scene at the fearful mobs.
In China, and old marry couple kissed for what they would knew would surely be their last time... perhaps they would meet in the afterlife...
"RANMA! This is all YOUR FAULT!!!"
"Give me a break, Ryouga, or should I say P-chan?"
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!!!"
"Pig-tailed girl! My love! The inspiration that follows me into the night!!! The eternal radiant sun that glows with the light of love itself! My love, oh pig-tailed one, is forever yours!!!"
"AAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
"Can we just get out of here?"
In Japan, in Tokyo, everyone was gone, save Serenity, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Galaxia, who stood awestruck.
"It's over," Serenity said. The end came like a surprise, and the eternal night fell upon them.
***
Nothingness
***
And when it was all over, darkness, too, ceased to exist, and it was no longer good and evil, light or dark, but nothing. For nothing can exist on its own without equal, no light can exist without dark, and so it is true, no dark can exist without the light.
And from the nothingness, the eternal emptiness, came a sound, like a scream. The scream of the beginning, and the end. The scream that comes from waking up from a nightmare. And the scream grew and grew, and then, from the scream, came forth light. And it grew, and grew, and the dark shook, and the light shook, an light an explosion, and explosion of everything, the universe reformed. And dark was what had screamed; at its own nothingness without the force of light. Planets appeared from the screams, hope appeared, love appeared, hate appeared. All of this happened, and it was eternity locked inside a single moment.
***
Planet: Earth
***
Usagi looked around her. Everything was swirls of light and dark, day and night, in some sort of colourful blend she could not understand. Swirling, swirling... she almost fell over from the dizziness, but a pair of strong arms caught her.
"Ohayo, Odango-atama," Haruka-san said. Usagi looked up.
"Ha.... Haruka?"
"It is good to see you again, Serenity." Michiru added.
"It's always good to be back," Setsuna agreed.
"There always have to be balance, Usagi. We all understood that. It didn't matter what happened; Chaos can never just 'Win.'" Hotaru explained. Usagi burst into laughter and tears.
"Minna! You're alright! You're all okay!!!"
"Usagi-chan!"
"Usagi!"
"Usagi-chan!"
"Usagi-chan!!!" The four guardians ran up.
"Ami... Mako... V-chan.... Rei! You all made it? Everyone?" The four nodded happily.
"Usako..."
"MAMO-CHAN!!!" And the two hugged, and the senshi stood around them, and that day, the skies shone brighter than they ever had before.
***
Galaxia looked at the bright Earth and smiled. Around her spun the planets of the solar system, each humming with a sound she recognized as pure joy. She was the solitary senshi once more, the one without a home, but that was okay. The galaxy, and, and.... her... she almost choked, friends, she though decisively, were okay. And that was what mattered.
***
Hotaru sat down by her favourite lamp and pulled out the purple-ink pen Setsuna had given to her. Opening the last page in her diary, she put her pen down for a second to look out the window, to feel the cool air fly over her body, tugging at her hair. Nodding to the universe in a way the others would never understand, she wrote:
"And until the final end, light and darkness shall always co-exist, in one whole, the day and the night, the good and the evil, and until the end, the balance will be kept. And so... Let life live on."
End of Hotaru's Diary, Crystal Tokyo, 3010.
***