A month quickly passed for everyone as they prepared for their final battle with what Pluto called nothingness. Vegeta had learned instant transmission, keeping it handy in case Serenity did something irrational. When it came to her friends, she would do anything for them. It was strange, but he had mated a female Goku, something he would have feverently gone against when he first arrived on the planet. And to think, he would have destroyed the mud ball with his soul mate on it. Every time he thought about it, he shuddered and shoved it from his mind.

Pars and Turn had learned to control the stages between Saiya-jin and Super Saiya-jin, while the other Saiya-jins had learned to control their transformations in their Oozuru forms. The morning before the final battle, Serenity walked up behind Vegeta at his window and wrapped her arms around his powerful chest, laying her head against his shoulders.

“Today is the final battle,” she calmly told him.

“I know. I've sensed its presence for sometime now. Serenity, something about this enemy feels familiar, but there's still a vital part of our memories being blocked. Hopefully it will come to us before it's too late. Why does this power cause me to feel uneasy?"

Serenity looked at her mate startled. Never in two life times, had she heard the King of Saiya-jins admit that he was afraid or uneasy about anything. This terrified her, but as usual she said nothing and gently brushed his cheeks with the back of her hands. Vegeta stared into sad, silver eyes, wondering if he would ever really see her smile again. Where was the little princess that had laid so much trust in him, where was the little princess that loved everyone and thought there was no evil? Standing before him, was a woman that had lived two or more life times, and had seen more hatred than a person could in one battle. 'Hope, where was the miracle when everything was about to be destroyed.'

Vegeta and Serenity were both aware of what could happen. If any of the senshi should fall, there would be no bringing them back to life with the silver crystal or the dragonballs. No one would be able to remember that they had ever existed, or been born. Entire identities would be obliterated into nothingness, thus came the name of their enemey. There was no person that could say if the force was solid or etheral, god or another mortal. All feared the nothingness, the black void that it created. Hope and Courage wained in the hearts of all, none even remembered there names except for the warriors that were about to walk into their doom.

“I love you Serenity.”

“I love you too.”

Her watch beeped; all the senshi had gathered to fight for their survival. If they lost no one would care or know. “ETERNAL MOON CRYSTAL MAKE-UP!”

Vegeta immediately transformed into Super Saiya-jin 4, not giving the enemy a chance to beat him like in the past. He knew he wouldn't be allowed a mistake, his pride meant nothing and he had nothing to prove about who was stronger. His mate depended on him playing things smart, not arrogantly. “Let's go.”

They flew out the window and headed straight for the fight. All the sailor senshi had learned how to fly from the other warriors; none of the z fighters could afford to watch anyone's back.

When they reached the area, the earth was divided by green grass and blackness. What should have been a park, animals, trees, there was nothing and the senshi were barely able to out run it's deadly shadows. Nothing seemed to phase it, attacks instantly vanishing. "I've returned," it hissed in the minds of Kakarot, Serenity and Vegeta. The pressure was painful, but they forced themselves to remain standing.

Eternal Sailor Moon stepped up, her legs and arms trembling in terror. Yet, when she regarded the enemy, she never flinched. "Why are you here?" she challenged back. "Everything you touch, ceases to exist."

"Why?" The senshi didn't know what was being said, or why Kakarot, Vegeta and Serenity were sagging to their knees, only that their faces were deathly pale. "All was quiet, there was nothing. Then Chronus was born, having other children that ruined my universe. I attempted to destroy what the gods have created, but you two appeared. No more! I now have the power to vanquish the light that has pushed me back for eons! Your silver and golden crystals will be nothing, and all will feel despair, loneliness and lost!"

Vegeta snarled, "You'll never destroy the crystals or what we are!" He had no idea why he had said that, only that he refused to give in to the fear sweeping through his commrades and mate. Yet, she refused to run or turn away. As always, Kakarot was still standing by his side, but the usually happy and smiling fighter was serious and waiting for the moment to strike. For the first time in his life, Kakarot couldn't find a weak point on the enemy, because there were none to be seen.

"The one you need the most will run; she ran in the past, she ran in the future and she will run now. Where is Hope when she can never face her own battles?"

A hysterical laughter startled and scared everyone more than the enemy did. Eternal Moon was clutching her stomach, laughing with tears streaking down her face. "Who's running? I don't know who you're talking about, but I've never run from a battle in my life and would rather take us both to hell before I let you win today! If I die, then so be it!"

The blackness seemed to shrink for a moment, confused by the woman's different attitude. He had expected a coward, not the person that had nothing left to loose except the people standing beside her. She held no tears, only sorrow and a weariness that seemed to weigh more than the blackness almost on top of her. In a way, Serenity could be said to be suicidal; she wanted to die and had come for the final show.

Eternal Moon was full of bitter anger and her heart now knew hatred and remorse; she regretted all the lives that her hands had slain, but would it stop even with nothingness. It didn't laugh, didn't curse her for standing up to him, this was her destiny. "So be it," he whispered, almost carressing her mind.

His entire form covered the landscape, making everyone shiver from the biting cold. They couldn't explain why they were freezing in the middle of July. "Have you ever felt the true coldness of space, its icy breath tearing into your skin? It's true zero."

A blast came from the darkness and slammed into the warriors, forcing everyone to clutch their bodies from the ice that bit into their arms, legs and faces, freezing them into a tomb of ice. "No!" Eternal Moon shouted.

With a wave of her hand, she moved all her friends away from the fight, placing a protective barrier around them that couldn't be broken by anyone, including herself. The crystal would take several thousand years to break if she were successful, but she didn't care as long as they survived. The only ones she didn't move were her mate, Vegeta, and the man that would have hated her for forcing him from a man he had sworn to protect for the rest of his life. It was a Saiya-jin pride and he alone out of all the others would be able to help them. Vegeta stepped up to his mate with determination set into his face.

"What did you do?"

"Insuring their safety. If they disappear, I won't become Sailor Cosmos, but I don't know if I want to never know who they are. This thing came for us, and so we remain. Maybe if the crystals did vanish, all this needless hate will go with it!"

He nodded and admired his love for doing what she did. Vegeta agreed with his mate, the other warriors were no match for this fight and would die in the attempt. This was his way of doing something selfless and not have people get hurt by his actions.

The winds began to pick up speed, spreading a winter across the globe. All the inhabitants became statues of Ice, not to be awaken by the sun nor summer heat. Eternal Moon cried in agony and her spirit weakened with the lack of souls giving her a reason to continue. There was no more hope. Rain began to fall, adding to the cold, making Kakarot, Vegeta and Eternal Moon shake from the numbing feeling. Never had they faced an opponent that attacked with this particular weapon and it was everything they could do not to give in and let the ice take them.

Despite that ache in his body, Vegeta attacked with all his might, hoping he could beat the bastard. It remained unaffected. Another blast slammed into them, this time directly at the Saiya-jins. Kakarot threw himself in front of Vegeta and crashed to the ground. "Kakarot! No! Dammit, I hate you! Wake up! Breathe!"

Vegeta shook his friend's shoulder, hoping in vain that he was only asleep. "Please don't die. We, I, need you. You're my soul and strength! Kakarot, get up!"

Serenity felt as if her heart had been ripped out of her when she saw Kakarot laying there lifeless, his hair blowing violently with the winds of Ice. "No," she choked, her entire body going into numb shock. "He was innocent!"

Skin was cracked, torn and bleeding, a deep and painful cold settling into their bodies. The Nothingness wanted them to die before he swallowed them. Slowly, Serenity stood and willed the crystal to her hands. "I will not let you win so easily," she chattered, feeling herself slip in and out of darkness. "SILVER MOON CRYSTAL POWER!”

A large silver light blasted from the crystal, another meeting it with ice full force. The battle waged back and forth for a long time as the form of Serenity took over and Vegeta could only watch in awe at the strain his mate was going through. Standing up, he came up beside her and placed his hands on her shoulders, boosting the energy that she was giving. He could feel her power weaken and knew that if she didn't stop she would die.

“Is this all you have, moon brat?” With more power than she could handle, nothingness over whelmed the silver crystal, throwing both fighters back and icing them over. Screaming in severe pain they collapsed to the ground, hoping against hope that this would be over soon. Vegeta managed to crawl over Serenity to give her warmth, but both fighters were dying, the shadow laughing with triumph and a sense of finality to its voice. He had won.

Serenity and Vegeta closed their eyes, both wondering what nothingness would feel like, if they would feel anything at all. At least both had their one last wish, neither had made their last stand alone, they would die together in each others arms. With one final breath, they gave up the battle.

Serenity saw only white, Vegeta laying beside her. 'Are we dead; but how can we be here if we are?'

“You can't give up!” A form appeared in front of them, making Serenity gasp in surprise. Standing in front of them was Selinity and a man neither of them had seen until now.

The tall man walked up to both of them and smiled. He caressed Serenity's face and looked deep into her sad silver eyes. “My precious child, you have yet to achieve your final transformation and that is not the form of Sailor Cosmos. That was what could occur if you lost all the senshi to anything but what is attacking you now.”

“What are you talking about?”

“There are two forms that were the ultimate power of the universe, not even the gods could rival such magic and strength. We don't know how or when you were born, only that you protected the gods and universe from all evil forces that tried to unmake what we created."

“You already know their names; they've showed themselves! Now call on them when you awaken and you will become who you were at the end of nothingness. The forms that you are now, were necessary to keep you hidden,” Selinity told them. “Hope, Courage we need your help. If the enemy wins, you will no longer be free.”

Serenity and Vegeta felt something deep stir within their hearts, as if they had been asleep. The moon queen was right, they couldn't give up. Jerking awake, they screamed from the pain, taking lungfulls of ice filled air. Their aura's blazed with anger and hatered, an emotion neither had felt in several eons. Breaking the ice that encased their bodies, they staggered to their feet and glared at the black void about to swallow them.

It tried to touch their skin, but for the first time, the white and golden lights pushed it back. "Impossible! You died, there were no heart beats or breaths!"

Vegeta snarled, "Then you're in for a disappointment!" He took Serenity's hand and whispered softly against her ear. "We were afraid, but no more. Let's show this bastard what and who we truly are; why the gods feared and loved us!"

Serenity's eyes flashed a brillant silver, kneeling beside Vegeta and the fallen Kakarot. With a low voice that began to rise in pitch and fevor, they chanted, Vegeta's eyes glowing a deep golden fire. "Hope!" he roared, "I beg of you! Rejoin your soul with mine, let us become as we were in the beginning!"

"Courage, let us fight again, racing our challenge among the stars and heavens that stand in our way!"

Both souls seemed to sing a powerful song; separting Vegeta and Serenity. Floating in the air on their backs, wings sprang from their back, hair became long manes of rainbow and fire and the silver and golden crystals became horns a top of their heads. The blackness flickered, terrified of the magical beasts staring back at him. Gone was all fear, despair and doubt; the unicorns had returned to finish what they had begun.

Wings stretched twenty feet from their backs, one silver with rainbows, another with golden wings highlighted with black and red. Hands and feet became hooves. Instead of a Lunarian and Saiya-jin, a golden and silver Winged Unicorn now stood, no longer effected by the ice slamming into them.

"At last, we're free," Courage sighed, shaking his head.

Hope nuzzled his neck, sniffing his mane. Sadly, she dropped her nose and nudged Kakarot's face, whickering in sorrow. "Courage, this wasn't suppose to happen."

"Damn you both!"

Courage ignored the enemy and pressed his horn against Kakarot's forehead. "I can save him, but only if he accepts his true form."

Kakarot resisted the call of Courage, but after he realized what would happen to Pluto he relented and gave into the warm fire spreading throughout his body. Slowly he began to change, the transformation torn between his life as a mortal and the parents that had given birth to him.

His wings were a mixture of gold and silver, his body gold with a silver mane and tail. Rising to his full height, lashing his front hooves in front of him, he screamed a challenge that shook the planet. His eyes snapped with untameable rage and he lunged at the darkness, barely feeling it's shadow upon his flanks. "What are you freaks?" the enemy shouted in pain, trying to kill the animals attacking him. It was use to destroying everything it touched, but how can he touch what was driving the darkness away with a blinding light?

"The end," Hope promised.

The Unicorns locked their horns together, mingling their combined powers into one final attack. He screamed, burning from the inside out. The more it struggled to free himself from the inner lights, the more it continued to grow and intensify. After the darkness had disappeared, leaving a dead planet behind, the three unicorns floated to the ground and gazed around sadly. The planet was nothing but a sheet of ice; it would take thousands of years to melt or for a summer to grow even a single blade of grass.

The wind was cold and blew the fiery mane of Courage. He draped his long neck over his soul mate and watched Honor, formally known as Kakarot, try to paw his mate from her tomb of ice.

A white light peaked through the black clouds and shone on the three lonely creatures. Glancing up, Hope and Courage recognized the gods Chronos and Zeus, their ears pricking forward. "Come home with us," Zeus called to them, lifting his hand to the heavens. "There will always be a place for you in Olympus."

Hope and Courage could remember when they had run free and wild, untounched and untamed by mortal or immortal hands. They took a step towards the lighted path, but a shrill blast broke them from their trance. Standing on his back legs, Honor lunged down, hoping to break through the barrier that was confining his mate. Again he echoed his challenge, but each blow rung in their ears, reminding them of the scars that the nothingness had left behind.

Walking to the still objects, Hope gazed at the almost lifeless forms. Recognition flashed in her silver eyes and the happy beating of her wings, drooped to the ground in sorrow. She had spared their lives, their minds and bodies in hibernation. The love and friendship that she had shared with these people as a mortal, slammed into her with full force.

Honor lowered his giant body to the ground and hung his head over the imperium crystal, his breath coming in irregular gasps. Rising to his feet, Courage called for his mate and son, but Honor refused to move and Hope stared at him with agony and confusion. Her heart was torn between her freedom and the need to protect her friends until they awoke.

She knew Honor would never leave, his heart and soul were bound to the former time guardian. Courage was beautiful when he stood on two feet, wings fully extended and a wild fire blazing in his eyes. 'Who do I choose? My mate, or those that I've sworn to never abandon?'

Chronos could see the conflict in the Unicorn's eyes and sighed. "Stay; we will return when you're ready to make your journey." Whom had once been his daughter, Serenity, the god lifted her noble head and smiled with love and warmth. "You make me proud. Upon their awakening, all your friends that helped you today shall now be immortal."

Zeus and Chronos vanished with the light, leaving the three Unicorns in darkness. "Do we change back or stay as we are?" Courage asked his mate.

"These forms protect us from the icy winter. Besides, it's been so long since I've felt the winds in my hair and wings." Nuzzling Honor's neck, she tried to get him to move, but he only gave her a gaze of agony and loneliness. "She still lives, her child sleeping peacefully within her."

Honor flapped a wing and settled his head next to his mate. He would wait, wait until his mate opened her eyes and saw him faithfully protecting her. Setsuna had feared isolation, he would keep his promise and never leave her side.

"Give him time," Courage told his mate.

Shaking her rainbow colored mane, "Run with me, beloved."

Nipping her neck, they ran side-by-side, crossing the sheet of ice that had once been the seven oceans of the world. One place, deep in the heart of a mountain, remained untouched by the winter. They ate in peace, and slowly began to forget the wars and fights throughout the centuries and millienums.

They returned daily to check on Honor, his body standing proudly over the fallen sailor and Z senshi. His mane blew in the breeze and he ate what was brought to him by his parents. The three realized why they had been created, born from the stars and rainbows of the heavens. Hope was the power of the people's heart, while Courage carried the worthy to victory.

Hope and Courage noticed the color of Honor's horn and wondered about it's power. Honor always had the ability to see into the soul of those he called enemy and friends. Perhaps, that is why he spared Vegeta. Honor would always fight for those that had truth on their side.