Note on Planet Names: Ten'ousei=Uranus; Kaiousei=Neptune; Meiousei=Pluto; Dosei=Saturn; Kasei=Mars; Suisei=Mercury; Mokusei=Jupiter; Kinsei=Venus ---------------------------------------------------------------------- "Queen who? Who is she?" "I don't know," Mars called back as she shot another evil minion with her deadly Flame Sniper. "But that's what the queen said. Queen Beryl is a human, I think, and she's being controlled by the Queen Metallia the Senshi shut away years ago." She shot another one, lowering her bow as the barrage paused for a moment, turning to Venus. "But they must have killed the entire Saturn royal family because they knew that Saturn would rise and defeat them by destroying the world. And now . . ." "Poor Hotaru is dead," her partner whispered as she 'Love and Beauty Shock'-ed another minion. "And we have to fight." Mars shot two more opponents, spinning when she heard Minako gasp. Shocked, unable to move, she watched in horror as Mina fell to the ground, blood gushing past her hand. Furious, Rei killed the ten nearest Beryl minions and fell down beside her lover. "Mina." "I'm okay," Minako whispered. "Go fight, for our kingdom." "Mina, I can't leave you alone. I can't." Minako pushed Rei roughly aside as a sword aimed for the Senshi of Mars slid into the Senshi of Venus, and she fell to the ground, eyes clouding. With a cry of purest rage, Mars stood up and punched the man, killing three of his closest companions. She killed five more before someone managed to get past her guard and stop her. Gasping, Rei fell to the ground, watching as her opponents left, knowing that she was gone. Mars slowly, painfully turned over and looked at Venus, reaching for her beloved blonde as both breathed their last. *~*~*~*~*~*~* Jupiter gasped as another enemy fell to her attack, others fading into the darkness to rethink their attack plan. For a moment, she was allowed to rest, and she looked over at Ami. Mercury was gasping, holding her side, and Jupiter pulled the hand away. "Mercury," she whispered. "It's shallow," Mercury whispered, wiping her bloody hand on her dark blue skirt. "One of them caught me a minute ago. I'll be fine. Jupiter!" The Senshi spun around in time to avoid the sword aimed for her head, and she caught her enemy in the stomach and knocked him to the ground, one attack and he was dead. Jupiter let her attention return to her partner, briefly wondering where Venus and Mars vanished to, and every enemy froze as a blood-curdling cry rose above the battle din. Mercury and Jupiter exchanged a frightened look, knowing that something terrible had happened; that voice belonged to Mars. In the back of their hearts, where the stones they had absorbed lived, the Senshi heard their planets begin to cry. Venus and Mars were dead. "No," Mercury gasped, anger welling up in her gentle blue eyes for the first time in her life. Tears streaming down her cheeks, Mercury took out a half dozen enemies, while her partner let her anger and grief fuel her power, clearing the immediate area of opponents. She was almost upset that she had nobody left to fight when Mercury fell down beside her, holding her side. "Mercury! I thought you said it was nothing." "It was," Mercury whispered as blood began to well up over her hand and stream down her leg. "I guess I injured myself." "You'll be okay," Jupiter whispered, placing her hand over Mercury's and ignoring the enemy coming up behind her. "Just rest a minute." "I can't stop fighting," Mercury whispered. She closed her eyes, crying out Jupiter's name as the soldier behind her swung his sword at her head. Jupiter dropped lower and grabbed the man's hand, spinning the sword back on the man and killing him. Jupiter gasped as another enemy caught her from behind. Struggling to her feet, Jupiter managed to fight off two more opponents with the bloody sword that had been aimed for her neck, but her legs gave out under her, and she fell to the ground, coughing, knowing without a doubt that she was coughing blood. Ami, stretched out on the ground in front of her, managed to open her eyes one last time as Makoto touched the back of her hand. "I'm sorry," Makoto whispered. "I really did think we could be together forever." "I said that I would fight if I had to," Ami whispered. "I'm glad that we've died together." Makoto and Ami closed their eyes and breathed their last together. *~*~*~*~*~*~* "They're in the palace!" Shousha spun at the call, grabbing the nearest sword and faced the invaders as they entered the beautiful palace, noticing out of the corner of her eye that her former Senshi partners were also arming themselves with makeshift weapons. She was fine for a while, but the enemies were many and she was getting old. One, then two scored hits, and the small wounds were beginning to hurt her. Meika gasped and fell, pierced on an enemy sword, and Asakaze killed the weaponless soldier before his partner killed her. Rikuriko and Shinrai headed to the corner to avenge the woman, but three opponents later, both had followed her. Kashin found himself in a corner, and the King of Suisei, seeing that his cause was hopeless, took the makeshift club in his hand and slammed it into the nearest pillar, dropping the ceiling and part of the wall on himself and ten of the enemy soldiers. Shousha cut down five more while they were preoccupied with Kashin's sacrifice. Haruka's father, a late arrival to the ball, managed to survive longer than Kashin, but the kings had never been Senshi and had no residual strength and agility to help them out. Koshu and Meisha both fell in the defense of the last children, leaving Kazan, Momoiro, and the Kino boys left between the four little children and the enemies. Saiki and Eiki were moved outside by the changing of the huge crowd of combatants, and the princes' deaths were not long in coming. Momoiro, never a fighter, saved her brother mere minutes before he, too, fell. Ken'nin cried for help as his fellow defenders hit the floor at his feet, but there was no one left in the palace to help them. Serenity had gone off looking for her daughter, Pluto ever at her back, and Shousha was the only one left. Not for long. Ken'nin fell to the ground, utterly silent, as his life faded. Shousha tried desperately to reach the four young children, but the enemy decided to take her down first. The Queen of Kaiousei, the long sword that had taken her lying by her side, closed her eyes as the screams of the unprotected young royals filled the ballroom. The servants of Queen Beryl and Queen Metallia left the ruined palace, their work finished. Shousha coughed blood, the same warm fluid bubbling up from her wound at every shallow breath. As the light faded, she smiled. "Kazeko. You came back for me." The blonde, strangely transparent, laid her warm hand on Shousha's, which was feeling colder and colder by the minute. "Of course I came back. I promised that you'd see me again, at the end. I've come to take you with me." "What about Haruka and Michiru? What about our daughters, Kazeko?" The blonde laughed lightly, tears in her green eyes. "Destiny has drawn them a different path. They will be reborn and they will be happy." "Promise?" Kazeko nodded as she held out her hand. "Come with me now, my only love." Smiling, Shousha took the taller woman's hand, feeling very light all of a sudden as the world became very bright and very warm. The lovers, together in death as they could not have been in life, disappeared as Shousha's body stilled forever. *~*~*~*~*~*~* Queen Serenity dashed down the hall, silver hair streaming out behind her as she searched desperately for her daughter. "Setsu-chan, I can't find her!" "There's no use," Setsuna whispered as the pair paused. "She's outside, facing the brunt of the attack with her prince." Serenity's eyes widened, fists clenched. "I will not let her die," the queen whispered. "I must save her, Setsu-chan." "Then I will fight and die with my queen." "No, you won't." Pluto stared at her queen. "I have to fight." Serenity laid a hand on Pluto's arm, pain in her deep eyes. "You have to live, Setsu-chan. I need you to go back to the Gate of Time. If this day goes as I fear it will, I need you there. You have to make it." "Serenity—" "Sailor Pluto," Serenity countered. "Please, do this for me. For the sake of the Sailor Senshi, go back to the Gate of Time." "Please—" "If you love me," Serenity whispered, reluctantly adding the last of her pleas, "please." Setsuna, knowing that she would regret it, nodded, leaning over to kiss Serenity one last time. "This is my sacrifice. I love you." She vanished. Serenity choked back a sob as she swallowed her tears. Calling for her two cat advisors, the queen headed for the front of her palace. *~*~*~*~*~*~* "World Shaking!" "Deep Submerge!" Michiru and Haruka rested for a moment, backs against the back wall of the palace. The battle was not going well, and even Uranus was bleeding from a shallow gasp on her arm while Neptune was limping slightly. "Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter," Neptune whispered, Aqua Mirror in one hand. "And all of our families." "Mother is gone. I think she was only waiting to escort Shousha to the afterlife." Haruka drew her sword as another opponent came toward them. "We're the only ones left." "The princess and queen still live. So does Pluto. There is still hope." Uranus grunted, swinging her sword and slicing down three opponents. "Not anymore. All of the Senshi are gone, and our queen and princess will soon follow." "Uranus—" "It's okay, Neptune. It's our destiny to die as Sailor Senshi defending our kingdom and our princess. I've known this for a long time. Besides, even if we do survive, we'll be the only ones and I don't want to be the last ones left." "Pluto will live," Neptune whispered before taking out two more Dark Kingdom Soldiers with her Submarine Reflection. "Queen Serenity will send her back to guard the Gate of Time for the future. Even if we die, one Senshi will be left." "I almost feel sorry for her. I wouldn't be able to love alone." Sensing danger, Uranus spun as one of her opponents lunged forward, sword held in front of him. She easily defeated him, feeling a sharp pain in her side. Looking down, Uranus stared at the spot of blood growing on her white fuku, dripping down her side. "What?" "Uranus," Neptune whispered, reaching for her partner. The instant she turned away, the dark soldier behind her slid his sword into her side. Uranus, with a sudden burst of power fueled by fury, swung her sword at the man, falling to her knees beside Neptune. Neptune wasn't bleeding. In the back of her mind, Michiru heard a soft voice, a young voice she had never heard before. The sound stopped the pain from the sword wound and the power behind that voice healed her. She closed her sapphire eyes for a moment and concentrated, trying to pinpoint both the voice and the power behind the voice. "Moons of Neptune," she whispered as Uranus collapsed, blood loss and battle fatigue sapping the last of her strength. Haruka looked up, emerald eyes smiling gently, having missed her partner's words. "Michiru, you're not bleeding." "Haruka . . ." "I won't make it, Michiru. Protect our kingdom, okay?" "Haruka, listen to me. I'm not bleeding because I was healed." "Healed?" Michiru nodded, wiping the tears from her face as she took Haruka's hand and laid it on her flat belly. "By our son. I'm pregnant, Ruka. When we combined our powers last night, I must have gotten pregnant." "Pregnant?" A dozen different emotions flew across Haruka's face, including shock, until she settled on determination. "Run away, Michiru. Save yourself and our son." Caught off-guard by her lover's words, Michiru shook her head. "You know I can't do that. I'm a Sailor Senshi; I must fight." "Michi, we will be reborn, but our son may not. Do not let him die." "Haruka, you know I cannot run. Besides, I do not think he will let me die." Her lover's deep green eyes widened as her fingers tightened around Neptune's arm. "Never?" "He's very powerful." Uranus closed her eyes for a moment to regain her strength, sinking back to the ground. "I don't want you to die, Michi." Michiru took Haruka's hand in both of hers, tears falling onto Uranus's white gloves. "I can't live without you, Ruka. I cannot—I will not—become my mother. I need you, Haruka." "I need you to live." Uranus closed her eyes, her breaths becoming more and more shallow. She would not last much longer. Choking back a sob, Neptune turned away from her dying partner, flinching away from the sword heading for her head. A bright golden light shone from the pair of Senshi, from their son, killing the enemy soldier as Neptune stood up. Looking at her Aqua Mirror, lying on the ground beside Haruka and drenched in the blood of the two Senshi, Neptune closed her eyes and called. "Pluto! I know you can hear me. Please, Setsuna-san, I need your help." Her only answer was the howling of the wind and the sounds of battle all around her. Neptune's eyes shot open, fury burning deep within them for the first time in the princess's life. Reaching across Uranus's prone form, Neptune grabbed the discarded Space Sword, never noticing that her hands were covered in her partner's blood. The talisman screamed, realizing that its master was dying, and Neptune raised the weapon high above her head. "Pluto, in the name of Uranus, leader of the Outer Senshi, and with the power of her Space Sword, I order you to come to me! Setsuna!" The wind began to blow fiercely as the ground shook and lightning rent the air. A portal formed in front of Neptune, and Pluto stepped back into the mundane plane. The sight of her friend and leader dying brought tears to the Senshi's eyes. "Neptune, why have you called me? You know that Serenity has sent me back to the Gate of Time." Neptune dropped the sword and took Setsuna's free hand in hers. "Setsuna, I need your help. I can't continue my duty as a Senshi and I cannot keep Haruka company in the next life with our child growing inside me." "Your child?" Setsuna stared at the younger Senshi, her premonitions and recent visits finally falling into place. "Your son?" "Yes. Please, you have to help me. I can't live without her, but I cannot kill him." Pluto hung her head, the Garnet Orb on her staff glowing. "I can take the boy," she whispered. "That is my destiny, to raise your son and give him a purpose." "I don't want him to fight," Michiru whispered. "I never want him to fight or kill or do any of this. I want him to protect and guard with love and with peace. Can you do that?" Setsuna wrapped her arms around the shorter woman and smiled. "I can." Neptune gasped as she felt another power enter her body, an old, but friendly power, and the voice in the back of her mind faded. She forced herself not to fight, to let Haruka's son pass onto a better life, and she swayed dizzily when Sailor Pluto pulled away. "It is done," Meiou Setsuna whispered, her voice heavy with emotions she could never explain to the younger woman. "What should I name him?" Neptune looked upward, her eyes catching the last glint of sunlight glowing off the surface of the Earth. "Helios," she whispered, picking up the Space Sword and heading back into battle. The tall, green-haired woman stepped back into the portal, holding back her tears as she watched. *~*~*~*~*~*~* The Space Sword glowed fiercely in her hand, ready and willing to avenge its master's death. Neptune slashed right and left, the moves Haruka had been teaching her for months coming easily to her body. She managed to cut down dozens, but she was not as good as Haruka. Minutes after she entered the fray, three soldiers caught her, throwing her back, bleeding from three deep gashes in her side. Neptune used the Space Sword to kill the last of them, but there was no enemy left. She was alone. Desperate to see her lover once more, Neptune managed to drag herself to Uranus's side, resting her head on Haruka's chest. "Michiru?" The voice was so faint that Neptune wasn't sure she'd heard correctly. She managed, with a great deal of pain, to turn herself over, and she smiled when she found Haruka's eyes open just the tiniest bit. "Haruka," she breathed. "I told you . . . to run, Michi." Michiru took Haruka's hand in hers and smiled. "Our son is safe," she managed. "And I can't go on . . . without you. I love you, Haruka." "I love you . . . too, Michiru." Haruka's eyes closed, and Michiru rested her head on her lover's breast, a smile on her face as she held the blonde's hand. She heard Haruka's heart beat more and more slowly until it finally gave up, and the two lovers breathed their last in the same instant. Sitting on a nearby fallen pillar, Time Staff in one hand and the other on her flat belly, Setsuna silently wept, mourning her friends. In the back of her mind, she heard Helios cry, too. He knew that his parents were gone. "I'll take care of you," Setsuna whispered, "and you will never have to fight. I'm going to take you to Earth and let you live in Elysion, a very beautiful place. I promise that you will live a peaceful life there. And I will tell you about your mothers and the traditions they defied to have you." No one was left to hear her.
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