Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Celestial Moon ❯ Chapter Fourteen: Battle's End; The Price of Freedom ( Chapter 14 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Celestial Moon
by: BWANDER

Chapter Fourteen: The Battle's End; The Price of Freedom

Usagi's face contorted as she struggled against the spell. She couldn't
let this happen to her senshi, not again. Beryl looked at the helpless
princess and smirked. "You cannot break my spell, Princess. While you are
just coming into power I've had a millenium to perfect my power. You have
lost," she said.

'I haven't lost yet, you witch,' Usagi thought as she continued to struggle.

~~~~~~~~~~

Sailor Mars dodged to the side as a fireball landed where she had just been.
She looked up at the demon and frowned. Even though she had hit it with
several attacks it seemed to be just taking it without injury. She looked
over at Mercury. "Ami, how do we take this freak down?" she barked out.

Ami looked up from her mini computer. "I don't know. I can't get a reading
on this youma. Something's jamming my computer," the blue haired senshi
called back. "Maybe if we all attack it at once..."

Pluto and Mars nodded and began to call upon their powers.

"MARS FLAME SNIPER!"
"CRONUS TYPHOON!"
"MERCURY AQUA RHAPSODY!"

The three attacks merged together and slammed into the demon, causing an
explosion. Mars smiled at the smoke cloud. "Got 'im!" she declared.

She began walking over to Mercury when a barrage of fireballs pelted her
in her back. Mercury let out a cry of horror and looked up. The last of
the smoke cleared to reveal the demon still alive and holding several more
fireballs.

~~~~~~~~~~

"JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!"

The attack flew forth again from Sailor Jupiter and was again stopped by
shards of ice. Venus walked up to a heavily breathing Jupiter. "Mako-chan
stop," she ordered. "All you're doing is tiring yourself out. We need to
regroup with everyone."

"The hell we do!" Jupiter shot out. "Celestia and I beat this thing once
already! I can do it again!"

The air around Jupiter began to crackle as she charged up for another
attack. Before she could let loose her power a dark sheild appeared in
front of her, along with a glaive. She snapped her head towards Saturn,
hatred burning in her eyes. "Why did you do that Saturn?" she spat out.

"Because Venus is right, and that thing tried to attack you," the youngest
senshi answered.

Jupiter looked in front of her again to see the ice shards sticking out of
the sheild. As it disappeared the shards fell to the ground. "Damn it!
why can't we beat this thing?" Jupiter grumbled.

"Because I am more powerful than any of you," the creature answered. "And
your heads will make perfect additions to Metallia's palace."

~~~~~~~~~~

"Where the hell is that thing?" Uranus asked in frustration.

"I don't know," Neptune responded. "But you already saw what happened when
I used my mirror."

"Yeah, it didn't show us anything to use against it," Uranus replied.

Though neither woman could really hurt the shadow, both stood ready with
their talismans out. Beneath their feet black orbs began to form. Just
as the two girls noticed them, the orbs exploded. As the smoke cleared
they picked themselves up and stood back at the ready. The sound of
laughter caught both their attention. As they looked around for the source
of the laughter the shadow reappeared in the air.

"You two are most amusing. I'm afraid, though, our time must be cut short.
My queen is waiting to rise again, and your energies will be most valuable,"
it said.

Black auras formed around the senshi and their energy began to be siphoned.

~~~~~~~~~~

Endymion and Kunzite crossed swords in mid-air, each determined to slice the
other in half. "You cannot win Endymion. As soon as the senshi are finished
the three youma's will help me destroy you. Even now your destruction creeps
closer," Kunzite sneered.

Endymion pushed the two apart and glared at Kunzite. "You're wrong. Usako
will destroy you and your evil queen," Endymion retorted.

"Beryl is much too strong for your princess, and Metallia is even stronger.
There is no way for her to win. Your side has lost again Endymion. You just
keep choosing the wrong side, but don't worry I'll make sure you can no longer
repeat that mistake. I'll kill you here and now," Kunzite replied.

Once again the two men flew toward each other, throwing bursts of power before
clashing their swords against one another again.

~~~~~~~~~~

Beryl smiled at the scene. Soon the entire system would be hers, and the only
threat to her had turned out to no threat at all. It seemed fate had finally
turned towards her and smiled. She felt invincible.

Usagi looked on with horror, but noticed that she had began to be able to move
her fingers. It was only a slight movement, but it would be enough. Beryl had
failed to notice that when Usagi had been rendered paralyzed, her hands were
at her chest. She used what movement she could get and pressed the side of her
brooch. The top flipped open and began to bath her in the power of the crystal
inside. Free from Beryl's spell she stood and immediately directed the power
towards the fight.

~~~~~~~~~~

The senshi watched in awe as the youma became bathed in a white light before
they exploded. As one they looked up to the source of the light and immediately
knew Sailor Moon had saved them. "Be safe, Sailor Moon," Pluto whispered.

~~~~~~~~~~

Endymion's eyes widened as he saw the light race toward Kunzite and himself. He
knew Usagi was behind it and it was meant to destroy darkness. He quickly let
himself fall toward the ground, stopping himself only inches from the ground.

Kunzite took this as a sign of victory and smiled. His smile was short lived,
however as the Gizuishou's light washed over him. Pain showed on his face as
he felt the power of Metallia leave him. Without any power left he fell to the
ground, his body making a sickening thud as it landed. As with the other gen-
erals, his body quickly turned into a piece of his namesake and all four gems
flew to Endymion's outstretched hand.

He looked up toward Beryl's throne and smiled. "Finish it Serenity," he said.

~~~~~~~~~~

Beryl's expression turned to horror as she watched the youma explode from the
power of the Ginzuishou. She spun and looked at Usagi with hatred. "How did
you break my spell?" she demanded.

"The power of the Ginzuishou set me free, and now it shall stop your evil once
and for all!" Usagi declared.

In respose the Ginzuishou began to glow brighter and Beryl was washed in its
light. She felt her body start to give out from having the darkness removed.
Just before total collapse she teleported away.

She reappeared before Metallia, gasping for air. "Mighty Metallia, queen of
all, I beg of you to help your humble servant," she pleaded.

<You have failed again, Beryl. Not only have you made no progress, but you
have not captured the Ginzuishou either. And to add to that, you have
allowed the senshi to come this far into my kingdom. Your generals have all
been destroyed, and you have lost me Endymion. Your life is worthless now,
but your body still has a use for me.>

Black energy began to surround Beryl. Her face became locked in a look a
look of pain as her eyes slowly dimmed. As her body began to fall it was
stopped and floated up. The black energy began to pour itself into the
body. As it entered it began to change the body. Beryl's skin turned a
sickly shade of gray-green. Her once fiery red hair became black as a
starless night sky. Her eyes changed from emerald green to red. Finally
the body began to grow to gargantuan proportions.

The entire throne room exploded outwards as Metallia gained her new body.
She looked down at Usagi and smiled wickedly. "So we meet at last, Prin-
cess Serenity. You have caused my much grief," she said. "Now, though,
you shall die."

She shot forth a blast of pure dark energy. It surround Usagi and stayed
for a moment before being overwhelmed by silver energy. When the burst of
light died down Usagi stood in the dress she wore as Princess Serenity.
Her crescent flashed proudly on her forehead as she looked at Metallia.
"Your reign is over Metallia. You get no second chances," she said.

*Everyone, lend me your power. Together we can defeat this evil for all
eternity*

The senshi all nodded and immediately sent their power to Serenity, their
sigils flaring to life on their foreheads in the process.

Serenity called forth her staff and placed the Ginzuishou on it. It
immediately blossomed and appeared as a lotus flower. She could feel the
power of all the senshi flowing through her as she charged up her own
power.

Metallia let out a shriek of rage and began to build up her own power for
one last strike. She would tear apart the impudent princess and her entire
court now. After that, she would leave this planet and head for the Sun.

Both released their built up energy at the same time and the two massive
spheres quickly collided. Both struggled to become dominate, Metallia's
nearly succeeding before Serenity's power overwhelmed the dark energy and
began to move forward. As Metallia's new body was washed in the silver
light it began to disintegrate. She let out one last cry of pain and hate
before succombing to the power and disappearing.

The senshi let out a cheer and quickly rushed up to see Usagi. However,
upon reaching the top the girls were struck with horror. Their princess
lay on the ground, unmoving, the ginzuishou beside her in its dormant
state once again. Mercury began to scan the body immediately, but they
all seemed to know she was gone.

Endymion landed beside Usagi's body and began to try and revive her.
After a hopeful moment Pluto walked up to him and put her hand on his
shoulder. He shrugged it off and resumed his futile efforts. After
another moment he buried his face into her body and began to cry.