Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ I'll Be There For You - Sailor Moon ❯ Another Day of Destiny ( Chapter 8 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

I'll Be There For You

Part 8 - Another Day of Destiny

Chapter 70

They were panting, hard, but they refused to stop. They were close now. So close, he could feel it. He was still in pain from using the Golden Crystal, but the pain of his body could not compare to the pain in his heart.

'We're coming, Usako,' he told her silently. 'Just hold on! We're coming!'

*********

"Mamoru?" She opened her eyes but was greeted by only the hanging bodies. She cried out as she recognized new bodies. "No, no, no." She sank into sobs again. "My friends--"

The blue, green, and red fukus overhead fluttered in an unfelt breeze.

*********

"Your way ends here, trespassers!" a voice from unseen origins said.

They stopped, freezing, ready for an attack, waiting for something to happen. They didn't have to wait long.

The very walls seemed to move, to liquefy on either side of them. Someone screamed.

"Go on!" Meliphane yelled.

"We'll take care of this," Uranus added, unsheathing her space sword, a wicked grin on her face.

"Be careful!" he shouted to them before turning… and running smack dab into another-- thing. It pulled away from the walls and liquefied into a human shape.

"I'm afraid I cannot let you pass," it said in a female voice.

"We'll handle it," Pluto insisted.

"Find the princess," Euclase charged, turning to face the thing.

He nodded, wheeled around, and ran; only Saturn and Venus were left to accompany him.

*********

She heard the chains but was afraid to open her eyes, afraid to see who else had fallen because of her.

Because of me, she thought. They are dying because of me… because of me… because of me…

"Noooooo!"

*********

They came to a door. He didn't know what it was made of, he didn't care. All he knew was that on the other side was the reason he was here.

"It could be a trap," Venus said, staring at the door.

"We were led here," Saturn agreed.

And then the doors opened.

"Be careful," he warned, stepping in first.

*********

"What's our status?" Jewels barked, tension coursing through her every nerve.

"Neutral," Rubius answered.

"Equal losses," Emerald added.

Jewels frowned. "I don't like it."

"The Prince has entered the throne room with two others," Rubius stated.

"Who?"

"Sailors Venus and Saturn, ma'am," Emerald answered.

Jewels looked up at the view screen. "Well, my Princess, I hope you know what you are doing."

*********

"Welcome," a husky voice melted from the darkness. The doors swung shut behind them, and they turned, startled. A throaty chuckle drifted towards them.

"Who's there?" Sailor Venus cried out.

"Show yourself!" Sailor Saturn demanded.

A light lit the room in rich red hues offset by blue shadows. Something about the room seemed strangely familiar. But he didn't think on it much further, for a figure could be seen in the large throne. His eyes narrowed as the figure came into focus.

"You!"

She smiled. "Hello Mamoru," she said, "Or should I say, Endymion?" The girls standing on either side of him gaped.

Chapter 71

"Who are you?" Saturn demanded.

"What have you done with Usagi?" Venus injected.

Endymion continued to look at her with hatred. "How do you know?" he asked finally.

Megumi laughed hysterically. "The question is, my dear sweet prince, 'How is it, you don't know?'" She smiled at him, a sad look stealing into her eyes. "Do you really not remember me?" she asked after a moment of silence.

"Should I, Megumi?" he returned.

Her eyes narrowed. "Should you, indeed," she sneered. "Were you so blinded by her that you never noticed me?" she asked. "Well, that will all change now, won't it?"

"What have you done, Megumi?" he shouted, taking a step towards her.

She smiled. "What should have been done a long time ago," she said. "What would have been done if my mother hadn't of messed things up!"

"Your mother?" he asked, clearly confused.

And then a laugh filled the great room. A laugh that turned their stomachs. Beside the thrown an image materialized.

"Beryl," Venus hissed. Saturn readjusted her grip on her Glaive.

"So pleased you remember me, Sailor Venus," the image said, raising a hand to rest it on the thrown. "Tell me, how are things on Earth? I do so miss it."

Venus took a step towards her, but a raised arm from Endymion stilled her.

"Where is Usagi?" he asked again, his voice hard.

Megumi's smile melted into a sneer. "Your precious little Serenity is here," she snarled.

They heard the rattle of chains and looked up-- and gasped in horror. Something snapped, and bodies went falling, bodies of everyone they had left behind: Tellurium, Neptune, Zoicite, Nephrite, Kunzite, Jedite, Sardonyx, Mercury, Jupiter, Mars, Uranus, Meliphane, Euclase, and Pluto.

The girls cried out, rushing towards the falling bodies, but an energy force field stopped them before they could get near them. The bodies fell, and hit the ground, but only the senshi's bodies remained there. The moon and earth generals dematerialized.

before they could comment, more chains rattled from overhead.

"Usagi!" Endymion cried trying to get to her, but met with the same force field that had restrained Venus and Saturn. "Megumi! Don't do this!"

"Don't you see," the woman said. "Once Serenity is gone we can be together!" Megumi stood up. "Mamoru, Endymion, I know you must love me! Once Serenity is dead you will remember that love!" She smiled and took a step closer to him.

"Hold it right there!" Venus cried. "I'm the pretty warrior of Love, I fight for Love, Sailor Venus! And I will NOT allow you to ruin Usagi and Mamoru's Love. On behalf of Venus, I will stop you! VENUS LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!"

"Oh, go away!" Megumi snarled. "No one invited *you*!"

Chains whipped out from nowhere and wound around Venus, swiftly immobilizing her.

"Not so fast!" a small voice cried out. "I--"

"Save it for someone who cares!" Megumi quipped. Chains went zipping towards Saturn, but met an early end with her Glaive, acting as an extension of her arm.

"Your parlor tricks will not work with me," the petite young woman responded.

Megumi's eyes narrowed. "I see not." She smiled. "You want to play with the big kids, little girl? Very well. Come."

*********

She heard voices… but she was too weak to do anything. She heard someone scream out her name…calling for her… but she was too weak to answer.

The iron chains that supported her numb body were cutting deep into her flesh… but she was too weak to care.

'I want to go home,' she thought. 'I want to eat a triple scoop ice cream. I want to play another Sailor V game. I want to go shopping with my friends…'

She felt the energy radiating from somewhere close by… it was warm. If felt good. She felt the Silver Crystal grow warm.

"I have to fight," she told herself, voice cracked and hoarse from screaming. "My friends are here for me… I have to help them."

Chapter 72

She felt the energy course through her veins. The sheer power of it sending her heart into a mad dash. 'She thinks she can stop me?' She laughed out loud. "Bring it on little girl."

The girl before her did some fancy hand trick with the big stick in her hands. None of it impressed her. She waved her hands and more chains went whizzing towards the… well, she was really nothing but a child. One chain fell dead to the ground, but the other-- ah! Now the other wrapped tightly around the child's wrist, and squeezed.

"You are nothing to me, child," she said, pushing up from the thrown. "You are on my world now. My home, My fortress, My rules."

"Megumi! Stopped this!" he called out.

She smiled at him. "You just what," she said patiently. She felt the power building within her. She knew her body was glowing, she radiated with the power… and it felt wonderful. "Once Serenity is dead everything will be fine."

"Megumi! NO!"

The energy was soaring from her, a pure beam of light, pulsating with deadly intent, aimed directly at Serenity. It was too late to stop.

She screamed in horror as she watched her love get hit directly in the back by the energy beam. His fingers gripped the chains until his knuckles were white… and then he fell back to the ground, striking the floor with a resounding thud.

"NO! No, no, no, no," she rushed to his side, falling to her knees, pulling his head up into her lap. "You stupid fool! Why did you do that? Oh, Mamoru, please, please, please don't die. Please, Mamoru, do you hear me? Don't die!"

"Usa-- Usako," he forced past his blue lips.

"NO! Stop it!" she shouted, sobs racking her body. "It's me! It's me! I'm the one who loves you! I'm the one you want! Please, Mamoru, please!"

"You're wrong," Sailor Venus gasped weakly, hanging limp in the chains that were slowly squeezing the life from her. "Usagi and Mamoru are destined to be together. It does not matter what you do, their love for one another will never die."

"Shut up! You and your talk of love!" she sneered, looking up at the blond senshi hanging in the air. She looked back down at the unconscious body of her love. "I'll kill her," she mumbled to herself. "I'll kill her and then nothing will stand in our way. I'll kill her-"

"I cannot allow you to that," a soft voice said. She looked up and remembered the child was still free.

"Mamoru," the voice fell from above.

Venus looked up with hope. "Usagi! Usagi you have to wake up! Usagi, please!"

"NO!"

"I'm so weak…"

'Then use my Strength,' a voice whispered. Green light swelled above the body of Sailor Jupiter.

'use my Power,' another voice whispered. Red light rose from Mars's body.

'use my Knowledge.'

'My Skill.'

'My Harmony.'

'My Control.'

"My Love," Venus whispered, tears falling down her cheeks as she looked up at Usagi.

Saturn stood up straight, staring dead into Megumi's eyes. "My Life... and my Death."

The rainbow colors raced towards Usagi, striking her body and radiating from within. She convulsed on the chains, gasping as the energies merged within her. The Silver Crystal illuminated, filling with the light of the eight planets.

"NO! You Can't! You Can't! NO!"

Megumi rushed her, but the power of the Silver Crystal and Sailor Moon's transformation blew her back.

The light faded away-- revealing the future Queen. Crystal blue eyes blinked open as the celestial figure hung weightless in the air. The Silver Imperium Crystal hovered before her, waiting.

"NO! You must die! You have to die!"

Again, Megumi tried to rush her. Again she fell away, this time hurtling across the room, her body smacking into a wall and crumbling to the floor.

Serenity's eyes took in the room, staring at the bodies literally covering the floor. A tear slipped down her cheeks.

"My friends," she whispered. And then one body stood out against the rest. "Endymion!"

The figure hovered lower until it was kneeling on the ground beside the body of the only male in the room. A gentle hand rested against his chest and the dark armor that encased his body melted away into a black tuxedo, and then the tuxedo paled until it was a lavender shade.

eyes blinked opened, and smiled up into blue eyes. A hand raised and cupped her cheek.

"I was so worried about you," he whispered hoarsely.

She smiled back down at him. "I am sorry, my love. I'll try not to worry you so again." She leaned forward, brushing her lips against his.

There was a hiss from behind them, and again Megumi rushed them.

"No! You can't! I won't let you! You can't!"

Serenity stood. Again, Megumi hadn't gotten closer than five feet until she was thrown away. Serenity frowned at her.

"You hold so much love in yourself," she said, gliding over the ground as she approached the fallen princess. "And yet you feed this love only hate. Why do you persist this harmful action?"

Megumi looked up at her with hatred. "Why can't you just die?" she spat in reply. Sad eyes answered her. "Whaddaya going to do?" she sneered. "You're too weak to try and stop me alone! Even if you're stronger now, how long do you think it will last? How long until you crumple up in a weakened pathetic little pile of bones? You can't win!" Megumi hissed.

"She's not alone."

Chapter 73

"She's not alone," he ground out, gritting his teeth against the screaming pain of his body as he pushed himself to his feet.

"Mamoru! No!" Megumi cried, taking a step towards him. He flung his cape back behind him, holding himself away from her, a cold look in his eye. Her eyes grew large and began to water. "Mamoru?" she choked.

He stood next to Serenity.

"No, no, no," she cried falling to her hands and knees. Her hair, pulled free of its clip, hung in clumps around her face. She looked up at them dazed, but still filled with hatred. "Will you kill me now?"

Serenity shook her head. "Go away," she said softly. "Go far, far away. And don't come back." Megumi looked up at her startled. "From this moment onward you are banished."

"Y- you can't mean that," Megumi gasped, struggling to stand.

The glow from the Silver Crystal began to grow. Beside her, Endymion's Golden Crystal also began to glow. The two crystals rose above their owners and merged into one with a glorious flash of light. Endymion reached for her hand.

"I banish you," Serenity said softly.

"No! There has to be--"

The light grew, the energy of the two crystals merging burst out, swallowing everything and everyone.

*********

Limbo. Floating in a sea of… nothingness.

Where are we? She asked, the light too bright to open her eyes.

What do you want?

To be home… For everyone to be alright…

Easily done-

*********

Falling… falling… fall-- THUD!-- landing.

Groans. Moans. A curse.

"Oh! I feel so--"

"Do you mind getting OFF ME!?!"

"What the--"

"YOU'RE BACK!" Luna cried, rushing into the room. "Oh, thank the Moon! I was so worried!"

Heads popped up. "Usagi!"

They found the bun-haired blond curled up, fast asleep, within the arms of her one true love. They sighed with relief.

"What about-- what about the Generals?" Artemis asked, joining the group. Silence greeted him.

"We should retire," Setsuna said in her timeless voice. "There will be time for questions tomorrow."

"I guess you'd be the one to know!" Minako said, pointing and winking.

"What about Usagi and Mamoru?" Makoto asked.

"They can stay here," Rei said softly.

"No," Haruka interjected. "The car's out front. We'll drop them off."

They nodded, but no one moved to leave. They stood there, in silence. Not knowing what to say; not knowing what to think.

"They're gone, aren't they?" Ami said softly after a moment. "They're not coming back, are they?" Sad blue eyes look up into garnet eyes, begging for denial.

"I'm sorry," the tall, green-haired woman replied.

Rei hugged herself tightly. Minako slipped to the ground. Haruka turned away. Michiru reached out for Haruka. Hotaru stood motionless. Makoto sighed heavily.

"I just don't have luck with boyfriends," she said, sighing again. Exasperation filled the room.

"Go home," Setsuna said. "Get some sleep."

"Yea," Minako said. "After all, tomorrow is," she began, ignoring everyone's groans, "another day."

Shocked silence. They stared at her.

"I think you actually got one right," Ami said softly. Minako blushed, holding a hand behind her head and giggling.

They were quiet as they left the Shrine grounds.

Chapter 74

She stared out at the Tokyo skyline, a huge lump in her throat. Unshed tears burned her crystalline eyes. Behind her there was movement. In the windows' reflection she saw Mamoru. His body was a silhouette of light pouring in through the kitchen. In the glass their eyes met and held.

Slowly, he left the light and joined her in the dark. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her back against him, his chin resting on her crown. Together they stared out over the city they would one day rule.

"I'm sorry," she said in a tiny choked voice. And then, finally, after so many numbed and dazed days, she broke. "I'm so sorry." It's my fault. It's my fault."

Her shoulders shook; her body trembled. He hushed in her ear, pulling her closer, holding her tight.

"I'm the one who's sorry, Usako. I should have been there for you. I should have-- it's my fault, my Usako. I should have known better. I should have-- I'm sorry you had to go through any of this. I'm--"

She turned in his arms, her hands reaching to cup his face. "I love you so much," she said forcefully through her tears. "So much. Please don't ever leave me." Her eyes searched his. "Please don't leave me."

"Never. For all eternity." He leaned closer. "You are my life, Usako."

"And you are mine, my only love," she whispered before his lips sealed over hers in a kiss that spoke of a true eternal love.

*************

The doorbell jangled and she looked up from the seam she was sewing, trying to act surprised.

"Usagi!"

The younger woman turned back to the door and flipped the tiny sign from "Open" to "Close". She turned and looked at the older woman, a hard, painful look in her eyes. Setsuna waited.

Usagi walked through the store until she reached the back room; Setsuna followed, patient.

"I want it to go away, Puu. All of it. I don't want to remember one single detail of the past nine months." She waited a heartbeat and then met the older woman's steady gaze. "I don't want anyone to remember."

There was a harshness to her voice, something that said that this was not a request. Setsuna looked at her, and then slowly shook her head in refusal.

"I know you can do this," Usagi insisted before the older woman could verbally deny her. "I know this is within your power."

They held one another's gaze, testing, battling silently.

"Usagi--"

"Please?" Usagi breathed heavily for a moment, calming the tears that were just inches from falling. "I know you can." She paused, swallowing hard. "Puu, I-- I don't think I can live like this. Knowing... I-- I can't do it."

She looked up at the older woman, her composure crumbling.

"I-- I can not forget," Setsuna said softly. "But-- but I can make everyone else-- and," she took a deep breath, "And I can make it so I never knew."

Tears slipped down Usagi's cheeks and she nodded. "Thank you," she said after a moment. She got up to leave, but a cold hand on hers stilled her.

"Usagi, are you sure this is what you want?" the Senshi of Time asked.

Their eyes met and held. And then Usagi nodded. "Yes."

Setsuna frowned, but let her leave. "So be it then," she said to herself. The jangle of the bells sounded as Usagi opened the door and left, and still Setsuna sat there, feeling sick to her stomach.

"You will need my help?" a small voice asked. Setsuna nodded, not turning around to look at the voice, or the person who owned it. "Then you shall have it, of course."

"Do you mind?" she asked after a moment of silence.

"Mind?"

"Losing your memories," she explained. There was silence, and then the girl answered.

"It is better to not remember Tellurium, I think, then to remember him and miss him," Hotaru said, coming around to face her "aunt". She smiled sadly. "And perhaps, one day, when the time is right, we shall meet again, as was meant to be."

Setsuna looked up at her. "Perhaps," she said sadly. "Perhaps, indeed."

"And the Earth Generals?" the girl questioned.

"They have returned to Illusion, as was meant to be, until their time is right," Setsuna said softly.

Hotaru was quiet for a moment, thoughts running through her mind a thousand a minute.

"We will meet them again, won't we?" she asked, looking up to Setsuna hopefully.

The Senshi of Time smiled and stood up. "Come, it is time for us to leave."

A portal opened towards the back of the room. Both senshi turned to enter it.

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