“You have come just in time to witness the recreation of the glorious kingdom
of the Moon. Queen and Princess Serenity will be restored to the throne and the Moon will
flourish and I,” Rinko smiled blissfully. “I will be restored as well with all my power and all
my children.”
“You can’t do this!” Rei yelled. “Think about all the innocent lives you will be
destroying.”
“This can’t be what you want. This isn’t what Usagi wants. No one wants
this!” Makoto yelled.
“Ah, but you are wrong,” Rinko said quietly. “I want this, and in the end that’s
all that really matters. When all is said and done this will all be just a bad dream to my hime.
She’ll wake in her bed and talk to her mother about the bizarre events during her life as a
senshi. She asked what a Senshi is and Hime will only say that she is not quite sure. When
asked the name of her protectors she will claim that she cannot remember. Thus everyone
will be forgotten and life on the Moon will continue for years, undisturbed and untouched
by outside planets. Especially planet Earth, the cause of many problems.”
“I’m not going to stand by and watch you reshape the galaxy and destroy
everything we worked so hard to protect,” Minako yelled.
“And what will you do without your little Sailor powers? I took your henshin
pens for a reason,” Rinko sneered. It was true though. The battle leaned considerably in
her favor. She had them beat in strategy, strength, and power. The all felt helpless. The
heavy hearts weighed down on the fighting spirits. They had already begun to throw in
the towel. Nothing could help them, or so it seemed.
“Rinko,” called an agitated Nephrite. Rinko looked amused, yet skeptical.
“I know I don’t have much, but I will not allow this to continue.” With that the brave man
come forward and held out his star weapons. He smirked, reminding her that his powers
don’t come from a planet. Then he attacked. Rinko stood calm and serene as he fired his
first volley. She held up a hand and reflected the weapons with ease. Nephrite silently
cursed, but he continued to attack.
Rei gathered her courage next. She remembered her temple training and held
up a small scroll to her face. After calming her mind and body she yelled out to Rinko.
“Hey! Don’t count me out.” Her frown increased as she gathered power into
her hands. “They may not be as strong as my powers from being Sailor Mars, but they
can still hurt you!” She took a step forward as her hair lifted slightly from the energy that
she was putting out. “Aku Ryu Tai San!” Then, emerging from her outstretched hands
came a swirling wave of flames that engulfed Rinko, but it was soon scattered and dispersed
into the thin air. Rei hissed deep in her throat and took a tiny step back. Warm hands
touched her shoulder as Jedite moved forward to aide her, along with Zoicite. With a nod
they engaged themselves in battle.
Zoicite pulled out his crystal sword and attacked. A blue wave of energy was
emitted from Jedite’s hands and Rei fired her flame again. Nephrite let out another volley
of his star weapons. Minako made a fist and grabbed Makoto.
“We’re not just going to sit back let them have all of the fun are we?” she
asked her. Makoto agreed and with and encouraging smile she rushed forward. The
spirit had awakened in all of them, and Rinko was a bit taken back when they all attacked
her at once. Mamoru, Minako, Makoto, and Ami had to depend on their physical strength.
Ami quickly moved as Rinko fired a silver beam from her hands. Mamoru gave her a hard
body slam and as she fell sideways Kunzite took the opportunity to shoot his own energy
attack her way.
Rinko was surrounded on all sides. She was attacked by fire and pure energy.
Electric shock and physical attacks added to the damage. At some point one of the senshi,
probably the blue haired one had released Pluto. She too had added to the onslaught of
attacks. This was the first time she had experienced physical pain. She wondered if this is
what her hime had to go through every time she fought her enemies. Rinko never had to
endure such pain and she began to feel weak. The generals whose power came from a
different source had inflicted the most damage. Especially Kunzite, who knew of nothing but
fighting. She had managed to reflect many attacks, but when she was distracted with one
person, she became vulnerable to the attacks of the others. Now they had the upper hand.
She was completely outraged and she shook her head to gather her thoughts.
She had to remember that she was stronger, faster, and overall more powerful. She hoisted
herself up off the ground so she hovered over them. Her silver skirts flittered as she gathered
power into her palm, firing a stream of white light. She shot again and again, half blind with
furry, missing most of her marks as her enemies scurried around. A flash appeared behind
her and she turned her head just in time to see Kunzite left up his arms and make a large
two-handed fist. He brought his fists down and she faltered, falling to the ground. Dazed
she closed her eyes. She hated feeling pain. She opened her eyes again to see Pluto’s staff
head straight for her face. Acting fast she rolled out of the way and got onto one knee. She
kicked the staff and Pluto off balance. Pluto, who hadn’t gotten her wits together yet, fell
flat on her back. Before Rinko could kill the fallen senshi the meddlesome descendant of
Mars slammed into her back.
Rinko stumbled forward before she stopped moving completely. She felt numb
all over and cursed. She remembered Mars’s maiden having a specialty attack, a paralysis
spell that had been respected all over the galaxy. She cursed. How could she have been so
blind? She should have been able to beat them, but she had failed. In the back of her mind
she wondered why.
“Usagi, hold for just a bit longer,” Mamoru said as he moved forward for the
final blow. Using Zoicite’s sword he lifted it high into the air, prepared to end Rinko’s life.
“Mamoru no!” screamed Minako. Mamoru hesitated for a moment and Minako
took the opportunity to grab the hilt of the sword and shield Rinko from his mighty blow.
“Minako what the heck are you doing?” Rei protested.
“Have you forgotten already?” Minako threw out. “If Rinko dies then Usagi
would too!”
“I have to confess that in the heat of battle it had slipped my mind,” Nephrite
confessed. Minako frowned but didn’t voice that she two had forgotten as well. If she
hadn’t realized what Mamoru was about to do it would have been too late.
“Do it Mamo-chan…” came a meager voice. Minako turned, surprised at
Usagi. Rinko was surprised as well.
“N… nani?” Mamoru gasped, his hands shaking as he tried to maintain a grip
on the sword. What was she saying, he wondered.
“Do it. If my life stands in the way of millions, then… I should be sacrificed!” she
screamed, her hands shaking. She was scared to death about dying. It had happened so
many times before, but there was always some way she came back. She had a deep feeling
that if she died now it would be for good. She wondered if she was really ready for the
ultimate sacrifice. Could she really die for good and put an end to all the misery and pain?
“I think not Hime-chan,” snickered Rinko as she regained control of her body.
She held up a hand to Minako’s back. “To bad Prince Endymion, you should have killed
me when you had the chance!”
****************
Everything was moving in slow motion for Kunzite. He prayed that this was all
just a horrid dream and he would wake up soon. He wanted so badly for everything to
return to the way it was. He didn’t want to have to worry about Rinko’s desires to destroy
everything and then recreate the Silver Moon. He didn’t want to remember that Earthia
wanted to destroy the earth then recreate it. He wanted to forget all the lives that would
be lost, but most of all he wanted to erase the scene he was witnessing. It was that one
horrid scene of Minako’s body falling lifelessly to the cold hard ground.
Now everything seemed to be slowing to a stop. Except for Rinko, who had
not been phased at all, took the opportunity to unleash a merciless assault against the
senshi and all their companions. Usagi watched as the emotions boosted the fighting sprits,
but alas, it was all for naught. One by one they fell and her heart broke into pieces the second
she saw Mamoru hit the ground. He lay there, unmoving. Usagi then knew what it was that she
had to do. She had to die in order to stop Rinko in order to save Mamoru and all of her friends.
Her fingers trembled as she looked around for some kind or weapon, but the gates of time
did provide many options. So far anything of use was still occupied by the loosing forces.
Usagi felt helpless.
“How long are you going to watch Princess of the Moon?” asked a soft voice.
Usagi looked up in the light of clashing power her eyes settled upon the beautiful creature,
which was Gaia. She was young, almost impish. She seemed calm, perfectly at peace as
though the battle was never happening. Usagi stared confused at her.
“What… what can I do?” Usagi asked helplessly, ready for any suggestion, no
matter who it came from. She had seen this young woman arrive with Minako and Kunzite
but wasn’t sure of whom she really was.
“You can fight,” she said.
“Then… then I can die in battle, and Rinko will-” Usagi stopped short in her
sentence when a fast hand slapped her cheek. Gaia lowered her hand after casting the
blow. Usagi stared at the woman in disbelief.
“You dumber then I thought, Hime-san.” Gaia walked past Usagi a little ways
keeping her eyes trained on Rinko and Rei who were engaged in a mini fight.
“I don’t understand,” Usagi shuddered, tears forming under her closed eyelids.
She made two fists on the ground and shuddered little a small child out in the cold.
“You think you’re the only one don’t you?” Gaia asked.
“Yes! Don’t you see? If I die… then Rinko will die as well. I’m the last direct
descendent.” There was a silence between them. In the background her friends continued
to fight and fall.
“I too am a maiden, separated from Earthia,” Gaia finally said.
“Then you should understand.”
“Yes, I do. If you die all your friends and family will grieve at your loss. They
will cry for days and live miserably in self doubt for the rest of their years, and Rinko will
still wonder free.”
“Nani?”
“You think you’re the only one left from the moon, don’t you. Well let me tell
you this,” Gaia paused and closed her
eyes. A silvery feeling tingled her senses and she felt worry, sadness, fear, and happiness.
“On earth there are two cats who are feeling immense worry because they haven’t seen
their owners in days.”
“Luna…. Artemis…”
“A woman just lost her husband and she’s crying at his grave. A small boy is
lost and he can’t find his mother. A little girl is crying tears of happiness because she is free
from a horrible marriage. All these people… are descendents of the moon. Not direct but
they are descendents non the less.”
“N…Nani!”
“I learned that as long as there are living things connected to you, as long as
you can feel their power, you’d be able to live. So Hime-san,” Gaia cast her a look over
her shoulder. “Go ahead and kill yourself, but it will do you no good. Rinko may not
know it, but there are others out there. Others just like you. Oh,” Gaia paused and smiled
a bit. “Let us not forget your unborn child of yours. I believe that she too will become a
direct descendent as well. That is… if she is permitted to live.”
******************
“Rinko…” Makoto huffed, holding her bloody arm. “If it’s the last thing I do,
I’ll kill you.” She fell to her knees feeling weak all over, her vision began to fade.
“Oh, such words my brave senshi, but have you forgotten. My trump card,
your dear princess, so if you wish to see her die…” Rinko trailed off with a nasty smile
on her face. She was a little battered, but she was in a better condition then the senshi
and the generals were. She had managed to defend herself and now only two senshi and
two generals were left: Kunzite, Jedite, the senshi of Mars and the Senshi of Mercury.
She was pretty sure she had killed the rest, but it didn’t matter. She could check later.
The battle, although unexpected, was proving to have no effect on her overall
plan. As long as the senshi believe that her death would result in Usagi’s death she was
safe. Deep down she had a tingle of fear that they would find some way around this
obstacle, her fears were put to rest when the senshi of Venus protected her from the Prince
of Earth’s hand. It almost hurt her heart to see such a brave and loyal senshi go down, but
she also had to thank the fighter from Earth’s sister planet. With that death she was able to
catch a second wind.
“I don’t think you’re in a position to issue threats,” Rinko chuckled.
“Shut up!” Makoto yelled and charged forward, her hand poised in attack mode.
Rinko dodged Makoto’s punch and moved out of the way of her left uppercut. She ducked
under one high kick and jumped into the air over a low kick. Her hands glowed a shady
white and she set loose a serried of hot beams. Makoto was able to dodge a good number
of them, but seven caught her leg, three hit her arm, and two landed in her side. Makoto fell
face first onto the ground, a small pool of blood started to form around her wounds.
“Who next?” Rinko laughed, feeling cocky. She set her sight of the little senshi
of Mercury. “Maybe you? Do you want to fight too little one?” Rinko laughed as the senshi’s
face turned blue. The funniest part was that she tried to actually look fearless. Rinko knew full
well that she was shooting pangs of fear into their hearts. It was only a matter of time now.
Soon all of her dreams would become a reality. All those who caused her pain would be
destroyed.
“Rinko! Stop!” Usagi cried. Rinko ignored her. It was time to take out the
remaining senshi. As she moved forward Rei came up to her side with a high kick. Caught
off guard Rinko stumbled back. Rei took the chance to advance on her attack with a series
of punches and kicks. Using one of her scrolls she tagged it on Rinko’s back. A ring of
flames encircled her and Rinko winced from the pain. She heard her hime call out an
order, but her ears were ringing and she didn’t catch it all. She used her own power to
extinguish the flames around her.
“I’ll kill you all!” she screamed and held the power orb above her head. “With
this as a booster you will not survive!” She was caught up in a daze of insane laughter.
Finally it was coming to an end. No pain no suffering. They would all die here and now.
Lightning shot out every so often while she gathered her power. Kunzite, Rei, Jedite, and
Ami cried out in pain as their weakened bodies were attacked. Rinko glowed with power
and her eye dilated. Suddenly something sharp poked her abdomen. It hurt as it went
through her body. She felt her power fade and now she was screaming instead of laughing.
She cried and grabbed hold of the sharp object, dropping the orb in the process. It was a
sword. Someone had stabbed her, but how? Who? Rinko looked up into cool blue eyes,
filled with anguish and pain. It looked almost like the senshi from Venus, but it wasn’t. It was…
“H… Hime?”
“This ends now Rinko,” she said coolly and pushed the sword farther in her
stomach.
“H… how could you…” Rinko coughed blood.
“You tried to kill my friends,” tears poured from Usagi’s eyes. “You tried to kill
Mamo-chan. After I trusted you and believed you!”
“Y…you can’t hime-san… You’ll die… I’ll die… I did this for you
Hime-san…” Rinko felt body become weak and she fell to her knees. She didn’t want to
die, and fear turned her heart to ice.
“I won’t die…” Usagi glanced over at Gaia. “There are others, others that you
didn’t know about. You and I are not alone. I may be the last direct descendent, but I’m
not the last descendent overall.”
“Hi…me-s…an,” Rinko whispered. Was what she said was true? Was
that why her hime wasn’t dying like she was? Nevertheless it was too late to ponder
the thought. She was dying, just like she had so many years back when the Silver
Millennium came to an end, but this time she felt different. She only felt her body
dissolve, but her soul, her sprit was lighter, and it seemed to fly. It felt bright and
warm as she collected the knowledge of her time alive. She remembered how she
had made a physical form for herself and how alone she had felt when millions of moon
descendents were killed. But now, she felt the life force of the descendents that her hime
had mentioned. She felt them and wondered why she was unable to feel them before;
had she really been that blind? Did she block them out with the belief that Usagi was
the only one left? She felt sorrow and pain, but most of all she felt regret. Her body
faded away and from above she saw her hime fall to the ground. Her death didn’t kill
her, but the loss of energy and power took its toll.
“Hime-san, please forgive me. I’m sorry for all the pain I have caused
you, and… thank you for your help. It was fun… while it lasted,” she said. Now
she just wanted to be free now, and thanks to Usagi, she was.
NEXT CHAPTER: The Way We Are
Author’s Note: OH MY GOSH! That was one heck of a chapter. I hope you all liked
it. I’m bringing it all to an end next chapter. You’ll find out who lived and who died, and
what Gaia’s gonna do with Earthia. I want to thank everyone for your support. On and
thanks for everyone who took the time to tell that ZOCITE’S EYES ARE GREEN. I
have to say that my manga picks of him are b&w so I can’t see eye colors and I haven’t
seen the anime version of him in years so I took a gamble. Thanks for all the feedback,
especial the person who told me the real name of the generals. Thanks for putting up
with me. Keep Reading! Keep Writing!
