The days leading to the service were a blur for her. None of the senshi spoke to Lady much, other than sad nearly fake smiles, and attempts at comfort. No she had been alone for most of those days. Her father had gone his own way. Lady hadn't seen much of him till the services. He stood off to the side,s he could see him from the corner of her eye.

The new queen of Crystal Tokyo stood before her people, or what was left of them. Their once bright shimmering city now in ruins around them. The place was the only thing truly left standing, and it was blackened and war scared. 

Lady's pink hair had been done up in her traditional style, 2 buns and pigtails, as her mother before her. The weight of the eyes on her was a thousand times worse than she could have imagined. How could she do this? She felt as if she were alone in this world trying to find a place to anchor herself in the sea that was the loss of her mother. 

The moment came when she would have to speak. She hadn't spoken much in the past few days. She's let Venus handle the arrangements for the services, and Mercury had seen that her mother's body was prepared. When the soon to be crowned queen saw what was left of her mother lying there, her heart skipped, and for a moment she thought that the queen would sit up and smile as if it was just a horrible prank. 

But she would never sit up again, she would never smile or speak sweet words of comfort to Lady again. Lady stood before her new throne, the throne of silver crystal that her mother occupied for eons. They took the tiara she'd worn all her life from her head, and now she stood with only her hairstyle the only thing tying her to generations of moon queens.


Lady took a deep breath. "My people." She began. "We are gathered here this day to mourn the passing for a great woman." She spoke clearly and with strength she didn't feel. "Our dear Neo Queen Serenity was an outstanding leader, loved by all her people. She gave her all to see to her peoples needs and well being." Lady paused, as if collecting herself, but she only put on the show of emotion. She was still and cold inside her heart. "Neo Queen Serenity was taken from us by the Black Moon Clan and their Wiseman." She spoke with a catch in her voice that she did not feel. "Not giving a thought for her own safely but thinking only of her people, Neo Queen Serenity ran onto the battle field to weld her Silver Crystal as she had done so many times before as Sailor Moon, to protect her people." Her pink hair bobbed and she bowed her head in a practiced manner of her show of sadness. "She died a hero that she always had been. She gave her life to protect us and drive the Black Moon clan back to give us a chance to find away to defeat them once and for all." Lady raised her head, tears shimmering in her eyes, threatening to over flow and pour down her face. "Her sacrifice will not be vain. We will defeat the Black Moon clan and we will rebuild our lives." She let the tears fall from her eyes now. "I know in my heart that my mother would want us to live our lives. She would not want us to mourn her loss, but celebrate her life and take the lessons she can teach us to heart." Tears feel freely from her eyes and down her cheeks, leaving dark spots on the fabric of her pink gown. "My mother was a grand woman and a loving and honorable queen, she will never be forgotten." 

With that the crowd clapped and a few cheered. Maybe they felt hope for the future with Lady at the head of the ship. Raising her hands for silence the crowd settled down and she resumed speaking. "The legacy of my mother is Hope, love, peace and Justice. Hope for the future, love for our people, peace for our lives, and Justice for all. Her killers will be brought to justice and we will have our peaceful lives again." Lady's eyes were bright now, not just with tears but with passion. "And we will have all this with hope and love.  Hope will guide us and love will light the way. Together we as a people as a new family we will make it through this darkness into a bright and promising future!" 

The crowd clapped and cheered again. Lady smiled and bowed giving small waves where needed. She kneeled before the Senshi as she was suppose to do, showing her honor to the Senshi of her mother. They would fight for her now, and be her Senshi, as the astroid senshi were off on a mission that would not allow them to return home for some time. They were off deep in space trying to find another way to stop the Black Moon clan. If all else failed here they were the last line of defense for Crystal Tokyo. 

Luna lifted the crown that Lady would wear for the rest of her life, and held it over the girl's head. No matter how old Chibiusa got, Luna would always see her as a child. The mau's eyes were red and puffy, and her voice reflected that she'd been crying for a while. 

"It is my honor to present for the last time Princess Small Lady Serenity, of Crystal Tokyo." She called to the crowd assembled in the great hall. Slowly she placed the crown on Lady's pink hair and Offered a hand to help the new queen to her feet. 

Lady took Luna's hand and stood. She turned to face the crowd, her people now, her hand still clasping Luna's. Luna's voice rang out clear across the hall. "It is my honor to present for the first time, Small Lady Serenity, Queen of Crystal Tokyo." She stepped away and bowed low to her new queen. 

Lady stood for a moment while the people bowed as was custom but she cared little for it. After a moment she turned took the steps to the throne and sat down. When she did the silver crystal throne turned a pale shade of pink, matching her Pink Moon Crystal. Silver was her mother's color, Lady's Crystal Tokyo would be pink for the most part, though she didn't care what color the crystals choose. 

Lady accepted her specter and she sat as she should the picture of royalty, her mother's Senshi on either side of the throne, a solemn picture of perfection. Usagi's body on a dais in front of them. 'So this is the rest of my life.' Lady thought, and she sighed. Usagi had left big shoes to fill and Lady wasn't sure she was up to the challenge.

Mars stood rigidly beside her friends, her eyes fixed on her queen’s peaceful, sleeping figure.

No, not sleeping. Dead.

Rei was not someone who liked sweet lies. She needed the truth. And she constantly reminded herself of it, no matter how much the pain freshly hit anew once more. It didn’t seem to matter how much time had passed. It had not ebbed even a little bit. She doubted it ever would.

She forced herself to turn her gaze from the dead queen to the living. Chibiusa. All her life, she had been living under the shadow of her mother. Even now, her moment of crowning—what was supposed to be the most triumphant moment of her life—was overshadowed by the overwhelming grief of her mother’s death. Even now, it wasn’t about her. It was about the loss of Neo Queen Serenity.

It’s not supposed to be like this.

Rei wanted to see Chibiusa grow to become a woman in her own right. To become a queen that was different yet equally great. But this wasn’t how she’d imagined the coronation to go. It was supposed to be a festive celebration. A day all about her, celebrating her.

Not a day of mourning.

Her speech was wonderful, and Rei wondered where she’d found the strength to summon those words, to string them into beautiful, inspiring sentences, and to say them with such conviction. She had tried to be there the best she could for Chibiusa, but it was hard when every glimpse of her now simply reminded Rei of Usagi.

She stared at the young woman now kneeling before her, wondering if it would ever feel right for her. To walk in her mother’s footsteps. To have her mother’s senshi. It was unfair that she never got to have anything of her own—her own moments—with her mother’s memories haunting her everywhere she looked.

Rei could not stop the tears that welled up in her eyes as Luna raised the crown.

It’s not supposed to be like this.

As Queen Lady Serenity stood to face her people, the crowd began chanting hopefully, “Long live the queen! Long live the queen!”

Rei tried to say the words, but her tongue felt paralyzed. The words seemed wrong. Her heart crumpled.

“Long live the queen!”

The queen is dead.

Jupiter couldn't believe what was happening around her. Not only was her best friend dead, but her other friends, the people she needed to lean on, had abandoned her. They all shut down completely, blocking their emotions out. Even Chibiusa, the young girl who always had so much compassion and love, seemed like an emotionless robot.

Usagi would not have wanted this.

No matter how her friends behaved, Jupiter was not going to shut out her emotions. She needed her anguish and her sorrow to fuel her motions. If she was going to beat Wiseman, she needed her desire for revenge to give her strength. Usagi deserved to be avenged. She deserved a kingdom where her legacy would always be honored.

As Jupiter stood alongside her senshi, she felt sick to her stomach at Small Lady's words. It was all so disgusting. This was Usagi's funeral, and here they talk of revolution? They are supposed to be crying over the loss of the brightest star in the galaxy, and yet they were clapping and cheering? This was not the service of honor and love Usagi deserved.

Jupiter clenched the skirt of her fuku in her hands, using every bit of self-restraint she had not to scream at everyone in the room.

Endymion didn't even remember the days passing. And now here he was, standing in front of his throne, clapping for his daughter as she assumed her mother's throne. 

His claps were slow, monotonous, and there was no smile on his face. He couldn't smile, not when Usagi was gone. Not when his baby girl was becoming queen at such a young age. Not when the serenity of Crystal Tokyo had ended. Literally.

Chances were, he probably wouldn't even remember the current events. He didn't remember anything after Usagi died. All he remembered was holding her in his arms. That was all he wanted to remember. There wasn't a single moment without her that was worth remembering.

Not even the coronation of his daughter. Because it shouldn't be this way. He didn't want to remember his wife's throne being taken by his child.

The farce that was her coronation was over and Lady walked through the halls. She'd spoke with the people that wanted to speak to her, as she should. Most offered their support or their condolences on the lost of her mother. She smiled softly and was every bit the queen she should be now. 

But now after it was all said and done, the new queen walked to her room, as if nothing had changed. She had felt more than seen the utter lack of outward support from those she counted closest to her. Burying that hurt with her mother, Lady was left cold and almost uncaring to anyone looking at her. She still had a job to do, a city to save and people to return the peace to. She didn't have time to grieve, despite the tears that always came at night when she was alone. 

Her footsteps echoed down the hall and she walked with a steady pace, ready to be out of these gowns, frills and other flashy things and back in her regular clothes or her fuku. Her fuku that had changed, that still bothered her, and since her mother's passing she hadn't found the courage to use her new powers and become Neo Sailor Moon,(as she'd taken to calling herself). It felt to strange, to be Sailor Moon. She'd looked up the Senshi her entire life, idolized the warrior of love and justice. Now she was that warrior and it didn't feel right. None of this did but there was little that could be done to change any of it. So Lady kept her emotions at bay, bottled inside, to deal with later after her people were safe and at peace. Then she could grieve then she could give in and let go of it all. 

Closing the door of her room behind her, Lady sighed and started peeling off her gown and it's many layers. She removed her crown last, holding it for a moment before her studying it trying to find where  she might have seen it before, since her mother would always wear the one she wore in life, this was not one that Lady had seen before, that she could recall anyway. 

"Maybe Mother had it made for me." She shrugged and tossed the jeweled silver head piece on the bed to take a shower. She left her dress and other official adornments on the floor in a heap, figuring she would have time to clean up later. 

She paused for a moment, poised to pull her camisole off, when she saw her mother's crystal. Still on her vanity, she had though that someone would have asked for it back, to bury with her mother but they never did. How could they when they hadn't spoken to her since it happened? The thought that Usagi would be buried without her crystal both saddened and angered the queen. Why hadn't they thought to ask? Why hadn't someone checked in on her? She was to be queen then in a few days, but more than that she'd lost her mother. HER MOTHER! 

Her hand dropped to her side her bath forgotten, and she sunk to the stool in front of her vanity. She'd done her best since it happened to put the crystal back together and aside from a few shards it was nearly perfect aside from the cracks that ran though it. It was sitting on a small velvet pillow under a glass lid of sorts. Lady's fingers still had a few cuts from her time painstakingly putting the crystal back together. 

Anger still raged with in her. How could they all be so blind? Of course they had all lost someone precious to them, and yes it was hard, but not one of them had lost their mothers that day. Lady lost her mother not to just the Wiseman, she had lost her to the Senshi, her father and her mother's people. Her mother was taken from her because they were to weak to defend themselves. Usagi never should have been on the battlefield. She never should have felt the need to rush out there, and Lady should have been more careful. 

"If I hadn't been encased in crystal would she have stayed in the palace? Would she still be alive if I had just been a little more careful?" She asked herself again for what seemed to be the millionth time since that day. Shoving her anger down, she ripped her top off and headed for her bathroom. Lady would figure out what to do with the crystal later, now she had her people to save and her kingdom to run, and with little or no help from those around her.

The instant that she was not needed on stage, Sailor Mercury returned to the clinic. She melted away from the rest of the group, her expression flat and lifeless despite what should have been a joyous occasion. She ignored the questioning glances of those who watched her pass, wondering why one of the sailor soldiers would be leaving the coronation so soon, but she did not acknowledge them. It was only when she had donned protective clothing and was among the wounded that she could fully lose herself. Wiseman had retreated after that killing blow to their queen, but there were still so many in need of care. She was almost thankful for it, in some twisted way.

Hours later, she peeled off her mask and gloves, dumping them into the sterilizer. Her eyes were dry and slightly red, evidence of how little sleep and how much work the blue-haired doctor was subjecting herself to. There were still more who needed her attention and expertise, but she needed a break. She needed rest, actually, but she would not allow herself any. Not now. Tonight she would take something to give her blank hours of sleep that made her awaken feel like her mouth and eyes were stuffed with cotton. At least there would be no dreams.

Blindly and unthinking, she wandered through the halls of the Crystal Palace, keeping her distance from any staff or inhabitants. When she stopped, her eyes cleared momentarily and she realized that her feet had led her to the queen's final resting place. It was dark now, and a nearly full moon provided the only illumination. It seemed both fitting and terrible to have that brilliant white moonlight filtering down to the small pedestal where the queen's coffin sat quietly. Was this the same place where she had once known that Neo Queen Serenity lay, encased in crystal?

That past was no longer her future.

Her heart ached, but she had learned not to feel it. No tears gathered in her cold blue eyes. She stared down at the white expanse and remembered her final glimpses of the faded body inside. The golden hair coiled around her, surrounding her like pools of shimmering starlit water. But there was a dullness to it, now. The life was gone. The white gown that had once highlighted that woman's pink skin now only served to show how grey it had become.

"Ami-chan!" The blonde giggled, swinging her book bag in front of her. "Do you want to go to the arcade?" The blue pleated skirt fluttered around her legs. Her eyes shone like stars, and the golden hair swirled around her as she turned. Behind her, student Ami smiled softly and nodded.

The memory stung like acid, corroding deep inside her heart. She had pledged to protect Usagi, forever. She swore her life to do so in that past life and in this one. She failed in both. That beautiful, shining star would never turn and smile at any of them. Her negligence and weakness killed her first and dearest friend.

Her shower finished and her fit over, Lady sat at her vanity with her hand poised yet again to perform the ritual of  doing her hair like she always had like her mother, but something stopped her. She couldnt' get her hands or fingers to move when she told them to and the double bun hair style would not take shape. With a frustrated sigh, she braided her long pink hair letting it fall to nearly the floor. Her gaze caught the crystal on the vanity again. With a nod she knew that no matter what it belonged with her mother and she would make sure if it, even if the senshi didn't seem to care to find it.

She pulled on another dress her mother loved, a pale pink thing that flowed as her mother adored, with out thinking about it. She'd been doing that since her mother passed, wearing the clothes she loved most. It was in a small way her tribute to her mother. Now dressed the queen gently lifted the glass box from her table and fought back the tears that wanted to rush forward. She was going out into the palace, that was no place for people to see her cry or mourn. She needed to be strong, she needed to be a pillar for her people. But how could she when she'd just lost hers? 

Taking a deep calming breath, Lady left her room and padded out to the courtyard where her mother was still in viewing. The moon was nearly full and it seemed to mock Lady as she walked. She was it's guardian now, the guardian of love and justice. That was ironic to her now, for it seemed to the lost child in her hear that there was no love or justice in this world anymore. 

She turned the corner to her mother's resting place, to find Mercury. 

"Ami." Lady's voice was soft on the night breeze. She hadn't been expecting others here so late. She held the box with the partly reconstructed lotus crystal inside it in front of her. "I wasn't expecting anyone to be here." She felt like a child again intruding on a moment between friends. "I can come back later." She hid her hurt she hoped at Ami's presence at the grave, she hoped that the water senshi hadn't hear the slight change in tone, she had wanted one more moment with her mama alone. There was a voice in her head that sounded like her mama, that reminded her that Ami probably wanted something similar with her best friend and that were was no shame in letting them see her cry or break down, she'd just lost her mother, there was no shame in hurting and she didn't have to do it alone.

A soft voice.

"Ami."

...Usagi?

When Mercury turned around, she half expected to see that familiar golden-haired figure, radiant with life. There had been two Usagi once before. Perhaps the corpse laid out before her was some kind of mistake or temporary. Usagi had returned to them so many times; she would put her life in danger, and a miracle would save her. Usagi created miracles. Didn't they all deserve one of those miracles now?

The blue eyes that fell on the figure of Small Lady betrayed no disappointment or sorrow. They were flat and hollow, the sparkles of life and energy dim.

To the princess, Sailor Mercury must have looked exhausted. Her sailor uniform remained spotless and neat, but it seemed to be somewhat faded in colour, as if the days and nights in sailor form were weakening the transformation. Ami's hair and body were clean, but neglected. Her skin looked dry and sallow; her dry eyes clearly irritated. Her face seemed blank, offering the princess no insight to her thoughts. The blue-haired doctor looked like the husk of who she had once been, as though Usagi had been the substance that filled her with life and love. With that force gone, only the shell remained.

"No, Small Lady, that's not necessary."

It was only Mercury's use of the familiar nickname, inappropriate since the teenager's coronation to queen but something used involuntarily--the habit strong enough to overwrite, that conveyed any ounce of emotion in the woman's words.

Mercury looked at the young woman, framed by tendrils of the long pink braid fluttering in the moonlight. She saw the glass box cupped protectively in her hands, caught the glitter of moonbeam across a clear facet of the cracked Silver Crystal of Illusion. The princess--no, no, the queen--held her mother's heart in those dainty hands. The way her fingers curled around the enclosure, she knew it. For a moment, something flickered across Ami's face--was it pain? Sorrow? Hope? It was gone too quickly to identify.

She opened her mouth to speak. Despite her calm and stoic exterior, her voice trembled.

"You did very well assembling it."

The words "Silver Crystal" hardened in her throat like molten lead solidifying in cool water. She couldn't say them.

Lady was sure that in a way Mercury had been wishing for her mother. Most of the Senshi were when she spoke or entered the room. With time it would fade and Lady's life would over shadow or at least the pain would be easier to bear and the first name on their lips wouldn't be her mothers, but hers. Lady decided that she could wait for that day to come. 

She didn't mind being called Small Lady, it was a behavior engrained in all of them by now. She'd gone by the moniker for so long that it was a comfort to hear. She gave Mercury a sad smile and with her still healing fingers clutched the box that held the crystal closer to her chest. She knew that Mercury had seen the cracked crystal, but it was something just so small yet so big that was just hers left of her mother. She remembered stealing it and running to the past to get Sailor Moon, her mother to help, her mother. Now it seemed to silly but at the time in her still childish mind it was the only way to save her mama. 

Now the Silver Crystal was broken, and it seems that hope had left them. Tears threatened to fall as Mercury commented on her re assemble of the crystal, her mother's heart. Finally someone had noticed, someone had seen her love and devotion to her mama. Maybe they would understand why she would be so seemingly cold in the coming days. 

"I thought that it should be with her." She said her voice shaking as she walked over to her mama's crystal coffin. "It didn't seem right to keep it away from her, even now." She said as a tear slid down her cheek and feel on the glass around the shattered crystal. "I wasn't sure if anyone would ask for it, after that day or not." She stepped up and sat beside the glowing casket. "I did my best to put it back together." She didn't say that she'd hope that it was going to bring her Mama back to her if it was whole again. She didnt say that she'd tried to use the light from her own crystal to fuze the shards back together in the hopes that Usagi's life would return. "But no one came for it, now one asked for it or if it had been recovered from the battle field." She wasn't sure if anyone had seen her pick up the shards till her fingers bled. "So I decided to return what I could of her crystal in a few pieces as possible myself." Lady had meant place the crystal and the cushion in the coffin on her mother's chest, but Mercury was here, and some how she didn't think the doctor would take kindly to the opening of the casket. 

So she'd wait.

Sailor Mercury listened quietly to the pink-haired young woman's words, feeling hairline cracks forming on the surface of her frozen heart. Just like her mother, there was so much feeling and love in Small Lady's voice. She spoke of the deceased queen's Silver Crystal with such honor and respect, and such sorrow. Mercury fought against her temptation to succumb to those words and drown herself in the depths of loss she had locked away. The battle was not over. She had to remain present, even if only in body.

"I'm sorry, Small Lady," she said when the teenager had paused. The apology sounded thoughtless and automatic, but again the nickname slipped out, filling the gaps of Mercury's words in with significance and meaning.

The new queen was right that her mother's crystal--her heart--belonged with the body. Unlike the daughter, however, Sailor Mercury had no hope that returning those shards of broken glass would produce any impact on the lifeless corpse. The reassembled thing that had once been that beautiful Silver Crystal remained dull and silent. The cracks did not worry Mercury, only the lack of brilliance. It reminded her of that time when the power of the Silver Crystal entered Tuxedo Mask's injured body, leaving gemstone dark and useless. Without that brilliance, it was only a pretty ornament. Where had that power gone, now that the one who wielded it was dead?

"You are right. It does belong with her," she continued.

"Her." Neo Queen Serenity. Once called Princess Serenity of the White Moon. Sailor Moon, champion of Love and Justice. The brightest star in the universe. Usagi.

Sailor Mercury's tired eyes stared calmly at Queen Lady Serenity. She remembered when she first met Small Lady, that scared child trying desperately to save her mother and her home. Back then, their interference in the past had saved Crystal Tokyo from the Black Moon. So how was it that now, everything was so different? Eternal Sailor Moon had defeated Galaxia, and they had all been reborn. Yet everything had changed. None of this was supposed to happen. Instead of a frightened child trying to be brave, now Mercury saw a grieving young woman, burdened with duties never intended to be hers so soon.

Small Lady deserved so much better than this.

Usagi deserved so much better than this.

Once again, the sting of her failure hit deep in her bones, a pain she could not number herself to. How could she have let them down?

Again, her eyes tracked the crystal clutched in the teenager's hands.

"I could install it tomorrow," she said. The coffin needed a bit of maneuvering to open without breaking the seals. It was a prototype. She hadn't imagined actually needing one as soon as they had. This was a project from before the war.

Mercury wanted to ask Small Lady if she was alright, or ask what the new queen needed, but she couldn't form the words. She only stared at the girl, noticing how similar to her beloved mother she was, and yet how different. Small Lady was no replacement for Usagi--no one could replace Usagi. But she was still incredibly precious to Sailor Mercury in her own unique way, although the blue-haired doctor could not find the way to express it. She had no children of her own and no plans for them. All of her mothering care was bestowed on the crown princess, this heir of Moon and Earth powers. But she found that now she was as cold as her own mother, unable to properly demonstrate her love.

Lady looked up at Mercury and nodded. "That sounds fine." Granted it wasn't what the queen had planned but at least it would be done. In the end that's all that mattered to her. She was just glad that the silver crystal would be with her mother. Tears glittered in her eyes as she gently sat on the edge of the dais. This was as close to her mother as she would ever get again, and it tore at her heart. 

She wanted to ask Mercury if she'd stayed back or in the palace like her parents wanted her to, would her mother still be alive. She wanted to know on some level that she wasn't the reason her mother died. Her mama didn't die protecting just her. She was Usagi, Sailor Moon, Neo Queen Serenity. She was the brightest star in the galaxy, her mama. 

She felt so lost, she wasn't sure which way to go or what to do. She just hoped that when the time came the Senshi would fight, they had to, or what was left of Crystal Tokyo would fall. 

Lady took a breath and stood. "You need to rest." She told Mercury. "I understand that as of late that hasn't been easy," Lady had been taking a sleep aid lately to help her. "But our hardship will not stop the Black Moon, we have to be ready and in fighting form when they attack again." It felt so harsh and cold to say that to someone she held so dear, but in that moment she was a queen with people who depended on her and the Senshi for protect. Thinking ahead to the next battle was the last thing she wanted to do, but it had to be done and those that were suppose to see to this were so locked away in their pain. A pain that while they all shared, it was unique to each and soul shattering deep, but Lady and her father were effect most of all. "Please Ami." She said walking over to the water senshi. "Try to sleep."  She looked at the blue haired doctor, Ami had to know that she was pushing to herd, and Lady knew why, but there would be time to deal with their pain later when they were all safe. Now they had to lock it away, push it down and save as much as they could of what was left of their precious start. "We have to protect the people. Mama'd be mad at us for our actions of late."  Several times over the last few days Lady couldn't help be hear the chiding voice of her mama as she put the silver crystal back together, telling her that she had better uses for her time. She hadn't listened. She gipped the glass case closer to her chest as she heard that voice in her head again, her mama, telling her to speak up and talk to Ami. She'd never been this shy before with the water senshi.

Tears feel freely from her red eyes. "Ami what do I do?" She asked breaking, her knees buckling, nearly giving under her weight. "I try to be like her. To follow the path she left me, but I can't find it. I feel as though every action I make or word I say isn't right, and the people are looking to me for guidance and I feel as if Im lost at sea." She set the crystal down, and wiped at her eyes with the backs of her hand. She wasn't the picture perfect queen anymore, but the little girl who lost her mother all over again. "Please Help me." She begged.

Seeing Small Lady in tears was too much for Mercury. Her own eyes filled as she dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around the frail and shaking shoulders. She gently held the teenage girl, remembering all the times she had protected this child in this century and in the past, and made soft soothing noises as the queen sobbed into her sailor collar. She wasn't sure how to answer the questions or even begin to provide what Small Lady asked of her. Despite everything, Usagi was the one of them best suited to be queen and mother and so much more. Sailor Mercury was a poor substitute for what Small Lady had lost.

Oh, Usagi. You never should have left her, Mercury thought. She needs you so much.

"It's okay," she whispered, slowly rising to her feet to stand facing the pink-haired child, now no longer so much of a child. She paused to wipe some of her own tears from her face. "You're doing everything that you can. You have learned the lessons that others taught you. You are your own person, Small Lady. You've become a wonderful Lady just as Usagi always hoped for."

Her voice caught on "Usagi", slightly choking her, but she forced it out and tried to keep talking. Her duty may have been to support Princess Serenity, Sailor Moon, and Tsukino Usagi, but that was not the limit of her actions. The other sailor soldiers were her family--in this century, her only family. She owed it to the new queen to be honest and open. The grief was still there, but she couldn't let her own pain hurt this dear one anymore. She had been blind to the princess's suffering, and she couldn't let her eyes remain shut. Ami had lost the brightest star in her life, but she was not the only one. She didn't want to let this wound continue to fester.

"I... I will always be there for you, Small Lady," she continued, her voice breaking. The old name was the best one she could think to use--the others too formal or unnatural. No matter how much the little girl matured, she would always be that precious child in Mercury's eyes. "I'm so sorry that I let you down."

"I loved your mother, but that's not why I love you. The people, everyone else, they'll learn to love you and respect you for who you are, not for who she was."

She knelt down in front of the young girl, illuminated by the holy moonlight and in the presence of Neo Queen Serenity's beautiful form within the shimmering coffin. Unlike the farce of this afternoon's ceremony, the stillness of this moment amplified its authenticity. Sailor Mercury's form seemed to glow slightly with the pale blue aura of her planetary power, although she was not using it. She almost thought she could sense the spirit of Usagi, watching over them. Sailor Mercury bowed her head.

"I pledge to serve and support you, as my princess and my friend, until the end of my days."

This time, she truly meant it.

The lull that shrouded the first few days almost felt like successful defeat. It almost felt like the battle, that awful battle, had made some kind of a difference. The air was beginning to clear, leaving the possibility and hope of rebuilding.

And then the sirens wailed.

Black Moon Clan airships darkened the skies, raining corruptive negative energy on the already shattered remains of Crystal Tokyo. Buildings crumbled, pavement cracked, and what little plant life remained fried and smoked in the heat of the assault. Although the city's formal evacuation of all citizens to the safety of the Crystal Palace was complete, that did not mean that it was a ghost town. Some could not bear to leave, refused to leave, or may have been tragically forgotten among the horrible destruction of the once-beautiful utopia. As the Black Moon Clan resurged in the skies and on the ground, they left a gruesome trail behind and below. Bodies of the dead and dying littered the streets. Cracked crystal shards smudged with dirt, soot, and dried blood had lost all their shine and shimmer.

Inside the fortress, tensions ran high. The Crystal Palace no longer seemed impenetrable with the loss of their shining Queen and her Silver Crystal. It shook and rattled with every impact, the outer surface splintering with damage. Civilians, outed from their homes, huddled together in apprehension with every jolt and quiver. Everyone feared that this last bastion would soon be no more, and they would find themselves subject to the terrors of the Black Moon Clan. They were living in a war zone, squeezed beneath the constant threat of danger.

The medical bays buzzed with activity, Sailor Mercury always moving and acting. They were constantly tending for the casualties they could, or otherwise dealing with the horrific effects of the Malefic Black Crystal energy. Supplies were running low, and everyone worried what could happen if they truly found themselves without the reserves they so desperately relied on. The dwindling count of Crystal Tokyo civilians was worrying, as well--if they saved the city itself, but not the people, how could it ever be restored to glory?

But this time, no sailor soldiers stepped out beyond the fortress walls to face the menace that harmed their home. How could they? The sting of that last battle was too fresh. They felt unable to act and change anything. The city was evacuated; it felt like too much of a risk to save the few stragglers. As the days passed there were fewer and fewer beyond the palace walls still alive. They could have remained that way for at least a few months, until the Black Moon Clan could have finally chipped their way through the palace's smooth facade and flooded their Droids inside.

"Yes, hide! Hide like rats!" rang a mocking voice. "You failed to kill me or weaken my forces! I, unlike you foolish sailor soldiers, won't offer an option to surrender."

The figure surrounded by the faceless droids was familiar, his fiery hair befitting his name. Crimson Rubeus and his forces were prepared to storm the gates. Koan may have died in the previous fight, but the other Ayakashi sisters stood alongside him, ready to avenge their fallen youngest sister. With his cocky attitude, he seemed to think that the sailor soldiers would stay huddled inside--and simply let him break down the palace doors and stroll on in. He, who had led the first wave of attacks that had ultimately escalated and killed their dear queen.

No, no, no, no, no, Minako’s mind wailed as she heard the sirens alerting them to Crimson Rubeus’ return. How was this possible? Why were they back so soon, couldn’t they just leave them in peace? Haven’t you already done enough to us!  We haven’t had time to mourn, to process any of this.
 

She quickly made her way to the control room to assess the situation. As much as she wanted to give up and curl in a corner and stop caring, she had made a promise to Usagi that she would look after her daughter, and she would do so, at least until they were safe once more.

There was no end to them.

Mars thought this as she looked up at the darkened skies, at the hateful ships that bore that upside down crescent moon mark, the one openly mocking them, twisting their own symbol of pride and hope.

They had already taken Crystal Tokyo’s queen. What else did they want?

They had taken everything.

She watched blankly as the city before her got destroyed, wondering if she was trapped in some kind of eternal nightmare. When things just kept getting worse and worse even when it seemed as if it couldn’t possibly anymore. The floor and ceiling rattled around her, and yet Mars stood there, unyielding.

It would be so easy to just lie down and give up.

She wanted it more than anything else. Wanted it all to end, so she could be reunited with Usagi again.

She heard Rubeus’ taunting voice, and it stirred the parts of her that used to react so quickly in anger. That part was barely alive now. But she distinctly wished Venus had just blasted him into oblivion the last time they faced him, instead of giving him that stupid option to surrender.

Mars had killed one of them. Koan. Her blood was on her hands.

She could kill the rest of them. Maybe.

If only she weren’t so tired.

When that voice cried out, taunting them, Sailor Mercury felt her body freeze up. She was in the clinic, working hard as always. There was still an endless number who needed medical attention. Even though she had opened up slightly to Small Lady not even a week ago, changing her negative coping mechanisms was still hard. Thinking about Usagi's death sent her into a spiral of self-loathing and despair; she couldn't function that way. That stress and sorrow needed to be bottled up, but in a more manageable way. This was still a work in progress, for her.

She hadn't even interacted much with the other sailor soldiers; she had little idea how they were faring. Mercury knew she ought to ask them. She ought to check on them. She should be a better friend. They had been together for so long, always so close, but now they were so far apart even thought they were in the same palace. It just felt so hard, knowing what she knew and what they all had to know and feel. Finding a place to start seemed impossible.

Rubeus's return made it worse. That terrible battle flashed before her eyes. She felt all warmth draining out of her, turning her cold like the corpse that Neo Queen Serenity had become. How could he have survived, if she had not? How could he be right there, right outside the walls, daring to disgrace her beautiful Crystal Palace? The laughter of the Ayakashi Sisters rang in her ears, menacing and awful.

If they couldn't defeat him last time, how could they have any hope to do so now?

Pins and needles attacked his skin, his muscles' demand for oxygen fighting to be recognized amidst the deafening emptiness of Endymion's mind. The sensation barely registered. His vision swam, finding focus on the far crystalline wall only to lose it again to the swell of static that eagerly reclaimed his sight; his eyes were dry, his throat drier, the cups of tea and hot chocolate stone-cold on the floor beside him. Sustenance was delivered three times a day and once during the night, only to be removed when the next fare arrived - he did not want to eat, or to drink. He did not want to talk, or move. He wanted to die. So long as he was alive, this was the closest he could be to her - sitting pressed against her burial tomb, reminded every moment of every second of every day that she was gone, that they were not together, and so long as his heart was beating, it would remain that way. In death they would be reunited. In death he could follow her, could find her again. He could keep her from being alone, she could keep him from being alone -

His eyes grew warm and started to itch; he didn't move to wipe the tears away or blink to quicken the process, just concentrated on pushing that part of himself back into its corner by ignoring it. He had never felt so alone since finding her over a millennium ago; it had been so long he had forgotten the feeling entirely, and the reunion after such a time of happiness and fulfillment was agonizing. The pain, the emptiness, the longing, the unbearable need of her - turning himself off was preferable, and after moments of staring at the faint beam of light bouncing around the darkened room, his success emptied his heart again. 

A voice teased his ears, faint and traveling from a distance, but he refused to listen. They knew where he was, they knew what he could do if they attempted to move him. They knew he would be of no help. Here he was, and here he would stay, sitting pressed against her sarcophagus, his knees pulled up loosely towards his chest, his arms by his side, and the back of his head against the solid crystal that separated them.

Jupiter was so angry and frustrated. Didn't they understand that they were mourning?! This kingdom lost their queen, their ruler, their everything. There was no sympathy from the Black Moon Clan. They were heartless and they were cruel and they needed to die.

Furious that they dared to show their faces again after what the did to...her, Sailor Jupiter grabbed the nearest breakable object in her room and threw it against the crystal wall, adding yet another priceless item to the mounds of shattered glass on her floor. Her boots crunched against the broken shards as she stormed across her room and into the corridor beyond. She was getting her revenge, and she would not rest until every one of those Black Moon Clan monsters was dead.

She didn't want to fight. Her muscles were exhausted from the lack of nutrients and sleep, and she had been in such a foggy haze of depression that Jupiter hadn't any hope left. But adrenaline coursed through her veins, and hearing Rubeus's voice taunt her only further spurred her anger.

What would Usagi say to her if she saw this behavior?

Jupiter continued onward, searching for any signs of the other senshi or Endymion. She didn't know why she bothered leaving her room to try and fight, or why she even considered the thought that she could actually defeat Rubeus and his minions on her own, but she didn't care.

This was the end for her, and she wanted to go down fighting. Just like Usagi.

She felt that anger again, rising up from where she thought it had been buried to slowly die. It was so hard not to let bitterness that cloud her judgment. She knew that her mother would caution her to keep her heart from being poisoned with ire... but her mother was gone now, and this time it was all their fault. So different from what she remembered as a child, that time when her mother had been in danger because of the choices Small Lady had made. She knew who deserved blame, now.

Or did she?

Who had insisted on fighting with the sailor soldiers, although her mother had practically begged her to stay inside? Not with words, of course, but with the pained way those blue eyes had stared out at the battlefield. The soft touch of the hand that had closed around hers. Her mother... Usagi had never been able to say "no" to her loved ones. Of course she let Small Lady leave the safety of the palace and put herself in danger, because Small Lady had been so insistent on needing to be out there, to fight. As Sailor Chibi Moon, thought she was doing the right thing--but she was only indulging her own weak and selfish whims. And look what had been gained.

Her fingers closed around the brooch. The new brooch. The strange and awful one that held her Pink Moon Crystal now that she was... Sailor Moon.

Rubeus must be stopped.

In a flash of pink light, she stood in her new uniform. No longer Queen Lady Serenity, but instead Sailor Moon. How ill these new names suited her. She had always wished for the day when she would be a true lady like her mother, but now it was a bitter draught to swallow. She had never wished to replace that beautiful woman. She had never imagined a future without her mother by her side, watching over her. This was all wrong.

The least she could do was try to make some of it right again.

She ran into Jupiter in the hallway. Sailor Moon could tell by the look in the brunette's green eyes that she was ready for battle. Unsure of what to say, she nodded at the green-clad soldier and continued on her path--one she hoped that Jupiter had already been following and that the others would be at, as well: the control room.

Luna and Artemis were already there, and in moments Sailor Mercury walked through the door. Trying to act with more confidence than she felt, Sailor Moon approached the screens and carefully read the data presented there. Crimson Rubeus and three of his Ayakashi Sisters threatened their palace. He was stronger than the sisters, but they were not so weak as to be easily discarded. There were five sailor soldiers and four opponents. They would have to work together to keep their home safe.

“What do we know so far?” Venus asked as she entered the control room. She nodded in approval as she saw some of the others already there. Catching site of Chibi Moon…no Sailor Moon now, she couldn’t help but smile sadly. Serenity would be so proud of her daughter right now. Despite how much she was hurting, how much they were all hurting, she was rising to the challenge of defending their home.

Once they took care of Rubeus, she would mourn, despite how much she wanted to. How many times was she supposed to fail her Princess, her Queen? Was losing her once during the Silver Millennium not enough? When Rubeus was dealt with, perhaps she would retire, no longer feeling as if she was a competent leader. Looking at her friends, she wondered how many of them blamed her. Why hadn’t she been able to see Rubeus attacking? She was the leader, the planner. This was supposed to be her job yet she had failed once again.

Mercury's crossed arms hugged her body, fingers digging into her upper arms, as she stared at the screen. Blue eyes, still slightly too red with the skin around them showing her continued inability to find rest, tracked the data displayed there. The numbers and calculations spun and organized themselves in her head. They were so comforting, somehow, in their strange familiarity, that she found herself unable to articulate what she was seeing. Luna spoke before Sailor Mercury could answer.

"Rubeus is just beyond the borders of our current defense, with Berthier, Calaveras, and Petz," the cat explained. "They're on the ground with approximately 50 Droids. I see no readings of air support, although their ships could be stealth. I believe it is possible that with a concentrated attack they could break through the barrier and enter the Crystal Palace."

"We know that Rubeus controls flame and has a higher power level than his subordinates. Berthier has her dark water and Petz the dark thunder. Calaveras relies primarily on her whip and some psychic abilities, as you should all be aware. The Droids are not registering with any specific magic--they have absorbed Dark Power from the Malefic Black Crystal."

Sailor Mercury listened quietly, feeling that dead and cold weight in her chest where her heart should have been. Wasn't it hopeless? How could they do anything, without... her? But when she raised her eyes again and glanced over at one of the displays showing a live feed of the outside... she caught an awful, delighted grimace on the face of the one in blue: the one who shared her ability to control water. It wrenched at something inside of Mercury.

"...Berthier," she said, her voice uneasy and too soft. She coughed slightly and addressed the assembled team with greater conviction. "I'll take Berthier. If I can defeat her--" (She couldn't find the confidence to say "when".) "--I will assist with Rubeus."

She glanced around the room, looking into the eyes of her teammates, wondering what they would be thinking. Luna and Artemis watched as well.

With some effort, Mars dragged herself to the control room. Strangely enough, she felt as if she heard Usagi’s voice urging her on. Come on, Rei-chan, she said playfully, tauntingly, having no business being infuriatingly cheerful for someone who was dead. Are you going to let this be the enemies that take you down? You’re better than this. You’re stronger than this. You’re my Rei-chan, and you can do anything. As long as you’re not dead yet, you’re unstoppable. I know you, and I know this to be true.

Despite herself, Mars smiled. She didn’t know anymore if the voice was her own imagination or actually Usagi from beyond the grave. Either way, it was a comfort, and she liked hearing it.

Go, be with the others. Take down the Black Moon Clan. Avenge me… and then you can rest.

Her footsteps quickened in the hallway, and she finally found the control room. She noticed that she was the last senshi to enter and—

She froze when her gaze landed on Sailor Moon. For one brief moment, the ever familiar fuku tricked her mind into thinking that it was Usagi standing there among them, just like before. Of course, Usagi hadn’t worn her senshi fuku in forever, but the image was all too easy to recall—

And then she shifted ever so slightly and Mars realized she was thinking of the wrong Sailor Moon.

It was Sailor Moon. It was their queen. It was Serenity…

But not theirs.

She shook her head to chase the ghost away and forced herself to focus on what Luna was saying despite the painful stab in her heart.

Her blood ran cold when she heard the cat say that the Black Moon Clan could break through the barrier and enter the palace. She knew that when Usagi died, all hope felt lost. If with Neo Queen Serenity and the all-powerful Silver Crystal they still couldn’t win—if pushing that power to the absolute limit had not even managed to defeat Wiseman—then what chance did they have without her?

But Mars was the soldier of war, and she couldn’t help feeling roused by the idea of battle.

She listened to the analysis of their enemies, and zeroed in on their high-level targets. Rubeus. Calaveras. Petz. Berthier.

Mercury said she would take Berthier, and Mars figured Calaveras and Petz would prove to be worthy opponents for Venus and Jupiter respectively.

That meant…

“I’ll take Rubeus,” she said with a clear voice. His power was fire, Luna said. Well, that suited her very well.

This time, there would be no mercy.

Beyond the walls of the Crystal Palace, the world that had been her beloved home lay in ruins. The destruction looked so complete that she kept having to remind herself that this wasn't fake, from some show or movie—this was real. This was what remained of her beautiful home. No crystal buildings glittering in the sunlight; no beautiful parks teeming with flora and fauna. All of that was burned away, ravaged by the Black Moon Clan.

Sailor Moon clenched her fist, swallowed her fear, and stepped forward towards the gates. Towards the barrier that threatened to fail every minute and let Rubeus and his remaining Ayakashi Sisters breach the tower of crystal that was her mother's castle.

She wouldn't let them.

Fingers tightened around the handle of the Cutie Moon Rod, and she swung it forward as she ran out past their defenses and into the fray of battle, her voice ringing in the eerie stillness.

"Moon Princess Halation!"

The light that burst forth tore the forms of several of Crimson Rubeus' Droid forces to shreds, evaporating them into piles of dust. The others closed in around her, roused to battle. She fought them off, trying to stay focused, hoping the other sailor soldiers were successful at their tasks. She had wanted to fight Rubeus, but she had kept that thought to herself in the control room, leaving him to Mars. Fire would fight fire. They all had a role to fulfill in this battle.

As she dispatched another Droid with a well-placed kick, a long whip snapped across her face. She stumbled backwards, cheek stinging, and looked up to meet brown eyes.

Calaveras.

"Oh, poor little Rabbit," the woman snarled, "Mommy can't save you now."

Sailor Moon rolled out of the way before the next lash could hit her, and pushed forward to land on her feet. She twirled her weapon around her fingertips, grabbed the rod, and sent beams of moonlight speeding towards the gold-attired woman. The bow-topped enemy laughed as she dodged them, until one struck her shoulder. Now there was no amusement in the eyes that locked with Sailor Moon's—only anger.

In the heat of battle, she couldn't remember what roles Sailors Venus and Jupiter had chosen, if any. But if Calaveras wanted a fight, she was going to get one.

There was so much emotion and adrenaline coursing through Jupiter's veins that she felt as if her heart would explode. Her eyes crackled with electricity, just begging to take out all of the stress of the last several days out on someone. She had broken all she could break, and it was time to do some real damage.

"Petz is mine. She won't know what hit her," Jupiter growled, punching one crackling fist into an open palm. Before she could blink, she was outside, watching as Rubeus's army got closer and closer. Sailor Moon took the lead, and seeing their new leader take such a brave action only spurred Jupiter's fury further. It shouldn't be Chibiusa fighting this fight.

It was not supposed to be like this. 

Spotting Petz, Jupiter sprinted forward, her hands glowing brightly now. With a loud shout, Jupiter released a ball of electricity towards an unsuspecting Petz, nailing her in the shoulder. Petz's screamed echoed through the battlefield, her eyes immediately locking on Jupiter's. "Oh, you want to play, do you?" Petz taunted. Jupiter smirked, her hands lighting up once more. 

"Bring it on."

Out on the battlefield yet again, but this time there was something wrong. It was more wrong than the destruction of their once-peaceful utopia. Sailor Mercury kept seeing that flash of gold hair out of the corner of her eyes, turning her head and expecting to see Usagi... But as soon as her eyes looked there she remembered the truth, and thought of their queen's body slumbering eternally in her crystal coffin with the patched-together Silver Crystal of Illusion resting atop her cold chest, where her warm heart should have been beating. Instead, that too-familiar uniform was worn by another—the young queen that Mercury had sworn to protect and serve.

Already the sailor soldier of water and wisdom was impressed by the capabilities of the young woman. Sometimes, with certain glances, Mercury could see Usagi's face reflected on her beloved daughter. This Sailor Moon overcame her grief to defend her people and her home. Sailor Mercury would do the same.

It didn't take much for Mercury to spot the long ice-blue braid of her target—and, in fact, the other woman zeroed in on her just as quickly. They would always be drawn to each other, parallels with similar powers. In just seconds the two were face to face, darker blue and lighter blue eyes evenly matched.

"So, you've finally stopped hiding in your little glass fortress," Berthier commented.

"It mustn't go on like this," Mercury replied.

"It won't. We'll finish you. I'll make you all pay for what you did to my sister," the pale-haired woman spat.

Normally she would have felt something at these words. A tug of sympathy. A pang of compassion. Loss was such a horrible thing. Ami never wanted to be responsible for someone else's suffering. Yet here, witnessing Berthier's grieving anger, she felt no kindness. Images of Usagi's fallen form, ashen gray, flashed in her mind. Sailor Mercury felt something else welling up inside of her, something that she couldn't voice. She spread her fingers, the water rippling through her body, gathering in the palms of her hands.

It was as cold as she felt.

Berthier did not fail to notice the attack, and the impassioned young woman swirled her own Dark Water around herself. Her eyes never stopped glaring at her opponent. When she released the crackling negative energy, Sailor Mercury was ready for her.

"Dark Water!"

"Shine Aqua Illusion!"

The columns of water collided in mid-air, drenching the area, each side vying to overcome the other. Something would be decided here, right now. There would be no second chance.

As they entered the battle, stepping outside the safety of the palace with the new Sailor Moon leading them, Mars couldn’t help a sense of déjà vu. Was she really letting Chibiusa—no, she supposed she was just Usagi—no, no, she couldn’t be Usagi either, just Usa then?—go out and risk her life like this? After they had just lost their previous queen and crowned her as the new one?

What if Mars couldn’t protect her either? Were they going to lose two queens in as many days?

Wrong. All of this felt wrong.

She watched Sailor Moon engage Calaveras with mounting worry, momentarily paralyzed. How was she supposed to fight with this fear that she was going to lose the one person Usagi had entrusted in their care? And so soon after their previous failure, too…

As Jupiter engaged Petz and Mercury battled Berthier, Mars’ attention was soon pulled to an arrogant laughter.

Rubeus.

“Hello again, sailor senshi. Are you going to ask me to surrender again? Perhaps offer me a pardon from your beloved queen?” He smirked, then pretended to suddenly realize something. “Ah! I forgot. You can’t. Because she’s dead.”

That was it.

Fire burst forth from her body so suddenly, it surprised even her. She didn’t remember commanding it or calling for it. But suddenly one second Rubeus was laughing and the next his body was encased in flames, shrieking in agony.

He disappeared from his spot and reappeared a few feet away, his face now contorted in anger. Gone was all the mirth and arrogance. Now there was only pure hatred, which Mars mirrored with her own.

“I see you’re not playing anymore.”

“No.” Mars’ answer was simple. Usagi was no longer here to tame her flames.

And she would let all of them run wild until it incinerated every single one of them.

“Burning Mandala!”

Venus took a quick moment to assess the situation around her when she saw Calveras’s whip struck Sailor Chibi Moon….no, Sailor Moon now she reminded herself, in the face. No way was she going to allow Calveras to attack Usagi’s daughter. She’s mine.

“Venus Love-Me Chain!” Her chain wrapped around Calvaras’ arm, stopping the woman from using her whip on the pink-haired girl in front of her.  "I’m sorry did you miss the memo? You’re my dance partner today.”  Giving her chain a sharp tug, she forced the other to turn to face her.

“I’ll finish you off and then I’ll take care of the little-rabbit; makes no difference to me, it’s all fun.”

“We’ll see about that. Crescent Beam Shower!” She wasn’t playing around, her aim deadly and true. She would take every single member of the Black Moon Clan down for killing Usagi.

She felt a mixture of relief and regret when Sailor Venus intercepted Calaveras before the woman could strike again. Sailor Moon appreciated her team's devotion—they were overcoming their grief, even if temporarily, for the sake of the battle. That's what they all needed right now. Personally, and in order to protect what remained of Crystal Tokyo. But at the same time, she wanted to prove that she could protect herself. She wanted to prove that she didn't need their help.

That was not what she needed to be thinking about right now.

There were still Droids out there, and she had dedicated herself to clearing them. They would only distract the others from their battles with the Ayakashi Sisters and Crimson Rubeus. She wanted to fight someone else, someone who had hurt them, not just these mindless drones. But being a sailor soldier and being a part of her mother's team meant that it didn't matter what she wanted. The pink-haired woman swallowed her pride and frustration, focusing on her objective.

Sailor Moon touched the gem on her tiara, transforming the object into a disc that she charged with energy before unleashing it. It soared away from her, curving into a broad arc that cut through and disintegrated even more of the dark forms. When it returned to her fingers, she replaced it swiftly and destroyed a few more Droids with well-placed kicks and swings of her mother's weapon.

She hoped that the others were successful. She hoped that the Black Moon had neglected to send airships to this battle. She hoped that they could win. For Mama.

Again, the voice cried out, with the words both familiar and foreign.

"Moon Princess Halation!"

Calvaras and Venus fought back and forth for some time. However, Venus had the upper hand. For her, she no longer held back, Serenity was gone, and her wish of trying to save rather than killing when they could was gone with her, Venus found herself no longer caring. She wanted her revenge. 


"Is that all you have?" Calvaras sneered, bracing herself on her knees as she breathed heavily. She was weak, having taken too many hits and Venus knew that all it would take was one more. 

Done playing now, she called forth as much power as she could, intending to end this now. "No," she said, her voice monotone. "Rolling Heart Vibration!" The attack hit as Venus knew it would. She watched, shedding no tears as Calvaras disintegrated in front of her.

They were too evenly matched. Sailor Mercury and Berthier circled each other, panting, each plainly showing the impact and extent of their battle against one another. Mercury's uniform was torn and dirty, her body scratched and bruised. Her opponent fared no better—an equal amount of damage showed on the pale-haired woman's outfit and skin. Blue eyes met blue eyes, communicating cold calculations. There was no anger here, in fact there were no emotions whatsoever: no pain, no regret, no fury, no love, no forgiveness, no compassion. There was only the will to fight.

"You can't beat me," Berthier taunted. "You might as well surrender now—I'll make it quick."

Sailor Mercury refused to reply. Her mouth was a thin line, the lips pressed so tightly together that the blood drained out and left them colourless. Again, Usagi's form flashed through her mind.

Had they made that quick? Painless? Had she suffered?

Mercury's heart ached like a lump of dry ice, burning through her weakened body. She couldn't feel it beating. Maybe this meant she had fought with too much, risking her life...but she would never back down now. Her Princess, her queen, her dearest friend, her brightest star—she had risked her life time and time again, knowing that each moment might be the last, filled with the will to self-sacrifice, and so too would Mercury. She knew that her motives were impure, tainted compared to the hope and dreams of the recently extinguished light, but it was all she had. It was what she must do.

If this was the end, so be it. But it would not be in vain. She felt the power welling in her, the energy provided by her guardian planet, once her home world. It flooded through her body like water, filling every part of her with the force she prayed would strike true. Berthier seemed to have paused as well, possibly gathering her own powers. Sailor Mercury knew she had no time to lose.

"Dark Water!" called one voice, immediately countered.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

Berthier's eyes widened, her mouth open to say something that Mercury couldn't hear, as the freezing water cut through the other woman's attack and violently splashed over her. Her figure flickered, the pale blue outfit almost perfectly matched with the icy blue wave of Mercury's attack. And then, in an instant, she washed away.

A single Black Crystal earring dropped to the ground.

And turned to dust, blowing away.