Jupiter didn’t manage to stay up for long. As she was gathering energy to attack the dark figure above Crystal Tokyo, another burst of dark energy hit her squarely in the stomach. She fell, releasing barely a crackle of electricity that didn’t even seem to tickle her enemy. When she saw what had happened to Small Lady, however, she felt paralyzed in an entirely new way. The princess had been frozen inside her own crystal. She couldn’t even scream. Couldn’t find her voice as horror after horror struck. She watched her friends falling. Watched Neo Queen Serenity come running right into the fray, where her enemy was waiting for her.

Jupiter’s world seemed to have come to a stop. Try as she might, she could no longer move a muscle. Almost all of her energy was gone. The dark figure above them was laughing, positively delighted by the queen’s appearance. “U… sa… gi…” she tried to say, but the words were barely a whisper. She knew words would not be enough to make her run anyway. Because she knew Usagi. Usagi had never just stood by or run away when the people she loved were hurt. That was what Mako loved most about her.

But sometimes it was what frustrated her the most.

How were her guardians meant to protect her if she wouldn’t stay put?

Their enemy’s next words made her feel ice cold. It was the cruelest fate; to only be able to watch as the worst thing in the world happened right before her eyes. Despite knowing what might happen, Jupiter couldn’t avert her eyes from the queen. Even now, she chose to believe in Usagi. In her strength. In her undefeatable streak. In her ultimate desire to save everyone.

Usagi was going to save them all. She had to believe it.

Anytime now, their queen was going to blast their enemy to smithereens and teach the Black Moon Clan a lesson once and for all. No one messed with Neo Queen Serenity’s friends. No one touched her daughter. Surely he was in big trouble now.

The mass of dark energy headed for Neo Queen Serenity, and even to the last second, Mako believed.

Usagi would win.

Neo Queen Serenity 

Mars's voice was heart-wrenching. It echoed as clearly in Usagi's ears as if she had been standing side-by-side with her dear friend. She knew that Rei, the Rei she loved and cared for, feared for her safety. Of course, Venus felt the same way. The emotion in her plea, even as she tried to sound harsh and commanding, pierced Usagi deeply.

She was letting them all down. They wanted her to stay inside, out of the battle. They no longer believed that she could keep them safe with the power of her love. If that was true, the Silver Crystal would be brighter. She could not keep her promise and let them fight for her while she merely watched, and for that she knew she had betrayed her dearest friends. She just couldn't let them risk their lives while she did nothing. Usagi hoped that they could forgive her, when the battle was over.

Of course the Black Moon Clan was waiting for her to emerge from her protected cocoon within the palace; she knew that would be true. She knew that Rubeus could not be the dark power driving forward that family. Wiseman was the true center of their dark power.

The white ruffles of her dress fluttered around her body like the wings that had once adorned her as Eternal Sailor Moon. Neo Queen Serenity did not flinch or divert her course when the evil energy shot towards her. A white light had been building up around her as she dashed into the fray, and it blossomed around her like an opening lotus flower. She hit Wiseman's attack head on, the white and dark energies crackling as they slammed against each other. Neo Queen Serenity cupped the blazing, white-hot Silver Crystal in her slender hands, pushing it before her. Her pigtails streamed back like comet tails in the wind of the collision.

"Please..." she whispered silently, "My friends, lend me your strength!"

She could feel her energy being drained. Mercury could feel her legs give in as she slowly sank to the ground, legs no longer able to support her with how weak she was feeling. What were they going to do? She asked herself as she looked around. The other inners had fallen like she had. Chibiusa was…no, she couldn’t bear to finish that thought. The battle looked hopeless. For the first time in her life, Mercury could feel herself losing hope.

Her attention turned somewhere else as she heard Mars’s scream. She could feel the other womans desperation in that scream. She then heard Wiseman speak. No, Usagi couldn’t be out here. She was supposed to stay in the castle; she was supposed to stay safe while they fought. They couldn’t lose her, couldn’t lose both Chibiusa and Usagi in one day.

“Usagi!” She screamed, struggling to get her uncooperative body to stand, to do something. She couldn’t just sit here as her friend died.  She had to protect her.

Mars felt the calling that she used to feel long ago, whenever they were all in tough battles like this. Whenever Usagi risked her life by using the power of the Silver Crystal. She hated that Usagi was doing it now, but it was too late to do anything about it. Neo Queen Serenity had met Wiseman’s attack head on, and the bright white light of her crystal and the dark malicious energy clashed in a struggle of power. And the queen was calling to all the senshi to lend their powers. Even though she was terrified for the outcome of this, Mars knew the only thing she could do to help their queen was to do as she asked. If everyone helped, even if their energy was obviously much depleted already, maybe there was still a chance.

Maybe Usagi could spare one more miracle.

And yet the scene before her eerily reminded her of the distant past of Silver Millennium, when they had failed their princess for the first time.

Mars closed her eyes, dispelling the ominous thoughts, trying not to remember her bad premonition and the sense of foreboding that had haunted her this entire day. Instead, she focused her entire being toward the power that was in her core—that was as much a part of her as her soul. Flames of Mars, lend me your power, so that I may save my dearest friend. She prayed, and directed the power toward Neo Queen Serenity. A beam of red light shot from her body toward the queen, her Sailor Crystal powering up Usagi’s like it had so many other times in the past.

She didn’t hold back; pouring instead everything she had left within her for Usagi. She was willing to give all of it, even if it would mean her own death.

Better her than Usagi.



Jupiter sensed the call more than she heard it. She watched their brave and powerful queen battle Wiseman with her own light, reminding her of how it used to be in times past. She didn’t hesitate to summon her entire strength and threw it her friend’s way. This was just like the good old days, right? As long as they were united behind Usagi, everything was going to be okay, right? There was nothing that they couldn’t conquer together.

Much of her energy had been sapped by the battle and the dark energy, but that only encouraged her to share what was left with Usagi. Better she took them than the enemy.

Jupiter, I command you to lend me the strength that my queen needs. She focused on Usagi, focused on sending everything she had toward her friend, and a beam of green light joined Mars’, merging into one with Neo Queen Serenity.

Take everything, she thought. Take as much as you need to win and save us all.

The two energies clashed, warm white light crackled against deep dark blackness. At first, it appeared as though both Usagi and Wiseman were evenly matched, the space in which their attacks met was equal in strength and force. But slowly, Wiseman's energy was beginning to inch forward, making its way closer to Usagi.

Venus only had one thought continuing to repeat in her mind, over and over: I have to save her, I have to save Usagi.

We can't lose her.

But regardless of how much she struggled, Venus couldn't get up to go to her beloved friend's side.

It was then that she felt the call. It was a familiar thing, to feel Usagi's need so clearly within her own mind and heart. Venus swallowed back her own fear for her friend, to ignore all of the warnings blaring in her mind, and she closed her eyes.

Focusing all of her remaining energy, she sent it to Usagi, hoping to give the Queen as much of an advantage as she could get.

Venus opened her eyes again when she felt herself about to pass out from lack of strength, but she forced herself to stay awake, even though her body slumped weakly backwards. She might not be able to be at Usagi's side, but she would not lose herself to her own weakness. If Usagi needed even more energy, Venus would be ready to send it all to her Queen.

Wiseman seemed to sense that Usagi was beginning to get stronger, and he thrust his hands foward, and his beam of dark energy seemed to get larger, more insistant.

"Little human girl, do you truly believe you can defeat me?" Wiseman's voice held no hint of fear, despite the fact that his actions showed that he thought more power was needed.

Venus wanted to say something to Usagi then. Words of encouragement, perhaps, or maybe even frustration that Usagi was now in danger. To explain just how worried she was about her friend. But Venus had no energy to do anything at all but watch as the fight continued.

Usagi... please be careful.

Luna watched from Veuns' side. While she wasn't a senshi in her own right she did possess her own sort of energy a power that was unique to her. Shifting to her cat form, she summed with all her will her own energy the same she used to shift back and forth from human to cat. It was this energy she sent hurling towards her dear friend in a beam of purple light. She may not be the strongest or even the lest bit powerful on her own but as best she could figure any energy was helpful. The small black Mau felt drained and she sagged under her own weight, yet she still pushed all she had towards her friend. 


We cannot lose her. 


The thought ran through her head like well a cat chasing a ball of yarn around and around. 

With her energies sent and spent, Luna fell to the ground, unable to stand any longer. 

Stay strong Usa.


The cat thought as she watched through weary eyes as the battle unfolded around her. 



Chibiusa was trapped unable to move and yet she still fought the crystal around her. She felt the call from her mother and wanted desperately to send something anything to help her mother, but the power that she was so used to being there, like a pink fire at her core, was missing. She was unable to help, unable to do anything but watch through half closed eyes as her mother and her friends fought for the future of their city and it's people. 

Where had her power gone? What had happened? When the pink moon crystal encased her did it take with it her ability to use it's power? Was this part of how it kept her safe? 

She needed the power that  she knew so well to protect her mother now more than ever, and yet here she was powerless to help, only able to watch as the horrific battle bloomed around her like a dark and evil rose.

Neo Queen Serenity 

She could feel the warmth as power from her friends flowed through her. Fanned by the flames of Mars, sparkling with the electricity of Jupiter, glittering with the love of Venus, and immersed in the water of Mercury. As each energy made contact with her, her body and the Silver Crystal glowed brightly with the hue of each friend. A familiar reminder of their deep bonds of love and friendship. She felt another, as well--her dearest Luna, praying alongside her as she had done so many years before.

The Silver Crystal was no longer visible now, the expanding white-hot aura surrounding it had turned opaque with energy.

Wiseman's taunt fell on deaf ears. Usagi--no, truly Neo Queen Serenity now--could feel only the resonating of the rush of moonlight and love from her soul amplifying through the Silver Crystal in her hands. The faces and memories of her loved ones flashed through her mind, an endless stream of all those things she cherished and must protect. The two opposing energies fought for dominance, each one seeming to overpower the other for just a moment, only to have the opponent re-surge as well. At any given moment, either dark or light could appear to be the imminent victor. Neo Queen Serenity's resistance did not weaken.

She felt truly alive again. That horrible emptiness was gone, and she was filled and overflowing with light and love. She had not been losing her power; she had only lost touch with it. The Silver Crystal sang in her hands, bright and powerful, and she could feel it in the core of her being. She was connected to it in the most essential way. This was her heart, thrust out before her, seeking to envelop all in the love that sparkled inside of her.

The light surrounding the queen intensified, and hope swelled in her chest. She could do this. She would save them. Everything would be all right.

And at that moment, the Silver Crystal exploded.

The visible detonation was blinding. The light flared out from where the Silver Crystal had been mere moments ago, shock waves washing out everything into white. A high-pitched noise seemed to deafen all noise, cocooning the area in an absence of sensory perception. There was nothing, only white. No battlefield, no fallen soldiers, no destruction, no evil forces. Only white.

And within this void of white, the body of Neo Queen Serenity fell from the sky. Her tattered white dress fluttered around her like the broken wings of an injured butterfly. As the disbursed energy slowly faded, returning colour and sound to this world, the faint silhouette of the motionless body crashed into the ground. Threads of golden hair surrounded her like a spiderweb, knocked loose from the signature "bun" hairstyle. The pale skin, somehow unscarred from battle, had taken on an ashy tone. Fragments of the Silver Crystal twinkled amid the rubble like broken prismatic glass.

The closed blue eyes would never open again.

Usagi was dead.

It had been hundreds of years since the memories took place, but now they seemed just like yesterday. The first moment Usagi appeared in her life. The disruption she’d rudely brought into Rei’s place of sanctuary—the shrine. The way she had barged into Rei’s life, straight through the walls she had carefully built around herself. Usagi was relentless. She was a force to be reckoned with even then.

And she was a one in a million soul. She was precious, she was special. There was no one else like her. If it hadn’t been Usagi… no one else could have reached out to Rei like she had.

Memories of their younger days flashed through Rei’s mind as she wondered if they were all dying. Was this how the world ended? Were they all going to die together? She didn’t mind it that much, surprisingly. She was always ready to die with Usagi anyway, or for her. A world without Usagi was not worth living in. She had lived for so long, hundreds and thousands of years, and she was tired. She had had enough. She could die happy with her beloved friends.

As the explosion that seemed to wipe out everything happened, Rei fell onto her back, blacking out for a moment. For a brief, precious few seconds, she felt peace. She knew nothing except nothingness itself, and it was wonderful.

Are we done fighting? Finally?

She was floating in a dream momentarily, thinking about a peaceful end, but reality cruelly caught up with her again much too soon. It wasn’t over yet. At least, not for her.

Her eyes blinked open and she felt solid earth beneath her. Her aches and sores and wounds gradually returned as feeling slowly seeped back into her bruised and battered body. She weakly tried to move an arm, to roll over and see if her friends were alright.

What happened?

The sky looked clear, free of the dark energy. The terrifying enemy that terrorized them seemed to be no more. Hope swelled in her chest even as her sixth sense washed her with a feeling of dread and despair. There was no reason to feel that way anymore. Crystal Tokyo was saved. Neo Queen Serenity had won like she always did…

Usagi.

She jolted awake completely, invigorated by the thought of her friend and queen. Through the debris she tried to claw her way, blinking back the smoke and ash. There was so much ruin around her. And the queen was nowhere to be seen. Panic set in as she struggled to get up.

Usagi’s hair was the first thing she saw. That beautiful golden color that now seemed duller, yet still provided a stark contrast among the grey. Her heart felt as if it had got caught in her throat, and for a few seconds, Rei couldn’t breathe.

Usagi’s eyes were closed. Her skin looked so pale, and when Rei managed to get close enough, limping her way through many broken crystals, she found the one that had mattered most shattered as well. Its glimmering pieces scattered around Neo Queen Serenity’s chest, broken beyond repair. Her Sailor Crystal. Her soul.

Her life.

“Nn—” Rei couldn’t even get the short word past her lips. It had gotten stuck halfway through, choked by a sob. She fell beside her friend, her princess, her queen. Her knees hit the ground roughly, but the pain was barely comparable to the one inside her chest.

The sound coming out of her lips didn’t sound human at all. She didn’t even realize she was the one making it. It sounded like a keening of a wounded animal having its heart literally ripped out of its body.

Sounded about right.

“Usagi,” she whispered at last, grabbing her friend’s shoulders, touching her cold skin. The shock of it nearly made her drop the contact. Usagi felt wrong. She was always warm and full of live. Not this… this cold, empty, broken shell.

“Usagi,” she tried again, shaking the body for all it was worth. She knew it was pointless, and yet.

And yet.

She couldn’t see her friend’s face clearly anymore, and she didn’t know why. Her cheeks felt wet and droplets of water fell to the ground, but none of it mattered.

Nothing would ever matter anymore.

“USAGI!”

The broken words fell out of her, and they shattered on the ground with everything else around her.

Mercury watched as Usagi took the attack from Wiseman’s attack head on. No, she couldn’t be doing this. It wasn’t right. Mercury felt herself growing desperate, trying to get her body to respond, to do something. She had to stop this! She couldn’t bear it if the Silver Millennium repeated itself and she failed in her duties to protect her friend once again.

She could only watch as the battle raged on and she felt her energy being drained. If it meant that she would die giving her energy so that Usagi would succeed and win, then so be it. She would give her life for her friends. Please win Usagi, take what you need and win and survive.

“Usagi!” Mercury screamed as she watched the light that surrounded the Queen intensify for a moment before the Silver Crystal explode. She shielded her eyes and covered for a moment from the blinding light and deafening noise only to look frantically around for her friend when it was all over.

What had happened? Where was she?

“No,” she whispered in horror, as she finally spoted her friend. The body of Neo Queen Serenity slowly fell down from the sky. The Silver Crystal was in fragments around her, glittering in the rubble surrounding her fallen friend. Usagi was dead. “NO!” She screamed, a sob choking her throat. While she had regained the use of her limbs once more, she found herself unable to move, overwhelming grief anchoring her to the spot.

She watched as Mars made her way to their friend, tried to see if she was alright, was ok. Mercury allowed herself to feel hope for a brief second that maybe she had been wrong, maybe Usagi was alright when Mars’s broken screams shattered what little hope had built up once more, leaving Mercury feeling empty and dead inside. There was now a void in her heart, one that would never be filled again.

Jupiter’s energy was spent, but she held on. She forced her eyes to open, to watch the battle. She needed to see when it was over. Needed the assurance that everything would be alright. She couldn’t fade away while Usagi still needed her. She would die for the queen if necessary, but only when she absolutely had to. She so hated leaving Usagi without her protector.

As the light from Neo Queen Serenity and Wiseman’s battle grew to blinding proportions, Jupiter finally had to look away, and that was when the explosion happened. She closed her eyes and shielded her face, waiting for things to settle once more. For a second the entire world was white and nothing existed. A total lack of noise reigned for a brief moment; an eerie emptiness.

As color slowly returned to the world, she looked up at the sky. It was clear once more, free of all the dark energy. Not a single trace of Wiseman remained. A slow smile—tired, but still joyful—began to form on her lips. She knew it. She knew Usagi would do it. She had defeated them. Defeated the worst of them once more. Like she always did. Crystal Tokyo was saved. Everyone was saved.

She stood up slowly, still with the smile on her face. The sky looked so beautiful now. So blue, dotted with clouds of white.

And in the middle of that picturesque view, an angel was falling.

No. Not an angel.

Jupiter’s eyes widened. It had seemed to be falling in slow motion, but then it was as if time caught up again. In an instant, the body fell with a sickening thud. Lifeless. Motionless.

Like a rude wake-up call that shattered a beautiful dream.

Jupiter felt her heart thudding heavily in her chest. But she couldn’t move. She stood rooted in her spot, watching the figure lying on the ground. Watching Mars claw her way toward it.

Denial seeped in. No, that was not her friend. That could not be Usagi. Usagi could not be…

She couldn’t even think of the word. Physically incapable of it. Usagi was the queen—she was invincible. Immortal. Her Silver Crystal was the strongest thing in the galaxy. What she was seeing was impossible.

But Mars was shaking that body with visible grief pouring out of her. Not a lot of thing could shake Rei. Not a lot of things could make her look like that. Jupiter—no, Makoto—walked slowly toward the two of them. She didn’t want to, but she needed to know. Needed to see for herself.

“Usagi… chan?” she whispered, stopping just behind Rei. When she saw her friend’s unmistakable ashen face, her legs went out under her. She knelt beside the fallen queen, staring at her face. At the eyes that would never open again. The lips that would never smile again.

“No,” she said simply, insistently. “No. She couldn’t have… No! She’s stronger than this. There must be a mistake. We helped her. We gave her power…”

Not enough.

The guilt and the sense of failure crashed into her without warning. She was the soldier of protection. She was the one who was meant to lay down her life for Usagi more than anyone.

And she had utterly failed.

Mako pounded her fist on the ground; in frustration, in anger, in regret. “Usagi…” she whispered brokenly, her heart shattering into pieces.

Chibiusa was in shock. She felt more than saw the loss of her mother. The princess felt suddenly cold and hollow. She knew that she had lost something vital to her life. She wanted to scream to cry out against the world and it's horrid injustice. To take from them the brightest star in the galaxy, it tore her heart out. 

But it was the screams of Mars that pushed the crystal incased princess over the edge. She had to get out and she had to get out now! 

In a burst of power, the rose colored crystal around the princess, shattered flying out from her in a wave of rose quarts shards and pink power. She stood her breath catching in her throat. She couldn't believe she was free now. Paying no attention to her dress, she picked up her skirts and ran across the battlefield to her mother's body. She didn't care that there were droids around her or that the Wiseman was still a threat. She had to see her mother. She had to. 

She fell to her knees, which would show the bruises tomorrow. She covered her mouth with her hands. This wasn't happening. There was no way. She reached out and gently laid her finger tips on her mother's bare shoulder. It was cold, and paler that normal. The queen's body was dim, as if all the light had left her. All the warmth that made her who she was. Gone. It was all gone. Chibiusa's hand crept to hold her mother's shoulder. She gave it a shake. "Mama." She said like a child, that was had been for so long. "Mama." She said shaking her harder. Tears were forming her red eyes now. No, not mama. It was her nightmare made real. 

"Mama!" She said, her hands on both shoulders now, ignoring Mars altogether. Right now for the princess the only things in the world where her and her mother's body. Pulling the cold form of her mother to her chest, tears flowed freely from her eyes. She cried like a child. Deep sobs shook her whole body. "MAMA!"She screamed at the top of her lungs.  

The pink haired princess pulled her mother to her for what was the last time and she cried in to the still body. Her tears weren't enough to bring the Queen back to life. She knew that but she still cried into the dull blonde hair of the woman she idolized. Sure they'd had there spats, their fights, but that didn't mean that they didn't love each other. This loss would change the very life of Chibiusa. She knew that she could not long be a child, a girl in her free time. She would have to be a rock something that others could depend on. 

But for just a moment more she was a child, clutching at her mother's body, crying into her hair. Part of her wasn't willing to believe it. She wasn't ready for this why did it have to happen now? This wasn't fair! She wasn't ready! She needed her mother now more than ever!"Mama.." She sobbed.

Her anger grew suddenly. Gently she laid her mother down and she stood, in all her glory and regality that an queen should possess. She stood then anger bright and burning in her eyes. She would never forgive those that killed her beloved mother. She would take her revenge on them now. Their lives would never be enough to make up for the loss she and all those that knew Usagi were suffering right now. 

Without words she summoned her own Pink Moon Crystal, the lotus form of if so similar to her mothers. The thought only fueled her anger. Throwing her arms over her head, the Pink Moon Crystal glowed and bight rose energy that rocked off her in waves. It grew stronger and stronger with each moment. She didn't call out to the senshi for support, no her anger and need for the Wiseman's life was all the support she needed. With a scream that would shatter her mother's heart if she had been alive to hear it, the anger, pain and hate in it were audible, the princess sent her rocking pink energy straight at the Wiseman. In a way she was glad that her mother wasn't here to see this. Her little girl so full of anger and hate, it would have broken her heart, but right now it was anger and hate that the princess needed if she was going to push the enemy back and give them a chance to regroup. If they were going to make it through this fight, she needed to use her anger. She was ashamed of herself, it went against everything she was taught, love friendship and justice were the driving forces in the world. But where was justice now? Her mother the most loving, kind, friendly and just person in the world was dead, and now it feel to Chibiusa to do what she couldn't. She only hoped she was enough.

Lady's New dress. :

Rei’s world had been reduced to the cold corpse in front of her. Usagi Tsukino, Sailor Moon, Neo Queen Serenity. The brightest star in the galaxy. She was supposed to be eternal. She was supposed to live forever, outlasting her senshi, outlasting everyone. She was the world’s hope and she…

She could not die.

Her light could not be extinguished that easily. And yet there was no denying what she was seeing. Rei was never much for denial. She was a realist, and she had always been strong enough to accept reality. Except maybe for this one time.

Unbidden, memories from thousands of years ago when they lost Serenity for the first time came back to the forefront of her mind. Going through the exact same thing, feeling those same emotions all over again—only much, much worse this time—forced her to live through that day all over again. Was this how the cycle was to end every time?

She could not feel anything anymore. It was as if Usagi had ripped her heart out and taken it away with her when she died. She didn’t notice Chibiusa’s crystal shattering. She didn’t see the princess free and moving, not until she was there, her pink hair like a shock of color in Rei’s vision. As the child—for that was what she looked like, especially now—held her mother’s shoulder, Rei moved back a little to give her room, already averting her eyes from the heartbreaking scene. She could not watch Chibiusa break down over losing her mother on top of everything else.

She didn’t have enough grief left in her.

She wanted to pull Chibiusa away, wanted to hug her tightly and never let go, but she gave the princess time to grieve because there would be time for useless comforts later. Things would never be the same again for any of them.

When the princess stood up again, she seemed different, as if overtaken by something else. Rei immediately recognized it when she saw it in her eyes. Anger. It was the same emotion that had burned her—that had merely dimmed even now—until she met Usagi. It was the emotion that drove her to build all those walls and lash out at others because they disappointed her.

As Chibiusa’s crystal glowed with renewed brightness, Rei shielded her face, panic slowly rising within her. No. They had already lost their queen already. They couldn’t lose the princess, too. Usagi had used her crystal—the strongest power in the galaxy—and failed. She’d died wielding it. What if the same thing happened to Chibiusa? She couldn’t let Crystal Tokyo lose both its rulers in one day.

And that way of commanding the crystal… Usagi never wielded it with anger. Rei knew the crystal functioned according to its holder’s heart, and Usagi’s intent had always been to heal, to save the world. What would happen when one wielded it with the intent to destroy? The thought of the destruction the Silver Crystal could be capable of in the wrong hands chilled her to the bone. That was why the enemy always wanted it for after all, wasn’t it?

“Chibiusa! What are you doing?” she called, terrified at what might happen, what the repercussions of everything the princess was doing would be.

Anger, unlike anything she had ever felt before, began to fill every pore of Mercurys's body. How could Usagi have died? Had she not given her friend enough energy? She would have gladly traded places with the blonde in a heartbeat if it meant that her Queen was still here. What little of her heart that remain shattered hearing Chibiusa’s broken sobs and cries for her mother. She had not only failed in her duty to protect the Queen, for the second time, a nasty voice reminded her, but she had also failed the Princess who would no longer have her mother. Gods above, what had she done? What had she allowed to happen?

Seeing an intense glow for the second time in many minutes, Mercury looked up from where she had been angrily staring at the ground. Her face paled as she watched as the Princess, full of anger similar to Mercury’s, moved to destroy Wiseman. No, this is not what her friend would have wanted; she wouldn’t have wanted her daughter to take revenge like this. It was one thing to destroy something evil to protect others, it was something else entirely to destroy it out of anger and revenge.
 

“Chibiusa!” her voiced cracked on the younger girls’ name, “Chibiusa don’t! This isn’t what your mother would have wanted!” She hoped she would be able to get through to the girl or that Mars, who was closer, would be able to stop her before she did something she would regret or start her on a path that would destroy her.

The pink light erupted from the crystal and around the now Queen. She could feel the change in her energy. She wasn't the same girl anymore. She knew that wielding the crystal in anger could be dangerous but right now she didn't care. Her soul cried out for the destruction of the Wiseman and every one of his minions. She would use her power this was just this once, to avenge her mother and fight back the enemy, in doing so she would protect everyone else she loved and cared for. 

With all her anger she threw her hands in front of her. She felt the tears streaming down her cheeks. She had just lost her mother and they were calling for her to stop. She knew that deep within them they wanted this monsters death just as much as she did. 

"PINK MOON PRISM POWER MAKE UP!" She called out, somewhere in her soul she knew she had found her right words.

In a blinding flash of pink light, she was no longer dressed in her new gown, but instead she wore a sailor Fuku, so much like her mothers, blue and pink, the image must be eerie for the others, now seeing the New Sailor Moon before them. Her knee high pink boots settled in the gravel as she landed, her skirt shifting with the wind she kicked up with her energy attack on the Wiseman. In her hands where her pink lotus crystal had been was now the Cutie Moon Rod. The rod was more of a staff now, and Sailor Moon glared at the monsters before.

"We can cry or we can fight. We can't do both." She said. "Yes, she's gone, but we aren't." Her words carrying over the battle field. "We must live on, we must fight on, to defend and protect those that she and I love so dearly." She looked over at Mars and smiled, a smile so much like her mother, the wind in her pink hair.

"I was finding the power within." She responded to Mars' question. She knew now that no matter her hate and anger, she couldn't truly wield the Pink Moon Crystal and thus her own powers to their full potential with anger.

This time louder to be heard by all the girls. "Stand and fight with me!" She raised her staff over her head. "Moon Healing Escalation!" She sent her pink healing and renewing energies out over her friends, giving them the second wind they needed to drive back the enemy. She stood at the front of the battle, her Senshi now behind her scattered across the field where they had fallen. She looked the leader she would need to be. She looked so much like her mother the images of the two standing in the same manner, glaring at the enemy, not willing to back down. But their was something different about this Sailor Moon Chibiusa's Sailor Moon wasn't gentle, no she was strong, she stood against them without a thought of loosing. This was the dawn of a new Era.

With her staff still raised above her head. "Today we will drive them back, we will retake our city and will we reclaim our home!" She cried out. "IN THE NAME OF SERENITY WE WILL DEFEAT YOU!" She issued her battle cry and without warning she ran off into the battle, her staff issuing epic bongs of doom, shattering droids as she ran for the Wiseman, and his generals. Nothing was stopping her as she swung her staff around a literal pink whirling dervish of droid doom.

Makoto had always wondered what true pain really was. As a child, she wondered: was pain getting punched, or was pain punching others? As a teen, she wondered: was pain dying, or was pain causing the death of others? And now, as an adult who had lived for many, many years, she finally knew what pain really was.

Pain was loss.

There was no source of pain greater than losing someone you loved with all your heart. Usagi had been all Makoto had from the moment she transferred to Juuban High School all those years ago. Up until the very last second, Usagi was the center of Makoto's universe. Yes, the other senshi were there too, but they wouldn't have been there if it weren't for Usagi. And now she was gone.


As the sobs escaped Makoto's mouth, she held her queen's cold hand in her own. She couldn't be dead - not the immortal Neo Queen Serenity, not Usagi. She was not dead.

Makoto froze. They still had a chance. Ami brought people back to life all of the time. With their century's technology, the queen could be saved. Yes, that was it! They could save her, they still had a chance!

"Mercury, come here! We can still -"

The senshi of thunder froze again. Was...the battle still going? She hadn't noticed anything that had been happening outside of the bubble that contained Serenity and herself. Sailor Mars and Chibiusa were completely out of the picture. The entire world was drowned out, all existing in an entirely different dimension. Shocked, Sailor Jupiter watched as the pink-haired princess used her crystal to transform into what seemed to be Sailor Moon's fuku design. The voice Chibiusa used was so full of strength, so full of anger. What on Earth was she doing? Trying to get herself killed? Didn't she know that her mother wasn't dead? She could be saved, all they had to do was get her inside and to safety so that Mercury could do her thing. Then everything would be okay, and their Usagi would be back. 

Chibiusa's words rang in Sailor Jupiter's head, her voice sounding so much like Usagi's. The determination and belief that they could win was definitely there, but where was the love? Where was that faithful smile, or that wink of confidence?

It was laying on the ground, directly in front of her.

Anger suddenly filled Jupiter's body. Why? Why did they have to kill Usagi? Why did she have to be so weak? Why couldn't she defend the one person who gave her love when no one else would? Why did she fail?


Wiping one final tear from her cheek, Sailor Jupiter stood, fists clenched. Chibiusa was angry, and so was she. Their anger would drive back these clan members, these murderers. They would get no mercy.

Unknowingly, electricity started crackling from Jupiter's hands. She felt her anger transforming into power, her pain turning into a lust for revenge. She was angry - no one wants to get in her way when she was angry. Without looking back at her queen, she began to run, shouting:

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

Her attacks flew like lightning bolts in the air, hitting droids and knocking them down left and right. They would find Wiseman, and they would defeat him. Whether it was today, or tomorrow, or next year, they would avenge the queen.

If Rei weren’t so scared, she would be angry, too. She remembered being angry when Serenity died for the first time, how she had died herself in an explosion of deadly flames that took out half the earth kingdom’s army. She had scorched the earth when they took her princess from her, and she would do it many times over.

She would have done it if Chibiusa hadn’t.

As the princess transformed with a blinding light, Rei shielded her eyes. When the light finally dissipated, she looked in disbelief at the figure that stood there. At first, her heart leapt in hope and joy. Sailor Moon?! But no. Her hair was pink, not blonde like her mother. Rei felt a strange mix of disappointment and guilt. Just now, she had wished Chibiusa was Usagi and she hadn’t been. And it had disappointed her.

All her life, Chibiusa had been in the shadow of her mother and had struggled to get out from under it. Rei had always seen her as her own person, someone whose heart did not have Usagi’s pure quality—but then again who did, really?—but who was capable of fierce love in her own way. Someone with lots of disappointments but who was strong enough to push through them. Usagi had an easy family who all loved her—Chibiusa had a lot of pressure and not enough love.

Was that why right now this was her way of lashing out? Rei knew she mustn’t wish Chibiusa was like her mother—not when that was the last thing Chibiusa ever needed from anyone.

Chibiusa’s words sounded right, but Rei knew she was driven by the wrong thing. Rei could only watch as Chibiusa unleashed her powers, feeling the energy that rejuvenated her after it had been drained nearly completely empty. Rei was feeling a déjà vu watching the scene unfold before her, one that echoed another from much too short a time ago. Only a few minutes before, Usagi had stood there and she tried to fight. And she had failed.

She had died.

Now that it was happening again, she knew she had to stop it, but she also knew there was no stopping Chibiusa once she’d set her mind on something, just like her mother. Praying to the gods that history would not repeat itself so quickly, Rei stood among her friends as Sailor Mars once more. There was nothing left to do than help Chibiusa and hope to god that they could drive the enemy back enough to recover.

No more lives could be lost.

Rei closed her eyes. Summoned her own anger, simmering just beneath the surface all this time. Tempered by her worry for Chibiusa and what she knew Usagi would have wanted for her daughter. But now she had to unleash it. The world must know Sailor Mars’ rage once more, now that the one person who was able to cool her flames had been taken from her.

She extended her arms wide beside her, and walls of flame erupted all around her, scorching earth and enemies in crisscrossing lines that left only ash behind.

“FIRE SOUL!”

It became harder to keep her eyes open, but Venus continued to watch the rising battle out of pure determination. She couldn't help Usagi right now, not physically, but she could at least stay awake and not abandon her completely. Venus watched, and waited, and hoped that an opportunity would arise in which she would be able to join her queen.

Usagi looked beautiful, and powerful. The sheer brightness of her power was nearly blinding, but it comforted Venus as well. It felt as though Usagi was everywhere, building and growing, covering everyone with her power until it was all Venus could see or feel.

An eerie quiet surrounded her, and there was nothing but white.

Is this how it feels to die?

Somehow, this thought made her feel both anxious and relieved.

Color came back in a sudden rush that left Venus breathless. That moment of suspended time disappeared, and now she had crashed back into reality.

The first thing she noticed was that the fighting appeared to be over for now. A small but tired smile started to come to Venus's lips. Usagi had saved everyone again, just like she always did.

Turning to look at her friend, the beginnings of that smile froze in place, and her heart froze at the horrifying sight in front of her.

Usagi.

She looked beautiful, and wrong. Her golden hair and torn white dress still called back to years upon years of old memories. But her skin was far too pale, and she wasn't moving. No smile to greet her friends, no warm hug of celebration.

The truth struck her hard and fast: Usagi was dead.

She wanted to cry out, to deny it, but the proof laid there in front of them all. Venus couldn't move, couldn't think. Her mind, normally so agile and active, was halted by the sight of Usagi unmoving and cold.

Venus could see her friends, her comrades, reacting in their own ways, but she couldn't bring herself to move in order to join them in their grief. If she moved, it might solidify this moment. Maybe if she never moved again, this would all turn out to be some horrible nightmare. And when she awoke, everything would be back to normal. But if that were true, why wouldn't these tears go away?

She didn't know how long she stood frozen, but when Chibiusa came into view, a vision of anger and hatred, Venus was able to bring herself to move to the younger girl's aid. Now with a goal in mind, she blocked back everything that her traitorous mind tried to stall her with (Could we bring Usagi back somehow? Mamoru will need to be told. What will the civilians say when they find out their queen is dead? Chibiusa will need to be coronated, won't she? Will we be able to defeat the Black Moon Clan without Usagi? Why did it have to be Usagi? I'll need to schedule a meeting with everyone. But with Usagi gone, what was the point of all of this anyway?)

Instead, she focused on the princess and stood beside her along with the other senshi, giving the younger girl the support and power to fuel her own attack. Protecting Chibiusa was what Usagi would want and it was a goal she would not fail.

"CRESCENT BEAM!" Numerous beams of golden energy followed behind Jupiter and Mars's attacks, seeking out enemies with deadly precision.  

Instead of her sorrow, Venus focused on her love for Chibiusa and her friends, of her determination that she had to make Usagi's sacrifice count for something good.

If she allowed that sorrow to creep in, she wasn't sure she would ever be able to escape it.

Mercury felt all of her anger melt away at the sight of Chibiusa neglecting the wisdom from the senshi. Trembling, the senshi of water brought her hands to her face and began to sob heavily. Usagi, her first and only true friend, was gone, and soon Wiseman would take over the city. Hell, he had probably already done it.

She had never felt so weak, so alone, so powerless. Sure, she may be the weakest of the senshi, but she always felt special and important because of Usagi. Now that Usagi was gone, what purpose did Mercury serve? Protecting the city? Why did any of that matter if Usagi wasn't even here to see it?

The sobs were wracking Mercury's body, causing her to choke on her tears and cough uncontrollably. The lump in the back of her through would not go away, and it pained her to continue to cry. But she couldn't help it - she was filled with so much pain and sorrow, and being a senshi of water, crying was her best way to relieve her emotions.

"Usagi...chan..." she whispered, clutching her hair. Was there a pain deeper than the pain of losing your best friend? The one person you were born to protect?

Mercury's sobs were brought to a hault when a firm, warm hand touched her shoulder. Looking up, Mercury revealed her tear-stained face to Sailor Jupiter, who looked strong, determined, and angry.

"Get up, Mercury. We need to finish this. For Usagi," Jupiter said, her voice low and full of authority. But hidden beneath Jupiter's cold exterior, Mercury could see the kindness and sorrow beneath. Wiping the trails of tears from her cheeks, Mercury stood on shaky legs and nodded at the senshi of thunder.

Together, the two walked back to the field of battle. With tears still falling down her face, Sailor Mercury channeled all of her sorrow into her powers, focusing on getting rid of this enemy so she could properly grieve. Wiseman's cruelty would never be forgiven.

"AQUA RHAPSODY!!!!"

Mars fought almost without thinking. All she could think about was burning everything to the ground. Somebody had taken her Princess. Somebody must pay.

The entire universe must pay.

It was easy to slip back into that uncontrollable fury, where she wanted to let it all consume her entirely and take the world down with her. With Usagi gone, gone too was her restraint and everything keeping the flames in check.

But soon, there was nothing else to burn.

When the new Sailor Moon dropped her rod, Mars finally snapped out of her trance and rushed to her side. She caught the small princess—for even now, she still looked so small and it tore up her heart all over again.

Mars didn’t say anything. She just hugged Chibiusa tightly, comforting her as well as getting comfort from the princess still being there herself.

She was wrong before. Not everything was lost. There was still Usagi’s daughter to protect. A new sense of purpose filled her. This was Usagi’s legacy, and Mars needed to protect it at all costs.

“Let’s go home,” she whispered quietly, rocking Chibiusa’s body back and forth in a reassuring manner. There was still this princess. There was still the palace. The entire city to protect. She looked up at her worn and beaten friends, pushing her grief and her sadness aside the way she had when she first lost someone who was close to her heart.

“Let’s go home.”

Chibiusa just held on to Mars with all her remaining strength. The enemy had been pushed back the day was theirs but at what cost? Chibiusa wanted to cry but she found no tears, they would come later, she knew when she was alone or with Diana. She would cry then but now her eyes were wide and dry, she was so tired. 

When Mars said they should return to the palace, Chibiusa gentally pushed away from her friend. She wasn't quite ready to return. Standing on shaking legs the new queen to be made her way to where her mother's body was. Sinking slowly to her knees, she brushed Usagi's bangs from her face. "Sorry Mama." She whispered so softly, it might have been the wind that spoke. 

With trembling hands, Chibiusa reached out and started gathering the broken pieces of Usagi's Silver Crystal. The sharp edges cut her fingers but she didn't stop. She placed each in her skirt, that she had pulled to carry and hold the once brilliant crystal. Only once she had collected all the pieces she could, did the princess stand and with a weak and sad smile head back to the palace. She hoped that some one would carry her mother home, she was far to weak. She hated the idea of leaving her there too.

As they neared the palace, Chibiusa's voice softly broke the silence around her. "I'll tell Papa." her tone emotionless and even. She could feel the pieces of her mother's crystal shifting in her makeshift basket as she walked. The cuts on her fingers staining the soft white fabric of her gown. She didn't care. This was all that she knew she would be able to keep of her mother, Usagi's body would be laid to rest leaving nothing but a cold marker and flowers in her favorite courtyard most likely. She would let the others see to those arraignments. She didnt have the heart for it.


She felt so lost so adrift, like she had when her mother was incased in crystal all those years ago, but this time she couldn't go to the past and find Sailor Moon to help, this time her mother wasn't going to wake up, and the child, the little girl and daughter of the doting mother inside her was broken. A break that could most likely be seen by any that knew her well.

"Let's go home."

The final word of Mars' comment reverberated in Mercury's ears. Her body followed the group, but her mind whirled with confusion, fixated on that terrible word. Wasn't the adage "home is where the heart is"? Then she had no home. Usagi was their heart--Usagi was her heart. How could she ever be home again now that they were deprived forever of that light and joy. The Crystal Palace would be still and empty without the cheerful warmth of their queen. The distant spires on the horizon no longer inspired that longing and excitement to return. There was nothing there for her, now. The shimmering beautiful structure reflected senselessly in her blank eyes.

Standing in that hollow prison, she barely registered Small Lady's remark about informing the king. Her thoughts struggled to contain the intensity of what she had seen in those terrible last moments on the battlefield. The order was wrong. She should be the one to die. Usagi should be the one to live. How many times before had she sacrificed her own life to save that of her princess? It was something she had been prepared to do when that beautiful angel in white emerged to face the Black Moon Clan. Why hadn't it worked? Had she not believed in Usagi enough? Had she let fear prevent her from giving herself completely? This was not how it should have been. Mercury had energy to walk and live, but this terrible and impossible experience could not be life. It was torment.

Her body felt alien, as if it didn't belong to her. She didn't understand why she was left was this warm skin, throbbing pulse, and sparking synapses while her beloved queen lay cold and still and lifeless. Without Mercury's consent, these chemical reactions continued. Neurons fired and responded. Muscles contracted and relaxed. She could feel the machinations of her cage of flesh and blood, reminding her that it continued to function. And it did it for nothing. The tears that had dried on her face would be the last that she would cry.

There was work to be done. Work was something Sailor Mercury knew well. It was the only thing that seemed familiar in this strange new world. The defenses would need to be fortified. There were footage and readings from the battle that could be analyzed for data. She would schedule a meeting with Luna to discuss thoughts before going over their updated strategy plans with the rest of the sailor soldiers. The wounded required medical attention. Cleanup of debris needed to be arranged. And... the memorial service... needed... planning...

She steeled herself, trying to ignore the horrible flashes as the queen's death replayed unbidden in her mind. Push it back. Swallow those feelings. Box them up. Work. There was work. Focus on the work.

Her tear-streaked face looked calm and impassive as she turned to her teammates, blue eyes searching for the queen's body. There were arrangements to be made. She had the stamina to do this. Mercury would not have their beloved queen displayed in tatters. She knew that at her medical facilities in the palace, she would be able to clean and tend to the one they all loved so dearly. No common mortician's hands would touch that precious golden hair or ivory skin.

"Please, bring Her Highness to my clinic," she requested, her soft voice unnaturally even and flat.

She flagged down a palace worker from the confused and quiet groups that had been avoiding the battle-worn sailor soldiers while watching with wide eyes from a distance.

"Fetch a clean new gown and bring it to me in the surgery," she instructed. There was something in Mercury's gaze that made the young staff woman shut her open mouth before she could ask a question, affirming with a nod and hurrying away with eyes that brimmed with tears.

The threat was finally gone, and Jupiter felt numb. She stood, frozen, as Mars tended to Chibiusa and Mercury asked her to carry Usagi's dead corpse inside. Feeling sick to her stomach, Jupiter dragged herself towards her queen, looking down at her white, peaceful face. Even in death, she was just as beautiful. 

If only they had gotten to her sooner. Perhaps if Jupiter and the senshi had tried harder, they could have pushed Wiseman back so that Serenity never had to come out of the palace to begin with. Why didn't they help her and support her with their powers like they did in the past? Just the smallest little adjustments could have saved the queen's life, and that killed Jupiter inside.

There was so much she could have done.

Feeling hatred towards herself, Jupiter mechanically bent down and scooped Usagi into her arms, feeling the coldness of her body through her gloves. "I'm so sorry, Usagi," Jupiter whispered, a tear falling onto the queen's dress. Without even realizing it, Jupitier's legs began to move as she carried her queen inside and towards the infirmary. She couldn't bring herself to look down at Usagi's face again. Just the thought of never seeing her smile again was too painful to bear.

He felt it as soon as it happened.

The raging battle had damaged the cameras that gave him view of the battlefield, but he knew. He knew that she was gone.

The pain came instantly, in a wave of gut-wrenching agony and a splitting headache. It was as if his heart had been ripped apart, and he couldn't breathe. The king fell to his knees, unable to truly come to sorts with what had happened.

Had he really lost her?

It was impossible. She had the Silver Crystal, the most powerful item ever known. She was immortal, she was protected. But not by him. He hadn't been there for her. And now...she was gone.

"No," Endymion hissed, refusing to accept the truth. In an instant, he was out the door and sprinting to the palace doors. Perhaps he was wrong - perhaps his wife was only injured, and she wasn't dead. Perhaps it was just a ridiculous stomach cramp, or maybe even his own imagination. 

Endymion stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Sailor Jupiter walking towards him, holding a limp Queen Serenity in her arms. Her head was hanging, her arms swinging slowly with Jupiter's ponderous footsteps. 

It was then that Jupiter spotted him, and stopped. The look in her eyes was full of pain, regret, and guilt. "No..." Endymion whispered, taking large steps towards the senshi of thunder. He was standing in front of her now, looking down at the beautiful woman he had loved for thousands of years. 

After all this time...could she truly be...gone?

Choking on sobs, Endymion reached out for his wife, pulling her out of Jupiter's arms and into his own. Unable to hold himself up, the king of Earth dropped to his knees, cradling Serenity's body to his. The tears fell uncontrollably, soaking Serenity's face and gown. His body was wracked with sorrow and grief as the sobs came in wave after wave. He had never held onto her so tightly in his entire life, and he never wanted to let go. 

"Usako...you can't leave me. Not here, not now. Don't go, please..."

When Chibiusa pushed her away, Mars was surprised, but she let the princess—now queen—do what she wanted. She watched as Chibiusa approach the queen’s broken body and started collecting the remnants of the Silver Crystal. Mars looked away, feeling as if she was intruding on a personal moment. The ginzuishou was once the most powerful item in the universe. Now it was nothing but shattered glass. A part of her wondered if they could put it back together. If maybe the senshi could give up all their powers to bring back Neo Queen Serenity. Maybe if all of them prayed to the Silver Crystal and gave their lives…

But what if it didn’t work? Then Chibiusa would be utterly alone, and Usagi would hate them for abandoning her daughter.

Yet this felt wrong. For millennia, Usagi was the one person they were supposed to protect. They were supposed to die for her. Usagi was the world’s hope. So how were they supposed to go on living without her? Could this world survive without her?

She heard Chibiusa say that she’d tell her father, and Mars’ heart broke for the King. This would ruin him, too. This would ruin everyone.

Mars followed Jupiter inside as she carried the lifeless body of their queen. She knew they were each blaming themselves for this. They had failed in their duty, and that was… something she didn’t know if she could recover from. Because this was her fault. Somehow, when Usagi asked for their strength, she hadn’t given enough. She had not been strong enough. In the past, it had always worked. But this time, they were all so battle-worn, and on top of that, their energy had been absorbed by that dark malevolent creature…

And she had so little to give, and that was why her best friend was dead.

Her best friend was dead.

Mars gritted her teeth, refusing to cry.

Endymion came out to meet them, and she had to avoid looking at him in order not to break. She watched him crumble, but she could not move. She could not comfort anyone else when she could barely support herself.

Unable to watch the heartbreaking scene anymore, Mars quietly slipped into the palace. She walked without thinking towards her room, seeing nothing and feeling nothing. Thinking nothing. Her heart was empty, and so was her soul. Some vital part had been taken away from her and she did not know if she could ever be whole again.

She closed the door to her room behind her and fell to the floor in the darkness, not crying, not sobbing, not anything. Just existing in an empty shell.

How odd. Standing there, watching their brave king openly weeping as he cradled the corpse of his one true love... she felt... nothing. Strangely detached. As though she watched someone else watching someone else watching this heart-wrenching scene; it felt too far removed from the actual event to stir up emotions in her. The sound of his sorrow was like static in her ears.

Instead, she found herself worried about the body--worried that he could damage the wasted figure that seemed too small now in death. She thought about the decaying tissue and how delicate it would be, and how much she wanted to preserve it without too much invasive repair. He could dent or puncture the dermis with his fingers gripping on to her so tightly. If rigor mortis set in now, which it was of course doing, it could leave the body in an awkward position that would take much longer to correct.

She knew that these thoughts, although technically correct, were inappropriate for the situation. It took extensive self-restraint not to try and stop him. Or mention it to him. So she stayed silent, just watching, unable to do anything.

After all... what could she do to relieve his suffering? She couldn't possibly help, considering that she had no solution for her own.

Lady as she had at some point decided she would be from this point on, only heard her father's cries. Her own eyes devoid of tears, that would only visit her later when she was alone, did nothing to hide her entrance to the palace. The pieces of her mother's crystal nestled in the folds of her gown. She walked past him in what could only be seen as unfeeling. 

The problem was she felt to much. To much to process. She didn't know how. Never in her life had she had to deal with anything like this. It was all new and all too fresh to deal with. Her mind and heart just couldn't handle it. So in the only way it knew how, both shut down and left the Queen in a state of seemingly uncaring about recent events. 

Her steps echoed around her as she walked the dark halls. These hall may never been bright again, she thought as she walked to her room. Once inside, she placed the pieces of her mother's crystal on a small pillow on her vanity. She attempted to arrange the pieces to some what resemble the crystal it had been, but it was so fragmented that it was a near impossible task. None the less Lady tried. 

After a time, she left the crystal on the vanity, in the strange lotus shape, and peeled her gown off. She showered and changed. She choose something her mother loved, without thinking about it. she pulled the gown over her head but her pink hair was loose falling down her back, she sat for a moment unable to complete the ritual of putting it up, her hands poised over the pins, and comb she'd used for decades to mimic her mother's hair style. 

She cried then. Her tears running down her face in silent streams. She wanted her mother, her mama. She was a lost little girl again, and who was there to comfort her, but those that were hurting too. All she assumed thought they were hurting more, and maybe they were but Usagi was more than just her mother, she was her best friend, her confidant. There was nothing that Lady hadn't told the older woman. "Mama," she whispered, her head resting on the vanity her eyes overflowing, the crystal fragments unfocused. "What am I suppose to do now?" She asked the ghost that would haunt her for the rest of her days.

Jupiter felt her heart break even further when Endymion appeared, taking Usagi from her arms and falling to his knees as he sobbed over her cold body. She couldn't stand to watch him for another second - the scene was just too much. Of course this would hit Endymion the hardest - he had loved her unconditionally for centuries. She couldn't imagine his pain.

And so Jupiter left. She walked past him as the angry tears streamed down her face, her boots clicking against the crystal floors as she stormed to her room. The door slammed shut and Jupiter immediately began to throw things. Her dresser was knocked over, her mirror was shattered - to hell with the seven years of bad luck - her bed sheets were torn, jewelry was thrown, and her anger just completely consumed her. 

When there was nothing left to destroy, Jupiter fell on her knees and sobbed.

Somehow, she ended up in her bedroom. Sailor Venus had no recollection as to how, but the sight of her personal belongings brought about so many mixed emotion that she didn't know how to deal with.

She put herself on autopilot.

Things needed to be done. She had to plan ahead. She was the leader, and it was up to her to make sure everything ran smoothly.

Smoothly? You couldn't even save her.

Venus cut that line of thought off with a quick turn of her body, and she picked up one of her schedule pads. The words were blurred, and she couldn't read anything. What was wrong with this thing? She tossed it back onto the table, creating a somewhat satisfying thud. A part of her wished it had broken into a million pieces.

Try another thing on her list of things to do: training and drills. Those needed planning. Especially with the Black Moon Clan's new advantage. There would need to be new strategies figured out in order to best counter their enemies.

Why are you worrying about these things? Do you have no heart?

It had to be done. Someone had to do it, things had to continue, people still needed to be protected. Even if...

What does it matter anymore?

A million different things raced through her mind in a whirlwind of disconnected images and feelings. Memories of a life long past, with a smiling silver princess and fellow guardians. A flash of a golden smile, a laughter full of love. Eyes as blue as sapphires full of joy, brimming with tears, steady with conviction. Thoughts of a connection so strong, sentences were said at once at the same time.

More and more thoughts crowded her mind, threatening to tear her apart as her chest tightened and her vision became even more blurry.

Venus felt like screaming but her voice was gone. Everything felt fake around her, as if she wasn't really here. Wasn't really alive. All that existed was the thoughts and memories.

And the sense of utter failure.

Usagi...

Stop it, stop it, stop it.

She turned her brain off, and went into leader autopilot. She would rid herself of Minako and the memories and love that came with her. She had a job to do, a job her queen would want her to continue. And right now, Crystal Tokyo needed a leader. A strong leader. She wouldn't allow herself to think, she wouldn't allow herself to feel. To allow herself those luxuries, she knew she would crumble.

There was strength in silence.

A part of her protested, and that part hated her for behaving in this way. How could she think of her duties at a time like this? It screamed at her, pulled at her nerves and squeezed her heart.

Venus silenced that part as well.


She stood in her spot, atop the raised platform, near the throne but far away enough that the royal family was the main focus. Her mind was blank, a quiet calm to go with her rigid stature.  

Venus scanned the room once more. If there was even a hint of a threat, she would act with exact precision. She didn't think about why she was here, the reason they were all here. Instead, she simply focused on watching the perimeters, making sure none of the gathered civilians took a single step out of place.

It was quiet in the great hall. Quieter than it had ever been before. Somehow, even with so many people, it felt emptier than ever before, too.

At the center, in front of the throne, stood Chibiusa. Small Lady. Though there was probably a more proper name for her now, but Venus couldn't bring herself to think of that. All civilian eyes were trained on the young girl, a girl who suddenly had the whole weight of the world on her shoulders. They awaited the words of their new queen, for comfort and solidarity in this time of mourning.

Usagi's funeral.

No. Stop it.

Venus had made sure all things were settled and planned to perfection for this. That was what a good leader should do, after all. Everything was a blur, and she could barely remember anything of the past hours. Not that it mattered.  

She scanned the civilians again, focusing herself.

Seeing so much sorrow on so many faces only made her realize just how empty her heart truly was.

Work. Work was what she knew. Work was what she became. It was all she had left. It was safe. Since that fateful day, Sailor Mercury had not stopped. She remained in her sailor soldier uniform all hours of the day and night, reclining on a cot in the clinic to catch a few hours of fitful sleep. The nightmares kept her from reaching a point of restfulness. She preferred the waking nightmare to the horrors her brain concocted when she shut her eyes.

She alone had prepared the queen's body. Blue eyes stared down at her white-gloved hands, wondering if these were truly her hands at all. They felt disconnected from her body--objects that she was in control of, but not part of her. She remembered those moments touching the cold corpse of her most beloved friend. It didn't feel like Usagi anymore. She didn't feel like Ami anymore. Maybe those people had never existed.

Now they were gathered here in the grand hall, awaiting Small Lady's words. Without the queen. No, Small Lady was the queen.

Without their queen.

Without her queen.