Before I begin, I would like to give a HUGE thanks to Shorty and Clare-chan for their insight and ideas into this story; without their help, I'd still be stumped at act five. Sailor Stars Awakening Chaos Theory: Act Eight Senshi no ai? The death of a star! ********************************** CHAOS THEORY ********************************** By Hoshi Seppun-Kara Please E-mail at: Kaelali_su@hotmail.com "You and I, Michiru, already know of suffering, of sacrifice. We were forced to see that this day would come and to be prepared to die for our cause." She sighed. "But," shifting in her position, restless, she gave a small growl, "Is this what is meant? To destroy that very being which we have fought to protect for so long?" Michiru's eyes moved along the floor as she brought her knees up to her chest. "Can we even think of it like that? How much of our Princess can be left without her starseed, the very essence of her being? How do we know that she isn't dead already?" "But what about Setsuna-san? She has been to the future! Without Neo-Queen Serenity, Crystal Tokyo can never arise." "How do we know that is where she has been?" Michiru asked quietly. Haruka stared at her in shock, her lips parting. "What are you saying?" "We must realize who our duties are to. Our princess... or to our planet and the living souls that reside here?" Haruka grew quiet. "We have not hesitated to kill innocents that were corrupted by evil before." "Only to protect them, to protect their spirits. You said so yourself, destroy the body to save the soul." She hesitated. "Except that, we cannot even be sure if the soul still exists." Haruka rolled the slim blue wand between her palms, watching the golden symbol on the top catch the light and glisten, thinking carefully. "The choice was made long ago, Michiru, for both you and I," she said slowly. "Our paths are long and hard, but they follow the same trail left by heaven. Peace can only be wrought from hardship and suffering. I am prepared to do what I must." Placing one hand on top of Haruka's and grasping her own wand in the other hand, Michiru stood from her place by the window. "Come on then, let us not shuffle our feet any longer." Closing her eyes, she raised her wand high above her head. "NEPTUNE COSMIC POWER, MAKE UP!!" Haruka watched with a bit of sadness as her body shimmered and twisted, the new uniform washing over her in a tide of power and light. Sailor Neptune gave one final pirouette and stood before Haruka, her arms crossed and watching expectantly. Taking a deep breath, Haruka thrust her arm into the air. "URANUS COSMIC POWER, MAKE UP!!" She felt the familiar tingling sensation envelope her body and allowed herself to be turned and touched by the gentle ribbons of energy. Closing her eyes, she felt a blue bodysuit replace where her former one had been and felt the extensions of new wings spread across her back. Instead of the usual tiara, the symbol of Uranus burned into her forehead. Opening her eyes, she faced Sailor Neptune. Smiling secretly, Sailor Neptune reached out and lay two fingers on Haruka's forehead, touching the mark of her guardian planet. "Here is the mark of our vow." Her fingers trailed to Sailor Uranus's cheek as she lowered her eyes. "And here is the proof of our promise," she whispered as she carefully reached up to kiss her. Closing her eyes, Sailor Uranus returned her kiss, taking Michiru's hands in her own. She felt the uniform melt from her body, clothing her in her former shirt and pants. As she drew away, Haruka caught sight of a figure in the doorway. "Sailor Saturn..." Michiru turned to welcome her, but her eyes met with a torso where Hotaru's head should have been. Raising her eyes to the face of the girl before her, she realized with a sinking in her heart that Hotaru was no longer a child. "You have grown again," Michiru remarked, walking up to Hotaru, who could look her straight in the eye now. Hotaru nodded slowly. "I was hoping that this time would be different..." said Michiru, smiling gently. "_This_ time may be the last. _This_ battle may be our final battle." Hotaru's voice was hard and unyielding. "My life may end before I ever have more than a taste of childhood, before I ever find out what it is like to fall in love, before I can find out what it is like to have children of my own. But I do not mourn these. It was never my destiny to live the life of a normal child. This is the way it must be. "Prepare yourselves, for the crisis approaches tonight." * * * * * Lolling her head to the side lazily, Ami absently flipped another page in her book without being able to recall what had been on it. The transparent drapes flapped above her in a sudden breeze from the open window, distracting her as she watched their random fluttering with a sleepy detachedness. Hearing a slightly annoyed sigh from beside her and feeling the shift of the body beneath her, she glanced up at him, then returned her eyes to the window. "What?" Ryuuchi shifted again, sitting upright and forcing her, who had been using his stomach as a pillow, to sit up as well. "Alright, what's bothering you?" "What do you mean." Her voice was dull and preoccupied, not even bothering to raise her tone to make her statement a question as she continued to stare out the window. He snatched the limp book from her hands and threw it aside. "What is wrong with you?!" His sharp question brought a startled look to her face, jerking her head to attention. "All day you've been moping about, Ami, and you haven't even read a word of the book I brought you that you yourself asked me to bring!" His eyes widened in surprise as they filled with unexpected tears. She quickly lowered her face, pressing her cheek into her shoulder to avoid his gaze. Ryuuchi carefully reached for her, touching her shoulder. "What is it? What's wrong?" "My friend..." Ami swallowed hard, trying to force back her tears. "She's...very sick. We think she might die, and may be already dead as we speak." His fingers brushed her cheek as his voice softened. "I'm sorry." "And I feel like there's nothing I can do, like I'm letting her die..." Her breath caught in a sob and Ryuuchi reached out to draw her close to him. "Hush," he whispered into her hair, "there's nothing you could have done. This isn't your fault." Ami only pressed her face deeper into his shirt, trying hard to believe that. They lay like that, sprawled on the ground for a long time, silent. Placing his chin on top of her head, he began trailing his fingers lightly up and down her spine. "Ami...there should be no secrets between us, right?" Ami felt her muscles freeze, knowing he was unaware of how close to her thoughts he was straying with this line of conversation. "I don't know about that, Ryuuchi," she replied warily, "perhaps there are some things that should be kept to yourself." "But when two people have been together as long as we have, and have become this close... I feel as if you are still keeping me locked out of some essential part of you." Ami slowly pulled away, his arms slipping off of her. "Why are you asking now?" He drew his arms loosely around his knees, leaning against the wall, and looked away. "I just want to know why you never told me." Unease writhed deep in her stomach, her tears instantly forgotten, making her feel slightly ill. "What are you talking about?" He reached into his pocket. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed her old transformation wand across the floor. It skidded to her, its spinning slowing and finally coming to rest, the mercury symbol pointing at her accusingly. "That's the pen I gave you..." she murmured, feeling her anxiety twine its way up through her intestines into her chest, twisting itself around her heart. She slowly lifted her eyes to him, but he refused to look at her. There was a rueful laugh as he brought one hand to his forehead. "I always knew anyway, Ami, but I waited for you to tell me." His voice was barely audible above the thudding of her heart that resounded in her skull with alarm. *How...how does he know?! How did he find out?!* Glancing up at her, he read the confusion on her face. Standing abruptly with an expression of mixed anger and sadness, he leaned his arm against the sill of the window, his back to her. "Has it been that long since we've been together?" he whispered. "Have you truly forgotten me?" Ami frowned. "Forgotten?" she murmured. Studying his form silhouetted against the morning, her eyes followed the outline of his partially hidden face and body, feeling a stir inside her of remembrance, so close to the surface of her mind but evading her grasp. A gust of wind blew the sheer drapes into the air around him, distorting the details of his figure and swelling around him like a long, silken cape. *Standing there, with such dignified sorrow...he looks like a prin... * The tightness in her jaw suddenly loosened and went slack as an image emerged, so perfectly imprinted in her memory that there could be no mistaking his form. "Oh god," she whispered, feeling her chest tighten around her lungs in a sudden squeeze. Unable to draw more than a gasp of air, her fingers flew to her lips as she felt herself scramble backwards on the slick wooden floors. He stood unmoving at the window as the gossamer curtain blew in quiet waves around him. Her back struck the wall as she clambered away from him, her eyes wide and disbelieving. She heard a soft sigh emerge from the curtains as he lifted his face to the sun, letting the wind blow through his golden curls. "You've been neglecting your responsibility, Ami. You swore to uphold your honor as a soldier, and yet you still run from it." She began to relax as the realization spread from her mind to her limbs and she began to breathe again. She felt tears returning to her eyes, her mind spinning with the new complexities of this relationship and the truth of what he was saying. "How can you sit here with me, casually reading a book, while your Princess is out there, in need of you?" He abruptly turned from the window and thrust aside the drapes, appearing before her suddenly. "You must make a choice. You can continue to live this life, pretending that, even if everything isn't fine, there's nothing you can do about it, or, you can realize what must be done and do it." She stared at him for a long time without speaking, and slowly, the tears dried from her eyes. Lowering her head, she raised herself to a standing position and drew her transformation wand from her pocket. Looking at it, she noticed for the first time how it seemed to almost shimmer in her hands, how the light caught and played off the golden symbol of her birth. Tightening her grasp on it, she raised her head, finding him at the window again, turned away from her. "I suppose we are not destined to be together in this life either, are we?" he whispered softly, turning to glance at her over his shoulder. Another strong gust of wind caught the curtains and drew them across his body as she stepped forward. Behind the obstruction of silk, his form began to waver and flicker, becoming as transparent as the curtains. Beginning to run, she lunged toward the window with a cry, throwing the drapes aside. Only to find herself alone. A handful of pink petals swirled around her, dancing on the cherry blossom scented breeze as the dawn's warmth played across her face. Lowering her face and reaching one hand to support herself on the sill, she turned away from the morning in sorrow. Reaching to pick up her former wand from the floor, she slowly brought it to her chest, close to her heart. "Zoicite..." * * * * * Taking a deep breath, Rei carefully cleared her throat, trying to catch the attention of the woman who stood with her back to Rei, watching the sun rise. "Ano..." "Yes, Rei-chan?" Rei hesitated, clenching her outstretched fingers into a fist. "I'm sorry to bother you, Galaxia." Turning to face her, Galaxia smiled. "You are not a bother, child. Come sit by me and watch the dawn." Rei took a reluctant step forward. "Actually, Galaxia, I don't have time to sit with you. I have come on a more pressing errand." Galaxia lowered her head. "Yes, of course. Of course." She climbed to her feet and stretched, reaching her arms above her head, letting the sun catch her red-gold ringlets. Sighing deeply, she turned to face Rei. "Chaos then, right?" Rei nodded. "We need your help." Galaxia smiled again. "How can you fight an enemy you know nothing about? Naturally you would come to the one person who knows this enemy better than anyone, inside and out." Rei did not respond for a moment, unsure of what to say. "Minako-chan knew you would be able to help us..." "Don't worry, child, I will help you. Even if I could not prevent this, I can at least help in the aftermath." Galaxia began to walk towards the city where the morning life was already bustling busily about the streets, forcing Rei to keep a brisk pace to walk beside her. "Chaos..." Her voice grew thoughtful and dwindled off, then returned stronger a moment later. "It is a force that exists outside of Nature, seeking to undo and destroy everything that has ever been or will ever be. It does not think, It does not rest, It only spoils and ruins, annihilating everything It encounters. But... It is also a parasite, and It needs a host to focus Its energy on, something to channel Its power though, or It simply is too divided to do any real damage. "Usagi became Its host after It was released from me, taking shelter and refuge in the blinding purity of her starseed, hiding Itself until It could gain strength. "The bits and pieces I collected from the galaxy were but a miniscule portion of the whole that resided in her. When I came to earth to purge this planet, I could not recognize the signs of Chaos in her, which had by then infected her lover as well. It was hidden so deeply inside her, and I was so ready to believe in her absolute innocence, I passed them over without a thought." Galaxia paused in her walk. By now they had reached the city streets, and she lay one hand on the window of a floral store. Gazing past the violets and roses at her own reflection, she stood in silent contemplation of her own image. "What a fool," she murmured, beginning to walk again. Rei watched her for a moment, then hurried to catch up again. "Somehow, Mamoru-san managed to overcome the Evil inside him, the bit that there was, but our Princess was burdened by other things besides Chaos that weighed heavily on her soul, preventing her from seeing herself clearly." She looked over at Rei for the first time since she began speaking. "And she became what you see her as now." Rei let her story sink in, thinking about what she had been told. "But...you said It hid herself in her starseed...but...Usagi..." Galaxia sighed. "Yes, well...Chaos had only limited power over her while her spirit remained intact. The very thing that had protected It from discovery also bound It inside her. But It worked in her life to push her to a point of absolute hopelessness, taking away, or at least making her think It was taking away, everything she loved in life. And so, in destroying her starseed, Chaos was freed." Galaxia's voice grew cold. "Now that It is no longer constrained inside her and It has the power of her starseed...I cannot even think of the atrocities It is capable of." "But...but Mamoru-san was able to defeat It! There is a way to beat this thing!" said Rei. Galaxia nodded. "Chaos can be defeated. Confusion can be overcome with certainty, and Chaos can be overcome by the most certain force that has ever existed. Love. True, unconditional love. The purest sort of power there is." Rei exhaled in relief. "Then we can still save her." She put one hand to her forehead, feeling a wonderful sense of released pressure, and a new determination to begin the fight as soon as possible. It took her a few moments to realize that Galaxia had stopped walking and was no longer beside her. Rei turned around to look behind her. Galaxia stood frozen in midstep, staring at Rei in distress. "What?" asked Rei. "We...we _can_ save her, right?!" Galaxia drew back slightly to stand on both feet, saying nothing but gazing at Rei sadly. Dashing up to her, Rei grabbed her shoulders roughly, shaking her back and forth. "We can save her, can't we?! You said Chaos can be overcome! You said it yourself!! We CAN overcome this, can't we?!" Her pleading became sobbing as she fell against Galaxia, unable to support herself. Galaxia tenderly drew her arms around Rei, stroking her hair. Placing her cheek against Rei's forehead, she closed her eyes and wished this all away, all the pain and the destruction and the tears. "We can banish It from her body, but without a starseed...what can be left? We can only hope to set her at peace, Rei-chan. That will have to be enough." * * * * * Sighing softly, Kagyuu walked onto the balcony, looking up into the twilight. Feeling a gentle smile break through her melancholy and play on her lips, she thought of her three wandering stars. *Even if they no longer truly belong to me, I will always hold them close to my heart.* Looking down at her hands, she thought, *And I still hold some responsibility for them.* Her smile grew into a laugh as a memory of them together before Galaxia's attack sprung to her mind, dancing together with them at some festival or another. Her laugh turned into a wistful sigh as she remembered sitting under these very stars with Fighter later that night, talking and holding hands. Her eyes refocused suddenly on her hands again, which she then drew to her breast. "One last gift," she murmured, "to help protect and preserve that which you love." A soft pink glow spread from her hands, its intensity growing by degrees. "May you all find happiness." She spread her arms and released three tiny pairs of sparkling wings that flew from her hands and into the black sky, leaving a trail of glitter behind them. Their bodies became just small specks in the growing dusk as they sped off towards their destination. Long after the butterflies has disappeared from her sight, Kagyuu remained on the terrace above her shining city, listening to the sounds of life from her people below. Then, with one last sigh, she left the solace of her private chambers to join them. * * * * * Yaten lay sprawled across the couch, randomly strumming at strings on the unplugged guitar. Listening to him without interest, Taiki paced the room in a wide circle, unable to work off the nervous energy that filled his body. Plucking a note that went sour, Yaten exhaled angrily and stood. "What are we doing here?! Shouldn't we be out looking for her?" Taiki paused and glanced at him. "And waste our time? We won't be able to find her until she wants to be found. We have to wait." Yaten opened his mouth to respond then froze as a soft breeze blew past his cheek. Taiki, seeing him halt, asked, "Nani? What is it?" "Do you...am I just..." Yaten's confused expression suddenly lifted as he spotted something. "Princess!!" Taiki followed his gaze and gasped, startling Seiya. "What?" asked Seiya as he looked up. He turned to see what had brought this response from them, and his eyes grew wide. Three tiny butterflies fluttered through the rafters of the room, circling the heads of the boys and sprinkling a shower of sweetly scented sparks down on them. Seiya closed his eyes and inhaled deeply the familiar smell, feeling his heart grow light. Opening his eyes, he reached up to them, and one detoured from its path, spiraling down to alight gently on his outstretched fingertips. As it brushed his fingers, it burst into a thousand tiny fragments that shimmered as they floated to the ground. He watched as the last two flew down to Taiki and Yaten, landing on the tops of their heads. Feeling a warmth grow in his pocket, he reached and pulled out his brooch, seeing the others do the same. The brooch began to shine in his hand, its features shifting and evolving. "A new power..." murmured Taiki as the luster faded. The star had reversed, pointing down now, with a new jewel gleaming in the center. "From our princess...?" Unlooping the guitar strap from around his neck, Yaten tossed the guitar onto the couch. "Well, I can't just sit anymore. I feel as if I have to be doing something. Even our Princess has sent us a message to get moving!" Turning away from Taiki, he asked, "Seiya, are you coming or are you going to mope around here too?" Seiya had sat down again with his chin on his fists, staring vacantly across the room, the brooch nowhere to be seen. Yaten, waiting for a response that was not coming, gave a frustrated sigh and stormed out of the room. Seiya's head jerked up at the sharp slamming of the door. Like he had just awoken from a dream, he stared at the door for a moment, slowly realizing that was what he heard. Rubbing his head, he replaced his chin on his hands, returning to his train of thought. *But it_is_his fault that we are even in this situation. It was_his_ unthinking accusation that so broke her heart that Chaos could overtake even _her_ pure spirit!* Seiya removed his hands and let them drop into his lap. *That's not entirely true, Seiya, and you know it. There's no way that Mamoru-san would have hurt her like that unless there was something else going on. It's Chaos that's doing this, not Mamoru-san.* Seiya sighed and closed his eyes, massaging the bridge of his nose. *I've seen how affected by this he is. He blames himself for what happened and refuses to be near anyone. I know how much he loves her...and I can never forget how heart broken she was without him...* His head sagged onto his chest as he brought one hand to his forehead. "Then it's decided." Taiki looked up at him. "What? Are you leaving too?" Seiya nodded as he brought himself to his feet. Taking a deep breath, he slowly raised his face and straightened his posture. Fixing his jaw, he walked to the door, opened it, and started walking the path to Mamoru's apartment. * * * * * Sailor Cosmos's eyes narrowed as the planet Mars's radiance in the night sky brightened, twinkling for a moment before dimming back to its normal shine, followed by three smaller stars doing the same in rapid succession. "This is no good. This won't go as smoothly as planned if I don't act now. I must attack before all of them find their new powers." She smirked. "If there is one thing I remember, it's that together they may be strong, but when led astray from the flock, they forget to watch their own backs." She began to giggle as she raised her hands before her, summoning a bit of her quickly expanding energy. Lifting her arms, she brought one finger to her temple and traced it directly down the center of her face and chest, all the way to her toes, leaving a glowing golden trail. She breathed in deeply, feeling heat spread across the surface of her skin, then, releasing her held breath, quickly leapt back, the magic remaining in the air where she had stood in a perfect replica of her naked body. It remained in the air for a few moments, transparent and unmoving as Sailor Cosmos walked around the body to face it. Leaning forward, she exhaled another breath onto it, blowing more sustenance into its form, thickening its flesh and giving it tangibility. Tilting her head to the side, she studied it. "Not bad," she murmured. "But I certainly can't send it out like this." Flicking her wrist, a small brooch appeared on the young girl's chest. The sparkling center jewel flashed briefly, engulfing the girl in shining ribbons then withdrawing back into the brooch, leaving her clothed in a white body suit and blue pleated skirt. As the familiar tiara appeared across her brow, Sailor Cosmos was struck with a hint of nostalgia for her former life, a certain longing for the innocence and ignorance in which she had lived. The final flickers fading, Sailor Cosmos lay two cool fingers on the girl's lifeless cheek, staring into her blank and unseeing eyes. *Just like how I used to be. Blind and dumb.* Her brow deepening in a frown, she reached forward and lay a soft kiss on the girl's cold lips, allowing a bit of Chaos into her. Drawing back, Sailor Cosmos watched as life slowly invaded her body. The girl's eyes closed as her arms and legs began to jerk erratically, her head tossing back and forth as a piercing scream of agony escaped from her lips. Then, falling to the floor in a slump, Cosmos watched as Sailor Moon lay still on the ground, her back rising and falling in the motion of slow and even breathing. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get up!" Cosmos demanded. In response, the girl's head began to rise as she drew herself to her feet. Slowly, her back curled as she pushed herself off the ground, her body straightening to stand erect. She opened her eyes. With sharp awareness, she met Cosmo's gaze. It was then she realized that this soulless creature could never be who she once was. Sailor Moon was dead forever. For some reason, this angered her. "Go!" she snapped. "Go into their city and raise anarchy, something they can't ignore. Give them a chase and a fight they won't forget!" Sailor Moon looked at her with vague distaste then disappeared in an whirl of golden sparkles. Sailor Cosmos watched her exit and felt a smile creeping across her face again. "You won't live long anyway, creature. You're just the diversion. I will enjoy watching you perish." * * * * * Mamoru touched his jaw tenderly where Seiya had struck him, his blue eyes flashing darkly with rage. "How can you say that?!" Seiya seethed. "She needs you more than she needs anyone else right now! You can't just sit around here and hope for the best, hope that everyone else will take care of it!" "I was the one who hurt her, Seiya-kun!" Mamoru spat. "If I go near her again, I...I may _kill_ her!" Having it said, Mamoru's anger slowly slipped from his body, his shoulders drooping. "I can't do this to her anymore." "She may already _be_ dead, idiot." But Seiya's words had lost their force, seeing the resignation in Mamoru. "Don't you care for her anymore?" "Of course I care for her," Mamoru said softly. "That's why I can't have any more to do with her. I do nothing but hurt to her every time we are together." Seiya began to shake his head. "That's not true, Mamoru-san. You and no one else can bring her happiness. You can't be so selfish as to leave her alone again, not when she needs you more than ever." "She doesn't need me," Mamoru sighed softly. "Maybe she did once, but she's not the small little girl she used to be. I..." Mamoru was cut off by a sharp scream from the streets below and the tinkling bells of shattered glass. Quickly after it sounded the loud squeal of tires and the smash of metal against metal as they screeched above the clamoring and screams of panic from pedestrians. Both Mamoru and Seiya leapt to the window, throwing aside the curtains. " 'Evening, boys," Sailor Moon sneered up at them, gold eyes gleaming, the neck of a young woman firmly trapped in her grasp as the woman's eyes rolled in terror. A blue car sizzled nearby, its from end embracing a lamppost. A final few people scrambled out of the street, following the crowd who had already fled from the scene. "Sailor Moon!" Mamoru gasped, and Seiya glanced at him. "That's her? Are you sure?" he asked. Mamoru quickly nodded, dashing across the room. "That's exactly how she looked when she first became Sailor Moon, years ago." He paused with his hand on the doorknob. "What am I doing?" he whispered to himself. Slowly, he backed away from the door, wrapping his arms around himself. "Exactly! What _are_ you doing?! We need to be _out_ there!" shouted Seiya, pulling on his arm. Mamoru jerked it away. "No! I can't go down there, I can't see her!" Another scream issued from the afternoon outside and both turned to stare out the window, a torn look on Mamoru's face. "You're going to let that girl suffer?!" Seiya asked incredulously. Mamoru averted his face, walking away. Seiya watched his back, disgusted. "Well, I'm not going to stand around here. Come and help us when you find the courage, coward." Darting to the door, he dashed through it, pulling his brooch from his pocket as he ran. Mamoru glanced at the open door as a final, earsplitting shriek sliced through the air. Gritting his teeth and clenching his hands, he walked to the window and shut it, closing the drapes without glancing down. * * * * * Panting for breath, Minako arrived on Mamoru's street, coming face to face with a blonde girl holding the dying body of a pedestrian. "Sailor Moon!" cried Makoto, appearing behind Minako. Ami and Rei stood at her side, gaping at Usagi. "In the name of Mars, I command you to that woman down!" demanded Rei, drawing out her transformation wand. Sailor Moon looked up from the woman, a smile creeping across her face as her eyes found the four girls. "I _did_ catch you all at lunch, didn't I? I dearly hope that I didn't make you all skip class...especially, you, Ami-chan. I know how much you hate to miss studying." A sudden echo of footsteps made them turn as Seiya exited Mamoru's building, his eyes narrowed at Sailor Moon. "Let her go, Usagi." Sailor Moon glanced down at the limp mass in her hands with disinterest. "Whatever you want," she said, dropping the woman to the concrete. "She was just the diversion anyway." Makoto made a slight movement forward, only just holding back at the last moment from running to aid the woman. Sailor Moon turned to the senshi and began walking towards them, staring at them hungrily under lowered lids. "You're the real reason I'm here." Each of them drew back slightly, taking a fighting stance. "Quickly, everyone! Let's transform, for Usagi-chan's sake!" shouted Ami. Pointing her wand to the sky she shouted, "MERCURY GALAXY GIRL!! MAKE UP!!" "MARS GALAXY GIRL!! MAKE UP!!" Following suit without pausing, Makoto thrust her arm into the air. "JUPITER GALAXY GIRL!! MAKE UP!!" "VENUS GALAXY GIRL!! MAKE UP!!" In a flash, the girls were swallowed in a shower of shining energy, replaced by four gleaming, winged soldiers, ready to battle. Seiya looked at them, then at his own brooch, his fingers tightening around it. Sailor Jupiter stared at the clothes on her body with shock. "I...I just..." Mars didn't take her eyes off of Sailor Moon to respond quietly to her. "We transform when we need to. I think we all know what we have to do." "Mmm, you all have new uniforms, I see," commented Sailor Moon, unimpressed. "It still won't be enough to save you!!" Sailor Moon cackled as she leapt into the air, drawing out her moon wand. "You can't defeat me, I know all of your tricks!" They didn't move from their positions. Makoto raised one determined fist before her. "We won't back down, Sailor Moon! We will fight to save this galaxy!" "HA!" Sailor Moon raised her wand. "MOON PRINCESS HALATION!!" The senshi darted out of the way as her attack dug a large crater into the ground, summoning their own energy for a counterattack. *I can't let Sailor Moon battle them!* Seiya thought to himself. He closed his eyes, feeling the head piece appear by his ear. "FIGHTER..." Sailor Moon caught his movement out of the corner of her eye. "Oh no you don't! MOON TIARA ACTION!!" The slim band of metal flew at him, striking and shattering his headpiece. "NO!!" shouted Sailor Venus as the force of the blow sent Seiya flying across the street, striking the opposite building with a sickening crash, colliding with the wall so strongly that it was collapsed down on him. "SEIYA!!" cried Sailor Mars, dashing past Sailor Moon. Dropping to her knees, she began roughly tossing aside the rubble of the ruined wall in a desperate attempt to find him. "SEIYA!" Sailor Moon began to laugh, enjoying herself thoroughly. "Now it's your turn!" she crowed, turning to the three still standing. Raising her wand, she leveled it at them. "MOON..." Suddenly, she paused. "What is that?" Perking their ears, the senshi heard a soft snapping of fingers. Two figures appeared on the top of a nearby parked car. "Penetrating the darkness of night, the air of freedom breaks through We are the sacred shooting stars!" "Healer!" said Jupiter. "Maker!" "Sailor Starlights! STAGE ON!" shouted the starlights as they leapt from the car roof. A soft coughing was heard from the under pile of rocks were Sailor Mars knelt as she lifted Seiya upright. "I'm fine, I'm fine," he said, waving her away. "But I think I'm rather useless for battle right now..." He touched the place by his ear where the severed arm of his mouthpiece still clung to his head. Grimacing, he climbed to his feet. Turning to Sailor Mars, he said, "Go! You can still stop this!" Sailor Mars stared at him for a moment then nodded firmly. Turning to rejoin the others, the Starlights stood by Seiya, facing Sailor Moon at his side. "Princess, the citizens who live here wish to do so in peace," said Healer, raising her chin to meet Sailor Moon's eyes. "The people of this city are off limits in this battle?" Sailor Moon shrugged. "You, them," her voice and smile turned cruel. "What's the difference?" Turning her scepter to point at them, she shouted, "MOON PRISM POWER!!" "Sailor Moon, what are you doing?!" cried Sailor Venus as the starlights narrowly avoided the attack, the sleeve of Seiya's jacket tearing a bit where the magic had caught him. "Why are you being like this? Why are you attacking your own friends?" "Save your speeches. I'm not going to be touched by your friendship for that girl. Even if the appearances may be the same, I am no more her than you are." Sailor Mercury blinked in surprise at this statement, then sighed sadly. Tightening her jaw, she said, "No, you are not." Bringing her hands above her in a wide arch, she summoned her energy, leaving a gleaming blue trail in the air where her fingertips traced a circle. "TEARFUL MELODY TEMPEST!!" A swirling blast of water flew from her hands and sped at Sailor Moon. Taken by surprise, the attack struck Sailor Moon squarely in the chest and knocked her roughly back, and she tumbled to the ground several feet away from where she had stood. "NO!! What are you doing?!" demanded Sailor Jupiter, grabbing Sailor Mercury's arms and drawing them behind her back. "You can't attack Usagi- chan!" Sailor Mercury shook her off. "It's _not_ Usagi-chan," she said quietly, walking towards the place where Sailor Moon struggled to her feet. "Sailor Mercury," Sailor Moon said, rubbing her head delicately. "You have more guts than I gave you credit..." "TEARFUL MELODY TEMPEST!!" Sailor Moon's eyes widened in shock as Sailor Mercury's attack flew at her again, hesitated, and leapt to the side one second too late as the attack slammed against her back. "Stop it!" cried Jupiter. "Stop!" Mars put one hand on Sailor Jupiter's shoulder. Instead of stumbling to the ground like she had before, Sailor Moon rolled to her feet, more angered than injured. "Insolent girl!" she spat. "No," said Mars, "I think Mercury is right." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, drawing her arms behind her head. "PASSION FEVER STRIKE!" She swung her arms around, sending out a blazing trail of flames. Sailor Moon bared her teeth, raising her moon rod. "MOON SPHERE ELIMINATION!!" A golden bubble encased her, snuffing out Mars's attack. Mars fell back slightly. "She never had that power before!" "It appears we're not the only ones with new powers," said Sailor Venus, taking a deep breath and setting her feet apart. "CUPID HONEY BLITZ!!" A brilliant streak of light shot from her outstretched fingers, fracturing the golden shield surrounding Sailor Moon. "It can be broken through!" cried Venus. "Everyone attack at once!" Lowering her arms to refocus her powers again, she caught sight of Sailor Jupiter standing to the side as Mars and Mercury leapt to attack. "Come on, Jupiter. You know what we have to do." Sailor Jupiter looked to where Sailor Moon stood, hunched in her quickly collapsing bubble as the senshi attacked it, the two starlights joining in from the sides as Seiya stood nearby with his face averted. "Don't hesitate, Jupiter," said Maker, appearing at her side. "It's not Usagi-chan." "I still can't do it. I don't care if she's been consumed by Chaos or not." "Iie, that's not what she means," said Mercury, pausing in her attack to touch her ear, drawing her Mercury Visor across her eyes. "It's not Usagi- chan at all! It's only a youma that has the appearance of Usagi-chan!" "What?" asked Venus, whipping around to face her. "You mean that Usagi-chan is still out there somewhere?" Sailor Moon ground her teeth, a soft glow emerging from her body. Suddenly, the bubble exploded outward with intensity like a bomb's, flinging the senshi to the side as they skidded on the coarse pavement that cruelly tore at their clothes and their skin. Sailor Jupiter, who had been standing behind Sailor Star Maker, watched as Maker was plucked away from her, and Jupiter fell to her knees as the blast roared over her. The detonation stripped several nearby buildings of their bricks, scorching and blistering whatever decorations had been hanging outside, whipping them down the street or obliterating them altogether. Sailor Moon sauntered out of the smoke, salient in the center of the street as a wind cleared the haze, her pink crescent wand sparkling in the sun. Looking at the destruction around her, she smiled down at the groaning senshi, who struggled to stand, gingerly touching their wounds. "Time..." she lifted her Moon Scepter so that the tip brushed Sailor Star Healer's forehead, "to _finish_ you_ off!_" Healer's eyes widened in horror as she recoiled from the burning touch of the wand. Slowly, Sailor Jupiter rose from behind Sailor Moon, tiny pieces of concrete and ash rolling off of her and skittering down to the ground. "I don't think so." Sailor Moon whirled around, ready to attack, but the loud, crackling energy of Jupiter's attack flew at her before she could respond. "GREEN NYMPH FLASH!!" Sailor Moon raised her wand quickly, shielding herself, but before she could open her mouth to shout her own attack, Jupiter's blow knocked her to the ground. The scepter went flying through the air, slowly spinning around and around, until finally, it landed on the sidewalk in a shattering of broken glass and metal. "NOOO!" cried Sailor Moon, leaping to her feet. "NO! My scepter!" She spun to face Jupiter, rage spreading across her face. "NOW YOU WILL PAY!!" Sailor Jupiter furrowed her brow. Drawing back her arms, she hurled another ball of electricity at Sailor Moon. "GREEN NYMPH FLASH!!" Sailor Moon easily leaned to the side, the energy whizzing past her without effect as she walked towards Sailor Jupiter. "That's not going to work again." Jupiter began to retreat, taking slow steps backward as she ignored Sailor Moon's words and sent another orb of lightning at her. Sailor Moon dodged that one as effortlessly as the first, Jupiter's third and fourth shots missing her as well. Sailor Moon continued to advance upon her, a ball of pure energy growing in her hands as she concentrated. Jupiter, too drained to attack again, stumbled backwards, nearly falling to the ground. Shoving aside the pebbles and rubble that had fallen on her, Sailor Venus jumped to her feet. "Come on, minna, we have to help her!" Mercury and Mars nodded, getting to their feet, and each positioned themselves carefully. "TEARFUL MELODY TEMPEST!!" "PASSION FEVER STRIKE!!" "CUPID HONEY BLITZ!!" The starlights, jumping to their feet, added their own attacks to the senshi's. "COSMIC ETERNITY SPARK!!" "COSMIC MATURITY FLARE!!" Jupiter, seeing their attacks meld into one, gathered up the remains of her energy, willing it into her fingertips as they began to crackle with static electricity. Sailor Moon, unaware of the senshi's attacks flying at her, raised her arms to attack Sailor Jupiter, laughing at her pathetic attempt to save herself. Concentrating harder, Jupiter gritted her teeth as the power grew stronger than any of her previous attacks, and she released it in a final swoop of her arm, taking Sailor Moon by surprise. "GREEN....NYMPH...FLASH!!" All six attacks struck Sailor Moon at once, wrenching and twisting her body as she screamed in agony. She vanished in the burst of light, the glare strong enough to force the senshi to shield their eyes. Sailor Moon's form rose above the explosion and she gave one final, piecing scream before her body disintegrated into golden dust, scattered by the wind. The senshi stood, gasping for breath as the street cleared, staring at the spot where Sailor Moon had stood. Feeling relieved that everyone was alive, Sailor Mars fell to her knees, pressing her face into her hands. Exhausted, Sailor Jupiter glanced up, sensing movement at the top of a building. She watched as four tall forms looked down at them, the tiny wings spreading from their backs barely visible across the distance. Wearily raising one arm in salutation, she called, "Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Pluto!" Everyone turned to look at the four senshi atop the drug store. "Why didn't they come to help us?" muttered Healer, which earned her a glare from Maker. "They weren't there a moment ago," whispered Maker. "They didn't arrive until now." "Or they were just avoiding a battle!" retorted Healer. "Everyone else felt the pull to this spot!" "What?" called Sailor Venus, and Healer spun around. Only she hadn't been speaking to Star Healer, but to the outers, who were gesturing wildly as they began leaping from rooftop to rooftop, running towards the senshi, calling something frantically. "We can't hear you!" shouted Sailor Jupiter. She frowned as she watched them, feeling a growing sense of unease. Suddenly, there was a snap of electricity behind her, and her eyes widened in realization. "BEHIND YOU, JUPITER!" cried Sailor Uranus, vaulting herself to the ground. Jupiter twisted around, her mouth dropping open in shock as Sailor Cosmos lowered her staff, the glass orb topping it pointing directly at her. "SUBLIME RAGE!!" Jupiter, knowing she was too fatigued to move to safety in time, straightened her posture and lifted her chin, facing her destruction. * * * * * She felt a jolt through her body as the breath was knocked from her lungs and she felt the sensation of flying through air, which she realized distantly was entirely painless except for an aching in her hands and arms. "You can open your eyes now, Jupiter." Confused, she opened her eyes, and found herself staring into Tuxedo Kamen's, a small smile on his face as he held her in his arms. She turned with a gasp to stare down at the ground, where Sailor Cosmos screeched up at them in fury. It was then she realized that the ache in her arms was the same ache she'd had a moment ago from surging so much power through them during her last attack. She let her head roll wearily onto his shoulder as his feet touched the ground, safely far away from the others. "Thank you, Tuxedo Kamen-sama," she whispered as she slid from his arms. As he nodded and looked back to the others, she could see the singed and still smoking edges of his cape. "I should have come sooner," he whispered, then dashed back to the battle. Sailor Jupiter, feeling stronger from his bravery, turned to follow him. * * * * * "Sailor Moon!" cried Sailor Mercury. "Listen to me! I know you can still hear me!" Sailor Cosmos glared at her. "Who are you talking to?" she spat as she lowered herself to the ground. "Sailor Moon is dead. You killed her yourself!" Sailor Mars shook her head as Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Jupiter appeared behind her. "No, Usagi, I know that's not true! You would never let yourself be defeated by such a hateful thing as Chaos, I know you're still in there somewhere!" Sailor Cosmos sneered as she pulled one arm to her chest, twisting the glass scepter behind her. "You still harbor that thin hope that you can be spared by appealing to the girl who once occupied this body?" Her long white cape began to stir on a breeze as a cruel smile spread across her face. Suddenly drawing the long staff from behind her, she raised it above her head in a quick whirl. "RADIANT MORNING STAR EMBRACE!!" The top of her staff suddenly burst outward in an eruption of golden light, and the senshi scattered, trying to avoid the blast. The outers, who had just reached the scene, were in the direct path of the attack, and Sailor Saturn twirled her staff, preparing to counter. Without warning, a shimmering form appeared in front of them, blocking the searing heat as it violently struck the thing in front of them instead of the senshi. "Oh god, who was that?" asked Sailor Venus, running to where she was sure she would find a body. Instead, she realized that the blast had not hit anyone at all, and that Galaxia was still holding it at bay, the strain evident on her face. "Sailor Galaxia!" Venus cried, and everyone turned to look at her. "What?!" shouted Sailor Cosmos. "What do you think you are doing, Galaxia? You cannot stand against me!" Galaxia, digging the sharp heels of her boots into the ground to stop the force of Cosmos's attack from throwing her against the wall behind her, slowly pushed the attack forward, allowing her own magic to flow from her hands around Cosmos's, dimming the glow. Baring her teeth, she thrust her arms forward suddenly, propelling the attack back at Sailor Cosmos, and it gained speed at it soared at her. Sailor Cosmos's eyes went wide as she ducked, the attack skimming over her head and detonating the building behind her. The explosion tossed Sailor Cosmos aside, throwing her body up to the sky, but she halted herself in midair, forming a glowing ball around herself to protect her body from the debris that was shooting past her. The bricks shattered into dust as they struck her globe of protection, and Sailor Cosmos forced more energy into it to make it hold. As the brief flash of heat faded, Sailor Cosmos gradually released the shield around her body, turning to glare at the senshi. To her surprise, they all stood on their feet in fighting stance, twelve pairs of eyes staring up at her. Seiya stood aside, watching sadly. *There's nothing I can do. This has to be done.* Galaxia slowly rose above them to Cosmos's height in the air, her eyes not leaving Cosmos for a second. Cosmos's face twisted into a sneer, and she raised her staff to attack. "Sailor Moon!" screamed Sailor Star Maker. "STOP!" Without glancing away, Galaxia raised her hands to eye level. "It's as if you're pleading with cancer to stop spreading within its host. She can't hear you, Healer. She can't hear any of you. But there is a cure for this disease." A fleeting glimmer appeared in her hands, leaving behind a obsidian vessel. "The final Canopic jar." Cosmos shrunk back from her, drawing back her staff. "How did you get that?" Galaxia smiled at her sadly. "You could no longer hide it in your state inside that poor girl. Inside here, your hold on her soul vanishes, Chaos. It is the inevitable end." With a cry, Galaxia was swallowed in a flare of light and pitched to the ground, holding the jar tightly to her chest to protect it. Chaos hovered above her, laughing, the tip of her staff still faintly glowing from her attack. "You are sadly mistaken if you think you can control me in that silly vessel! I am far too strong for you to simply absorb now!" Galaxia climbed to her feet alone. Everyone stood in a ring around her, afraid to approach, but wanting to help. "You are not the only one who has grown in strength, Cosmos," said Galaxia, and she tore off the lid to the jar, releasing a stream of light that sped towards Cosmos. Cosmos smiled as the radiance struck an invisible barrier, bouncing off of it and extinguishing. Galaxia's brown furrowed as she poured her energy into the vessel to increase the intensity of the assault. "Come on, minna, everyone help her!" shouted Sailor Uranus. "We destroyed Sailor Moon's barrier, we can do the same for this one!" cried Sailor Jupiter. Sailor Cosmos laughed. "You can hardly compare me to that wretched copy! I am a thousand times more formidable than she!" Sailor Uranus stepped forward, holding her fist in front of her. Cosmos laughed, feigning fright. "Oh, is that a challenge?" Uranus flicked her eyes up to Sailor Cosmos, and she halted her giggling. "ELEGANT SHADOW STORM!!" Vaguely amused, Cosmos held out her hand, bursting Uranus's attack before it even reached her. "You think _that_ will defeat me? HA! Come on, try again!" she taunted as Uranus powered up for another assault. "ELEGANT SHADOW STORM!!" "NIRVANA RAPTURE TIDE!!" Neptune's attack struck Cosmos's shield next to Uranus's, and Cosmos began to laugh again. She lifted her wrist, and Uranus and Neptune rose from the ground, their attacks flying out of control. "All of you, you're so amusing! You actually think you have a chance!" "Usagi, listen to me!" cried Sailor Mars, running forward. "You are a soldier of love! You can't let your hate control you!" Sailor Cosmos turned her eyes to Mars. "You want to be killed too?" She lifted her other hand, also raising Mars into the air as she cried out. Cosmos began to laugh as she sent out an electrical current through her arms into the air, making the three soldiers scream in pain. "Let...her...GO!" shouted Sailor Jupiter, sprinting towards Sailor Cosmos. "GREEN NYMPH FLASH!!" The bolt of lightning struck Sailor Cosmos's barrier, but a single thread of light pierced the blockade, striking Cosmos's wrist. Sailor Cosmos cried out in surprise and let her guard drop, and Mars, Neptune, and Uranus fell to the ground. Sensing her distraction, Galaxia increased her energy, and the golden barricade surrounding Sailor Cosmos shrunk just a bit, closing in on her. Noticing this, Cosmos gave a shout and threw her arms and legs wide, expanding the bubble to twice its original size, sending Galaxia's magic back through the arm of energy that extended between them. Thrown back from the force of her own magic returned at her, Galaxia flew backwards and slammed into Tuxedo Mask, who pressed his feet into the ground to stop them from being thrown against the wall. "It is no use!" yelled Sailor Pluto. "As long as she has that barrier up, we will never be able to penetrate her shield!" "Then we must bring down the barrier," said Sailor Uranus, rising to her feet. Sailor Neptune stood beside her. "If Jupiter could get through, even if for just a second, by herself, we should be able to destroy it if we attack at once!" Uranus nodded once, then, turning to Sailor Cosmos, she shouted, "ELEGANT SHADOW STORM!!" "NIRVANA RAPTURE TIDE!!" Mercury quickly powered up, feeling the energy tingle in her fingertips. "TEARFUL MELODY TEMPEST!!" Standing behind her, Mars followed her attack with one of her own. "PASSION FEVER STRIKE!!" Feeling reenergized from her earlier attacks, Jupiter closed her eyes and concentrated. "GREEN NYMPH FLASH!!" "CUPID HONEY BLITZ!!" Venus screamed as she released her blinding beam of light, the heels to her shoes touching the ground as she landed from her jump. Sailor Pluto raised her staff, twirling it gracefully above her head before leveling it at Sailor Cosmos. "HOURGLASS SCYTHE!!" Saturn joined Pluto's side. "TRANQUIL HARMONY!!" Raising her brooch, Maker spun to face Cosmos. "COSMIC MATURITY FLARE!!" Doing the same next to her, Healer yelled, "COSMIC ETERNITY SPARK!!" Sailor Mars bit her lip as all of the attacks hit Cosmos's shell at once, a huge explosion of fire and smoke surrounding it and hiding the destruction from their eyes. Out of the devastation rose a single scream, high and sharp. "We only do this because we love you," Mars sighed to herself. Venus touched her hand lightly, offering what comfort she could. Suddenly, Cosmos's scream grew sharper, then shifted into piercing laughter as she rose above the clearing dust, unharmed, her intact barrier still shining around her. "Impossible!" whispered Sailor Neptune as everyone cried out in surprise, backing up. "No one could have withstood that!" Cosmos's harsh laughter rang out across the street, echoing off the buildings and the ruins. "How can we defeat something so powerful?" exclaimed Mercury, looking back to where Galaxia stood by Tuxedo Kamen. "What can we do if none of our attacks have any effect?" said Venus, her voice thick with worry. Cosmos continued to laugh gleefully, raising her staff to draw energy to it. "Nothing, foolish children! There is nothing to be done, but _die!_" She shot a ball of light at Sailor Venus, catching her shoulder. Venus screamed and clutched at her torn and bloody skin as she dashed away, just missing another attack as Healer grabbed her out of the way. Baring her teeth, Uranus snarled as she gathered her energy to attack, feeling the others do the same beside her. "Oh no," said Cosmos, "no no, this isn't your battle, dears. This is between _me_ and _them!_" Raising her palm up, tiny spikes shot out of the ground, surrounding the four outers. Startled, Uranus lost the built up energy between her hands, and she took a step back, drawing back. "Careful," she cautioned. Cosmos rasied her hand higher, and the thorns suddenly shot out of the ground into the sky, revealing long and pointed barbs of sparkling crystal. "NIRVANA RAPTURE..." Cosmos suddenly tightened her hands into a fist, cutting off Neptune's attack as the spears raced towards the outers from above, tightening into a knot above them, inches above their heads. "What..." began Uranus, but she was cut off as the prison around her contracted in an unexpected spasm, closing around her, Neptune, Pluto and Saturn, freezing them in a imprisonment of icy crystal before they could even draw breath to scream. "NEPTUNE!" screamed Venus. "URANUS! PLUTO! SATURN!" Cosmos gazed down at the block of precious stone with satisfaction. "Now that I am done with them..." She turned back to the others, feeling a smile creep across her face. "What can we do?!" shouted Sailor Jupiter as she shot another attack at Cosmos, her lighting evaporating as soon as it touched the transparent wall. "All of our attacks are doing nothing!" Mercury frowned, watching Sailor Cosmos carefully. "Not quite," she said as she drew her Mercury Visor out again. "Wait!" Sailor Mars froze in mid attack next to her. "What?" "There's a strain in her energy when she powers up! Watch for the second when she attacks! She can't keep her barrier up and attack at the same time, so we have to be quick!" shouted Sailor Mercury as she dodged one of Cosmos's beams. "Gotcha!" grunted Jupiter as she launched herself into the air. "You guys distract her, I'll attack when she shoots at you!" Mercury and Mars nodded. "PASSION FEVER STRIKE!!" "TEARFUL MELODY TEMPEST!!" Sailor Cosmos glanced over at Sailor Mercury and Mars, who continued attacking. "This is so amusing," she purred as she raised her staff, facing them. "You don't give up, do you?" She raised her arms. "RADIANT MORN..." "GREEN NYMPH FLASH!!" Cosmos quickly whipped around, drawing her arms up to block Jupiter's attack, but the bolt of lightning pierced it, heading for her staff. Serving as a lighting rod, the staff charged with Jupiter's energy, transmitting the electricity into Cosmos's body. Sailor Cosmos screamed in pain, jerking her hand back, and the thin glass wand slipped from her grasp. Everyone watched with held breath as it plunged to the ground, its delicate glass form shattering nearby the ruins of the moon scepter. Her breath coming in uneven gasps, Cosmos remained hovering in the air, looking down at the fractured remains of her weapon. She closed her eyes tightly, balling her hands into fists. "Damn," she whispered, feeling her posture grow slack. Her body was thrown forward as her vision was enveloped by gold, the fingers of light from Galaxia's magic closing themselves around her from behind and tightening their grasp. Her face contorted in pain as she struggled against the invading strength of the magic as it sapped her strength. Realizing her position, Cosmos's squirming slowly grew to a stop. For a split second, Cosmos's shoulders drooped, and for a split second, Galaxia faltered. A tiny smile appeared on Cosmos's blood red lips. Cosmos buried her hands deep into Galaxia's magic, charging her fingers with her own power. Quickly vaulting herself out of Galaxia's clasp, she poured her energy into the stream of Galaxia's, forcing it back at her. Galaxia, caught off guard, cried out and stepped back, releasing her hold on the jar. The soldiers around her watched in horror as it fell to the ground and broke into thousands of obsidian shards. "Your little toy is destroyed now!" crowed Sailor Cosmos. "What are you going to do _now?_" Laughing ruthlessly, she shot a blazing ray at her opponent. Focusing her energy again, Galaxia halted the beam of Cosmos's energy inches from her face, straining to hold it at bay. Gritting her teeth, she delved into her reserves of energy, calling forth more power than she had ever handled at once, and flung it at Cosmos. The flash enveloped Cosmos as she cried out and plunged down towards the ground before stopping herself. Doubled over, Cosmos gasped for breath, clutching her stomach only a few inches above the concrete street. Galaxia, tired but calm, descended to the ground. "I don't need the Canopic jars, Chaos. I will destroy You myself." She raised her glowing hands, palms upward, as if offering Cosmos her death. Cosmos raised her head to stare at Galaxia. Streaks of soot and ash slashed across her cheeks, and her unruly pale hair fell around her face in strings as the tightly wound balls on her head began to come free. As Galaxia's final shaft of light flew towards her, Cosmos bared her teeth and opened her eyes wide, the whites showing all around her golden irises. "I WILL NOT BE UNDONE BY YOU!!" she howled, leaping to her feet. Countering Galaxia's flaming pyre with a storm of golden fire, she rose into the air again, her tattered cape flowing behind her, bearing heavily down on Galaxia. "#DIE!!#" Galaxia shrieked as the heels of her boots plowed into the ground as she was driven back under the force of Cosmos. Cosmos rose higher, pushing harder. "DIE!! DIE!! DIE!!" Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury cried out as Galaxia fell to her knees and rushed forward to help, but the blast of energy hurled them back. Feeling her strength begin to give way, Galaxia closed her eyes tightly as the hot wind tore at her flesh and armor, sending out a wordless prayer. As if in response, the tiny shards of stone that remained of the holy vessel at her feet began to stir, lifting themselves off of the ground to spin in a tiny black cyclone. Hovering in the air for a moment, the shards came to rest, pointing at Galaxia, and she stared at them, feeling herself being stared at back. They shot at her like bullets, skimming past her skin to sever the bonds of energy that held her captive, cutting the cords and setting Galaxia free. Cosmos paused and drew her hands back, feeling pricks in the centers of her palms. Slowly, she lowered herself to the ground. "What?! What is this?" The black fragments whirled around Galaxia, slicing through the last few strings of magic as she climbed to her feet. Staring up at Cosmos, Galaxia held her hands out, and the shards flew to her hands, reforming themselves into the jar, each fracture and crack glowing with energy. A shining glyph appeared on the container, a larger replica glistening behind Galaxia. Galaxia's eyes narrowed as she smiled. "I'm not so easily defeated," and she thrust her hands forward, propelling the dark vessel at Cosmos. Cosmos screamed and covered her face with her arms as the tiny stone slices threw her back, pinning her to a wall. "NO!!" The power of her predecessors running through her veins, Galaxia could sense the spirits of all the others before her who had fought Chaos merge together and grant her their strength to finally seal away their ancient enemy. Galaxia slowly began walking towards Cosmos. The clouds above her head began to roil and twist, restless and blackening into thunderclouds. "This ends now." Struggling against the restraints, Cosmos dug her fingers into her palms and did not cry out as Galaxia's magic entered her body. Her fists tightened, and her fingernails dug tiny half moons into the soft skin of her hand, trickling blood into the deep creases of her palm. Her expression one of mixed kindness and sorrow, Galaxia approached Cosmos. Raising her arms, she sent a torrent of energy at Cosmos, increasing the power that surrounded her. Ripping her headpiece off, the wind blew Galaxia's hair in a golden red river behind her, a shining flag to mark her victory. Bringing the bleeding hand to her mouth, Cosmos sucked the thick red liquid into her mouth, mixing it with the juices of Chaos. "Come a little closer, girl," she whispered to herself, feeling her essence begin to deteriorate. As Galaxia took the final step towards her, reaching to touch Cosmos's cheek, Cosmos suddenly spat the mixture of blood and magic at Galaxia. The clouds above their heads danced with the first bolts of lighting as the roar of thunder sounded in the distance. Realizing her mistake too late, Galaxia watched with a sinking heart as the projectile passed through her hand and arm without leaving a scratch and sunk deeply into her chest, past the armor, burrowing into her heart. Galaxia had time to glance up at Cosmos, into her cruel eyes and her crueler smile, before the pain exploded in her body, expanding out to her limbs and clouding her sight. Immediately, the tempest of light vanished as Galaxia grasped at her head, moaning. "What have you done?" yelled Star Healer, dashing forward. Cosmos shook off the fragments that had held her to the wall and sent a warning blast in Healer's direction, halting her in her tracks. "Doesn't feel so nice, does it, Galaxia?" taunted Cosmos, strolling towards her. "We are sisters now, you and I, both the passions of something greater than the both of us." Her eyes narrowed. "Only now, I am the favored daughter!" With an animal cry, she leapt at Galaxia, squeezing her throat between her hands. Giving a strangled cry, Galaxia placed both hands on Cosmos's chest and sent a blast of energy through her, knocking her back against the wall where she had been pinned only moments ago. A burning sensation seared through her torso as Galaxia attempted to stand, sending her flying back. Landing roughly, Galaxia could hear the echoes of Cosmos's laughter as she began to walk towards her again. "That was close! Come on... try again!" Furrowing her brow, Galaxia, tried to summon the power of the mages again, searching for the magic of the glyph she had found. Feeling it began to warm her fingers as the power grew, she felt her confidence return as she leveled the beam at Cosmos. Only to find her back striking the ground again, the presence of the mages gone again as pain seared across her body. Cosmos began to laugh again, harder, as she picked herself off the ground. "Don't you get it yet?! We're _blood_ sisters! Each feels the pain of the other! So whatever you do to me, you do to yourself! And when you DO kill me, the meshing of forces will be so great, it will destroy the entire city!!" Abruptly, she stopped laughing. "If I must die, I'm_ taking_ all_ of_ you_ with_ me!_" Shouting wordlessly, she shot a ball of energy at Galaxia, who still lay on the ground. Time stopped as the ball of fire sped towards her, shot from the hands of one eternally bound to her. *I cannot fight this battle! Even this blast that comes towards me now isn't meant to kill, she would never sacrifice herself for me. How can I fight her? She is me.* Suddenly, Galaxia's mind cleared. The pain and the despair she had felt were replaced with a new sense of duty, of knowing her path. She flipped her body out of the course of the attack and landed gracefully on her feet. Behind her, the black clouds took on a golden sheen as a break in the sky opened over her head, circling above her. "This ends now," she repeated, stepping towards Cosmos. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck the ground between them, bringing down the wrath of the heavens. The golden cyclone of clouds enveloped them as Galaxia surrounded them both with her magic. Thrusting one hand forward, she shot a burst lighting at Cosmos, striking her in the center of the chest. Panting as agony wrapped around her, Galaxia increased the intensity of her attack as the clouds and thunder churned around her. Tiny droplets of sweat ran down the burning skin of her brow as she struggled to stay conscious through the pain. Over the clamor of the storm rose Cosmos's uncontrolled, piercing laughter. Sailor Venus shielded her eyes and stared into the shining tornado. "What's happening?! She can't attack Cosmos, she'll die!!" The two dim forms traded blasts inside the eye of the storm, surrounded by the wall of swirling clouds. "Not to mention the rest of the city!" shouted Sailor Mercury. "_Everyone_ will die!" "We have to stop her," said Mamoru, running forward. Glancing at each other, Mars and Mercury hurried after him. Without hesitating, Venus, Jupiter, Healer and Maker followed after them. Seiya watched them go. Looking down at himself, he slowly sat down with lowered eyes. Suddenly, gritting his teeth, he sprung to his feet and dashed after them. As Mamoru neared the battling pair, he was forced to slow as the raging winds tore at his cape and at his clothes. Glancing behind him, he noticed the others behind him were besieged fiercely as well, moving along slower than he. A gust, stronger than the rest, purloined his top hat right off of his head, but he barely noticed as he approached the two. "Galaxia!" shouted Tuxedo Mask. But the winds stole his voice away as well, she couldn't hear him. Grunting with effort, he pushed on, each step harder than the first. Now only a few feet away, he tried again. "Galaxia!" Again she didn't react to his voice, when suddenly, his muscles ready to give out, he broke through the cyclone, and the winds abruptly stopped as he stood in the inner circle of the storm. He took a few breaths, startled, then hurried towards her again. "Galaxia!" Her face smeared with the blood that dribbled from her temple and from her cracked lips, she glanced at him in surprise. "What are you doing?! Get out of here and take the others!" Mamoru shook his head. "No, I can't let you do this! I can't let you sacrifice yourself and the people of this city! There must be another way!" Galaxia glanced at him again, diverting a small amount of the beam she had focused at Cosmos to his feet, cracking the pavement. "There IS no other way! If not the people of this city, then it will be all the people of this planet! Chaos has destroyed hundreds of planets just like yours before this, my Prince! You must understand that I must stop it while I have the chance!!" Tuxedo Kamen shook his head again. "I know that together we can stop her, Galaxia! I won't give up on the hope the others hold!" Distracted, Galaxia took no notice as Cosmos's attacks lessened, dwindling to empty blasts. Tuxedo Kamen reached for Galaxia as Venus stumbled through the tornado into the sanctuary behind them, Mars right on her tail. Taking hold of her wrist, he said, "Galaxia..." Galaxia shook him off angrily. "You don't understand what I must do!" Mars pushed halfway into the opening and glanced past them to Cosmos, who stood with her arms raised above her head, a vast ball of golden energy crackling above her head as she smiled evilly, staring directly at her former lover. "Tuxe..AGH!" Mars cried out as a gust of wind from behind tripped her up, dragging her feet away from her. Struggling against it, she twisted and fought as she tried to call out a warning to Tuxedo Kamen, reaching out to Venus who grabbed at her. Deciding it was not her problem, Galaxia turned back to Cosmos, her eyes meeting with a shock. "Oh no you don't," she murmured, powering up for her own counter attack to neutralize the blast she thought was meant for her. Turning at her shout, Tuxedo Kamen began to run to Mars's side to help her. Mars shook her head and waved her arms, yelling, "NO! NO! BEHIND YOU!" Tuxedo Kamen frowned, reaching for her. "What?" he called over the din of the raging winds. To the far left of them, Seiya stepped into the clearing, his eyes on Cosmos as she began to laugh, preparing to launch her attack. Frowning, he followed her gaze to Mamoru's back, his eyes widening as he realized she meant to attack. *Oh god, I can't let her kill the man she loves!* *But what can you do? You can't even transform. She took that away from you. She took so much...but I gave it all to her. * *Well...* *There is still one last thing I can give for her happiness.* Seiya curled his fingers into fists and dashed straight into the center of the circle, running towards Cosmos. Galaxia's eyes focused on the brightly colored blur of his jacket as he sped towards her enemy, startling her. "What are you doing?!" she cried. Her sight focused on Mamoru as she lowered her hands to direct her attack, Cosmos didn't notice him until he leapt at her, grabbing a hold of the shining brooch pinned to the front of her uniform. Gasping in surprise, her tainted golden eyes met his clear blue ones for a split second as the noise around her cleared, the only sound the ragged wheezing of her breath and the thudding of his heartbeat. "You...you would die for him?" she whispered in astonishment, her voice so low her lips barely moved. "Without you I have no reason to live," he said, his tone light and teasing as a gleaming sliver of his familiar playful smile appeared on his lips. "You're the only reason I stay alive." And with that, the blast Cosmos had built up broke free, no longer in control of she who had summoned it. Not, as she had planned, did it travel in the direction of Mamoru, but through her body and her brooch, passing through his arms and into him with an explosion of light and energy. As if time had stopped and all sound still halted, she watched as his body was lifted off of the ground and his mouth opened in a cry, but all sound was dead to her except the loud, continuous beating of his heart resounding in her skull. *Thud.* *Thud.* *Thud.* She watched as the edges of his hair and clothes singed and burned as his body rose off of the ground, and in the distance, she could see the others turn to stare. His back arched and his limbs flew wildly, twisting his body into impossible positions as he screamed in agony. *Thud.* *Thud.* *Thud.* Cosmos watched as his shoulder struck the ground, his head slamming into the concrete beside it as the rest of his body crumbled around him. In a quiet, smoking circle of broken bones and destroyed flesh, he stared blindly up into the sky, unaware of anything around him. An utter stillness came over his body as the trails of cinders floated up to the sky, and no one moved, the hush absolute. A single tear rolled down his colorless cheek, trailing a tiny river down his emotionless face. "I love you," he whispered, broken. Then, slowly, his eyelids fluttered closed, and he lay motionless. *Thud.* ... *Thud.* ... ... Silence. The twisting winds around them diminished and faded away as the sky closed back up, the clouds losing their angry faces. Galaxia's attack dissipated as she stared at Cosmos, who stood utterly still in the same attacking position she had been in before he had jumped out, but her hands were empty. Healer's eyes filled with sudden tears, trailing pale rivers through the dirt on her face. "FIGHTER!!" She ran forward and threw herself beside his still body. "NO! You can't die! You can't leave us here! What will we tell our princess?! You can't die!" Maker appeared beside her, her breathing ragged with sobs. "We told you, Fighter, we told you not to waste your life on that silly girl, but you wouldn't listen. Now what are we going to do?" Mercury placed one hand to her lips as she bit back tears, staring at Seiya's dead body. *You were such a good friend, Seiya-kun. Always making us laugh, taking us out for icecream, playing cards with us...why did it have to end this way?* Mars placed one hand on her shoulder, startling her out of her reverie. "Look," she whispered, pointing at Cosmos. Cosmos's arms slowly lowered to hang at her sides as she gazed at Seiya's dead body. She stood unmoving as a gentle wind blew around her, carrying away the smoke from the battle and clearing the street. "Maybe he got through to her," Mars whispered. "Maybe this was his chance to save us all...to save her..." Carefully, she began walking towards Cosmos, sensing the four others at her back. As they passed Tuxedo Mask, he rose to join them, but Mars waved at him to stay where he was. Staring at Cosmos, Sailor Venus began to feel a soft warmth underneath the thick blanket of loss. Halting where his body lay with the Starlights next to him, she waited for Usagi to make her move as Mercury, Mars and Jupiter warily joined her side. Slowly, the Starlights rose to their feet and silently stepped away from Seiya as Cosmos began to walk towards him. Gazing down into his bruised and blood smeared face, a strange tremor passed through Cosmos's expression, a mixture of emotions to thick to be read, and she bent down to touch him. Mars felt the tears begin dry from her eyes as she watched Cosmos kneel beside Seiya, balling her hands into fists, a tiny, joyful but remorseful smile peeking at the corners of her lips. Mercury reached over and took hold of her hand, squeezing it tightly. "Who could have thought...who could have known it would take so much to finally break through Chaos..." she whispered, more to herself than to anyone else. As her fingers brushed his chest, her soft expression quickly twisted into an evil sneer, and throwing her head back, she began to laugh manically as she stood, lifting his body with the tips of his fingers and keeping it suspended in the air. Jupiter felt the smile on her face crack and shatter, killing the hope in her heart as Seiya's body began to glow with a golden light, a tiny black flower appearing at his breastbone. Still giggling to herself, Cosmos watched as the flower uncurled. As its petals opened, they revealed a blinding white light, forcing everyone around it to shield their eyes. Cosmos watched with growing excitement as it spun around on its axis above the flower, and she reached out to grab the shining jewel, its sharp corners warm in her palm. "Foolish boy!" she laughed, opening her palm to let the others stare at his starseed in horror. "But what a beautiful shine! The first soul in my collection!" And she crushed it between the palms of both hands. "NO! DON'T!" screamed Maker, jumping forward, but she was forced back as the jewel exploded outward in a blaze of light. Sailor Cosmos's laughter, clear and joyful, rang across the street as the golden light from Seiya's starseed swirled around her, absorbing into her skin as their powers merged into one. Venus's head slowly shook from side to side, as if in denial of what she saw before her, pressing one hand tightly to her lips as tears trickled down her cheeks. "What a wondrous feeling!" Cosmos sighed as the glow began to dim. "Mmmm...It's like..." Her eyes closed as her head lolled to the side, and she smiled. "Like..." She bit her lower lip, slowly dragging her teeth across the tender flesh, wetting it. Sailor Star Maker turned away in disgust, her stomach turning. "How can you take so much pleasure in the pain of others? He died because he loved you!" she spat. Opening her eyes, Cosmos centered her gaze on Maker. "That was his imprudent choice! He offered me his soul, and I took it. Now I shall have yours as well!" Raising one hand above her head, the bright form of a star began to shine in her hands. "RADIANT..." Feeling the breath catch in her throat, Maker quickly began to gather the sparse traces of energy to prepare for the impact, but her thoughts were so scattered and her heart so heavy that it was truly more of an impulse than a genuine defense. Looking up at Cosmos, her shoulders drooped. Healer, next o her but oblivious of the situation, only stared at the broken, soulless remains of Seiya, and lowered her head "...MORNING STAR..." The senshi around her took a step back. "MAKER! HEALER! Watch out!" cried Sailor Jupiter. Her stomach sank as she watched Maker's stance fall, surrendering herself to Cosmos as Healer did the same beside her. "No...No, don't give up! You can't let Seiya's death be in vain!" "...EMBRACE!!" As the hot white glow of Cosmos's attack flew at her back, Healer raised her eyes to Jupiter, staring at her in despair as the energy surrounded her. The green of her eyes shone with reflected tears as her form was swallowed and consumed. "NO!" cried Sailor Mars, sprinting forward blindly into the blaze. "Mars! Come back!" shouted Venus, but Mars ignored her as she disappeared into the flames. Sailor Cosmos rose above the blast, laughing, holding one shining point of light in each of her outstretched hands like trophies. "MARS!" shouted Jupiter, desperately searching the concealing smoke. "Mars! Where are you?!" Sailor Mars stumbled out of the fire, the limp bodies of Maker and Healer slung over her shoulders. Falling to her knees, the inert bodies fell from her grasp. Wiping at her soot stained cheeks, she whispered, "I was too late." Smiling in the air above her, a two soft cracks resounded in the silence, followed by a bright flash of brilliance, but no one looked up. Lowering her gaze to the ground, Mars felt her strength begin to give way. "Maybe it's just easier to give up. There's no way we can defeat her." * * * * * ***Authors notes*** Ending on that happy note... No, there's not going to be anymore about the shittenou in this fanfic, so you can forget it. I wasn't planning on doing that until about three sentences before I wrote the part where Ami looks at him standing by the window. Go on and guess how this is going to end. I dare you. Questions, comments, complaints and concerns, e-mail us at Kaelali_Su@hotmail.com. Let me know if you liked the transformation phrases. The web address is http://homepages.msn.talkcity.com/Terminus/smradioplay for everything you need to know about the fic and the radioplay based on it. If you would be interested in obtaining a copy of the afore mentioned radioplay when it is completed, please e-mail us to reserve a copy. And a special thanks to my inspirational little brother, who suggested a few transformation phrases for Seiya. "MOON DUDE WOMAN!! MAKE UP!!" Now you see why he didn't transform! ^.^;; OH! And a huge GOMEN to everyone who waited for so long for this to come out!! I didn't mean for it to take this long, and I SWEAR that the last two acts won't take nearly half this long! Wow, I've decided these notes are going to be long, so you can stop reading now. I just want to thank everyone that has written to me with such *nice* comments about my crappy story, it really makes me feel good that so many people are enjoying this! If anyone, I mean *anyone*, wants to chat with me about absolutely anything, be it Sailor Moon, troubles at home, or the weather, my AOL instant messenger name is aiwoshinjiteru. Feel free to talk to me at ANY time, I'm always looking for people to chat with!! Don't be shy!! Really! If you don't have AOL but have an ICQ, let me know and I'll download that, because I've really been meaning to, but never really got around to it....