Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Heart, ... and Mind ❯ Heart and Mind ( Chapter 3 )

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

Heart,... and Mind
by Amby-chan aka Lady Ambre
amby-chan@sailormoon.com

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All right boys and girls of all ages.. Buckle up and brace for impact. Here's the final chapter in the story! Remember to enjoy, make sure you go to the bathroom BEFORE hand (it's really annoying to get to a good part and then have to go so bad! ^.-), and always feed your author with some sort of feedback!

Thank you and Enjoy!
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Part Three: Heart and Mind


"Quick! Get her into surgery! We've got to make sure she's not bleeding internally. Get my scrubs ready! Miss, you can't come in with us. You're going to have to stay out here in the waiting room..."

"But please, she's my sister.. She's all I have in the world!!"

"I'm sorry.. I assure you she's in the best possible hands. Now, Nurse Nyanko will help you with the paperwork. We'll let you know as soon as we get out of surgery.."

And then he was gone, leaving Usagi standing in the hallway with bewildered tears on her cheeks, her hands paused, uncertain in midair. She wanted with all of her heart to follow her sister down the hallway, to be there no matter what, but she knew that she couldn't. She had to wait here, wait to find out whether her sister would live or die.

The reason they were even here made Usagi's fists clench in anger every time she thought of it. She couldn't believe he'd tried to kill her sister. That bastard Mamoru!! First he betrayed her with that Keisei woman, and then he tried to kill the only one who'd truly loved her. She gritted her teeth and forced the thoughts from her mind, slowly turning around.

She filled out the paper work.

And then she sat there.

She rose, paced, got scolded gently by a nurse and returned to the waiting room.

And sat there.

And sat there...

She was lost in her own little world when the doctor came back, caught up in the memories of her childhood on the Moon. She'd never really wondered why she couldn't remember anything about growing up, but now she knew why.

Taiyouna was in all of them. Whenever she remembered falling, she remembered Taiyouna being there to help her up. Whenever she remembered being scared or frightened, she remembered Taiyouna being there to hug her and tell her stories that kept her mind off her fears. She'd been prescient; she knew that now. She recognized the fact that the nightmares she'd had as a young girl and then as a teenager were really omens, premonitions of what was going to happen to her Moon Kingdom.

She also remembered that the only thing Taiyouna had never supported her in was her love for Prince Endymion. "He'll only hurt you, Serenity.. Stay away from him.." She and Luna had always been so set against Endymion, and Serenity had been set and ready to prove them wrong. Yet, she'd only proven them right...

And then... the attack... "She's taken them both!!" Queen Serenity hadn't meant Endymion, for she'd never really approved of him anyway, but she'd truly meant Taiyouna, who had died at the hands of Beryl just a few minutes earlier, protecting Serenity. Her death had been in vain, Usagi thought softly.

"Miss Soluno?" Usagi snapped out of and to her feet in and instant, her face showing just how worried she was. "How is she?" she demanded, her tone desperate. The doctor looked so serious.. Gods...

"She'll be just fine." Usagi fell into the chair with a sigh of relief, looking up at him with tears of relief in her eyes. "She's recovering from the surgery right now. If you want, you can follow Nurse Nyanko and she'll let you see her.."

"Yes! Oh kami, please.. yes..." The doctor smiled, patted her shoulder.

"Good thing you got her here in time. I hope you find the man who did that to her." Usagi smiled and nodded mutely. She'd told the emergency room as much of the truth as she'd dared to. She'd told them how her ex-boyfriend had gotten jealous and stabbed Mihari -- who had only been trying to protect her. They'd accepted it without question. No doubt they got a lot of that sort of thing.

She followed the nurse to Mihari's room. After the battle, Princess Serenity had transported them to the lobby. She'd used her newfound powers to trigger Sailorsol's detransformation, detransformed herself, and hurried Mihari in for some help.

Mihari lay in the bed, her eyes closed, her skin almost as white as the thick bandages that covered her upper right shoulder. Usagi's heart leaped to her throat at the sight of it.

"Oh kami 'Ari.. Are you all right??" Usagi flew to Mihari's side, flinging her arms around her older sister's neck, crying in relief, her tears falling like rain to darken the hospital gown Mihari wore. Mihari looked down at her golden-haired sister, and almost couldn't believe she'd come with her.

"I'm fine.. I'll be perfect as long as you stay with me.." Mihari said softly, lifting up her good hand to brush Usagi's hair out of her eyes with a smile. "Don't cry. I'm all right, I'm going to be back to normal before you know it."

"I'll stay with you forever. I should never have left you in the first place. You were right, I'm so sorry. You were right about Mamoru and I should have listened to you.. Oh kami, 'Ari, I saw him.. and her.. she's a slut, a prostitute! And she had him pressed up against the wall and she was kissing him and he was happy about it and.. and.." Usagi turned her face down into her sister's arms and sobbed.

Pain echoing Usagi's own shon ien Mihari's eyes. "Usagi.. Usa I've got to tell you something. And I want you to listen to me before you judge it all right? You have to know I had only your best intentions at heart when I did this..."

"Wh.. what? 'Ari, what are you talking about?" Usagi sat up slightly, reaching for Mihari's hand and folding her own around it, still sniffing slightly, but her eyes colored with concern for her older sibling.

Mihari looked away for a moment, her eyes dark, her voice laboring to speak, to force out the words."I.. I was Keisei."

"What?!" Usagi recoiled as if stung. Only Mihari's hand clenching hers kept her from dashing from the room. "But.. Mi.. Mihari.. Ari.. how could you? How could you?? Gods!"

"USA! STOP!" Usagi's mouth shut with an audible click as she stared incredulously at Mihari, who struggled to sit up straighter. Silently, she helped her older sister, looking hurt and betrayed. "I told you to listen to me," Mihari scolded gently, clasping Usagi's hands between her own.

"I took on the alias Keisei in order to test Mamoru. If he really loved you as much as he said he did, I'd fail in trying to get him to make out with me, right? Usagi, I only did it to see if I should stay away. I'd found you, but you seemed so happy, I was so afraid of destroying that for you.." Tears formed in Mihari's eyes, brimming on her lashes. "I figured that if Mamoru turned me away that I'd leave and let you two be happy together, without me. I didn't want it to be like in the Silver Millenium, when you were torn between both of us.."

She cleared her throat. "I had hit on him several times before that. It was easy. I'm an theatre actress, and Keisei was an easy character to play. She only had one objective: sex.. with Mamoru..." Usagi's chin quivered, but she remained silent, her eyes glued on Mihari's face as the difficult tale unwound from her lips. "That time at the arcade was one of the first times. Finally, I got fed up. It was time for the true test.. So I followed him to his apartment, and confronted him. I.. I.. grabbed his collar and yanked him up against me. I mean, I thought he'd resist. I truly didn't expect him to let me kiss him, Usa, or else I wouldn't have. I hate him. Do you hear me? I've always hated him.. I never meant for you to be there. I never meant for you to see us. If he did.. go all the way with me, I would have used it against him, threatened to tell you unless he broke up with you and moved away. I didn't want it to end like that.. I truly didn't Usa..."

"Oh Ari.." Usagi whispered, looking away, down at the floor. Mihari bit her lower lip, watching her sister worriedly. She'd just die if Usagi decided to reject her after they'd found each other again and Mihari had her back.

Then Usagi raised her eyes to look at Mihari, smiling tremulously. "You're always trying to protect me, 'Ari.." She flung her arms around Mihari, hugging her tightly but carefully.

"Oh, Usa..." Tears of relief burned Mihari's eyes now, and she clasped her little sister to her as if she were afraid she'd disappear, as she'd once told her little sister when she'd been Mikasuki and none of this had been discovered yet.

"Please don't ever leave me, 'Ari. I think I'd die."

"I won't ever, Ever leave you, Usa.. ever."


"Usagi...?"

Cold blue eyes. Clenched fists. Tense shoulders. All greeted their eyes as the girl turned to look at them, grocery list in hand. Now they could see what she'd been hiding as Mikasuki. Scars crisscrossed her arms and legs, scars from the burns she'd survived. Now that she'd regained her powers, they were rapidly disappearing. They could only imagine how bad they'd been before her rememberance.

"May I help you?"

Ami winced at the tone, glancing back at Makoto and Minako with Luna in her arms and Artemis on her shoulder. They'd decided that they'd come. Rei had tearfully maintained that Usagi hated her enough that she didn't need to see her again to reaffirm it, so it'd be better if she didn't come.

"We're sorry.. We don't want to loose you Usagi. You're our leader and our Princess and it's our job to protect you. We can't do that if you won't let us..." Minako's hand clenched at her side at the hardness that entered Usagi's eyes.

"Is that all I am to you now? Your job? Well, I don't need your protection. You couldn't protect me in the Silver Millenium and you can't protect me now. Forget me.. Your job is to protect the Earth now. You'd better train more; you won't have me to clean up the monsters for you."

Then she gathered up some of the apples she'd been looking at, turning back to look at them, taking in their stunned, hurt faces, then shaking her head.

"If you don't mind.. I've got shopping to finish. Mihari wants to make stirfry tonight."

Then she brushed by them and left.


"She won't talk to us. She ignores us when she sees us on the street and last night she slapped Makoto when she tried to talk to her. And whenever it seems like we've said something meaningful, Mihari turns up and Usagi pushes us away." Minako slammed her fist down onto the floor in anger and frustration. "How the hell can we get her back if we can't even talk to her?"

"It's my fault." They turned to look at Mamoru, who sat with his head in his hands on Rei's low bed. He looked as if he hadn't slept in ages. His hair was messy and his normally perfectly ironed clothes were wrinkled and unkept.

"No it's not.. It's not anyones fault. It's just.. a.. misunderstanding.. It's the result of a lack of communication between all of us. It's the result of hurts that build up under the surface. It's not your fault," Ami said softly, shaking her head. They hated to see him suffer so.

"No, it's MY FAULT. First the thing with Keisei.. I don't even know what.. what the hell happened there.. Then I drove her away even more. She got killed because I couldn't protect her. SHE was protecting ME. That's not the way it's supposed to be. And then.. we.. we could have gotten her back. But.. because of me she's even further away than she ever was!" He buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking with his grief.

Makoto moved quick as lightning. Grabbing his collar, she lifted him bodily from the bed, slamming him up against the wall. He cried out in surprise -- he was easily twice her size yet she'd just picked him as if he was nothing. Her eyes flashed in anger and rage.

"Mamoru Chiba! You disgust me!!" He winced at her words.

"Makoto-" Ami began, but Makoto cut her off. "No, Ami, this has to be done!!"

Makoto shook him, her eyes scathing. "What are you? A baby? Do we need to get out the diapers and bottle for you? I am sick and tired of your childish helplessness!! Look at you! You've given up on her! You haven't even tried to get her back. When YOU were at Beryl's beck and call Usagi did not waste a single moment. She was constantly searching for a way to help you. She NEVER gave up on you even when your mind was beyond her reach. And now you're just giving up? Well if that's true then you don't deserve her!!! If you're just going to give up now, well then, I say, she's better off with Mihari! We don't deserve her! Not any of us!"

Now she turned to include the rest of the Senshi in her harsh words, her voice like thunder, shaking them out of the depression and hopelessness they'd fallen into. "We're nothing but a bunch of snobbish princesses, sitting here, saying that we can't do it because we lost!! Well guess what, EVERYONE LOSES. Am I the only one who remembers Usagi? How she would never give up?? She kept us going when we would have given up. She never gave up on us. She kept fighting. Now it's our turn!!

"It's our turn to fight for her. She's fought and died for us. She's DIED for us to SAVE us and the rest of the world! Now when she's in trouble we give up and leave her to drown!! GET UP SAILOR SENSHI. Get off your asses and fight back! It's time that we remember what she taught us. We are not going to give up! We are going to get her back!!!"

"You're right Makoto," Rei said suddenly, standing swiftly. "I'm sorry that it took you to get us back on track. You're right and we were wrong. It's time that we got serious. We need our Princess back, so let's get her back!"

"Right! We can't give up on her, not when she's given up so much for us!" Ami stood as well, her fist clenched resolutely in front of her as she looked at the other two.

"I've shamed myself. I should have been the one making that speech. I'm supposed to be your leader yet I forgot the most important thing.. keeping you guys going. Keeping hope up. Well I'm going to change that. We're gonna get Usagi back!!" Minako's hair whipped out in back of her as she leaped to her feet.

"That's the spirit girls! There is nothing that Sailor Senshi can't do!" Luna's eyes sparkled with determination and hope. It did her heart good to see them unified, their eyes sparkling with their newfound resolve.

"Let's get Usagi back!!" Artemis cried.

"Well.. what do you say, Mamoru? Are you done sulking? Your love is out there, hurting and alone! It's time we get her back. Are you with us or were we wrong in assuming you loved her?" Rei's voice was soft but demanding.

Mamoru's head was lowered, his black hair blocking his eyes. Suddenly his fists clenched together, and his head raised. His eyes were hard - this time with the spirit of determination and hope that Makoto's harsh words had been necessary to put back in place.

"I'm with you. I'm going to get my Usako back."


Where was it? He was nearly frantic. He'd torn apart her entire room, unended every thing that had been so carefully put away by her mother, who, like the rest of her family, believed Usagi'd gone to visit her grandparents in England. It was the story they'd come up with after Sailormoon's "death", unable to come up with anything better. And after Usagi's return, she'd tacitly taken over the job of keeping up the charade.

"Did you find it??" Luna asked, slipping into the room. Mamoru turned to look at her, having dumped another of the drawers in Usagi's bureau. Or what had been Usagi's bureau.

"No! Where would she have put it?" Mamoru sighed heavily, biting his lower lip. He had to find it; it was the key to everything. It was the key to getting her back..

Suddenly he gasped. Of course!! He turned to her bed, the place she adored the most, and began to pull the sheets and bedspreads off of it, scattering stuffed animals and pillows, searching, questing. The top mattress was soon to go, flung to the other side of the room. Luna meowed her annoyance as she leaped out of the way, a meow that cut off when he saw what Mamoru was pulling from the box that had been wedged underneath the two mattresses.

"I've found it..."


"How many marshmallows do you want in your hot chocolate, 'Ari?" Usagi called, leaning back to catch a glimpse of Mihari, who was stretched out on the couch. It'd been two weeks after the attack, and Mihari was fully healed. Of course, she was still quite tired. Though she could regenerate much, much faster than normal humans, it drained her thoroughly. Now she needed to get her strength back.

There was a soft laugh and the reply made Usagi join in on the laughter. "How many bags do we have?"

"Enough that you can have as many as you want," Usagi replied just as Mihari had replied to a tired and sore Mikasuki. Usagi had matured so much in the last two weeks, Mihari thought. She was still the same ditzy girl, but there was a certain hardness about her that came from the pain of losing her family and friends. When Mihari had suggested that Usagi should return to her family, Usagi had quickly told her no.

"You need me here right now to take care of you. When you're strong enough to take care of yourself, then I'll go back. Right now you're the most important thing to me. My family will be all right until then." She'd gone back one night though, to put a spell on the house.

The Tsukinos now believe that Usagi was away visiting grandparents in northern England, learning English ways and the language as well. Usagi was careful to write several letters and have them sent from England in order to keep up the charade that the other Senshi had begun.

"Well..." Mihari had risen and come to the kitchen, leaning against the wall in the entrance to the kitchen, watching her little sister move back and forth on her busy way with affection. It felt so good to have her little sister back with her after being alone for so long.

"I'll settle for twelve right now.." Usagi grinned and nodded, carefully counting out twelve mini-marshmallows and dropping them Mihari's cup, repeating the process for her own cup.

"How would you like to go shopping tomorrow? And you know, just hang out? You're going to have to go back to your family soon, now that I'm fully recovered, but before you go, I want to send you on your way with one hell of a happy memory and lots of new outfits... What do you say?"

Usagi turned to look at Mihari, grinning widely. "That would be wonderful. I could use some new clothes. And don't think that even though I live at my house I'll forget you. You're still my sister." She smiled and picked up the cups. "Now, let's go watch that movie I rented. The popcorn's getting cold."

"Wouldn't want to have to eat cold popcorn, now, would we?" Mihari returned playfully and Usagi laughed softly as she followed her into the spacious living room.

"Of course not! Now hurry up!"


That night, after sending Mihari to bed, Usagi curled up on the bed in the room that Mikasuki had once considered her own, which did feel like home, to a degree. Yet she wasn't sure if any place would ever feel like home again. She was so empty and lifeless inside, even though being with Mihari always washed away that feeling.

It was only when she was alone that it hit her: she'd lost them all. She still didn't know really why she'd decided to push them away, except that she was tired of constantly being berated, tired of feeling like she wasn't good enough, tired of being the weak one, the unreliable one. With Mihari, she didn't feel inadequate or lacking. She simply felt whole.

But now she was alone and the memories came back to her. Memories of girl talks at midnight, hot fudge sundaes at the Crown Royal Shoppe, of being surrounded by friends. Memories of fighting and what it felt like to win and know Earth was safe again. Memories of being held, kissed.. loved.

She turned and buried her face in the pillow and let the tears come, muffling her heart-wrenching sobs so as not to disturb Mihari. She just couldn't fight her loneliness any longer. After she'd cried herself out, her breathing steadied and she slipped into the Dream lands of Elysion.

"Oh Usa..." Mihari leaned her head against the door jamb, watching the steady rise and fall of the young girl's chest. "I'm so sorry.." She whispered, her own tears slipping silently down her cheeks to stain the carpet.

"So sorry..."


They'd totally blown Mihari's credit card. When Usagi had found out, she'd apologized profusely and offered to take some of the clothes back. Mihari had laughed at her sister and told her that her paycheck came in two days. It was rather large, and more than enough to pay for the bills for the condo and any other expenses she might have.

So, bags hanging from every arm and boxes piled high, they headed back towards the car, laughing and talking easily and happily, reminiscing about the trouble they'd gotten into as children. Curious Serenity and Micheivious Taiyouna.. They'd always caused such a ruckus.

Dumping the packages in the back of the convertible, they paused for a moment to watch a man painting a picture of the downtown area. Usagi commented on how good he was, and Mihari agreed.

Like a shadow flitting through the crowds, a masked and caped figure slowly approached them.

"Well, ready to go?" Mihari asked, turning to glance at Usagi. Usagi wasn't there. Panic filled Mihari as she turned in a full circle, crying out her sister's name. "Usagi??"

"Ari help me!!!" Mihari snapped towards her sister's voice, her eyes rising to see Usagi struggling to get away from the arm that was clamped about her waist, holding her off of the ground. It was--

"Tuxedokamen!" She snarled, reaching for her brooch, her fingers curling around it. "Leave Usagi alone you bastard! She doesn't want to go with you so let her go!"

"No.. Not unless you can catch me!" And then with a flurry of his cape, he turned and leaped to the top of the building, Usagi still captured in his arms.

"MIHARI HELP ME!!"

"Usagi!!" She didn't care who saw her. She flung her hand up in the air and screamed out her henshin phrase, the light still dying away as she leaped into the air in pursuit of the dark shadow moving across the tops of the buildings. Cries accompanied her disappearance, streaking across the pavement in pursuit of Tuxedokamen, her sister's cries for help following her.

"I'll save you Usagi just HOLD ON!!"


"Is she coming?" Sailorvenus asked Tuxedokamen as he landed, Usagi held in his arms. He'd put a sleep spell on her so she wouldn't transform. They needed to get her and Sailorsol out of the city where they could settle all their problems without endangering innocent lives.

"Yes, everyone get ready."

"All right, guys! POSITIONS, NOW!" The other Sailor Senshi nodded and took up their positions in the small clearing, their eyes fixed on the direction from which Sailorsol would be coming.

And come she did. Her hair whipping out in back of her, gleaming like burnished gold in the sunlight, she walked slowly towards them, her eyes like diamonds.

"Give my sister back to me. She's already made it clear that she doesn't want to go with you! Now let her be happy and leave her alone!!"

"We can't do that, Sailorsol," Sailormercury said, stepping forward. She and Sailorvenus stood directly in front of Sailorsol, Usagi carefully laid on the ground in front of them. "She's our friend and our Princess and we need her. If you were truly her sister you'd let her come back with us."

"No! I won't let you brainwash her again! She made her choice! Just DEAL WITH IT!" And then she flung her hand up, shrieking out her attack to the sky. "SOLAR FLARE!" A flash of blinding light came from her hand, along with a great force that threw them back away from Usagi.

She was there, kneeling at Usagi's side in an instant, smoothing back her hair and helping her sit up. Tuxedokamen's spell had worn off, and she was now awake.. and angry. Grasping her brooch, she muttered her transformation phrase. Sailormoon stood up next to Sailorsol, turning to face her former friends.

"This ends here, Senshi." Her voice was soft and angry, her hand gripping Sailorsol's as if seeking to draw strength from the older Senshi's prescence.

"Yes, it does Sailormoon, but not like this! Listen to us, we didn't come here to fight you. We came here to apologize, to get our friend back." Sailorvenus had struggled to her feet, helping Sailormercury up.

"That's certainly not what it looks like!" Sailorsol burst out angrily, placing a hand on Sailormoon's shoulder to comfort the other girl who was trembling like a leaf in a gale force wind.

"It was the only way to get you two out here so we can settle this. I'm sorry we couldn't have done it any other way, but really Sailormoon, don't ask me to believe you would have come willingly any other way!" Luna and Artemis were there too... Everyone was there... Sailormoon's heart ached at the sight of them.

"Sailormoon."

Sailormoon tensed as Sailormars stepped forward, her hands held out. "Before you leave again, let us at least try to make things right. There's no excusing what we did to you. We were too harsh, and too unsupportive. But that'll all change! We don't want to loose you. You're the glue that holds us all together. I know that sometimes I act like I don't care for you, but.." Sailormars looked down, tears falling from her dark eyes. "You're my best friend. You've been there for me and kept me going, despite the fact I tried to keep you away from me. I've never told you this, but Usagi I.. I love you as my sister. I know I could never replace Sailorsol and I don't want to! I just .. I hope we could just.. share you..."

Sailormars looked away, tears falling like rain, her shoulders shaking. Sailormoon's eyes brimmed with tears and she glanced up at Sailorsol, who nodded mutely in approval.

That done, Sailormoon left the shelter of Sailorsol's prescense, walking slowly towards Sailormars, pausing in front of the fire Senshi. "Rei.. I.. I want to be your sister too.."

Sailormars threw her arms around Sailormoon and hugged her tightly, sobbing softly now. "It's so good to have you back!!" Sailormoon put her arms around Sailormars, her own tears starting to fall.

The tension that had been building in the small area suddenly broke and the Senshi as one ran to hug Sailormoon and welcome her back. She was sobbing with joy now, her heart full now that she had her friends back, their tears mingling with each other's creating a river of joy that flowed from all of them.

"I'm so sorry, I'll never leave you guys again.. I missed you guys too much." Sailormoon kissed both Luna and Artemis, hugging them and looking at each of her friends for a moment, tears shining with happiness. "I'm so sorry.."

"Don't be, Usagi. It's over now. You're back. That's all that matters," Sailorjupiter said as she tousled Sailormoon's hair happily.

Sailormoon laughed softly, a laugh that suddenly died in her throat. Pain re-entered her gaze as it fell on the dark shadow that stood like an ominious beacon on the outside of their circle of joy. The Senshi glanced at each other, and then drew away. All except Sailorsol, who approached quickly.

"No! I won't let this happen.. I won't let you get hurt by him, not again." She wrapped a protective arm around Sailormoon as if she was sheilding her little sister from Tuxedokamen himself. Her voice shook with fury. "I knew Usagi would forgive her friends.. She needs you, all of you.. I'm not enough," she said to the other Senshi with a soft, wan smile.

Her eyes hardened as she looked back at Tuxedokamen. "But a thousand years ago, you were the reason she died at Beryl's hands. If it wasn't for you, she would have been all right.. But you.. you killed her Endymion. I won't let you have another chance to kill her in this lifetime!"

For the first time Tuxedokamen spoke, his fist clenching in front of him as he turned his attention to Sailorsol. "It wasn't my fault, Taiyouna! Kami! I knew you hated me, but does your jealousy extend so deeply that you can't see the depth of my love for her?"

"You don't love her, you bastard," Sailorsol returned with a hiss of rage. "If you did you wouldn't have been so ready and willing to make out with Keisei!"

"What do you know about Keisei? You weren't there! She forced herself on me!!"

"BULLSHIT! I did no such thing!" Sailorsol snapped in reply, shaking her head as horror spread over Tuxedokamen's face. "I was testing you, Endymion, to see if you were still lying or if you'd actually learned to love her in the millenia you'd been seperated. But you failed. You were ready and willing to kiss Keisei. I know because I was Keisei!! Do you hear me?? IT WAS ME! Testing you! And you failed. YOU FAILED."

Tuxedokamen stared at Sailorsol, and suddenly something snapped within him. "You.. You! It's not my fault! It's your fault! You ruined everything! You took her away from me! I'd still have my Usako if you'd just stayed dead!!"

"Yes and then you would have killed her, whether it was by your natural treachery or simply because you're too weak to truly protect her." Sailorsol turned her back on Tuxedokamen, looking down at Sailormoon, tears in her eyes. "Let's leave. You can see you friends later.. We need to go."

"You're not taking her anywhere!"

Sailormoon screamed as her eyes took in the sight of Tuxedokamen knocking Sailorsol away from her, the two falling into the dirt. "NO! TUXEDOKAMEN STOP! STOP IT LEAVE HER ALONE!"

"Tuxedo stop it, this isn't part of the plan!! STOP IT!" Sailorvenus's fists clenched, her words having no effect on the two rolling around on the ground, snarling and hissing at each other.

"I won't let you take her!" Tuxedokamen cried, aiming a vicious punch at Sailorsol's head.

She blocked it, throwing him off of her. "I won't let you hurt her again!" She took a deep breath and cried out "SOLAR FLARE RETRIBUTION!" A beam of fire and light leaped out at Tuxedokamen, burning the edges of his cloak as he dodged it, flinging roses at her.

Sailormoon screamed again, her hands flying to her mouth. She had to stop them!! She had to stop them both before they killed each other. "Stop! Stop it both of you!! Kami please somebody stop them!!"

Suddenly Tuxedokamen flung Sailorsol back against a nearby wall. She cried out in pain, instinctively clutching her still-tender shoulder. Sailormoon screamed out her name, screamed for Tuxedokamen to stop, but he couldn't hear her. Wouldn't hear her! His staff snapped out and he held it over his head, ready to stab Sailorsol.

But she lashed out, kicking the staff from him. He scrambled for it, picking it up like a javelin, aiming straight for Sailorsol's heart. Sailormoon screamed. She knew what was going to happen! Tuxedokamen released the staff.

Pain and regret entered Sailorsol's eyes as she glanced at Sailormoon, but she flung her hands up and screamed out the three words that would send the staff flying back into Tuxedokamen's chest.

"NOOO!"

The staff turned, the blade glistening wickedly.

Sailormoon dashed between the two, her hands spread out.

"STOP PLEA-ugh!"

Her name was screamed out by eight different voices as the staff buried itself in her chest, the force of the impact carrying her back several feet before slamming her into the ground.

Tuxedokamen fell to his knees by her side, jerking the staff out of her body adn breaking it over his knee, casting it to one side. With trembling hands he lifted her up into his arms, cradling her body to him. She looked up at him, her hand clamped over the wound as if determined to keep her blood from leaving her body.

"I'm sorry.." She whispered softly, her voice barely audible. "I couldn't let you get hurt.. Even if you didn't love me, I don't want anyone to die because of me..."

"Oh Usako, of course I love you! I've always loved you.. You're my only love... I love you.. I love you!" He clenched her to him, and suddenly something gold fell from his breast pocket.

The star locket, the symbol of their love, fell onto Sailormoon's chest, clicking open. The soft, sweet melody that flowed out of the open lid soothed them all. Sailormoon's eyes widened as she reached for the locket with her free, trembling hand, pulling it up to her heart.

"Our.. locket.."

"Yes, Usagi. Our locket.. The symbol of our love. I'm so sorry for betraying you. I don't even know what happened in my apartment with Keisei, but I know it was wrong. I knew it as soon as it happened, but you were there before I could push her away.. I'm so sorry Usako.. Please.. please forgive me.. Don't leave me..."

"I'd never.. leave you.." Sailormoon smiled softly, reaching up to carress his cheek. Her eyes left his face to raise to Sailorsol's face, smiling still. "Please.. please don't fight.. because of me... I don't want anyone to get hurt... because of me..."

"Usa don't leave me, damn you! Please I can't lose you again!!" Sailorsol cried, her voice sounding broken and defeated. Sailormoon shook her head.

"You'll never lose me, sis.. You hadn't lost me even when I couldn't remember you; you always had a place in my heart. Don't ever think I'd let you go..."

She closed her head, her face contorted with pain, pale and trembling. Tuxedokamen turned to Sailorsol, his face twisted with his own pain at seeing her die in his arms.

"Heal her, damn you! Heal her!! You did it once before, do it again!!"

"I can't!" Sailorsol whispered, shaking her head, angry at herself for being so weak. "I don't have enough power.. it took all of my might to heal her before... I.. I'm too weak. I can't do it again, not so soon after being injured..."

"Don't waste your energy.. on me..." Sailormoon whispered, so softly they had to strain to hear her. "It's better this way, anyway.. I couldn't live knowing that one of you had to leave or were miserable because of me anyway..."

"Sailormoon don't die! Do you hear me? Hold on! You came back to us once before, do it again!" Sailorjupiter urged, her voice choked with her tears.

Sailormoon didn't respond for a moment, but then her eyes opened and she looked at each of them with a peaceful, serene smile on her face. She spoke once more, and as her words slipped out, her eyes slowly closed. Her last word was more a sigh than a word as her breath left her body for the last time.

"I love you.. all of you... Please, be happy, for me..."

"Usako don't!! Don't die!! Usako!!! USAKO!!!!" Tuxedokamen shook her repeatedly, clutching her to his chest, his voice shaking, tears in his eyes. "Usako.." He pulled her cooling body to him, the shell that had once housed the most beautiful soul he'd ever known, burying his head in her soft hair, sobbing her name out repeatedly.

The Senshi were silent, Sailormercury weeping softly, holding each other, standing quiet guard over the weeping Tuxedokamen and Sailormoon's body.

"No.. No..." Sailorsol looked down at the still, lifeless form of her sister, and shook her head again, her breath coming more quickly. "I won't let it end like this! I won't let her die. Kami, Usagi.. I said I'd protect you and I am going to keep my work. You're not going to die, hear me? You're not going to die!!"

"Sailorsol-" Sailorvenus began, disenheartedly starting to try and talk sense into Sailorsol, but the look on the Sun Senshi's face shut her up immediately. It was a look of power, of determination, and of.. calm acceptance..

"No, Taiyouna-!" Sailormercury gasped out, realizing before the other Senshi just what Sailorsol was going to do.

"Sssh, Sailormercury. I know what I'm doing." Sailorsol smiled softly, serenely, a smile they had just seen on the dying Sailormoon's face. Slowly, she curled her hands around the locket on her chest.

"In the old days, in the Silver Millenium... Queen Serenity gave birth to me. As was the custom and her duty, I was sent to the Sun to become the guardian of the source of power and light for the entire galaxy -- the Solar Kingdom. My father was the King of this Sun Kingdom. Princess Serenity,.. my little sister.. She wasn't supposed to be born. There weren't supposed to be two Princesses so close to each other, especially when the Queen was so young and strong. The birth of a Princess for the Moon heralded doom, but Queen Serenity refused to acknowledge this fate for her daughter. She did everything she could to divert the sure fate of the Moon Kingdom. The Silver Imperial Crystal was the source of power of the Moon Kingdom, yet even this power was dwarfed by the power I protect."

The golden locket that shone on her chest suddenly opened. Inside, held gently in place by a golden place setting was a glowing, throbbing ruby red--

"Piece of the Sun. This is part of the actual core of the Sun, from which all other power flows in the Galaxy." Sailorsol looked around at them. "To use it is to spell my own death, but without Sailormoon, my life would be as meaningless as death anyway."

She smiled softly, denying them their objections, comforting them in the fact that she was sure of her choice. "After I use this, everything will be as if I never came. You will have memories of this time and what happened here, but .. To the rest of the world it will be as if it never happened, as if this piece of Time never existed. You will return to the morning before I.. Keisei, appeared. And this time, I won't interfere with your lives." She looked down at the ruby piece of the Sun's core, shining brillantly with its power and pure energy.

"Please take care of her." She looked down at Sailormoon's form, her eyes misting over with tears. "Protect her as I couldn't, as I was too weak to."

"We'll take care of her, Princess. Don't worry." Sailorvenus said softly, with all the air of one making a sacred promise. They all knew that they'd never break it. Especially not to her, especially not to one who had saved Sailormoon and all of them in more than one way...

"Thank you." Sailorsol took a deep breath and lifted her hands again, summoning her strength to her. A ripple of sunlight twisted around her, and with a sudden flash of light, beautiful golden robes appeared about her, a simple golden tiara gracing her head.

"Princess Taiyouna," whispered Sailormars, reverently.

The Princess raised her hands and the piece of the Sun broke free from the locket -- shattering the brooch. Taiyouna bit back the cry of pain this caused, brushing everything aside, concentrating on the Sun-piece. She began to chant softly, offering her life, her being, her soul as payment for this favor.

Tears flowed again as the Princess continued to speak, for with every word, she seemed to thin, become more transparent, as if the piece of the Sun was absorbing all of her being, drawing her into itself. And then, she was like a ghost. They could only barely see her, her form a bare glimmer against the world around her. She paused, her eyes falling down to lock onto Tuxedokamen's.

And in that one moment, they forgave each other, and a bond formed, as deep and as true as the bond that had always existed between the Sun and the Earth. The Earth needed to Sun for life to exist; the Sun needed the Earth as its raison d'etre, its purpose for being to nourish the small planet.

"Thank you, Taiyouna," he whispered, holding Sailormoon's still form to his chest. "I'll protect her, and this time I won't let her fail. I'll protect her for you..."

"Thank you, Endymion.." Taiyouna's voice was soft as a tendril of wind, and they couldn't be sure if they'd heard it or felt it as Taiyouna looked down at Sailormoon, tears glimmering in her eyes. "I love you, my sister..."

And then she raised her eyes back to the piece of the Sun which was glowing like it was the actual sun, mimicing the warmth and light of the real sun.

She let go, gave herself up completely to oblivion.

As her form disappeared into sparkling dust, the world seemed to contort and twist around them. As the world around them faded into dusk, a vision seemed to enter their eyes. Later, they'd all wonder if it was just a dream, or if it had truly happened and they'd been blessed with the gift of being able to glimpse a piece of Heaven.

Taiyouna, looking whole and healthy and radiant, slowly climbed wide marble stairs, the air around her shimmering with hope and joy and love. Waiting for her at the top of the stairs were Queen Serenity and another man.. Taiyouna and Serenity's father.

The two reached out and welcomed Taiyouna into their embrace, hugging her, and whispering to her how proud they were of her, how wonderful she was. She was safe, and someday, when Princess Serenity's time had drawn to a close on Earth, she would have her sister back. Until then, they would all wait, together, for her.


They never spoke of Taiyouna, Keisei, Enjou, Mihari, or Mikasuki. It was as if it had never existed, yet they knew it had beyond a shadow of a doubt because their bonds of friendship had deepened to a level that they'd never reached before. And Mamoru and Usagi's love only grew stronger with Taiyouna's love to strengthen both of them.

The evening that would have been Taiyouna's death in the other, before Time, drew to a close with the most spectacular shower of falling stars that had ever or would ever be seen again. When Usagi went to her bed that night, she found a small package on her pillow. Tearing the wrapping from it, she found herself holding the broken pieces of Sailorsol's locket.

The very next day she'd take it to a jewelers and have it repaired. She'd wear it over her heart every day after that, even when she was Neo Queen Serenity. She knew she'd still be wearing it the day she and King Endymion lay down together in their bed, their hands clasped, their breaths twining together, expiring as one.

And she knew that somewhere, on the other end of the rainbow, Taiyouna and her mother and father would be there, waiting for her, and that Taiyouna had given her the locket so Usagi'd know she was never truly alone and that Taiyouna had not forgotten her promise never to leave her little sister.

She knew that on that day, she'd be able to give it back, and be able fulfill her promise to always have her sister.

Until then...

Her hands curled about the locket and she clutched it to her chest, looking up through the window towards the moon. Until then, she had Taiyouna's promise to cling to.

She smiled, ruffled Luna's ears gently, and climbed into bed.

Before going to sleep, she told herself a story. She repeated to herself the story of her older sister, vowing to never forget one detail of it and to make sure future generations always knew of the bravery of the Senshi of the Sun.

Her eyes closed slightly, and as she reached that bridge between awakefullness and sleep she could see someone sitting on the end of the bed, a tiny, glimmering outline that could barely be seen.

"Good evening 'Ari.." She murmured through sleep deadened lips, stretching slightly, sighing and settling even deeper into sleep. Mihari smiled softly, reaching out to ruffle Usagi's hair affectionately. Usagi sighed contentedly, her mumbled words barely comprehensible.

"How many marshmallows do you want tonight in your hot cocoa?"

FINIS.

~*~
Well there's the end. I'm sorry that this chapter is like twice as long as the other two chapters. *weeps* I just couldn't bear to break my word and put it in another Chapter. Sides, I couldn't think of a good name.
;_;...

Anyway. Remember to CandC, all right? 'Member; amby-chan@sailormoon.com or simply review it. Tell me what you think!!

Well, until next time, I'll leave you with one quote that really inspired this fanfic, and kept me going when I'd reached dead ends with the story...

"Everything will be ok in the end.
If it's not ok, then it's not the end."

In the name of the moon,
Lady Ambre aka Amby-chan....