Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Not Without You: a reimagining of Episode 110 ❯ Part Five: The Angel and the Talisman ( Chapter 5 )

DISCLAIMER: Obviously, I don't own Sailor Moon or any of her companions. Also, this is intended to use the names and situations from the North American dub, not the original Japanese. Thus, I have used the NA names, not the original names. So please don't get on my case for the use of the NA dub names - that was done deliberately. I actually wrote two versions of this story - one using the original names and relations, the other using the dub names and relations - and prefered this version to the other.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have taken some creative license because this is how I feel the episode should have played out. Obviously, some of the things that happen here aren't in the anime; they're little plot elements I've thrown in. I've tried to limit it to things that could have happened, had the "camera" stayed in place long enough. As the subtitle of the story suggests, this is a reimagining of this episode: it's my take on how I think the episode should have been, in addition to what it was.

  NOT WITHOUT YOU:
A reimagining of episode 110 (North American dub)
by Joanne Calypso Blessing (sirbartonslady)
first published April 2002 PART FIVE: THE ANGEL AND THE TALISMAN

"Hold it right there!" a voice commanded, just as a vision struck Uranus: the Occulus glowed and sent down a rainbow beam.... illuminating a figure. The Ambassador? No... an Angel! An angel with butterfly wings and flowing hair...

I can't believe it, Uranus thought weakly, the angel did appear! Then the vision banished, and she saw Serena poised in the doorway. Serena--not Sailor Moon--

Because Uranus had taken her brooch away. But how had she gotten here?

"You again?!" Eudial exclaimed, annoyed. Serena wasted no time, but flung herself at Eudial, running for all she was worth. She rammed into Eudial, knocking the gun aside. At the last second, Serena altered her flight path, and crashed harmlessly into the tile floor, while Eudial teetered on the edge of the bridge, certain to fall. The witch leaped, grabbing hold of a pulley--which promptly released. With a scream, Eudial went plunging into a black abyss.

"Amara!" Serena cried, scrambling over. "Amara, are you okay? Oh my god, MICHELLE!"

"It's over, Serena, it's too late," Uranus wheezed, rolling over onto her side. Serena helped her sit up, but it didn't alleviate anything. Her heart was empty, her guardian planet was raging at her, as was the planet Neptune. Her better half was dead already. I hope Eudial was right, and that I do have a crystal. I won't live without you, Michelle. I hope my sacrifice will be worthwhile as yours is.

"You'll be okay Michelle!" Serena cupped her hands around the mirror. "Pure Heart Crystal, please go back where you belong, in Michelle's heart--"

"Leave it Serena. We found the crystals, so let it be."

"NO!" Serena recoiled at the thought. "We can't leave her like that!"

Uranus ignored her. "It's so unfair, Michelle. Why did you have to go back to your own world?" she murmured, her hair falling in her eyes. She tossed Serena's brooch to her. "Take it back. It's yours, and it gave us so many problems." Uranus then reached for the Heartsnatching gun.

Serena shrieked. "NO!" She dove at Uranus, wrestling it from the weak Senshi's arms. "NO, DON'T!"

"Let me do this!"

"DON'T DO IT, AMARA!"

"There's another pure heart crystal in my own heart!"

"No, stop it! We can save the world without those crystals!"

"What?" Uranus abruptly ran out of energy and had to give up the fight.

"I promise you--I can protect it without them!"

Uranus stared at her a moment. "How strange." Her face softened. "When you say that, I almost feel as though it were possible."

Serena looked up at her with widening eyes.

"You know, Serena, I always knew you fought on the side of good. But I never really trusted in your ability to succeed."

"Amara--" Serena choked up.

Uranus pooled all her remaining strength, and with a final look of contempt, shoved Serena away as hard as she could. Then she smiled weakly; "Sailor Moon, you'll have to find the third Pure Heart Crystal on your own."

"No! Stop it!" Serena wailed, but she couldn't move fast enough to stop Uranus from pulling the trigger. There was a pause as the gun hesitated, and then a blast and a supernova of light. Uranus didn't utter a cry, or even a grunt.

As the Cathedral lit up with the celestial lights of a forming crystal, Sailors Mars, Jupiter, Venus and Mercury came pounding in, to stop abruptly at the scene before them. Uranus and Neptune motionless on the floor, a mirror above Neptune and a forming crystal above Uranus.

The crystal took shape, and strobed with light much like Neptune's had, as it transformed itself into a bejeweled sword. Serena was slumped near her friends, sobbing helplessly. "It's horrible!" she wept.

The four Senshi in the doorway looked at each other, not sure what to make of the situation. Uranus and Neptune--dead?

Jupiter averted her eyes. She had condemned Uranus so many times, and it had been so hard to learn that Uranus and Amara--the woman Lita looked up to with such admiration--were one and the same, but now... there was no denying. Uranus and Neptune had had pure hearts, and because of it, they had paid a price they'd never expected to pay.

Mercury was the first to move. She trotted over to Serena, kneeling to console her. Venus and Mars followed suit. Jupiter stayed where she was, still poleaxed. Uranus was dead.

And she died thinking we all hated her.

"Go on, Jupiter." That was Trista Meiou, who had come to them and told them of the situation, advising that they come to support their friend. Jupiter nodded and stiffly jogged across the bridge. Mars was standing sentinel while Venus knelt beside Neptune. Not a dry eye in sight. Except Trista's. Trista seemed to know something... Jupiter looked back.

Trista wasn't there.

All at once, a nauseous wave of grief hit Jupiter. To hell with all Uranus had done before--she was a friend! She must have had a good reason... Jupiter buried her face in her hands, struggling to control the sobs. Amara is gone...

But then a shallow, watery cough split the air. Uranus groaned loudly and coughed again.

"Uranus!"

"Goddammit, Michelle, why do you always have to be right? You and your confounded visions!" Uranus whimpered, and then seemed to gag as her breathing nearly failed her; "I always-- said that--I hate--destiny. Damn you, Cosmic Uranus. You failed your Senshi when she needed you most--"

"Amara!" Jupiter dropped to her knees, gripping Uranus's shoulder.

"Uranus!" Serena begged. "You've got to tell me, please--quickly--how do we put these crystals back in your hearts?"

"No--please--don't--Sailor--Moon," Uranus was gasping for air, as if she were slowly being smothered. "Please--leave us as we are--and keep the treasures safe--you have to--find one more--treasure, and then--all three must--be placed-- together." Uranus groaned. Her lungs were collapsing from lack of support and oxygen. "Promise me!"

"AMARA!" Serena's eyes brimmed with tears.

Uranus's eyes closed exhaustedly. "The chalice--give it to the Princess--the Legendary Princess must hold the Chalice..."

"Who is this legendary princess?" Mars asked.

Uranus opened her eyes again; she was clearly struggling to breath, and nearly out of strength; "She is a friend of this world. She will--" then a spasm of pain gripped Uranus as she gasped for air, "--save it from the destruction--" another gasp "--that is coming-- once the princess's hands hold the Purity Chalice--this world--will be--saved..."

Then the light in Uranus's eyes extinguished, and the Cosmic Twin planets mourned. Yet, even as darkness blanketed the Cosmic Twins, the planets stubbornly held onto their chosen Senshi...