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A Rei of Hope:
The Freedom of Sacrifice
by Soumitra Choudhury
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Xune awoke with a start, sweat beading off her forehead in rivulets, her breath 
coming in ragged gasps. The warmth from the hearth kept the bedroom at a 
comfortable temperature, yet Xune shivered with an internal chill. 
"Is something the matter?" Chaszmyr asked. 
The priestess started at his voice, turning to her consort lying next to her, a 
bemused expression playing at her face. "Don't you ever sleep?" 
He flashed her a charming smile. "You are the only sustenance I need, Beloved." 
"That's very sweet, you snake-tongued rogue," she muttered in a growl, but 
alleviated her tone by wrapping her arms about him and snuggled into his chest. 
She felt his arms encircle her shoulders. "I had a dream." 
Chaszmyr waited patiently for Xune to continue, stroking her silk white hair. 
The drow priestess of Eilistraee considered her words. "It wasn't exactly a 
dream as much as a vision, a request, really." 
"Sort of like the one that came to you for the creation of Orthae Abban?" 
Chaszmyr asked quietly, recalling her great sword. 
Xune nodded. "She came to me and showed me how to summon a gate. It was quite 
beautiful, limned in silver fire and beckoning me to walk through." 
"Walk through to where?" 
She paused, pondering the import of her destination. It was not a place she had 
been to before. In fact, it was completely foreign, but the persistence she had 
sensed was nearly overwhelming. "I'm not sure, but I think it has to do with the 
Sailor Senshi." 
Chaszmyr frowned, his caresses stopping in midstroke. "Have they returned?" He 
remembered the encounter with them some five years ago, and while they were 
pleasant and endearing folk, he could still feel the twinges in his arms from 
the massive injuries he had incorporated from their Silver Crystal. His memories 
of them hovered between their innocent kindness and the fierce agony of helping 
them. 
She shook her head, then lifted up to gaze into her lover's eyes. "No, I don't 
believe so. I... I think they will need me." 
"Us," he corrected. 
"Um, well yes, us." She tried to hide her impish grin, but her eyes danced with 
the mirth she felt. "I didn't feel that I could speak for you." 
Chaszmyr clucked in mild disappointment. "Please, Waela Uss, you should know by 
now that my steps are, and forever will be, on your fey path. Your heart is my 
heart; your trials and tribulations, mine to endure at your side." His tone was 
matter-of-fact, leaving room for no argument. 
Xune's eyes and heart shone with such love she could not manage it. With a 
squeak of jubilation, she engulfed him in a dizzying kiss that shoved him back 
down upon the bed. "You are the most wonderful man in all the world," she sighed 
when she released his mouth. 
"I try," he gasped breathlessly, his heart racing with passion. "It's difficult 
work, but the rewards are marginally acceptable." 
The room filled with her silvery laughter. Still giggling, Xune rolled atop him 
and pinned his arms behind his head, her emerald eyes sparkling with mischief. 
"Now, what's this 'Foolish One' business?" 
*****
Tens of thousands of light years away, Usagi quietly emerged from the room Rei 
had been retired to, shutting the door softly behind her. There was a look of 
great weariness on her face, the beginnings of dark circles forming under her 
eyes. 
Yawning, she stumbled into the enormous kitchen, where the others were gathered, 
mostly in their morning clothes, excluding Mamoru and Luna. He had shown up 
fairly early in the morning with the cat to check up on things after having gone 
home the night before. 
"You didn't get any sleep, did you?" he asked, rising from the breakfast table 
to lend her support. 
"No, none at all. I wanted to make sure Rei was fully asleep, and that didn't 
happen until just a few minutes ago." She yawned again for good measure, then 
settled into a chair gratefully. Chibi-Usa dragged her chair closer and laid a 
comforting hand on her mother's shoulder. 
Makoto brought her a cup of tea. "You should get some sleep, then. I'm sure 
Haruka or Michiru have another room they could provide you." The brunette 
glanced inquiringly towards the couple. 
Before either of them could speak, Usagi waved the notion aside. "No, we need to 
discuss what we need to do now. How are Setsuna and Hotaru doing?" 
"Hotaru said Setsuna is going to be fine, but she'll need at least a week to 
recuperate. I think our little doctor will take a few days to replenish her 
strength as well," Michiru said. Haruka grunted agreement. 
"Well, that will leave-" Usagi mentally tallied off those present on her 
fingers, "-five of us." 
"Five?" Chibi-Usa blinked, confused. 
"Sailors Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune, Tuxedo Kamen, and me." 
Chibi-Usa's hand squeezed a bit hard. "Whatever it is you have in mind, Usagi, 
you're not counting me out this time." 
The blonde sighed. "I'm not counting you out. Someone will need to be here to 
watch over Rei, Setsuna and Hotaru. I need you to do that. Besides, If I can 
help it, I'm not going to get you involved in a fight with the Dark Rei." 
"But-" 
"No," Mamoru interrupted sternly. "Your mother is right. You're not going 
anywhere near THIS opponent." There was a firm note of finality in his tone. 
"What do you have in mind?" Luna asked quickly to head off an argument. "As I 
recall, we don't have any idea where Dark Rei is, and from what we've seen 
before, she's not going to go down that easily." 
"Well, I haven't really worked that out yet. That's what we need to discuss." In 
a rare show of frustration, Usagi slammed her fist on the table, shaking the 
centerpiece. "I'm dead tired of having our enemies running all over us, 
especially one who is showing more interest in Rei-chan than me. She's so 
exhausted she can barely stay awake, and she's sick on top of that. I'm not 
going to let anything else happen to her if I can help it, so we are going end 
this immediately. It's bad enough that Dark Rei has incapacitated three of us. I 
won't have any more of you falling as well." She clenched her fists, and they 
trembled in fury. "Rei doesn't deserve this." 
"None of us deserve this," Michiru crooned softly. Haruka wrapped a comforting 
arm about her. 
"Did Rei say anything that may help?" Luna asked. 
Usagi shook her head. "Rei said a lot of things, but I didn't understand a lot 
of it. She's almost delirious she's so sick and tired." The blonde shuddered 
tightly. "She cried a lot, too, and I've never heard her cry so much in my life. 
I think Rei's the only one I've ever known to get furious in the face of danger, 
but whatever's going on, it's really rattled her." Pursing her lips in thought, 
she added, "It's very hard to rattle Rei." 
"I don't think we're going to get very far if we don't wait for Ami," Makoto 
threw in, massaging the topic in another direction. "Without Ami's computer, 
we're not going to find the Dark Rei anyway." 
"Maybe she'll show up for us," Usagi said hopefully. 
Makoto and Mamoru both gave her looks that clearly indicated how plausible THAT 
notion would be. "I sort of think she's more interested in Rei than the rest of 
us, Usako," the young man murmured gently. 
The princess slumped, disheartened. "I suppose so. Too bad we can't-" Suddenly, 
Usagi's eyes widened in dawning enlightenment. "That's it!" she cried, jumping 
up and tipping back her chair in the process. Apparently her fatigue had 
vanished. "I'm a genius." 
"What's it?" Makoto's tone sounded reserved and unsure. Usagi's ideas were 
notoriously... unstable. 
Conspiratorily, she indicated everyone to huddle about her. "Oh, this is going 
to be good," she muttered smugly. "Everyone keep your voices down. I don't want 
this to get out." 
"Usako, there's no one here except for us and our friends upstairs." Mamoru gave 
her a reproving frown. 
"Yes, and I especially don't want them to here." Glancing worriedly up in the 
general direction of Rei's chamber, she sighed rather seriously. "If Rei finds 
out about what I'm planning, she'll wring my neck." The look of seriousness, 
though, vanished almost immediately. 
There was a mischievious sort of mirth sparkling in the princess's eyes that 
made each of them share a nervous look. 
*****
That night, the moon waxed to its fullest, shining its cool light in the misery 
of winter, perhaps saddened, perhaps uncaring, but wholly gazing down upon the 
land. Its radiance illuminated the night air with an energy that very few felt. 
The first tremors could not have awakened a dog, so subtle they shook, 
dispersing over the length and breadth of Japan. Spidery webs of cracks appeared 
in the foundation, deep below the ground. More than a number of gophers, 
earthworms, and badgers shifted uncomfortably in their suddenly not-so-stable 
homes. 
That initial rumble registered as a 1.2 on the richter scale, so the geologists 
discounted it as anything out of the ordinary. About the oddest thing that 
remotely tickled their minds was that it was precisely concentrated in and 
around the numerous islands that Japan consisted of. 
Eh. 
Of course, what the geologists could not know was that these cracks, no one more 
than a centimeter wide, were dribbling in water deep under the ocean surface. 
*****
Rei quite obviously was not having the best night of sleep she had ever had. Her 
tossing and turning quickly disarrayed any arrangement the blankets could 
maintain. Drenched with the sweat of being ill, her hair lay about her as a 
garish mane. She would whimper occasionally, cry out even less so. 
A pristine gloved hand reached out and carefully stroked a few strands of hair 
out of the young woman's face, then gently caressed one cheek. 
Sparkles of violet shone off Rei's pallid skin. 
*****
They were unsuccessful in locating their prey for nearly four days, and Usagi 
was getting antsy and desperate. 
Very little had changed in Rei's condition. She slept almost all hours of the 
day, if one could call her tormented rest sleep. She awoke only long enough to 
be fed, to use the facilities, and on two occasions, to bathe, but it was always 
with a kitten's weakness. She would not, or could not, speak, and instead 
resorted to a sort of primitive whimpering and grunting, quickly relapsing into 
a delirious stupor before falling unconscious where she stood or sat or lay. 
Whatever ailed her mercilessly retained its grip on her health. 
It became apparent that Chibi-Usa just was not up to the responsibility, for she 
often fell to tears at her friend's condition, so Makoto took over the second 
day, at least until Ami showed up late that evening. With almost clinical 
professionalism, the blue-haired wonder took over, and her medicinal interests 
instantly showed. 
It tore Usagi's heart apart every time she laid eyes on her dearest of friends, 
and it was all she could do not to forget her plan and spend every waking moment 
at Setsuna's home taking care of Rei, but the others, especially Mamoru, were 
always on hand to remind her that it was HER plan, and while any of the others 
ached to take on her responsibility, the blonde princess would not forsake the 
duty. 
When Minako showed up on the sixth day before Christmas, announcing that she 
would help Ami 'take care' of Rei, Usagi very nearly fainted in despair. 
Luckily, Ami headed off that disaster with short, firm words, followed by a hug 
to show she did not mean to offend. 
Minako was a little put out with the encounter. 
Hotaru was up and about on her own by that time, and she hovered over Setsuna 
like a clucking hen, despite her own mild exhaustion. The latter's injuries were 
nothing more than aches and pains now, but the weakness following such a massive 
and miraculous recovery kept her significantly bedridden. That fact, along with 
the knowledge that she had been defeated twice by the same individual, made her 
mood waspish, and she was not all that pleasant to talk to. There was little 
choice in it, however. She WAS the only one awake and friendly who knew anything 
about the circumstances surrounding her plight. Hotaru took her snaps and barks 
with the cool indifference of a mother taking care of a sick child, and Michiru 
and Haruka took to smiling behind there hands at Setsuna's critical words. At 
one point, the Keeper of Time narrowed her eyes at them. "You know, the house is 
STILL in MY name," she hissed. 
The couple prudently found it more interesting to remain outside of her room. 
Usagi, Mamoru, Makoto, Minako, Michiru and Haruka trudged into the spacious home 
the evening of December 19, another failure weighing on their faces. Four days 
searching for their illusive prey, and all they had to show for it was a bruise 
on Usagi's toosh when a rather mild earthquake had surprised her into tripping 
over a crack in the sidewalk. 
Nothing out of the ordinary. 
"Where IS she?" Makoto demanded of no one in particular, fairly ripping the 
scarf from her neck. "I didn't think she'd wait this long to strike at us. 
What's she waiting for?" 
"I don't know," Minako replied, collapsing onto the sofa. "I rather like the 
quiet. It gives us more time to prepare." 
Haruka snorted. "We can't prepare anymore, Minako. It's starting to get boring. 
Besides, my swordmanship is getting a little rusty with all this waiting 
around." 
Makoto snapped her fingers. "You know, that reminds me. I keep meaning to ask 
you to teach me a little of that swordmanship." 
"You? What, are you expecting to take over the Space Sword if I ever go down?" 
The tall woman tried to sound amused, but it was tinged with a bit of disdain. 
Makoto ignored that. "No, it's just that I've been hankering to play around with 
that sword I found on Toril." 
"You're not serious!" Usagi exclaimed. "That thing's worth a fortune! You can't 
just go around fighting with it! You might break the gems." The very notion of 
doing anything but admiring jewels could never have entered her mind. 
With the exception of the Silver Imperium Crystal, of course. 
The brunette shrugged. "A sword's a sword. Besides, if this can help in any way 
against the hordes we encounter, then by all means, we need to use it. It is 
enchanted, you know. That makes it quite useful against all the youma we fight." 

Any forthcoming discussion was curbed when Chibi-Usa stepped down the stairs, 
her eyes a little wild and her mouth gaping. Then, in a sudden burst of speed, 
she ran to her father, burying her face in his jacket. 
"Nani?" he asked, baffled, but the others were already taking the steps five at 
a time upstairs. 
Haruka half-expected the door to Rei's room to be barred shut, where any number 
of foul beings could be doing unimaginably cruel acts to her comrades. She 
reached the top before the others, and without bothering to pause for breath, 
she reared back, gathered her strength, and leveled the stout door with a 
collosal kick. Michiru, from a couple of steps down, sighed lustily. 
Ami lept out of her skin and squeaked in fright at the crash of the door, very 
uncharacteristic of the normally level-headed and composed individual. 
Of course, one could understand her current case of nerves, considering the 
Grell was calmly seated on the other side of the bed, fingering the blade of an 
enchanted wakazashi. Quite insolently, he raised an index finger to unseen lips 
and hushed Haruka. "You shall wake the Lady Rei with your bumbling." 
Naturally, the sandy-blonde very nearly had apoplexy. From her everpresent 
nowhere, she drew her transformation pen. "Uranus-" 
With fluid motion, the Grell threw his sword. Twirling end over end, the pommel 
smashed into her knuckles and knocked the pen out of her hand. Both items 
clattered against the far wall and fell quietly to the carpet. 
Haruka cradled her smarting fingers, focusing her hatred on the creature. Behind 
her, the gasps of surprise sounded off, with Makoto actually naming the 
intruder. 
"Lady Uranus, you have a hand attached at your wrist only because I wished it 
so," the Grell said in a deadly chill voice. "If you wish to keep it that way, 
do not attack me again without provocation." He then turned his gaze past her to 
the other girls piled in the doorway. "This is hardly the amnesty I deserve, 
Tsukino- san. I have graciously returned to you your pretty little bauble and I 
have withheld my hand from slitting Lady Mercury and the others from mouth to 
belly,-" 
Ami blanched, her face draining of all color. 
"-all so that I may aid you in your hour of need. Now, you attack the flag of 
truce? Tsk tsk. Are you not supposed to be the quintessential heroines, all 
immersed in goodness and honor?" 
Usagi stepped forward, her features hardened with barely contained fury. "How 
dare you come here and threaten my friends, you, you..." Her face puffed up and 
reddened, but no words came out. She simply was not capable of uttering the 
curses that she desperately needed to shout. She did, however, take steps toward 
the towering villain, resulting in Minako and Makoto grabbing her to hold her 
back. The princess struggled unconsciously for several moments, her gaze locked 
on the Grell. "You have my amnesty for as long as you cooperate, but I will NOT 
have you frightening my friends for your own pointless whims. Do you 
understand?" The latter was said in such a menacingly low voice, even Haruka was 
forced to blink in astonishment. 
Bowing deeply, the Grell returned to his seat. "Gomen Nasai, Megami-sama. I had 
not realized I had overstepped my bounds." Whether or not he mocked them was 
indeterminate. "I am curious to know why you have not dealt with the nemesis at 
hand. I am sure you realize the danger you are exposing yourselves to by the 
very fact that she is free and unhindered." 
Usagi shrugged, her anger draining as she let her gaze fall upon Rei. Her friend 
slumbered throughout the whole conversation, though not as fitfully as before. 
She even looked a bit less pale, and her skin was not drenched with a cold 
sweat. For perhaps the first time in nearly five days, Rei looked like she would 
recover. Buoyed by hope, she answered absently, "We can't find her." 
"You cannot find her?" he exclaimed incredulously. "Why, she is planning your 
demise right now in the Olympic Stadium." His voice took on a note of 
desperation. "What HAVE you been doing all this time? Do you not realize what 
tomorrow means?" 
The girls frowned, puzzled looks passing between. 
The Grell stood up and whirled on Rei. "You mean, you have not told them?!" 
Rei, of course, did not answer, despite the dreadful voice assailing her. 
"Leave her alone, Grell," Usagi murmured, unperturbed at his outburst. "She 
hasn't been able to tell us anything since she showed up. If you know anything 
that might help, please share, otherwise you can leave. Rei needs her rest." The 
princess did not even bother to look up from her friend, having already clasped 
Rei's hand in a fond caress. 
"Your deaths, that is what I am talking about, you idiot!" he raged, forcing her 
attention by surging to his feet. "You all are going to die tomorrow if you do 
not stop her tonight!" 
A pall fell over the room as the girls favored him with astonishment and 
skepticism. Even Haruka and Michiru raised an eyebrow, unwilling to give his 
words much thought. In the back, Chibi- Usa hugged her father a bit harder. 
"Do you have proof?" asked the princess mildly. 
"Do I have proof? When the sun sets tomorrow and all of your bodies lie astrewn 
Tokyo, then yes, I will have proof. By then, however, it will be too late and 
she will have won." 
In a slightly quavering voice, for she had not quite gotten over the image of 
her gutting, Ami clarified, "What she means is, is there something more concrete 
you could show us that would allow us to believe you?" 
A vast, rolling sigh escaped the Grell, the effect of exasperation added to by 
flinging his arms heavenward. "If the Lady Rei were to warn you with the same 
words, you would be halfway to the stadium by now." 
"Rei doesn't have a trail of blood leading back to the Silver Millenium!" Mamoru 
retorted hotly. 
"And you do not have the time to argue incessantly with me, trail or no trail!" 
answered the Grell with just as much force. With visible effort it calmed down. 
"Besides, Rei's trail of blood is longer than you think. Anyway, I am telling 
you, the dark side of Rei Hino is making her plans right now in the stadium, and 
if you do not stop her before tomorrow, Sailors Mars, Pluto and Saturn will be 
digging your graves in a barren world riddled with minions from the lower 
planes." Then, as if to hammer in his point, he settled his jeweled gaze upon 
Usagi. "This time, no amount of forgetting or forgiveness will save Rei from her 
guilt. The legacy of the Silver Millenium will fall to dust with you, and that 
will be her burden, one that will pulverize her shattered soul for all of 
eternity." 
The conviction in his voice brought Usagi up short, and without any doubt in her 
mind, she believed him. Why she should, she would never know, but for some 
instinctual reason, the Grell's words rang true. 
"You speak as if you've seen the future," Setsuna observed, her voice floating 
into the room. The others opened a path into the room, allowing her to limp in 
weakly, supported by young Hotaru. 
Strangely, the Grell bowed with respect to the woman. "Yes, Guardian of Time. I 
do speak as if I have seen the future, for that indeed is the case." 
"How is that possible?" she asked calmly. 
"That is beside the point,-" 
"Yes, that IS beside the point," interrupted Usagi, giving her unconscious 
friend's hand one gentle squeeze before releasing it. Suddenly, gone was any of 
the cheery and kind blonde post-teenager. Replacing her was a stern, disciplined 
woman with a determined aura of authority surrounding her. "We will rid 
ourselves of this menace just like any other, and before any more harm comes to 
anyone. No one deserves the pains caused by the Dark Rei, least of all Rei 
herself. None of my friends are going to die today OR tomorrow OR anytime soon. 
I forbid it. This will end TONIGHT." 
Then, with a slight ghost of a smile, she added, "Besides, I can't miss up a 
chance to get one up on Rei-chan." 
A moment passed while the others soaked in the princess's speech. Their 
impression of her continued to grow every day, and none of them could have been 
more proud of her than at that moment. No crying, no sniveling, nothing but a 
hard core of courage and determination. Luna could not help but smile. 
"Excuse me, but what of the Lady Rei?" the Grell asked. "I do not mean to burst 
your bubble, but our common enemy is not going to fall over and surrender just 
because you ask nicely. You are going to need some firepower." 
"Rei stays here, along with Setsuna and Hotaru. Question my orders," she added, 
forestalling the incoming protests, "and I will have Sailor Venus consider the 
matter as your commander." 
No one looked more shocked than Minako, but she tried her best to look the part. 
It was so rare for her to assume a commanding position, what with all under her 
authority being her friends. 
"I'm not taking any chances here, minna-san," Usagi continued. "Rei-chan is out 
of this and the most vulnerable at this moment. It's common knowledge that our 
enemy wants her more than anything, so, unlike previous goals, this one will be 
to protect HER at all costs." 
"Not at ALL costs, princess," Minako pointed out, fixing Usagi with her own 
version of a determined stare. Others added their own unspoken agreement, the 
strongest coming from Mamoru's frown. 
"Yes, well, anyway," she continued hastily, coughing through a moment of 
nervousness, "that's why I want Setsuna and Hotaru here, so someone will be here 
to protect Rei. We are going to need our full strength against the Dark Rei and 
I won't have anyone there that is not at full strength." She glanced at 
Chibi-Usa, who nodded in understanding. The younger princess would go because 
she would be needed afterall. The vote of confidence lifted the girl's spirits 
tremendously. Chibi-Usa wanted desperately to help Rei, and now she would get 
her chance, despite the danger. 
Mamoru gently laid his hands on his daughter's shoulders in a fatherly gesture. 
"I would like to point out, your Majesty, that without Rei, your not going to be 
a match for the Dark Rei, no matter your powers," the Grell remarked, folding 
his arms. "I shall join you and do what I can." 
Wary silence followed the proclamation, all eyes on Usagi. It was obvious the 
others were not pleased, but they would bow to their leader's orders. 
"Your aid will be much needed, I think, and very much appreciated." Usagi's eyes 
flashed, however, and the next thing she said left little room for dispute. 
"Betray us once, Grell, and I shall personally plummet the whole might of the 
cosmic universe upon your mask." 
The cloaked menace bowed in response, unperturbed. "What of the matter of Rei? 
That is her goal, you realize. While leaving the Sailors Saturn and Pluto here 
for protection might be prudent, the Dark Rei will almost certainly come here 
once we show ourselves without her prey." He favored Setsuna with an unreadable 
glance. "I am afraid I have seen what our enemy can do to the fabled Guardian of 
Time and the Messiah of Silence." 
And here, Usagi grinned with mischievious delight. "Oh, don't you worry. I've 
got that covered." 
*****
The Dark Rei scratched absently at her nose. Despite the magical healing she had 
performed on it, reconstructing it from the bloody pulp Rei had left it in, 
there was a vague, ephemeral sense that it wasn't quite fixed. Of course, that 
was nonsense. She had spent several painful hours focused on making sure it 
looked perfect once again. 
Oh, how that bitch would pay! Two days she had spent recovering from those 
injuries. Two days in which she could have focused on more important matters, 
such as how to wrest the Crystal from that empty-headed twit. 
And then, in a moment of enlightenment, it came to her. Why even bother wresting 
in from her at all? Why not just force her enemy's hand? She knew very well that 
any prolonged use of the Silver Imperium Crystal was a veritable death wish. 
So what better way to off Sailor Moon AND break Sailor Mars' heart in one fell 
swoop than to force the use of the Crystal on a devastating scale? 
That particular thought came to her three days ago, and from then until now, she 
had prepared with such meticulous care, her plan simply could not fail. At 
least, that is what she kept telling herself. All parameters had been taken into 
account. There was nothing anyone save Sailor Moon would be able to do. 
She had even taken into account the off chance that Rei would try the feat 
herself, and here was the beauty of it. There were limits to the magic of the 
Archmagi, and an attempt to obstruct the plan would surpass those limits. While 
it is a trivial matter to set a boulder rolling, it is another matter altogether 
to halt that boulder's devastation. Simply put, Rei could try, but she would 
burn herself out. That would be an unsatisfying end to her brethren, but 
acceptable. 
And in the unlikely case that the two would work together, well, it's very 
difficult to concentrate on such a task when someone is trying to kill you at 
the same time. 
With a feather's touch, the sorceress allowed a waft of her magic to brush 
against the stress point she had created, far below ground level. A mild but 
disgruntled rumble trembled across the island in response, settling almost 
immediately. 
The Dark Rei licked her lips in anticipation. Now, all that remained was to 
notify her enemies of their doom. She simply had to witness the look on their 
faces firsthand. 
Almost on cue, the stadium lights switched on, illuminating the field and its 
lone player. From her vantage point at the far endzone, the Dark Rei could not 
believe her eyes. She had to blink a couple of times to make sure she was not 
hallucinating. 
Yes, that was definitely Sailor Mars standing in the other endzone. 
For a solid minute, the two stared balefully at each other, not a word uttered. 
A cold wind swept through their hair and clothing, cutting the silence with a 
mournful howl, but even that faded away, as if Nature suddenly realized that 
something grand and of great import were about to happen. In this zone of 
solitude, the sounds of Tokyo melted away, until there was indeed nothing but a 
chasm of quiet between them. 
"Konnichiwa, Rei-san," the sorceress intoned formally, bowing with respect. 
With a touch of hesitation, Sailor Mars returned the bow tersely. 
The Dark Rei shimmered blood red for a moment, replacing her drab clothing with 
that of a scarlet kimono. "I owe you a broken nose," she said placidly, and 
though it was no louder than a whisper, Mars heard it quite clearly in her ears. 

"You're not going to get away this time, Baka-Rei," the Senshi replied, her 
words just as clear. 
Raising a brow in irritation, the sorceress calmly walked towards her opponent. 
"Get away? You're mistaken, Mars. I don't intend on going anywhere." After ten 
yards, a subdued aura touched her being, the same color as her outfit. "I spent 
five years agonizing in that prison, and most of the rest of my life shackled to 
the nether reaches of you mind." Another ten yards, and the crimson aura grew 
brighter. "No one's running this time. Today I'm going to either ruin your life 
or end it altogether. Either way, I will reign supreme with the coming dawn." By 
now she had reached midfield, and her aura had grown so furious that it lit the 
turf afire with each step. Scorched earth trailed behind her every steps. 
A testiment to her courage, Sailor Mars held her ground, clenching and 
unclenching her fists. 
Forty yards away, the sorceress stopped, focusing her black gaze upon her twin. 
"You know, if I kill you now, you won't see what I have in store for that 
princess of ours." 
The corner of Mars' mouth twitched. "And what's that?" she grated. 
Unbeknownst to the Senshi of Fire, several shards of razored rubies materialized 
several yards behind her, hovering silently. "I hope you find out," she sneered, 
and released the attack. 
A burst of movement, an audible sound of tearing, and a disgruntled "oof" all 
occurred in the span of a second. Tuxedo Kamen landed nimbly upon the sideline, 
Sailor Mars carefully cradled in his arms. His cloak had been shredded by the 
shards, but otherwise the two were unharmed. 
The sorceress witnessed Tuxedo Kamen's rescue with poorly veiled astonishment. 
She had fully expected her counterpart to detect her attack with relative ease, 
but oddly enough, those rubies would have pierced her had Mamoru not been there. 

Her moment of surprise flashed away as blasts, blades and magic converged upon 
her from all over the stadium, and she was forced to take the defensive. 
*****
The haze of delirium had abated somewhat in five days, and the illness of 
exhaustion had very nearly run its course when her weave-sense sprang to life, 
spearing through her sleep like a dagger. Her eyes popped open, pure ivory 
white. 
Through clenched teeth, she forced her weakened body up from the bed. 
"You can't," Hotaru murmured, settling a hand on Rei's arm. "You won't do anyone 
any good in your condition." 
The priestess turned her gaze on the child. They shared a look of companionship, 
and then Rei caressed Hotaru's hand, removing it gently. "I once told you 
'Emptyness is infinitely more horrifying than Darkness'. Goodbye, Senshi of 
Silence." 
Enigmatically, Rei disappeared from the room, leaving Hotaru bewildered. 
*****
"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" 
"World Shaking!" 
Two blasts, one a brilliant yellow, the other amber, burst over the lone 
sorceress. Though she was encased in a barrier, the shock of the explosions 
blinded her, opening her to the attacks of the Grell. He had activated the last 
of his magic draining gems, thus no harm could come to him by arcane means. 
While the globe allowed him to pierce the sorceress' barrier, it nullified the 
enchantments of his blade, so they were not as effective as they could have 
been. Still, he more than made up for it with his skill as one slipped past, 
slashing her chest, the other her neck. They were shallow, but painful. 
Realizing that the Grell would shred her to bits at such close range in her 
present state, she altered her strategy. Focusing her will upon herself, the 
sorceress altered her skin until it gave off a faint metallic sheen. 
When next the Grell struck, a resounding ring emerged and not a scratch was 
made. 
Satisfied with her results, she elaborated her plan. A hollow steel column rose 
out of the ground around her, hiding her from view. Once it reached a height of 
ten feet, the top closed off. 
"Uh, Venus, do our attacks penetrate metal?" Jupiter asked her friend in a harsh 
whisper. 
"Only one way to find out!" She launched a shower of beams, which flashed into 
sparks upon contact, but only a sooty patch marred the exterior surface. 
Tuxedo Kamen had taken a protective position before Sailor Mars, watching the 
battle unfurl. "You know the deal, right?" he asked the dark-haired Senshi. 
"Of course I do. I came up with the plan afterall," she replied tartly. 
"I just wanted to make sure you don't do anything foolish. So far we're handling 
things pretty well." It was true. They had settled the Dark Rei into a defensive 
fight, and they had already discovered that she could not handle a multi-front 
battle very well. If they could keep it up- 
Beside him, the sorceress rose out of the ground, her onyx eyes ablaze with 
fury, her hands glowing with dancing white flames. Before she had fully arisen 
from the ground, she reared back with one fist and slammed it into his stomach 
just as he turned to take notice. 
The shockwave threw Tuxedo Kamen the length of the football field and through 
the uprights of the goal posts. He most definitely did not rise after that. 
"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!!" Mars screamed in anguish, her face awash with fear. A 
similar yell came from Sailor Chibi Moon from across the stadium. 
Off towards the left, several rows up, Sailor Mercury ignored the flying masked 
man, sprinting as hard as she could for Mars. She could not allow her to fall, 
not like this, and she was the closest to her. 
Almost languidly, the sorceress called upon the field to swallow the Grell, who 
was still under the effect of his magic-draining shield and unable to use his 
own powers to escape. Without ceremony, the ground reared up and engulfed the 
cloaked form, dome and all. 
"You... you..." raged Sailor Mars behind her. 
"You have something to say, my dear?" the Dark Rei threw back, deciding to 
ignore the other Senshi. They would not dare to strike at her so close to their 
ally. "And since when is Mamoru saving YOU and not protecting his little 
princess?" 
"Your goal hasn't ever been Sailor Moon. It's always been me!" Mars spat. "Well, 
here's your chance!" 
Jupiter, Venus, Neptune, Uranus and Chibi Moon all dropped their mouths aghast. 
What did she just say?! 
By this point, the sorceress could not ignore Mercury's mad charge any longer. 
Her eyes flashed, emitting twin beams of devastating energy at the Senshi of 
Ice. 
Mercury leaped high to avoid the killing magic. At the peak of her jump, she 
released a blast of chilling frost, but wildly missed the Dark Rei, layering the 
ground between two rows of seats just past Mars. 
"Come now, Merc, surely you can do better than that," the antagonist scoffed, 
raising her flaming hands. "You've always been the most meticulous of us." 
Ignoring her, the blue-haired Senshi landed neatly several yards from Mars and 
the Dark Rei. Without missing a beat, she took a few preparatory steps, then 
dove forward with as much strength as possible. Her momentum crashed her into 
Mars and carried them both past for another few feet in midair until they landed 
on the ice beyond. They slid for nearly fifty feet between the two rows before 
slowing down to a stop well out of the sorceress' grasp. A patented Mercury 
move. 
"Wow," breathed Jupiter, then she launched her attack. "Jupiter Oak Evolution!" 
"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" 
"Deep Submerge!" 
"World Shaking!" 
"Pink Sugar Heart Attack!" 
Five magical assaults converged on the sorceress' position, and the resultant 
concussion leveled everyone to their knees. Whole rows of seats were upended 
from their bolts, and a sizeable chunk of railing and concrete rained down over 
the area. 
Mercury lifted herself off Mars, glancing back to the cloud of dust and debris 
that marked the area they had just dove away from. Her visor came down, quickly 
diffusing the obscurement, scanning for life signs. 
Nothing. 
"Are you alright?" she asked her friend. "You're not hurt anywhere, I hope. I 
don't have much practice at that sort of thing, so I hope I got most of it 
right." Her self-deprecating tone evoked a slight smile from Mars, who nodded 
affirmative and gave her a quick hug. 
"Did they get her?" Mars asked cautiously. 
"I don't see her anywhere, and I have no idea what that means." Mercury 
continued to scan the demolished area. "She might have been obliterated, or she 
might be hiding to ambush us." 
Across the stadium, Neptune and Uranus arose from their position. "Do you think 
we got her?" the shorter Senshi asked. 
"I can't be sure. It's a little far from-" Uranus cut off suddenly, frozen in 
her last position. 
Neptune twirled about, grabbing the sandy-blonde's arm. "Uranus?" The latter 
felt rigid, like every muscle had locked into place. Then, the same affliction 
took Neptune as well, and the two became living statues, one gazing at the other 
in concern. 
This escaped the notice of Jupiter and Venus as they deftly leaped from their 
position to land upon the field below. Each desperately wanted to make sure the 
other Inner Senshi were in good health, and Venus wanted to congratulate Mercury 
on her impressive actions. 
Neither of them got their chance as both of them were frozen in their tracks. 
Sailor Chibi Moon was making her desperate way from one end of the stadium to 
the other, hoping her father was okay. She was easily taken care of. 
"Something's wrong," Mercury whispered as the two of them picked themselves off 
the icy ground. Jupiter and Venus were standing in midstride upon the field, as 
were Uranus and Neptune among the stands... and yes, that was Chibi Moon off 
that way as well. Her visor quickly determined the cause. "She's still alive," 
the Ice Senshi whispered, carefully scanning her whole field of vision. "The 
others have been paralyzed." 
"That cuts it!" Mars snarled, grabbing the seat in front of her to avoid 
falling. "This is getting us no where. It's time, Mercury." 
Her friend spun around, facing her with the most fearful look in her eyes. "No! 
You promised!" 
Mars shook her head. "Actually, I never promised, my friend. I knew it would 
come to this. I desperately hoped otherwise, but we can't stop Fate." She placed 
a comforting hand on the other's cheek. "Don't worry, it'll just make me tired. 
We've done this before." 
Mercury blinked in astonishment, but before she could protest, Mars' eyes 
widened and she shoved the Blue Senshi aside to slide away. 
That action, of course, lost her any kind of initiative, leaving her wide open 
for the Dark Rei to incinerate her with both streams of white fire that emerged 
from her arms. 
Mars closed her eyes in expectation of death, vaguely hearing Mercury scream in 
denial. The scream was quickly drowned out by the roaring flames surrounding 
her. 
Strangely enough, however, the flames did not burn. In fact, Mars could not feel 
any heat whatsoever, which was kind of odd. She expected the fire to char her to 
ash, maybe even right out of existence, but then again, she had never been burnt 
that severely before, so she couldn't say for certain that that would be the 
case. 
After a few seconds of this, Mars got tired of keeping her eyes shut and 
listening for the roar to end, so she peeked out. 
Another Sailor Mars was standing over her with arms spread out, deflecting the 
blasts with her own magic. 
A brief instance of surprise cut through the Dark Rei's mind, releasing her 
unconscious concentration on all of her spells. The other Senshi suddenly found 
themselves restored of their movements, which led to Jupiter and Venus falling 
upon their face. 
The sorceress settled upon the aisle. "Who the hell are you?!" she demanded. 
"I'm the one you want." The newcomer's voice was hoarse, weak with fatigue, but 
defiantly low with menace. 
"Then who's that?!" The Dark Rei pointed wildly to the huddled woman behind the 
new Sailor Mars. 
"You're not supposed to be here, Rei-chan!" whispered the pointed target 
harshly, rising to her feet. "Go home! Let us handle this!" 
"Yes, I can see how well you're handling this. If it weren't for me, you'd be 
fried and crispy!" yelled back Sailor Mars before she swayed slightly, barely 
catching herself on one of the seats that had not been obliterated to slag. "Do 
you mind changing back to normal, Princess? It's kind of unnerving talking to 
myself, and it's bad enough I have to put up with her." She indicated her twin 
over her shoulder, mildly gasping for breath. 
Nodding meekly, the referenced Sailor Mars reached around her back, retrieving a 
small wand topped with a pink gem. Raising it above her head, the woman yelled, 
"Disguise Pen, return me to my real form!" A flurry of light shone from her 
body, illuminating the corner of the stadium before fading away, revealing 
Sailor Moon. 
"You were here the whole time!" the Dark Rei exclaimed, jaw dropping 
incredulously. "The whole time!" 
Sailor Mars whirled on the sorceress and set her pose. "Mars Flame Sniper!" 
The flaming missile pierced the Dark Rei through the chest, burning through the 
robe, flesh and right lung. With a surprised cry, she was flung over the railing 
to the field below, landing with a sickening thud ten feet below. 
Everyone in the stadium skidded to a halt, eyes wide, mouths gaping. All of them 
stared at the prone body laying haphazard on the sideline, smoke rising from her 
chest, wondering if that was it, if their troubles were over. Especially so for 
Sailor Mars, she hobbled to the railing, puffing slightly for breath. Weariness 
washed her from head to feet, but as she witnessed for herself the unmoving 
victim, she smiled in relief. 
The Dark Rei's eyes flashed open, boring into Mars with hellish black hatred. 
"What are you smiling at, cur?" she gurgled, urging her voice despite the 
punctured lung. The smoke that had been lazily meandering from her wound 
suddenly stopped, and a dull red glow emerged from the hole. Her injury began to 
close. 
Sailor Mars pointed both arms at the sorceress, but before she could evoke her 
powers, a rumbling tremor shook the entire stadium, knocking everyone off their 
feet. 
"Nani?!" screamed Sailor Moon, crawling forward to the dark-haired Senshi. "An 
earthquake?!" Another tremor struck, this one stronger and longer than the last. 

"You can call it that, Princess," the sorceress replied, calmly laying where she 
had fallen. "It's a bit more dramatic, however, what with it about to tear all 
of Japan apart." 
"No!" 
"Oh yes!" A third tremor cracked the air and ground with devastating ferocity, 
answered by cracks and crevasses opening in the field and stadium foundation. 
Windows shattered under the stress, throwing shards of glass in a glittering 
rain. "Go on, Sailor Moon! Save Japan, if you can! As we speak, thousands of 
underground caverns are collapsing! Water is rushing in from the ocean to erode 
the base of Japan to silt, filling it up to bursting. Do you know what will 
happen with all of that pressure? Boom! There'll be nothing left of your 
precious home!" A cackling laugh escaped her, cut off by fierce coughing. Her 
wound was still far from healed. 
Sailor Moon stared in horror at the sorceress, slowly turning her gaze to Sailor 
Mars beside her. All that they had grown up with was about to rip apart, and 
both of them knew what would come now. The same essential event occurred at the 
end of each encounter with each villain and each evil. It was almost destined to 
be written like this. 
"Not this time," Sailor Mars spat. Grabbing the railing, she dragged herself to 
her feet in spite of the terrible shaking. 
"You know there's no other way," Moon replied sadly, rising to her feet, placing 
one hand upon her brooch. She missed the controlled look of concentration that 
passed Mars' face. 
To Moon's surprise, the brooch would not open. 
"Nani?!" Grasping and tearing, she tried to pry the brooch apart, but it would 
not budge. She cried and pleaded, and still it would not open. 
A gentle hand settled upon her hand. Moon looked up from her frenetic task, 
tears glistening down her face. "It won't open! I can't save the world if it 
won't open!" 
"Gomen nasai, Princess, but that is what she wants. I will take your place." 
Mars reached into her dimensional pocket and pulled out an object she had almost 
forgotten about. With deliberate calm, she opened her fingers from the item. 
The Silver Imperium Crystal, grey, cracked and sooty. 
To say Sailor Moon was shocked would be an understatement. Tentatively, she 
reached out to take it, but Mars shook her head and pulled it away. "Where did 
you get that?" 
"That's unimportant." 
"What do you mean it's unimportant?! Give it too me! I need to-" The blonde's 
eyes popped wider as realization struck. "You plan on using it!" 
Mars nodded solemnly as the others stumbled their way to the duo, surrounding 
them in a protective circle, except for Tuxedo Kamen and Chibi-Moon. 
The dark-haired Senshi turned to Mercury. "Go see if Tuxedo Kamen-sama is okay. 
Venus, Jupiter, keep the Princess safe. I won't be able to protect her if SHE 
comes to, so you'll need to keep her occupied." She indicated the downed 
sorceress, who even now, was trying to sit up. 
"Are you nuts?!" yelled Sailor Venus, confronting the Senshi of Fire. "You can't 
do this!" 
The tremors had collected themselves into a bonejarring quake that made no sign 
of abating. The noise was nearly deafening, as great gouts of dust and rock 
spewed from the chasms, showering the field with debris. Off in the distance, 
faint screams floated to their ears. 
Mars could barely hold on to the railing in her state, but she managed to whirl 
just enough to face Venus. "Do you hear that? I don't have time to argue with 
you on this, Venus. JAPAN doesn't have time left." She turned away, beginning 
the collection of her thoughts on exactly what she wanted to do. Almost 
instantly, crackles of arcane energy coursed up and down her body. 
The Senshi commander tried one more tactic. With head held high, tears streaming 
down her face, she yelled, "Sailor Mars, on penalty of being court martialed, I 
order you not to do this!" Jupiter and Mercury nodded fiercely, attempting to 
get close enough to grab her while Sailor Moon continued to heave at her brooch. 

Over the cacophony of chaos that reigned within and without the stadium, Mars 
chuckled sadly. "Gomen nasai, minna-san, but you can't order me not to give up 
my life for something I believe in." 
"We won't lose you, Rei!" Jupiter cried, pleading mercilessly. 
"I will be in your hearts." And with that, Sailor Mars floated up into the sky, 
the crackles of white lightning growing stronger. In the wind that blew 
furiously at those heights, carrying the clouds in a maddening race, Rei's hair 
tossed and billowed behind her, a mane of darkness illuminated by coruscations 
of elemental power. 
"REI!" screamed Sailor Moon, reaching out desperately, but it was too late. 
A sudden hush fell over the land, silencing the quake, the screams, even Sailor 
Moon's heart-torn cry. The shudders continued, but with less force, as if they 
knew something spectacular was about to occur. 
With the silence, the racing clouds slowed to a halt, gathering into a great 
billowing mass above the stadium until it was more dense than naturally 
possible. In plodding motion, the cloud bank swirled grudgingly, twisting and 
turning. From this great motion, a funnel formed, tiny at first, but soon, as it 
drew lower and lower towards the ground, it grew. 
And just before this vortex of atmosphere touched the center of the stadium, it 
vanished. Poof! 
Sailor Mars floated serenely, backdropped by an eternally starry sky with not a 
cloud in sight. The Crystal was still raised above her head, conspicuously 
enert. 
Down on the turf, the Dark Rei's face took on a look of insurmountable 
astonishment, staring at her twin hovering hundreds of feet above her, for she 
was the only one to feel the tremendous gathering of Sailor Mars' will. "No, you 
can't..." she whispered in horror. 
Before their very sight, the stars across from horizon to horizon shifted. 
"Kami-sama," breathed Neptune, hugging Uranus about the waist. 
Far above the world, with eyes clenched shut with exertion, Mars whimpered with 
effort. 
From the very first, there was a pattern to the display. The stars were lining 
up, some north and south, some east and west, all perpendicular lines. Soon the 
arrangement of hundreds of luminescent lines ran across the sky, crossing others 
precisely in such a perfect symmetrical configuration. 
From horizon to horizon to horizon, a great celestial grid of starlight shone 
down upon Japan. 
"What is she doing?" Jupiter whispered, still grasping the rail though the quake 
had reduced in stature. 
The Dark Rei struggled to her elbows. 
Mars now groaned with the task of breathing, hovering, and holding her hand up 
high. It was all or nothing now, for in that one task of summoning the Weave as 
close as possible to the Earth, she had cut the thread of her life. Nothing 
would prevent her death now. All she had to go on was the power that coursed in 
her veins, burning away at her insides, igniting her veins with searing power. 
She hoped fervently that the upcoming pain would be short-lived. 
Mercury's visor came down, but as she attempted to scan the immense event, all 
of the displays lit up like a Christmas tree, blinding her momentarily. She 
squeaked in surprise, then returned the visor to its hidden position. It was too 
incomprehensible for even her equipment. 
From all the corners of the horizon, each of the strands of starlight burst into 
flaming celestial beams, lighting the sky as the heavenly fire traveled along 
all of the lines towards the center. 
Mars lowered the arm holding the dead Crystal, aiming it for Japan below. Spots 
burst in her vision, even though her eyes were closed. "Hurry!" she gritted 
through her teeth. 
"Please, no," Sailor Moon begged, weakly tugging at her brooch, falling to her 
knees. "Please Rei." 
Through the tremors, which were all but ignored now, the Senshi felt a soft, 
caressing breeze brush their face. "All will be well," Rei's voice crooned in 
their ears. 
The burning web engulfed the night, shining down as day. With awed tears flowing 
down their cheeks, the Senshi watched the miracle above them. 
In the heavenly light that bathed the world below, the dead Crystal hummed to 
life. The cracks magically mended closed and the smoky soot vanished, revealing 
a clear, faceted gem exactly like the one enclosed within Sailor Moon's brooch. 
Rays of cosmic energy spotlit the air in a brilliant show, emerging from the 
Crystal in a joyous rebirth. 
"And now," Mars yelled about the tumultuous glory of the artifact, "Save the 
country! Save my home and friends!" 
From above, thousands upon millions of needles of light descended, all of them 
converging from the corners of the sky to Sailor Mars, piercing her from every 
angle. At their touch, she screamed in shrill, soul-jarring agony, arching her 
back close to the breaking point, every muscle in her body locking with 
rigidity, as the barrage of cosmic power assaulted her, using her as a conduit. 
The form of Sailor Mars suddenly shone as a noon-day sun, blinding the Senshi to 
look away. 
And then it started. Hundreds of silver starlight streamers burst from the 
Crystal, shooting forth for all of Japan. Those hundreds split until they were 
thousands, then millions, soaring to all the points of the compass. 
Where the ribbons descended and touched upon the land, the tremors halted, 
calming to complacency. Where they touched crevasses and chasms, the gashes 
closed, erasing any sign of the wounds. Where they touched buildings, posts and 
crumbling homes, the destruction reversed itself, molding back to their original 
foundations and constructions. 
Where people lay injured, dying or dead, the miracles healed their wounds, 
erased their pain, and restored the living. 
A child fell screaming from the fifth story of a falling building, and then she 
was gently settled upon the sidewalk below, saved by three streamers, as she 
witnessed others reconstruct the building she had always known as home. 
Several streamers entwined themselves about the cherry trees that had once lined 
the Hikawa Shrine grounds, but now lay astrewn, uprooted by the immense 
earthquake. The next minute, they returned to their positions, standing tall in 
a row once again. 
A mother crouched, nestling her crushed baby in her arms, weeping uncontrollably 
before realizing that her child was squirming, the massive injuries miraculously 
nowhere to be seen. 
These were just the beginning. Hundreds of patients at the hospital, and across 
the nation, suddenly leaped to their feet in astonishment as their ailments 
disappeared, from as mild as a flu case to several individuals verily on their 
death bed with terminal cancer. Brain damage, internal hemorraging, muscular 
dystrophy, all vanished with the brush of a silverlight ribbon of energy. 
Deep under the soil of Japan, the streamers burrowed, searching out the eroding 
underground caverns that were quickly filling with millions of gallons of the 
Pacific Ocean. Where the Weave Crystal's power touched, the rock reformed 
itself, sealing shut the breaches. Stalagmites and stalactites grew wider and 
longer, merging together to support the myriad of tunnels. The water, too, 
transformed into stone, aiding in the process of stabilizing the islands. 
The earthquake which had only minutes ago begun to tear apart the country 
subsided gradually, leaving shaky knees and an imperceptible sense of imbalance, 
but much relief and wonder. 
No one was injured. No homes were lost. No lives had been shattered. 
Well, almost. 
Like the fading of dusk, the million strands of starlight evaporated, leaving 
the country hale and whole, and with the fading light, the stars above returned 
to their former positions in the sky, resolving their celestial gathering. 
In the hand of the savior, the Silver Imperium Crystal shattered, crumbling to 
dust, this time completely empty of any power. 
Sailor Mars' went dead limp and plummeted towards the Earth. 
"REI!" screamed Sailor Moon once again, and immediately, her brooch snapped 
open, releasing the imprisoned Crystal within. Rays shone forth, slicing through 
the night with impunity, reaching for the falling Senshi. Gently, they wrapped 
around Mars and slowed her descent, settling her upon the 50-yard line. 
Ignored by everyone, the fully recuperated Dark Rei rose to her feet, for the 
universal miracle had not discriminated between good and evil. "And now-" she 
began, pointing a finger to Sailor Moon- 
-the Senshi twirled to her, suddenly realizzing their trials were not over- 
"-all that is left is for you to give me the Crystal, dear prin-" Her eyes 
bulged with surprise as the stem of a rose pierced through her back, embedding 
itself into her chest. The coldly beautiful woman fell foward to her knees, 
clutching at the protruding stem. A single drop of blood trickled down its 
length. Gasping, she twisted slowly to gaze at her assailant. 
Tuxedo Kamen stood beneath the goalpost with his cloak billowing behind him, one 
arm around Chibi-Moon for support. "We are even now, Dark One, for that time in 
the shrine," he voiced coldly. 
The Dark Rei coughed weakly, then smiled back. "A good comeback, my penguin, but 
to little avail. I will return, and you could fling a whole bouquet if you'd 
like. I'll still get that Crystal." 
"I think not," a grave-chilled voice answered from the ground. From the 
sorceress's own shadow, a white gloved hand reached out and grabbed her throat 
in a flesh-piercing grip. 
With incredible strength, the Grelloth Noxus rose from the shadow, lifting the 
convulsing young woman into the air. Harder and harder he squeezed, crushing 
tendons, muscle and windpipe. Her onyx eyes bulged near to popping at the 
tremendous pressure. She flailed and grabbed at the Grell's arm, clawing 
hysterically, but all for naught. Supernatural strength coursed through that 
arm, and nothing would force that grip to loosen. 
Fully emerged from the shadow, the Grell squeezed harder, gouging through to her 
jugular. A geyser of blood shot from her throat, spraying over the cloaked 
villain. Her frenzied flailing and kicking weakened slightly, then more so, 
until finally, her struggles ended altogether. The Dark Rei hung limply in 
death. 
That image would never leave the Senshi ever after. 
The Grell tossed the body away negligently, ignoring the splash of crimson as it 
landed nearby. His cloak swished like silk as he turned towards Sailor Moon, 
bowing formally. Crimson garishly streaked the mask. "You are officially 
reinstated to office as the future Neo- Queen of Crystal Tokyo, and thus, my 
contract is fulfilled." The gems of his mask flashed a deep violet. They shifted 
slightly, barely glancing at the unmoving form of Sailor Mars, and, perhaps 
unconsciously, his bloodied hand clenched. A moment of hesitation agitated his 
sentient cloak before he started to stride away. 
"You're just going to walk away?" the princess asked between sobs. "She's... 
dead!" 
The Grell stopped, his cape still fluttering. "Everyone dies, your majesty," he 
muttered, glancing once again at the corpse. 
"But not my Rei!" she screamed in anguish. "She's supposed to be there in the 
future! She's never supposed to die! None of them are!" 
He turned to Sailor Moon, and then said a curious thing: "I envy you this 
moment, Celestial Daughter." 
She sniffled. "Why?" 
"Because I cannot weep." The Grelloth Noxus turned crisply and strode away, 
swallowed by the darkness. 
"He cared for her," Sailor Moon whispered in a hushed awe, fresh tears gracing 
her face. That was the most magnificent thing she could imagine. It brought a 
slight sad smile to her face. 
The others had already begun to approach Sailor Mars' body. Leaping over the 
railing, landing awkwardly, she stumbled to the body of her friend as well. Very 
quietly, her steps took her closer and closer. She had to see her again, had to 
hold her near to her heart. 
Tuxedo Kamen leaped in front of her, blocking her passage. "You can't," he 
mumbled sadly, spreading his cloak to block her view. 
"Nani?" Moon hiccuped, confused. She tried to get around him, but he stepped 
before her every way. "Get out of the way!" 
"Please, Princess. I'm only protecting you." He attempted to wrap his arms 
around her, but she evaded neatly. 
"Protect me from what?" She jumped up to glance over his shoulder, but he was 
too tall. 
From somewhere past him, someone gasped. "Oh Kami-sama!" It was Venus. 
"Nani! Get out of the way NOW!" Sailor Moon screamed, resorting to pounding her 
fists on his chest. "I have to see her! She saved us!" 
Jupiter and Neptune joined Tuxedo Kamen, both sporting long, grave faces 
streaked with tears that would not stop. "No, Sailor Moon. You don't want to see 
her like this," the brunette choked through a sob. Mercury stumbled over also, 
wordlessly removed Tuxedo Kamen's cloak, and returned to Mars' body, covering it 
from sight. 
Hysterically, Moon pummeled at them to let her through, crying madly. "If... if 
you don't get out of the way, I'll... I'll..." The remaining was lost in Tuxedo 
Kamen's chest as he engulfed her in an embrace. Tears were flowing down his face 
as well. 
All the Senshi wept openly for their fallen comrade, but none would let the 
princess see Sailor Mars' face, or gaze into the pits where her eyes and mouth 
used to be, but now emitted lazy trails of silvery smoke, for in the end, the 
power had indeed consumed her. 
Nothing remained of Rei Hino but an outer husk of skin. 
*****
"Are you ready?" Xune asked, slipping Orthae Abban back into the sheath strapped 
to her back. The pommel glowed softly with a silvery-white light. 
Buckling his own weapon belt to his waist, Chaszmyr nodded solemnly. 
Szaravel rolled her eyes but held her tongue. She was against this journey to 
begin with. The young sorceress had better things to do than to jump about the 
planes on blind faith, but she would never say that aloud. When she had 
discovered that they intended to chase after Xune's elusive vision, Szaravel had 
been nonplussed, but resignedly announced that she would join them. Her foster 
mother's faith was not one of those topics that could be questioned, especially 
considering how much power she drew from it. 
"Yeah, I'm ready too, Auntie Xune," she muttered, rubbing the small statuette of 
the cave in her pocket. Well, if she could not stay here to continue her 
studies, she most definitely was going to take her studies with her. Besides, if 
this was an opportunity to study with Rei, then she could vastly improve her 
knowledge in all things arcane. 
Xune turned to her home, drinking in the smells, sights, and sounds of her 
grove. She had not told the others, but the priestess of Eilistraee was sure she 
would not be back for a long time. Something about the vision spoke of a 
long-term quest, and that this step was just the first of many. She prayed her 
Goddess would watch over this grove, which the young priestess had cultivated 
and shaped with her own hands since she was a child some fifty years ago. 
Firming her resolve, Xune closed her eyes in concentration, touching each of her 
temples with an index finger. Though she did not pray aloud this time, the 
circlet of silver and diamonds upon her brow glittered to life, announcing to 
her companions that Eilistraee was indeed listening to the priestess' prayers. 
In the middle of the grove, just above the fountain which trilled soothingly, an 
oval-shaped portal of silver-white fire blinked open, hanging ten feet above the 
ground. 
"She has answered my call," Xune said wonderingly. This was the first she had 
ever seen of such a spell among the clergy of Eilistraee, so it was something of 
a surprise that she pulled it off on the first try. 
Szaravel snorted. "You figure if she wanted us to use it, Eilistraee would have 
brought it closer to the ground," she whispered to Chaszmyr, who grinned and 
winked mischieviously. 
"I heard that," Xune called, picking up her backpack. "We cannot know the ways 
of the Goddess, Little One. Each miracle she grants is just that, a miracle. 
Questioning it gets us nowhere." Her tone suggested eternal patience and mild 
amusement, for the same speech, or ones similar in nature, seemed to grace 
Szaravel's ears on an almost daily basis. Xune rather enjoyed the game, and she 
suspected her young adopted daughter did as well. 
"Yes, Auntie Xune," the youth responded girlishly, motioning Chaszmyr forward. 
"Let's get this over with." She quickly chanted a small tongue-twisting phrase, 
waving her dragon-headed staff expansively. "We should all be able to levitate 
up to the portal now." 
With Chaszmyr in the lead, twin curved blades drawn and ready, the three drow 
floated through the fiery gate. 
*****
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