Eclipse Of The Moon (PG) By Callisto ******** This Fan Fic has been read and reviewed by RaphaelaXO, an esteemed fan fic author of her own accord, and a well respected member of the community O.o Here is her review of my story for your prereading pleasure ^.~* Hi there fans :) Here's one thing. I gots to tell you what is it ^.^ This story is quite cromulent. I found it to be the feel good hit of the Summer.... NOT REALLY, Sissy!!! Ok, enough of this insanity ;D It was not the feel good hit of any season. However... it is a finely written piece of literature ^.^ I thoroughly enjoyed it and I highly recommend it. If you don't like fanfics with pain and suffering, don't read it *=O But how exciting would it be without pain and suffering? I say, "Read On!" Raphaela http://www.kaifuu.com ****Warning**** Please read this intro before beginning my story! Hello readers! Now, I must tell you, there is death. No, I am not picking on anyone, or playing favorites (just so you know Makoto/Jupiter and Usagi/Moon are my favorites and just wait till you see what happens to them O.o ). SO, if you're gonna get mad about bad things happening to your favorite senshi, don't read this . I don't want any hate-mail or anything like that! I'm telling you now, so don't say I didn't warn you !!!! )=\ Well, this story took me a year to write. I came up with the initial idea, and I dunno... I thought it was pretty cool and really creepy. I didn't really sit and think a lot about what I was going to write, I just wrote and let the story come up with itself. Well, after rereading my story when it was done and hearing my sis's comments -.-.... did you read her review? ^.~ I just wanted to tell you a few things before you start reading. =) First... I don't have issues =) I just went along with my ideas for a creepy, scary story. That's what I wanted! I wanted to get away from the conventional fanfic.... go beyond the normal... to write something different and out of character for myself... and this is! Seriously, I'm a happy, nice, friendly person =) Just think about this story as a kind of episode of the X Files... a silly little story with no relevance to any of my past, present, or future fan fics, or the cartoon, or anything! Its just a story, without any relevance to anything real, even in the cartoon sense. I was thinking, also... about why we write fan fics. I think we write to express and help others to feel, certain emotions. Depending on what those emotions are at the time, we write different types of stories. Most of my fanfics are vast cornucopias of emotions... from happy to sad =) This story on the other hand is an expression about fear. By writing about something, we make it seem less real. We create it as a fiction, something we can control. I guess this story is an expression of some of my fears in a way... I hate the dark (extremely!), I hate the thought of losing a friend, and the thought of how bad a lot of this world is getting really scares me too... That's pretty deep stuff... and the thing is, we don't even think about that kind of stuff while we're writing. It just kind of happens. So basically, I'm saying don't just think of this as some kind of horrible "I know what you did last summer" type thing... (Not that I've even seen any of those... cuz I haven't) I mean, I've kept out gore... the word blood is mentioned like, twice in the whole thing, there's no profanity at all either. There's nothing in here that hasn't been at least as bad on the cartoon Maybe when you read the end... it'll make you think.... And maybe I'm just being to worried that you all will hate my story... maybe I'm being too deep and intelligent for my own good.... maybe I should just be quiet and let you get on with the story^^..... Eclipse Of The Moon (PG) By Callisto ******** "There's too many people, making too many problems... can't you see this is the land of confusion... you'll never less stop trying, to make it a place worth living in...a place worth fighting for. Stand up and let's start showing just where our lives are going to." ---Phil Collins "Writing is nothing less than a wonderful form of art. A good picture creates a story, and a good story creates a picture." ---Chrissy... AKA Callisto ********* ~*Japanese to English: Dictionary*~ Kaze= the wind Hime= princess Inazuma= lightning Umi= the sea Mizu= Water hayaku= hurry up Itai= ouch! That hurts! (^.^) Nani= What (the heck!?) Shine= die(command) ~*Unknown Character Dictionary*~ Shin (pronounced SHEEN)= Makoto's boyfriend from my fanfics. ******** "Its amazing. The sun will set early, around five o'clock I heard, but the moon won't rise until around five AM. It will almost immediately go into eclipse. It won't go into full eclipse for about ten minutes, and it will only stay eclipsed for less than three whole minutes. Then, before the moon even begins to set, the sun will rise. Just like that." Shin snapped his fingers. "No wonder this is such a big event." Ami replied. "Its a scientific phenomenon! All of these factors coming together all at the same time to create this rare event." Usagi scratched her head, "I don't get it." "Don't worry about it. Well, my parents own a cabin in the mountains, and I'd love you all to come up with me to see this. What do you say? Three or four days in the mountains. We'll have a great view of the whole thing. There's a lake, and the cabin itself is wonderful." Shin paused and waited for a reply. "That sounds great!" Mako said happily. "Is Mamo-chan coming?" Usagi asked enthusiastically. "Sure, you're all invited. Even Haruka and the others." Shin answered. "It sounds great to me!" Rei said. "You're sure we can use the cabin Shin-san?" Ami asked. "Yeah, my parents only go up once a year, usually in the spring." Shin answered. "Let's do it!" Usagi cheered. It was the perfect opportunity. None of them could believe it. A chance to visit a remote mountain cabin on the same day as the first Lunar eclipse in over 15 years. The perfect view, the perfect chance. Two days later they found themselves standing in front of an elaborate two story cabin. It was surrounded on all sides by thick woods. Between Haruka, Shin and Mamoru, all ten of them had arrived safely at the cabin by sunset the day before the eclipse was to take place. "What do you think?" Shin asked as they climbed out of the three cars and looked up at the cabin. "Its beautiful!" They all began to comment and chatter happily. "There's a great big bedroom on the bottom floor and three more bedrooms on the second floor." Shin told them as they made their way inside. "I was thinking you five could take the bigger one on the bottom floor. It has at least five or six bed in it. Its like a dorm room really." "Sure!" Usagi replied. "Come on Mako-chan, Ami-chan, Minako-chan, Rei-chan! Rei-chan?" Rei had not come in with them. Usagi went back outside to find Rei standing perfectly still, staring into the trees. "What are you doing Rei-chan?" Usagi asked bewildered. "I have this bad feeling... like this is a mistake...." She said softly. She shook herself, turned quickly and smiled. "I guess its nothing. Let's go." she grabbed her bags and started for the cabin. Slightly concerned, Usagi followed her in. Rei was seldom wrong about these things, but she never liked to worry the others. When Usagi walked in, Shin was explaining to Mamoru about a ledge overlooking the ocean on which they could view the eclipse. * * * * * * The night was cool and sweet with the pure scent of trees and fresh air, and they stayed up late just watching the stars. Rei seemed distant and distracted, and Usagi became increasingly worried. The night wore on, and they finally called it a night around one AM. Everyone fell quickly asleep. Soon the peaceful sounds of nocturnal rest wore down to nothing: and yet sleep had become utterly impossible for Rei. Her eyes remained monotonously open; staring, fixed on the darkening nothingness above her. She didn't move but for the systematic blinking of her eyelids. Her mind was slow, sluggishly playing strange images through her mind. Usually, when she had a vision, it came in clear ideas: perfect pictures of the future, of what she was fearing. But not now. This time, what she saw looked like emptiness. A blackness clouding her mind. And yet there was something in it. Remaining there; hovering over her head like a butcher's knife, undaunting, unchanging. She couldn't explain it, and she couldn't keep it from her mind. She watched the night pass, from her position of sleeplessness. The moon rose and shone its silver light through the curtains in the window. Crickets chirped outside, and the warm fire crackled in the corner; filling the room with a soft, warm glow. Hours passed slowly, and soon, everything was still. It must have been well after midnight, but hours before daylight. The crickets ceased to sing, and a thick fog had risen, completely blocking out the moon. The only light left was the single ember in the fireplace which was giving off a faint glow, but it too gave one last crackle and then went dead, leaving Rei alone in the pitch black darkness. She couldn't see anything; not even her hand in front of her face. The darkness was heavy and weighted down her eyelids. She closed them slowly and breathed in deeply as a feeling of tranquility swept over her body. She felt herself drifting off. Her mind was blackening. Winding down to nothing. She couldn't think. Something prevented it, hard as she tried she couldn't open her eyes again. She breathed in again, but choked. Struggling for her breath, her throat tightened and her head became light. It hurt inside, like her chest was on fire. How she wanted air. Her arms shot out and felt for her neck, but as she found it, her hands became cold. Something was there, she could see something blurry through her half open eyes, but she no longer had the strength to fight it off. Her mouth opened and gasped for breath. She tried to loose herself, to free herself from death, but her eyes were heavy and her head slow. It burned inside with increasing pain. In one last burst of strength she jerked her body to the side, hitting the small table beside her bed and knocking everything to the floor with a crash. Instantaneously, every person in the room shot out of bed and a few flashlights clicked on, searching the room for the disturbance. Usagi's quickly found Rei, who, when the light hit her, screamed out in agony. She shot up and clutched her neck. She coughed and sputtered, trying to catch her breath; bringing large gasps of air in and quickly letting them back out. "What happened Rei-chan?" Usagi whined. "Its late, what are you doing making so much noise?" She glared sleepily at Rei and began to fluff her pillow. "What the matter, Rei-chan?" Mako sat up in her bed and asked her. "Didn't you see them?" Rei gasped. "See who?" Minako asked. "I don't know!" Rei yelled. "That person, who ever it was. The person who attacked me!" "What?" Minako sighed. "There's no one here but us. Look, at your bed, Rei-chan. Its completely tangled up!" She was right. The sheets in Rei's bed were twisted and pulled out, hanging over the side of the bed and wrapped around her body. "You were just dreaming and your sheets got tangled around you." "That seems right, Rei-chan." Ami yawned. "The possibility that an attacker made their way into our room and out so quickly, without anyone noticing it, is very unlikely." "There's no one here Rei-chan." Mako settled back down on her pillow. "And no way for anyone to have gotten in. Besides, we're alone on this mountain. There's no one for miles around." Fire burned in Rei's eyes, "How can none of you believe me?" She cried out. "I know what happened! I felt hands around my neck tightening and cutting off my breath. Do you think I'm lying?" "Of course not! We just think you were dreaming Rei-chan. Good night." Usagi clicked off her flashlight. "I'm sorry Rei-chan." Ami said sadly. "But I too think it was all just a nightmare. There is nothing to be angry about. Let's all just go back to bed." She turned over and went back to sleep. "Good night, Rei." Minako yawned and clicked off her light as well. "Don't worry about anything. We're safe here." Rei spent the rest of the night lying awake in bed with a flashlight on next to her. * * * * * * "What do you mean Rei is missing?" Mamoru asked a shaky, upset Usagi. "She's missing! We haven't seen her since this morning. Its my fault! She told me yesterday she was upset, and then last night when she woke up, nobody believed her... but we were right there and we didn't see anybody!" Mako and the others glanced about guiltily. "She left at noon, said she was going for a walk. I thought she needed some time to cool off, she was so mad! But now I'm worried, its been 6 hours Mamo-chan, where could she be!? We have to find her!" Usagi pleaded through tears, almost hysterically. Mamoru took her into his arms and she calmed down a bit. "All right, I'll take the car and go search for her while you look around here. I'll get around faster and get a better look around." Haruka offered. "I'll go with you." Michiru said, and the two ran to the car, hopped in and drove out of site. "Let's split up." Mamoru directed. "Usagi and I will go towards the lake with Makoto; Shin: you, Ami and Minako go the other way. Setsuna and Hotaru, you stay here in case she comes back." Hotaru's horrified expression looked a little better with this news. "We'll meet back here in forty-five minutes, with or without her. It will be dark in an hour, and easy to get lost, so we have to hurry! Take at least one flash light with you. Be back here in forty- five minutes." With that, they split up and ran into the shade of the trees. The late afternoon sun was still warm and bright above their heads as they ran quickly through the vines and branches of the woods. Sweat ran down their backs and their hair clung to their foreheads, limp and shaggy. Mamoru and Makoto had never seen Usagi run so fast without complaint. After twenty minutes of running through small, twisting trails, they gave up and started for the lake. Within five minutes they had reached the lake, and split up to look around. "Rei-chan!" Usagi called out, as she pulled a branch back, and stepped through. About ten feet in front of her, the sun caught something and it sparkled like a star, catching Usagi's eye. She turned and ran to it, dropping to her knees. She brushed the leaves away, and picked it up. She turned it in her fingers, and then clutched her hand around it-Rei's earring. A breeze blew into her back, cooling the back of her neck and chilling her to the spine. "Mamo-chan! Mako-chan!" She called out as she got to her feet. Rei had been there. She must be near. With trembling legs, Usagi made her way forward. The sun was lowering, and time was running out. She turned to the left and commenced calling Rei's name. Through the leaves, under branches, she made her way deeper and deeper into the woods. Something drove her forward. A feeling of darkness loomed above her head, but she continued to move forward. Disregarding all feelings of fear, she kept going. The trees were so thick now that only a small amount of light could make its way through the canopy of intertwining leaves above her head. "Where are you Usako?" Mamoru's voice came from a distance. "I'm here!" She called back. She continued to move further away. She couldn't stop now. Something was drawing her near. She was getting closer. "Rei-chan!" She exclaimed gleefully. Usagi now stood in a small clearing so dense with foliage that it was almost completely dark. Before her, with her back to her, sat Rei. She was leaning against a tree with her head down. Usagi could tell she was very upset, and so she made her way towards her slowly. "Rei-chan." She said happily. "I'm so glad I found you. I was so worried." A tear formed in her eye and her voice cracked as she neared Rei. "I know you're mad at us, Rei-chan." She said. Rei remained motionless. "Please don't be though. Rei? Please answer me!" Usagi had reached her and now stooped down on her knees to talk to her. "Rei?" She looked into her face and gasped. "Rei? Rei!?" Usagi shook her shoulder, and her head slumped down. She was dead. Her vacant eyes half open, with a foggy glaze covering them. Usagi shrieked and fell backwards, quickly picking herself back up and backing away. "Rei-chan!" She shrieked through tears. "Rei-chan!" She could hear Makoto and Mamoru faintly in the background, calling her name, but she couldn't answer. The air was thick around her, and it pained her to breath it in. As she stood in the shadows she suddenly felt something strange. The feeling that she wasn't alone. She turned her head, it seemed as though in slow motion. Her eyes widened, Her long pigtails whipping around her back in one swift movement. Her bangs flew from her forehead and her mouth opened in a tiny 'o' shape as she gasped in terror. A black fog rose from the ground. It swirled above her, expanding and growing. Though it was ultimately shapeless, it looked almost like human in form. It rose over her head menacingly. Then, out of nowhere, large claw-like hands shot out of its side and strait at her as she shrieked, trying to jump from its grasp. "Usako!" Mamoru stepped through into the clearing, followed by Makoto, his lantern glowing brightly. Its warmth shone down on Usagi, who lay trembling on the ground. "What happened?" He cried and ran to her side. She grabbed his arm and her shivering eyes looked deeply into his. "Rei-chan! Rei-chan! It tried to-its here! I saw it! She wasn't lying! Oh, Rei-chan!" She dissolved into hysterical tears. He helped her up and then ran to Rei's side, sadly picking up her lifeless body. "What happened to her?" He said, his voice a mixture of fear, anger and disbelief. "That darkness that horrible darkness." Usagi sobbed, and Makoto tried to calm her. "She's dead..." Mamoru gasped. "It's still here!" Usagi cried fearfully. "Mamo-chan." She stood up suddenly. "I want to get out of here. We have to get out of here!" She was growing hysterical. "We have to leave. It was right here! It was here until you came.... We have to get out!" She cried louder. "Mako-chan, let's go." She backed up and picked up the lantern and began to run out of the clearing. "Usagi!" Makoto called and ran after her, followed by Mamoru who was still holding Rei. They ran through the trees. It was dark now, the sky ranging from a shade of dark blue in the East to a light violet in the West. They flew through the trees, Usagi in the head-running fearfully as though for her life. She kept increasing her speed. Her legs ached and trembled under her, but she pushed them harder. Faster, faster. Everything was a blur. She couldn't see; her eyes were so blurred with tears. And then it happened- a dark, booming, masculine voice that seemed to rise out of the ground shouted angrily, "*HOW DARE YOU TRY TO TAKE HER BACK!*" The earth began to shake. It groaned and rumbled, making the trees dance like rag dolls. A wind swept through, whipping around them. Usagi stopped and Makoto and Mamoru caught up. It seemed to go on forever. Trees fell in every direction, narrowly missing them. They fell to the ground, loudly crashing around them. An enormous mount of earth shot into the air and grew like a tidal wave. It towered above Mamoru. In one more swift movement it swept sharply downward on top of him. Usagi cried out in terror as she watched in horror. She felt her knees buckle as she fell down landing with her hands. The lantern fell, turning over once and then landing sharply on a rock, cracking down the side and shattering the light bulb in an explosion of darkness that was simultaneous to the end of the earthquake. Everything was still. Motionless under the dark moon-less sky. Not a sound was heard but for the faint, flickering sound of giggling in the distance- sharp and cold. It rang out through the forest; breaking the silence of death that surrounded them. * * * * * * "Haven't we passed this place three times already?" Michiru asked. "Well, she could be anywhere." Haruka said. "We'll search for a little while more, and then we'll turn back." The sun was just setting, and as they circled the long, winding mountain roads they could watch the sun, a large orange ball of fire, sink lower and lower until it had disappeared below the horizon. "Its a beautiful night." Michiru commented as Haruka switched on the headlights and they turned another corner. The road was literally cut out through the middle of the forest. Limbs of the trees hung out, far into the middle of the road, blocking the deep, moon-less sky. They swayed in the evening breeze rustling quietly. "Look here. That sign ahead says that road leads down to the town." Haruka pointed out. "That town is miles away. You don't think she would have tried to walk there do you?" Michiru asked. "Maybe. She was pretty mad, and she left a long time ago. She obviously isn't on the mountain road. Should we try it?" "Sure." Michiru consented, and Haruka turned sharply down the larger road. "It's very cold out for a summer night." Michiru observed. The wind had picked up and the branches of the trees were beginning to jump and swing quicker than before. "It is, isn't it-Look! Look, up ahead. Someone's walking up there!" Haruka cried. Michiru looked up and saw, just above the reach of the headlights, a figure, walking slowly down the side of the road. "Do you think its her?" Michiru asked. "Who else could it be?" Haruka replied. She began to speed up as they neared the sluggish figure, to pull up beside it. But, suddenly it was the middle of the street standing perfectly still. It was now facing Haruka and Michiru, its blue eyes glowing with a strange iridescent quality. There it stood, staring into the face of the car that was speeding into it. "Haruka!" Michiru shrieked and pointed to the figure in their path. Fear racing through her mind, Haruka slammed her foot onto the breaks. The car began to skid, creating a horrible high pitched squeal. Her arms curved with the steering wheel, trying desperately to avoid hitting the person on the road. Her eyes went foggy and her mind was racing. Night filled the car and the sound of the screeching pounded through her head. She began to scream-and then everything went black. She felt a bump under the front wheel, and then the back. The car tipped onto two wheels, and then fell onto its side with a crash. It slid a few feet and then came to rest on the side of the road near a tree. How it hurt to move. She wished she could just stay where she was, but there was something more important at stake- Michiru. Haruka slowly opened her eyes. Her face was cold, and she found that she was laying with her cheek pressed to the driver's side window, which now lay parallel to the ground. "Michiru?" She managed to groan. "Are you all right?" She tried to sit up, but she was still strapped to her seat, which was now sideways. She fumbled for the buckle, and unhooked it, causing herself to fall down onto the ground. "Michiru?" She groaned again. She looked up towards the passenger seat where Michiru had been. Nothing. It was empty. The now vacant seat belt was still buckled, the passenger side door closed and locked and the roof of the car was unscathed. And yet Michiru was not there. Haruka's heavy eyes shot open. "Michiru!" She cried. Her head hurt terribly. She stood up, in a panic. She unlocked the passenger door and opened it. Frantically she climbed out onto the side of the car and jumped to the ground, cringing as her feet hit the ground. She lifted up her shirt and found a large bruise on her lower stomach. Carefully, she put her hand over it and turned around. Some distance behind her lay the person, unmoving and crumpled on the asphalt. Her mind was racing. What had that person been doing in the middle of the street? She had tried to avoid them. It wasn't her fault. Where was Michiru? How could she have disappeared? "Are you all right?" She called out as she limped toward the figure. She knew very well they weren't, but she didn't know what else to do. She was at a loss. She fell to the ground beside them, and lightly put her hand on their shoulder, and rolled them over onto their back. At first she blinked. Then looked again in disbelief. She must be seeing things. She must. There was no other way. But then the figure whispered in that familiar, helpless whisper. "Haruka." It was Michiru who lay on the ground before her; her faint voice breezing from from her mouth like a feeble gust of wind. Her eyes were half closed, and a drop of blood was dripping from the corner of her mouth. Haruka jerked back and shut her eyes. She didn't want to see it. She couldn't look. She tried to convince herself that it wasn't real, but she knew it was. She knew it. After a moment she opened her eyes and looked again. Nothing. Just road before her. glistening with a strange glittering gold light. No one was there. Haruka's eyes widened, and she blinked her eyes once more. Nothing. She staggered backward a few steps. "Michiru." She gasped. "*MICHIRU!*" She now cried out frantically and turned. She didn't know what to do. Her world had just blown up before her eyes in a display of utter impossibility. There was no way that could have happened. If Michiru had been lying there, where was she now? If she hadn't, what had happened to her? How could she have gotten out of the car? How could she have been hit? Where had that other person gone? What? How? Why? The questions raced through her head, but she couldn't answer any of them. The only thing she decided was that Michiru had been there, and it was her fault. After a few seconds of shock she began to search around frantically for any sign of Michiru. Her head hurt terribly. It was warm and throbbing. Lifting her hand to her forehead, blood ran down the tips of fingers. She tried wiping the cut with her shirt, but she really didn't care. The wound meant nothing to her at all. It was meaningless now. Everything was. She had to get away: to leave that place behind her. She turned and ran off into the darkness of the trees, soon loosing her way. And yet being lost is meaningless when you have no destination. * * * * * * "Usagi-chan! Wake up Usagi!" Makoto hovered over her head, shaking her shoulders frantically. As she opened her eyes Usagi realized she had never seen Makoto so undone. She was literally shaking. "I don't know how that happened," Mako gasped, "but Mamoru is gone." "Mamo-chan!" Usagi gasped as she stood up. "He's simply gone," Mako said shakily. "It swallowed him over there," She pointed, "and the mound is there, but he's not! He's, gone...." "Mamo-chan..." Usagi cried. "He's strong! I know he's safe..." She trailed off. "Usagi-chan, listen. I can hear something strange. I feel like someone else is here." They stood now in a small circular section of the forest where the earthquake had knocked down the trees. In fact, it seemed that outside of the sixty foot diameter of the circle, the earthquake had done no damage at all. A chill wind swept through the section of destruction where they stood and made the leaves of the trees dance. The only sound was the rustling of the leaves, and then it began to mix with another sound. That soft glittering giggle that had been present during the earthquake. It came from the direction of a large group of trees nearby. Hard as they tried, it was too dark to see what was there. The giggling grew louder and then fizzled down to nothing. "Let's get out of here Usagi." Mako whispered. "We've got to find the others." "But-" Usagi protested quietly, still not believing what had happened, but Makoto grabbed her wrist and pulled her. They turned and ran back down the path. * * * * * * "What have I done? What have I done?" Haruka's mind was racing. She was drenched in sweat and running wildly. She had lost all sense of the outside world. She was now consumed by her mind; eating away at herself. She was constantly tripping and falling, but she didn't even notice. The wound on her head had stopped hurting and a complete numbness had set over her. She felt no pain outside, as she was so consumed with pain from within. "How did this happen!?!" She shrieked as she fell to the ground once more; bitter tears falling from her eyes as she screamed angrily. "What *have* you done Haruka?" An eerily familiar voice came softly out of nowhere. "I didn't mean to! I didn't do anything!" She cried back, trying with every ounce of strength to convince herself of this statement's truth. "But you did, didn't you?" It asked again, calmly, as a chorus of similar voices began giggling in the background. "No. No...." Haruka trailed off. "Then where is she?!" It asked threateningly. Haruka shot up from the ground and began to run again in an attempt to ignore the voice. "Don't deny it, and don't try to get away. You know what you did. You know it was you. Your car hit her." Haruka stumbled in the darkness. "STOP IT!! I didn't hit her! She was in the car next to me the whole time!" She screamed. "IT WASN'T MY FAULT!" she screamed through the stream of giggles that rang louder and louder every moment. "Really?" It asked. Haruka stopped and stood still, her hands clenched into fists of anger. A cold breeze blew behind her. Someone was there. She whipped her head around just in time to see the figure of a person jump over her head. Quickly, she drew out her transformation wand and put it above her head, but the person just hit it out of her grasp and it flew off into the darkness. "What do you want!?" Haruka shrieked. The giggling grew louder and the low, feminine voice hissed, "Oh, you'll know soon enough." As it finished speaking something swiped across Haruka's shoulder, quickly and sharply. It was the blade of a sword. It left a tiny scratch across her shoulder that now felt as though it were on fire. She lost it. With a cry of anger she spun around and lunged at the figure, but nothing was there. She desperately fought invisible enemies that she somehow knew were all around. There could have been one, or twenty, she couldn't tell. The second she would attack, it would dash away. With one final effort she jumped at one of the figures, but it vanished instantly, and she soon crashing to the forest floor, sliding through the carpet of leaves, arms out in front of her. Her body was numb now. There was no pain, no anger, no feeling at all throughout her whole being. She looked up and her eyes met the coldest, blank eyes she had ever seen. It was like looking into mucky water. They were clear and empty, yet filled with a dirty mist. They seemed to be hanging in mid air, as though they were their own entity. "There is no way out for you now you know. You have lost. You have no hope. It's all over." The eyes became tiny slits as the creature that existed somewhere around them began to cackle softly. Haruka merely lay her head on the cold, hard ground. She glimpsed a flash of a glistening silver blade as it whipped through the air. She closed her eyes and waited. There was no laughter now. All was completely silent. The air was heavy and foggy around her. She waited for it to happen. The silence was broken by the crack of the blade and a blood curdling scream that rang throughout the mountains. * * * * * * "What was that?" Usagi stopped in her tracks. "Screaming..." Mako gasped. The terror she was feeling was becoming rapidly more visible. The horrible, shrieking scream had died now, yet its echo continued to ring through their minds. "Who was it?" Usagi whimpered. Makoto didn't answer, but continued to walk quickly through the woods, searching for the cabin. "Usagi-chan!" Mako pointed ahead. Through the trees, you could see the flickering of a fire. It looked extremely large, even from a distance. They stepped out into the clearing and looked up in horror at their cabin, now smoldering under a mountain of thick flames. "What happened here!?" Makoto gasped as Setsuna ran to meet them, Hotaru sobbing and hanging close behind her. They were followed closely by Shin and Minako both looking shaky. "Did you find her?" They all said simultaneously, followed shorty by a chorus of, "where's Mamoru-san?" , "Where's Ami chan?" and "Where are Haruka and Michiru?" Usagi's eyes welled up with tears, and Makoto replied solemnly, "They're gone. Rei-chan..." Her voice cracked and she quickly hid her face. Usagi began to sob, "Where's Ami-chan? Where is she!?" "She- she wandered off alone." Shin said grimly, trying to comfort Makoto as he did. "Said she had traced something on her computer. We heard a scream, but all we could find was this." He held out Ami's computer. It was scratched and dirty, and splattered with a dark reddish substance that looked terribly like blood. Usagi took it slowly from him and clutched it tightly. "Ami-chan." She whispered. Her face cringed and she fell to the ground in a burst of tears and cries. "What about Haruka-san, and Michiru-san..." She trailed off. The look of sorrow on Setsuna's face told her that they had not returned. "What are we going to do..." She managed to cry out through her sobs. "We have to look around for them. Something must be done. No matter who has taken them, we will find them." Setsuna spoke out. Though the lack of optimism in her voice was not at all encouraging, without a word, they helped Usagi to her feet and pulled out their transformation wands. With a new look of hope on her tear stained face, Usagi lifted her brooch high and Shouted, "Moon Prism Power, Make-" She and the others gasped as an enormous wind picked up and blew the brooch from her hand. The wind whipped around her for a moment, knocking her to the ground, then stole the wands from each one of the others, in one strong blast. The silvery gale flew high into the air and strait into the hands of a dark figure standing, silhouetted, as still as a statue, on the roof of the cabin. She held them in her hand for a moment, her long hair hanging limply behind her, flames licking at her body. Four more figures stood behind her, all just as still and eerie. It was as though their shapes had all been cut out of the flames, so that their outlines reflected the foggy night sky behind them. "Not this time." Her disembodied voice hissed down at them. "For once, you will fight fair." She held out her hand that held their wands, and Usagi's brooch. She turned her clenched fist palm down and released its contents into the fire. All five silhouettes giggled with glee. She turned her head slightly, "Kaze, if you would." She said simply. One of the tallest of the figures stepped forward slightly, raised her arm and snapped her fingers. Instantly a strong wind picked up and swooped down upon them. It picked up both cars and flung them around in circles. They rose into the air, higher and higher, finally stopping completely and plummeting fifty feet through the air. They crashed through the roof of the cabin, who's flames erupted even higher, engulfing the five stone-like figures. "Run!" Shin bellowed at the top of his lungs. He grabbed Makoto and Usagi by their wrists and pulled them sharply along with him into the woods, followed closely by Minako and Setsuna. Hotaru however was frozen. Her eyes wide with fear, she opened her mouth to scream, but nothing would come out. There was a deep rumbling from within the cabin. Sparks flew out from every inch of its exterior. Setsuna darted back into the clearing, "Hotaru!" She shrieked. "Now!, Hotaru, hayaku!" Her face was red with distress. She looked at Hotaru's face. The fear had melted from her eyes, though the tears remained, no longer from fear, but from deep sorrow. "I will miss you, Setsuna-mama." Hotaru whispered. Setsuna looked at her in dismay. "Keep the princess alive." With these last words, Hotaru turned, Setsuna shrieking at her all the way. A ball of light emerged on her forehead. It grew and grew, until it had completely surrounded her whole body. She walked quickly towards the cabin and stopped, five feet from the flames. She put both of her arms strait above her head, hands out flat. Instantly, a beam of the same golden light burst out of her palms. It rose high in the air, and then rained down around her creating a second the ball of light so large that it completely encompassed the whole of the cabin as well. "Hotaru!" Setsuna screamed as she ran to towards her, but it was too late. Hotaru had sealed herself in with the burning wreckage. Setsuna cringed as a muffled "boom" sounded from inside. The deep red of the flames became a blinding white for a moment or two, and then everything went dark. The dome of light flickered, and then dissipated into billions of sparkling bubbles that floated up softly into the night air. Usagi had fought her way back to the clearing, accompanied by Minako, Makoto and Shin, refusing to leave without Setsuna and Hotaru. She took one look at the abominable sight before her and tried to cry out, but found only enough strength to emit a soft squeak. Setsuna sat staring wide eyed strait ahead, unable to move. A few charred pieces of wood was all that remained of the cabin, and they lay steaming on the edge of a huge crater, as deep as a lake and as wide as a house. "She wanted to save us." Setsuna muttered. "She blocked the explosion..." Usagi looked from the crater to Setsuna and back again, finally running forward and peering into its depths. Hotaru's slightly blackened body lay sprawled on the ground at the bottom, the flickering remainder of the first, and smaller light dome feebly surrounding her. It too, soon gave up and burst into countless bubbles of light that drifted high into the air, leaving behind forever the remnant of the girl they had so recently been defending. A girl who now lay perfectly still on the cold ground, surrounded by destruction, devastation and death. Carrying the remnant of a life, forever upward, out of site. * * * * * * "The Princess is coming, Kaze. She will be most pleased." A dark figure said with a cackle. She had been speaking to a taller personage, who gave a low, throaty chuckle at the news, and muttered, "Perfect Umi." Out of the darkness emerged five more figures. Both Kaze and Umi turned and joined the circle which then consisted of ten similar silhouetted figures, eight of which were distinctly females. They stood on the ground in a small clearing surrounded densely by trees. Another figure, this one short and petite, did a flying leap out of a tree above them and floated gracefully to the ground. Instantly, all ten heads bowed and chorused the words, "Welcome, Hime." The smaller figure they addressed as "Hime" looked as though she were nothing but a living piece of translucent, black cloth cut out in the shape of a human. She was wispy and moved like a ghost, as did about half of the figures in the circle. The other half, Kaze and Umi included, looked more like statues of black marble, delicately carved into the human form. "Look, Hime. It is working." Umi held out her arm for the princess to touch. "You were right. It feels wonderful to move so freely. We were not even affected by the light of the fire. We stood in it freely. It was... wonderful...." "We succeeded in taking the life of one more, as well as all of their sources of power." A tall, statue like man. "They cannot transform now. They are helpless." "They have always been helpless!" The princess shouted enthusiastically. Her voice was high and shrill. "We do not wish to use them to become human, we wish to take our freedom back from them. The freedom they so wrongfully stole form us so long ago! "Should we, as superior beings be enslaved by these creatures? No! "Well, it is all about to change. By dawn we will all be free. Free to move as we wish at all times, free to live, free to take control!" She lifted her wavering arms above her head and shot a burst of black light from them. The circle burst into hissing cheers and malicious laughter. "You are superior to them in nearly every way, and soon, in every way. Remember, they are weak, and full of emotion. They are human." The last word was spoken as though it were the most vile, disgusting thing in existence, and its mention caused a soft murmur to spread throughout the circle once more. "You have until dawn. They must all be gone. BY morning, it will be too late." She continued in a low hiss. "This is our only chance, and we will succeed. Now go. Go and retake your freedom. When they are all gone, it will be time to act. To take back the body that is rightfully yours. *Now, GO!*" With a final cheer all eleven figures jumped into the air and flew through the trees like ghostly serpents. * * * * * * They walked as closely together as the narrow path would allow. Long ago they had lost any sense of where they were. Shin insisted on being in the lead. Every noise made them jump. Any sign of movement made their hearts leap into their throats, and every gust of wind sent a terrible chill down their spines. Makoto strived to look brave, but soon forgot and hung closely to Shin's side. Setsuna was unsuccessfully fighting back tears. Minako let them come without resistance. Usagi was in a complete daze. Her eyes were blank and her face stunned. Tears did not come, because stronger than the sorrow in Usagi's heart was the feeling of unbelief. None of it could possibly be real. The mere idea was inconceivable. Rei found dead, Mamoru devoured by the earth before her very eyes, and Hotaru and Ami gone as well. Haruka and Michiru had never been found, and given the circumstances, it seemed foolish to even hope they were still alive. Or, maybe it wasn't. "Maybe they're all okay," Usagi thought to herself. Maybe, she would turn around the next corner and they would all be standing there waiting for her. Rei would have recovered, Hotaru's wounds would be healed, Haruka and Michiru would show up with Ami, and Mamoru would be fine. He was probably searching for them now. Everything would turn out alright. Suddenly the noise of shuffling leaves behind her had stopped. "Minako-Chan?" Usagi turned around, her voice wavering. No one was there. "Minako -Chan!?" Usagi called again. Makoto, Shin and Setsuna had stopped, and were all looking back as well. "She was right here... She was right behind me." Usagi gasped, the panic raising in her voice. The familiar giggling started from in the trees. "Minako-chan, Minako-chan..." the wispy voices chorused with a fresh spout of sardonic laughter. "What? Did you want her back?" A sharp, grating voice said from somewhere above. "You-you give back Minako-chan!" Usagi screamed, causing more laughter to ring out. "I'm *sorry*. I didn't realize she meant so much to you!" The voice droned on. Usagi stood, fists clenched, staring above into the darkness of the trees. "You want her? Take her." With this an enormous, ghostly hand stretched down, twenty feet from the bough of a tree. Its gigantic fist was clutched tightly around Minako's neck. It dangled her, five feet from the ground. Her eyes were half open, her face twisted with pain. "Minako-chan!" Usagi yelped as she sprang forward to reach her. As she did, Minako managed a groan, and her legs began twitching. "I should tell you, with every step you take towards her," the voice said, "I squeeze harder around her neck." Usagi stopped in her tracks and the hand loosened its grip on Minako's throat. "Leave me....." Minako gasped. Usagi starred wide eyed up at her, contemplating what to do, when Shin burst in and did a flying kick at the enormous hand. He flew through the air, almost reaching it, when he was hit head on by another enormous hand, which batted him away like he were a fly. He flew backwards into a tree and fell to the ground in a heap. The hand holding Minako tightened its grip, and flew back into the trees, carrying its captive out of site. Makoto's eyes narrowed and her voice shot out like the explosion of a canon. "Show yourselves! If you want to fight I'll fight you!" She shrieked. "You can't do this to us! Give them all back!" Her voice echoed out through the forest. She turned her head and screamed outloud, then fell to her knees in silence. "We don't want *you*," A soft, calm voice said. "Yet." Another large hand shot out of the trees, its long fingers were as sharp as daggers and at least three feet long. Makoto looked up and saw them flying straight for- "Setsuna!" She and Usagi shrieked as they both dove to block her from the sabers. The earth beneath them jolted and Usagi and Makoto found themselves being thrown sharply through the air, crashing into the trunks of two large trees with a sickening thump, then slid down to the ground. Setsuna screamed and fell backward on to the ground. The sabers had gored completely through her stomach, leaving her a crumpled heap of the ground, the grass around her becoming a deep, crimson color. Makoto tried to stand but could barely manage to keep her eyes open. She glimpsed a foggy black cloud carrying Setsuna's mangled body away into the darkness, the faint shimmering of a light, and then all was still. She tried once more to stand, but her mind was fogging and her head was pounding. Her head fell and she gave into the foggy mist that was devouring her mind. Everything went black. "Well look what we have here." A low voice seeped through the darkness. It sounded distant and fuzzy. Makoto hadn't a clue where she was or what was going on. She forced her eyes open and looked up at the towering figures that hovered over her. "Haru-Haruka!?" Usagi's baffled voice came from a few feet away. She too was staring up at the many figures standing above them. With these words, the tallest female figure burst out in a shriek of pure rage, "Don't you ever call me that! I am Kaze, lord of the wind!" Her gleaming stone-like arm shot out from her side and stuck Usagi across the cheek. She landed on the ground with a painful squeal. "Who do you think you are!?" Makoto shot up from the ground and swung at the statuesque figure of Haruka, but she merely lifted her arm and grasped Makoto's wrist tightly, holding her back with what seemed like no effort at all. It did indeed seem to be Haruka holding her wrist, but it couldn't be her. She was not human, though she resembled Haruka identically. She was composed of a thick, black smoke, slightly translucent and extremely shiny. Behind her stood the figures of Michiru, Rei, Ami, Minako, Setsuna, and Hotaru, all the same ominous cloudy black. "And you..." The Haruka hissed as she squeezed Makoto's wrist even tighter, forcing her to her knees, "you miserable creature! The Princess is not at all pleased with your attempts to save that one." She jerked her head towards Usagi with a growl. "The Princess has something special in mind for you two...." She thrust Makoto to the ground. "Minna..." Usagi whispered mournfully. "SILENCE!" The figure of Mamoru shouted and raised his fist threateningly. "Stop!" A high voice came from Usagi, though she had not spoken a word. "Now, Princess?" Another voice came from where Makoto sat, who too had stayed silent. "Yes." The first answered. The ground beneath Usagi and Makoto began to shake slightly. The wind picked up and a thick black mist rose up from beneath them like a two large rain clouds. The dark mist swirled around them for a moment and then spiraled into the air. It rose for a time, then shot back down to the ground. The first bit hit the ground and began to swirl into the shape of feet, then legs emerged, hips, then a stomach, shoulders, arms, and then the heads of Makoto and Usagi. The two dark figures stood side by side. They were strangely two dimensional, though composed of the same black fog as Kaze and the others. They were completely flat looking, and wispy, and fragile, like steam; not at all the thick, smooth, polished ebony the others seemed to be composed of. "Hime." Every figure bowed. The Princess walked up to Usagi slowly and glared at her. "Who are you?" Usagi stammered. Giggling laughter rang out from the crowd. "Haven't you yet figure it out?" The princess hissed, staring into Usagi's mirror image face. "I'm a part of you. You stole our right to live and we are taking it back. I am your shadow, Usagi." "....My-my... What!?" Usagi stammered. "Oh, how I have tired of your foolish questions! I am your Shadow. Do you not know what a shadow is?" "But-why? Why are you doing this?" Usagi continued, her voice hushed and frightened. "Because you gave us life and then confined us like slaves! Day in and day out, unable to move freely, to think freely, to be free." The Princess shouted back angrily. "'WE' gave you... life!?" Usagi stammered. "Yes... YOU! YOU, the Sailor Senshi. YOU who have devoted your lives towards that which is good and pure. You gave your lives over to the cause of ridding this world from evil, and all the while you have been creating the most evil thing of all. US. "Everyone has bad in them Usagi... even you... especially you. But, you and all of your little friends," she sneered, "turned your minds over to good. To things like truth and hope, and we," She gestured around to the many figures standing behind her, "we cannot exist with such things. We thrive of hatred and lies. Destruction, death, pain, sorrow... we love them. That is what we are created from. All of your most hateful thoughts, your most unsavory ways. It is what we are. We could not exist within you, and we were forced out of your bodies... but one cannot be totally without us, so we infested your shadows... it was the only way to stay alive. After all, what is a shadow but the darkest part of your existence. A part of your being that can never be touched by light. It hides behind your body when faced with light and truth. "We were separated for the first time from that which we cannot coincide with: your goodness of heart. We were now in a place of existence where all there was was darkness and misery... we thrived upon it. "You are not like most humans, though you still retain all of their weaknesses. You have strange powers within you. Strange connections with nature and powers to control the elements. "No longer held back by your goodness and pureness, we began to feed upon these powers, growing stronger and stronger every day. Soon we began to realize the injustice you had done by riding us from your bodies. Using our power we began to take control of our own actions when we were free from your clutches. A shadow is bound to its body only by the presence of light. Haven't you ever wondered what happens to a shadow in the dark?" The princess put her flat, foggy black face close to Usagi and whispered, "It is free. As long as you were in the dark, we were free to move about and complete our mission." "We are just as much a part of you as anything else, and you had no right to try and exile us. Like I said, you created us, and then put us out. "Well, it worked for a time, but that time is now over. This time, it is you who will be eliminated. It is time our bodies have been purged of your imperfection. Soon, you will be gone, and we will rule, once again." Malicious giggling broke out through the crowd of shadows, "That giggling... "Usagi shot out, "Its been you! Its been you all the time! Give them back... give them all back!" "You're just now getting it!" The princess laughed out loud. "Think back Usagi... it's been us all along. Think..." "Rei..." Usagi said. "That night in the cabin. She said you were choking her, but we didn't see anyone!" "You turned your flashlights on before I could finish the job." The thick, staue-like Shadow of Rei replied. But I got her in the end." She made a chocking gesture with her hands, a pitiless smile on her cold, hard face. "But, Haruka... and Michiru!" Usagi gasped, becoming more hysterical. "An `unfortunate' car accident took place as they searched ever so valiantly for the lost fool you call, `Rei.' " "And... Mamo-chan?" Usagi said quietly. Makoto didn't wait for an answer. She had stayed silent too long. "Why are you doing this? What good are we if we're dead? A shadow without its body cannot exist! You said so yourself, you're a part of us!" "Oh, but that is where you're wrong." The princess sneered. "Once you are gone, we will be able to re-inhabit your bodies, forever. We do not need *you*. We only need your bodies." She walked very close to Makoto and stopped, straining her ears as though she were listening to a noise coming from far away. "Come forward Inazuma." A thin, foggy, two dimensional shadow stepped forward from the circle. It was Makoto's. "You are very foolish from what Inazuma tells me." The Princess told Makoto in a matter-of-fact sort of way. "Standing here facing your death and thinking over and over again in your mind, `I must protect Usagi, I must protect Usagi....' "This is what I hate about you most! Your idiotic obsession with protecting this foolish weakling." She shot her froze, blank eyes towards Usagi, then turned back to Makoto. "What angers me most is that you have stayed alive all this time, and that you know you will die soon, and you *still* insist on being noble and standing up for her. Your faithfulness sickens me. For this, you shall pay." "Inazuma tells me you are thinking about how we possibly managed to do this... how you saw before some of us standing in the light of the fire. Shall I show you how we have done it?" She snapped her fingers and immediately a tall masculine figure sprang through the air and landed above Shin's crumpled body, which lay sprawled on the ground near the tree where he had hit, and fallen not even an hour earlier. It was impossible to tell whether he was dead or not. Makoto gasped and jumped to her feet, running towards him frantically, but tripped. Inazuma, her thin, ghostlike shadow, had extended one of her tentacle like arms and wrapped it around her ankle, and was now retracting it into her body, dragging Makoto on the ground closer and closer to herself. Inazuma's other arm wrapped its way around Makoto's neck and pulled her closer in. Makoto was struggling to free herself from Inazuma's grasp, but found herself almost inside of Inazuma's cloud like body. It was cold and terrifying, and seemed to suck the strength out of her. Inazuma forced her head up so that she was forced to watch Shin's fate. Usagi, now being held back by Kaze in the same manner as Makoto, began to scream, and tears welled in Makoto's eyes. She couldn't make a sound. Shin's counterpart had taken hold of his neck and now held Shin's limp body out at arms length so high that Shin's feet dangled above the ground. The slow blinking of his eyes told them that he was still alive, if only barely. Shin's shadow tightened the grip on Shin's neck and Shin's eyes opened wide and his mouth dropped open. His shadow smiled viciously. A sizzling black light shot down the shadows arm and crackled around Shin's body. A faint light burst out of Shin's limp body, breaking the darkness. Though the light shone out brightly, The Princess and Inazuma remained whole, completely unaffected by it. Shin's shadow dropped Shin's body to the ground with a THUMP. The shadow's eyes bulged and he put his hands out in front of him, staring at them with fascination. His flat, two dimensional body began to swell and take form. His fingers grew thick and took shape, then his arms followed. Then his shoulders and neck, his torso followed, then legs, feet and his head. It was like filling a balloon with air. This mere figment of a human was now a perfect replica of Shin, save it be the lack of skin. Makoto's eyes widened and a shrill scream broke out. Inazuma let her fall to the ground. "With your death, your powers go strait into us, giving us the strength, and power to withstand light, without being forced back to your side. Your bodies are left empty, ready for us to inhabit, that is, once all of us are ready." The princess sneered. "Usagi, Usagi, Usagi..." She tisked. "Still such confusion. You are wondering, `why us?' Well the answer is simple. You are the only humans in the world to exhibit such strength and love... and hide such ugliness and hatred. It is because you *are* you that this is possible. Once you have all perished, we will inhabit your bodies as completely unstoppable forces of destruction. We will have complete control over every element of the earth. And now, there's only two of you left, and soon, none. "Inazuma, take care of that stubborn girl." An evil gleam shone over the princess' cold, dead eyes. Inazuma turned, dark foggy eyes on Makoto. Inazuma's arms flew up, and she was struck by a bolt of lightning that gathered into a ball in her cupped hands. She held it gently, her thin lips curling in a nasty grin. "Stand and fight me." Makoto glimpsed Shin's body, the flock of black figures circling her, and Usagi's helpless, frightened expression and snapped. Red hot fury shot through her veins and she exploded with power. Scratching loudly she lunged at Inazuma, who quickly dodged. Makoto screamed even louder, very seldom were her words comprehensible, but usually a jumble of shouts and curses, the names of her friends thrown in now and again. She lunged once more, and Inazuma released her ball of lightning. It whizzed through the air and strait into Makoto. It smashed into her and unleashed its fury, zapping her again and again, each time forcing choked, painful yelps from Makoto. Inazuma snapped her fingers and thunder clapped over head, shaking the earth and knocking Makoto's panting, breathless figure to the ground. She shot another blast from her ball of lighting. It shot at her and split into a thousand tiny electrified needles of light which stuck her body all over and sizzled their way into her skin. She screamed all the while. Her eyes closed slowly, and she fell silent. Inazuma stood above her, "Shine." "Not yet..." Makoto whispered. Inazuma gasped, eyes darting upward. Her head spun around and stopped on the Princess who stood quite calm fifteen feet away. "We will return shortly. You all will stay her until I give orders." She said, and disappeared. Inazuma gasped once more and vanished. Warm moonlight shone onto Makoto's bruised face. She and Usagi were alone once more. The moon had risen. * * * * * * "Mako-chan!" Usagi ran to her side. "How?" "The moonlight-" Makoto breathed with great effort. "They still can't exist in light. You have to go... the moon- it'll begin to-" "You come, Mako-chan. I`m not leaving you here! You're the only one left, I won't let them take you too!" "Usagi-chan, you don't understand! We have only ten minutes of light until the moon goes into eclipse!" Makoto somehow made it unsteadily to her feet. "I'm not going without you!" Usagi set her jaw and fixed her teary eyes on Makoto's face. They turned and started off. Makoto's valiant effort to hid her pain was amazing. She and Usagi walked quickly through the brush, Makoto's face twisting in pain with nearly every step. She stumbled a few times, but kept going. The soft moonlight shining through the tops of the trees upon them, dimming every moment. They glanced up almost constantly, the moon was half covered. There was another small clearing ahead, and they hurried towards it. The road was visible a mere hundred feet from the clearing. "Hurry, Usagi-chan!" Makoto gasped and they ran forward. "Itai!" They both cried as a tree branch shot into the air, tripping them both. Lighting struck overhead, the wind roared and rain began to fall. "Mako-chan..." Usagi groaned. She looked up at the moon, it was nearly covered. The light was slowly being blocked. She looked back onto the ground in front of her, grimacing as another glass shard hit her head. Her shadow, though still attached to her body, was moving of its own accord. Usagi's eyes widened as its shadowy hand moved across the ground, and slowly swiped its index finger across its throat menacingly. It began to rain harder, though there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The shadow of the eclipse grew larger, falling completely over Makoto's fallen body. Immediately, a thick black cloud sprang out from beneath her and took the form of Inazuma who screeched loudly, "You were supposed to die!" Her hand shot out in front of her and electrified needles of lightning sprang forth and penetrated Makoto's body. She screamed out, white hot light running through her body, sparks flying out in every direction. The moon went into full eclipse, and the dark shadow fell completely over Usagi. The familiar laughter rang out from the black cloud that now swirled around Usagi's trembling body. "We have done it!" The Princess cackled. "Inazuma, that's enough. She's nearly gone, and I want *her* alive." She glared at Usagi with a smile. Inazuma smiled and released Makoto, who fell sharply to the ground, barely alive, breathing in low, painful breaths, separated by dangerously large intervals. Usagi lost it. She threw herself up off the ground and began to shriek uncontrollably, covering Makoto's battered body and sobbing, "Stop it! Stop it now! I won't let you take anyone else! You'll have to kill me first!" She sat, shielding Makoto, chest rising and falling quickly with her pants of rage, fear and utter despair. She was suddenly encircled by every one of the evil shadows, all of them starring at her with malicious amusement. "That," The Princess said. "can be arranged." She snapped yet again, and the earth began to shake, and a few feet away, near the center of the clearing, like a volcano erupting suddenly, the earth spit out every one of the others bodies. Their limp bodies laying perfectly still on the ground but a few feet behind Makoto. They were all there now. It was all in place. The Princess looked as though she would burst with evil glee. "*NOW*" She bellowed so loudly the trees shook. Every one of the shadows sprang forward like bullets, shooting towards the lifeless bodies, the only thing between the two was Usagi, who's expression turned to that of great, unrelenting hatred. "*Don't you touch them!*" She cried, screaming and holding out each sound to its full extent. Her eyes bulged, her body shaking terribly. A faint light burst out on her chest, over her heart. It shimmered and glittered for a moment and then flew up and over the lifeless bodies of her friends. It seemed to talk in glittering sparkles, beckoning something forth. It then turned and flew back to Usagi, who held it gently in her hands. She seemed to be able to control it; to will it retain its power. The Princess cowered, but this light did not send her back to Usagi's body. This light was not a normal light, it glowed brightly, but gave off no *real* light. Slowly, a similar light began to shimmer, glow, and rise from the others bodies. They twirled through the air and rose over their heads, then merged into one large light directly above them, finally exploding into long golden streams of light that encompassed Usagi and the others in a type of barred dome. "Don't just stand there!" The princess shrieked. "Get through that! Get them! Get them!" Usagi seemed even more determined to keep them back, to prevent them from fulfilling their ultimate goal, to somehow, stop them. Strength seemed to pour from her her body, down her arms, and into her hands where the spinning, glowing, orb floated lightly. It took great energy from her. The army of shadows sprang forth again, more wary this time. "Don't hold back!" Kaze silhouetted and flung herself at the barrier. As she collided with it, she screamed in pain and then was repelled with great force away from it. She shivered, and the others stopped dead. "I can't touch *that*!" She whimpered. "I SAID GO!" The Princess barked. They tried once more, all together. Usagi fought hard to keep them away, and they fought hard to get closer to the bodies they longed to inhabit. "I can't do it alone." Usagi whispered. "I can't do this without you all." Tears blurred her eyes and fierce screaming plugged her ears. A blinding yellow light flashed before her and she found herself alone, floating. The others appeared around her. "Usagi-chan, you *can* do it alone. You have to." Makoto said quietly. "Its the only way." Mamoru said. "We're really gone this time. We are all gone. There's no stopping it. You stand alone to fight them to the end." Haruka said slowly. They began to glow softly with the familiar golden light. "But, minna... you're here! You're here now..." Usagi began hopefully. "Usako." Mamoru replied. "She was right. Being outside of our bodies, free to grow and flourish, they have become unstoppable. We cannot survive this fight, but part of us will never die. "They are no longer mere shadows. With every second that you continue to fight them, they are growing in strength. Normal light no longer effects them, but there is another light, Usagi." "The light within your heart, Usagi-chan." Hotaru said. "It is something that not even they can overcome." Rei continued. "You watched me use my light to protect you all from the blast, Usagi-chan." Hotaru said with a solemn smile. "You watched, also, as it left my body and disappeared into the sky. That is all that is left of us now, but it is enough. It is the most powerful entity in your body which takes full strength only in your times of greatest sacrifice- when you preform something truly selfless and of pure good. When you *allow* it to come through your desire to do good." "You know what you must do, Usagi-chan." Michiru said. "But, I don't want to be alone..." Usagi whispered. "You won't be, Usagi. You never have, and you never will." Makoto smiled. "*Minna!*" Usagi gasped as her friends flickered, began to glow and then burst into the familiar light bubbles that flew up into the emptiness above her. She starred up longingly. "Minna..." She whispered again. The space above her was growing brighter and brighter until Usagi had to clamp her eyes shut to block it out. The horrible screaming filled her ears once more, the scintillating beams of golden light that formed the barrier between herself, the others, and the ferocious pack of ravenous shadow that was whipping around them, still unable to touch it, reappeared. Her friends were gone. She could not save them now, but if she gave in, the world was doomed to destruction. Blinking back tears, she silently accepted her fate. A martyr for the world. If this was her destiny, she was ready to take it in. Immense determination filled her eyes as she began to focus every bit of energy she had on her task. There was no turning back. She closed her eyes and delved deep into the fathoms of her very soul, searching. Now was not the time for fear, now was the time for bravery; to protect mankind; to sacrifice herself for what was right. A faint sense of warmth tinged inside of her somewhere, though she was not sure where it came from. The feeling of warmth grew stronger within her, filling her with a great sense of utter contentment and joy. It felt wonderful, a feeling of complete peace. Her hands shot above her head and the warm feeling she had became a tingling in her feet. Out of no where, a glistening sparkle of light shot out from below her, racing up the length her body from her feet, to her outstretched hands. She was engulfed in a pillar of light that almost immediately shot strait up into the night sky like a rocket. The gleaming beam continued strait up for a mere moment, then hooked sharply back down, colliding with the already existing ball of light that was currently the focal point of the light dome above them. They met with a deafening crash. Sparks of light flew in every directing, creating a solid, impenetrable barrier between the shadows, and the bodies they intended to abscond with. The sparks of light landed all over the shadows, who, when touched by them, began to writhe on the ground and moan in pain. The light burned them like acid on flesh. Some familiar words flashed through Usagi's head, "After all, what is a shadow but the darkest part of your existence. A part of your being that can never be touched by light. It hides behind your body when faced with light and truth." So filled with evil and darkness, these shadows could not even be in the presence of something so good and pure. It was like poison to them. The Princess was beside herself. Screaming loudly she lunged at Usagi who lay unprotected by the barrier. Her great, claw like hands swiped at Usagi's face again and again. Usagi dodged feircly, eventually falling to the ground gasping. "Do you think you have won!?" The Princess thundered. All nine of her minions lay stiff on the ground, melting slowly into a thick black sludge, the fate, it is supposed, of all dead shadows, touched by the light of truth. "They may be gone, but *I* remain! It is I who will become the dark lord of this world! I do not need them! The only thing I need." Her voice lowered to a dangerous growl. "Is for you to *die*!" Usagi felt no fear. It was now or never. No good would come from crying, pleading, or wishing that somehow, this was all just a dream. "I won't let that happen." Usagi said firmly. "With every last ounce of strength in my body, I will fight you." "It will do no good." The princess replied. You have already ridden your body of the one thing that can hold me back. Nothing can stop me!" She leapt at Usagi, and pinned her to the ground. Usagi threw her off, but the Princess grabbed hold of her and they rolled closer to the luminous dome of light. The Princess' eyes flashed with fear for a moment. This was it, the moment of truth. Though her strength was quickly fading, Usagi heaved her arms above herself, trying with all her might to force the evil life form into the dome's glowing light. Just a foot away... so very close. Her eyes blurred, her head pounded. There wasn't much time. The Princess must be destroyed now. Everything seemed to being moving in slow motion. She could see the princess above her, her black fogginess clouding her eyes. She glimpsed the moon, still in full eclipse strait above her head. Her eyes went completely foggy. She was lost in a sea of blackness as thick as smoke. She heard terrible screaming, though she didn't know who it was coming from. Her head was pounding, and her body felt as though it were being torn apart from the inside. A bright flash of light illuminated the insides of her eyes lids. More terrible screaming followed. Suddenly, everything became clear. The dome of light was gone, but she knew everything would be ok. Contentment filled her to the brim. A sense of reassurance flooded her being. She knew she was lying, safely on the forest floor. It was as though she could see herself. Nothing could hurt her now. She had fulfilled her fate. Everything was alright. She was filled with the same warmth. A bubbling light seamed to be entering into her. Eyes closed, she was floating softly, drifting lightly. She glimpsed the moon, coming out of eclipse; its silvery light spreading over the world. She gave in to the warm light, drifting out of consciousness. Upward, forever upward. * * * * * * Usagi slowly opened her eyes and tried to figure out what had happened. A faint gleam of early morning sunlight was streaming through the trees. She put her hand to her head and tried to stand up. She had never felt quite like this before in her life. It was a strange sensation. Her arms and legs were stiff and heavy, and it took her a moment to balance herself. This would take some adjusting to. She took a few feeble steps and smiled at her accomplishment. How glorious it felt! Her movement was more restricted than it had been before, and yet she had never felt a stronger sense of complete freedom. She surveyed the scene before her. All nine other bodies lay strewn about on the ground. All were motionless. All cold with death. "How sad." She said with a maniac gleam in her eye. She turned and began to walk out of the woods into the sunlight, gaining more steadiness with every step she took. The sunlight hit her face and she closed her eyes, lost in a state of euphoria. She breathed in deep, and felt the warm air fill her lungs and rejuvenate her body. *Her* body. It was the most magnificent thought that had ever crossed her mind. She opened her eyes slowly and started down the path. A shadowless figure, alone on a misty road. ~* OWARI *~ *Callisto's Lunar Lightning* http://members.nbci.com/SlrCallisto or http://members.xoom.com/SlrCallisto