Title: Soul Destiny- Part 2
By: Chereth (Chereth@aol.com)
Rating: PG (maybe PG-13, but it's more PG, I think...)

				Soul Destiny-Part Two

???????"It's true, Princess. She was the one who opened our universe to the 
Dark Kingdom," Sailor Pluto said. 
???????Saturn spoke for the Outer Senshi. "By the time we discovered the open
 portal, it was too late. The damage had already been done." She cleared her 
throat, trying to ease the tension, then continued her narrative. "Your 
mother was quite angry, and she sent us to find her. Queen Serenity believed 
that the one who opened the portal could just as easily close it." 
???????"And so we found her." Uranus pointed at Lady Karma. "She teleported 
away as the Moon Kingdom was attacked. Now she must pay for her crime," she 
concluded, fixing a blue-eyed glare upon the unconscious woman. Sailor Moon 
pointed her Eternal Moon Tier at the vengeful Outer Scouts. 
???????"She may have opened the portal, but you don't know why. We have to 
let her speak for herself." 
???????"Yeah, what were you going to do anyway? Kill her before she wakes 
up?" Mars inquired. 
???????"Somewhere along those lines," Uranus coolly replied. 
???????Minutes passed. Neither the Inner Senshi nor the Outer Senshi had 
anything to say to the other about the matter. Suddenly, Lady Karma gasped 
and sat up. "What..." she wondered, the moaned as she clutched her throbbing 
head. Jupiter quickly put her down, but held her protectively close. 
???????"Okay, now we'd better take her someplace where she can't escape," 
Neptune ordered. 
???????"Why? She needs protection, not confinement," Sailor Moon asked. 
???????"That's probably a lie told so she can destroy Crystal Tokyo as well." 
???????"She was telling the truth!" Moon pleaded. "You four saw the threat 
there. There's a new evil here, and we can't spend our time treating her 
like a prisoner. She's the only one who has the power to stop Astros." 
???????"Who???" Pluto asked. 
???????"He's this evil guy from Karma's world that's been stealing people's 
souls." 
???????"So how does she have the power to stop him? She's probably the one 
who led this evil to Earth in the first place." 
???????Sailor Moon was about to reply to Uranus's accusation, when Karma 
began to explain. "That I did," she said, "but I did not intend for him to 
follow me. I came here to protect my family, not spread his evil." 
???????"So why did you open the portal to our universe when you knew the 
Dark Kingdom was on the other side?" Neptune asked. 
???????"It was me," she responded, "and not me." 
???????"..." No one had anything to say about that statement. 
???????"At that time, it was the former Lady Karma who was doing her duty, 
which was to make certain events to occur so that people can achieve their 
destinies," Karma continued. 
???????"That is true," Pluto confirmed. "It was the Moon Kingdom's destiny 
to fall at one time or another." 
???????"Had the Kingdom fallen when your daughter, Chibi-Usa, had been a 
princess, she wouldn't have been able to defend the Earth in all those other 
times. The Pegasus would have gone to someone else, Dimando wouldn't have 
fallen in love with you, the Wiseman might not have been defeated, and 
without the love needed to become Eternal Sailor Moon, she wouldn't have 
been able to heal Galaxia and drive Chaos out of her body." 
???????"You- you know all that?" Sailor Moon gasped. Karma nodded. 
???????"She's right," Saturn admitted. "Without certain events occurring, 
the universe would have been in even more danger." 
???????"I need your help, Outer Senshi," Lady Karma asked, offering an 
unspoken truce. "I have family who needs to be both healed and protected. 
You need to defend your world, and I need to stop Astros so that I may 
return the stolen souls of my people. My world is dead now, and many senshi 
were killed in the constant battles waged upon our world. Let us forget the 
past for now, and enter the future together." 
???????Uranus and Neptune were silent for a moment, looked at each other, 
then nodded. "Are we going back in there now?" Uranus asked. 
???????"What about... what about your daughters?" Venus questioned. 
???????"Can we just heal them?" Sailor Moon wondered. 
???????"No. They are not being controlled by any demons, either, except for 
Astros. They are not the same Celestial Senshi that you know." 
???????"What?!?" 
???????"Is there something you're not telling us?" Jupiter said. 
???????Neptune was bewildered. "Who are the Celestial Senshi?" 
???????"Tempest and Lagoon," Mercury answered. 
???????"Lady Karma's daughters," Venus added. 
???????"Senshi from Karma's world," Mars said. 
???????Karma smiled. "I think you can all meet them. It's time that they 
know the truth too." 

???????Back at Makoto's house, all the untransformed senshi were crowded 
into the bedroom where Kita and Namida were just waking up. "Do you think 
they're okay?" Usagi asked Karma, feeling a little guilty. 
???????"We'll find out soon. Please don't feel like you were responsible for 
any problems. The effects of your healing might have made them even 
stronger." 
???????Usagi smiled, hoping it was true. "Kita-chan, Namida-chan. Are you 
okay?" Karma asked. 
???????Kita looked around, dazed and dizzy from laying down. "Where am I?" 
she asked in her native tongue. 
???????"Are they all right?" Makoto asked. For some reason, she had felt a 
strange kinship with them, ever since the talk with Lady Karma. 
???????"Ask them," Karma replied, motioning towards the two girls. Mako 
hesitated for a moment, then inquired, "Are you okay?" 
???????"Who are you?" Her grey eyes seemed to be distant, as if peering at 
things beyond her normal vision. 
???????"We've never met... not like this, at least. My name's Makoto. You 
can call me Mako." 
???????"I'm Kita." 
???????Namida stared out the window in the same manner as Kita. "Namida." 
???????"I don't understand," Lady Karma admitted. "They seem to be 
physically okay, but their minds are elsewhere." 
???????"Could it be a side effect of having their ability to cope with 
emotional energies being stolen?" Ami asked. 
???????"Perhaps." She sat on the bed next to her children. "Kita, Namida, 
it's time that I told you some very important things. First, I need you to 
answer some questions." She cleared her throat, then continued. "Who am I? 
How did you know about me?" 
???????"You are Lady Karma, the human embodiment of Sailor Destiny," Namida 
said in a monotonous tone. "You are the High Priestess of Lachesis, and you 
are the equal of Sailor Fate. Both of you work to serve your goddess." 
???????"But how do you know all of this?" Karma insisted. 
???????Kita murmured a name. "Clotho. She watches over her sister's people 
in her mysterious absence. It was she who bade us to search for you when the 
onus fell to us." 
???????"Onus?" Michiru queried. 
???????"The onus of a Celestial Senshi. If the current one dies, the onus 
falls to the next in line. There must always be one for each power. My 
children should not have been senshi. Something went wrong." Karma looked to 
Kita, closing her eyes in prayer. "Sister of my goddess, speak through the 
lips of my children. Please, the Cosmic Balance is at stake." 
???????A glowing blue ambiance surrounded Kita. "Then I will answer thee, 
priestess-of-mine-sister. Put your questions to me, and I shall answer." The
spirit of the goddess Clotho, one of the three Fates, spoke through Kita's 
body. She made sure to avert her eyes from the senshi before her. 
???????"I thank you for coming, my lady. I must know, why has the onus 
fallen upon my children? One of them, maybe, but both of them? Who is to be 
the next Sailor Misery if they are to be Celestial Scouts?" 
???????"Fear not, Lady Karma. Thine children were destined, so to speak, to 
become Celestial Scouts. There exists the possibility of Sailor Misery, 
although who it will be has yet to be determined." 
???????"Yet to be determined? Between who?" 
???????Kita/Clotho pointed to herself and Namida. "Them, and their others. 
Thou knowest what I mean." Karma nodded. "What other questions dost thou 
have in mind for me?" 
???????"Who does Astros serve? I know now that he no longer serves 
Lachesis." 
???????"That knowledge is denied to thee. The power at stake forbids it. 
When thou knowest exactly who Astros serves, thou wilt be forced to make a 
choice that may affect the entire world." 
???????"One last thing," Lady Karma said. "Would you help my children, and 
restore their flow of emotions? Their power has been tampered with by 
Astros, and he as taken from them the very things that are important to 
their survival." 
???????Clotho nodded. "Done." 
???????"I thank you, sister of my goddess." 
???????"Beware, High Priestess. I shall warn thee now, so that thou wilt not 
be floundering in the darkness. Only once shall we be able to come to thine 
aid, and that shall be the end of it. Use thy powers of calling only when 
thou art in dire need of aid." She shifted her attention to Usagi, although 
she did not look directly at her. "Take care, Princess Serenity. The name of 
thine family reaches the ears of even the gods. Although thou hast 
accomplished many deeds, thy destiny has not yet been achieved. I feel that 
you may play a larger role in the upcoming battle than thou shouldst 
suspect. However, the end of this quest may largely be decided upon the 
actions of the High Priestess and the others who are part of this battle." 
Then she was gone. 
???????"What was that about?" Usagi exclaimed. 
???????Karma smiled sadly. "You have just been in the presence of a goddess, 
Usagi-chan. One of the many gods and goddesses of the entire universe. I 
originally had not intended to call a deity, but it was necessary." 
???????"Are we going to get some answers now?" Haruka asked, somewhat 
awe-struck but still slightly impatient. 
???????"I can tell you what I know now about this problem. As the High 
Priest of Lachesis, he was my equal. However, he appears to be receiving 
divine aid now- and not from Lachesis." 
???????"He defected?" Rei asked. 
???????"So it would seem. He has ruthlessly taken the souls of my people, 
and now our world is as good as dead. He uses souls of demons- they are 
indestructible, and can only be banished or exorcised. Healing powers are 
unreliable and useless against them." She stressed unreliable and useless; 
Usagi flinched as if she had been struck physically. "The best way to fight 
them is by destroying their host bodies, because purging the dark souls is 
really quite difficult. I needed the help of the Gods last time, when 
purging the soul here." 
???????Haruka and Michiru exchanged glances while Karma continued. "The 
entry of this new deity he seeks to bring into this universe appears to be 
a demon lord of some sort. His entry will disrupt the entire balance of 
things, and there will be no opposing his evil." There was a long moment of 
silence, for her narrative had ended. 
???????"So when did you destroy the Moon Kingdom?" Although they had made 
peace temporarily, Haruka let it be known that she had not forgotten. 
???????"It was before Meitzu Sachiko became Sailor Destiny. I did it, yet 
the woman who I once was did not. However, I do remember the event, and I 
did regret it. The Sailor Destiny at the time was one by the name of Tyris. 
Gurona Tyris, a woman from another galaxy. I assure you, she did not open 
the portal out of malice, but out of necessity." The others nodded as she 
solemnly looked into each of their eyes. 
???????"Was that really a goddess?" Rei asked. "Why wouldn't she look at 
us?" 
???????"It was possible that it would have killed you. You might have been 
spared, being a Shinto priestess, but the others had no protection. A god, 
even the embodiment of one, is very dangerous." She sighed and stretched her 
arm out to keep Kita and Namida from sitting up. "Kita, Namida, listen to me.
There are important things you must know." They nodded weakly, but their 
eyes were alert. "Long ago, during your first encounter with Astros, he took 
half your souls. Not all of it, because you were protected by the onus of 
the Celestial Senshi. It has left you weak and nearly defenseless. Your 
emotional control was being stressed to the limits, and when you were 
attacked, it was Astros taking away your control entirely. Sailor Moon used 
the Silver Imperium Crystal to steady the flow, and I summoned a Goddess to 
restore your control. But now Astros is probably being healed, using your 
control to steady his own flow. Understand?" 
???????Their faces remained impassive, but they seemed to be more animated 
now. "There is more. You two are twin sisters. When I was Sachiko, I was 
your mother." 
???????"You are NOT our mother," Kita said, hatred burning in her eyes. "Our 
parents are gone." 
???????"I am." 
???????"You can't be!" Namida cried, almost pleaded, in desperation. "Tell 
me you're not." 
???????Karma's eyes, however, betrayed no indication of a lie. "I was your 
mother," she whispered. 
???????"You're not our mother. You're not!" Without any hesitation, the pair 
rushed out onto the balcony and leapt off. 
???????"Wait!" they cried, and all the senshi rushed out to try to stop 
them. Usagi and Karma stayed behind, however, the former looking dejected, 
the latter seemingly unconcerned. The senshi watched as the girls glided 
away on magical wings that had appeared. There was a suspicious glare in 
Haruka's expression when the senshi turned back to Karma. 
???????"I should've expected as much," the priestess lightly commented. 
"Although I do not know why they reacted so harshly." She stood up and 
smoothed out her dress. "I had better tend to their emotions first, before 
something else goes wrong." Before the others could get a word in, she 
closed her eyes and disappeared in a spiraling of light. 
???????Mako sighed. "I just don't get what's going on here." 
???????"Whatever it is, you should stay away from them. I sense nothing but 
trouble around them. If we keep getting involved, then we're going to be in 
more trouble than it's worth." Haruka turned on her heel and stormed out of 
the room. Her aqua-haired companion followed. 
???????Hotaru was about to follow her "parents" when Setsuna placed a gentle
hand on her arm. "She may have been speaking the truth," she said. "I didn't 
believe the truth at first and I still don't. But everything does make sense.
I just don't trust her." Then they left as well, and Usagi realized that 
perhaps the Outer Senshi would support Karma and her daughters after all. 

???????"Leave us alone!" Tempest cried, brandishing her staff. Namida held 
hers ready too, their wind tousled by the wind blowing high above the 
rooftops. 
???????Karma smiled gently, with a sad twinge in her eyes. "Yes, I knew the 
truth would hurt you. And I know that there are other truths that would hurt 
you as well." She was surprised to see a twinge of- hatred?- flash briefly 
in their eyes. Perhaps I did make bad decisions, long ago, she thought. Yet 
these are circumstances beyond my control- no, they might have been under my 
control. No time for regrets now, though. 
???????"You're right. They have hurt us, more than you can imagine." The 
midnight-blue-haired senshi's eyes were like daggers of ice, tearing at her 
heart. 
???????"Where does this hated of me come from? You sought me for so long, 
and here I am." She spread her palms apart, showing that she was unarmed. 
???????Tempest made no sign until she was already in the air, hurtling 
feet-first towards her mother. Karma stepped aside, knocked the senshi out 
of the air, and tossed a magical seed at the feet of her other daughter, 
all in one motion. Lagoon, who was in the process of gathering water for an 
attack, shrieked as the seed suddenly sprouted into a mass of vines that 
pinned her to the ground. 
???????Tempest found herself similarly disarmed and on her back, with a 
wicked-looking blade pointed at her throat. She eyed the sword cautiously, 
noting that it glowed with a faintly blue aura. "A SoulBlade," she breathed, 
forgetting that it was pointing directly at herself. 
???????"Yes, a SoulBlade, a weapon of the gods' chosen. As the High 
Priestess of Lachesis, you must submit to my will. Understand?" 
???????The wonder in the girl's eyes instantly returned to the burning 
hatred. "Why you..." 
???????"Enough of this foolishness!" she declared, putting on an emotionless 
mask. If this didn't work, she'd possibly be forced to run though her 
daughters right here and now. "I have recovered from before, having spent 
time on this planet. Astros is weakened, and we must strike soon, before he 
recovers. Although it'd be much more efficient to have you helping, I am 
quite capable of handling Astros myself, if need be." All other words died 
in the girl's mouth. The hatred of her daughters was unbearable, but much 
more tolerable than the guilt of their deaths. "Good. Things are quite 
difficult right now, because there are only the two of you to serve as 
Celestial Senshi, and our Goddess has mysteriously vanished. Her sisters 
were unable to give me any answers, so I suspect that this is a war between 
the gods as well, and will de determined by mortals, as usual." Lady Karma 
negligently waved her hand, and the sword and vines vanished. 
???????"Alright, then. What is it you want us to do?" 

???????"I don't think we can stay like this much longer. People have already 
started asking questions about where Usagi-chan's parents have gone, and I 
think she might be losing it. She's been more depressed than ever, and all 
these problems are eating away at her soul. We need to do something," Mako 
said. The other Inner Senshi, albeit Moon, were at her apartment as well. 
???????"Where is she now?" Minako asked. 
???????"She's asleep- I think," Rei announced, looked weary. "I used a 
special charm on her to put her to sleep, for now, so she can rest. Mamoru 
is watching over her." 
???????"Now that Karma has left her body, I don't think she can help a lot 
if she goes to fight." Ami thought for a moment, reviewing the enemies they 
had fought. "She's powerless against them, without the ability to purge the 
dark souls." 
???????"Should we really leave her behind?" the blonde-haired girl 
questioned. "What are we going to do, anyhow? We can't harm her parents." 
???????There was silence, as all of them thought. "We have to leave her 
behind, so she isn't hurt. We go in, and Venus and I take care of the lesser 
demons. Mars and Jupiter go in, distracts Ghoul and Reaper, then find out 
where all these demons are coming from. And if we can, destroy Astros. We 
can't rely on Moon anymore, now that she's powerless." 
???????"Shouldn't we at least ask the Outer Senshi, Ami-chan?" Makoto asked. 
"Or the Celestial Senshi- what if we found Karma? They would help us." 
???????Ami shook her head. "I think we're all alone in this, this time." 

???????After the girls had left, Usagi stirred restlessly in her artificially
induced sleep. "Sleep, Usako," Mamoru whispered, gently covering her with 
blankets. He twitched a brow in wonder as a breeze entered the room. "What 
the-" He didn't say any more, however, as he slammed into the wall, soaking 
wet. 
???????"He's out," Tempest announced, looking over the man sprawled on the 
ground. "Let's get her and return quickly." The sisters lifted Usagi and 
balanced her between the two of them. 
???????Lagoon peered out the window that they had entered from. "I don't 
think we can fly back, we might drop her. We can take the rooftops instead." 
Her twin agreed and both glided to the next rooftop, albeit a bit wobbly, 
and then got ready to leave. 
???????"Wait!" The command was spoken in a foreign, yet very familiar 
tongue. The sisters recognized it as the one from their homeland, on a world 
long gone. They turned to see another Tempest and Lagoon, standing 
side-by-side behind them. "We can't let you go just yet." 
???????"So we meet again, sisters dear. When was the last time, on 
Cyrillis?" the first Lagoon asked. 
???????The other Lagoon shrugged. "Something like that," she softly 
replied. "So how has our father been, Akeru-chan?" 
???????She answered in kind, "Fine, but his sanity has been deteriorating."
???????Tempest snorted derisively. "It's not secret that he's become weak. 
He becomes incompetent just by seeing a tree." She paused, carefully putting 
Usagi down. "So, I don't suppose you've found Lady Karma yet." 
???????"Actually, we have," Kita answered, her face twisted as she tried to 
remain under control. Namida blocked out all thoughts of the emerald-haired 
woman as well. "It seems that the rumors are true, as well." 
???????Kaiki and Akeru, the first pair of twins, paled slightly as they 
realized the implications. "She is our mother?" 
???????"Yes. As much as I hate to admit it, she is our mother." The twins 
and their replicas stood together in silence. "This shouldn't have happened 
to us. The Gods know they have been playing with our hearts." 
???????"Indeed, Kita-chan," Kaiki replied. "I don't suppose you'd let us run 
back to Astros about now, would you?" 
???????Namida shook her head. "We can't. She bound us with our oath, and the 
onus." 
???????"We did try to warn you," Kaiki said. "It's the most profound slavery 
ever known. Right now I feel like I can't breathe without his lordship's 
permission." 
???????"He called to us," Akeru reminded. "Remember, when we tried to 
escape? The High Priests can call to the senshi of their gods. And the High 
Priests have the same powers." 
???????"Not completely. Father is no longer the High Priest of Fate, but 
Lord Astros. He serves Deirmos now," Kaiki countered. There was another 
minute of uneasy silence, as the twins tried to sort out their emotions. 
We can't attack them, Kita thought, but we have to do something. The onus- 
it's twisting around me like chains- can't break free..."Have you guys 
found any way to break free yet?" 
???????"No, not yet. But Astros said that this one," Akeru said, thumbing a 
finger at Usagi, "might give insight into that problem." All four turned to 
the sleeping girl attentively, their hopes rising. "I don't really know how, 
though, because he was in another one of those brainless moments." 
???????Namida sighed. "Well, I suppose we're supposed to be fighting about 
now." 
???????"Do we really have to?" 
???????"I don't think we have much of a choice," Kita said. 
???????"Fighting is stupid." The senshi reluctantly got up to attack each 
other, feeling more and more like the puppets of their parents. 

???????"There's too many of them!" Mercury cried, sweeping away the lesser 
demons with her attacks. The enemy had apparently been expecting them; 
having set up an ambush, the Inner Senshi walked right into their trap. 
???????"We can't give up! Not now!" Mars shouted back. 
???????"We have to run! There's no sense in getting ourselves killed!" Their 
plans had fallen apart from the start. While they had expected a few of the 
smaller demons to attack them, they hadn't expected a horde of them to come 
swarming out of the door. Besides that, Phantom and Reaper were nowhere in 
sight. 
???????Abruptly a wall to the side burst open, and Mercury was thrown back. 
The senshi watched in dismay and hope as four figures appeared. "The Outer 
Senshi?" It wasn't. Akeru backed into the room first, nimbly dodging a 
stream of water that came her way. Similarly, Kita and Kaiki were canceling 
out each other's attacks. "Masaka..." Venus breathed in wonder. "They're 
fighting... each other?" She cried out suddenly as a pair of massive arms 
grabbed her from behind. 
???????"Venus!" They watched in horror as the trapped senshi struggled in 
Death Phantom's grip. Behind her were Reaper and Astros, who shone with the 
eerie green light. 
???????"You thought to catch me while I was weak," Astros admonished. "But 
you failed, and now I have all the pieces within my grasp." He waved a hand, 
negligently dismissing the horde of lesser demons that had given the senshi 
so much grief. "But now, with this one, the one called Sailor Moon, the 
wrongs that the Gods have committed against the people shall be avenged!" 
???????The Inner Senshi sweatdropped. "Um..." 
???????"I'm not..." Venus stammered, then she realized that Usagi was 
probably in a lot of danger. 
???????The Celestial Senshi had stopped fighting, and were sitting around 
and talking like a group of old friends. "Do you think we should tell him?" 
Kaiki asked. 
???????"I don't know, where is she, anyhow?" Kita wondered. 
???????"Oh, shoot. I must've left her somewhere back there," Akeru swore. 
???????Namida sighed and watched, bored, as Astros laughed maniacally. "I 
don't think he's healed yet." 
???????"He needs a lot more than healing," Kaiki muttered. 
???????Suddenly the air in front of them shimmered, a glowing dot swirling 
into a hazy pink mass that formed itself into Lady Karma. 
???????"Karma-sama..." Kita breathed. The others warily stood up. 
???????The High Priestess of Lachesis turned around, startled, and then 
narrowed her eyes as she understood the situation. "So that's what you've 
been hiding from me," she said. "I'd imagine that these two have already let 
you two in on all our secrets." 
???????"There wasn't much to hide," Akeru countered. "We are, after all, 
half-souls. We share the same memories and experiences. The same emotions." 
???????"Up until the point where your estranged father tore your souls apart 
and separated you," she reminded. 
???????"Who was tearing them away from whom?" Astros said. "As I recall, 
Lady Karma, Meitzu Sariko had a slight problem with overprotectiveness." 
???????"They are my daughters," she replied, leveling a stony gaze at her 
former husband and lover. 
???????"As they are mine." 
???????"You lost all claims to them when you broke the Code of the Senshi." 
???????"I never adhered to them to begin with, so it didn't matter." 
???????"You betrayed Lachesis and your obligation to the Gods as the High 
Priest." 
???????"I'm helping them by cleaning up after all their string-jerking and 
destruction of human lives." 
???????"That's beside the point. My goddess is angry at your betrayal." 
???????"No," Astros corrected. "You are angry at my betrayal; you are using 
Lachesis as an excuse to come after me and she is using you as an excuse to 
spread the influence of the Gods into this realm. You're trapped between your 
personal hatred and your Gods; you lash out at me because you are jealous of
my freedom." 
???????Karma was furious. "How dare you try to justify your actions with my 
own? I was never responsible for taking the souls of the people of Mystos; I 
was never responsible for the harming of our children; and I was never 
responsible for the death of Mireko!" 
???????"My, my, my," Astros said, slowly walking forward with a particular 
gait. "So now you've finally gotten to the point. First, I never 'took' the 
souls of anyone. They merged with my lord Deimos, who is kind enough to 
provide assistance in liberating the people from the Gods." 
???????"Second, our dear children here," he said, waving an arm towards the 
Celestial Senshi, "were not harmed in any more way than was prescribed by 
the Gods. Another evidence against your Goddess, I believe, for is she not
the one in charge of destiny? It was foreordained that they should lose half 
their souls, as is the price the onus demands." 
???????"As for the last, that is the simplest to answer." Under Karma's 
watchful eye, he raised an arm when a misty figure appeared underneath his 
hand. Materializing like a ghost, the faintly greenish figure solidified 
into the form of a young woman with black and violet hair and sparkling 
violet-blue eyes. She wore the uniform of a senshi, one faintly similar to 
Tempest's and Lagoon's combined. "She is not dead." 
???????"Masaka... you can't be... for real..." 
???????"Hello, sister," Mireko greeted, looking down on her older sister 
with something akin to disgust. "It's been awhile." The woman's shockingly 
dark hair was in sharp contrast to her sister's rich blue hair. She wore a 
senshi uniform that was a misty grey mixed with blue, and long, dark blue 
boots. A select few in the room recognized her to be Sailor Misery, Karma's 
former alter ego. 
???????Karma felt a light wave of dizziness, then her eyes grew distant as 
she recalled one of many dreams she had had when first accepting the onus of 
the Priestess of Lachesis. In it, she saw her sister walking forward, almost 
casually plunging a gleaming blade into her heart. "So this is the meaning 
of the vision..." Karma whispered in disbelief, just as she saw steely grey 
eyes staring right back at her. She collapsed as Mireko pulled out the sword,
now a gleaming blue SoulBlade. 
???????"Mother!" The Celestial Senshi were too shocked to focus their energy
into an attack. Instead, they rushed to her side, forgetting the anger and 
hatred they had harbored towards her. 
???????"A SoulBlade... weapon of the Gods' chosen... made from the heart's 
blood of one of their own..." She coughed up some blood, yet didn't seem to 
realize she was dying. "Blue... like the second time I put a sword through 
your father's heart..." 
???????Akeru and Namida were openly sobbing now. Karma's vision blurred. How 
many daughters did she have? Two? Four? Eight? "Don't... please, save your 
strength," a voice said. It sounded very familiar, but she couldn't tell. 
Perhaps Kaiki's. But they were twins, after all, and then they had 
duplicates. 
???????"Isn't there anything you can do?!?!" Kita shouted up to the sky. 
"You're her Goddess; save her!" 
???????Goddess. The word echoed through the deep recesses of Karma's mind, 
bringing her back from the edge of oblivion. She thought about the last 
missions Lachesis had laid out for her, but found herself strangely 
reluctant to carry them out. I have to, she dimly thought. Out of duty... 
respect... love... She struggled to get up, but as her daughters' hands 
forced her back down, she reconsidered. Love?!?! How could I- How could I, 
of all people, speak of love in this way? To- to my own children! She 
wistfully realized that she felt the bond between mother and child return, 
as she lay dying. The powers of Sailor Destiny were beginning to leave her, 
to seek out another woman to merge with and become the instrument of 
Lachesis. 
???????You're trapped between your personal hatred and your Gods, Astros's 
words hauntingly reminded her. She had always known he was right; even from 
the minor skirmishes as ordinary senshi to their positions as priest and 
priestess. He may have been right, she thought, but this is the way the 
universe was meant to be. A balance between the worlds, between power, 
between good and evil. That was what the Celestial Senshi were created for- 
to strive to attain and maintain this balance in the universe. She gritted 
her teeth, fully conscious yet weakened now, and began speaking in a shaky 
voice. "Sister of my Goddess... I beg one last favor of you..." She choked, 
but waved her children away when they attempted to silence her. "Grant me 
the strength... to carry out the wishes of my mistress..." Her voice faded 
to the point where it was barely above a whisper. It was apparent that they 
heard, however, because Karma began glowing with the same blue ambience as 
Kita had a while before. Her eyes averted, Karma quite suddenly stood up as 
if nothing had ever happened, despite the fact that she was still bleeding. 
The pairs of twins parted as she took a dazed step. The Inner and Celestial 
Senshi collectively gasped, and Mireko staggered backwards, her eyes wide 
with shock. Astros looked on, unimpressed. Lady Karma/Atropos held out her 
arm and drew another SoulBlade from nowhere, the one made from Astros's 
blood when she had nearly killed him long ago. Everyone heard the distinct 
sound- thump, thump, thump- the sound of a heart beating, as the swords were
brought together. The twins came to help their mother, then froze in their 
tracks as she lifted the SoulBlade. Time seemed to slow, and for the 
Celestial Senshi, the world came to a halt. Then, without hesitation or 
even a hint of remorse, she impaled Namida and Kaiki, right through the 
heart. 
???????"No!" Kita and Akeru had been shocked enough to see their mother's 
brief death and recovery, but the pain this time was unbearable. They had 
been separated at birth into two bodies, then physically separated after 
the apparent deaths of their parents, then separated into half-souls, yet 
they still felt like one being. There were bonds between them- connections 
that ordinary people could scarcely understand. It was one of the reasons 
why they were able to find each other on Earth after many years, and loved 
each other despite the war between their parents. Blood was thicker than 
water; and all four shared the same blood, same souls, and same duties. 
Each twin did not feel the loss of a sister; she felt the loss of two 
soul-mates at the same time, and twice the agony of loss. With the 
SoulBlade, every fiber of the bonds that held them together unraveled and 
fell apart, and Kita- for the first time in her life- felt utterly alone. 
The blade was calling out for her soul, too, she knew, and she longed to be 
pulled inside as well. Despite her desire, though, something blocked her 
from going in. Thump, thump, thump... the beating of hearts became loud and 
strong, even drowning out Astros's enraged screeching. She felt her mother's
presence more than she saw her; if anything, it was her mother's shade, 
accompanied by another ghostly, yet holy, figure. Meitzu Sachiko seemed 
undaunted by the fact that her goddess had attended to her personally; her 
face was calm and serene. She was no longer Lady Karma, but in the purity 
of death, she had returned to her original self. 
???????Mother, she thought, as if her words would reach her. Why... why 
did you... 
???????The SoulBlade... it is part of the destiny that binds us all... It 
no longer concerns me, but this entire galaxy... perhaps more... 
???????But Namida... Kaiki... our sisters... why them? Why did you take 
them from us? Akeru's thought joined in. 
???????When the two halves are made whole, then the blade will cross from 
the spirit world to be used in the final battle over the Seal of Hope, 
Sachiko replied. 
???????What are you saying? What do you mean? Kita pleaded. We don't 
understand! 
???????Please... put the Sword of Destiny into the Gateway where the 
ultimate darkness will return... 
???????Why won't you just let us die? Akeru demanded. 
???????Duty... it is the thread that binds the Celestial Senshi to life... 
that is the reason for our existence. Don't fail Lachesis. Don't fail the 
people of Mystas, who gave their lives so that you could come here. Don't 
fail don't fail me... Then, as abruptly as she had appeared, she faded away, 
her soul accompanied by Lachesis. 
???????The twins slowly rose to their feet, clinging to the responsibility 
given to them by their mother. Time seemed to resume its normal course, and 
the grief seemed to subside slightly, to be replaced by something else. 
Mireko had fled in the presence of Atropos's power; Astros soon followed, 
Soul Reaper escorting his screeching lord out. The senshi had united to 
fight Death Phantom, who still held Venus captive. "I won't let you insects 
get in the way of my lord and master!" she cried. 
???????"I can't attack her... she keeps using Venus as a shield!" Jupiter 
said. 
???????Venus struggled in her captor's grip, but was unable to get free. 
"Don't worry about me, you guys," she shouted to them. "If it means taking 
them out... it'll be one less demon to deal with." 
???????'Yes... listen to her," Phantom cried, in mocking tones. "Which 
would you choose, my life or hers? You cannot win either way!" 
???????"Eternal... Tempest!" A blast of energy flew from Tempest's staff 
and hurtled towards the pair. It was three times the size of her normal 
attack, and crackled with electricity. 
???????"No, don't!" Usagi cried, just having arrived through the stairs. 
"That's my mother! And my friend!" 
???????A pained expression briefly crossed her tear-streaked face, then 
she directed it down to the ground, where it grew into the form of a huge 
whirlwind. The two were broken apart, and Mars and Mercury caught their 
fellow senshi before crashing into the wall. Usagi gasped as she looked up 
at Tempest. Tears were not flowing as quickly anymore, but her grey eyes 
were a hard steel-grey, filled with a hatred that seemed to surround her 
with a dark aura. "I can't forgive you... I could never forgive you... my 
sisters, my mother, my entire world..." 
???????"Eternal Lagoon!" A powerful stream of water filled with ice daggers 
flew towards Phantom, who shrieked in terror, knowing that this was her 
doom. Suddenly Usagi stepped in front of the demon, the SoulBlade raised. 
The energy struck the blade as everyone looked on in surprise and fear, 
then the sword absorbed it into its blue aura. Lagoon bit her lip as her 
attack failed. "Step aside! Their kind deserve to die!" 
???????Usagi was just as shocked as everyone else, and she glanced at the 
glowing blade in wonder. "This isn't the way to do it! We can purge the 
darkness of the demon souls!" 
???????"What for? So that they can escape to the realm of darkness and be 
reborn? The demon souls are the cause of everyone's pain. The souls of our 
people were taken so that Astros could bring more demons here." 
???????"Why- Lady Karma said she could restore them all! She regained her 
power, and-" 
???????"She's dead! Don't you get it? Our mother is dead!" Lagoon broke 
down into tears and fell to her knees. Her twin's expression softened, and 
Tempest crouched down to share her sister's pain. 
???????"Please," Tempest begged. "Use the SoulBlade. Kill us both, and let 
us join our sisters." 
???????Usagi was shocked. "I- I can't do that... Even without them... if 
Karma is gone, I have lost my parents, too..." She looked at Phantom, who 
held her in awe and fear. "Please... Kita... Namida... don't give up on 
life..."  Her brooch began to glow with a white light, and she clasped it 
unconsciously. "Don't wish that! They wouldn't want you to die! They 
wouldn't want you to give up on life!" The Silver Crystal fell into her 
palm, and she raised it up into the air, where it coated everyone in the 
room with its soft light, the light of hope. "Don't ever wish that!" 
???????Lagoon and Tempest looked up, startled. The light seemed to soften 
their expressions, melting Tempest's hatred and easing Lagoon's pain. The 
frayed ends of the bonds that held the family together healed as Usagi's 
care and compassion flooded their hearts. Their will to live grew and 
overwhelmed their desire to die, and for once, they felt as if they could 
really go on. 
???????Usagi let out a deep breath and stepped back, appraising Phantom. 
"Don't- don't you remember me? At all? Mother?" 
???????The disfigured face shrank back. "You- you're the one! The chosen 
one in the prophecy..." 
???????"What do you mean? What prophecy?" Mercury asked. 
???????Phantom continued on, oblivious to the questions. "You're our doom 
or salvation... I serve Lord Astros, but only temporarily... my true loyalty is
to you, my lord, Deirmos, the lord of doom..." 
???????"Wha- what are you talking about? I don't understand!" 
???????"Just end it," Tempest said quietly. "The demon can't hear you. 
Astros severed the bond and left her, and now she doesn't have the energies 
of souls to draw upon. It is bringing her pain to remain in this world." 
???????"How? I don't have the power anymore..." 
???????Sailor Lagoon looked old and weary. "Use the SoulBlade. It has the 
half the power of Destiny, along with the power of... of our sisters." 
???????Usagi dubiously closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then, 
without bothering to transform, she held out the blade towards Phantom and 
called upon its strength. "Moonlight Destiny Purge!" The SoulBlade seemed 
to shimmer as it drew power itself as well as Usagi. There was a bell-like 
toll, and everyone could briefly see a faint image of Kaiki and Namida, who 
stood next to Usagi. They held the blade as well, and all traces of pain or 
anger had been washed from their faces. She touched the tip to the demon's 
head, and the glowing blue nimbus left the sword and entered Phantom. The 
demon-spirit shuddered violently, then screeched as it exploded into 
nothingness. Mrs. Tsukino gasped and collapsed. "Mother!" 
???????"Usagi!" The senshi crowded around the girl, who was comforting her 
mother. "Are you okay?" 
???????"It worked... it worked, didn't it?" Usagi sobbed. "Please, tell me 
it's all over. Tell me you remember me." 
???????"Usagi-chan?" her mother asked, dazed. "What- why-" She looked up at 
the senshi and destruction around her in wonder. "I don't- no, I do 
remember. I remember it all." 
???????Usagi froze. "You do? Even... even while being possessed by the 
demon?" 
???????"Yes. Everything- and you're..." Mrs. Tsukino drifted off. "I have 
Phantom's memories. I hated her, but I- I felt sorry for her. I saw what 
their world is like, and how we hurt them- we've always been hurting them! 
All this time, we've believed- they were supposed to be the only ones at 
fault... but we were... and you..." She looked up at Usagi's tear-streaked 
face in wonder. "I saw you for what you are- Tsukino Usagi. Sailor Moon. 
Princess Serenity. And your other form- one that Phantom hoped for and 
feared at the same time. The salvation of two worlds. Or their destruction."
She suddenly went limp. 
???????"It's okay, she's just fainted." Jupiter looked over at Tempest and 
Lagoon, who were gathering their mother's corpse. She was no longer Lady 
Karma; the presence of that entity had left upon her death. Her hair had 
faded to a pale lavender, which made her resemble Mireko more. "Her hair...!"
???????"She is Meitzu Sachiko now. As one was born, is how one dies." There 
was no trace of bitter hatred in Tempest's voice. 
???????"We looked like this once- once, before the onus came to us," Lagoon 
added. 
???????There was an uneasy silence in the decimated room. "Are you- are you 
going to be okay?" 
???????"I- we- suppose so. Life will go on. We will go on." There was a 
pause. "Astros and his demons will return, soon. And even more than that, 
there is a huge responsibility that the bearer of the SoulBlade must carry,"
Lagoon continued. 
???????The twin senshi began to walk away. "Whether you walk in the light 
or darkness, our sisters will be there to protect you. Be prepared, Sailor 
Moon." Then they walked away, leaving the senshi alone. 

???????Kita and Akeru stood by the seashore, by their mother's grave. They 
had made it underwater, near one of the more dangerous areas of the beach, 
so that it would be undisturbed. The twins were exhausted after their 
ordeal, but still managed to use their powers to move sand, water, and 
rocks simply to build a permanent aquatic cairn. "They are at peace," Kita 
said. 
???????"Mother is at rest. Our sisters- they have one last duty to 
fulfill," Akeru corrected. They stood in silence, the salty breeze gently 
lifting their hair. 
???????"I think- I think I can forgive her. Mother. She sacrificed 
everything- anything- for Lachesis." 
???????"The day of judgement is coming. She sacrificed much, simply so that 
the Sword of Destiny could be formed and brought to the Seal of Hope." 
???????"I didn't understand much of it at first- but I think I remember 
now, something from the distant past. The Seal of Hope was first made then, 
and now it is weakening." 
???????"The barrier between the two worlds will fall." 
???????"Who will be the next sacrifice? Who will be the next Seal of Hope?"
???????Both twins thought of the golden-haired girl who had kept them from 
falling into ultimate despair. "By the gods, I hope she isn't the chosen 
one. Anything, anyone, but her." 
???????Another long pause. "Akeru-" Kita began. 
???????Her sister gently cut her off, raising a hand and turning to face 
her sister. "Akeru died. She died with Kaiki." 
???????"What-" Kita paused. As one was born, one dies. "I understand. 
Namida." 

???????The Outer Senshi, in their normal forms, watched the Celestial 
Senshi in Neptune's Aqua Mirror. "The Seal of Hope?" Hotaru asked. 
???????"These are dangerous times, indeed," Setsuna softly said. 
???????Michiru looked at Haruka. "Karma is gone. I don't think we need to 
bother them." 
???????"Yes. They deserve peace- and we need to look ahead," she answered. 



------------------------------------------------------------------------
???????Thanks go out to: Yayoi KH (for reminding me that I'm a Starlights 
fan- one reason for the shift in direction, & lots of *upcoming* ideas!), 
everyone in the SM:TURPG for (unknowingly ^_^;;) helping me out when I was 
stuck, and the creator of Cherry Coke for giving me enough energy to write 
this in the summer heat. 
???????Sorry it took so long to do this one! It's pretty strong, at least 
for me it was- and I know, there are probably a lot of strange things going 
on in here (okay, so it's a little fast at times, but that's how things 
are, I guess... ^_^;;). 
???????Yes, there's a third part- okay, I promise not to take an entire 
year to finish it. (how is 364 days, then? ~_~;;) I'll be working on Sailor 
Moon: The Missing Truth more, so it might be slow, though. Just a warning. 
^_^ 
???????A little preview for the next part? I can tell you what to expect: 
the Starlights (Wai!), more explanations (very much needed after this!), 
and one last new senshi. Well, I can't go into detail about it yet because I 
have no idea what's going to be in it yet. ^_^;;>; Ja ne! 


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