Starlit Ruins

by Simon Woodington

'Neo Senshi maintain your positions!' Ayla commanded with ill-confidence in their waning strength. Masurani grunted as she made a corpse of another shadowling by impalement.

  'Not as,' she deftly gave a smooth, upward sweep with her staff, the energy of it slicing three creatures into sections. '…Easy as it…' she blocked the swiping strike of a dark blade, '…looks!'

  'Hai,' Haisha agreed, fighting back a sneeze as much as nimbly ducking and weaving around several strikes before slashing furiously with her fiery samurai blade. 'We're…' she paused an instant to sneeze harshly. 'Weakening, and the CSM is losing their ground. We're only outnumbered three-to-one, but we're still outclassed. They've gotten stronger!'

  'Odd to admit weakness Phoenix-chan!' Naritha stated with a rough voice and only hinted humour, knowing the seriousness of their situation. Haisha could only frown, frustrated. As the circle tightened, each warrior seemed to feel their control slipping, angry, hurt, and accepting somehow they had done what they could.

  Damn, she's forgotten!

  She watched the five member fighting group recede while the enemy surrounded them, pressing their advantage even while bickering amongst itself. Her eyes narrowed in scrutiny. She winced, watching Haisha collapse, to be caught by Masurani who seemed to call something. The ill girl nodded slightly.

  No! It's not her fault! She's not taking the seed because I didn't give her any for her team! Zia thought, cursing her own foolishness. She hefted the heavy, two handed blade (which she held with only one), and promptly disappeared.

  Haisha saw the blade descend, and knew she had not the strength to deflect it. But it never landed. Abruptly, the shadowling was reduced to pieces before dissolving with a familiar low-pitched hiss. The other two dozen surrounding creatures were destroyed similarly.

  'Ayla?'

  She was adorned in a deep purple cat suit with thick, white gloves and boots, an orange sleeve raised collar overcoat, an iridescent silver pendent, scabbard upon her back, and a dagger strapped to her left calf. Ayla blanched at the sudden change in her aunt. "You look so different! Um…"

  "Older? Look, don't worry about it now. Take the seed! I've got more for the rest of your senshi. A promise is a promise."

  She reached into a previously unnoticed pouch and retrieved several seed while Ayla consumed hers. Her reddened, blurry eyes came into focus, the heavy grey mist of fatigue lifted from her mind as her wounds lightened, and all but faded completely.

  'Wow,' she breathed, amazed beyond belief as she exercised her newfound speed, briefly disappearing. 'I feel incredible!'

  She nodded before approaching Masurani, who arched an eyebrow at Ayla, breathing deeply, on the edge of baby-like weakness.

  'These things are conditional,' she warned, proffering a seed to the hesitant young woman. 'You'll get your strength back more than twofold, but there's a price.'

  'For that I'll take my bloody chances,' she declared, swallowing the seed and revelling in the instant rush of power that flowed through her being. She snarled eagerly, flaring an angry white aura about her body. 'Let's take 'em!'

  As they recovered, the others nodded agreement.

  'Frick, I can breathe!' Haisha laughed. 'I don't know what that did, but now my head is only throbbing a little!'

  Naritha growled, raising her arms from which an impressive arc of energy spiked. 'We end battle now!' she declared, summoning the pair of energy-based gauntlets which she had previously lost due to her weakness. 'Uraki lose now!'

  Jisuruka caused a pool of dark light to consume them, bringing gasps of shock to the five other young women.

  'What are you doing Sailor Mortalis?' Ayla demanded.

  'The first thing that came to mind,' she stated. 'You want us to get to the crystal so we can toast it, right?'

  'Yes,' she began suspiciously. 'How will this help?'

  'Look,' Haisha gestured, gazing at the confused looking shadowlings as they milled about the dark cocoon of energy. 'They can't see us!'

  'Right. I knew I could do this, I just didn't have the power for it.'

  'We… have other powers?' Ayla started, looking aghast. Haisha looked puzzled, regarding her mystified leader.

  'You mean you don't…' she shared a smirk with Naritha. 'Sol, our crystals will do anything we tell them to! Just get creative! You'll know if you've got the chi for it.'

  'Vampire!' Naritha cried, eyes wide with fear.

  'W-what?!' Ayla stammered, sure she had heard the last recent weirdness.

  'You!' she pointed, glaring at Zia. 'Say nothing, but need chi to survive! You chi-vampire!'

  Ayla whirled upon her dear relative with an expression of total disillusionment. 'Naritha wouldn't lie. What does she mean?'

  Zia bowed her head as she spoke. 'That was my cost,' she admitted. 'That's what taking the seed did to me.'

  'Why didn't you say anything? I trust you, it…'

  'Of course it would have made a difference. Are you sure you would have trusted me anyway?'

  Ayla glanced at Naritha.

  'Not evil, Sol-chan. She loves too much to hurt, you or us.'

  'Then why did you react like that?'

  Naritha bowed, embarrassed. 'Never felt power of hers before! In nature of kind scared me! Dark hunger in soul frighten me.'

  Mortalis spoke, breaking the tension. 'I can't hold this for much longer! If we're going to destroy that fraggin’ crystal, let's do it!'

  'Take us there, Mortalis. Haisha, I want you to figure out how to penetrate its shield. I'll take care of shattering it.'

  'Hai, Sailor Sol.'

  Ayla turned on Zia again, anger still burning within. 'Why didn't you just tell me?'

  Zia hesitated before issuing words forth, for there seemed so little to say. 'I guess I screwed up by underestimating you. I wasn't sure if you were prepared to put so much faith in me. Especially after leaving you and your mother the way I did, and after being away for so long.'

  Zia fell silent, and Ayla read in her face why. 'I still love you Zia-san. Even though it creeps me out. I still trust you. It might have taken a while, but you've always told me the truth, even when I didn't want to hear it. I will always love you.'

  Ayla drifted forward and hugged Zia tightly, who responded in kind. After a warmth sharing moment, they parted, and Ayla offered another insightful comment: 'I know you why you were away. My grandmother, Lia, teaching you Dragon Claw style? You know she's not the only one in my family to have mastered it.'

  Zia offered Ayla a questioning glance, confirmed by a curt nod. 'I received my sixth degree black belt not long before becoming a KnightsMage.'

  Zia whistled, impressed. 'So it skipped a generation? I was wondering. Your Mama-san took Tai-chi instead.'

  'So that's why grandma got so upset when we talked about that…'

  Zia nodded. 'Well, it took me four years, and I'm only third degree black. Technically you could be my sensei.'

  'Four years?! It took me almost four times as long to reach that point! So, sure… If I didn't count your higher power level and half dozen other mastered forms,' Ayla stated, rolling her eyes with a sarcastic grin.

  'Higher? Not by a long shot.'

  She set the woman with a curious expression. 'What do you mean?'

  'If what I sense is right, then your power has more than quintupled! I don't know why… or how, but…' Ayla grinned, flaring her aura to a deeper, severe looking red. The four others hovered away slightly, giving Ayla ample space.

  'Holy flippin' hell!' Masurani whispered, her eyes locked on the incredible power source she felt from her recently comparatively weak friend. 'What the heck are we gettin' into…?'

  @~%~~~

  'Most impressive, Tsukino Usagi, Queen of the shattered Moon Kingdom.'

  'It's not…'

  'It is!' Galaxia retorted. 'I saw to that personally!'

  The group of warriors shuddered in the dim purple light which had come to surround them out of the darkness following the destruction of Uraki-Ayo Ginzui.
r />   'Why tell us what we already know?' Ami demanded, stepping forward. 'It no longer matters.'

  'Oh really? Tell me why.'

  'Because we are here.'

  There was a drawn out laughter. Natole gave a lingering gasp, dropping to his knees. There was a flicker as Ami rushed to him, and he was gone.

  'Do you really believe that? "I will win because I am here." A fool's argument, surely!'

  'Natole!' Ami cried, falling on her knees in the place he had last resided.

  'I will take everything you have.'

  Ami shuddered, eyes wide, her body fading away as the purple light retreated. 'Amiii!' Usagi cried, her voice receiving no reply. 'No!'

  Usagi gripped tightly to Mamoru, who in failing to bring light to their surroundings, became an even more secure anchor in their plight.

  'Obviously you overestimated your power,' the voice glowered. 'You have all overstayed your welcome.'

  Then, like the flickering violent power of lightning, Galaxia struck. As she did, the final surprised images of each seemingly unbeatable warrior bore permanent places in Usagi's consciousness. As did the voices in their last echoing cries. Weeping and seeking desperately the source, a hole was rent in her soul as the presence she so dearly desired was suddenly removed. 'Mamoru! Noooo!'

  'You are a fool, child.'

  The purple light returned, displaying Usagi hanging in the air, curled up against herself, her tears slowly subsiding as one thing came to her: She was alive. 'You can't kill me, can you…' she muttered faintly, raising her head.

  Silence.

  'Why not?'

  A crimson beam struck her abruptly, sending her tumbling against a wall, in which she carved a niche. She spat blood, elbowing herself out of the wall. She groaned, 'Ugghh.'

  'You are an idiot child. Do you believed yourself immortal? You can die. You will die.'

  The next struck her left wing, shattering the delicate bones within, so that she collapsed upon the ground. She lay there no longer than an instant, dragging herself to her feet. 'Why are you taking your time?' she winced, holding her shattered arm. 'Why not wipe me out as you did my friends?'

  'Because I wish you to experience the pain I have known!'

  As her other wing splintered under the force of another strike, Usagi's mind clicked upon something familiar. Pain. And yes, how she had experienced it. How chaotic her life had been during their struggle in the alternate Earth…

  @~%~~~

  Haisha trembled and shook as the dark tendrils of force roared through her body, her hands laid upon a shield only visible were they met. Her head tossed back, eyes aglow with a white light, before she closed them and pulled away. She commanded, 'Now!'

  Ayla raised her glowing arms, her aura spiked about them as she neared the twisting black hurricane swirling about the Vortex crystal. The other senshi kept a path clear for Ayla, beating back any shadowling that neared, dispersing them easily now. She thought, Naritha! Guide me!

  Squinting and pushing her hands in front of her, she made as if to dive into the surface of the crystal. With a cheer from the other senshi, she plunged past the ward of dark force which had previously blocked them from their target. She flew forth, nearing the shimmering surface of the great nexus of energy, and with an earth shuddering rumble, disappeared into its surface.

  'Sailor Sol?!' Masurani gasped after passing moments of battle. The rumbling returned, the power of it threefold, startling warrior, senshi and shadowling alike, who halted, gazing motionlessly at the monstrous capsule of chi. Haisha blinked, gazing at the potential victory, and determined to act upon it.

  'Senshi! Strike while the enemy is distracted! Full force!'

  Masurani grinned. 'She asked for it! Sailor Titan - Blazing Force Henshin!'

  Her body became a living extension of her greatest energy expulsion, glowing with a furious light as she struck down the opposing force in multiples of tens. Naritha ushered similar numbers of shadowlings back to their dimension with large bolts of energy surging forth from her gauntlets.

  'Sailor Seraph - Banish Storm!'

  Haisha would have laughed at this pronouncement, except for her own focus, and its effectiveness. The sudden snow which descended caused any shadowling which came in contact with it to burst into dust immediately. By the time she had decided upon a course of attack, it no longer seemed necessary.

  'No,' Zia exclaimed. 'Ayla hasn't succeeded yet! They're still coming!'

  'Cripes! Sailor Phoenix - Molten Firebirds!'

  Dozens upon dozens of winged creatures of seething flame swarmed across the sky, picking at the shadowlings and reducing their numbers. Haisha glanced at Mortalis, who had yet to contribute her attack.

  'Sailor Mortalis - Holy Warrior Henshin!'

  It was then their attitude towards the strange, clone warrior was forever altered. Her armour assumed a flawless white, and the form of a classic knight, while in place of war hammers was a gleaming broadsword of forged mystic silver, a shield of white and crimson, and an aura of near blinding presence. Individually, she destroyed hundreds of creatures in mere minutes, a white blur from even Zia's enhanced perspective.

  Why are you taking so long Ayla? Haisha thought worriedly. The rumbling had become a form of white noise, until it increased, and finally shattered with an earth shuddering roar. A rain of shimmering crystal dust permeated the air.

  'Now it's only what's left!' Masurani cheered, even though she still beheld another five hundred or so creatures yet to be laid waste…

  @~%~~~

  'Grrraaaaah! No!'

  The Neo Senshi have succeeded! Usagi felt. The weakening of Galaxia's aura was so dramatic, that she sensed she may yet have a chance.

  'Fight me!'

  The midnight haired figure glared at Usagi, amazed by her lack of retaliation, and that of defense. 'No. I won't fight you. You are wrong about the Moon Kingdom, Galaxia,' she murmured, leaning heavily against a stone pillar, one eye swollen shut, her kimono torn and falling from her bruised and slashed body.

  'There is nothing! The rubble of your life upon the Moon was blown to dust centuries ago! If you believe anything else, than you are idiot!'

  'The kingdom lives, the joy, the love, and hope. All of it, the great castle which I spent the years of my youth with Queen Serenity. It lives within me. Within my heart and soul. If there is something I have learned over the last years of exile, it's that home is where you make it, where ever you may be. Home is where you love, live, and hope! Because of the faith others have put in me, and the love, and friendship they have given, we are renewed. You cannot kill that. My friends, like the Moon Kingdom, will never die, so long as I remember them.'

  Even from the great distance between them, Usagi could feel the harsh scowl upon Galaxia's fury distorted visage. 'You have no friends… no future, and during your deserved exile you suffered so greatly! How can you still have this determination?!'

  'Because I cannot let you win.'

  'Then fight me. You cannot defeat me otherwise.'

  'No. I will not.'

  'Fool!' she cackled. 'Then you will die, Tsukino Usagi! And everything you hold dear will perish with you!'

  Even as she was tossed against the floor by a further damaging blast, her mind reached out defensively, striking into Galaxia's consciousness. Within, was… 'Usagi-san!' chirped a tiny, female voice. That of a child, some three, four years of age. Physically, at least. She wore a uniform like that of years past, white suit, blue skirt, red bow. It was all so familiar, even for the time in distance passed. 'You must help. You must fight!'

  'Why? Who are you?'

  The little girl regarded her seriously.

  'I am her,' she pointed, to the seemingly frozen Galaxia. 'I am a shard of her soul. She is too weak to bind me anymore.'

  'I don't understand,' she whispered, gasping out in agony as her leg described the bone which had been slivered to fragments. 'What does it mean?'

  'You are going to save us. You see, a long time
ago we fought Chaos,' she blinked. 'Even the best Senshi in the universe could not win against it. Except us. There was no greater senshi in the entire universe. We faced it. In order to win, we absorbed Chaos into us. It was too much! Too much! It took us over! We turned against our allies, stealing their power, making it our own. It was intoxicating. So we let those who wished to serve us gather more power on our behalf. We destroyed the other senshi. Every last one.'

  'Like my friends,' she breathed shallowly.

  The small girl nodded. 'You must fight. It is the only way to defeat Chaos.'

  'I… I can’t,' she started, shaking violently. 'I don't have the power…'

  'Enough,' Galaxia snapped. Instantly Usagi heard the link between the two, the age difference in the same voice. 'There is nothing she can do. She will die and meet her destiny!'

  Trust your heart, a distant, older female voice said.

  What…?

  'FIGHT!!'

  'Ughh!'

  I know you!

  'What?!?' Galaxia started, falling short as she prepared another surge of violent force. Slowly, Usagi began to rise from the ground, hovering erratically. 'You are Sailor Galaxia!'

  'You are a fool, child!' the woman retorted, but did not laugh.

  'You wanted me because I was the only one strong enough…'

  'Rrrraaaagggh!!'

  'Fight Usagi!' the girl chimed, fading away as the blast washed over Usagi, pulling her out of the air and slamming her into another wall.

  For a ponderous, fearful swatch of time, Usagi was motionless, her body a swirling pit of agony, her mind clouded and dispersed. It wasn't until she recalled the sacrifice of her dear, loving, and loyal friends that she willed herself move, even though doing so summoned more pain than being struck again by Galaxia.

  'To…' she spat crimson. 'To save you!'

  With that, Usagi rose, a familiar power surging through her body. It had taken time, but what healing power she provided others, was available to her. In a wash of turquoise it restored her to the state of their initial encounter, sans a wealth of internal chi. With determined eyes, she summoned a glass shield, and leapt towards her far removed target. The first crimson blast of unholy fury was parried by no more than a naked hand, while those in wait landed upon the shield, leaving nothing so much as a scorch mark.

  'The child lies,' Galaxia stormed, causing the cave to shudder and rain stone missiles as Usagi neared. 'She is but a child, and does not understand! There is nothing you can do!'

  Usagi pressed on, having covered half the distance towards her. It was obvious now. With so much energy expended, she could only manage simple dark force blasts. Moreover, her will was not behind them. Ultimately, she landed before the woman, who was gorgeous despite her dark nature. Usagi banished the shield and took towards her, easily dodging her sluggish defensive movements and laying her hands upon her shoulders.

  Somewhere within, a woman of identical form, yet deep red hair and countenance of light gazed upwards, and smiled.

  Epilogue

  Dear Ayana,