Sailormoon Zodiac: #21 - Sangesuru Hoshi no Yoru // The Night of Falling Stars By: Janelle J. (janelle@sailormoon-millennia.net) Official Webpage: http://www.sailormoon-millennia.net/ Sailorscorpio never got to say goodbye. She stared numbly at his fallen figure, afraid to move. Sulfiria cried out in horror at Leadan's lifeless figure, the fact the other Sailor Senshi had been freed from their prison barely registered in her mind. "What have you done..." she whispered as she felt her body grow cold. She grabbed Lithia and shook her violently, "Why have you done this to me?! You--You ALWAYS--" she then turned to the Sailor Senshi, her yellow eyes maniacal. "And you, you've come here to destroy us?" she asked in a shrill scream, "Do you know who I am?" she demanded as she took a menacing step forward. But all of a sudden her crazed eyes widened with fear and she took a clumsy step forward. Lithia backed away, the self-satisfied smile never leaving her lips. Sulfiria staggered down the stairs with Lithia trailing behind her, in her right hand was the dagger she had retrieved secretly from Arseniru's back. With unabashed cruelty she thrust it again into her sister's side. "I always *what*?" Lithia demanded as her smirk grew wider, "what a hypocrite you are, dear, dear sister." Lithia said hatefully at Sulfiria and viciously twisted the blade. Sulfiria opened her mouth to scream, but not a word came forth. She stumbled down the stairs and fell into a heap at the foot of the steps. "You were a mistake. I am perfected. How dare you try and take my kingdom from me?" she hissed. She kicked her heeled foot at Sulfiria's limp hand, "You always were a fool, acting as if I were an incompetent child merely for being younger. But as you can see, I am far wiser than you ever were." she continued, averting her eyes from her fallen sister. "How could you do such a thing?" Sailormoon gasped in shock, "Even Arseniru had loyalty to his brother." Lithia whipped her head crookedly at the Senshi, as if she were finally just seeing them for the first time. Sailormars' brows furrowed at Lithia's erratic movements. Her body moved in an unusual manner, almost inhuman, different from the sort of air of grace she carried when Sailormars first saw her. "And who in the name of Caelestis are you?" she demanded. "In the name of Love and Justice, I am Sailormoon and we are the Sailor Senshi!" Sailormoon declared. "And representing the heavens, I am Sailorleo and we are the Zodiac Senshi." Sailorleo added. Princess Lithia smiled at them as if they were quaint country children touring her castle, her smile faded and her face took on an icy look. "Do you honestly think you can harm me?" she demanded, her voice booming and filling the throne room. "Do you know who *I* am?" she asked again, but it seemed the voice coming from within Lithia was anyone but the shrill Princess before. "What's happening?" Sailortaurus asked as she clapped her hands over her ears in the vain hope it would block out Lithia's deafening voice. "It's Queen Hydraja!" Scorpio murmured, not caring whether or not she would be heard. But somehow she was. Her low whisper was louder than Lithia's booming voice. Lithia's body laughed again, "Aren't you brilliant? As for Lithia, she is no longer. She has grown beyond her usefulness. For millennia I have waited and waited, always one step away from perfection. Do you know how long I've desired a human form? But now the wait has ended. I have conquered my daughter's form! I am human! Now I am as great as Tenebrae Lilith and Caelestis Evia!" Hydraja laughed as she tossed what was formerly Lithia's hair. "Do not say such blasphemous things!" Cancer gasped. "They may hear you..." she added fearfully. Scorpio simply stared at Hydraja aghast, "A human form? Thousands of years of worship and service...All these lives that you've ruined? Mine, Leadan, Cyanida's, even Arseniru's...the lives of your own daughters and millions of people! You must be kidding..." Scorpio said incredulously, "I devoted myself to you and you've taken everything from me!" "You talk of innocence lost as if I enslaved you. What you did was always your choice. Did you not CHOOSE to betray your friends and join the Black Star Army? Did you not fight to return to us when the goddess blessed you with the chance to live with your friends again?" Hydraja scoffed. "It was all a waste, all of it. Everything we did was for such a shallow reason.” Scorpio muttered stubbornly, inside her heart she knew everything that Hydraja was saying was true. "We were told we were doing it for the good of the galaxy, to spread stability and peace. The philosophers are right...the gods truly are insane." she whispered to no one in particular. The figure of Lithia put her hands on her hips and smirked awkwardly, "How easily you say it was all a waste. You who rose to fame and power in my army, you who enjoyed a glorious life. I do apologize if my reasons do not suit you, but do the reasons really matter when you consider the good that was done? As you said, stability and peace. Those human desires were indeed spread throughout the Black Star Galaxy. Is that accomplishment now tarnished because you find the reason behind it all to be shallow?" Hydraja laughed, "Little mortal one, all of us wish to be like you." Hydraja sneered, "Yet no human has ever deserved what the gods have envied. Now that I am one of you, you cannot stop me. Has anyone stopped the great Tenebrae Lilith? No! And now I am as great as she!" she cackled, her voice booming throughout the hall. The ceiling of the throne room began to crumble, a star-shaped trace of light surrounded Hydraja. From this star, the ground began to rise and form a platform that Hydraja floated upon. "Do not throw her name around so flippantly!" Sailorcancer gasped in horror, her eyes full of worry, "Her followers are everywhere!" But Hydraja seemed wholly unconcerned. "Let her come, I would like to challenge her." Hydraja declared. Cancer looked completely aghast at these words, her eyes darting from left to right as if any moment someone would step out of the shadows and destroy them all. "Double Ice Freeze!" Sailorgemini suddenly exclaimed, jumping to action. Braiding strands of ice and water flew towards the unprepared Hydraja, but missed. She laughed as it hit the star shaped stone and melted on contact. "I may have a human body, but I'm afraid I'm not entirely playing as a human." she laughed, "But then again, neither are you." "Wind Flash!" Sailorcancer shouted threateningly as a gale-force wind rushed from behind her. But despite the efforts, Hydraja's hair merely danced in the wind, the silken skirts brushing against her legs. She remained as solid as a statue. "Is this the best you can do? They say you are legendary, but I have yet to see this proof. Clearly we made the right choice when we took Scorpio from you," she laughed. "Her skill is clearly the most superior." she added as dark lighting shot out of her left hand and hit Cancer and Gemini. "There is one greater," Scorpio whispered as her nails extended into claws. The ceiling was ready to collapse and the Senshi were busy dodging from left to right trying to avoid the falling rock. "Silver Arrow Strike!" Sailorsagittarius shouted, sending a spray of silver arrows towards Hydraja. With a crooked, lopsided smile, she caught one of the arrows, twisted it into a ball and hurled it back at Sagittarius. "What should we do? We can't even hit her!" Sailortaurus exclaimed fearfully. "Try harder." Sailorleo said as a massive ball of fire began to form in her hands. "DEEP SUBMERGE!" "World...SHAKING!" "Dead...Scream..." The triple attack went flying towards Hydraja, but as before, she simply stared at it suicidally before leaping out of the way. "What fun this is," she said gleefully, Lithia's lips twisted into a strange sort of smile. The sort of smile that someone who had never smiled before would attempt. "Sun Lion Destroy!" Sailorleo shouted, sending forth the largest of such lions the other Senshi had ever seen. Hydraja laughed with amusement and a cage made of black energy formed around the phantom, similar to the one that had caged the Senshi in only moments earlier. "Thank you for the gift, mortal one." Hydraja cackled, her lips grotesquely widening to form a sneer. "Don't forget, now you are also mortal." Sailorsaturn said in a low voice, though no one really heard her through the chaos. "Work together! Sailormoon, you must defeat her. You're the only one, Princess." Sailorpluto urged. "Why do you rest all your hopes in one useless child?" Hydraja demanded as she floated up on her crumbling platform, "I remember you, little one, from another age. Nothing about you has changed has it? Even your hairstyle is the same." she said with an awkward smirk, "You are just as meaningless now as you were then!" she laughed and raised her arms above her head, a stream of lightning surged down upon Sailorpluto. Sailormoon cried out and stood over Pluto to protect her, only falling to her knees when the pain became too much to bare. "Sailormoon!" Neo Sailormoon exclaimed. "Was this your plan? To come to my kingdom, only to die here? You should have stayed in your own galaxy." Hydraja shrieked as she began throwing random bolts of black lightning around the room. "Why did you come here to attack us? To take the Black Shard? Is that why? To overthrow my kingdom? To destroy the millions of people devoted to me?" she demanded. She was angry now, and if any of the Senshi could have answered her questions they would have only been answered by yet more of the black lightning she was raining upon them. One by one Senshi fell to the ground, defeated by a goddess in mortal skin. By now the ceiling had totally collapsed and the red sky above never looked more terrifying. "We won't let you win." Sailormars gasped. Hydraja laughed again, "You can't let *me* win? I cannot let *you* win. I am fighting for my kingdom, my worshippers. What do you fight for?" she demanded, her voice echoing several times over. "We fight for love and justice, something you do not understand!" Sailormoon shouted as she stood up, her hand covering a wound on her arm. The words seemed to hit Hydraja, she stopped and gave Sailormoon a deadly glare. "Yes, something I do not understand--why else do you think I created my daughters? For a chance to comprehend that, you stupid child." she hissed and blasted the Senshi with a ferocious burst of energy that knocked them backwards as if hit with the strongest winds.” I find you all to be very...what's the feeling? Irritating. It was fun, but I'm tired of playing with you." Hydraja said with a scowl. She thrust her arms above her head as her hands began glow, soon her hands were enveloped in great balls of lightning. With menacing power, the spheres of electricity began to grown in size. A strange acrid smell began to fill the air. "Lithia!" Neo Sailormoon exclaimed, she shook her head and remembered who she was talking to, "Hydraja! Look at your hands!" she shouted in horror. Hydraja's hands were no longer the delicate pale untouched hands of a Princess, but were blistering and blackening as the lightning enveloped them. "Hydraja! You are not an entity any longer! Lithia's body will be destroyed!" Sailorpisces shouted out, although she did not particularly care what Hydraja did with Lithia's body, she was disgusted and horrified by the scene. Sailorvirgo looked from Hydraja to Pisces and back, *Of course,* she thought, *We Senshi are protected from our own attacks by magic and armor... Lithia is just a human in a pretty dress.* Hydraja stared in horror at her hands, but the energy simply got bigger and bigger. Her face twisted in pain, but then a strange masochistic smile formed on her lips. "How I've longed to feel pain..." she whispered as she stared at her ruined hands. "The nerves must be dead..." Sailormercury murmured as she averted her eyes. "Is this what it feels like?" Hydraja asked with a twisted smile as she suddenly flung her decrepit arms forward and sent surges of lightning towards the Senshi. Sailorleo stared back defiantly as she felt burning heat travel through her body, she was shaking uncontrollably. "You're crazy!" she shouted, "You might look human, but you'll never know what it's like to be like us!" she screamed. Hydraja's lips curled into a tight, angry frown as her eyes raged with anger. "That may be true; you will always know what it truly feels like to be human. Please enjoy your last moments as a mortal." Hydraja spit out. She suddenly redirected all her energy onto Sailorleo who screamed in agony. Sailorleo fell to the ground, her body crackling with electricity. Hydraja turned away from them and flung herself onto her former daughter's throne, staring at her destroyed hands with curiosity. "She's gone crazy..." Sailoraquarius whispered as she unknowingly reached for Sailorvirgo's hand and clasped it tightly for comfort. "There's only one way to stop Hydraja...everyone must give me their energy.” Sailorscorpio said from Sailorleo's side. She breathed a sigh of relief to find her comrade was not dead. "No, you cannot, you must not, Scorpio." Sailorcancer said firmly, "You will be destroyed." "What are you going to do?" Sailoraquarius demanded. "The Forbidden. The power that must not be used." Sailorpisces said quietly, "She is right. We must do this, to protect the Golden Millennium once again. To live once again, but perhaps in another time and place." "This will mean the end of us, then?" Sailorleo asked hoarsely. A small tear slid down her cheek. It was the first time she had ever shed a tear since she was a child and her father admonished her for crying. *Darling, strong women never cry.* "Yes." Scorpio said after a brief silence. "This is crazy!" Sailorcapricorn exclaimed, "You must be joking!" she said, she was not sure what to make of their discussion but she did not want to take part in a suicide mission. "Leo, what are you doing!" Sailorcancer gasped as she tried in vain to keep Leo from moving, "You must stay still. You've been so badly hurt..." Ignoring her, Sailorleo slowly rose to her feet. She swayed slightly and closed her eyes for a moment as she felt the blood draining from her head. Her entire body felt as though if it had been crushed in a vise and then burned in a fire. "Hydraja..." she said in a loud hoarse whisper, "I hope you've enjoyed your stolen mortality." *I must do this, this is what I was born to do.* "Leo Cosmic Star Power!" Sailorleo screamed, calling upon the last reserves of energy she had within her. A stream of orange light surrounded her and then rose up from her body and drifted towards Sailorscorpio. A very faint orange symbol flashed on Scorpio's forehead. Sailorleo gasped as the last of her energy drained from her. As the blood drained from her face, her uniform faded from her body. Jessica Taylor fell back onto the cold stone floor, nearly lifeless. "What are you doing? No! Stop this!" Sailormoon shrieked as she fell towards Sailorleo's body and held it, but it was far too late to stop it. "Sailorleo! Sailorleo!" she exclaimed as she shook the lifeless body. "Leo...?" Sailorcancer whispered as she took a few steps forward and fell to her knees. It had all happened so fast, it was a blur. First Sailorleo was nearly dead, then she had stood up and taunted Hydraja who had merely smirked in response, next thing she knew Leo had summoned up power that even Cancer did not expect resided in her. She clasped Jessica's hand and gave it a gentle kiss. "Why...why again...why do you want to leave me?" * * * * * *I must do this, it was what I was born to do.* Jessica felt herself floating, floating somewhere like in a pool of very warm water. She looked around and saw herself lying on the ground, looking terribly abused, and friends standing around her with looks of absolute worry on their face. Jessica floated down towards her body. *I'm not dead yet, I'm still alive.* She looked down at Sailorcancer who was crying and holding on to her hand. Jessica felt herself become calm as she looked down at the girl with regret. Carefully, she reached out a ghostly finger and gently traced the curve on Cancer's cheek. *I'm sorry I couldn't remember you, you seem very kind...you seemed to love me....* "Oh Leo...I looked so long for you..." the girl wept, she obviously could not see Jessica like Jessica could see her. *She deserves happiness that I could never give her. I could never be her happiness when I never found it for myself...* "And now you're leaving me again...I never got to say goodbye...why...." the green haired girl continued. *Remember when you were a child, Jessica? All the things father taught you?* *Daddy, why did you lie to me about that other woman? Mommy doesn't care, but what about me daddy? Don't you love mommy? Doesn't she love you?* *Darling, we were trying to protect you. Grownups are complicated people. We tell lies sometimes to children so they don't get hurt. I'm sorry Jessica.* *But, daddy....but....aren't telling lies bad?* *Yes, you should always be honest. You should never tell ugly lies, Jessica. But sometimes to protect someone you love, someone you care about, you need to tell a lie. It's not an ugly lie if you do it to protect someone.* *She looks so sad...If we all must die, I don't want her to die crying for me.* * * * * * Jessica's eyelashes fluttered. Through the fringe of her lashes, Jessica saw a crying figure with green hair. "Hikari?" Jessica murmured in a low voice. Cancer's heart stopped as she stared down at the small glimmer of blue eyes that was visible through her barely parted eyelids. As she clutched the broken girl's hands, she could feel Jessica's slowing heart, her life slipping away. "Hikari...." Jessica whispered, "We'll find each other again...In a time where there is peace..." she said slowly. "Jessica, please, stop talking...you must--conserve your energy..." Sailorcancer said helplessly as tears streamed down her cheeks. She knew it was a lie, but she was saying those words for her own sake as well. "Kazemori Hikari..." Jessica whispered, "I love you." *Please forgive my beautiful lie.* * * * * * "Oh my god..." Sailorcapricorn whispered as she clapped her hand over her mouth and took a step backwards. She had seen a dead body before when she was at her father's university and walked by students dissecting a cadaver. She knew the look of a dead body. But this was different. This was "real." "I can't do this...I can't..." she muttered, her heart began to race. She felt trapped, she wanted to get out of where she was. Couldn't she just teleport back? Why did she have to die too? *What the hell am I doing here? I'm just a school girl!* "What are you doing?!" Hydraja screamed, by now she had grown bored staring at the world with her new human senses and was keenly interested in the fact the Zodiac Senshi had all but ignored her. The vibrant aura around Sailorscorpio was enough of a hint, she suddenly blasted a bolt of lightning towards Scorpio. Sailorsaturn, who had been struggling to stand, immediately dashed in front of Scorpio. "Silence Wall!" she shouted and blocked the lightning from striking the girl, "Please do what you must do and hurry." she whispered to Scorpio. "Don't let her sacrifice be in vain." she added. "Sailormoon! Use the Silver Crystal! I can't hold her back much longer!" "Moon Princess Power!" Sailormoon shouted. Double beams of light shot forward and held the dark lightning back. Hydraja screamed in frustration and strengthened the bolt they were holding back. Sailormoon struggled to keep the Silver Crystal from breaking. Meanwhile the Inner Senshi had began to stand up, "Mars Crystal Power!" Sailormars shouted standing by Sailor Moon, "Venus Crystal Power!" "Jupiter Crystal Power!" "Mercury Crystal Power!" "Pluto Planet Power.." Pluto whispered from the ground. "Uranus Planet power..." Sailoruranus said, every word was an effort, she had been held down by a huge piece of the ceiling. "Neptune Planet power.." Sailorneptune thought, mentally sending her support and energy. Sailorcancer stared at the Sailor Senshi and then, after giving Jessica one last longing glance, she stood up and wiped away the tears with clenched fists. "I hate you for what you've done to us, for the endless crimes against Sailorscorpio, for destroying the lives of two innocent brothers, for killing your own daughter for selfish reasons." Sailorcancer declared. A shining yellow aura appeared around her and the sign of Cancer appeared on her forehead. "If I must give up my life, I will never allow you to hurt another person as you've hurt so many already!" Suddenly the aura became radiant and a beam of light flashed around her and found its way to Sailorscorpio. As with Jessica, Sailorcancer's eyes went lifeless as she collapsed on the cold marble floor next to Jessica. "No...there must be another way..." Sailorcapricorn whispered, "Why did they give their lives so casually!" she exclaimed in horror. "It doesn't make sense!" "It was not a casual decision," Sailoraries snapped. "They both knew what they were doing, and they both knew that the answer to every question is not always rational or scientific." she responded as she gave Sailorvirgo a knowing glance. She shot her sister a small look and Pisces responded with a nod. The two stood together and crossed their staves, forming a star. Two twin auras appeared around the girls, one red and one blue. Their energy channeled through their bodies and through their staves. The star shined with radiant purple light. As Sailorscorpio felt her body fill with energy, she grimaced at the sound of two lifeless bodies falling to the cold floor. "What's going on?!" Hydraja shrieked as she turned her head away from Sailormoon and towards the remaining Zodiac Senshi. "Moon Radiance Enlightenment!" Sailormoon shouted as she raised her hand into the air and blasted Hydraja with the combined power of the Silver Crystal and the Sailor Senshi. "Hurry!" Sailorpluto shouted as she continued to channel her energy. "No, no..." Sailorcapricorn whispered and the others stared down at their fallen comrades. "I cannot let their sacrifices be for nothing. If we don't help them, we will lose. The Sailor Senshi will be destroyed, and Hydraja will go after Earth. We must think of our families..." Sailorsagittarius whispered, as she rose from the body of the fallen Hayashino Mihana. "Bye, Natalia. I know you hated being Niko-chan, but you made Mihana-chan so happy..." she whispered as she bent down and gave the lifeless former pop-star a kiss on the cheek. "Sagittarius Cosmic Star Power!" she shouted as a deep purple aura surrounded her. "No, no, no!" Sailorcapricorn shrieked as her hands flew to her face. "Please, Joanna...calm down." Sailorvirgo said as she took the redhead's hand into her own. "No one can make you do what you don't want to do. No one would want you to give your life for a cause you don't believe in..." she said with a strained smile. She tried to look strong and calm, but in reality she was full of worry. She wasn't sure what was involved in this 'Forbidden Spell' but she was sure they were running out of time. "Tenshi-chan," Sailoraquarius murmured, "I just wanted to say...thanks. For being my friend...and, for, well, for giving me another chance. I'm glad that you didn't let me waste my life." she smiled. She whispered words under her breath and the sign of Aquarius appeared on her forehead. Just as quickly as the others had fallen, soon it was just Nakayama Ameko lying on the cold floor. "Have you made your decision, Joanna?" Sailorvirgo asked as her eyes filled with tears. "I can't be a coward..." Capricorn whispered, "All my life I wanted to be someone who changed the world..." she said with her back to Tenshi. "That was always my silly dream, it's not realistic at all. Few people get to change the world, most people live mediocre lives, you know..." she laughed weakly. She turned around and faced Virgo, tears streaming down her face. "They all changed the world, I guess I should join them, huh?" she asked. Sailorvirgo remained silent, but smiled gently at Sailorcapricorn. Sailorcapricorn took a deep breath and nodded, "I think I'm ready, Tenshi." * * * * * "I can't hold it anymore..." Sailormoon whispered as she continued to struggle to hold back the full force of Hydraja's power on her and the Senshi. It was taking more than just the power of the sailor Senshi, it was taking all her will and strength to not just fall to her knees and break down crying. *So much death, for nothing...* Sailorscorpio stood up between Jessica and Hikari's bodies. She released Jessica's hand and placed it into Hikari's. There was a bright aura glowing around her which shimmered from color to color. "I summon our guardian Caelestis Evia, guardian of the Golden Millennium. Bestow me with your power. Give me the words to the Forbidden Magic." Sailorscorpio whispered with her eye closed. The aura around her brightened as the sign of Scorpio briefly flashed on her forehead. Suddenly, from the heavens above came a bright golden light. "Caelestis Evia!" Hydraja suddenly shrieked as she stared at the sky through the gaping hole in the ceiling. She stopped her onslaught upon the Senshi and took a fearful step backwards. "I did not mean to dishonor you, Great Lady..." she whispered. The beam of light surrounded Sailorscorpio and the ghostly image of a woman with two streams of hair descended from the heavens and filled Sailorscorpio. She was lifted into the air and her uniform melted away and was reformed into an off-shoulder dress, its skirts so long it dusted the ground. It looked as though it were made of pure light and flowed over her body like no fabric ever could. It was like liquid light. "Scorpio Cosmic Star Power!" Sailorscorpio shouted. The signs of the Zodiac flashed upon her forehead and finally a sign that looked like a conjoined sun, moon, and star appeared on her forehead: the sign of the Golden Millennium. "Thank you," Scorpio whispered to the Sailormoon, but it was the voices of all eleven Zodiac Senshi speaking as one. "Protect the Princess," she said as she turned to the Sailor Senshi. "The line must go on...it must never end." Sailorscorpio then opened her eyes which had become bright and pupil-less. A tremendous blast of light shot forth from her body and struck the fleeing Hydraja. She screamed and tried to protect herself with her own magical shields, but the light penetrated them and bombarded her with energy. Suddenly, the attacks ceased and so did her screams. A massive burst of light exploded, blinding the Senshi. It gradually faded away and Sailormoon slowly opened her eyes. The only thing she saw were fallen bodies strewn about the rubble. All of the Zodiac Senshi dead under a foreign sky and alien moon. Sailormoon began to cry, her body shook violently as it was racked with sobs. "Why?" she screamed, "Why did this have to happen?" But there was little time for questions as the world where she stood began to shake, it was as if the world was collapsing in on itself. The sky began to flicker into many different colors. Sailormoon looked around frantically, but she was the only one still standing. She was not even sure if it was only she who had survived or not. "Sailor Teleport!" she screamed through her tears as the remainder of the ceiling crashed into the room. The ground near Sailoruranus and Sailorneptune split open and a large crevice threatened to swallow them whole. "Sailor Teleport!" she screamed once again, the Silver Crystal sitting in her brooch flashed with light. There was a sudden burst of radiance and a thunderous explosion that seemed to last forever. Then there was nothing. Only silence.