Sailor Moon Z: #24 - The Becoming of One By. Janelle Jimenez (pandora@indy.net) Official WebPage: http://www.indy.net/~pandora/sailormoon/gateway.html "I am...Sailor Moon..." Sailor Moon repeated staring at the Zodiac Senshi and Queen Selestia. For a brief moment it was deathly silent, no one made a sound...they all just stared at one another. Suddenly, Queen Selestia let out a musical laugh and nervously all the Zodiac Senshi joined in. Laughing..at me? Sailor Moon thought. She fought back tears that filled her eyes, "I can't be a baby now, I have to be strong...I won't let the deaths of my friends be for nothing!" she said to herself. "One girl alone defeat the Golden Millenium? Defeat the Zodiac Senshi, the most powerful in the Universe...defeat ME?" Selestia laughed, "In my hands, I have more power than you will ever, ever have and my daughters will inherit this and when I'm gone they will inherit the Universe." Queen Selestia replied, "So even if I'm gone, I will live on in them...I won't ever die, no matter how hard you try to destroy me." "Your daughters will then give this power to their own daughters, ne?" Sailor Moon said in a calm voice. Selestia paled slightly, "By then, the line of power would have been greatly..watered-down." Selestia said in a most patronizing way. "Watered-down?" Moon repeated, she looked down for a moment, her eyes darkened...How dare this woman patronize me, she thought. This woman who destroyed the lives of my friends to satisfy her power hungry needs... Selestia smirked, this girl's pride was easy to bruise, she mused. "DOES THIS LOOK LIKE WATER DOWNED TO YOU?!" Sailor Moon screamed, she had never felt this way before. Her eyes flared with anger which she had never known. She raised the Celestial Moon Wand and concentrated all the energy she had left in her and held the wand out towards the Zodiac Senshi, two Silver Crystals flashing with energy. Sailor Leo screamed and ran out of the way just as an angry beam of white light shot from the top of the Silver Crystal, into the Future Silver Crystal where it was amplified. A huge, thick destructive burst of energy exploded from the top almost shattering it. The beam struck Sailor Virgo and Sailor Aries directly, both falling to the ground, the beam slightly grazed Sailor Gemini and Aquarius. They cried out in pain and fell on their knees, desperately grasping their bleeding wounds. Sailor Moon too fell to her knees, the attack had drained all the energy from her. Her ears heard an angry scream, a scream of someone being torn in half. Sailor Moon looked up and saw Sailor Pisces standing in front of her, a dangerous green aura surrounding the usually calm purple haired Zodiac Senshi. Pisces' eyes were dark and narrowed...Then Sailor Moon saw, she saw the cause of Pisces' anger. Sailor Moon saw what she had done in a blind rage. Sailor Virgo and Sailor Aries where lying on the ground, their faces had distorted looks of fear...it wasn't a peaceful look, it was a look of pain. The intense energy from the Silver Crystal of the Future had penetrated the protective coverings of their uniforms and disintigrated that which made all of them Senshi, their Star Fragments. There was no hope of recovery, no hope of return...Afterall, how can you save a flower who's roots have deen eliminated? "I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!" Sailor Pisces screamed, her voice full of anguish. Her sister, her twin, her best friend...dead by the hands of this inferior girl from another world. A staff appeared in Pisces' hands, the one which contained half of the Seventh Star. Sailor Moon closed her tear filled eyes. She had never meant to kill them...it was against what she believed. Everyone could be healed...she was just angry. It was an accident. What was even worse was that she had failed, the Future would remain as a wasteland. How could she survive the attack of this angered Senshi who would stop at nothing to make sure vengeance would be served. There was no way... Moments passed, but nothing happened. Sailor Moon opened her ears and heard sobs of anger and pain, she opened her eyes. Sailor Pisces had fallen to her knees, she was sobbing, "DAMN YOU! WHY?! Why can't I even give her what she deserves?!" Sailor Pisces screamed, forcefully throwing her staff on to the marble pathway. The half-star inside the staff shattered into millions of pieces. Pisces gazed at the broken staff and fragments of the star as tears streaked down her face. Her sister was dead, and she was dead inside...it didn't even matter to her that her source of power was destroyed. Pisces and Aries were powerless Zodiac Senshi, they had powers to read minds and to heal, but unless they put their halves of the Seventh Star together, they could do nothing. The Seventh Star had one half of it destroyed...without the other half of the Star it could not function...much like Sailor Pisces could not function without Aries. Sailor Pisces' insane eyes looked around for a weapon, something to destroy this girl. Anything. Her eyes rested upon a sword which was held in the hands of a comrade. With amazing speed she lept towards the girl and shoved her aside, Libra was taken aback and stumbled forward. Pisces grabbed the sword and held it in her hands, she felt a strange warmth flowing into her hands. "NO! PISCES! DON'T! You must NOT touch it!" Sailor Libra shouted. "Libra! You're so selfish...You said we'd die instantly if we touched the Justice Star, I am not dead yet. All this time you just said that so no one would use it!" Sailor Pisces exclaimed with a laugh. "NO! PISCES! IT WASN'T!" Libra screamed in horror. Pisces simply shook her head, she walked towards Libra to give the sword back. Libra sighed heavily with relief. She didn't want another of the Zodiac Senshi dead, another friend lost. However, it was too soon to feel safe, in a flash Pisces whirled around and stood over Sailor Moon. She raised the sword high above her head, intending to penetrate it through her transformation brooch, and through the girl's heart. With all her might she shoved it downwards. She was just inches away from hitting the brooch at full force, when Pisces felt pain. Immense pain, her whole body felt like it was going to explode. Her fingers released the sword, she staggered backwards and fell to the ground. Libra wasn't lying about the Justice Star, the power of the Star Fragment it held was immense, but it could only be used by one person. It immediatly destroyed anyone who touched it. Pisces knew this. "I'm dying..Aries-chan...I'm coming, you won't be lonely..don't worry.." Pisces whispered, she opened her eyes and looked at the girl she had meant to stab. She was lying on the ground, detransformed, a sword sticking straight out of her body. Pisces looked up and saw that standing above herself was Sailor Libra, crying. "Don't worry..." Pisces said smiling weakly, "I killed her..." she whispered, and then closed her eyes on the world. * * * * Usagi slowly, opened her eyes. She was detransformed, yes...but not dead. Slowly, she sat up, a sword had impaled her brooch. Years ago it would have been destroyed, but it had grown stronger in the years. After it was destroyed the last time, it was fortified with even more strength. Carefully, she pulled the sword out and threw it to the ground. Her eyes saw a horrific site, the two dead girls she had slain in a fit of blind rage...and another who had died in a most ironic way. Pisces had tried to kill the murderer of her sister and herself at the same time, but she had only accomplished to kill herself. Usagi stood up, the Silver Crystal was bright as ever. "She's..she's still alive.." Sailor Capricorn gasped. Sailor Leo looked up, her eyes flaring. There was a strange look on Usagi's face, one of calmness and serenity. She lowered her head and clasped her hands together, tears falling down her cheeks and wetting her hands. There were so many deaths, none of them even died in an honorable way...all who lost their lives had been defenseless. She prayed for those who had lost their lives over this senseless battle, if only she hadn't been so emotional before. She could have avoided this confrontation if only she had destroyed the Golden Millenium the minute they arrived, if only she had done her duty. "You've killed three...you surely won't live to kill anymore." Queen Selestia said. She brought the two Golden Keys together, the one of the present and the one of the future. In a brilliant flash, a stream of golden energy shot towards Usagi. She looked straight at the light racing towards her, unflinching, unmoving, undaunted. There was an explosion at her feet and smoke filled the air. Queen Selestia's lips curled to a smile, no one will destroy my kingdom, not my daughter and not my granddaughter, she thought to herself. The smoke began to clear away, but Usgai still stood. A beautiful pair of angel's wings had appeared on her back and folded over her chest, protecting the Silver Crystal which had created a barrier around her. The wings unfolded and the Silver Crystal was revealed, it was floating out of it's place, the Silver Crystal of the Future appeared beside it, both identical. Usagi's wings fluttered gracefully, she rose up a few feet from the ground, the wings enveloping her as she slowly spun downwards, her hair spiraling around the wings. A light flashed and the hem of a dress was seen on what was once naked legs. Usagi lowered to the ground, her wings resting behind her. A crescent moon appeared on Usagi's forehead. All eyes watched as the Silver Crystal of the Future merged with the Silver Crystal of the Past, becoming one. A pink aura radiated from the two Crystals and filled Usagi, in her blonde hair light streaks of pink appeared. Her blue eyes became flecked with pink. "I am Princess Serenity, who represents two generations of Love and Peace." Usagi, who was now Serenity, replied. "I inherited your power, you are alive in me. In the future, you will become a tyrant who destroys millions of lives and dreams. I protect that future, and the future which comes after it. For this, I will not forgive you." Serenity said, her voice unchanging. "There is a third Generation of Serenity, and only with her power, will we defeat you." she added, with a gentle glance her eyes moved up the wall of the Palace to a window and gazed there for a long moment. From a window overlooking the Garden, high in the Golden Palace, Princess Selenity had been listening and watching, a tear trickled down her cheek as she caught Serenity's gaze. * * * * Princess Selenity was raised to think of her mother as her God. Someone you must love, worship, and believe in. Selenity thought of her mother more as a precious doll, something you could look at and admire..but you must not ever touch. Selenity wasn't close with her mother, she didn't even think of her as her mother...Queen Selestia in her mind, was the Queen of the Golden Millenium, nothing more. What is a mother anyway? Selenity didn't know, the children outside of the castle's mothers were older women. Selestia was older. The children't mother's gave them shelter and security, Selestia did that as well. They provided food and clothing, as did Selestia. They lavished their children with affection and love...what is affection and love? Was that necessary to be a mother? Princess Selenity never had any of that...was she jealous? The Princess gazed down into the garden again, there was that girl again...she had cared for her friends deeply, she loved her friends, she had said she stood for love and justice. There was that word again, love. Should I pity her for having it, or should I envy her for having it? Selenity asked herself. More importantly, who WAS she. Selenity didn't understand her words...Third Generation of Serenity. Did she mean me? Selenity wondered, the girl did look up at her right after. Maybe I'm related to her... "Your daughter..." a voice whispered. Selenity jumped upwards and looked around in terror. She heard the voice, it was NOT all in her mind... someone was there. The table in the corner of the room shook lightly, someone was behind it. Selenity carefully walked to the table and looked behind it, there was nothing...only a cat. "Oh..Luna, you scared me nearly to death!" Selenity exclaimed and leaned over to pick up the baby kitten. The family owned many cats and recently two of them had kittens. Selenity chose a black one she named Luna and a white male one to contrast which she named Artemis. Selenity stroked the kitten's head. "I swear I heard a voice..someone whispering something. I lost my train of thought too.." Selenity said, looking at Luna. The kitten gave a confused meow. Selenity smiled and set the kitten on the floor. Selenity's eyes came up over her treasure box, Illusion Silver Crystal it read. She opened the box and gazed down at the crystal. She picked it up gently and held the warm crystal in her hands. It was very comforting. The Crystal began to glow, a sparkling aura surrounded it. "Your daughter..." a voice whispered. Selenity's eyes widened in terror as she gripped the crystal in fear. It was hot, burning. She dropped it instinctively. A light flashed upwards. Selenity backed away slowly, she was stopped by a wall. "Help your daughter.." a voice whispered. Coming from the light? "Who..who is speaking?" Selenity demanded. "Your daughter..." the voice answered, still hushed. "My daughter? I don't have a daughter." Selenity replied. "Help her, Serenity..you are the first." the whisper said again, the light began to fade away. The Silver Crystal lay on the floor of the room, not glowing, just looking like a large rock. However, the occurence that had just happened was enough for Selenity to realize, "Serenity...Selenity...I am that Third Generation. That girl, Sailor Moon, Princess Serenity..she's my daughter."