Sailor Moon Z: #25 - Makenai! (Never Defeated) By. Janelle Jimenez (pandora@indy.net) Official WebPage: http://www.indy.net/~pandora/sailormoon/zodiac/intro3.html "Don't listen to her! KILL HER!" Queen Selestia screamed frantically. In just the last few minutes, her world began to shatter around her. It was true that this Serenity person was infact her granddaughter. It was true that her kingdom was built upon lie after lie after lie. Now that the Zodiac Senshi knew, they were against her. They now knew the truth. One cannot be loyal to another who lied to them from the beginning. "If she really is your granddaughter, then you've lied to us.." Sailor Leo said in disbelief. She was ashamed now, they had done a great dishonor by harming the descendents of Queen Selestia, it was bad karma. "Then, everything you ever told us could be a lie as well." Sailor Capricorn whispered. "You told us to ignore the prophecies...that they were all lies, but they were all true, weren't they?" Sailor Leo demanded, she was angry. All this time she dedicated her life to a Queen who didn't care about her own people in the slightest. "How can you believe this GIRL's words?" Sailor Libra asked, spitting out the words. "What if everything SHE's said was a lie. Guilty until proven innocent." she added. There was no reponse. No one knew who was lying. Was it Queen Selestia? Or was it this Serenity girl? They were too naive to really know. No one had ever lied to them. Sailor Libra smirked slightly and picked up the Justice Star off the ground. "We'll see if she's innocent. The Justice Star cannot be decieved. If this girl is a liar, she'll die." Sailor Libra replied and positioned the sword for attack. Her black eyes gazed into the girl's calm blue, "Prepare to die, I will not have the murderer of three Zodiac Senshi go without vengeance being served." she whispered. Libra raised the sword high into the air and swung downwards with fierce strength. The sword was aimed to take the girl's head off, but when the deed was done...the girl remained with a head. The sword had passed through her, that was for sure...but it had not touched her. Libra dropped the sword and then fell to her knees. "She...she...wasn't lying.." Sailor Libra said as tears fell from her dark eyes, wetting the ground. Queen Selestia let out a scream of anguish. "YOU TRAITORS! TRAITORS!" she shrieked hysterically, she was clinging to both the Golden Keys so tightly her long finger nails were digging into her white skin and breaking it, tiny droplets of blood fell to the ground. "No, it is you who is a traitor. This girl didn't lie. It was you! You are a hateful woman...you've destroyed the lives of the Sailor Senshi who were merely trying to save their world from YOU." Sailor Libra screamed in return, "To save it from US." she added. The horror was too great for her, two of her best friends had disappeared into the future to try and keep this world from being destroyed and three others also risked their lives for a world that was never meant to surivive. All fighting for a cause that didn't exist. It was painfully ironic. Queen Selestia dried her eyes, her world was more important to her than these Zodiac Senshi. Once I obtain the power of the Universe, I won't need protectors, she thought. She raised the Golden Key above her head and a barrier appeared and surrounded her. Nothing could penetrate the border to harm her. She smiled cruelly at Sailor Libra and stretched her arm outwards, her fingers made motions...pulling. There was a scream from behind Libra. Libra whirled around in horror, she saw Capricorn and Aquarius on the ground writhing in agony. "NO! NOOO! You EVIL WOMAN! PLEASE NO!" Sailor Libra screamed. She began to frantically stab at the barrier with her sword in vain. "LIBRA HELP ME!" Sailor Taurus begged, "It hurts!" Libra turned around helplessly and sunk to the ground. It was evil, barbaric, and this woman could not be stopped. Once she had the Star Fragments of these remaining six Zodiac Senshi...it would be enough to call upon another Golden Key, the Golden Key of the Past. The prophecies said that bringing together of all Three Keys would be disasterous. The holder would become nearly Godlike...anything he desired would become his. The Universe would belong to this who held the three Golden Keys. Libra quietly cried as she shut her eyes, trying to block out the pleads of her friends for help. I can't help you, there's nothing I can do. No one could help them...tears fell harder as she heard Gemini's last scream ...and then minutes later Leo's last wish, "Please....don't...let....her.....win...." Suddenly Libra's tears stopped. She now felt the pain, the pain in her heart...like it was slowly bit by bit being torn apart. Libra stood up quickly and grabbed the Justice Star, "I will never." Libra said calmly. "You will never become ruler of the Universe. I solomnly swear on my GRAVE that it will never happen." Queen Selestia smirked inside of her barrier, "And what are you going to do about it..little Libra?" she asked. Libra smiled slightly, "You're the scholar, Selestia, don't you know the prophecies? There's a prophecy about the Serpent, don't you remember?" Libra asked, a small smile growing on her lips. Queen Selestia paled slightly, "The Serpent who betrayed her Kingdom. She was eaten by her own daughter, the Rabbit." Libra replied, her dark eyes gazed to a point which lay behind Selestia, "There is the Rabbit now.." Queen Selestia turned her head slowly, sure enough she saw her daughter, Selenity. Libra laughed loudly, Selenity was the perfect distraction. Libra picked up the Justice Star and grasped the blade tightly near the hilt (the handle part). The sharp edge of the blade cut her skin, her blood dripped on to the metal staining the flawless edges. She positioned the blade just above her heart. "No pain.." she whispered to herself as she closed her eyes. She shoved the Justice Star inwards with all her last bit of strength. * * * * Selenity watched in horror as the last of the Zodiac Senshi was finished off. The Star Fragments of Libra's heart and the Justice Star touched each other and it set off a minor explosion. The sign of Libra appeared on the girl's detransformed body and shot to the heavens. Her powers were returning to their origins, the stars. Similarly, the same thing happened to Taurus, Aquarius, and Capricorn. Queen Selestia's eyes were raging, she whipped her head back to her daughter and glared at her icily. "WHAT are YOU doing here?" she demanded. Selenity's lip quavered, her fingers nervously ran over the facets of the Silver Crystal. "I..I..." she stumbled, "Do you know what you just did? How dare you distract me!" Selestia shouted raising her hand and slapping the young Princess on the face. Selestia then turned back to Serenity whose eyes were filled with fear and shock, "If you mother were dead, you wouldn't exist would you?" Selestia asked, a small cruel smile growing on her lips. "MOTHER!" Selenity exclaimed, tears streaming from her eyes. So it was true, this girl WAS her daughter. "You are not my daughter anymore." Queen Selestia replied icily. Selenity cried harder, she knew now that she didn't pity children whose parents loved them..she envied them. Queen Selestia lifted the Golden Keys towards her daughter, Selenity's eyes widened. Her mother really was this evil? Was this just a joke? Selenity stared blankly at her mother and the Golden Keys, "NO!" Serenity shouted, rushing towards Selestia and Selenity. Selestia smirked, the gems of the Golden Key flashing. Selenity didn't move, she simply stared blankly, "It..is..not..over yet." a voice murmured. Serenity turned around and looked directly at the voice, it was Sailor Leo. She was still alive, she had obviously faked her own death. Selestia laughed, Leo was the perfect distraction. How ironic that Selenity caused a distraction, and will be destroyed by one, Selestia mused. She lifted the Golden Keys, a stream of energy ran through them and headed for Selenity. "NOOO!" Serenity screamed. Suddenly, Serenity felt herself being enveloped in light, she shut her eyes tightly, was she being attacked?. Slowly, she reopened her eyes and saw herself in a giant golden bubble, Selenity was also in the bubble with her, but had fainted. Serenity looked out and saw caught Sailor Leo looking up at the bubble, eyes full of tears.. She had saved the last of her energy to whisper the words that saved their lives, Sun Rise. Serenity winced and looked away as a beam of Golden Energy came from Selestia's direction and blasted Leo in the chest, she fell immediatly, but the blasts never stopped...there were five more shots with the Golden Key before Selestia was done. A sign appeared on Leo's forehead and a beam of light raced to the heavens. Serenity turned around to see how Selenity was doing. To her surprise, her mother was awake and was standing behind her, watching everything. Her eyes were wide with shock. "Mo..Mother.." Selenity whispered gazing outside the bubble. Heavy tears fell from her eyes, she never liked Sailor Leo. Leo was rude, mean, and just generally not very pleasing, but now.. "Leo, you redeemed yourself...admirable." she murmured and cried harder. "Princess Selenity, you know who I am don't you?" Serenity asked, Selenity turned her head slowly to face the girl. We could be twins, Selenity thought. If it weren't for the blonde hair streaked with pink and the pink-flecked blue eyes, her statement would have been true. "You're....you're...my..daughter." Princess Selenity said looking downwards. How shameful it was for her daughter to see her grandmother be so evil. "Yes, I am. But I am also your granddaughter, Neo Princess Serenity. She gave me her power to heighten my own..." Serenity answered. Selenity looked downwards again, she lifted up the Silver Crystal which was in her hands and placed it in Serenity's. "Here then...defeat my mother...it's the only way to make sure that the Universe remains safe." she whispered, tears in her eyes again. Was she betraying her mother to save the world? "Selenity, mother...you must escape from this world, take your sisters and seek refuge in other galaxies, please." Serenity pleaded. "But...why? Why can't I just die?" Selenity asked. "Mother, if you died, I wouldn't be alive. You will become a greater, more loved Queen than your mother ever was. Please, just escape this world." Serenity replied. There was a flash of light from outside the bubble, and all of a sudden Selenity and Serenity were falling to the ground. Serenity gracefully fluttered her wings and grabbed hold of her mother's hands, they floated downwards with grace and elegance. Queen Selestia stood before them, she looked different now. Her black hair was flowing freely down her back, instead of being tied up in odango. Her blue eyes gazed icily at the two girls, hatefully. Serenity took her place in front of her mother, protecting her. She held up the third Silver Crystal, "This is the end, Selestia." Serenity said as a cold wind blew through the Gold Kingdom. "It's not over yet, little girl." Selestia replied. "Even with those toys of yours, just these two Golden Keys hold more power." she smiled cruelly, "Your are fated to die, my dear dear granddaughter." she said with mock love. She raised the Golden Keys to the sky, energy from ten points in the skies raced downwards and converged on the Golden Keys. Selestia laughed insanely as she was filled with the power, the energy of the ten dead Zodiac Senshi. She was stealing it from them...and using it to destroy her own daughter and granddaughter. "Run now.." Serenity whispered to Selenity. Selenity nodded fearfully and ran off. Selestia didn't even seem to pay any attention, energy from the ten constellations was filling her, making her stronger. "Leo, Sagittarius, Aquarius, Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo, Gemini, Aries, Pisces, and Libra..I call upon you. I INVOKE THY POWER!" she shouted, the ten points of light flashed and all came down as a massive beam of light that surrounded her. The light faded away, Selestia was totally transformed. The sign of a moon, star, and sun had disappeared, in it's place was an odd looking sign which resembled a giant mass of symbols all piled on one another. Her long black hair was streaked in every color of the rainbow, and she was dressed in a multicolored gown. Serenity cried out in surprise, she was dressed just like Scorpio was when they defeated Queen Hydraja. Could it be...the Zodiac Senshi's spirits, along with their energy was inside Selestia? Selestia's eyes opened and an aura surrounded her, her forehead flashed all the signs of the Zodiac Senshi, minus Scorpio's and Cancer's, due to the fact they were in the future. A stream of white light flashed towards Serenity. Serenity instinctively folded her wings over her body and held up her arms to block the attack. The blast hit her and she cried out as she struggled to stay up. Selestia hit her with another explosion of energy, this time Serenity fell. She gazed at the Silver Crystal of the Past, if she used it...wouldn't her mother die? "The best is yet to come...The power of the Zodiac Senshi and the power of the Golden Keys...how can you Possibly win?" Selestia laughed. She let another burst of energy go, and then another and another. Serenity screamed as she was hit with a blast, she was growing tired...she couldn't protect herself for very long. Tears filled into her eyes, I can't go on, I can't go on like this forever, she thought. Queen Selestia laughed again and released another bombardment of energy. Serenity gasped in pain and squeezed her fists to try and endure it, she looked up and saw Selestia laughing. Anger filled her, a new sense of energy, a new reason to live on. "I won't let you smile when you murdered so many..no..I won't.." Serenity said as she struggled to stand against the blasts of energy. I can't be hit directly by these blasts, just one of them killed Hydraja, Serenity thought. She held her arms out in front of her like a cross, her wings still folded over her, protecting her. "I won't give up! I won't be defeated..Makenai ne (Never Defeated)!" Serenity exclaimed, she held the Silver Crystal of the Past before her, the Celestial Moon Wand appeared in her right hand. The Silver Crystal of the Past floated over to the Wand and took it's place under the Crystal of the Present. The three crystals began to shine brightly, a white aura surrounded Serenity as once again she was lifted off the ground. Her wings enveloped her as the white light protected her. Selestia stopped her blasts and watched as Serenity's hair became streaked with Silver. Serenity opened her eyes as she slowly descended back to the ground, the feathers of her wings had grown longer and sparkled as if they were made of the stars themselves. "I am Princess Serenity, I represent the Three Generations of Saviours. I stand for love and justice and for peace in the universe." Serenity said in a calm, tranquil voice. Selestia's eyes flared, "It'll be easier to destroy you three at the same time now. This Universe is MINE. I swear to you that there will never be peace in it even after I die...Chaos and Evil will always reign." Selestia laughed. "Mother...what made you this way?" Serenity asked, tears were filling her eyes again, her heart was breaking. It was her daughter speaking this time. "I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT!" Selestia screamed, she raised the Golden Keys and shot a small beam of energy at Serenity. "WHY?! WHY?!" Serenity cried, the tears came faster and harder. "Because I don't LOVE you..I never have. You were an ACCIDENT. Stella isn't even your real sister. You are just a girl standing in the way of my reign. Because of you, Solana won't rule..Solana, my REAL daughter!" Selestia shouted hatefully. Serenity's jaw dropped, so this was the truth. This explained the sixteen years of neglect she recieved. She was never given a loving touch, or word of encouragement. Stella too, she was even more ignored. Solana got everything...did it make her what she was today? As hateful and spiteful as her own mother...? Queen Selestia smiled hatefully again, "This is the end, Serenity." she said as she raised the Golden Keys to the sky, Serenity closed her eyes, "Zodiac Senshi...if you can hear me...please, don't let her win. We need your help." Serenity said to herself. "NOW IT'S OVER!" Queen Selestia shouted as the ground began to tremble, she brought her hands together and lightning appeared between her palms, she shot a silver arrow at Serenity, it hit her directly in the chest. Fire appeared in Selestia's hands, she lowered her hands and a burning apparition of a lion came charging towards her target. Serenity winced in pain as the fire surrounded her, she raised the Celestial Moon Wand towards the Queen. Energy shot from the Crystal of the Past into the Silver Crystal of the Present were it was amplified and from there shot to the Silver Crystal of the Future before exploding towards Selestia. The Queen laughed, as she was surrounded by a bright dome and raised into the sky, she descended downwards. She raised the Key above her head and a solid beam of light from the sky shot down and struck Serenity. Serenity screamed in pain, it felt as if her blood was being boiled and her skin slowly being peeled off. "STOP IT! STOP IT! ZODIAC SENSHI...FIGHT HER!" she shrieked. The beam went out like a light, a strange look came over Selestia's face. Her eyes turned bright blue, the sign of Aquarius appearing on her forehead. Her hands began to turn to ice, "NO!" Selestia shouted, her eyes turned violet and a bolt of lighting appeared in the cloudless sky and struck Selestia down. "Yes...defeat her from inside.." Serenity murmured. Selestia grabbed her head and screamed as her eyes turned grey and the sign of Virgo appeared on her forehead, her hands flashed with white energy which was channeled from her hands into her. Her eyes began to change into different colors as signs appeared on her head, Leo, Capricorn, Aries, Pisces, Gemini, Taurus, and Libra. Each time Selestia screamed in pain as one after an other she was hit by attack after attack. Serenity raised the Celestial Moon Wand, still weak from the energy beam earlier, she struggled to stand. "I am Princess Serenity, I represent Three Generations of Love and Justice, I am the Messiah, I am the Saviour. Find peace within yourself Selestia.." she said and raised the wand above her head. Light swirled around the wand, Serenity began to ascend upwards into the sky, tears were falling to the ground, "Find peace within yourself, mother.." she whispered. The spirals of light expanded. The wispy fingers of light brushed against objects, causing them to fill with light. Selestia frantically tried to escape the purification, the sign of Leo appeared on her head. A bubble surrounded her; however, not to take her away. The bubble of light raced towards one of the spirals. Selestia screamed in agony as the fingers of light touched her, "NOOOO!!!!!!!" she screamed. Her body fell to the ground, full of the spiraling light. On her forehead, the signs of the Zodiac flashed and then in a single beam of colored light raced back towards the stars. "Sailor Moon.." a voice whispered. Serenity looked up, she saw staring into the face of Sailor Leo, but it wasn't her. It was a ghost... "Thank you, Princess.." another voice murmured. "Rei-chan?" Serenity gasped. She looked around, it was the spirits of her friends, dressed in elegant gowns of the Silver Millenium. Tears filled her eyes, they came back to help me..as they always have, she thought. The spirits of Rei, Minako, Ami and Makoto placed their hand on Serenity's, "You are the Serenity..." they whispered. Serenity's tears fell harder. She felt two hands on each of her shoulders, she turned and saw Haruka and Michiru's spirits on one side, and Setsuna and Hotaru's on the other. "You are the Saviour.." The spirals grew longer, the light had almost filled every inch of the Golden Millenium. The Zodiac Senshi's spirits then circled her, they held hands. The spirals extended and filled every last part of the Golden Millenium with the light of the Silver Crystals. "You are the Messiah.." they whispered. The Silver Crystals flashed with light and all of a sudden there was a massive explosion of brightness, as the light destroyed everything it had touched. * * * * "Usagi?" Rei asked, "Are you awake?" Usagi looked up quickly and looked at her black-haired friend. It had been a week since she had returned to the Present. After the Golden Millenium had been vanquished, she slowly appeared back on the same Earth which she knew and loved, but she had returned alone. However, just as she began to sob for her lost friends, they appeared behind her. It was a joyous and happy occasion, but the Zodiac Senshi hadn't reappeared, they were gone forever. Lots of things had happened in just a week, Mamoru proposed to her the day before. Usagi looked down at the ring on her finger, the diamond was shaped like a moon. Her mind drifted back to his proposal: 'Usako...you know I love you..' 'Do you, Mamo-chan?' 'I do. I'm sorry for being so cold lately to you, but I wanted to surprise you.' 'It's not my birthday.' 'Usako, I want you to marry me.' 'You...you...what?' 'I had to return this ring the first time, they forgot to engrave what I wanted on it..' Usagi slid the ring off her finger and read the words: 'Serenity & Endymion, Usagi & Mamoru..Past, Present, Future.' Of course she had said yes, she would be the first of her friends to get married, she'd get to have a storybook wedding, and best of all, she'd marry Mamoru Chiba, the man she had loved all her life. But still, she felt like the dark part of her Ancestory wasn't shut away forever... "Usagi-chan, you shouldn't think about the past so much." Minako replied, breaking her thoughts. Usagi sighed, "I know...but, there had to be something we could have done to save them. Everytime I close my eyes, I see them. I see them asking me to save them, I always see Sailor Leo's cold blue eyes, gazing at me in disappointment." she answered with another sigh. "They might get reborn." Makoto suggested. "Perhaps.." Ami murmured. Rei looked thoughtful for a moment and smiled, "The Zodiac Senshi aren't really gone Usagi, they still live on. They'll live in our hearts and minds forever...they've become part of US." she replied, and just for a moment, her happy purple eyes looked a proud blue.