Chapter 10: The Last Day
* * are for emphasis
Thoughts are in these thingies ~ ~
Author's Notes are AN
What is di . . . dis . . . uh, cl-cl-claimmmmeeerrrrrrrrrr??????
Notes at bottom
Hmm, took a little while to finish this, didn't I? screams everyone who's been waiting the two years to see the end NO DUH, GENIUS!!!!! MaiyaV sweat-drops Eh-heh. 'Nways, I present you all with the final chapter of SOS. Read, and be amazed! . . . or not.
* * * * *
If today were the last of all days
Would it change how you feel, who you are
Would you rise for a moment above all your fears
Become one with the moon and the stars
* * * * *
He couldn't think. Sheer horror and unparalleled grief held him paralyzed, staring numbly at the pit into which Sailor Moon had vanished. She couldn't be gone. It wasn't possible. Not when he'd just found her, finally, again. Not like this. It was like that last fateful day; like that night in the park. Yet again, he'd been powerless to protect her. Once more, he had failed to act correctly, and she had suffered, paid the price that should have been his and his alone.
All at once, with a clarity that surprised even him, the certainty of what he had to do crystallized within him. There was no doubt, no fear, no hesitation; even his sorrow had melted away, to be replaced with a calm assurance that the action he was about to take, the decision he had already committed himself to, was *right* beyond anything he had faced up 'til now.
Standing, the trembling ground no longer affecting him in the least, he ran with a smooth, practiced glide, and, heedless of his companions sudden comprehensive shouts, leapt into the pit.
* * * * *
Would you like what you see looking down
Did you give everything that you could
Have you done everything that you wanted to do
Is there still so much more that you would
* * * * *
She fell forever. There was nothing as discernable as up or down, but on some level she felt herself falling, endlessly, into a depth of blackness, of malice, no lack of sight could disguise.
The perfect, cold silence was broken by a Voice one only hears in nightmares, a Voice she had thought, in her ignorance, that she'd forgotten. But such malevolence, such outright burning hatred, once heard, can never be truly forgotten.
"Maboroshi no Ginzuishou. Give up the Ginzuishou to me and you may leave here, to live one more day." Though sibilantly sincere, the Voice could not alter the pure darkness radiating from the presence that spoke. The darkness that she kept falling ever deeper into.
"And then what?" she challenged, determined to hide her fear. "I buy my freedom for a little longer, only to doom everyone in the end, myself included? Never! I'll never agree to such a thing."
"Foolish princess," the Voice hissed. "I offer the chance to come to me of your own free will, when I could simply kill you and take the Ginzuishou easily."
"Then why haven't you?" Inspiration struck, and, sounding braver than she felt, she declared confidently, "You can't, can you? You can't just take it from me, because you know it'll never work for you, just as I won't!"
The Voice, no longer a slithery whisper, echoed all around her, a deep, powerful thrumming that hurt her ears and made her head ring with the horrific images it evoked.
"I am more than you! I have brought better than you to serve me, stronger than you to their knees when they would not be made to serve. You are worth far less than the effort required to snuff your light out of this realm of existence. This planet was once mine to do with as I pleased. These pathetic human creatures you care so much for are pitifully easy to manipulate. It and they are well on their way to being mine again. With or without your pointless acknowledgment of your fate, I will once more reign over this planet, directing those that come to me to crush utterly all who resist. You might have been useful for what little power you possess, princess of a dead kingdom, but I find your defiance an unwelcome obstacle. I will kill you, then those others who accompany you shall be made over to replace my generals you so thoroughly destroyed, and they will be the ones to lead the new wave against this Earth you all strove so futilely to protect. They will be my conquerors, my punishers, my executioners!"
"Iya! I – we – will never give in to you! We will stop you!" She twirled out her Moon Stick, the Ginzuishou glinting brightly in the not-so-empty black. But the presence behind the Voice gathered itself beyond the light radiated by the Ginzuishou, and suddenly the light seemed no more than a spark flickering weakly, uselessly, against the awesome, awful majesty of such pure evil.
Its laugh was a hideousness all its own. The instant before it struck, the pulsating dark hissed triumphantly, "I will have it all this time."
* * * * *
Follow your dream to the end of the rainbow
Way beyond one pot of gold
Open your eyes to the colors around you
And find the true beauty life holds
* * * * *
He wasn't sure how, but he found he could maneuver himself through the thick emptiness, after a fashion, by focusing his thoughts on where he wanted to be. Not that he could see, feel, hear, et cetera, that he was actually moving. He couldn't even tell if he was still falling. But he knew the only place he wanted to be in this forsaken dimension was by her side, holding her, giving to her whatever she might need, be it strength, courage, or love, that would allow her to prevail and, more importantly, survive.
And since the pinpoint of light he had started out just barely seeing was steadily getting larger, he knew he had to be headed in the right direction.
The nearer he came, the more he could make out. The light was circular, globe-shaped even, but not pure. It was marred by streaks of darkness as empty as the light was full. The streaks weren't part of the light sphere; he could see they were actually negative energy being tossed at the light, to break and ripple over it as if the sphere were really a shield. And those bolts were emanating from the very blackness he was moving through.
He didn't know how long the light sphere had been holding. Time, like direction and gravity, was meaningless here. But the light was growing fainter, contracting in on itself even as he watched. The bolts began to shake the light ever so slightly, and he whipped his head around frantically, desperately searching for something, anything, to fight in this damnable blackness.
~There!~ Not more than a flicker, but he was sure that was the key. By now close enough to see the occupant of the light sphere, the generator and the source, he put on a burst of speed and threw a rose at the spot where he'd seen that flicker with all of his might.
* * * * *
Would you live for the moment like when you were young
Time didn't travel so fast
Be free in the present
Enjoying the now
Not tied to a future or past
* * * * *
She was weakening. Just like her mother. It was her worst fear. Alone, she wasn't strong enough.
*Something* flashed by, too fast for her to see, but the negative energy cut off abruptly, and a terrible wail of outraged injury assaulted her, sending waves of pain through her head. She threw her hands up, protecting her ears, and when the cry died down, was surprised to find herself clasped securely in someone's arms.
"Mamo-chan!" she cried joyfully, looking up.
"Usako," he returned, and, pulling her tight against him, kissed her fervently.
Light exploded from them (AN: I hope that doesn't happen every time they kiss, or certain people will be in for a big surprise ^o^), and a greater scream, more rage-filled than the previous one, was heard before it fled, taking the darkness with it.
* * * * *
Follow your dream to the end of the rainbow
Way beyond one pot of gold
Open your eyes to the colors around you
And find the true beauty life holds
* * * * *
Shingo was terrified and heartsick. The Senshi had started battling Beryl the instant she emerged from the ground, right after Tuxedo Kamen had dived after Sailor Moon. But they were the ones getting hurt. Four against one seemed like stacked odds to him, but Beryl had taken all the Senshi threw at her and appeared to just shake it off.
The Senshi, on the other hand, were visibly battle-scarred, barely holding their own, and fast approaching exhaustion. Not one attack, whether singly or as a combined effort, had phased the evil queen for very long.
Shingo huddled miserably behind a snow mound and wondered anxiously what had become of Usagi and Mamoru-san. Without them, the Senshi, and by extension the whole world, were doomed.
A sudden shaking, worse than any that had come before, knocked everyone but Beryl off their feet. An immense black – something – burst from the gorge into which Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen had fallen. A torturous bellow emanated from it, striking everyone down from the pain such a horrid cry caused. All but Beryl.
The evil queen laughed horribly, exultantly, and thrust open arm to the blackness. Swifter than a striking snake, it engulfed her. Black lightning flashed on a black background, leaving afterimages in the vision to burn the eye to blindness.
Shingo turned away, blinking rapidly, and when he looked back, the blackness was just finishing seeping into Beryl, leaving her standing transformed. She threw her arms to the lowering sky overhead and laughed maniacally. Trailing off, her smirk the only warning, she blasted each Senshi one-handed. The girls, caught by surprise, were barely able to raise their arms in defense before the negative energy crashed into them, their shrieks sharp with pained disbelief. Coming to rest, leaving long trails in the snow and ice where their bodies had slid and skittered over the harsh ground, the Sailor Senshi lay quiet and unmoving for long moments, just stunned or . . . Shingo didn't know.
Beryl laughed again, then exclaimed, "The power! It is mine! I *am* power! And when I claim the Ginzuishou, I will be strong enough to claim this world as my own in one move!" Her malevolent gaze, somehow darker, more evil than before, raked the fallen Senshi with one contemptuous glance. Shingo was relieved to see Sailor Jupiter push herself up, standing with only a minor wobble, and meet that hard look with one of her own that, despite her wounds, weakness, and dishevelment, managed to be just as hard. He was doubly relieved, then amazed, to see the rest of the Senshi – Mars, Mercury, Venus – stagger up next to Jupiter and, though each was as worn and battered as Jupiter, match the determination in her face measure for measure.
"You can be sure that the only thing you'll be *claiming* anytime soon is your place in the next life!" Mars spat.
Beryl's smugly chill expression sent a shiver of fear coursing through Shingo's thin frame, but none of the Senshi so much as blinked. "I have already conquered the grave. I have proved mightier than all those who stood opposed before me! What is left but for me to take my rightful place as the supreme power of the universe? All will acknowledge me – or they will die!"
She gestured, and the girls were enveloped in a sheet of negative energy that held them rigid as it flowed through their bodies, allowing them to finally drop only when Beryl gestured again and the power cut off.
"Oh, yes," she murmured silkily. "I will have such a pleasant time breaking the four of you to my will. Perhaps I will keep your princess alive, after all. Just so long as it takes for you to call me master. Then, as a final test, I will have *you* kill her."
At those words, Venus heaved herself up, stiff-armed, and launched an angry attack at the gloating queen. Shingo gaped in slack-jawed astonishment as she simply stood there, letting the power wash over her, and not leaving so much as a scratch.
Beryl turned her head and speared Venus with a look, teeth glinting whitely as she gave a slow, self-satisfied smile.
"You, though, I think I shall have to make an example of."
"I think not!" declared a familiar voice.
From the opening in the cracked earth shot a light as radiant as Beryl's new halo was grim. Shingo and the Senshi shielded their eyes from the glare, but Beryl screeched in pain and staggered back several feet, out of reach of the light.
"This ends now, Beryl. No more will you threaten this planet. No longer will your evil be free to manipulate innocents. I – *we* – will never allow you to harm another soul!"
The light coalesced into a single spot, flaring brightly then dying down rapidly, to leave the figures of Prince Endymion of Earth and Princess Serenity of the Moon facing Queen Beryl, avatar of Queen Metallia and ruler of the Dark Kingdom, in regal but determined defiance.
"Usagi!" Shingo caroled joyfully, certain Beryl was gonna get it now. He had never seen his sister's princess incarnation before, and looked now with new eyes. Likewise, Mamoru-san was an astonishment all his own. Beautiful, majestic, all that dreamers dream and wishers wish. It was one thing to hear others speak of his sister and Mamoru-san as some kind of royalty, another thing entirely to see it made manifest. Any doubts that Shingo might have had left were swept away as Usagi, Princess Serenity, spoke again.
"This is out last day, Beryl. You had your chance at redemption. And you threw it away. You have forfeited your right to another."
Beryl straightened to her full, intimidating height and sneered, "What need have I for redemption? I *grant* such things! I do not cower on my knees like some whipped dog for them! You pitiful crawling worm of a weak, impotent line of equally powerless queens, you are the one in need of help! None shall ever remember that such as you existed, once I have destroyed you and those you protect. Unless you wish this battle to be your last, commit yourself to me now!"
"You are going down, Beryl, even if I have to go with you," Serenity said quietly.
Beryl hissed in rage, but Serenity ignored her, stepping back into Endymion's one-armed embrace as they both grasped the hilt of the Moon Stick. Bringing it up, they leveled it at the enraged queen, and as one, yelled –
"MOON – "
Beryl shrieked, "I'll kill you all!"
"HEALING – "
Raising her hands, the queen sent twisting black ropes of negative energy at the shining royal couple.
"ESCALATION!"
The concussion as the two opposing energies struck was enormous, knocking all but Beryl and the royal couple flat as the shockwave raced out from around them. Shingo was mostly protected by his little mound of snow, but the Senshi went flying. There was little they could do at the moment except cling to where they fell and try to hold on, as the power buffeted them this way and that. Shingo could immediately see, though, that his sister was in a precarious position. The negative energy of Metallia was inexorably pushing back the pure light of the Ginzuishou. Serenity's face was pale and strained, Endymion's grim and unwavering in his intensity.
Beryl suddenly pulled out an extra burst of power from somewhere, and the Moon Stick was torn violently from Serenity and Endymion's entwined hands. It flew end over end to land upright, stuck in the snow, glinting feebly as its glow faded.
Endymion wasted no time in shielding Serenity. Pulling his sword from its sheath, he took the brunt of the black lightnings on it, turning it away from himself and his love. Stepping fully in front of Serenity, he held, but Shingo could tell that he couldn't hold for long.
"SUPREME THUNDER!"
Jupiter's attack did little to distract Beryl, but Shingo saw the other Senshi move to surround the evil queen. Beryl cackled wildly, raising hands to the heavens. Negative energy rained down, scorching the ground and the Sailor Senshi. Shingo covered his head, deadly ashamed when a whimper of fear escaped him. Usagi, his notoriously cowardly sister, wasn't whimpering.
He chanced a look. The Senshi were attacking Beryl all-out. Venus whipped her body out of range of the lightning, pulling what even an inexperienced Shingo realized was a difficult stunt when she fired her Crescent Beam from a completely upside-down position, before landing in an easy crouch.
Mercury took advantage of that small window of opportunity, the bubbles of her Shabon Spray concealing the darting forms of Mars and Jupiter as they rushed in to deal devastating blows from opposite directions. Leaping away, Mars avoided retaliation, but Jupiter was nicked by Beryl's razor-sharp talons as they shot out, astonishing in their length and speed, slicing a gash low in her leg. Shingo saw blood misting the air even from as far away as he was.
Jupiter hardly noticed. Landing, she raised a fist, shouting defiance, and threw her power at Beryl with all the righteous anger that fueled her warrior spirit.
It couldn't have been timed more perfectly. The attacks of the other three Senshi struck Beryl at the exact moment that Jupiter's did. The evil queen keeled over, shrieking madly, and it appeared the Senshi were finally gaining the upper hand.
"Onore!" Beryl screamed. She whirled on each of the Senshi, negative energy writhing like living flames down her arms, over the backs of her hands, slamming into the girls and sending them, yelling, to their knees.
Shingo winced. Glancing at Usagi, he saw Mamoru-san helping her stand, still protecting her from the queen's wrath. She yelled something at Beryl; Shingo couldn't make it all out, but it sounded like a plea, and the evil queen turned on the princess and her prince. Jealousy alive on her face, hate in her eyes, Beryl blasted the two. Serenity screamed, both from pain and from watching, helpless, as Endymion took the brunt of it.
But Shingo had already seen what he needed to see, and knew what had to be done. Resolved, if frightened, eyes fell on the Moon Stick just a few scant feet in front of him, out of reach to everyone but him.
~Well~ gulped the boy, ~here goes everything.~
Jumping up, Shingo dashed for the Moon Stick in a limping run, diving and rolling as soon as he was in reach in order to avoid anything that might be heading his way. Coming up with the Moon Stick held triumphantly in one hand, he ran as close to his sister as he could get, straight into the shadow of the towering Beryl.
"Onee-chan!" he shouted.
Serenity's head jerked up. "Shingo? Baka! Nigete!" she screamed.
Shingo hurled the Moon Stick at her with all his strength, using his best fastball, down the middle of the plate, so-fast-they-never-saw-it-coming pitch. Serenity's hand shot out automatically, the Moon Stick slapping into her palm.
"Yes!" Shingo cried. Cupping hands around his mouth, he yelled, "Do it together, Nee-chan! Issho ni!"
Gentian eyes wide, Serenity stared at Shingo for a frozen moment before a smile broke over her face, and she nodded. Shingo grinned back in relief.
The shadow laying over him suddenly darkened. "Meddlesome insect," Beryl hissed. Shingo stared in terror, rooted to the spot as she pointed a hand in his direction. He flinched, only able to wait for the blow to fall.
A flash of red crossed Shingo's vision and a rose blossomed (AN: Ha-ha – sarcasm) in Beryl's hand, stuck firmly through the middle of her palm, the needle-sharp point poking out the back of her hand streaked with blood. Beryl screeched like a harpy, grabbing her wrist but not daring to touch the pure rose. Instead, she started to disintegrate it with negative energy. But the rose would not surrender willingly, making the negative energy work to eat it slowly away.
Shingo's astonishment turned to gratified understanding when he shot a glance at the royal couple. Endymion met the sandy-haired boy's blue eyes that so mirrored his sister's in their innocence and nodded gravely in regal salute. Serenity's expression of relief morphed into determination as she looked from her brother to Beryl.
"Minna!" Serenity called.
The Senshi knew exactly what to do. They'd prepared for this moment, trained dutifully for it, ever since they'd found out who they were, who they'd been, what they could do, what their destiny was. Leaping to their places at their princess' side, the Senshi gave up their power to her.
"MERCURY POWER!"
"MARS POWER!"
"JUPITER POWER!"
"VENUS POWER!"
Beryl snarled furiously, rage redoubling as her every effort was thwarted, and collected all her effort for one last, massive attack.
Serenity and Endymion, hands once again united on the Moon Stick and joined by the Senshi, faced Beryl and yelled, one final time –
"MOON PRISM POWER!"
Shingo watched, awestruck, as a light brighter than all the suns in the galaxy engulfed the world.
* * * * *
You probably say all you wanted to say
But doesn't it strike you as strange
That we'd only begin to start living our lives
If today were the last of all days
If today were the last of all days
Of all days . . .
* * * * *
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"
The scream of frustrated anger rocked the house as a young boy of about ten raced down the stairs followed by a girl of fourteen. The girl had her hair done up in two buns on either side of her head, long tails streaming out from each of them, reaching to below her knees. They were both done up nicely, dressy casual, as if for a party.
"Shingooooo!!!! You get back here right now!" screamed the girl as her little brother fled into the living room.
"HA-HA-HA!!! Make me, Usagi-baka!" yelled the boy right back.
*CRASH*
"I've got you now, Brat!" Usagi backed Shingo into a corner. "A clown, am I? I hope your future girlfriend appreciates how much I'm gonna punish you."
"Who do you think you are? Sailor Moon? *She* isn't so hideous that she needs to wear make-up." Shingo gave an impudent grin and dodged the book Usagi threw at him, laughing when it thunked against the wall and their mother yelled at them to take it outside. Shingo dashed past Usagi, snatching up his shoes and tugging them on as he darted out the door, Usagi hot on his heels. Their father was just coming down the sidewalk, home from work for the weekend. Shingo ran past him with a breathless, "Hi Papa, see you later!"
Kenji stared after him bemusedly, then held out an arm to catch Usagi before she could get by, too. "Slow down, watch where you're going, and leave your brother alone."
"But, Papa – " Usagi protested. "He called me hideous."
"You are a very beautiful young lady, and I expect you to act like one," Kenji said, smiling.
Usagi beamed. "Arigatou, Papa. We'll be back later." She took off after Shingo.
"Have a good time!" Kenji called at her retreating figure. "Kids," he said to himself.
Usagi quickly caught up with Shingo, still intent on painful retribution, and reached out a hand to snag the back of his collar. Shingo cast a glance back at her as they bolted around a corner, and they cannoned into another person headed the other way, first Shingo and then Usagi, one right after the other. The three fell in a heap of tangled limbs to the ground.
"Itaaa," groaned the person pinned to the sidewalk. "Couldn't you two crash into someone else for once?"
Shingo and Usagi scrambled off of Mamoru, each as pink as bubblegum. "Gomen, Mamo-chan," Usagi said meekly.
"Me, too," Shingo added, shamefaced.
Mamoru favored them with a smile as he climbed to his feet. "I thought I was going to pick you two up?" He, like Usagi and Shingo, was dressed rather smartly, the sapphire-tinted shirt in particular calling special attention to his eyes. Mamoru noticed that Usagi's embarrassed expression had disappeared, to be replaced with an adoring, dreamy-eyed look as she stared up at him. It was his turn to color as he become conscious of Shingo rocking on his heels and whistling innocently, for Mamoru had been caught into staring back at Usagi without even realizing it, and several minutes had gone by.
Mamoru cleared his throat hastily. "We'd better get going or we'll be late." Shingo nodded mock-solemnly as Usagi latched onto Mamoru's arm, making him blush harder as Shingo snickered under his breath.
The trio made their way to Hikawa Shrine, Usagi alternately chatting with Mamoru and bickering with Shingo, who ran ahead as soon as the temple steps were in sight. Shingo took the stairs two at a time, thankful his ankle had been healed. It'd been only a hairline fracture, something called a spiral fracture, but it would have required a good month of mending before he got a walking cast, due to the fact that that type of break weakened a bone worse than a single, straight break would have. The doctor had been baffled when something so complicated had healed in less than a week, and had seemed happy enough to pass it off as an X-ray mix-up, claiming the ankle had only been sprained after all.
Shingo knew the truth. Luna had explained it to him, once he'd realized that he could walk without pain. The backwash of the Ginzuishou's power had healed him and the others of any hurts taken in the final battle. That had been part of Usagi's pure wish, to stop Beryl and save the world without sacrificing anyone else.
Shingo paused at the top of the steps, the sun momentarily blinding him. Squinting, he looked around, catching sight of the others immediately. Enthusiastically shouting a greeting, Rei, Ami, Makoto, Minako, Luna, and Artemis all turned as Shingo approached, returning the greeting as they continued to set things up. As Makoto finished putting up a large table, Rei and Ami set down the food dishes they held and went back inside for the rest of it. Minako, with the dubious help of the two cats, was still attaching decorations to the nearby trees, paper lanterns and garlands and such. Shingo moved to help her as Makoto began unfolding chairs.
"It's really nice of Rei-san's grandfather to let us have this party here," Shingo said.
"I'll tell you something that isn't really a secret, Shingo," Minako whispered. "Rei-san's ji-san is somewhat of a pervert. He likes having all us young and beautiful girls hanging around. Claims it boosts business for the shrine, but we all know better."
"Oh." Shingo sweat-dropped, admitting that, yes, the one time he'd met the old man, he'd seemed a little shifty-eyed, but the boy hadn't thought he was an out-and-out hentai.
Minako slapped him on the back and laughed. "Relax, kid. He just likes to look. And, as you said, he's really very nice. Why, Rei adores him the way you do Usagi."
"I do not," Shingo protested, "adore that Odango Atama!"
Minako giggled. "Of course you do. As much as we do. As much as she adores you." Serious, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "You did good, Shingo-kun. Never forget that."
Shingo stared into the wise blue eyes of this girl who'd seen only fourteen years on this Earth, yet was not naïve, not so young as her years would have most believe. Her kind, sweet smile fit with the guardian he saw shining out of her eyes, making her appear, for the moment, serene and proud and knowing. He nodded.
Slapping him hard on the back again, Minako grinned, the moment passing like an errant breeze, leaving her at once carefree and fretful. "C'mon, we gotta get the rest of these up. If you're here, then they're not too far away."
"They were right behind me," Shingo confirmed. They worked fast, then went to help Makoto, who was struggling with a stubborn miniature folding table that didn't want to unfold. "Here, let me take this end," Shingo offered.
Makoto shot him a grateful smile as Minako moved next to Shingo. "Thanks, guys. You're lifesavers."
"It's what we do!" Minako exclaimed, setting the table upright.
"And proud of it," Makoto seconded. She wiped her forehead. "Phew! It seems your help is always coming just in time." She smiled at Shingo, who looked at his feet and mumbled something, embarrassed. "Sometimes," Makoto mused, "people who aren't anything but ordinary are called on to do extraordinary things, and it's their very ordinariness that allows them to be able to do it. I think that's why all of us were able to try so hard. We've been ordinary our entire lives; we know exactly what it was we had to protect, exactly what we stood to lose. We enjoy who we were, but we're glad to be who we are now, and we want to keep it this way, all of us together, for the rest of our ordinary and not-so-ordinary lives." Laid-back and confident, tall, strong, and unflinching, Makoto gazed at the trees as she thought out loud, and Shingo could see the warrior spirit that was never quite hidden reflected in her eyes, face, and voice. She turned to them, Shingo looking at her in admiration, Minako in understanding, and flushed slightly. Clearing her throat, Makoto continued, "And we should probably help Rei and Ami carry out the rest of the food."
In the kitchen, they found the two girls cleaning up a small mess. "We had an accident," Ami explained. "They're not here yet, are they?"
"No," Shingo said. "It'll probably take them a few more minutes to get up the steps. Usagi was acting all lovey-dovey," he added with a ten-year-old's disgust of girls. "I don't know why Mamoru-san puts up with it."
Ami hid a smile. "Usagi-chan has always been a little high on life. It's her strength. Sometimes I wish I could be more like that. Able to be happy and sad over the little things, instead of always stressing over the big. Or what I consider big. I suppose that's what it comes down to in the end. It's our perception of things and how they relate to us that gives them importance. If they're not important to us, then we don't take the time to be bothered by them one way or the other."
Rei stood and chucked a paper towel in the garbage bin. "Hmph. Usagi is still an Odango Atama in my book," she muttered. "Little, big, it doesn't matter. It's all equally important to her. She's *got* no sense of perception whatsoever."
"Could it merely be that Usagi-chan's perception is different from everyone else's?" Ami asked mildly. "A bit more finely tuned?"
"More like out of tune," Rei groused. Shingo laughed quietly, and they all grabbed a dish of food or a pile of paper plates or napkins and headed outside. "But," Rei continued less scathingly, as they arranged things neatly on the table, "we are like that, too, whatever Ami says. I don't think it's something we've always known, unlike Usagi, but we've had it in us all along. Everyone does. For us, being Senshi is what brought it out. For you, these past couple of weeks have seen you make a good start on it."
"What is 'it', exactly?" Shingo queried.
"Strength of will, to see you through whatever life throws your way," Rei said.
"Wisdom, to know what you have to do," Ami added.
"Courage, for when you have to do it," Makoto chimed in.
"Compassion," Minako finished, "so you'll always remember who you're doing it for."
"Faith." Shingo turned to see who had spoken. Artemis sat at his feet, Luna at his side. He gave a sly feline smile as he continued. "The most important thing you'll ever need is faith in the people you fight for. Even those you fight against are deserving of faith. Some, such as Beryl, will never stop, no matter how wrong they are. Others, though it may not seem so at the time, may have the same goals in mind as you, yet go about reaching them in an entirely different manner."
Luna stood and wreathed herself around Shingo's ankles until he stooped and picked her up. He couldn't believe how he could ever have been afraid of her, just because she was a cat. Making herself comfortable in the boy's arms, Luna gave a considering lick to her paw before speaking. "And then, there's love. Love can work miracles."
Shingo gave a nod of understanding. After all, he'd seen it, felt it, for himself. For a brief moment, they had all felt it, and it had been the most staggering power Shingo had ever come across in his short life. Thinking he could never have an experience that would equal it if he lived to be one hundred, Shingo turned to see Mamoru and Usagi climb into view, pausing at the top of the temple stairs as they caught sight of the rest of them. The girls smiled and waved greetings, and Usagi grinned back as Mamoru placed his hands on her shoulders. Usagi looked up at Mamoru and placed a hand over his where it rested on her shoulder. Something inside Shingo's chest swelled with a warmth at the rightness of the picture they presented, standing united in the sunshine of a bright new day; the same something that made him feel privileged to know these people, to be with them here in this time and in this life. He knew, then, that he'd just topped that power, and couldn't understand how something so simple could surpass something as dire and compelling such as the fight they'd all survived.
~But won't it be interesting to find out.~
"Let's party!"
*THE END*
* * * * *
End Chapter 10
The song is "THE LAST DAY" by Marilyn Scott.
It was a good little story, all-in-all. Not my best, but I don't write bad stories, so, though the plot is somewhat mediocre, I did a good job in sticking to my original idea. All I wanted to do in this story was to add Shingo and to make the Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen find out the others' identities so they could all fight together – and not get killed or brainwashed. A little more manga, a little less juvenile, and a little originality, and presto! Instant fic. Really, I just wanted to see what would happen if Shingo had found out who Sailor Moon was. The fics I write are for me, which is why I don't need or appreciate flames. I am glad that others have enjoyed reading this story along with me, but I won't alter it when there is no point. I appreciate you guys telling me what you think of the story, or even just that you liked it. I hope you all continue to appreciate the works of others, as most have need of a moral boost every now and again, since everyone can't be as confident as me. And if that sounds supercilious, it's because it is. I mean, I am. This is a simple little fic that wasn't meant to go more than five chapters until I got to wondering, 'What If?' Which is how all my fics get started in the first place. The point is I stuck to and achieved my goal. I did what I said I would and got the intended result. How many of you can say the same?
Thank you, those who hung around to see this story through to its end. And a personal thank you to all those who left reviews over the previous nine chapters:
ying87: My very first reviewer for SOS on FFN, signed and everything. You hold a special place in my heart. And yes, I am evil, and I enjoy torture. That is, I enjoy being the torturer instead of the tortured. And thank you for multiple reviews!
aquarius: Glad to have people enjoy my smattering of Japanese words and phrases. Different languages always sound more romantic than saying it in English.
fireash: Encouraging words are always a morale booster. Yours are much appreciated. Oh, and I don't really mind if you don't review each chapter. There's always someone who'll say something nice. It's a compliment that you're too caught up in the storyline to want to take time to stop and review. Go back later if you feel guilty. No biggie. And thank you for multiple reviews AND for reading ODW. I think it's very good, too. J
Twilight Hues: I LOVED you review. Long, chatty reviews are always a joy and a pleasure to read, especially when they're as friendly and clever as yours.
aurora: Haha! Short and to the point reviews are quite nice as well. Especially when I can tell that rabid, demanding tone means you like my story! Oh, and as too putting the translation next to the Japanese – I think it breaks up the flow of the narrative, takes away from the romantic mystery of the foreign language. You could always print it out. And THANK YOU FOR GETTING IT!! This IS like the anime with, as you said, a little twist.
Usagi-1313: Ah, an oldster! You have no idea how nice it is to know people still remember this story. I'm gratified to know you like it enough to re-read it here on FFN.
ttk: Fear not, this story is finally complete! I hope you have enjoyed it.
Namiko-Daughter of Sekhmet: Thank you! Heartfelt begging is always a stroke to the ego.
shadinah: Yes, I love those cliffhangers! They're peppered throughout all my writing, so if you read anything else I eventually post, beware!
White Eternity: Hehehe, enthusiastic dread is never amiss in a review.
Angel Wendy: Thanks! I love words of encouragement and enjoyment!
starfall3: Yes, I am evil, thank you for the compliment. ^_^
~PIEDERMORT~: SOS has been posted on Alicia Blade's and Lady Starra's website, First Love: A Sailormoon Romance (which is what, incidentally, started me writing SOS); and on LadySpring's website, Kawaii Love, which went down on 9/11 and went back up under new ownership. I never resubmitted 'cuz it seemed like a hassle, and First love went idle.
hatami: First evil and now the devil. The compliments just keep rolling in!
katie: I, too, must be a hopeless romantic, for I wrote SOS, did I not? I hope your romantic bones were set suitably atingle by this, the final chapter of SOS.
moonlit angel: A triple compliment! Thank you! Suspense is my goal.
Brianne: Your pleas have been answered. Is it to your satisfaction?
kairinu: Thank you Thank You THANK YOU!!! Any and every type of review is a wonderful boost! It means I got under your skin, even a little bit.
Caoilte: Another compliment . . . I just rake then in with this cliffhanger business. HA! Good to know you, too, appreciate my Japlish. I love like-minded people!
Kachie-chan: Evil, devil, now cruel . . . THANK YOU!!!
Maiden Genisis: Aww, brilliant? (MaiyaV turns bashful, toes the ground) Shucks, thank 'ee kindly, ma'am.
RavenWolf11: Thanks! I do like to rope my readers in. Bait the hook, cast off, and – !
christina: I love you oldsters. Those that liked my story enough to come back, re-read the parts you know to get to the parts you don't. I hope you like the ending after being kept waiting for so long.
BenRG: I ADORE your reviews! Your little rating scale is so CUTE! Short and to the point reviews are nice, but don't vary much in wording. You always have a ready, unique, and honest comment that makes me happy to read. Oh, and I hope I did find a balance between Shingo and Usagi. I drew from the way my own little brother makes me feel.
LinH: People call me evil (my fav), and awesome, say they love me and hate me – I like! And I hate the evil Mamoru plotline, too. Yet another reason I wrote this story.
Chichibiusa: Thank YOU! Fabulous. I never imagined my ten-chap story would merit such grandiose praise as FABULOUS. Makes me feel all mushy and warm. J
Cap'n Jack Sparrow: Thanks! Gee, I've heard that name before . . . ^_^
celticas: Thanks, and yes, it's supposed to be like the anime. That's the point.
Devil Velociraptor: Thank you! Yes, it is great, isn't it?
samsonite: Thanks! Well, what do you think? Is Shingo enough of a hero for you?
Water-Soter: Oh, THANK YOU!! I truly love your review. You got my story in one!
sailor aqua001: Many thank for them kind words! I hope you enjoyed SOS.
Serena71: Another wonderful person who doesn't only just enjoy my story but understands where I'm coming from. THANK YOU!!!
pamela: Beautiful . . . *sniff* Thank you, oh thank you!
Lady Sylver: Thank you! Gratifying to know that my fic captured your attention enough to make you want to read it. And all you have to do to learn Japanese is to keep plugging away at it. Good luck, or, as the Senshi say, Gambatte ne!
DarkSun: Awww *blush* Thank you! Sorry 'bout Motoki, but he had his 15 min. I hope you enjoyed the story anyway.
TheEvilManatee: HAHAHA! Yep, that I did, and now it's done.
Now that's it's done, I find I don't want to let it go. Ah, well, it wasn't destined to be an intricate fic. I have others in the works for that. Three are even Sailor Moon related. So check back every now and again and you may find something new that appeals to you. And remember:
"Too soon, too soon comes Death so show
We love more deeply than we know
And love in life should strive to see
Sometimes what love in death would be."
Luv, Peace, & Pocky!
– MaiyaV ^_~
Japanese Word Key:
Onore – a curse, definitely. What it means is open to debate, as most curses are. Others have translated it as 'Bitch' and probably aren't far off.
Nigete – 'Run'
Issho ni – 'Together'
Ji-san – a short, less formal form of 'Oji-san', 'Oji' meaning either 'Uncle' or, in this case, 'Grandfather', with the honorific '-san' being a term of respect, and NOT translating to 'Mr. Grandfather'.
If you like anime at all – DUB IS *NOT* ANIME!!!!! – you ought to be able to catch most all of the words I've used just by listening closely enough to any decent 4 ep. tape/DVD. I'd recommend mahou shoujo (magical girl) or relationship genres for some of it, though. Touchy-feely Gundam Wing is NOT.