Chapter 9: The Ocean's Rose

"No! This can't happen! We defeated them!" Helios shouted.

"It doesn't matter it happened. I'm sorry Chibi-usa," Sailor Uranus said quietly.

Chibi-usa nodded solemnly and began to raise her hand; she wanted to die a senshi.

"No!" Ami shouted as loud as she could.

"What?" King Endymion and Helios shouted turning to her.

"That's why I came here, I came here to tell you," she held her ribs and keeled over spitting out blood. She stood and began again, "The senshi and I overheard a conversation with Queen Serenity and Sailor Venus the other day, a serious conversation about Chibi-usa," Ami tried to begin, but this wasn't how she had planned to tell him.

"Go on," Helios begged.

"She was telling Venus, about a time she was worried you would leave her. She thought the only way to get you to stay with her was to get pregnant, but she couldn't, so she went out. She found some guy at a bar and nine months later Chibi-usa was born," Ami told him quietly.

"What!?" King Endymion breathed furiously. How could this happen?

"That means Chibi-usa is safe," Helios said quietly, "But it changes everything."

"He's not, he's not my father?" Chibi-usa asked softly. Why hadn't her mother told her this?

Ami shook her head, "I'm sorry Chibi-usa, but you're safe now," she told her.

Helios turned to Ami and Mamoru, "Ami, there was a time long ago, back in the Silver Millenium, you and Prince Endymion were in love, and you were forced apart because of the marriage agreement with the Earth and the Moon. Prince Endymion gave you a crystal sapphire rose and promised that when it was revived he would be back to stay, forever," Helios explained quietly, "Princess Mercury, Prince Endymion, your path is yours to choose."

Mamoru felt a heavy weight fall from his shoulders, but it was quickly replaced by another, "I am to choose between Usagi and Ami?" he asked quietly.

Helios nodded solemnly.

Mamoru looked from Usagi's pleading eyes to Ami's gentle ones. Usagi needed him, Ami didn't, but he loved Ami now and then, and not Usagi. He would have to break one of their hearts and maybe his own.

He looked toward Usagi. She knew what was coming, "Usagi you're a great person, but I've never truly loved you, and it's not fair to you that you have to live a lie; it's not fair to either of us," he tried to explain.

Usagi took off running full speed.

"Usagi!" he ran after her.

He ran into the streets trying to find her, she could be anywhere. What had he done?

§§§~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~§§§

Venus walked solemnly out of her room, tears in her eyes. Mars and Jupiter looked at her worried.

"Neo-Queen Serenity is dead," she said quietly, "She stabbed herself in the heart."

Mars and Jupiter looked shocked and then saddened, "Why?" they asked quietly.

"She couldn't stand the fact that she had kept Endymion from his happiness," Venus tried to explain.

"She was selfish! She couldn't live without him so she killed herself! She didn't even think what it would do to the rest of us!" Mars shouted wiping her tears and running down the hall outraged.

Jupiter nodded, "She's right," she said softly trying to stop the tears.

"I know," Venus tried to be strong.

§§§~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~§§§

Mamoru walked out of the alley and into the park with Usagi in his arms. Blood stained her sailor outfit and ran onto his arms.

"What?" Princess Mercury shook her head.

"She killed herself, stabbed herself in the heart," Mamoru said quietly.

"What?!" Everyone demanded outraged. Soon fury turned to tears and lastly to explanation.

"Chibi-usa exists now, but in the future she will not," Endymion said quietly.

Chibi-usa nodded solemnly; she would get to live her life.

Sailor Pluto appeared in front of them, "I have some bad news," she began, "Oh my…" she trailed off seeing Usagi's limp body.

"She killed herself," was the explanation Pluto received from Uranus.

"Neo-Queen Serenity is dead," Pluto said quietly, "She stabbed herself, Venus was at the gates of time to tell me."

"What?!" Endymion shouted outraged.

"Mommy?" Chibi-usa asked meekly.

Helios held her as she sobbed.

§§§~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~§§§

The funerals for the two were beautiful, the senshi were all there past and present accepting sympathy.

In the past the senshi explained themselves to their parents; they showed them their transformation, explained everything that had happened and then went out to be alone, as they wished their Moon Princess one final goodbye.

Mamoru held Ami close as she cried; they both took responsibility for her death. They knew they couldn't help it, but it still killed them.

Slowly they began to revive their lives, they still held weekly scout meetings, and with time they began to become an Inner Senshi again.

After the funeral the Outer Senshi went home, but every once in awhile they came in to wish them well.

Makoto went back to chasing boys, Rei back to tending her temple, Minako back to her goal of stardom, and Mamoru and Ami back to their studies, seeing each other on the side. They went back to their normal lives, and lived happily, never forgetting their Moon Princess, always loving her, but living happily with her memories safely tucked away in their hearts.

When Queen Ami and King Endymion learned they would have their first child many years later they were thrilled, but the memory of Chibi-usa and her mother hurt.

When Ami gave birth they were given a miracle, out came a little girl with bright red eyes and cotton-candy pink hair coating just the top of her head.

Ami cried and Endymion was overjoyed; they were given Chibi-usa back.

Ami whispered a thank you to Usagi and Serenity and promised them again that no matter what she would always protect them, and their daughter.