Warning: Stars manga spoilers approaching. This is a fanfiction about the downfall of the Outers in the Stars manga, and later the Stars anime. I've written about both death scenes, but I'm still tweaking the anime one. We'll start with this. It's based on the English translated copy of the manga from MIXX. Several bits of dialog have been taken right from the manga, and those parts are marked with a *. Also, liberty has been taken with the places of their deaths. I think they each died in their own castles, but I wanted them all together at the end. Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon, but you knew that. If anything in this story sounds similar to a situation in any other fic, it is completely unintentional.~*~*~*~*~
Love And Death
~*~
The Stars Manga
~*~
Uranus's heels clicked as she landed in the hallway of the Miranda Castle, deep in the midst of space. She looked around, sighing. Being in the castle brought back memories of staying alone in space during the Silver Millenium, guarding the outer reaches of the solar system from threats. It had been a lonely time, full of thoughts of her beloved Neptune, of her best friend Pluto, and of the young princess light years away on Earth's moon.
A tiny floating bubble approached her from the depths of the control room. She smiled vaguely at the figure in the bubble. "Guardian Uranus."
"Princess Uranus!" the figure exclaimed. "It's been too long!"
Uranus held out her hands and let the bubble settle on her palms. The figure in the bubble was an exact copy of her, with a little piece of her soul in it. This small copy looked after the castle while she was away, which had been years.
"It's good to see you, too," said Uranus.
"I'll be outside the door if you need me, Princess Uranus," said the guardian.
"I might need your help setting up a shield around the solar system. It depends on how much power these machines can muster. I'll let you know." Uranus had always felt a bit odd talking to herself, but it was nice to have the feeling of company in the castle. 'If it were up to me,' she thought, 'Michiru and I would share a castle, and maybe Setsuna could come and stay too, then naturally Hotaru would be there as well, and we could get a little bit of noise in here.'
Uranus moved to the controls and flipped them on. She was slightly surprised that everything was still functioning well. Silver Millenium technology was amazingly good. Pluto would be pleasantly surprised too. She was always fussing with the electrical devices at home. Uranus had a sudden smile at a mental picture of Setsuna receiving an electric shock from touching a live wire and having her hair standing up all over the place. Sailor Pluto…giant ball of electricity.
Chuckling silently, Uranus flipped on her view screens and the image of Neptune promptly appeared. She raised a gloved hand and rested it on the screen over Neptune's cheek. "Hello, Love. Pleasant trip?"
Neptune's image smiled and her voice echoed through the control room. "Soaring through space is always a turbulent experience, but today it wasn't that bad."
Uranus smiled. "It's harder for you since you have to make it through that asteroid belt and by that space vacuum. You know, the one that sucked all your clothes off that time, and you had to go find another uniform, but not until you turned on the screen so I could -"
"Hush!" she exclaimed, holding back laughter. "I know we always have fun in space, but this is serious. We'd better get that shield up before anything else happens."
"Agreed." Uranus pushed some buttons in hopes of warming up the protective shield. "I could use a manual…"
"What was that?" asked Neptune, a glimmer of amusement in her eyes.
"Oh, nothing!" Uranus gulped. "I'm going to contact Pluto. She ought to have battled her way through that space vacuum by now. I just hope she's still got her clothes…" She pressed a button and paged Pluto's castle.
In several minutes, Pluto's face appeared on Uranus's other view monitor. The blonde gave her friend a smile before getting down to business. "Pluto! Prepare the shield!" *
Pluto's face was full of concentration. "Hold on. I've got to look up this meteor."*
Uranus looked at both Pluto's image and then Neptune's. "A meteor?" *
Pluto nodded, tapping buttons like a pro. "That strange Sagittarius meteor shower has showered our earth for months." *
Michiru nodded. "I noticed that too. It seemed so unnatural."
Uranus leaned against the control panel. "Now that I think about it, there were just too many of them to be normal shooting stars. What do you think, Pluto?"
Pluto suddenly gasped. "All exceed the maximum speed. They weren't real meteors! The power of these stars! They're alien to the solar system! Could they have come from a different system?" *
"They've invaded the earth as mock meteors!" * Neptune suddenly exclaimed.
Uranus kept her face cool, but something felt strange. Fishy. Like something horrendous was about to happen. Part of her wanted to run out the castle door and head straight to Planet Neptune and then Pluto to pick up the girls. Something wasn't right. But she just cleared her throat and asked, "So, Pluto, where did Shadow Galactica and their troops come from?" *
Pluto's eyes were lowered as she read her computer screen. "From the galaxy…" *
Uranus's eyes moved to Neptune's image. "Why is she hesitating?"
"From the galaxy…" *
"Pluto?" asked Neptune, her voice small.
Pluto suddenly turned around with a jerk so that her back was to the screen. "Who is it?!" * she cried.
Uranus leapt to Pluto's screen and pressed her hands on either side of it. "PLUTO!"
There was a blinding light and Uranus watched as Pluto was thrown back against the screen, her head smashing into it hard. Uranus's screen immediately went fuzzy. "Pluto?! * PLUTO!" Uranus looked frantically at Neptune. "Oh my god! Can you still see her?"
Neptune was staring in horror. "Uranus! Get out of the castle! Something's gone wrong! Her head…it hit so hard! We have to get to Planet Pluto!"
Uranus was stunned. "She was right there…I saw. A golden light knocked her into the screen…Pluto…"
Guardian Uranus had drifted back into the control room, her face very pale. "Princess Uranus! Something horrible has happened! Guardian Pluto…she doesn't exist anymore."
"What?" gasped Uranus.
"She's been completely destroyed."
"And Princess Pluto?"
The little Guardian shook her head. "I don't know."
Uranus ran to the fuzzy screen that used to hold Pluto's face, but now held nothing but silence, and punched it as hard as she could in a desperate rage. "SETSUNA!!" The screen cracked up the middle from the force of the wind soldier's anger. "She could be dying over there!"
Neptune's teary face appeared on the other monitor again. Neptune rarely cried, so Uranus knew she was really panicked at the thought of not knowing the fate of her best friend. "Uranus, what's going on?"
Uranus tried to calm herself. "Listen. You stay where you are; I'm coming to pick you up. Then we'll go to Charon Castle together and see what happened. Don't move until I get there and be on your guard!"
Neptune nodded, and Uranus was soon running out the door of Miranda Castle, as fast as the wind.
~*~
Not long after, Uranus and Neptune burst into Pluto's castle. "Pluto!" called Uranus, barely concealing her grief. She had become more and more upset on the short trip to Planet Pluto.
Neptune gripped Uranus's arm as a gesture to be silent. "Whoever hit Pluto could still be here," she whispered. "It only took us minutes to get here."
Uranus nodded, thinking that it seemed like so much longer when one was panicked. She drew out her Space Sword in preparation. "Be ready to fight."
Neptune nodded grimly and threw open the doors to Charon Castle's control room. They were immediately faced with a woman all in gold, with cruel eyes. She was bent over Pluto, who was bleeding from the back of her head and barely keeping conscious.
Uranus narrowed her eyes and muttered, "Galaxia."
Neptune sucked in her breath. They were facing the woman from Taiki's card – the woman who had killed Mamoru.
Uranus's rage gave her courage. She held out her sword. "Back away from her. One move and you'll be sorry."
Pluto shook her head and gasped, "Uranus, Neptune…get out of here. Run. RUN!"
Uranus was momentarily stunned by Pluto's outburst. She was usually so soft-spoken. Pluto's obvious terror strengthened her resolve more. "You heard me. Move away from her."
The golden woman stood and smiled at the new arrivals. She said nothing – her very presence was enough to take away the breath – and raised her hand. She sent a blast out of her finger with such force that Uranus and Neptune were knocked backwards into a nearby wall. "No!" cried Pluto, bracing herself on the control panel in an attempt to rise.
Uranus lifted her head and immediately realized she was staring death in the face. There was something powerful and terrifying about this golden Sailor. "Neptune…"
Neptune's hand inched to Uranus's and tightly grasped her fingers. "I'm not afraid…"
Uranus took a great breath and slowly lifted her sword. She was weakened and bruised from the powerful blast, but that wasn't enough to deter her. If she was going down, she was going down protecting Neptune and Pluto. Galaxia would have to kill her before a hair on their heads was touched. Never letting go of Neptune's hand, she raised her sword high in the air, her face full of concentration and fury. "SPACE SWORD BLAS-" She started to bring her weapon down as bright light shot out of the bracelets her enemy wore. She was struck hard in the chest and the Space Sword went clattering across the room.
Neptune froze, staring in horror. She couldn't make a sound.
Uranus's eyes had widened and she started to make a low choking sound in her throat. A bright blue diamond floated out of her chest and was grasped triumphantly by Galaxia. Uranus fell backwards onto the floor, gasping for breath, life quickly leaving her body." Mich…Michi…" she gasped.
Neptune blinked once before screwing up her face in agony. "NO!!" Her scream of grief echoed off the walls of the control room. Galaxia just smirked and raised her hand to shoot at Neptune.
Neptune was clutching onto Uranus's hand as tightly as she could. "I can't forgive you," she hissed in an odd voice unfamiliar to Pluto, who had managed to get to her feet, tears spilling down her cheeks. Neptune drew out the Deep Aqua Mirror and pointed it at the enemy, her face hard and devoid of emotion.
Galaxia shot a blast at Neptune, striking the mirror. It's power had no effect on the evil blast of energy and the Deep Aqua Mirror shattered into bits. Neptune cried out as a second well placed beam of power struck her in the chest. She froze in shock, her body shaking. Then she smiled. She fell forwards, partially covering Uranus's still body. Galaxia quickly retrieved Neptune's Star Seed and gave Pluto a look that plainly said: 'Well?'
"Michiru! Haruka! Don't go!!" Pluto ran forward using all of her strength and threw herself down beside the lovers.
Uranus's eyes moved to Pluto's and she raised one hand to her friend's cheek. "You're crying. I've never seen you cry."
Pluto clutched her hands. "I love you."
Neptune smiled. "We love you, too."
Uranus ran her gloved hand over Pluto's head. "God, you're bleeding so badly."
Pluto closed her eyes and shook her head helplessly. "It doesn't matter."
Uranus suddenly took Pluto's arm fiercely and hissed in an undertone. "Listen to me. Don't cry over us! Get out of here, as fast as you can. Run. You won't win this fight."
Startled, Pluto tried to hold back her sobs. "I'll get you back. We can't end like this. I'll get all of us back somehow."
Neptune smiled through tears. "We know you will."
Uranus grasped Pluto's head and kissed her fiercely on the forehead before pushing her away. "Go!"
Pluto backed off, horrified, as Uranus and Neptune whispered their last sweet nothings to each other and let their heads drop, their hands tightly clasped. They started to slowly turn to dust. Pluto turned away, unable to watch anymore. She struggled to her feet even though her badly injured head was causing her strength to fade quickly. She looked hatefully at the golden soldier who seemed to be enjoying the death of the lovers. "Such a delicious look of hate," laughed the woman. "Does your temper match that of the blonde's?"
Pluto shook with fury.
Galaxia continued, "Are you ready to join your friends? You're lucky I spared you this long."
Pluto shook her head. "I'll stop you in your tracks. The future does not hold you in it."
"And neither does it hold you." Galaxia lifted her bracelets.
Pluto closed her eyes. She wished she could honor Uranus's wishes, but she had to try to stop Galaxia. She might be one of the only ones who could, the other being Saturn. She had to try to stop this evil soldier before little Saturn had to resort to her powers. "DARK DOME CLOSE!!" yelled the soldier of time. Using her forbidden power would kill her, but it would also freeze the enemy long enough for the others to find them. She could hold on that long. She had to.
Galaxia shot her fatal beam at the second Pluto screamed the forbidden words. Time stood still for a portion of a second and then the soldier of Pluto was crumpled on the ground. It also coincided with the arrival of a small figure that jumped at Pluto, also being struck by the blast.
Pluto lay curled up, a bad pain in her chest. "I'm sorry, Haruka…I tried. It's up to Hotaru and the princess now." She turned her head and gave a dry sob. "Oh no…God, NO!"
Hotaru lay near her, her eyes full of fear. Her violet Star Seed hung in the air above her, just out of reach. "Setsuna!" shrieked the terrified, confused child. "Setsuna, what's happening!"
Pluto pulled herself across the floor, ignoring the black diamond that floated above her, her thoughts on only Hotaru. After what felt like hours, she reached the small girl and gathered her as close to her as she could, holding her tightly. "What are you doing here! You were safe with Luna and Artemis. Why did you have to come here?"
Hotaru wrapped her arms around Pluto's neck. "You were hurt! I felt your pain. I wanted to help you!" The girl looked down and noticed that Pluto's feet were starting to dissolve. "What's happening to us!"
Pluto held her tighter. "Shh…don't be frightened, Hotaru. It won't hurt for long and then we'll be with Haruka and Michiru again. That will be nice." She fought against the tears that brimmed in her eyes. The younger girl should never have come there. It shouldn't happen this way. She was just too young and had never had a chance at a normal life.
Hotaru clutched onto Pluto's uniform so tightly it started to tear. "I won't be scared if you stay with me."
Pluto smiled and kissed the little girl. "I'll never leave you. You're my baby. My little Saturn. And I love you more than anything." Pluto let her head fall, unable to hold it up anymore.
Hotaru noticed that Pluto had stopped talking to her, and she raised her head to see that her idol had stopped breathing and was starting to dissolve very rapidly. "Setsuna? Suna, wake up!" She pushed on Pluto's chest vigorously, but nothing changed. She closed her eyes and screamed a cry that echoed through the galaxy. "MAMA!!" She then rested her head against Pluto's transparent chest and quietly let herself dissolve into dust.
~*~*~*~*~
How's that for depressing? Anyway, feel free to review, but keep in mind that this is my take on it, and other people are bound to have different opinions. Just review it for what it is. :) Also, Dark Dome Close is Pluto's forbidden power, right? I know she's used Time Stop, but it does have another name, right? If I'm wrong, please point that out to me. I can't find the place in the manga where she uses Dark Dome Close, but I seem to remember that it's forbidden. Thanks!Love,
Lady Grizabella – A Pluto fan, if you couldn't tell. ;)
http://www.angelfire.com/mi3/ladygrizdrawings/sailor_moon.html