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Chapter Eleven

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The darkness of night accentuated the carnage that Jadeite had wrought. The battlefield was a cacophony of flickering shadows and eerie crimson, orange, and pale yellow illumination cast by the towering infernos that engulfed a large portion of the city, providing a backdrop for the imminent conflict all too reminscent of various portrayals of Hell. Less than a kilometer away, the silhouettes of JSDF troops and tanks could be seen, wavering in the heat of the flames. The street fronting the Palace was completely blocked off by the defense force.

The group of eleven warriors spent a moment taking in this scene before scowling up at the evil maniac. His powerful, dark aura crackled menacingly as he sneered down at them.

"Well, well...Endymion. And the Sailor Whores. And another little punk..."

Sailor Saturn whirled to see Titanite standing beside her, Grave Lance held at the ready. "You shouldn't be here," she said. "Serenity-sama said for everyone but the Senshi to go to the sub-levels..."

"Everyone without powers," Titanite said. "That doesn't include me. I refuse to go into hiding when you're out here putting yourself in danger."

Saturn shook her head. "You don't even know how to use your powers yet."

"Gotta learn sometime," Titanite said. "Might as well be now."

"Baka..." Saturn muttered, worry clouding her violet eyes.

"I shouldn't be surprised that goody-goodies like you breed like cockroaches," Jadeite said, smirking.

"And you've got the personality of one," Serenity retorted, rising into the air with two powerful beats of her great, feathery wings. "You will not be forgiven for your transgressions against this city."

Jadeite made a great show of yawning. "Yes, I've heard it before, in the name of the moon, you'll punish me. I don't think so." He extended one hand before him, and a thick, black energy beam shot forth. Serenity frantically dodged it.

"Serenity-sama! Be careful!" Mars called.

Jadeite laughed. "Even now, you are too feeble to threaten me, Your Highness," he said, the last word dripping with sarcasm.

The Ginzuishou began to pulse, fueled by Serenity's anger. "Your sentence is banishment back to whatever rock you crawled out from under! Crystal Millenium Royal Decree!"

The wave of silver light that signified Sailor Serenity's attack flooded the battlefield, momentarily erasing the shadows cast by the blazes. As the light faded, a voice cackled maniacally. The Senshi, Endymion, and Titanite gasped as they looked up to see Jadeite floating unharmed, a pulsating barrier of darkness strobing in front of him. "Sonna..." Serenity said, floating closer to the ground.

Jadeite smirked. "The much-acclaimed Maboroshi no Ginzuishou, I take it?" He snorted. "Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. Give up, moon slut," he sneered, "your pitiful little rock is no match for me." He spat in her direction. "Wait your turn. I'll kill you after I finish with Endymion."

"Okay, how the hell did Jadeite get that kind of power?" Mars wondered.

Mercury's visor was already in place and flashing. After a few moments, her eyes widened behind the translucent blue device. "Minna...we've got to subdue Jadeite as quickly as possible, and force him to bleed off as much of that energy as we can. If we don't..."

"What is it, Mercury?" Endymion asked.

Mercury looked grim. "Jadeite's power is unstable, and it's feeding back on itself. The more power he generates, the more unstable it becomes."

"So what you're saying is..." Jupiter prompted.

"Jadeite's a time bomb," Mercury said. "If we don't drain him soon, he's going to blow, and he could take most of Tokyo with him."

"Just perfect," Venus muttered.

Jadeite glared down at Endymion. "Are you prepared to die?"

Endymion glared back. "You should ask yourself that, Jadeite."

Jadeite chuckled menacingly. A black lightning bolt lashed out, striking Endymion full in the chest and sending him sprawling onto the street.

"MAMO-CHAN!" Serenity shrieked. Glaring up at Jadeite, she took to the sky again, the Ginzuishou strobing with brilliant silver light. Not bothering to make a speech or call an attack, she extended her hands before her, directing a pure beam of power towards Jadeite. The evil general smirked, pushing his barrier forth with both hands. The strobing dark energy folded around the beam, and began pushing against it. Serenity's brow creased, and she closed her eyes, straining to break the dark forcefield.

Mercury's eyes widened. "Serenity-sama! Break off!"

The ensnared end of Serenity's attack began to bulge, swirls of blackness creeping into the silver-white light. The bulge suddenly rocketed backwards through the beam, causing the pure light to terminate in its wake, and slammed into Sailor Serenity, sending her flying backward to collide with the front wall of the Crystal Palace.

"SERENITY-SAMA!" the Senshi cried in unison. Their winged leader slid down the wall slowly. The Ginzuishou began to throb with bright light, which spread out over her body. A similar luminescence began to pour from the palace wall, amplifying the power of the Ginzuishou. By the time Serenity hit the ground, she was encased in a thick, silvery-white cocoon of light. Sailor Mars dashed over to the fallen queen, deep concern evident in her eyes.

"USAKO!" Endymion shouted as he stood up, seemingly unharmed except for the burn marks on his shirt. He glared up at Jadeite. "You die," he snarled. His clothing shifted, becoming a gleaming lilac-white suit of armor. The sheath which hung at his side widened, and he drew forth from that sheath a double-edged broadsword which seemed to shine with a pure, bright light all its own. With an incoherent yell of rage, Endymion leapt towards the Palace, striking the wall feet-first and springboarding off, launching himself straight at Jadeite. As he approached, he took a swing with his sword, attempting to behead the man that had once been one of his most trusted protectors.

Jadeite floated back a few paces, smiling nastily. "You missed," he said, before striking Endymion with an energy-covered fist. Endymion shouted in pain and surprise, losing his grip on his sword as he plummeted to the ground.

"Endymion!" the Senshi gasped.

Jadeite cackled maniacally. "Now, you insufferable bastard," he said, glaring menacingly down at the fallen king, "you die." Bolts of dark energy began crackling between his hands.

"We've got to get Jadeite on the ground," Mercury said. "There's no way we can stop him as long as he's up there."

"Do you know what I'm going to do?" Jadeite gloated as he hovered over Endymion, gathering his power. "After I kill you, I'm going to rape your moon slut. Then, I'm going to kill all the little sailor whores." He grinned nastily.

Endymion rose shakily to his hands and knees, glaring defiantly up at Jadeite. "You'll die first," he spat.

Titanite blinked. "I've got it, I think," he said. The Senshi turned to him. "Let me try something..."

"It better not be something like what Endymion-sama just tried," Saturn said.

Titanite shook his head. "Just watch. I think I just figured out an attack..."

Jadeite chuckled. "Really? Who's going to kill me? You?" He snorted. "You're pathetic, Endymion. And your moon slut is just as pathetic. So are the sailor whores. You're all pathetic losers." He narrowed his eyes. "And you're all about to be dead losers." He unleashed his power, sending a dozen narrow, deadly bolts of dark energy surging towards Endymion. The young king let out a strangled cry, writhing in agony as the evil general's attack buffeted him.

"Whatever you're gonna do, do it fast, kid!" Uranus said.

Standing apart from the group, Titanite raised his naginata over his head and began spinning it. As it spun, the blade and buttcap seemed to glow darkly, leaving a circle of energy in their wake. "Gravity Ring!" he called, halting the spin and pointing the Grave Lance at Jadeite. The dark ring of power created by his weapon shot off in the direction of the evil general, whose efforts to kill Endymion left him wide open. The ring encircled him, and he gave a cry of surprise as he suddenly dropped to the ground. His aura seemed to shrink slightly as the ring faded away, its energy spent. As the surging dark energies broke off their assault, Endymion slumped to the ground, unconscious.

"Saturn! Go help Endymion," Venus instructed. Saturn and Titanite dashed down the palace steps to examine the fallen king.

"He's weakened, but alive," Mercury reported, her visor flickering.

"What about Jadeite?" Jupiter asked.

Mercury's visor flashed as she scanned Jadeite. "He's lost about ten percent of his power," she said incredulously. "I'm reading an area of higher gravity around his body."

Uranus whistled. "The kid's not too shabby," she said.

As Saturn examined Endymion, Jadeite picked himself up off the ground. "Nice trick, you little shit," he said, glaring at Titanite. "I hope you enjoy watching your entrails pour out onto the ground when I rip you open for that."

Saturn stood in front of Titanite, brandishing the Silence Glaive with clear menace. "Over my dead body," she said. Titanite moved to stand beside her, holding the Grave Lance at the ready, consequently barring Jadeite from a clear shot at Endymion.

"That can be arranged, little girl," Jadeite sneered.

"Enough of this shit," Jupiter said, running over to join the fray. "STATIC COMPRESSION!"

Jadeite laughed, arcs of his power stabbing out to slash the mass of electrified vines attempting to ensnare him. Jupiter's attack fell short, the broken vines withering and crumbling as their power faded. "You like electricty, I take it?" he asked. "Here, have some!" He gathered a tightly compressed disk of dark lightning, similar to Jupiter's own Sparkling Wide Pressure, and flung it at her.

"SHABON SHIELD!" Mercury shouted. Several large bubbles sprayed forth from her raised hands, encasing Jupiter, Endymion, and the two teens just as Jadeite's attack was about to hit. The static disk exploded as it struck the bubble, which wavered slightly, but held, leaving Jupiter completely unharmed.

"Thanks, Mercury," Jupiter said.

"No problem," Mercury said. "That'll protect you for a little while."

"Okay, you..." Venus said, facing Jadeite. "Nobody attacks my friends and gets away with it. VENUS SHOCKING BEAUTY SNARE!" Venus whirled, raising one hand to the sky, and a flurry of glowing orange hearts circled her—far too many to be the familiar Love-Me Chain. She brought a hand to her lips, as though blowing Jadeite a kiss. The flurry of hearts flew forth in a wide spray. As they approached Jadeite, they formed into a massive net. The dark general ducked to one side, but the glowing web tracked him, ensnaring him and knocking him to the ground. He struggled against it to no avail.

"My turn," Uranus said, raising a fist above her head. "WORLD..." A ball of golden energy began to form around her raised fist. "CRUSHING!" She opened her hand, and the sphere rose straight into the air, vanishing among the stars. It reappeared right above Jadeite, who had nearly succeeded in freeing himself and had risen to his knees. Uranus' attack then dropped straight down, slamming Jadeite back to the ground hard. The impact had an effect on Venus' net as well, as the glowing hearts began flickering. Like a string of firecrackers, the hearts exploded one by one, each detonation causing Jadeite's dark corona to flicker wildly.

"He's losing power," Mercury said. "Keep it up!"

"DEEP TRIDENT!" Neptune shouted, raising her arms skyward, then flinging them forward. A giant, glistening trident, seemingly made entirely of water, launched forth from her outstretched hands. The aquatic weapon struck Jadeite, flinging him several meters away. At this point, the bubble shields Mercury had conjured wavered and popped.

Jadeite rose to his feet, scowling. "You Senshi have always been an annoying pack of bitches," he spat. His aura intensified, a large black ball of energy forming between his hands. "DIE!" he roared. The sphere quickly expanded away from Jadeite, sending a wave of dark power in all directions. The group scrambled to evade the attack, but it tore through them, knocking everyone to the ground, with the exception of Saturn, Titanite, and Endymion, all of whom were protected by a hastily erected Silence Wall.

Jadeite glared at the two teens. "Shouldn't children be in bed at this time of night?" he sneered, flinging bolts of dark power at them. The two warriors of Saturn scrambled to evade Jadeite's attacks without compromising Endymion's safety, their efforts made more difficult by the fact that they were fighting on the palace steps.

Unnoticed by all, Endymion groaned, rising shakily to his hands and knees.

At one point, as Saturn and Titanite ducked and dodged Jadeite's bolts, the blades of the Silence Glaive and the Grave Lance came into contact with one another. There was a strange spark, and the two teens stared at one another, wide-eyed.

"Did you—?" Titanite asked.

"Yeah," Saturn said.

"DIE!" Jadeite bellowed, preparing to fire a massive bolt at them. Just as he was about to release the blast, there was a strange tinkling sound, and he lost control, the bolt dissipating back into his aura. "What—?" He glanced at his left hand, which was bleeding, then at the ground before him.

A crystal rose struck the street below, embedding its stem in the pavement. Its glassy thorns were stained with gray-green blood.

Jadeite spun to find Endymion standing behind him, his sword held at the ready. "I'm your opponent," the king said, "not these children."

Jadeite smiled darkly. "As you wish, Endymion," he said. A large, black crystal sword formed in his uninjured right hand. "En garde."

"We need to check on the others," Saturn said.

"What about Endymion?" Titanite asked.

Saturn looked over at the two combatants, warily circling each other, each waiting for the other to make the first strike. "He'll have to hold Jadeite off for a bit. We've got to make sure the others are alright." With that, she ran over to Mercury, kneeling over the blue-haired Senshi and placing a hand on her neck. "Cover me," she said to Titanite, who nodded.

Endymion and Jadeite glared at each other as they circled, the very air around them charged with their anger and hatred for one another. Endymion's sword shone with a bright aura, while dark, angry sparks arced and snapped along the length of Jadeite's blade.

Finally growing weary of the standoff, Jadeite charged, bellowing incoherently. Endymion met Jadeite's initial strike, and the clang of the two swords rang out across the battleground.

Sailor Saturn's hand began to glow with a pale violet light as she concentrated. She could feel the slow yet steady beat of Mercury's heart, could feel the expansion of her lungs as she continued to breathe. Gently, she urged Mercury's body to recover from Jadeite's assault. Her power flowed through Mercury's body, undoing the more serious damage from Jadeite's assault.

Mercury groaned softly, and her eyes fluttered open. She looked up.

"Easy, Mercury," Saturn said.

Mercury sat up despite Saturn's insistence, glancing around. She gasped as she saw Endymion and Jadeite facing off, the clash of their blades louder than any bell. "We've got to help Endymion!" she cried, struggling to stand.

Saturn placed a hand on her shoulder, forcing her back down. "You're not strong enough to fight yet. That blast took a lot out of you."

Mercury resisted for a moment, then her shoulders slumped. "You're right," she admitted. Reactivating her visor, she scanned the other Senshi. "Everyone's unconscious," she said. "I can't get a reading on Serenity-sama, though. Whatever the Ginzuishou did is interfering with my sensors." Looking back at the two combatants, she gasped.

"What is it?" Saturn asked, glancing in that direction.

Jadeite made a quick feint, his blade sliding to the left of Endymion's parry. A loud crunch reported the impact of the black sword against Endymion's shoulderguard. The pristine armor held, but sported a nasty crack, which crackled with dark energy.

Gritting his teeth, Endymion brought his blade up, angling for a slash at Jadeite's throat. Jadeite dodged badly, and Endymion's sword rent a deep gash in his left shoulder.

Titanite cheered as the king landed a solid blow to Jadeite. Mercury, on the other hand, was frowning.

"What's wrong, Mercury?" Saturn asked.

"Jadeite's power...it's replenishing itself," Mercury said. "Everything we threw at him...it didn't do any good."

Saturn glanced over at the dueling men, noticing the increasing number of sparks flowing around Jadeite like electrons orbiting an unstable, deadly atom. "I need to revive the others," she said.

"You have some skill, Endymion," Jadeite seethed. "I'm surprised." He jabbed at the king's abdomen.

Endymion deflected the strike. "More than enough skill to destroy you," he said.

Jadeite chuckled. "I seriously doubt that." He charged, delivering a hard slash to Endymion's side. The king managed to move quickly enough to lessen the damage, but was not able to completely evade the strike, which tore a gash in his armor. He grunted in pain, dropping to one knee.

Jupiter and Venus, freshly revived by Saturn, gasped, struggling to stand and intervene.

"We gotta do something!" Jupiter said. "He's gonna get killed!" She tried to summon her power—even a little bit—but collapsed back to the ground, spent and exhausted.

"Shingo! You've got to help Endymion!" Venus called.

Titanite grimaced, holding his position. "I can't," he said. "Anything I try to do to Jadeite, I risk hitting Endymion-sama too."

Jadeite cackled, raising his sword overhead. His eyes gleamed maniacally as he sneered down at Endymion. "Say goodbye," he said.

"Good-BYE!" Endymion shouted, suddenly rising from the ground in a swift motion, catching Jadeite completely by surprise. Jadeite swung downward...

All the Senshi were now awake, and struggling to stand, to attack, to do anything. Saturn and Titanite were already in motion, seemingly prepared to bodily tackle Jadeite...

Twisting to the side, Endymion brought his sword up, swinging it in a manner reminiscent of a baseball player. The edge of the blade made contact with Jadeite's left elbow...

The crystal blade of Jadeite's sword sank into the landing, jagged cracks ribboning down the steps almost halfway to street level. The enraged warrior caught himself on its hilt as he pitched forward. His eyes were wide with shock and surprise.

Silence filled the air as Endymion's sword came to rest at his side, broken by a soft, meaty thud.

On the steps half a meter below the stunned Jadeite lay an arm, severed at the elbow, clothed in a ragged, stained gray sleeve. Grayish-green blood pooled around the jagged, torn flesh.

Jadeite stared at the stump of his left arm in disbelief. He then slowly stood, turning his incredulous gaze to Endymion. His look of confusion twisted into a scowl of rage, his evil, black aura flaring around him. "YOU'LL PAY DEARLY FOR THAT!!" he bellowed, green eyes burning with hatred.

"Finish him, Endymion-sama!" Titanite yelled. "Hurry!"

Endymion brought his sword back up to a ready stance, eyeing Jadeite warily.

Mercury's eyes widened as her visor flashed a warning. "Endymion-sama! Look out!"

With all eyes fixed on the two combatants, nobody saw the shimmering coccoon of light resting against the Palace wall fade away. Sailor Serenity stirred, blinking her eyes open.

Jadeite's fierce gaze locked upon Endymion's wary one. Endymion's muscles suddenly locked up. He would have given a shout of surprise, but his vocal cords refused to respond.

Standing closest to the battle, Titanite immediately saw what was happening, and made his move. "GRAVITY RING!"

The dark ring sped towards Jadeite. The evil general's sword suddenly rose from the ground, spinning in the air. Titanite's attack was deflected into the sky.

Jadeite laughed maniacally. "Fool," he said. "Nothing can stop me!" Fixing the frozen king with a look of pure menace, he snarled, "Now...DIE."

Serenity rose shakily to her feet, glancing around. She saw all the Senshi struggling to stand, saw Saturn and Titanite ahead of the pack, running towards Jadeite, who stood farther away, facing Endymion. She saw the black crystal sword stop spinning, pointed directly at her husband.

She took to the air, crying out as she used all her strength to carry her across the battlefield.

None of the Senshi noticed Serenity's cries, transfixed as they were on the spectacle before them.

Arcs of dark power surged around the black sword as its deadly tip aimed itself directly at Endymion's heart. Jadeite leveled his remaining arm at the stricken king.

The dark crystal sword shot forth, faster than the eye could follow.

A terrible sound rent the still air, a mixture of glass shattering, metal tearing, and the crunch of abused bone.

The paralysis broke, and Endymion pitched forward, eyes wide. His face went pale, and a small stream of blood flowed from his mouth. He looked down to see the dark crystal hilt of Jadeite's sword sprouting from his chest.

The end of the blade, jagged and cracked, emerged from between his shoulderblades.

Endymion fell to the ground. Jadeite laughed cruelly, a small storm of dark lightning erupting around him.

All of the Senshi cried out in despair. Serenity froze, dropping to the ground in shock, staring incredulously at the fallen king. "No..." she sobbed. "No...NOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Jadeite strode slowly forward, planting a booted foot on Endymion's neck. Sneering at his fallen foe, he grasped the hilt of the dark sword with his remaining hand and pulled it free of the body. Crimson blood dripped from the shattered blade, joining the swiftly spreading pool on the ground.

Serenity stood, head bowed, bangs obscuring her eyes. "Mamo-chan..." A single tear fell to the ground.

Jadeite laughed.

"Mamo...chan..." Two more tears joined the first.

"Good riddance, Endymion!" Jadeite cackled.

"You...killed...Mamo...chan..."

Everyone turned to watch the young queen, not willing to gaze upon the body of Endymion.

Serenity slowly raised her head. Her crystal blue eyes were filled with dark stormclouds of seething rage. Those eyes locked onto Jadeite, radiating more hatred than anyone present could begin to imagine. Saturn and Titanite quickly cleared out of the blast radius, and the Senshi that had regained enough strength to move scrambled away from their angry queen.

"BASTARD!!" Serenity screamed. The Ginzuishou began to glow brightly, illuminating the gloating murderer and the body of his victim in strobing silver light.

Jadeite sneered at her. "It's your turn now, moon slut," he said.

The Crystal Palace began to glow, strobing with the same light as the Ginzuishou. Everyone felt the hair on their necks stand on end as raw power surged across the surface of the edifice's central spire.

A narrow beam of energy lanced from the Ginzuishou, striking Jadeite squarely between the eyes. His laughter stopped; his dark aura seemed to recoil away from the pencil-thin ray of light.

"Your sentence is death," Serenity whispered hoarsely.

A massive beam of pure energy ripped away from the Crystal Palace, slamming into Jadeite with the force of a bullet train. The dark general was lifted off the ground and blasted into the distance, driven into the burning horizon by the power of the beam.

As abruptly as it began, the wave of energy stopped, and the Palace resumed its normal appearance. the Ginzuishou's furious strobe settled back to its normal, quiet glow.

"What the—?" Uranus gasped.

"The power of the Crystal Palace," Pluto whispered in awe. "The power of Serenity."

"Incredible," Neptune said.

Having recovered their strength, all of the Sailor Senshi rose, moving to stand behind their queen. Shifting out of her Senshi form, Neo-Queen Serenity slowly, shakily strode across the battleground, kneeling beside the body of her husband. "Mamo-chan..." she said softly, cradling his head in her lap.

Endymion's eyes opened slightly, and he coughed wetly, a small spray of blood issuing from his mouth. "U...sa...ko..." he rasped. "I...I'm sorry..."

"Mamo-chan..."

The king lapsed into a coughing fit, spitting out more blood. "The...Earth...calling me...back..." He trailed off, wheezing as he took a deep, shuddering breath. "T...take...care...Usako. I...love...you..."

"Mamo-chan! Don't leave me!" Serenity pleaded. The Ginzuishou's glow brightened.

Endymion smiled gently. "I...I'm always...with you..." He began to lose focus, his body wracked with spasms. "We...we'll be...together...again..."

A fit of ragged, wet coughs seized him then. Blood covered his mouth and chin as he gazed up at his wife one last time. His armor faded to his more familiar black tuxedo, and he withdrew a rose from his jacket, pressing it into the young queen's hand. Then, with one last painful, rattling breath, the light in his eyes died, and King Endymion was no more.

"NOOOOOOOOO!!!" Serenity screamed. Not relenquishing her hold on Endymion's body, she raised her hand to the crystal upon her chest.

The Senshi gasped, moving in around her. "Serenity-sama!" Pluto said. "You mustn't...you can't risk it..."

"Mamo-chan," Serenity whispered. The Ginzuishou began to strobe...

"Is it over?" a soldier asked the JSDF major in charge of the situation.

"Looks like it," the major said.

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble. Multiple shouts of confusion rang out as troops scrambled to maintain their footing.

"What the—?"

"An earthquake?"

"I have a bad feeling about this," the major said. Indicating three of his best men, he marched purposefully towards the crystal steps. Checking their weapons, the men followed.

"Usagi...please...don't do it..." Mars pleaded.

Serenity was beyond hearing. The crystal flared, bathing the battered remains of Endymion in soft, ethereal light.

"Mamo-chan...come back..." Serenity pleaded softly.

Four uniformed, armed men ascended the landing, settling into wary, defensive stances. "What's going on up here?" the obvious leader asked.

Sailor Mars moved to intercept them. "You should leave this place," she said.

"Can't do that," the major said. "The government has appointed me to investigate this situation."

"Major," one of the men said, "take a look at this." The man indicated Serenity, cradling her husband's body, the silver glow of the Ginzuishou bathing both in pure, strobing light.

"What the—?" The major started to move in that direction, but was stopped short by the two sharp spears thrust in his face by two angry-looking teenagers. "Move aside," he commanded.

"You will not approach Serenity-sama," said Titanite.

"I'm authorized by the Japanese government to assess the situation," the major said sternly. "You are impeding an officer of the Defence Force."

The two teens held their ground. "Our Queen has just lost her husband," Sailor Saturn said quietly. "You will give her the respect she is due, and leave her be."

"Queen?" The major asked, raising an eyebrow.

Behind them, the light of the Ginzuishou abruptly faded, and Serenity cried out. All argument ceased, as every eye was trained upon the young woman with the feathery wings. Tears spilled from her eyes as the crescent moon upon her brow shed a subdued glow. The body of Endymion began to lose the pallor of death, instead taking on a hue remeniscent of the earth in the fields. Before their very eyes, the body of King Endymion slowly crumbled to dust, carried away by a sudden breeze.

Neo-Queen Serenity stared, mouth agape, as the remains of her love floated away with the winds. She uttered a strangled cry of anguish and collapsed, wings drawing tightly around her shuddering frame.

"SERENITY-SAMA!" the Senshi shouted in unison. Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury ran to the stricken woman.

"She's very weak," Mercury said after a moment. "She'll recover, but she needs rest." She sighed. "Her body will recover, anyway. Her heart..."

The four JSDF troops glanced at each other, unsure how to proceed. "Sumimasen..." the major said.

Sailor Pluto stepped forward. "Major," she said, "as you can see, we are presently in a state of crisis. If you would be so kind as to hold off any further investigation here, at least until Her Majesty has had a chance to recover..."

The major gestured at the shellshocked woman being led away by two of the Senshi. "I assume you're referring to her?" he asked.

Pluto nodded. "Neo-Queen Serenity, ruler of this Crystal Palace. Her husband, King Endymion, has just been slain in battle. I'm sure you'll understand that all things considered, now is not the time to badger her with a lot of questions."

The major gave this some thought, then nodded. "I will return tomorrow afternoon," he said. "At that time, I will demand answers," he warned.

"Of course," Pluto said. "Give the regards of the Sailor Senshi to your superiors." With that, she turned and joined the other Senshi, disappearing through the front wall of the Palace.

"The brilliant shine of the brightest star in the heavens has become dim and weak."

"Something horrible must have happened."

"To see such a shining star fade..."

As the major and his entourage arrived at their jeep, another jeep pulled up to the Palace, its markings identifying it as a group of seismologists.

The major walked over to the new arrival as four scientists climbed out of the vehicle, carrying various equipment. "You shouldn't be here," he commented."This is a restricted area."

"We have clearance," said one of the seismologists, holding up a security badge. "Unusual seismic activity has been detected in this area."

The major nodded. "We felt the quake."

"There shouldn't have been a quake," said the scientist. "And especially not with its epicenter right here. That's what we've come to investigate."

"Are you sure it wasn't a result of the battle up there?" the major asked.

The scientist snorted. "Don't be stupid. A battle can't cause an earthquake."

*Usako.*

Serenity floated in a void, nude except for her great, feathery wings.

*Usako.*

She looked up, to see the face of her lover, her husband, her companion through two lives. His image was translucent, wavering.

*Usako. Please listen.*

*Mamo-chan...*

*My soul has become part of the Earth.*

*I...couldn't save you...*

*The Earth prevented you from restoring me with the Ginzuishou. It is meant to be this way.*

*But...but...*

*Please, do not despair. My spirit will always be with you, will always guide you. In time, I will be reborn, and I will return to you.*

Silence.

*I must go now, my love. I cannot remain here, and neither can you. I will always love you, Usako. We will be together again. Farewell.*

*Mamo-chan...*

"Her shine is faint now. She has suffered a grave tragedy."

"You long to be with her."

"I cannot. My place is here."

"Your heart betrays your words. Your heart knows where your place truly is."

"But..."

"You are needed there now. She will need you. Go to her."

"But..."

"Your presence will be missed here, but things will be fine in your absence. Go to her."

"Thank you."

While the Senshi held vigil over their queen inside the Palace and the JSDF and seismologists began setting up equipment at street level, a small speck of darkness appeared over the Palace. Dropping roughly to the ground, the black haze cleared to reveal the battered, bleeding form of Jadeite. Pushing himself to his feet with his remaining hand, Jadeite staggered over to the spot where he had slain Endymion, gritting his teeth. "Cursed...moon...bitch..." he spat. "If...it takes...my own death...to destroy you...then...so...BE IT!!"

The weakened vortex of dark energy surrounding the madman surged suddenly, arcs of power flowing from the black corona into Jadeite's body. He chuckled grimly as he stood in the slowly coagulating pool of Endymion's blood, turning his power inward. "Burn in Hell, Serenity," he hissed.

The JSDF men and the scientists were thrown off their feet as a dome of blackness swelled at the top of the steps. A deafening roar shredded the still night air. Bits of charred, seared flesh and cloth began raining down on the street below.

The dark dome suddenly rushed in upon itself, shaking the ground and shattering windows for kilometers around with a tremendous sonic boom.

"WHAT IN THE HELL WAS THAT!?" the major bellowed, straining to be heard over the deafening roar.

The Senshi looked up, startled. "What the—?" Venus asked.

"What else could possibly happen tonight?" Jupiter grumbled.

Mercury's visor flashed as she linked her sensors to the Palace to determine the cause of the sound. She gasped. "Everyone, get down!" she shouted.

Before they had time to comply, the ground beneath them bucked violently.

Troops who couldn't scramble away quickly enough were crushed as tanks and jeeps overturned. The entire assemblage of troops lay scattered about the street like toppled bowling pins.

The ground continued to shake. Cars, police boxes, public telephones, vending machines, and lightposts collapsed. Buildings began to groan, bits of masonry raining down. Wide cracks opened in the street, pulling loose debris down into the yawning abyss.

Still the sudden, violent earthquake continued. The unfortunate souls who had not evacuated earlier screamed in panic as the buildings they took refuge inside began to collapse around them.

The rumble of the quake was punctuated by small explosions, the crackling of fresh blazes, and the occasional rush of water erupting from broken pipes.

For fifteen minutes, the earth shook. When the incredible earthquake finally ended, the only thing in Juuban that remained standing in one piece was the Crystal Palace.

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