Life's Lessons
A Sailor Moon fanfic
By Kristin Renee Taylor



Chapter 27 –

The grimace that flickered over Minako's face was full of self-contempt. The Lovely Thorns of Love Rosebush Attack? Was she so far lost to despair that her imagination was reduced to cheesy, nonsensical attack names? Plants weren't even her province, for crying out loud.

Minako shook her head as she paced. If the best idea she could come up with was to suddenly discover a previously unknown magic attack, then everything really was doomed.

"Minako-chan?"

The two Avatars and the Ku'dath watched her in silence: Super Sailor Mercury with concern on her face, Stormcatcher looking puzzled and angry, and Hotaru, who kept alternating between her Senshi fuku and her normal clothing between every glance, fondling the Silence Glaive with obvious relish. They were all that she had. They were all that were left; she had to trust Rei and Makoto to be able to handle themselves.

A migraine was starting to develop, smack-dab between her eyes. She rubbed the bridge of her nose, and let her mind drift briefly into another fantasy of defeating Serenity. She grimaced again.

There was only one thing she could think of that might stop Serenity.

Mercury, surprised at the look on Minako's face, asked, "What's wrong?"

She took a deep breath to steady her, and turned to face the others. "Okay, here's the deal. I never actually thought we'd have to use this, but, Serenity's left us with no choice." She took another breath and let it out slowly. She looked at Mercury. "You remember that 'Big Evil' Mako-chan found in Paris?"

She watched Mercury frown slightly, as her thoughts turned inward, remembering. And then her eyes widened in disbelief. She opened her mouth, ready to protest-

The migraine became a split of pain, straight down the center of her brain. Something reached into Minako's mind and yanked. Hard. She staggered and fell to her knees, one hand pressed to her head and the other clutching her heart, and fought to retain her sanity. She had to go… somewhere. She was being… being…

"…calls." Mercury's voice, void of emotion, drifted towards her.

Yes. That was it. She was being called and she had to go to- No! You're not me! Get out of my head! Some part of her, the part that still belonged to Venus, surged angrily, but she beat it back into submission. She looked up, the simple motion taking forever, and saw that Mercury stared at the ceiling of the throne room, eyes unfocused. Beside her, Hotaru, now fully Super Sailor Saturn, echoed her, and her voice was as toneless as Mercury's. "Yes. We have to go to Her."

"No," Minako's voice was the barest croak. "Don't listen…" She struggled to gain a breath. She could feel Mercury and Saturn gaining power, preparing to teleport. She couldn't let them leave. In desperation, she turned to the only person unaffected. <Stormcatcher! >

As the Ku'dath turned to look at her, she heard laughter in her mind. <FOOLISH MORTAL, I ALREADY TOLD YOU. YOU WERE NOT CHOSEN.>

Minako screamed as silver light flared in her mind, obliterating everything.

Setsuna Meioh, called by some Time Lord, Guardian, Watcher and Observer, but, more often known as Super Sailor Pluto, sat with her eyes closed and prayed. She hated chance; too many things left to chance meant to many ways for something to go wrong, for factors unimagined and unaccounted to wreak havoc across a delicately designed web.

Chance also meant that the future was out of Setsuna’s control and that, of course, was intolerable.

How ironic, she thought. To think that I would, once again, be dependent on Minako's luck. She smiled, bitterly.

Beneath the surface of Setsuna’s mind, she felt the presence of those she considered her friends: Haruka’s anger, sharp and abrasive. Michiru’s fury, depthless and cold. They both struggled, as Setsuna had ceased to do, against the power that held them captive, separated at either side of the throne room, unable to move, speak, or fight. They were no threat to Serenity, and they knew it.

As if privy to her thoughts, Serenity said, "They are, indeed, quite pathetic."

Setsuna opened her eyes and lifted her head enough to see Serenity in front of her. The dispossessed Queen stood with Her back to the throne where Setsuna sat, trapped and useless. "Terri’s body ill-suits you, Highness. You should rid yourself of it."

"A last, desperate play at arrogance, Pluto?" With arms folded and an air of contempt, She looked over Her shoulder at Setsuna, watching her through Terri’s strange, unfocused eyes.

"Merely a suggestion, Highness." Setsuna glanced up, at the ceiling, where her Staff protruded out of the rock like some bizarre stalactite. Even if she could somehow free it, even if she could somehow reach it, the effort would be wasted. Serenity had already proven that Setsuna, also, was not a threat.

Seeing the direction of her gaze, Serenity smirked and lifted a hand. The Time Staff shuddered and tore free of its resting place, floating down into Serenity’s open palm. When She gripped the Staff, red light pulsed from the Garnet Orb, beating in time to some unknown heart.

Serenity turned completely towards Setsuna, twirling the Staff lazily in both hands. "I never quite understood you, Pluto. How someone who claims to revere Time as much as you do can go about blithely manipulating it at every opportunity. I guess all of that ‘we mustn’t affect the Timestream’ nonsense was merely that: nonsense. And that makes you both a hypocrite and a liar."

Had she been someone else, Setsuna would have responded with a snide yet witty remark. Instead, she ground her teeth in frustrated silence and glared at the Queen.

Serenity arched an eyebrow, amused by the silence. "No words, Pluto? No threats? Not even a vague attempt to justify your actions? How droll." She chuckled. "I see I shall have to elicit My responses from you." She pivoted, and brought the Staff up. "Dead-" The Garnet Orb’s light suddenly became bloody brilliance, bathing Michiru in its harsh glow.

Setsuna threw all of her remaining strength into a Command. "Terri!"

"Scr-" Serenity’s body spasmed, and She fell to Her knees, the Time Staff dropping from unresponsive hands and rolling off the dais. Terri hunched over, burying her face in her hands. "I… I won’t…"

White fury drowned out the protest, and Setsuna's mind with it. She blacked out for several seconds.

When she was next aware, she noticed blood from her nose dripping onto her fuku. Despite the pain coming from it, it didn't feel broken. She almost laughed; here she was, facing the destruction of reality as she knew it, and she was concerned with how she looked. A particularly hysterical giggle almost escaped, but she fought it down, along with the vertigo and nausea, and forced her head back up.

Serenity's glare was sufficient to shatter stone. Power writhed around Her.

Feeling incredibly foolish, and not caring one bit, Setsuna smiled at Her and said, "Not entirely under your control, is she? That must bother you."

Serenity's eyes narrowed. The palace rumbled around them. Power stretched towards Setsuna.

"Highness." Six voices chorused simultaneously. The six that appeared knelt on the ground, eyes only their Queen: Uranus, Neptune, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, and Saturn. Out of them all, only Uranus and Neptune even seemed aware of what was going on. The others were as blank and empty as puppets. The two, the last remaining of the Senshi that had not merged with their Descendant, seethed internally, outrage in their eyes.

Serenity froze, Her power caught in check, unfulfilled rage in Her eyes. Softly, She said, "Neptune."

As the named Senshi stood, Setsuna's eyes widened in alarm. "Serenity-" She wouldn't..?!

Serenity smirked at her. Without turning, She gestured in Neptune's direction.

Haruka let out a sudden howl of fury.

Even knowing what would happen, it was still shocking to watch as, without a shout or cry, Neptune simply ceased to exist as Her corpearl form was shredded by Serenity's will. For an instant, the glowing cloud of bluish-light hovered before the Queen, then it sped away, drawn across the room towards Michiru. Despite her thrashing, it settled around her, seeped into her skin, poured through her mouth and nose. Michiru's head snapped back. She cried out hoarsely, and the sigil of Neptune blazed to life on her forehead. Her form wavered, her clothes shifted, and she collapsed where she was, gasping and retching as the transformation completed itself.

Super Sailor Neptune huddled on the ground, breathing in deep, ragged gasps of air.

Serenity turned to a lived Haruka. "As you can see, your cooperation is hardly required."

"Highness… Queen Serenity." Disbelief and anger and fear warred on Uranus' face.

Serenity barely spared Her a glance. "No doubt You are wondering why." She smiled, slightly. "Simple: You were made to die."

Furious, Uranus launched Herself at Serenity.

Serenity's smile widened.

The smell of dirt woke her up. That, and the light, springy breeze that brushed her face. And the feeling of grass and roots poking beneath her. And a myriad of other sensations that combined to tell her that she was awake, and not dead as she had feared. Which was, of course, pretty impossible. She should be dead. Right?

Only one way to tell for certain.

She opened her eyes. Above her, a tall elm tree loomed. Through its leafy branches she caught glimpses of a blue, cloudless sky.

"This," she commented to the tree, "Is not Kansas."

"Nor are you Dorothy," the tree responded, wry amusement in his voice. "And I am sure as Hell not Toto."

Minako sat up, and nearly passed out from the pain. A hand caught her shoulder, pressing her back down. "Best that you don't move for awhile. You took quite a hit."

As it seemed as though the ground beneath her was trying to throw her into the orbit, she heartily agreed. She closed her eyes while the world stabilized. "Where am I?"

"Outside of Reality, but not in a Dream. Neither in Heaven, nor in Hell." Minako groaned and her companion chuckled. "You are, Minako, when you could have easily have been Not. Be content with that."

Memory returned. "Serenity tried to kill me." Anger gave her strength to push the vertigo away. She sat up, more slowly this time. "She tried to kill me!"

"Actually, no, She didn't. She tried to Unmake you. Thankfully, I've been watching you, so I was able to act before She succeeded, pulling you here."

Minako glared at her companion, and the glare turned to a look of surprise. "You're…" The man that sat beside her looked to be in his mid-twenties. Tanned skin and the dark brown, simple clothing he wore made his hair, bright white and pulled back in a ponytail, all the more shocking. Only his eyes, gray flecked with gold, gave away his true age.

He gave her a wry half-smile, but his eyes were sad. "I am not him, Cara."

She flinched as if slapped.

He grimaced. "Sorry. I forgot you hated that name."

Minako looked away. Featureless green met her sight. She was apparently sitting under the only tree in the entire plains. The sun arched high overhead. The wind tossed her hair about her, carrying with it the scent of wildflowers and the fainter promise of rain. "Why do you look like him?"

He sighed, faintly. "The body you see before you I pulled from your mind, Minako. This is how you saw him... and how he saw himself. That is, when either of you weren't trying to deny your mutual pasts."

For an instant, memories surged into Minako's mind and she remembered: The bastard daughter of the Kingdom's disgraced King and the cursed man that she had helped kill… Ruthlessly, she shoved the memories back. She growled, "Cara's dead. Let's keep her that way."

"It wasn't your fault, you know."

"I said-"

He raised his hands in supplication. "My apologies. I suppose that was a bit too far."

"Damn straight." She scowled across the endless plains. "You didn't bring me here to talk about past lives. What's the deal?"

"The deal?" And for an instant his smile was painfully familiar. "The deal is this-"

Super Sailor Uranus and Super Sailor Neptune both bowed to their Queen, soulless eyes reflecting nothing. It might have been better if they had been killed, instead of turned into… whatever the Senshi were becoming now.

Serenity regarded Her chosen with pleasure. "Senshi were created to serve, Pluto. That is why everything you do, everything you plan, is doomed to fail against Me. Ultimately, you must yield to the will of the one you serve."

"I do not serve a ghost," she whispered, humor forgotten. In its place lurked despair, darker and deeper than she had thought possible.

Serenity ignored her. "And serve me you shall in this, your final act. We will bring peace to the Earth and its inhabitants. We will return the world to its former health and glory." The Time Staff held in one hand, the Silver Crystal in the other, She smiled at Pluto. "Through the power of the Silver Crystal and this Staff, we will once again live the Silver Millennium."

"No!" Panic and fear tore through her; this was the very thing she had been sent to prevent. "You cannot, must not-"

Minako stared at him. "She's going to reverse Time?"

"Not reverse. Destroy. There will be no boundaries, no definition between Past, Present, and Future. Everything will exist at the same time. And the strain of such a merging will surely destroy reality. With no possible hope of restoration."

She shot to her feet, dread tying her stomach in knots. "How do I stop her!?"

He looked up at her sadly. "You can't."

She stilled. Softly, "I don't buy that."

"Minako." His voice was full of sympathy. It only made her more frantic.

"How do I get out of here?" She looked around, searching for a tunnel, a door, anything that would let her out of wherever the heck she was. "Where's the freakin' exit!"

"Minako."

She whirled on him. "How the Hell can you sit there and tell me there's nothing I can do? Do you honestly expect me to just sit by and watch as She destroys everything I care about? Everything I love? I'll find a way to stop Her, so help me God, now how do I get out of here?!" Her eyes added, And I'll go through you, if I have to.

He sighed, resigned, and stood. "Through here." He pointed at the elm.

The sky suddenly rumbled. A bolt of lightening arced out from the clear sky, striking the very top of the elm tree. The elm exploded into flames with a deafening boom, and the force of it threw Minako back several feet to the ground. She threw up her arms, shielding her face as chips and hunks of burning wood flew past her. Slowly, shaking her head to clear the ringing in her ears, Minako glanced up at the sky. There were no clouds.

He pulled her back from her surprise. "Through there, Minako, lies the Lunar Palace. Serenity is there. If you are going to do anything, you must hurry." He gestured to the shattered and burning tree trunk.

She stood slowly and walked towards the tree. Hesitating, she looked at her companion. "Did she tell you that? That it wasn't my fault?"

He looked slightly taken aback. "Er, yes. She did."

"Ah…" Minako shook her head and smiled. "Odd… I think that's the first time she's ever told a lie." Before he could ask, she took a running leap into the heart of the tree, and into another world.

"Who was she talking about?"

"Hm?" He looked away as the tree collapsed in on itself. Within minutes, it had burned itself out, and only a charred husk remained.

"Who," said the woman floating a few feet away from him, "was she talking about? Was it me?"

Gray eyes met mint-green. He snorted. "You? Never tell a lie?" He repeated the noise. "Don't make me laugh."

She glared at him, but he ignored her.

The ground beneath them started to shake. The sky darkened, the clouds turning almost black. He looked up. "It's starting." He looked at the woman meaningfully. "We should head back. The Prince is expecting us."

"So, he is…" For a moment longer, woman and man looked at the remains of the tree. "So he is…" he repeated softly. And then both were gone.

Minako stumbled into the room and fell, thick clouds of dust rising as she landed. Coughing, she stood. Bits of tile dropped off her clothes. Covering her nose and mouth, she took stock of her surroundings.

The room was large, octagonal, and in a horrid state of disrepair. The floor had been blasted, dozens of eight-sided tiles lay shattered and broken. A rift split one of the walls and bits of glass littered the floor around the hole. Beyond the hole was a hallway, and the faint light spilling inside was enough for her to recognize where she stood. It was the Chamber of Oaths, the place where she had given up her claim to the Venusian throne and vowed to protect a whining, sniveling, selfish brat of a princess a dozen lifetimes ago. It was also the place where, several hundred years ago, she had broken that vow to save the world.

This was the lowest floor of the Lunar Palace. If memory served her correctly then Serenity's, that is the Lunarian Queen Serenity's, throne room should be several floors above her.

The ground quaked violently. A chunk of masonry fell, narrowly missed landing on her head. As the quaking grew more violent she ran for the gap, diving through just as the ceiling of the Chamber collapsed. She rolled across the floor, struck the far wall, and lay there for a second, stunned.

Little lines of dust drifted down from the ceiling. A section of the wall further down the hall crashed to the ground.

Great, Minako thought. She picked herself up and sprinted down the hallway, searching for a way to get higher. Not only do I have to save the universe, now I have to do it while outrunning a cave-in.

The floor ahead of her suddenly vanished. She leaped the gap without missing a step.

Legal Stuff:

I don't own any of the Sailor Senshi. Er… the Descendants. Or is it the Avatars..? Whatever. I only own the original characters.

This has been a production of Blueberry Enterprises.
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