Author's Note: If you wish to comment on my story, either positively or negatively, don't hesitate to contact me at treetop@voicenet.com. Sailor Moon and all related characters are the property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation and DIC. So, please, don't sue me because I haven't any money. I do this strictly for entertainment purposes, not copyright infringement.

The Resurrection Dilemma
by Jeffrey C. Branch
Chapter Eight: Death....And Life
Rating: R

The screaming seemed to go on forever as the Sailor Scouts, Luna and Artemis, Jedite, Miko and Toshi were ruthlessly bombarded by waves and waves of torment as a maddened Dharsite unleashed the full force of her mental powers against them.

The sexual pleasure she received from her victims anguished restored the strength she lost from having been strangled by Sailor Venus and she put everything she had into her attempt to destroy them all. The Scouts were her enemies, the humans were nothing more than bugs to be stepped on while Jedite, her former lord and master had betrayed her. Betrayed the Negaverse. Her anger for him in particular was boundless.

"How does it feel to suffer....Lord?" the madwoman snarled at Jedite. "You sicken me, Jedite, betraying our cause to side with the humans! To protect this pitiful little wench! Tell me! How does it feel?"

Jedite, weakened from using his power to resuscitate a lifeless Toshi and protect the Kimuras from the crash of Dharsite's ship ground his teeth, unable to move. The Sailors, all but running on empty, their weary, battered bodies pushed to their limits and beyond were equally as helpless. And Dharsite would not stop. If anything, she intensified her attack, the agony she felt from them bolstering her powers.

"Mommy! It's hurts! It's hurts!" Toshi wailed.

"Jedite! Do something! Help us! Please!" Miko pleaded.

Jedite, hearing the cries of his loved ones was spurred into furious action. Enduring the blistering torment, feeling like the weight of the world was strapped on his back, the ex-General slowly rose on braced legs and extended his arms. His face was dark with unbridled rage. The madwoman was horrified to watch it happen before her eyes. "Dharsite! I....have had....enough....OF YOU!"

Using all his willpower, Jedite unleashed an energy blast that fried Dharsite where she stood, blowing the madwoman off her feet and sending her flying backwards with a hideous shriek. Tired from the exertion, Jedite again fell to his knees. "I'm getting too old for this sort of thing," he muttered.

Ignoring the Scouts who lay all around them, Jedite crawled over to where Miko and Toshi lay. The ex-General gathered Miko in his arms and held her close. "Miko! Talk to me, beloved! Are you all right?"

Miko opened her eyes and stared up at her man. "I am now, my darling. You saved us."

Jedite shook his head ruefully. "No, not yet. I seriously doubt that blast stopped Dharsite. Even I failed to anticipate just how powerful she's become when fueled by her own pain."

No sooner had he said those words when Dharsite, her uniform in smoldering tatters, her face red and livid with madness leaped at Jedite and Miko, screaming from fury.

"Mommy! Jed! Look out!" cried Toshi.

The boy's warning came too late as the madwoman crashed into them like a human bowling ball and they all went tumbling to the ground. Close up, Jedite could see just how insane Dharsite had truly become as she raked her long, pointed nails across his face, drawing blood. Miko tried to pull the madwoman off her man and was backhanded hard for her trouble. Furious at Miko having been hurt, Jedite snarled and delivered a devastating punch to Dharsite's face, knocking her off him. Before the madwoman could recover, Jedite struck again with an embolic seizure. Dharsite screamed, then actually laughed from the terrible pain she felt.

Sick bitch. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear she was enjoying this, thought the ex-General. Now it was his turn to pour all his concentration into his attack. This time, he would make sure the madwoman would die. And yet, Dharsite continued to laugh, even as blood poured from her mouth like a hideous faucet as she hemorrhaged uncontrollably. But her laughter continued, haunting everyone who heard it.

So intent was Jedite on finishing off Dharsite, he failed to notice a Steel Demon lumber up from behind and bring it's massive fists down on Jedite, almost killing him on the spot. Barely conscious, Jedite lay on the ground as Dharsite, an unholy, bloody mess climbed to her feet. The pain she endured nearly drove her out of her mind from ectasy, stimulating her on levels even she never knew existed. It had been a glorious experience.

Grinning, she nudged Jedite with the toe of her boot. He was too weak and hurt to offer resistance. "Nice try. But you can't stop me like that, Lord. Exposing me to pain only increases my strength. As that old Earth saying goes....that which does not kill me makes me stronger." Her eyes filled with contempt, Dharsite spat at Jedite, spraying him with her blood. Then, the madwoman put her toe up to Jedite's mouth.

"Perhaps if you lick my boot----the only part of my body I'll ever allow a man to touch----I will make your death quick and relatively painless," Dharsite said. "That way you'll be spared the emotional misery of what I'll do to your woman after I turn her into my new sex toy."

Jedite's response was short and to the point. "Fuck you."

Dharsite grinned. "Too bad. Then I guess we'll just have to do this the hard way."

"Over my dead body! Moon Tiara....MAGIC!" came a shouted from behind Dharsite. The madwoman whirled around to see Sailor Moon hurl her energy disc at her. Dharsite dove out of the way and the disc severed the head of the robot that felled Jedite and, letting out it's mechanical shrieking, collapsed to the ground. But the madwoman had no time to relax as Sailor Jupiter pounced on her, snarling like a tiger.

"So, you like pain, huh? Well, you've come to the right place!" the Thunder Scout growled, the antenna popping up on her tiara. "Let's see how much you enjoy this! Jupiter Thunder....CRASH!"

At Jupiter's command, a bolt of lightning came crashing down, striking Dharsite before she could move and the blast nearly incinerated her.

"Or maybe I can light up your life!" yelled Mars as she pointed at the madwoman. "Mars Fire....IGNITE!"

Dharsite shrieked horribly as a fireball enveloped the madwoman, burning away the rest of her uniform, leaving her bare skin, blackened and smoking as she lay on the ground. Then, much to the shock of everyone, Dharsite slowly rose to her knees, tilted her head back and shrieked again....this time from laughter. Then felled her enemies with another mind blast.

"Don't you see? As long as I can feel pain, and derive pleasure from it, I can never die!" she croaked. "This body is but a shell....easily repairable. The power of pain stimulates me, keeps me alive, gives me power beyond imagining. Let's see how long you stay alive!" Suddenly, she staggered and dropped to her knees. Then the madwoman vanished in a blink of light.

While Dharsite was gone the two remaining Demons, scarred and scored from the crash weren't as they lumbered into the fray, opening up with their laser weapons. Once again, Jedite protected Miko and Toshi with his force field while the Scouts and familiars were left on their own, barely managing to dive out of the way.

"I hate robots! I really hate 'em!" snarled Sailor Venus, pointing at one of the monstrosities as twins crescents of golden light enveloped her hands. "Venus Crescent Beam....SMASH!"

"My sentiments exactly, Venus!" Sailor Mercury chimed in. "Mercury Bubbles....BLAST!"

While Venus' energy beam punched through one robot's body like a hot knife through butter, causing it to explode, Mercury's ice fog disrupted the circuitry of the other, leaving it defenseless as Jupiter finished it by whacking off it's head with a leg she tore off the body of another machine. After the last robot fell, all was quiet.

"What happened to Dharsite?" Mars wondered once the attack ceased. "She had us on the ropes! Why'd she run?"

"My guess is she overextended herself," said Mercury, leaning against Jupiter for support. "Between the beating she took and the barrage she unleashed on us, it would appear Dharsite reached her limits."

"Don't kid yourself, this was just a respite. As long as Dharsite's breathing, she's a menace," said Jedite. He was bone tired from using his powers as extensively as he had. But he refused to let the fatigue show. "I'm sure she's gone back to the ship to do God only knows what. It's high time I finish her off."

Miko was horrified. "NO! Why you?"

Jedite smiled and clasped Miko's shoulders. "Because Dharsite is my problem, beloved. I was inadvertently responsible for her having shown up here in the first place. As crazed as she's become, Dharsite won't stop until we're all dead." The ex-General paused to kiss the woman he loved. "I couldn't save Shigeiru, but I won't allow any more pain to befall you and Toshi. So it's my job to deal with her."

"But not alone. I'm coming with you," said Moon.

The others and the familiars were shocked. "What? Have you lost your mind?" a furious Mars shouted at Moon.

"For once, shut your stinking mouth and don't argue with me!" Moon yelled back angrily. "You and the others stay here and protect Miko and her son. Keeping them safe is your top priority! Stopping Dharsite is mine! That's an order, Mars!"

Mars seethed, glaring daggers at Moon, then she nodded and dropped her head. "You got it... .boss."

"Sailor Moon! Please! Don't do this!" Luna pleaded.

Moon smiled at her guardian. "C'mon, Luna. From day one you've been on my case about how important it was for me to be brave and be a hero. Well, it's time for me to do my job."

Luna sighed. "Now she decides to follow my advice."

Jedite looked at Moon disdainfully. "Hardly a wise decision on your part, Miss Moon," said the ex-General. "Chances are excellent we could be walking into a death trap."

Moon shrugged, her casual demeanor masking the nervousness she felt. "Hey, I never claimed to be a rocket scientist. Otherwise I wouldn't be doing this for a living. But I have to come with you." As she turned to leave, Venus called out to her.

"Wait a minute," said the Scout of Love, clasping her friend's shoulders. "I'm sorry about the awful things I said to you. I was crazy from anger and wasn't thinking. I know you never wanted to kill, and that it hurt you to take a life. I wouldn't blame you one bit if you hated me for dredging that up."

Breaking out in a smile, Moon threw her arms around Venus and hugged her tight. "Don't be silly. I could never hate you, Mina. You're my friend, and I love you."

Tears spilled from Venus' eyes as she returned Moon's embrace. "Oh, Serena! I'm so glad to have a special friend like you in my life!"

"Same here." After breaking the embrace, Moon, her own eyes moist turned to Jedite. "Are you ready?"

The ex-General nodded, feeling his strength slowly returning. "No. But that doesn't matter. Let's get this over with." And with that, he and Moon headed towards the wrecked ship.

Mercury walked up to Mars who still had her head down. The Scout of Water, sensing Mars' silent anguish put her good arm around the Fire Scout's shoulders and pulled her close. "You okay?" Mercury asked her.

Mars shook her head, feeling a terrible ache well up in her heart. "I'm watching my best friend walk into what might be a trap with our worst enemy. I'm scared for her, Amy. I'm really scared."

As a tear trickled down her cheek, Mars, her voice choked from emotion whispered the words she heard Serena say to her while in her pain driven delirium the other day. "Come back to us, Serena. Please. Come back to me."

The interior of Dharsite's ship was just as Moon remembered: an unholy mess of twisted, jagged metal that seemed to go on forever. She and Jedite cautiously prowled through a darkened corridor as they neared the bridge where the ex-General figured Dharsite would be hiding. A light film of smoke hung in the air, stinging their eyes.

"Wow. I'm surprised we survived the crash," she said in a low voice. "I gotta hand it you Negaverse guys, you sure build to last."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Jedite replied. "Now that we're alone, Serena, can I ask you a question?"

Moon scowled. She didn't like her one time enemy using her real name. "Shoot."

"Why are you here? A year ago, I tried to kill you, several times. Now you're helping me fight Dharsite when you could've easily left me alone to sink or swim against that lunatic. Why? And don't give me that 'because it's my job' nonsense you told the others. There's another reason, isn't there?"

Moon let out a sigh then nodded slowly. "Yes, there is. Guilt. The guy who replaced you, Nephlyte fell in love with my best friend, then was killed protecting her from Zoicite when she turned on him. Up until the moment he died, I never wanted to believe someone as evil as Nephlyte could change and make such a sacrifice for the sake of love. I cried for Nephlyte, wishing I could've done something, anything to save him. I've been carrying that guilt around ever since."

Jedite silently pondered Moon's words. He remembered watching his successor die in his mind's eye while trapped in eternal sleep, but didn't know Moon had been so anguished by what happened. Oddly enough, Jedite found himself mourning the loss of his old compatriot. Another sign that he too was becoming human. "And now you're thinking you might see history repeat itself with me?"

"God, no! I hope not. That's why I'm here. I've seen too much death in my life and I'm sick of it," Moon replied. "Now that you've discovered your humanity like Nephlyte had, I won't let anything happen to you. Like it or not, Jedite, I'm going to protect you and take you back to Miko. Even if it kills me!"

Jedite was genuinely moved by what Moon said, a warm glow filling what he used to think was a cold, icy heart. Smiling, the ex-General reached over and squeezed Moon's arm. "I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but, thank you, Serena. I greatly appreciate what you're doing for me."

Moon warmly returned Jedite's smile. Suddenly, she didn't at all mind the ex-General calling her by name. "No problem. That's what us champions of justice are here for."

"How touching. How noble. How futile," came a voice, laden with sarcasm from just ahead.

Moon and Jedite steeled themselves as they heard the sharp clicking of high heels echoing on the metal floor. A moment later, Dharsite, clad in another General's uniform, her face still burned and bloodied from the earlier battle strode into view. She wore a metallic headband with a dark jewel in the center. The madwoman smiled evilly at the pair.

"So, you've come here to die, my Lord?" she asked, her blackened lips curled in a sneer.

"On the contrary, bitch. I'm here to kill you," Jedite snarled back. "With every breath you take, you're a threat to the life of the woman I love. I mean to rectify that problem."

"You're certainly welcome to try." Dharsite then turned to glare at Moon. "And what are you doing here, Serena. This is no longer your fight."

"Like Jedite said: on the contrary," Moon snapped, her fists clenched. "I'm watching his back. Let's get it on!"

"Your choice, your funeral. DIE!" roared the madwoman, a gleaming bolt of energy shot out from the headband. Moon and Jedite dove as the beam blasted the floor where they stood only a second ago. Dharsite wasted no time targeting Jedite and firing another beam which he deflected with his force field, but the effort left him stunned, dropping him to his knees. The madwoman, chuckling, quickly moved in for the kill.

"This diadem I'm wearing focuses and intensifies my mental powers tenfold, my Lord. The effect on living flesh should be most entertaining." Before Dharsite could squeeze off another blast, a loud shout made her turn around just in time to catch the heel of Moon's right boot from a flying kick flush in her face, breaking her jaw and shattering teeth.

As Dharsite went down, Moon frantically pressed the advantage, delivering a knife edge chop to the madwoman's throat that crushed her windpipe, followed by a punch to her solar plexus that broke several ribs, a second knife edge blow that broke Dharsite's left arm, an elbow smash that cracked the madwoman's collarbone, a thrust kick that snapped Dhariste's right leg like a twig and a wheelhouse kick that caved in the left side of Dharsite's skull and smashed the diadem she wore. And it all happened in the span of ten seconds as Moon's body, acting independently of her brain moved in a dazzling, lightning swift ballet of violence. When the ballet was finished, Moon was left awestruck.

"Whoa! I didn't know I could do that! Cool!" she said.

Jedite smirked. "Neither did I. You moved almost too fast to see. I'm impressed."

"I'm....not. You'll never....stop me....like that," croaked Dharsite, her face and body a complete ruin, yet, as she crawled towards Moon and Jedite, her eyes flared from an unquenchable rage.

"No! It can't be!" cried Moon. "What's keeping her going?"

"Hate," growled Dharsite, unleashing a mindblast that slammed Moon and Jedite against a wall with bone crushing force. Her eyes burning from rage, the madwoman crawled on all fours over to where her enemies were pinned to the wall. Then, amazingly, despite her broken leg, Dharsite slowly climbed to her feet, her face hideously twisted from agony. "You can break my body into a million pieces, but you will never break my will, or my desire to destroy. And I will destroy you!"

Despite his fatigue, and the blistering pain from Dharsite's assault, Jedite broke free and hit the madwoman with a mindblast of his own. Now it was the ex-General's turn to attack as he plowed into Dharsite, sending her to the floor. Crazed from anger, Jedite pummeled the madwoman who fought back like a she-tiger, gouging at his eyes and nearly slashing open his throat with her razor sharp fingernails. Grunting from pain, Jedite staggered back, giving Dharsite an opening to snap kick him on the jaw.

"Jedite! Hang on! I'm coming!" cried Moon. But before she could move, a metal fist slammed down on her back, sending her to the floor. Through a pain filled haze, Moon, barely conscious stared up at a Steel Demon hovering over her, badly damaged from the crash, swaying unsteadily on it's braced legs. It extended an arm to blast her with it's laser weapon. Moon closed her eyes, gritted her teeth and waited for the robot to destroy her.

However, it never happened as all Moon heard was a loud click. The Scout leader cautiously opened her eyes and saw that the robot's laser weapon malfunctioned. Glad for the respite, Moon rolled away from the machine, scrambled to her feet, removed her tiara and willed it into her energy disc.

"Whoever you are in there, I'm sorry," she said mournfully, remembering that human beings powered the Demons. Moon deeply regretted what she was about to do. "Moon Tiara... .MAGIC!"

With unerring aim, Moon hurled the disc at the robot, beheading it easily. As the disc returned to Moon's waiting right hand and morphed back into her tiara, she heard the robot's horrific metallic screaming as the head fell face first to the floor, shattering its faceplate. Moon sank to her knees in front of the helmet and saw the pale, bloodless face within, it's eyes open but unseeing. A single tear slid down Moon's cheek as she gently closed the eyes of the man who, unknown to her, was once Dr. Paul Thoreau. Her shoulders slumping, Moon never felt so tired, or so heartsick in all her life.

Jedite and Dharsite saw none of what happened between Moon and the Demon as they continued their pitched battle, employing both their powers and their bare hands, punching, kicking, clawing at each other with a savage, animal like ferocity. Even though Dharsite's body was wrecked beyond repair, she refused to yield to her enemy, her pain and her hatred spurring her on.

"Filthy traitor!" the madwoman hissed, slamming a fist into Jedite's face. "You betrayed my mother! Betrayed the glory of the Negaverse! By siding with the Sailors and the humans, you've spat on Queen Beryl's grave! For that injustice, I will kill you!"

"Enough with the Negaverse! It's history!" snarled Jedite, breaking Dharsite's remaining good arm above the elbow with a powerful blow. He then hit the madwoman with an embolic seizure, putting everything he had into the assault. Dharsite, literally feeling the blood in her veins boiling away, she shrieked from agony beyond even her capacity to endure. "I was betrayed first! I devoted my life to the Negaverse and what did it get me? Banishment! Abandonment! Sentenced to a living death! I was loyal to Beryl, do you hear me? LOYAL! But that's all over now, tramp! And so are you!"

As Moon looked on, Jedite lifted Dharsite off her feet and, spying a jagged piece of steel protruding from a wall several feet away, he impaled the madwoman on it, driving the steel shard through her heart. The madwoman screamed from the terrible pain, then her body slumped, supported by the shard. Moon, wide eyed and horrified turned away and vomited. Jedite watched closely as Dharsite's body twitched several times, then stilled.

"Speaking of mommy dearest, be sure and give Beryl my regards when you see her," the ex-General said casually. "She's waiting for you. In hell."

Amazingly, Dharsite slowly lifted her head and gave Jedite a weak smile. "Worry not....traitor. I've....taken steps to....ensure....that you....join me. You....can see....for yourself....on the bridge. Ohhh....the pain....it.... tastes....so....sweet...." And with that, the madwoman finally died.

"What did she mean by that?" asked Moon, wiping her mouth.

Jedite scowled, feeling dread in his heart. "I don't know. Let's find out."

The ex-General and Moon entered the bridge and already, Jedite felt his blood turn ice cold when he saw a series of blinking red lights flashing away on the command console. Jedite ran up to the console, praying he was wrong, then wincing when he saw he wasn't.

"Dammit! We're in trouble, Serena! Huge trouble!" he said.

"What do you mean? What's wrong?"

"In a word, everything! Dharsite's set the neutron core, the ship's power plant on overload!" Jedite snapped. "In seven minutes, this hulk, and us will be blown sky high!"

Moon shuddered. "Oh, no! Can't you stop it?"

"Negative!" said the ex-General, looking over the console which had sparks flying from it. "The crazy bitch destroyed the override circuits and the back-up controls! When the core explodes, it'll release enough neutron radiation to kill every living thing for fifty square miles! This region's dotted with farms, and there's a town only ten miles away! If you've got any bright ideas that'll keep us from joining Dharsite in the afterlife, now's the time!"

Moon racked her brain, desperately trying to come up with a solution. Then she remembered her battle against Queen Beryl at the North Pole, and an idea came to mind.

"I know what to do! Get us back to the others! Fast!"

Nodding, Jedite put an arm around Moon's shoulders. "Hang on!" the ex-General then concentrated and they vanished in a flash of light.

An instant later, Moon and Jedite reappeared near the Scouts, the familiars and the Kimuras, all of whom were glad to see them.

"Thank God you're back! And you're safe!" cried Luna.

"Wrong, pussycat, we're not safe!" snapped Jedite as Miko and Toshi ran into his arms. "The neutron core's on overload! In five minutes, we'll be blown to kingdom come! And thousands of innocent people will join us for the ride! Moon! What's your idea?"

With a calm Moon didn't know she possessed, she held her right arm high and the Crescent Moon Wand appeared in her hand. The Scouts and familiars gasped from shock.

"If we can't stop the blast, then I'll have to contain it somehow," she said.

"No! You can't!" cried a frightened Mars. "The last time you used that thing, it killed you!"

"I don't have a choice! And we don't have time to try anything else!" Moon snapped back. "I'm supposed to be the Champion of Justice, Raye! That means I have to be ready to sacrifice my life to protect the people of Earth! I won't run from my responsibility! No matter what!" She then turned to Jedite, her eyes flashing from determination. "Okay, Jedite! What do I have to do?"

"You have to place a force field around the ship in order to contain the neutron pulse when the core blows! Otherwise, Dharsite gets the last laugh," Jedite explained quickly. "Can you do it?"

"I'm sure as hell gonna try!" Moon closed her eyes then pointed the wand at the ship and concentrated. As she did, a silvery beam of light lanced out from the Imperium Silver Crystal, enveloping the wrecked ship in a huge energy field. Moon suddenly felt hands tightly clasp hers. She looked around and saw Mars and Jupiter to her left, Mercury and Venus to her right. They all smiled fondly at her.

"Meatball Head, if you think I'm gonna let you do this alone, you're not just crazy, you're stupid!" growled Mars.

"Yeah! Like you said a few days ago, we're not just friends, we're a family! No way will I leave you!" said Jupiter.

"Same here. We're in this together. As we always have been. As we always will be," Mercury chimed in.

"That's a fact, girlfriend. We're the Sailor Scouts! And no one's gonna die on our watch! added Venus.

Moon, her eyes bright with tears returned her friends' smiles, her love for them bursting out of her heart. "Thank you. Thank you all. I love you so very much."

"Enough talk! Concentrate! The core's only seconds away from detonating!" Jedite shouted.

The Scouts closed their eyes and concentrated with all their strength, just like they did at the North Pole six months ago during the final battle against Queen Beryl. Just like before, they drew power, strength and courage from each other, fortifying their desire to overcome, to keep evil from winning the day. Silently, they all prayed it would be enough.

Seconds later, the ship exploded. The silver energy field slightly muffled the sound of the blast, but not it's impact as it slammed against the barrier, the incredible feedback from the explosion hit the Scouts like a runaway freight train and they all screamed at the top of their lungs from searing, brutal pain in their heads, pain the likes of which they had never before known, not even during their imprisonment at Dharsite's hands. Not even when they were killed by the Doom and Gloom Girls. The pain drove them all to their knees, yet they somehow managed to keep the barrier in place, even while they continued screaming.

"Jedite! What's happening to them?" a worried Miko asked over the din of the blast, the wind it generated lashing at her.

"It's the pyschic backlash from the explosion!" Jedite explained hurriedly. "The Scouts are using mental power, fed through Sailor Moon's crystal to keep the force field in place! Dear Lord! They're containing enough raw power to propel that saucer through outer space! How are they still alive?"

"It's the power of love!" said Luna.

"Momma! Jed! Look!" cried a frightened Toshi, staring ahead.

Jedite and Miko looked on and was shocked to see fissures developing in the barrier as it rapidly expanded like a balloon being filled with air.

"Hell's bells! They're being overwhelmed! The barrier's breaking down!" cried Jedite. "When it bursts, they'll be nothing left of us but a pleasant memory! I've got to help!" The ex-General dashed towards the Scouts.

"Jedite! NO!" cried Miko.

Jedite didn't hear her. He knelt down behind Moon and clasped his hands over hers. Then, he lent his fading powers to the Scouts, concentrating with all his might. The ex-General had found his humanity, his capacity to feel, discovered that he liked it and wasn't about to give it up for anything. He was going to live, to survive for the woman and the little boy he loved.

Suddenly, Jedite felt two pairs of arms encircle his torso. He looked around and saw Miko and Toshi hugging him.

"Miko! Toshi! Get back! This is no place for either of you!" he cried.

"You're wrong, beloved! This is my place! At your side!" Miko shouted. "I love you, Jedite! We love you! And we're not going to leave you!"

For reasons he couldn't explain, Jedite felt fortified, his weary body filling with a new source of power. Power that came from Miko and Toshi. Like the cat said, the power of love, he thought as the weakening barrier continued to expand, almost to the bursting point.

"All right! It's now or never! Get your asses in gear and concentrate!" Jedite barked at the Scouts. "If my woman and my son die because you slackers couldn't cut the mustard, I swear to God I'll haunt you to the end of time! CONCENTRATE!"

Moon nodded, her teeth tightly clenched. "C'mon, Scouts! Let's show this clown just what we can do!"

"MERCURY POWER!" shouted the Scout of Water.

"MARS POWER!" yelled the Scout of Fire.

"JUPITER POWER!" bellowed the Scout of Thunder.

"VENUS POWER!" cried the Scout of Love.

All at once, their bodies began glowing as the Imperium Silver Crystal bathed them in power as it's energies healed their wounds, repaired their tattered uniforms and enabled them to strengthen the barrier. The Crystal's energies strengthened Jedite beyond imagining and made Miko and Toshi tingle all over as they also felt the unbelievable rush of power. Power that once again transformed the Crystal's bearer, now garbed in her gown as Princess Serena into a god. Taking a deep breath, Moon focused everything she had through the Crystal that gave them all their power. Their very life.

"COSMIC MOON POWER!" the Sailor Scout of the Moon roared, unleashing the full fury of her now godlike might.

With one last burst of concentration from eight indefatigable souls fighting with all their hearts and souls to win, to live and to love, Moon blasted the energy field containing the neutron pulse upwards into outer space at the speed of light, far beyond Earth and the Moon where it harmlessly dissipated in an incredibly blinding flash of light that covered the world.

Then, it was all over. The crater that once held Dharsite's ship was now empty, only the hole remained. Two hundred yards away, ten forms lay still and unmoving on the ground as a soft breeze wafted over them. The breeze stirred one back to consciousness.

Moon, back in her uniform opened her eyes, blinked a few times, then slowly sat up. She looked around her and saw her fellow Scouts and the familiars stirring.

"Wow. What a rush," she said, awestruck by what she and the others had done. She then broke out in a huge smile. "We did it, guys! We did it!"

"Let's not be too hasty, Sailor Moon," cautioned Luna. "Sailor Mercury, can you give us a reading with your visor?"

With a nod, Mercury touched the blue stud in her right earlobe and her VR visor materialized. She cautiously scanned all around her, then let out an audible sigh of relief. "There isn't so much as a trace of neutron radiation in the air. Sailor Moon's right. We did it!"

"Outstanding! I knew you could do it, Meatball Head!" cried a deliriously happy Mars, giving Moon a bear hug.

"You knew? Yeah, right! And you didn't even want me to try it, you whiner!" Moon groused.

Mars pulled away, immediately furious. "What? You've got some nerve, calling me a whiner! You practically invented the term!"

"Jed! JEDITE!" cried a hysterical Miko, shaking the unmoving body of Jedite who hadn't awakened. Toshi sobbed as he knelt nearby. "No! NO! Jedite! Wake up! Oh, please! Wake up! Don't go! Don't leave me!"

The Scouts rushed to where the ex-General lay. Moon dropped to his side. She was crushed. "Jedite! Don't do this to me! I promised to save you! Don't you make a liar out of me!" she wailed.

"You needn't worry about that, Miss Moon. I haven't," Jedite said groggily. He then opened his eyes and winced. "But could you please keep the volume down? I've got the mother of all headaches."

Miko, overjoyed hugged her man, as did Toshi. "You're alive, my darling! You're alive!" Miko cried, smothering Jedite's face with kisses.

"I am indeed. More importantly, we're all alive. Fancy that." After breaking the embrace, Jedite stared at Moon. "Once again, Miss Moon, I owe you my life. And the life of my family. Thank you. From the bottom of my now very warm and loving heart."

Moon, unable to find the words to express her feelings, hugged her one time former enemy. "Just doing my job."

The Scouts, the familiars, Jedite, Miko and Toshi all rose to their feet and silently stared at the empty crater where Dharsite's ship once lay. A place where death once was in residence but, in time, might one day harbor life. A rainbow then filled the blue sky above.

Next: The Renewal

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