[ ] Act 11 - Reunion / Endymion Originally appeared in Nakayoshi, December 1992 and January 1993. Written by Takeuchi Naoko. Translated by Alex Glover. Version 2.0, 4.98. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I want to see you... Quickly, quickly... I'm going to forget... That face... That voice..." "Usako... Usako..." "Who is that? Warm hands... Could it be... Mamo-chan?" "-gi... Usagi..." She looks up. "Usagi-chan," says Luna. "Wake up, it's morning. You're going to be late." "Luna..." says Usagi. "What, it's just you?" "J- Just me!? That's not very nice!" Usagi looks at the star-shaped watch next to her pillow. "Tuxedo Kamen's... Mamo-chan's pocket watch... Since I got back from the moon, it's stopped again... Is he safe now...?" Luna walks away. "Fine, fine, I don't know why I even..." Usagi picks her up and hugs her. "Luna... I'm sorry. I love you. I'll get up." "Usagi-chan," says Luna. "Look, you forgot this." She holds up the crystal on its chain. Usagi takes it. "The Mystical Silver Crystal..." she thinks. "On the moon, the Queen said it depends on my spirit. But how do I draw the power out of this stone? What should I do?" Usagi leaves the house, carrying Luna over her shoulder. "Bye-bye!" she says. "She's all back to the normal Usagi," says her dad. "Because Luna-chan's been with her," says her mom. - "Well, I'm going to the command center," says Luna. "I'm checking out that stone sword now." "See you later, Luna," says Usagi. A man approaches and bumps into Usagi as he passes by. Usagi yells as she falls to the ground, the watch dropping out of her pocket. "Owwwww!" she says. She turns her head and sees the man continue to walk away. He has short black hair and a checkered shirt, and carries a black jacket over his shoulder. "That figure..." she thinks. "It looks like... him... But, it can't be... He can't be here. Jeez, it must be because I had a dream about him this morning..." She picks up the watch. "Tuxedo Kamen's... Mamo-chan's pocket watch... It's starting to move...!?" The school bell rings. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Motoki walks down the street with a friend. "So, about Reika-san," says the friend. "Come on, enough," says Motoki. "Hey, Furu-chan. There's somebody in front of the game center..." The man with short black hair stares at the game center, through his dark sunglasses. He wears a dark suit. "Do you work here?" he says. "Yeah," says Motoki. "Can I help you?" "I have some... business... with this game center." "Oh," says Motoki. "You must be the new guy working here! Did you come here through my dad's introduction? I'm Furuhata Motoki. Being the son of the owner of this building, I have to work here part time. Nice to meet you. So... Your name? Are you a college student?" The man takes off his sunglasses, revealing solid black eyes. "Oh, you..." says Motoki. "I know! Have you by chance ever been with Usagi-chan? I've seen you before." "'Usagi'..." says the man. Motoki turns to his friend. "Endou," he says. "I'm sorry, go on inside without me." "Okay." The man's eyes glow. A beam strikes Motoki's friend, and he vaporizes. The man smiles. He looks into Motoki's eyes, and two beams pass into them. "From now on," the man says, "I'm your best friend, Endou. Nice to meet you." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- A woman enters the Crown Game Center. "Is Furuhata-kun here? He forgot his book in class." "Reika-san," says Motoki, sitting at a game machine. "Oh," she says, seeing his friend. "A newcomer. Nice man. Who is he?" "What are you talking about?" says Motoki. "This is my best friend, Endou." "Endou... -kun?" says Reika. She drops a book on the floor, and it opens up. "Oh!" The book is titled The Encyclopedia of Precious Stones. Endou bends down and looks at it. "What's this?" says Motoki. "Endou, are you interested in gemstones? Reika-san knows lots about them." "You're staring..." says Reika. She looks at the book with him. "Do you like jade? Jade refers to jadeite and nephrite. Jadeite comes in various colors, and it's called true jade. Nephrite is a stone of deep green. This pink spodumene stone is kunzite. Isn't it a light, pretty color? That pale purple stone called tanzanite is also known as blue zoisite. Tiffany's brought that one into the world." She covers her mouth. "I'm sorry, I've been rambling on." "Not at all..." says Endou. "Those four kinds of stones are just the ones I'm carrying..." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The school bell rings. "This is great!" says Usagi. "Today I'm going to Ami-chan's place for the first time." "Come on now," says Makoto. "This is a strategy conference today." They walk down the street, and see Minako holding her sword. "V-chan! Sorry to keep you waiting." "Usagi-chan," says Minako. "It's kind of embarrassing for you to call me V-chan..." "But still!" says Usagi. "That's the most fitting for you." They walk to the Hikawa Shrine. "Rei-chan!" calls Usagi. Usagi approaches the shrine and goes inside. "Rei-chan!" she calls. "I'm coming," says Rei. She looks out at the bright setting sun. "I can see black clouding on the flames of the blazing sun..." she says. "It's ominous... Just like in my fortune..." "What did your fortune tell?" says Minako. "About the future... It told a bad result..." "Does that mean our coming battle will turn out unfavorably?" "I don't know." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Wow!" says Usagi. "Ami-chan's place is an amazing condo!" "No, Usagi," says Makoto. "This is called a luxury apartment. You can't buy it for ten thousand." "Really? Mako-chan, you know a lot." Usagi, Makoto, and Minako enter the huge building, and walk through the spacious foyer. "Wow!" says Usagi. "A marble entrance hall. V-chan, be careful not to drop that sword." Minako's foot catches on a crack in the floor, and she flies forward. The tip of the sword hits the ground. "Oops..." she says. "V-chan!" says Usagi. "You scratched the marble!" "Oh, Ami-chaaan!" cries Minako. "Forgive me!" "V-chan is surprisingly clumsy..." says Makoto. "It's okay, it's okay," says Ami, approaching them. "Marble is soft, so it always gets scratched up. That stone sword is just what I meant to talk about." She holds up a ring. "This is diamond, said to be the hardest thing of all. V-chan, try hitting it with that sword." Minako holds up the sword and taps the ring with its tip. A bit of the diamond breaks off. "Oh, Ami-chan! The diamond! The diamond!" "It's okay, it's okay," says Ami. "My mom has so many of these it's sick. As you see, the supposedly hardest diamond is in pieces. This sword is not normal stone. With Luna, I investigated this stone sword as well as a piece of rock we brought back from the sanctuary on the moon. I've never seen anything like either of them. They're made of a strong, unique substance. No... One might even say they're being hardened. And what's more, the substance is quite considerably toxic." "After Usagi..." says Makoto. "After the princess committed suicide in her previous life, for a moment we were enveloped in light... That's all I can remember... It was hardened into a unique, toxic stone...? The Moon Castle, standing on the moon's Sea of Serenity... It was once a beautiful crystal palace. Our kingdom... Long ago, the moon was not such a lonely, dark planet. It shined more whitely... Was it changed into a planet of death by the enemies?" They stop talking. Ami smiles. They see Usagi lying on the couch, asleep. "That Usagi-chan..." says Makoto. "This is what happens when we talk about hard things. And there's the thing with Tuxedo Kamen... And going to the moon and meeting the mother from her previous life, the queen... She must be worn out spiritually." They carry her into a bedroom and tuck her into bed. They close the door as they go back to the living room. "We were never able to ask the queen how to seal away the evil enemy," says Minako. "The legendary holy blade to protect the princess... Even if we locate the headquarters of the enemy, and confront them, I wonder how we're going to use such a heavy, cursed sword. How are we supposed to defeat the enemy and seal it away?" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tears drop from Usagi's cheek. Her hand clutches the sheets. "I remember... I was saved by Tuxedo Kamen... By Mamo-chan... That time I woke up like this in Mamo-chan's bed... Even from his room, I could see this setting sun..." She wipes her eyes. "I want to play a game as hard as I can... I want to beat the Sailor V game..." She sneaks out of the apartment. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Usagi stands outside the Crown Game Center. "That's strange," she thinks. "I came like I was drawn here. Strange... My heart is pounding. Is it because of what happened this morning? Somebody's sitting in front of the Sailor V game..." She walks inside. Motoki looks up at her with black eyes, leaning on the shoulder of the man with short dark hair. "Hey, Usagi-chan." "What...!?" she thinks. "Chiba... Mamoru...!? It can't be..." The man stands up. "So you're Usagi-chan?" he says. He strokes her face. "The same odango atama as Sailor Moon... Must be popular." "Mamo... chan...!?" she thinks. "Usagi-chan," says Motoki. "This guy's working here part time now. This is my best friend, Endou." "Endou!?" "Like Furuhata," says the man, "I'm a freshman at K.O. University. I'm Endou." "Furu-chan o-nii-san's best friend!?" she thinks. "A college student!? It's not Mamo-chan? But..." "Nice to meet you." "That voice... And that body..." He shakes her hand. "The warmth of his hand. Just like... Like he was right here..." He smiles at her. "I hear you're pretty good at the Sailor V game?" he says. "Would you teach me? I want to ask you a favor, Usagi-chan." "A kind of... cold smile..." thinks Usagi. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Minako's magic pen beeps. "Mina!" calls Artemis. "Somebody's clearing the Sailor V game with terrific speed..." "Who is it?" She turns to the others. "I'm going to the game center for a bit!" She sees the bedroom door open and looks inside. "Usagi-chan?" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The girls run to the game center, and see Usagi leaning over the man's shoulder. "That's... Usagi-chan and... Chiba Mamoru!? Tuxedo Kamen!! What is he doing here!?" "But...! Isn't he being held by the Dark Kingdom now...!?" "That guy...!" thinks Luna. "We passed by him this morning...! Could it be, he's really Tuxedo Kamen! Chiba Mamoru!? "No..." says Rei. "That guy... Those eyes... That's not him! I'm getting a bad feeling. Usagi-chan should not get near that guy...!" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The school bell rings. "Usagi!" says Naru. "Let's walk home together." "Sorry," says Usagi. "I can't..." Naru watches Usagi leave. "Oh... That Usagi, what's with her... Every day..." "Usagi-san is going to the game center!" says Umino. "Seems she's really fallen for the new guy working there." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Usagi-chan!" says Luna. "You're going to the game center every day." Usagi looks down at her. "That guy is not Chiba Mamoru...!" says Luna. Usagi continues walking. "Usagi-chan!" "I know that..." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Endou sits at the Sailor V machine, playing. "Furuhata," he says. "This game is interesting. Even when you clear a stage, new ones keep coming infinitely. It's like Sailor V really is fighting." "No... I wonder if it's more like somebody, somewhere, is operating this game machine, and having you fight." The sliding glass doors open and Usagi steps inside. "Hey, Usagi-chan," says Endou. "I've been waiting for you." He sits her down at the game. "You're so good at this." "Not really..." she says. "You're the good one, Endou-san." "It's like you're one with V," he says. "You've come to know her, haven't you." "Yeah, I have," says Usagi. "She's a strong ally..." "You talk like you've met her. In fact, I've seen her too." "You have!?" "She was quite cool." "Yeah," says Usagi. "She's reliable... Much more than me..." "More than Sailor Moon?" says Endou. "What!?" "That hairstyle of yours looks like Sailor Moon's," he says. "Say... Where are Sailor V and Sailor Moon usually? Perhaps they have a command center or something..." "I... have to go..." He grabs her hand. "Usagi-chan," he says. "Come back tomorrow." He gazes at her with his black eyes. "I want to know more of your secrets, Usagi-chan." Her heart pounds. "Goodbye..." She runs out of the game center. "My suggestions aren't taking...!?" he thinks. - "What should I do?" thinks Usagi. "Those cold eyes make me dizzy... Like they're drawing me in... I can't refuse him... I feel like I'm going to tell him all my secrets... But he looks just like him... Come on... It's 'Usako'... Not Usagi, 'Usako'... Call me that..." Ami and Makoto watch Usagi walk away. - Reika looks inside the game center and sees Motoki with Endou. "Oh, they're together again! That Furuhata-kun! When did he become such good friends with that cool guy, I wonder. He was hiding him from me..." Ami pulls on Makoto's shirt. "M- Mako-chan, Mako-chan..." Makoto walks up to Reika. "Umm... Are you, perhaps... an acquaintance of Furu-chan o-nii-san? What do you know about those two?" "Oh... Yes..." says Reika. "I'm in the same circle as Furuhata-kun, but I don't know that friend of his, called Endou. I've never seen him before. Furuhata-kun did have a best friend Endou-kun, but... That was a more nerdy guy. That reminds me, I haven't seen him lately. Did they become close recently? Furuhata-kun and that Endou guy... Nobody at the university knows where that Endou guy is from." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Artemis sits in the command center. "It's dangerous to let that guy play the Sailor V game any more," he says. "He must be trying to spy on us!" "If it really is Tuxedo Kamen..." says Minako. "Chiba Mamoru... We can't make a careless move." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I'm going to sneak in," says Endou. "Into the command center... Heh heh heh..." He walks down the alley with Motoki. "Hold it," says Makoto, leaning against a wall. She approaches them. "You two, what are you planning to do to our Usagi? What are you plotting?" Endou stares at her with his black eyes. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Usagi, Ami, and Minako rush into the command center. "Mako-chan!" says Usagi. "What on earth is it, calling us to the command center suddenly!?" "Usagi!" says Makoto. "I've been waiting for you. Don't go near that guy anymore! He's an enemy. His aim from the beginning was the princess!" "That guy..." says Usagi. "You mean Endou-san? No... How can you just call him an enemy..." "He is an enemy! What are you going to do! What if he steals the Mystical Silver Crystal...!" Usagi holds the crystal hanging from her necklace. "But I always have it on me like this," she says. "It's all right. What's wrong? Why all of a sudden..." An alarm sounds. "What!?" says Minako. "An intruder!?" "It can't be!!" says Rei. "Nobody should be able to enter this command center but us!" Makoto's eyes flash as she sees the crystal in Usagi's hand. She jumps forward and reaches for it. Minako leaps between them and kicks Makoto in the stomach. Makoto falls to the ground. "Mako-chan!?" "She was almost there," says a voice, "but now she's of no use." They turn and see Endou standing in a tuxedo and cape, his black eyes shining. Motoki stands behind him. "Tuxedo Kamen!?" "So the command center was right below the Sailor V game," says Motoki. "We couldn't sense that strong shield." "No way!" thinks Usagi. "This can't be!!" Makoto moans on the ground. "I fell under his suggestion..." she says. "I brought him here easily..." "Transform, everyone!!" says Minako. She holds her magic pen in the air. "Venus Power, Make Up!!" Motoki shoves Usagi. "Hand over the Mystical Silver Crystal!" Minako jumps at him. "Sailor V Kick!!" She grabs the chain from around her waist and lifts it up. "Whip of love! Open his eyes! Venus Love-Me Chain!!" It strikes Motoki, and he falls back. Endou lifts his hand, and a beam shoots at Minako. She holds her arms up to block it. "Such strong power!" she thinks. "The command center will be destroyed!" A ray shoots from Endou's eye at Usagi. The crystal rises out of her hands. "V-chan!?" she cries. The crystal flies through the air, into Endou's hand. "Heh heh! I have it! At last, the Mystical Silver Crystal!" "Damnit!" says Minako. "Usagi! Transform! Fight! Take back the Mystical Silver Crystal!" Usagi lies against the wall. "Why is Tuxedo Kamen... fighting V-chan?" "Usagi-chan," says Luna. "What are you doing!? Hurry and fight him!" "Fight!?" she thinks. "Tuxedo Kamen!?" "Heh heh," says Endou, grasping the crystal. "Ahahaha!" "Am I dreaming?" thinks Usagi. "Or is this reality? Wasn't he taken away by the Dark Kingdom?" "Usagi-chan!" calls Luna. "Get a hold of yourself! Don't be deceived!!" She jumps on Endou's shoulder. "This Tuxedo Kamen is an impostor!" "What are you doing?" he says. "Get off me!!" He throws Luna against the wall. She crashes and falls to the ground. "Luna!?" cries Usagi. She runs over to her. "Luna!?" Usagi sees blood on the floor beneath her. "No...! Come on! Luna!!" Usagi stands up. "That is not Tuxedo Kamen." She raises her hand. "Moon Prism Power, Make Up!!" She transforms, then looks back. "Luna!!" Tears fall from Usagi's eyes. "Luna...!!" The crystal begins to glow in Endou's hand. "The Mystical Silver Crystal!?" "Usagi-chan!" says Ami. "Now, use the stick on Luna and Mako-chan!" Usagi clutches the moon stick, and holds it above her head. "Moon Healing Escalation!!" Makoto and Luna both moan quietly as they regain consciousness. "I won't allow this...!" says Usagi. "You Tuxedo Kamen impostor...! Deceiving me with your tricks of love... I won't stand for it! The girl to stop you is I, Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!!" Usagi thrusts the moon stick forward, and light flows at Endou, surrounding him. The image of Queen Beryl appears in the light behind him. "Who is that? That woman...!?" "You've done well, Tuxedo Kamen," she says. "Now that we have the Mystical Silver Crystal, I have no business with all of you. Sailor soldiers, this place will be your tomb!" "Who!?" says Usagi. "Who are you!?" "Heh heh... Princess... No matter how many times we meet, you're a tender, childish little girl. Do you not remember my face? I guess not. I am different from back then." "That woman..." thinks Minako. "That's...!" "I am Queen Beryl, queen of the kingdom of darkness, the Dark Kingdom. Princess Selenity, will it make you happy to be killed by Prince Endymion? Heh heh..." "Prince Endymion!?" thinks Usagi. "It can't be... Can it!? Are you really... Mamo-chan!?" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Mamo-chan!?" Usagi cries. "Endymion!?" She looks into his black eyes. "You're alive, aren't you!? That's you, isn't it!? Those cold eyes... Don't you know me!?" "I'm Endou. Nice to meet you." "Were you being manipulated from the beginning!? Does that mean you've become a tool of the Dark Kingdom!? As a tool of Queen Beryl, queen of the kingdom of darkness, the Dark Kingdom... You came to steal the Mystical Silver Crystal from me!?" "It can't be!" she shouts. "Look at me! Tuxedo Kamen! Mamo-chan!?" "Usagi-chan," says Ami. "Calm down! He's only being manipulated temporarily! If we defeat Queen Beryl...!" "Princess," says Beryl. "The prince you know is no more. It seems the power of the Mystical Silver Crystal was absorbed by the dead prince's body, but he never awakened. It's futile. Prince Endymion was resurrected with the power of our great ruler, Queen Metallia! Like me, he was gifted with power, as the strongest soldier of the Dark Kingdom!" "Dead body!?" thinks Usagi. "Dead!? It can't be... It can't be!" He steps forward. Power blasts from his hand at the ceiling. The roof is blown off the Crown Game Center. The girls scream as the power shoots at them. "It's so strong!" says Makoto. "Damnit!" "Jupiter, no!" calls Ami. "If we fight back any more, the command center will...!!" Motoki moans as he lies on the floor. Makoto and Ami pick him up and transport outside. "H- Huh!?" he says. "What on earth..." A crowd gathers outside. "The building exploded!" Motoki looks at the two girls. "Y- You!?" "Don't worry, Furu-chan nii-san," says Makoto. "We'll protect the game center!" They go back inside. "Luna!" says Ami. "Calculate the temporal axis!" She draws her goggles over her eyes. "I'm going to make a shield! Otherwise this whole place will blow up!" A swirl of energy appears behind her. "Super-Dimensional Space Warp!!" Beryl and Tuxedo Kamen are pulled into the black warp. "Wherever we fight, it will be the same," says Beryl. A part of her hair whips out and wraps around Usagi's neck. "Usagi!!" says Makoto. "I've been waiting a long time for this," says Beryl. "Now tell me! The secret of the Mystical Silver Crystal's power! The legendary Mystical Silver Crystal, passed down through the Moon Kingdom, the Silver Millennium..." She tightens her grasp on Usagi. "Where is the infinite power!? With that power, I will have eternal youth and longevity, and unequaled strength!" Usagi moans. "Princess!!" says Minako. "How I have waited..." says Beryl. "Since ancient times... The daybreak with the abnormal cluster of shooting stars. That catastrophic year... A gigantic cluster of gas of that sun, from a spot of evil darkness. It poured onto this planet along with a meteor shower... It was born on this land... That time was the awakening of the god of darkness." "Bring me great power. Invade the moon. I will have the infinite power of the Mystical Silver Crystal. I will have this planet, and this universe!" "Ever since that time I kneeled before our great ruler, Queen Metallia, I have been waiting!" The girls gasp. "The great ruler, Queen Metallia...!?" "Release the princess!" says Minako. "Queen of the Dark Kingdom, Queen Beryl! Beryl... I remember... You...!" "Venus!?" says Ami. "You abetted the manipulation of the people of Earth," she says. "The woman who came to attack the moon, and ruined everything...! The woman who sold her soul to that devil, Queen Metallia! I remember it clearly now. That time this woman... The princess and Prince Endymion...!" Selenity screams as the blade cuts through Endymion. "Princess!" says Venus. "Prince!!" Venus grabs her sword and swings it at Beryl, slicing through her chest. "So even you have been reincarnated in this world!" "Then I was a step away from being turned to dust," says Beryl. "And thanks to that annoying Queen Selenity, our great ruler Queen Metallia was also buried to the bottom of the earth. But a great current in space allowed us to be resurrected once more. Heh heh..." "Beryl!" says Minako. "Even you are merely being used by that demon!" "Heh heh... Now that I have the princess and the Mystical Silver Crystal, there is no need to wait for the revival of our great ruler. I, Queen Beryl, will rule this world. I will be the true queen, along with my new companion. Along with Prince Endymion!" "No..." Usagi cries. The hair holds tightly around her neck. "No! Endymion!" "Sailor Moon!" says Minako. She twirls her whip. "Venus Love-Me Chain!!" It strikes the mass of hair, but Usagi remains entangled. "Venus!" says Usagi. "You've made me mad," says Minako. She holds out her hand. "Sword! Holy blade to protect our princess! Come to my hand!" A light glows as the sword appears. She tries to lift it, but cannot raise it off the ground. Makoto runs by her and grabs it. "Let me have it, Venus!" She holds the sword over her head, and cuts Usagi loose. The strands of hair continue to hold Usagi around the neck. "Usagi!?" "It hurts..." thinks Usagi. "I can't die yet... Not here!" "Moon!" calls Minako. "Our kingdom, the Silver Millennium!" She raises the sword above her head. "Give me and this sword strength!!" "Mamo-chan!" thinks Usagi. "Endymion!! Until I take you back!" The crystal begins to glow in his hand. Minako clutches the sword and lunges forward. The sword pierces Beryl through the stomach. The rusted stone breaks off the sword, and the blade shines brightly. "Ohh..." says Beryl. "The sword!?" thinks Minako. "This light... Could it be... The sword of the Mystical Silver Crystal!?" Beryl reaches out as her body melts. "I finally had you," she thinks. "But... Prince Endymion... You..." She watches from afar as Endymion and Selenity embrace. "I've always been watching you..." Her face contorts as her body disintegrates. "Always..." Beryl's tiara drops to the floor. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "So Beryl has been destroyed..." says Queen Metallia. "Is the power of the ones of the Moon Kingdom becoming strong!?" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Minako stares at the glowing sword. "'When this sword shines... Hidden within she who is the queen, the Mystical Silver Crystal shall stir as does that spirit.'" "V-chan!?" "'Carrying that, it will waken completely the great power of the moon. Pray to the sacred tower of the moon, for peace in our kingdom once more...'" "Something written on the sword...?" says Ami. "She who is the queen... Is that Princess Selenity!?" "Open the great power of the moon!?" thinks Luna. "Is this... the opening of the seal!?" Minako pitches forward. "Great power of the moon...!?" thinks Tuxedo Kamen. Minako passes out on the floor, dropping the sword. He runs to her, picking her up along with the sword. "V-chan!?" calls Usagi. He carries Minako through a glowing portal, and Usagi chases after him. "Sailor Moon!!" the others call. The portal seals off before them, vanishing. "It's gone!?" says Makoto. "Sailor Moon!! Venus!!" calls Rei. "Where'd they go? Quickly! Follow them!" "Calm down, everyone!" A monitor displays a map of the Arctic Circle, with two points of light. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I can't see anything... It's cold..." Usagi looks ahead into the fog. "Where are they? V-chan, Tuxedo Kamen... Did I lose them?" She holds the cracked pocket watch in her hand. A light appears in the distance. "I see it." She begins running. "A single point of light. Is that... Being sent out from him... The light of the Mystical Silver Crystal!?" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The girls watch the monitor. "What's their response?" "Moving rapidly north..." says Luna. "North!?" The screen fills with static. "Again!" she says. "When it approaches this area, it's jammed by something, and I can't see anything." "Luna, this area...!!" "The polar circle," she says. "The Arctic Circle!" "Luna!" "Yes! That's it. I've been keeping an eye on this area. Those two might be going to the Dark Kingdom...!" "Let's follow!" says Rei. "Before we lose track of them!" Luna cringes and coughs. "Luna!?" "It's nothing," she says. "Go on ahead! I'll guide you, and catch up with you later!" Ami, Rei, and Makoto disappear into a portal of light - Motoki sees a beam shoot from the roof of the Crown Game Center into the sky. "W- What's that light! Maybe I'm dreaming. A hole in my building... And Makoto-chan and Ami-chan..." - Luna lies on the floor of the command center. "Luna!" says Artemis. "I'm all right, Artemis," she says. He licks her paw. "I'm just not fully recovered yet from that injury from before." A voice comes from the computer. "Luna, can you hear me!? We've made it to 72 degrees north latitude." "Mercury! Go farther north!" One of the four points displayed on the monitor vanishes. "The response from those two disappeared!" says Luna. "It's Point D!" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The three girls soar through the air. "Point D," says Ami. "We're right over the Arctic Ocean. This is a sea of ice, with no land. Where did they..." A mist appears around them. "Fog!?" "This isn't ordinary fog," says Rei. "The space is... distorting. An evil spirit is spreading. It's saying... not to come closer." "So the empire of darkness is near," says Makoto. A small island of rock appears through the fog before them. "Look! I can see...! Land...!" "I've got it," says Luna, through the communicator. "Their response is deep in the bowels of the earth! Sneak in below that land! Into the earth!" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Torches light the walls of the castle. "Where is this...? Dark... And so cold..." "So you followed all this way." Usagi looks up and sees Tuxedo Kamen standing over her. Minako lies unconscious on the floor beside him, next to the sword. He slowly walks toward Usagi. "Tuxedo Kamen..." she says. "Endymion... It's me. Selenity." He holds up the Mystical Silver Crystal. Its light glows on his face, shining on his white eyes. The crystal fades away. He touches his hands to her face. He leans his head close to hers. He grabs Usagi by the neck and lifts her in the air. Usagi screams. He glares at her, his eyes black. He holds up the crystal. "Tell me! If this is the Mystical Silver Crystal, why does it give out no power? Besides this tiny piece and that sword, is there another Mystical Silver Crystal with more power!?" "No-..." says Usagi, as his grip tightens around her neck. "What is this great power of the moon!? Is it power carried by another Mystical Silver Crystal!? Where is that!?" "This can't be..." thinks Usagi. "This person, doing this..." She reaches for the crystal in his hand. As she touches it, a blinding light flashes from it, knocking her back onto the floor. - The three girls appear before a large stone castle. "Is this... the Dark Kingdom...!?" They go inside, and walk through a long hall. They enter a large, open room. "Sailor Moon!! Sailor Venus!!" Tuxedo Kamen steps back. "Princess," he says. "This power now... Is it you!? Can you manipulate it at will!?" His eyes glow, and he smiles wickedly. "The power of the Mystical Silver Crystal..." A dark, gaseous entity appears from all around him. "Carrier of the blood of the Moon Kingdom," it says. "So you've come this far, to this closed empire of the Dark Kingdom." The girls step back. "Is this the great ruler, Queen Metallia!? Our ultimate enemy!?" Tuxedo Kamen thrusts his arm forward, and the girls are blown against the wall. Luna appears before them, and blocks his attack. "Luna!" "Usagi-chan!" she says. "His being this strong is due to the power of the Mystical Silver Crystal taken in by his body." Minako sits up, holding the sword. "Listen carefully," says Luna. "What is written on the sword is the method for the seal. To seal away that demon, Queen Metallia, the complete form of the Mystical Silver Crystal is necessary. Using the power of Usagi-chan's spirit, take the contents of the Mystical Silver Crystal absorbed into him before, and return it to inside the crystal! That will be the complete form. Then, using that as a switch, open the power! You must seal away Queen Metallia and vanquish it! That time has come, Sailor Moon!" "Power, you say?" says Queen Metallia. "The infinite power of the Mystical Silver Crystal? Where is it!? The source of the power! Give it to me!" "It is the power to bury you, Queen Metallia!" says Luna. "Thoughtless, weak, know-nothing princess. Are you the one who can seal me away? Heh heh... Your corpse will lie eternally in the Dark Kingdom." "Evil spirit..." calls Rei as she draws her arms together. "Mars!" yells Usagi. "Begone!!" The attack is drawn into the darkness. "Heh heh..." says Queen Metallia. "More, more energy!" "It didn't work!?" says Rei. "That's...!?" "What can we do!" says Makoto. "We don't have a chance like this. How can we even attack Tuxedo Kamen...!" "He's being reborn now as another personality!" says Minako. "He's the same as Queen Metallia! We have to get him back!" She brings her arms together over her head. "My planet of love, Venus! Give me the strength of love!" "V-chan, no!" calls Usagi. "Rolling Heart Vibration!" The attack shoots at Tuxedo Kamen. He raises his hand and the attack dissipates. Minako is knocked back onto the floor. "Venus!" calls Usagi. She holds up the moon stick. "Moon Healing Escalation!" Power blasts at Tuxedo Kamen, surrounding him. He grips the crystal before his black eyes. "It's useless," he says. "You cannot beat me." "Whatever I do," thinks Usagi, "he won't return to his old self!? I have to defeat Queen Metallia. But to do that, I have to take out the power of the Mystical Silver Crystal from inside him..." "It seems the power was absorbed by the dead prince's body," said Beryl, "but he never awakened. It's futile. The prince was resurrected with the power of Queen Metallia!" "Is he a different person now!? Can I do nothing but defeat him!? Kill him...?" She starts to cry. "No... No!!" As she holds her head, supersonic waves form from her two balls of hair. The waves shake Tuxedo Kamen as he holds the crystal. A ball of light emerges from his body, and floats into the crystal. "Luna...!" says Rei. "What's happening!?" "Tuxedo Kamen and the Mystical Silver Crystal," says Luna, "are reflecting the chaos in Usagi-chan's heart, and resonating...!" "Usagi-chan's heart..." says Ami, "is controlling the power of the Mystical Silver Crystal?" Usagi looks at Tuxedo Kamen. He stares back at her, his hands glowing. Power blasts at her and the others, knocking them back. "Queen Selenity..." thinks Usagi. "Tell me... I can't do it..." "There is no one but you who can do it!" said the queen. "Please, take pride and self-confidence in being the princess and the soldier of justice, Sailor Moon." "Can I not choose the path...!?" Usagi stands up. "I can't stand to see him like this..." "Sailor Moon!?" says Minako. "Is there nothing I can do but this?" She picks up the sword. "Is this... our destiny having been reborn?" She lunges at Tuxedo Kamen. She swings the sword across his chest. Blood sprays as he reaches his hand out. He holds her head close to his. He looks at her with white eyes. They close their eyes, and kiss deeply. "Mamo-chan..." Usagi holds out the sword, and plunges it into her own chest. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Original manga copyright © 1992, 1993 Takeuchi Naoko. English translation copyright © 1998 Alex Glover. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sailor Moon Translations | Sailor Moon Volume 3