"That huge light is coming toward us." "The war is beginning. I'm scared, Lethe." "It's all right, Mnemosyne. I'll protect you." "For our peaceful and happy future, we won't take one step away from here." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ ] Act 48 - Stars 6 Originally appeared in Nakayoshi, November 1996. Translated by Alex Glover. Version 1.01, 3.97. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Usagi floats in space with Princess Kakyuu, Chibi-Chibi, and the three Starlights. "That giant cluster of stars is the center of the galaxy," Kakyuu says. "Alpha Star of Sagittarius. And deeper, in the center of Alpha Star, is Zero Star of Sagittarius. The place where stars are born." "The place where stars are born?" "All the starseeds of the galaxy are born from that Zero Star of Sagittarius." "The place where starseeds are born..." thinks Usagi. "All of the stars scattered across the galaxy, and Earth, and we... were born from there?" "When you say the Shadow Galactica is there," says Seiya, "do you mean Galaxia will rule the destiny of the galaxy's stars?" "Perhaps," says Kakyuu. "Now, we will fly at once to Zero Star. But there is no guarantee whether or not we will be able to land safely." "We're prepared, Princess," says Yaten. "For the unknown realm, and the heart of the enemy land." A flash of light blinds them. As they look around, they see fog and darkness. "Where are we...?" Usagi says. A gigantic doorway looms before them, slowly creaking open. "The gate to Zero Star!?" They pass through the door, and find themselves in a desert. Kakyuu and Chibi-Chibi start coughing. "My throat is so parched..." says Kakyuu. Usagi gasps. A figure cloaked in a dark robe stands beside a withered tree, on a small boat in the sand, holding an oar. "I am Lethe," the figure says. "I am the ferryman of this desert river. Please come aboard, foreigners." The six of them board the small boat, and float out through the sand. The sands liquefy around them. "The desert is turning to water!?" The boat starts to sink. Usagi falls deep through the water, gasping for air. "Princess!!" she calls as she drowns. "Chibi-Chibi, Starlights!!" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Usagi sits on a swing underwater, wearing her school uniform, her eyes cloudy. "This is..." She sees a woman faintly outlined before her. The woman wears a dark green dress, and her hair is tied back into four ponytails. "I'm... All of a sudden, I'm here...?" "Are those your cats?" the woman asks. She looks down at Luna, Artemis, and Diana. "My... cats...?" The woman picks them up. "If you raise and care for cats, they'll be lonely when you die. It's much better to be alone. Don't you think?" "Be alone...?" Usagi says. "No... It's lonesome by yourself... That's why I felt I should make lots of friends..." "If you're lonesome. What kind of friends?" "What kind?" Usagi thinks. "My friends... My friends... I can't really... remember..." The woman points to the heart-shaped ring on Usagi's finger. "A lover? Do you have one?" "Have a lover?" Usagi thinks. "I wonder if I did... Who is this ring from...? Who... am I...? I don't remember... anything..." "Your memories as a person have no value," the woman says. "Even that body is only a vessel. The thing that has value to us is..." A metal bracelet adorns her wrist. She raises her arm. "Power only!" A blast strikes the three cats, splattering their bodies onto the floor. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dark skies cloud over the Crystal Palace. Chibi-Usa doubles over in pain. "My chest hurts...!" she says. "What is it!? What happened!? This pain...!?" She sees her cat's body torn apart. "Diana!?" She runs out of her room. "Mom! Mom, dad!" Neo-Queen Selenity looks at her with concern. "Small Lady...!" "I haven't seen Diana for days," Chibi-Usa says. "She's not here anywhere. Where is Diana?" She hears a coughing sound, and rushes to the two other cats. "Luna!? Artemis!? Their bodies...!! Oh no... Oh no, is Diana... That vision I had before, could it be true!? Is she already gone...!?" "Small Lady," says the Queen. "Diana had a duty to investigate a disturbance in space-time, and traveled to the past." Diana kneels in human form. "Please," she says. "I request that I may once more go to the past! Isn't the source of the disturbance crossing time the attack of the enemies Sailor Moon and the others are fighting!? I wish to assist by going to Sailor Moon, defeating the enemies, and returning peace as it was!" "Something has happened to Diana's body," Chibi-Usa says. "I know. I feel it. What on earth is happening!? Tell me, mom!!" The Queen looks at her sadly, and shows her into a room, where six bodies lie frozen. Lights glow above their chests. She looks at her mother's four guardians. "Everyone!?" Chibi-Usa says. "All their crystals are shining!?" She turns to the King and the guardian of time. "Dad!? Pluto!! All their crystals shining so brightly... All their bodies fading away...! It can't be... The disturbance in the past... In the past, everyone's lives are-!?" She clutches her hand to her chest. "Mom, I'm going to the past!" "Small Lady!" the Queen says. "What are you saying!? It's dangerous!" "Mom, I'm saying that I will help Sailor Moon fight, so that you can protect the 30th century. I have a mission. They're shouting that I must go, everyone is calling me. Right, this pain in my chest is the pain of everyone across time and space! Pink Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!!" As she appears in her sailor suit, her four guardian soldiers materialize behind her. "You...!" she says. "Sailor Ceres!" "Sailor Pallas!" "Sailor Juno!" "Sailor Vesta!" "We are the Sailor Quartet!" "I'm leaving, mom," Chibi-Usa says. "Please guard the 30th century." "Go, cross time and space," the Queen says, handing her the key. "To beyond the galaxy." "Beyond the galaxy!?" "Go, and find for yourself, what is happening beyond the galaxy!" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Usagi feels the ashes that remain of the three cats. "Why can you kill them... so easily?" she asks. "We were born to live." "Those with life," the woman says, "are born to die." She raises her oar to the air. "Galactica Myosotis Alpestris!" [M. alpestris is an alpine species of the forget-me-not flower.] Usagi scream in pain, and collapses on the ground. Another woman in a light purple dress, with four ponytails, peers down from above the surface, and cringes. "Why...!?" Usagi says. "Are you trying to kill me...?" "Because you came here to lose everything." "To lose my name, my life, everything..." Usagi thinks. "No, that's wrong. I don't want to lose everything. I had so many precious friends. My name, my life were for those friends. Those allies. Right, I'm not here to lose everything. I came here to bring back my allies..." "At the bottom of this river of oblivion," the woman says, "nobody can defeat me." She grins evilly as she raises her metal bracelet. "Farewell, Sailor Moon." The woman in the purple dress pushes her away. "Stop, Lethe!" "Mnemosyne!" "Sailor Moon has been hurt enough! Leave the final judgement to Galaxia-sama." "Sailor Moon...?" Usagi thinks. The heart-shaped ring on her finger glows. "Sailor Moon... That name..." The golden crescent moon shines on her forehead. "Right! I am Sailor Moon!! I came here to restore everything!!" She transforms back into her sailor suit, and swims through the water. She sees Chibi-Chibi, Kakyuu, and the Starlights lying unconscious. "Everyone!?" Chibi-Chibi's eyes pop open. "Chibi-Chibi!" Usagi grabs her and swims with her up to the surface of the river. "She got her memory back in my river of oblivion!" says Lethe. "Damn you!" "Lethe!" Mnemosyne says. "Please, stop this!" Mnemosyne creates a sphere of light around Usagi, Chibi-Chibi, Kakyuu, and the Starlights, carrying them out of the river onto dry ground. "Chibi-Chibi, are you all right!?" Usagi says. Chibi-Chibi shakes water from her head. "Betraying me, Mnemosyne?" Lethe says. "I only-!" says Lethe. "I just don't want a sailor soldier the same as me to be hurt by you." Kakyuu wakes up, and looks around dazedly. "Princess!?" Usagi says. "Princess Kakyuu!?" Mnemosyne scoops some water up with her hand, putting it to Kakyuu's mouth. "Have some water from my river of memory." "Mnemosyne!" says Lethe. Kakyuu coughs. "Sailor Moon," she says. "This place...!" "Princess!" says Usagi. They turn to the two women. "I didn't come here for a meeting with death," Usagi says. "I came to get back my allies' sailor crystals! Where are they!?" "The sailor crystals are not here," says Lethe. "These are the vast outer moats, doubly guarding the Galaxia Palace of the Shadow Galactica Empire. The Desert Rivers. I am the guardian of the river of oblivion, Sailor Lethe of the planet Lethe." "I am the guardian of the river of memory, Sailor Mnemosyne of the planet Mnemosyne." "We won't let you leave from here, Sailor Moon," Lethe says. "Not as you lived." "Lethe!" "If you don't want to see it, close your eyes, Mnemosyne!" "Have you forgotten!? The oath by which we decided to follow Galaxia, to achieve our own peace and happiness!? Our planets were small, and poor. It was always chaotic, with never-ending fights. Galaxia appeared, and death and silence came to our planets. We had no choice but to follow her. But if there is a lasting victory to the war, and Galaxia unites the galaxy, we will have our new future, surely!" The two women hug. "This time we'll have peace and happiness, Mnemosyne." "There is no peace and happiness with the soldier of destruction!" Kakyuu says. "Don't you know that!? However many people she finds, she kills! Even in the future, with that woman there will only be destruction and slaughter!" "But, Sailor Moon," says Lethe. "Is there a peaceful and happy future with you? A future where there is no war? Sailor Moon, the power you carry calls for war! As long as you exist, the wars will not end. From where we stand, the enemy is you! Whoever wins, the future will surely be the same. I will end this war now. I just want to have peace and happiness, together with Mnemosyne. That's all." "If that will truly end the war," Usagi says, "kill me." The others gasp. "I, too, came here to end the war." "That's right," she thinks to herself. "I came now to end this war. I have always fought to end wars. That is the mission of a sailor soldier. That is the wish of a sailor soldier. All our wishes are always the same. No matter what future awaits us." "Please, go, Sailor Moon." "Sailor Mnemosyne!" "Even if we don't repair things," says Lethe, "if you die, if you don't die, the war will not end." "Sailor Lethe...!" The two Anima Mates appear on pillars of sand. "Useless fools," they say. They raise their scepters to the air. Blasts cut Lethe and Mnemosyne through their bodies. "Lethe!! Mnemosyne!!" Usagi calls. The two take each others' hands as their metal bracelets unclasp. "Lethe..." "Mnemosyne..." Their bodies disintegrate into ash. "Lethe!! Mnemosyne!!" Usagi calls. Anima Mates points her scepter at Usagi. Chibi-Chibi jumps in front of Usagi, holding up her own scepter with a heart at the top, shielding them from the attack. Energy swirls around the three unconscious Starlights. Kakyuu runs toward them. "Healer!! Maker!! Fighter!!" The Anima Mates laugh as the three sailor crystals emerge from the Starlights' bodies. They rise into the air, taking the crystals, and disappear. "Damnit!!" Usagi says. "Their three sailor crystals!?" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Original manga copyright © 1996 Takeuchi Naoko. English translation copyright © 1997 Alex Glover. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sailor Moon Translations | Sailor Moon Volume 17