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Act 50 - Stars 8

Originally appeared in Nakayoshi, January 1997.
Translated by Alex Glover. Version 1.01, 4.97.
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Usagi stares in disbelief.

Chibi-Usa and her four soldiers stand with their mouths hanging open.

"It can't be..."

On the steps of the palace stand the eight soldiers of the solar system.

They stare at Usagi coldly.

Usagi smiles. "Venus!! Mercury!! Mars!! Uranus!! Neptune!! Jupiter!!
Pluto!! Saturn!! Everyone...!!"

Chibi-Usa sees the metal bracelets on their wrists.

"Galaxia's bracelets!?"

A black cape blows in the wind from behind the door of the palace.

Tuxedo Kamen steps out to join the other soldiers, the blackness of space
behind him.

Usagi gasps.

"Tuxedo Kamen!? Mamo-chan!?"

Chibi-Chibi grabs onto Usagi's leg and struggles to hold her back.

"Sailor Moon!"

Usagi knocks her away.

"Sailor Moon!?" says Chibi-Usa.

Usagi runs toward the palace.

"Mamo-chan! Everyone...!"

Tuxedo Kamen grins evilly.

"Kill Sailor Moon," he says. "Then take her Silver Moon Crystal!"

"Your first opponents are us!" say Mercury and Mars.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

The Sailor Quartet jump in front of Usagi, and are struck by the attacks.

"Ceres! Pallas! Juno! Vesta!"

Usagi looks at the others. "Everyone!? Are they being manipulated!?"

"Sailor Moon!" says Chibi-Usa. "Their bracelets! If you take those off,
they'll be back to normal for sure!"

Chibi-Chibi grabs onto Chibi-Usa.

"Chibi-Chibi!?"

She holds Chibi-Usa's hand.

"What!?"

Chibi-Usa sees the images of the others being killed.

"Mamo-chan!? Mercury!? Jupiter!? Mars!? Venus!? Uranus!! Neptune!! Pluto!!
Saturn!!"

She drops to her knees.

"Chibi-Chibi, these visions... Were they all taken this way!? Just like
dust, in one moment they were...!"

"I am next!" says Jupiter.

"Then, the ones before us now...!" Chibi-Usa thinks.

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

Usagi is knocked to the ground.

"Sailor Moon!!"

Chibi-Usa runs to her.

"They're enemies!" she says. "Impostors made by Galaxia!"

"Enemies!?" says Usagi. "No way! These powers, these strengths... It's
them! They're alive!"

"That's right. It's us," says Pluto. "We have been newly reborn! Cronos
Typhoon!"

The attack strikes Usagi, throwing her back across the ground.

"Pluto!?" thinks Chibi-Usa. "No, this is not Pluto! Sailor Moon!"

"Galaxia-sama," says Uranus. "Give me power! Galactica Space Turbulence!"

Chibi-Usa cries out in pain as the blast strikes her.

"Chibi-Moon!" Usagi calls.

"Sailor Moon," says Chibi-Usa. "These are not them. They're enemies! It's
hard, but remember that! All their bodies were torn apart by Galaxia and
the others."

"But... They're all there. Alive before us, standing here, fighting..."

"That's right!" Chibi-Usa says. "But this is not their true power! They've
been reincarnated with Galaxia's power... To kill us!"

"It's my turn next," says Saturn. "Galactica Glaive Surprise!"

"Saturn!!" thinks Chibi-Usa.

Chibi-Chibi rushes in front of them, blocking the attack with her scepter.

"Bothersome girls," says Neptune. "Your next match is me! Galactica Violin
Tide!"

Usagi holds off the attack. It is redirected, knocking down one of the
palace pillars.

"No! That's not Neptune! This destruction power, this strength is...!"

Pluto and Saturn stand together.

"Garnet Orb!"

"Silence Glaive!"

"Galactica Cannon!!"

Their joined attack strikes Chibi-Chibi.

Usagi starts to run toward her, but is stopped by a noise behind her.

"Venus Love and Galactica Shock!!"

Usagi holds out her arms, and fights off the attack with a blast of her
own.

"Hmph!" says Tuxedo Kamen.

He turns and runs inside the palace.

Usagi chases in after him.

He turns to face her, his eyes blank.

"Mamo-chan!" she thinks. "No, that's not Mamo-chan... Those eyes, that
bracelet..."

The four inner soldiers enter the palace behind her.

"Galactica Gale!!"

Their power clashes with Usagi's, as she fights off their attack.

"Damnit!" says Tuxedo Kamen.

Chibi-Usa lifts herself off the ground.

"Sailor Moon! Everyone!!"

"This can't be happening!" say the Sailor Quartet.

"If we're all killed," says Chibi-Usa, "who will protect Earth!? Who will
protect this galaxy!? What will become of our future!? Open your eyes! If
you don't, it will all end here!!"

"Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!!"

Venus holds up her hand, looking coldly at Usagi.

"Is this the power of the sailor crystals of the sailor soldiers known as
the strongest in the galaxy?" she says. "It's merely the dance of a slight
breeze."

"I can't do this..." Usagi thinks. "I can't defeat them."

The eight soldiers hold out their hands.

"Galactica Planet Attack!!"

The wings are torn from Usagi's back as she falls backward, her scepter
snapping in two.

She falls limp on the ground.

Her scepter shatters.

Tuxedo Kamen stands over her.

"So her wings have been broken. Heh heh..."

"If I don't act, we'll be killed!" Chibi-Usa thinks. "If I don't fight and
defeat them, it will end here! We won't be able to reach Galaxia. We won't
be able to defeat the real enemy!"

Chibi-Chibi grabs her arm.

"No," she says. "Don't do it. This is Sailor Moon's fight. The future of
the galaxy depends on it. It's Sailor Moon's fight, so... So believe in
her."

Usagi weakly lifts herself from the ground.

"Put her to an end," Tuxedo Kamen says.

"Sailor Moon!!" Chibi-Usa calls.

Chibi-Chibi clasps her hands together in prayer.

Usagi stands up.

"That's right. Things can't end here yet! I can't give up!"

Her scepter reappears before her.

"Silver Moon Crystal Power! Therapy Kiss!!"

The bracelets shatter, and the eight soldiers disintegrate into ash.

Usagi gasps.

Their eight crystals remain.

"Their sailor crystals!?"

She reaches for them, and they vanish.

She turns, standing in the hall of the palace. She sees the giant crystal
held in the air.

And Galaxia in her golden sailor suit.

"I trust my golems put on a great performance for you? I am the galaxy's
ultimate soldier of destruction. Welcome to the castle of Sailor Galaxia,
Sailor Moon."

"I've finally made it," Usagi thinks. "To you, Sailor Galaxia...!"

"You're injured. They even broke your wings... Is your beautiful and
radiant power so full of hatred toward me?"

"My power is not full because of hatred," Usagi says. "It is because I
believe in the power of the sailor soldiers. They have all continued to
give me strength. It is because I believe in the power of the sailor
crystals. I've made it this far. It is because I believe in my own power."

"I want to be born together with everyone again," said Kakyuu.

"My allies will surely help me. It is because I believe we will live
together again. It is because I believe we will have the future we've made!
I can fight now."

"Your future with the ones you love?" Galaxia asks.

Tuxedo Kamen steps forth from the shadows, and kisses Galaxia's lips.

Usagi gasps.

He kisses the brooch on Galaxia's chest.

He kneels and kisses the ground beneath her feet.

"Stop!!" Usagi cries. "Stop, Mamo-chan!!"

Galaxia kicks him in the jaw, knocking him away.

She steps on his hand with her heeled boot.

"This man, and the power throughout the galaxy, everything in this galaxy
belongs to me! If you want it back, you must fight me!"

"I will fight!" Usagi says. "I will fight and end this war!"

She raises her scepter.

Galaxia raises her arms with their bracelets.

Power surrounds them both as they charge toward each other.

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Original manga copyright © 1997 Takeuchi Naoko.
English translation copyright © 1997 Alex Glover.

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Sailor Moon Translations | Sailor Moon Volume 18