Sacrifices: A prologue
Chapter 4
<Intro to Chapter 4>
White is the colour of night; it is its most vibrant feature.
The whiteness of the land, perfect in its stark beauty. The white
fluted columns that rise up from the depths of that pale soil;
hundreds upon hundreds, each a symbol of an entire world. The pure
water, glistening white, pouring forth from the pillars into a
glimmering white lake. The white armour suits, camouflaged among
the columns, encompassing noble hearts set upon a noble task. The
whiteness of a gleaming marble balcony, veined in blue and green,
supporting two slender figures layered in soft white cloth.
At night, all is white.
"Mother..." She looked up hesitantly.
"Yes?"
The voice was strong, as it always was...as she always will
remember it to be.
"I...why is it called the Silver Millennium?" Damn. She
didn't have the courage to say it yet.
A slow smile dawned upon her mother's lips.
"So simple a question? You usually manage better during the
time we spend together." She didn't even bother looking down at
her.
Serena lowered her head, cheeks flushing. Damn.
"I...I..."
"Princess Serenity, look about you. Look at the stars." Was
that impatience in her voice?
She raised her head and stared at the dark sky. The night
was so black that it frightened her. The stars glimmered weakly.
"There is your answer." A pale arm rose and pointed towards
the darkness. "The stars. Each one of them forms a link in the
delicate silver chain that binds us together. We are the Silver
Millennium."
The Princess bowed her head again, letting out a sigh.
"I...see."
A gentle hand touched her cheek. She looked up, startled.
Her mother was gazing down upon her. The coldness didn't seem to
be there anymore. Like the old days. Mother...
"You know this already. What is your question hiding." Not
all the coldness would leave.
"I...I was just thinking mother. Thinking to...to..."
"To do what, dear?" Warmer.
"..to learn how to fight. Like the others. I don't want to
just stand by and do nothing. I want to help. I want to-" Her
voice broke off as her head twisted sharply to one side at the
impact. The sound rang out through the stillness of the night. A
red welt spread over her cheek. It burned fiercely.
"You are to *give*, not *want*. Learn that, then we shall
talk." Cold.
Serena watched silently as her mother strode off the balcony
and into the palace. Tears welled in her eyes, yet she fought them
back. Her hand brushed her cheek as she gazed at the stars.
"Why can they not be a 'Sailor Moon'?" Her voice was as weak
as the starlight.
"Silly girl."
Serena whirled around in surprise at the new voice.
"There has never been, and can never be a 'Sailor Moon'."
A black cat sprawled comfortably on the balcony's edge,
lazily licking her glistening coat. Two luminescent eyes followed
her movement as Serena drew close.
"But Luna, they will need me. Earth has already been
claimed. It is only a matter of time..."
"That does not concern you, Princess. You will be protected.
Let the four warriors do their duty. You should concentrate on
your studies." The cat rose smoothly to her feet and turned away.
"But..."
"Not now Princess! I have much on my mind...much planning to
do." She crouched down and leapt off the balcony, into the garden.
Serena watched her slide gracefully into the night.
"...only a matter of time...and no Sailor Moon..."
<End of Intro>
* * *
Mercury leaned back, resting her head against the wall.
"They aren't answering." Spoken weakly between shallow
gasps.
Indecision flickered across her companion's face. Finally,
unable to wait any longer, Jupiter rose to her feet.
"Keep trying. I'm going to see if I can find them."
She stepped away...and stopped, pulled short by the hand
clasped about her own.
"No!"
Jupiter turned back, startled by the vehemence in the voice,
the strength in the grip. Mercury looked up at her with terror in
her eyes. Her voice quivered.
"Don't leave me here. Not alone."
Eyes glistening, Jupiter crouched down beside her and draped
an arm about her shoulders.
"I won't."
Mercury smiled, and then returned her attention to the
computer resting on her lap. She didn't see the look of
helplessness on Jupiter's face; nor did she hear the faint sound of
a fist striking the floor in despair.
Alone again. Not for long, perhaps, but alone nevertheless.
Just like the old days. Forgotten emotions stirred deep within
Venus's heart. Memory. A creature long silenced by deep sleep.
Awakening now and stretching its limbs, testing the extent of its
abilities. The familiar feelings surged through her, quickening
her heartbeat.
Alone.
Carefree.
She crouched low onto her haunches, one hand pressed to the
floor, supporting her, and the other held out for balance. Cat-
like, she circled the room. A flash of orange from shadow to
shadow.
Grime-encrusted windows adorned the walls of the large
chamber; some cracked. It seemed to be a communal hall of sorts.
An immense circular table squatted to one side, and chairs of every
style and type dotted the floor-space in seemingly random
positions. An ornate fireplace decorated the wall beside the
table, glowing with the red embers of a fire playing out an
elaborate death scene. Competing against the fire was a conical
lamp, hung from a withered wire above the center of the room. It
swung to and fro, wielding its narrow beam of light like a sword
against the darkness.
Venus leapt onto a low oak stool, crouching comfortable upon
it. She examined every detail of the room.
*No stone unturned*.
She smiled. If only Artemis were here, it would have been
perfect.
A door slammed in the distance.
Venus whirled and leapt back into the shadows. Breathing
hard, she pressed her back against the wall, holding as still as
possible.
Shifted by her momentum, the stool she had stood on rocked
drunkenly, teetering on the edge of collapse. Offering a silent
prayer, she tried willing stability into the stool.
Where was Mars? Too late.
Footsteps, approaching rapidly. Then the sound of a chair
being struck. She heard it topple over and crash against the
ground.
Serena?
Barely visible in the darkness, a figure followed close
behind, striking the floor with a series of resounding thuds.
*Knee.*
*Elbow.*
*Shoulder.*
*Head.*
The last produced a barely audible groan.
Doubled over, the figure knelt near the center of the room,
just beyond the circle of light cast by the lamp.
The oak stool, still swaying, slowed its rotating motion, and
then stopped. For a brief second it held still, perfectly balanced
on one leg.
Venus held her breath.
It fell.
She winched.
Stool-head contacted floor-board, and the sound rang out
across the room.
Movement; a head whipping around.
Venus suppressed a gasp. The motion had spread a pattern of
red drops across the lamp-lit floor. As if the surface was studded
with rubies, they glittered darkly. Blood.
Serena? Injured?
Had she been only Sailor V, the thought would have gone no
further. *Never let your emotions cloud your judgement*. Cold
efficiency.
Being Venus, however, filled her with doubt. Teeth clenched
in frustration, she forced herself to hold back.
The figure stirred.
"Help me..." Less than a whisper.
That was it, the last straw. She pushed away from the wall.
Unlike V, her primary mission as Sailor Venus was to protect the
Princess; protect Serena.
Out of the darkest shadows she emerged, vivid orange in the
lamp-light. Brow furrowed in concern, she called out softly.
"Sere-"
The sudden movement caught her by surprise. A small chair
lifted, and then flung at her. Not Serena!
Without thought, Sailor V reacted. In a flash of golden
light, the chair exploded into splinters. She desperately flung an
arm across her eyes as the fragments fell about her, slicing into
exposed flesh. Red trails marked her pale skin.
*Foolish, V...very foolish. You're losing your touch.*
In the blink of an eye, the figure loomed over her. *Definitly*
not Serena.
Eyes narrowing, she dodged his first punch, grasped the over-
extended arm and leapt into the air, placing one foot on his chest
and smashing the other across his face.
They toppled to the ground together. She landed on him and
then rolled to her feet, saluting him with a wicked smile.
"Nice try...but you don't know who you're up against." Her
voice lowered to a near growl. "Don't ever underestimate me. I AM
SAILOR V...nus?..." She blinked. Venus, not V! She was Sailor
*Venus*. What was she thinking of, trying to take him out alone.
She was part of a team now.
"Not this time..."
Venus raised her eyes in surprise at the voice. Her attacker
grinned at her through bleeding lips. She stared dumbfounded at
the gun held in his outstretched arm, unable to understand that she
was about to die.
"Keep your hands behind your head and kneel down. NOW!"
There was a touch of madness in his voice.
Venus complied, dropping to her knees. She wasn't fast
enough...was she? No. Impossible!
A desperate thought: I *can't* die! I am Sailor V.
Circling around, he pushed the gun through her hair, pressing
it painfully to the base of her neck. Leaning close, he growled
into her ear.
"What...are...you?"
She turned her head away from him. Terror gripped her body
as she felt him slowly pull the trigger.
Her communicator alarm pierced the silence. Her eyes blinked
open.
*My friends.*
His hand drew back in surprise, pulling the gun away.
Twisting around, Venus reached back, grasped his wrist, and
pulled him over her. Yet, as he slammed into the floor, he caught
her blond tresses in his fist and brought her down with him.
They rolled over the floor, toppling chairs to either side,
each struggling to gain the upper hand. Then, with a cry, she
broke away from him, stumbling back in her haste to get away.
The figure, still on his knees, turned to face her, gun swing
around rapidly. Desperately, leaning on a chair-back for support,
Venus called upon her powers.
Too late.
It sounded so much like thunder. She had a brief second to
think fondly of Jupiter before the bullet struck her. Like a
puppet whose strings have been cut, her arms were flung out wildly
to either side. She half-twisted, and then crumpled.
Silence.
The gunshot roared through the building in waves; breaking
against the floors and walls and ceilings; flooding into the rooms
and passageways and stairwells. It drowned out all other sound.
Lying alone amid folds of soft scarlet cloth, a figure
stirred, and then flinched. Shaking uncontrollably, she buried her
head in her arms, desperately trying to shield out the sound. The
damning sound.
The fingers typing methodically on the computer panel froze.
Mercury raised her head, casting a worried glance at her companion.
Face ashen, Jupiter rose, fists quivering at her sides.
"They're in danger." She turned away. "I have to go."
Not daring to look back, she closed her eyes, letting down
the barriers that held the thunder at bay.
A cool hand brushed her leg, shattering her concentration.
Wheeling around, she confronted Mercury, anger and frustration
feeding her voice.
"I cannot just sit here with you! I have to do *something*!
They need me..."
Mercury looked up at her and simply smiled.
"I know." She rose into a kneeling position. "But let me
help. You've already weakened yourself by that *display* outside."
She grinned weakly. "Save your strength...you'll need it."
Bending over, she placed the palm of her hand flat against
the floor. She concentrated, eyes closed. Her hair swayed, as if
blown by a gentle breeze.
Nothing...then suddenly a ring of ice expanded around her
hand, spreading out rapidly. The wooden floor-boards cracked
beneath its crystalline surface.
A pained expression crossed her face, and a few drops of her
blood dripped onto the ice from wounds reopened. Just a little
more...done! She fell back with a sigh, leaning against the wall
for support.
Jupiter knelt down beside her, reaching out in concern.
Breathing deeply, Mercury waved the hand away and motioned for her
to go.
A second of hesitation...then Jupiter was free.
Uncaged.
Spurred by primal fury, she struck the ice, losing herself in
the exhilaration of movement.
With a snapping sound, the ice splintered, sending hairline
cracks webbing across the surface.
She struck again. The gloves tore about her knuckles. The
cracks widened.
Again she struck, leaving the surface glistening red with her
blood; her's mingling with Mercury's. Jagged chunks broke loose.
And again, her fist darted out. Again and again, her face a
mask of determination.
Then, like glass, the frozen floor shattered. Surrounded by
flashing shards, Jupiter descended into the chamber below.
Tired. Above all else, She felt tired. She lay on her side,
cheek pressed to the floor-boards, golden hair encompassing her
gentle face. A scarlet ribbon lay unravelled to one side.
Eyes wide, she starred across the room. Why was everything
so red? It seemed as if she were looking at the world through a
rose petal. Such a beautiful image.
A numbness seemed to be spreading up her arm and side.
Strange that it should concern her more than the pain.
Pain?
She dismissed the thought as the dark figure approached her.
A friend, perhaps? He leered over her, brandishing something in
his right arm. She smiled at him, then frowned. He was injured.
Why? Concern knotted her brow. Hopefully he wasn't hurt too bad.
Why?
The figure leaned over her, holding the object out towards
her. It glinted black in the lamp-light.
An offering? How kind of him.
Sudden movement at the corner of her eye. Then a voice tore
through the crimson silence as if it were tangible.
"Never again!"
A blur of motion, and the outstretched arm was knocked aside,
sending the black object arcing away into its brethren darkness.
Understanding lit her eyes.
*I'm lying at home, enjoying one of those action flicks that
Artemis always chides me for watching. I'm going to miss that
bothersome cat.*
Miss? Why?
A booted foot struck the dark figure looming above her - the
villain, she guessed - in the chest, and he staggered back. The
heroine stepped into the spotlight, dazzlingly beautiful.
*How cliched.*
Ribbons of blond hair spinning, she struck him again, across
the face. Then with blinding speed she swung around, hand to her
brow and then out to her side, her tiara spinning rapidly above it.
The tiara glowed with an incandescent light.
Venus watched, bemused, as the heroine flung out her golden
device with a terrible cry.
She blinked.
In a blurring streak the dark figure, the villain, vanished.
Startled, Venus twisted her head slightly, tracing the path of the
streak.
Her shoulder exploded in pain. A strangled gasp escaped her
lips, and then, slowly, darkness enveloped her mind.
Her last image was a strange one.
The villain hung limply against the far wall; head bowed,
arms stretched out to either side, feet dangling over a meter above
the floor. The tiara was clasped firmly about his neck; each end
of the semi-circle imbedded deep into the wall. There was no
movement beside the gently swaying of his legs as his body found
its equilibrium position upon the wall.
She smiled.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
And so ends the forth Chapter of the prologue to 'Sacrifices'
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Sacrifices: A prologue
Chapter 5
>Introduction<
To love life, is to fear death;
and to love death, is to have a fear of life.
"Mina?" Her voice was soft, unsure.
The blond haired figure across the counter turned her head back
and smiled.
"Just a sec, Serena." She drew her hands away from the sink and
wiped them carefully upon the apron hung haphazardly over her school
uniform. With a relieved sigh, she pulled the apron free and leaned
forward on the counter.
"What is it Serena?" Her smile faded. "You look troubled."
A brief hesitation, then:
"I was...well...that is, um...thank you for helping me clean up."
Will this feeling of failure ever go away?
Mina laughed; a soft, beautiful laugh.
"No problem. Just don't expect this treatment everyday...your
Majesty." She curtsied with a quick wink and a smile. "Was there
anything else?"
Serena bit her lower lip, struggling to find the courage. Finally,
she closed her eyes and shook her head.
"No." Failure.
"You sure?"
"Yeah." She bowed her head.
Then, without warning, a hand grasped her chin and twisted her
head back up. The grip was painfully firm. Serena's eyes widened in
shock as she looked upon Mina's suddenly serious face. Gone were the
smiling lips, blushing cheeks, and dancing eyes.
"You were always a coward Serena." Her voice was cold, painful.
"Always quick to take the easy path, never willing to do what was
right."
Serena trembled in the grasp. Tears welled in her eyes.
"Mina..."
"You *do* have the courage Serena. You've proven that already.
Why can't you just hold onto it?" With a deep sigh, she drew her hand
back.
Serena's shoulders shook as the tears flowed freely over her
cheeks. Then, with a cry, she leaned forward and buried her head in
Mina's hair.
"I'm sorry." The words were torn out between her sobs.
Mina's face softened, and she gently brushed Serena's hair back.
"No, *I'm* the one who should apologize. I shouldn't have been so
harsh with you."
Serena looked up at her.
"But I *am* a coward..."
Mina smiled again.
"Acceptance is the first step to a cure, eh?" There was laughter
in her eyes. "Now, Princess-mine, what was it that you were going to
ask me?"
Serena made a face.
"It deals with our final confrontation with Queen Beryl. You
probably wouldn't want to answer it. The others didn't."
Mina reached back and began retying the ribbon that held her hair
back. Her movements were strained, as if she had some expectation of
what was to come.
"Ask anyway."
Silence.
"What was it like to die."
Mina's hands froze. Surprise, even with expectation. For a brief
moment she stared silently out the kitchen window. Then she drew away
from Serena and walked towards the back door.
"Will you walk me home Serena?" Her voice was emotionless.
Serena stared in surprise, and then, with a startled cry, hurried
to catch up.
They stepped out into the night together, striding down the empty
grey sidewalk in silence.
Then abruptly, Mina stopped; in the middle of a street crossing.
She seemed unaware of their location. Serena glanced fearfully from
side to side.
"Um, maybe we should get off the street?"
Mina ignored her. She had turned her gaze towards the stars
instead. Towards Venus.
"Do you know what my family name means?" Little more than a
whisper.
"Huh? Your na-"
"Aino. It means 'of Love'. We are lovers, Serena. Lovers of life,
lovers of everything. Her last words seemed to echo in the night.
*Life.*
*Everything.*
"But most of all, we love those who are closest to us; our
friends." Her slender form trembled slightly.
"It was *so* terrible." Her voice shook with suppressed pain.
"I don't think I could ever stand losing it all again. Not ever."
Without warning, she strode forward again. Serena watched her
vanish into the night.
Turning slowly, she stared down the street. Just *one* car would
be all that was needed. It could be so easy to end it all.
The pain. The responsibility.
She sighed.
"Not 'everything' Mina. You aren't a lover of Death. That Love
is best left for others..."
<End of introduction>
* * *
With a sound like thunder, the ceiling shattered, raining
glittering fragments of wood and ice onto the table. A brilliant
streak, like emerald lightning, flashed down amongst the fragments and
touched upon the polished surface, folding into the form of a crouched
figure. The mist of dust and debris sparked and hissed as it struck the
bolts of light whirling about Jupiter's clenched fists.
She rose to her full height...and froze. Images of the room
flashed across her eyes; snapshots of reality, as if time itself had
held its breath.
Click.
A man, crossed with shadows, pinned up against a wall by his neck;
his head drooping down at an impossible angle. There was something odd
about him, something vaguely familiar...
Click.
Sailor Moon, standing with her feet apart and arm outstretched, as
if reaching out for that man. Her face was dark, and her eyes dull; a
sharp contrast to the vivid snarl twisting apart her lips. She seemed
so unlike the Sailor Moon that Jupiter remembered, yet so familiar...
Click.
Sailor Venus, lying motionless upon the floor, her pale skin
glowing faintly in the soft lamplight. She seemed so peaceful, so
beautiful, lying there outlined in deep shades of red; as if upon a bed of
roses. One hand lay upon her chest, and the other crossed her eyes,
holding onto a small white object hidden beneath the curl of her slender
fingers. That object; somehow it seemed familiar...
Time let out a deep sigh, and reality jerked back into motion.
The blood drained from Jupiter's face. In a heartbeat, she was by
Venus' side, grasping her hand. The pale object shook loose and
clattered onto the floor noisily. The sound echoed throughout the room.
*Her Sailor V mask.*
Jupiter looked at it and her heart twisted.
*No.*
Silently, the tall scout rose to her feet and backed away, arms
wrapped about herself, shivering.
*Too late.*
Her vision of the room seemed to change, to shift and blur; as if
she stood behind a pane of glass upon which rain was falling. Falling
slowly. Washing everything away.
*Venus.*
With her fists clenched tightly, she raised her head towards the
black ceiling. In waves, her hair tumbled back, her unending tears
rolling into their auburn depths.
Thus posed, with her eyes closed, she let out a bitter cry. It
rose and it fell; louder and stronger than the gunshot; richer and truer
than her thunder.
A low moan echoed her cry; a sound of deepest despair.
Eyes opening, heart empty, Jupiter looked across the room at her
Princess. For the first time in her life, she pitied her.
Sailor Moon's outstretched arm fell limply to her side. Eyes
wide, she slowly turned around, ribbon-like hair swaying gently. Her
lips parted, and the despairing moan rose again; akin to the sound of a
wounded animal. Tears glittering on her pale face, Sailor Moon stumbled
forward and fell to her knees beside Venus.
*This could not be happening.*
With the first sobs escaping from her lips, she reached out and
clutched Venus' narrow shoulders.
*This was not happening.*
Drawing her dear form close, Sailor Moon buried her head within
the silky blond tresses.
Her hair smelt of Love.
She wept openly now, speaking out her sorrow in a form that
transcended language. She wept for a love lost.
In the distance, leaning against the table with her head bowed,
Jupiter added her silent tears to those of her Princess. She was
painfully aware of what was to come next, of how wrong it was.
*Do it Serena.*
She was ashamed for wanting it; for being so weak when she should
be strong.
*Please do it.*
She wanted it so badly, yet.... Clenching her bleeding fists,
Jupiter raised her head.
"Don't do it, Serena." Her words lacked conviction. They twisted
her heart with the fear that Serena might actually listen to them.
Sailor moon raised her head. The tears had dried away, leaving
the faint markings of their passage upon her cheeks.
"I must." Her voice was firm, her decision made.
Jupiter suppressed a sigh of relief. She hated herself for
feeling this way...but Venus was too precious to her.
"She called me her sister...I'm sorry Serena...." Her whispers
died away as Sailor moon began the ritual.
Her blond ribbons lifted and spun in an unnatural wind as she
raised her hand to her breast and gently brushed her fingers against her
golden broach. With the faint sound of chimes dancing in the wind, the
cover fell away, and the room was flooded with a pale silver light;
moonlight.
Hands trembling, Sailor Moon drew forth the Ginzuishou and held it
out before her; above Venus. She closed her eyes. Slowly, her form
began to glow, as if with an inner radiance. Lights danced about her,
sparkling and glimmering like stars. They painted an image over her; of
flowing white robes, and silver wings behind. She concentrated, and...
"No." A hoarse whisper.
Sailor Moon gasped in surprise. A hand griped her forearm, and
the silver light faded. Startled, she looked down at the pale hand.
Then she looked towards Venus. To her calm face. To her hauntingly
beautiful eyes; open.
"Serena...please...stop..." Blood trickled out from the corner of
her mouth, crossing the path of the tears flowing from her eyes.
"...please..." Venus.
Sailor Moon bowed her head.
"I have to try. I can't let you die!" There was a touch of
desperation in her words. "I can't..."
The grip about her arm tightened.
"You...must." Her voice quivered with the effort required to stay
alive. "You cannot...sacrifice...yourself for me."
"I won't let you die." More desperation.
"Coward!" Venus spat the word out. "I was right after all."
Sailor Moon flinched; her head jerked back as if struck.
"No...I..." She had nothing to say.
Then, with a strangled gasp, Venus' eyes widened, and then slowly
closed. Her last words floated from her lips like a curse:
"...I will never forgive you..."
Silence.
Then a memory...
"...I don't think I could stand losing it all again. Not ever..."
...only a memory.
Sailor Moon unleashed the Ginzuishou. It blazed to life, burning
silver and white; pulsating with power.
*Silver Crystal, please save Minako Aino. Please let her live
again. Don't let it end this way for her. Not again.*
The silver light grew with each pulse of her heartbeat, throbbing
with the strength of her soul. With it came the pain. The familiar
pain of her life draining away like the sands of an hourglass. Slowly,
bit by bit.
The unnatural wind rose again, and flowed over Venus. It ruffled
her golden hair, and gently bathed her lifeless form.
Then suddenly, the silver crystal blinked. Sailor Moon gasped as
the wind erupted into a frenzy of chaotic movement.
*Something was wrong.*
Venus' suit flapped wildly in the wind, twisting this way and that
in defiance. The Ginshinzu flickered again.
*Something was terribly wrong.*
Slowly Venus, the senshi of Love, stirred. Then without warning,
her limbs began flailing out from side to side. Her beautiful face
contorted itself into a mask of pain, and her lips tore apart to let out
a wail of pure agony.
The crystal blinked. Confusion. Curiosity. Anger. How could a
mortal woman be resisting its supreme power?
*Ginshinzu! Save her! Please.*
Venus writhed on the floor, her slender form twisting in
impossible ways. The sickening sound of bones snapping filled the gaps
between her screams.
*No! Don't die! Don't fight it, Mina! Don't leave me!*
A hand reached out for her and grasped her by the waist, tugging
her back. Jupiter leaned forward, a sick look on her face.
"Stop it Serena. Stop it! You're destroying her. Sto-"
"Noooooo!"
With a snarl of rage, Sailor Moon turned and struck the tall scout
across the face. Caught in the fury of the moment, she struck out with
all her might. The Ginshinzu erupted with a sickly green light as it
touched Jupiter's soft cheek.
With a sound that dwarfed thunder, the auburn-haired senshi was
thrown across the room. She tumbled over the floor, scattering chairs
to either side of her. And then, with the sound of wood splintering,
she struck the far wall. Hard. She hung there in silence, her bleeding
form half imbedded into the rough surface. Her chest rose and fell in a
slow, unnatural rhythm.
The screaming stopped. Silence consumed the room. Absolute
silence.
Sailor Moon starred in horror at Jupiter's broken form.
*No.*
The Ginzuishou dropped out of her limp hand.
*No....*
"What have I done." Her words were empty; meaningless.
Trembling, she gazed about the room. So much death. So much
destruction. So much pain.
"...your fault..."
Startled, she twisted about, searching for the speaker. No one.
"...your fault..."
"No! I didn't mean for it to turn out this way! Not this way..."
Her words trailed away into silence.
"...your fault...your fault...your fault!"
*No! Stop it!*
Clasping the sides of her head in her hands, Sailor Moon turned
and fled. She fled from the images; from the voice; from herself.
Behind her, upon the floor, Venus' twisted form finally grew
still. The look of pain, however, remained upon her face, as if the
death that now claimed her were a thing to be feared.
* * *
<A Conclusion to the Prologue>
The tall figure reached out and gently brushed the dark hair out
of her lover's eyes. She would have cried, had she any tears left. The
pain would never go away.
Carefully, she pulled loose the golden tiara that held him up. He
collapsed to the floor; she hadn't the strength to catch him.
It felt comforting to hold the tiara again. It might never fit on
her brow, but it still felt good. She tossed it aside and dropped to
her knees beside the crumpled form. Was it worth it? Were the
sacrifices too great?
Leaning forward, she examined his face for the last time,
memorizing each detail. Never forget the pain...
She kissed his brow softly and rose to her feet.
"Good night, my sweet Prince. Return to the earth that you so
fondly protected."
Without looking back, she walked away, leaving a single red rose in
memory...
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And so concludes the prologue to Sacrifices.
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Any response is welcome and appreciated
* This story is based on the characters created by Naoko Takeuchi.