Rising Darkness

By Sillabub

Chapter Eighteen - Revolution

“Did I not tell you your precious guardians wouldn’t always be there to protect you?” 
- Hecate

***** 

“MINAKO!”

As Minako’s pale, withered body hit the ground, Usagi’s mouth opened in a silent, 
shocked scream, and she twisted away from her battle to stare in horror at her dead 
friend, not even noticing as the white light of the Ginzuishou began to pulsate with 
the warm, familiar energy of Sailor Venus.

But Hecate noticed.

For a moment she lost control and let out a furious snarl, flinging powerful blasts of 
crackling black magic at Princess Serenity in a frenzy. “No!” she hissed, red eyes 
gleaming. “Stupid Venus, stupid girl!” Blast after blast of power flew from her clawed 
hands, hitting the barrier, but Minako’s added energy gave the barrier around Usagi 
more strength than it had before. Finally, a jet of black lightning managed to 
penetrate the protective shield and hit the Princess squarely in the shoulder, 
throwing her backwards and tearing a hoarse scream from Serenity’s throat.

“No!” Rei shouted as she dashed toward the scene with Yaten following close behind her, 
still weak and in pain and struggling to walk on his own. Yaten immediately dropped 
beside Minako’s body as Rei ran up to the barrier to glare at Usagi. “Pay attention to 
your battle, Princess!” she snarled warningly, but the fear in her eyes was evident. 
“Minako-chan served her purpose, now you serve yours!”

Usagi’s brow was knit in pain and confusion, tears dripping from her eyes as she 
managed to stagger into a standing position. The blast of energy had burnt the skin of 
her shoulder, leaving it raw, red, and oozing blood, but the pain of her physical wound 
was nothing compared to the pain she felt at seeing Minako give up her life and power 
for her sake. It was like a slap in the face; Usagi was struggling to fight, trying her 
hardest to defeat Hecate so they all might live happily afterwards, and Minako simply 
gave her life away. It was so cruel, so painful, and Usagi fought to remain standing as 
tears streamed down her cheeks.

“I AM serving my purpose!” she screamed at Rei, clutching her bleeding wound. “I’m 
protecting you, ALL of you!” Her vision blurring with tears, she spun back around to 
stretch her arms toward the Ginzuishou, feeling its familiar, silvery glow encircle her 
shaking hands and course through her veins. She so hated fighting, but if she wanted to 
protect her friends, it was necessary. As shaken as she was, she couldn’t stop the 
battle. Not now. She had promised Minako she would keep fighting on, and fight on she 
would, but she was damned if anyone else followed Minako’s example and died for her 
sake.

Serenity bit her teeth together as the Ginzuishou’s power, combined with the sunny glow 
of Venus’s energy, surged forward from her outstretched hands. Casting a sidelong 
glance at Minako’s corpse, Usagi was shocked to see Rei still standing there, staring 
defiantly up at her. Yaten was crouched beside Minako’s body, holding the blonde’s 
withered hand, and the others were approaching the area swiftly.

Hair whipping around her, Usagi turned blazing blue eyes on the senshi. “Do not come 
near this area!” she shouted desperately, tears still brimming her eyes. “As your 
Princess, I command you to leave NOW!”

Rei, however, stood her ground, glaring at Usagi even as a blast of Hecate’s energy 
ricocheted off the barrier and flew past her, so close she could feel the heat 
emanating from the black power. “No.”

Usagi choked back a sob. “GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HERE!”

“We’re not leaving, Usagi.”

“PLEASE!” Serenity was bawling by now, almost convulsing with racking sobs that 
threatened to overtake her at any moment. “LEAVE!!!”

“NO!” Rei shouted back as the other senshi gathered around her. “You need our power, 
Usagi, and our duty is to protect you! So let us!”

Usagi was already feeling exhausted from the enormous amounts of power being thrown at 
her and drawn from her at the same time, but she wouldn’t admit it. Quivering, she 
shook her head vehemently. “I won’t let you! I can’t lose you too!”

Then a blast of Hecate’s power ricocheted off the barrier and hit Rei directly in the 
chest. She flew backwards from the force and collided with Seiya, who managed to catch 
her in his arms. Serenity looked horrified as blood began to stream down the front of 
Rei’s sweater, staining it bright red.

“Rei-chan!” she cried.

Hecate, however, began to laugh maliciously. “You see, Serenity?” she cried, eyes 
gleaming. “Did I not tell you your precious guardians wouldn’t always be there to 
protect you?”

Usagi whipped her head around to glare at the winged woman, a fierce blaze of silver 
in her teary eyes. “Shut up!” she snarled, and the beam of power shooting from the 
Ginzuishou grew stronger. “Evil, twisted witch!”

“Usagi-chan,” she heard a warm voice say beside her. “You’re the first friend I ever 
had. I love you.”

Eyes widening in horror, Usagi turned just as a gentle flow of green energy entered 
the barrier and began to twist around the beam of power emanating from the Ginzuishou.

Makoto’s strong frame crumpled to the ground.

“No!” she screamed. “No! Mako-chan!”

“Usagi . . .” growled Rei, who was shaking as she fought to stand to her feet, blood 
flowing freely from her wound. “Don’t be a baby. Face your fight, and let us face ours.”

Usagi sobbed, scrunching her eyes shut. At that moment, there wasn’t a thing she wanted 
to do less than let her friends die for her. It was supposed to be different, so 
different. She was supposed to be protecting them so that they might live happily, so 
that they wouldn’t feel pain . . . She sobbed.

This couldn’t be happening. Not again. No way. Minako . . . Makoto . . . they weren’t 
really dead, they couldn’t be. It was wrong. It was so wrong.

“Usagi-chan,” another voice, soft and familiar, murmured. “‘Greater love has no one 
than this, that he lay down his life for a friend.’”

Serenity didn’t need to open her eyes to see the light blue power surge into the 
barrier as Ami, too, slumped to the ground in a lifeless heap.

“Stop this now,” she whispered. “Please.”

Then another blast of power tore into her side, making her sob even harder. But not in 
pain. All the pain did was serve as proof that she was awake and that the horror 
surrounding her was not the result of a nightmare.

Hecate, it seemed, was getting more and more frustrated by the minute. “You will die!” 
she screamed. Black energy shot from her hands, forcing back the sobbing Princess 
inside the white barrier.

“No, she won’t,” Hotaru said, stepping forward. Sad purple eyes peered up at the 
crying Usagi. “Usagi-san, thank you for everything you’ve done for us.”

A tiny white hand touched the barrier, and purple power was sucked into it.

As Hotaru fell, Haruka and Michiru stepped forward silently and reached toward Usagi.

Ocean green and navy power surged forth as the two soldiers collapsed.

Still Usagi cried. Her world was crashing down around her; her plan to protect everyone 
was backfiring and now her closest friends were dying one by one, and she couldn’t stop 
them . . . or stop crying.

Rei was glaring up at her, but there were tears gathering in her eyes as she clutched 
at the wound in her chest. “Usagi . . .” she murmured, swallowing past the lump in her 
throat.

Setsuna was standing beside Mamoru, who had been staring at Usagi with large, haunted 
eyes for the past few minutes. Usagi continued to cry piteously; her trembling arms 
were still stretched toward the Ginzuishou, but the Princess was slowly beginning to 
fall back from the vast amounts of power being hurdled at her and the emotional strain 
of seeing her loved ones die.

“Princess,” breathed Setsuna, “please snap out of it before it’s too late.”

Mamoru suddenly wobbled and fell to his knees. “Usako,” he whispered, lowering his head.

Setsuna looked at him in alarm. “Prince!”

Quietly, calmly, and without hesitation, Seiya, Taiki, Yaten, and Kakyuu stepped 
forward one by one, placed their fingertips on the glowing barrier surrounding Usagi, 
and dropped lifelessly to the ground.

“Usagi,” said Rei, moving forward slowly. The Princess didn’t respond. “Usagi!”

Still Serenity cried, and she lowered her arms from the Ginzuishou to hug herself. The 
Ginzuishou faded slightly, but it remained hovering in the air, and the barrier 
remained intact.

Rei grit her teeth in frustration as the tears in her eyes began to spill down her 
cheeks. “Usagi, you big crybaby!” she cried. “You have to be strong, you have to make 
it through this! Wake up and face your battle!”

Usagi shook her head, trembling.

“GODDAMN IT, USAGI, WHY WON’T YOU FIGHT?” sobbed Rei, glaring at her through her tears. 
“ARE YOU ACTUALLY GOING TO LET YOURSELF AND EVERYONE AROUND YOU DIE IN VAIN?!”

She received no reply but the sound of her Princess choking on her tears. Rei couldn’t 
believe it. Weary and trembling in pain, her sweater stained dark red with coagulating 
blood, she staggered toward Usagi, her brow knit in concentration. The barrier glowed 
ever closer in front of her, ghostly and swirling with power, and she swallowed heavily.

“Usagi,” she said, “I hope this gets through to you.”

Slowly, steadily, she stretched her hand toward the barrier, and just before her 
fingertips touched it, Rei whispered, “I love you.”

Black hair pooled around her as Hino Rei hit the ground lifelessly. Deep red power, 
bold and warm, swirled around the form of the sobbing Princess as she hugged herself. 
Usagi’s fingers were digging into her own flesh so hard that blood was seeping from 
around her fingernails.

Still she cried.

Hecate let out a terrible laugh and sent a strong wave of power toward Usagi, who was 
again shielded by the barrier. “See how foolish your protectors are, Serenity?” she 
snarled. Although she was laughing, there was a gleam of absolute fury in those red, 
fearsome eyes. “You are pathetic, unworthy of such protection, and yet they die for 
you!”

Usagi swallowed hard, shaking her head and sobbing.

“And why did they die for you?” bellowed Hecate, sending a stream of black lightning at 
the Princess. “Because it was their DUTY!”

At that, Usagi stopped. Slowly, her eyes slid open. Her tears were still flowing, but 
there was a look of calm mingled with the realization on her face. “They died for me . . .” 
she whispered, lifting her head to look at Hecate, “because they loved me.”

Hecate’s eyes blazed in anger. “They died for you because it was their duty!” she roared. 
“And they were too stupid to realize it was useless to sacrifice themselves because you 
are going to die despite everything they did!”

“You’re wrong,” whispered Usagi. The trembling in her body ceased, her muscles tensed, 
and she stood up straight and held her arms out, a look of intense concentration on her 
face. Power blazed forward from the Ginzuishou again. “It wasn’t because of their duty. 
It wasn’t because they were obligated to do so. They died for me because they loved me 
as much as I love them. And you’ll never know what that’s like.”

“Shut up!” cried Hecate, and the Stone on her forehead began to glow brighter. Suddenly, 
her power increased, red energy twisting around the black and surging forward, throwing 
Usagi back.

Mamoru and Setsuna were the only ones left alive, but Mamoru was still staring at the 
struggling Usagi, his face pale.

“Usako,” he murmured again.

Setsuna swallowed hard. Things had definitely taken a turn for the worse. “Prince?”

He only stared. “Usako . . .”

Frowning, Setsuna grabbed Mamoru firmly by the shoulders and shook him, sharply, to get 
his attention. Mamoru only stared at Serenity, glassy-eyed.

“Prince,” she said, fighting down her panic at the situation. “What’s the matter with 
you?”

“Look at her . . .” he whispered. “Usako . . . she’s . . . losing.”

Setsuna stared at him in horror. “Mamoru-san!” she cried, magenta eyes suddenly blazing. 
“Listen to me! Our Princess won’t lose if you’re here! She’s still alive right now, but 
she may not survive without your help! Your position beside her is vital, you must know 
that!”

Mamoru’s eyes, however unfocussed, widened slightly at that. Taking his reaction as a 
sign to continue, Setsuna swallowed hard and knelt in front of him. “Everyone she loves 
is dying around her, and that alone is killing her more than any physical injury could.” 
Setsuna felt her throat closing up at those words, but she still managed to continue. 
“She loves you more than anyone else, and if you stay alive and help her fight, she’ll 
be able to defeat Hecate, I know she will.”

Mamoru turned to look at her, eyes wide. “I . . . can’t . . .”

Setsuna slapped him across the face.

“You can!” she cried, tears working their way into her eyes. “Don’t you see? There’s 
still a chance for things to be all right again!”

Mamoru swallowed hard and brought a hand up to touch the sore spot on his cheek. 
“Setsuna-san . . .”

“There’s always hope, Mamoru-san,” she said softly. “Usagi taught me that.”

“But I’m powerless,” he whispered. “How can I . . . ?” His voice trailed off as Setsuna 
did something strange.

Without explanation, Setsuna placed the pads of her fingertips against her own forehead. 
Closing her eyes, she began to concentrate, and as she did so, she spoke: “Being the 
Guardian of Time, I have certain powers that cannot be stolen, powers that can only be 
used when there is no other alternative and victory seems impossible.” Mamoru stared as 
a red glow came from beneath her fingertips. Then, before he could react, Setsuna 
grabbed his chin in one hand and pressed her glowing fingertips against his forehead, 
staring forcefully into his eyes.

“For my Princess,” she said grimly. “For my Prince. For the future. I give you this 
power in the name of Pluto.”

His forehead burned where her fingers were touching, and a hot, tingling feeling 
suddenly shot down his body. Mamoru swallowed hard as a strange, unfamiliar power 
flooded through him, warm, maternal, and terrifying all at once. “Setsuna-san . . .” 
he said softly. “This power is . . .”

Light engulfed him. The next thing he knew, Mamoru was clothed in the garb of Prince 
Endymion, standing straight and tall as a glowing golden aura surrounded him. Setsuna 
was crumpled on the ground, tan skin ashen as she struggled for breath.

“Setsuna-san!” cried Mamoru, kneeling beside her.

She gasped out, “There’s no time left. Go to Usagi.”

“But . . . you . . .”

“Go.”

Mamoru didn’t have to be told again. Turning, he dashed toward the barrier, not thinking, 
not planning, only focusing on his wife as she struggled to hold her ground. Still 
glowing, his body penetrated the barrier and, instead of dying the moment he touched it, 
Mamoru was inside. His arms immediately went around the bleeding Serenity, who seemed as 
if she couldn’t stand up on her own any longer.

“Usako . . .” he whispered, supporting her weak body as she continued holding out the 
blazing Ginzuishou. “I’m here.”

“Mamo-chan . . .” she murmured, barely audible. Her eyes shifted to stare at him for a 
moment, and a tiny, exhausted smile graced her face.

“No!” screamed Hecate furiously. “How do you still have power, Endymion? How is it you’re 
not dead?”

“I have too much left to live for,” he said, blue eyes sharp as he glared at her. His 
arms tightened around Serenity. “We both do.”

“You will die!” snarled Hecate. A wave of power, far more powerful than any of her 
previous ones, suddenly engulfed both of them. Mamoru groaned as Serenity trembled, too 
spent to cry out.

“Usako, hang on,” he said softly in her ear. He could feel her shaking in effort, the 
incredible strain of drawing so much power causing her to falter slightly. He swallowed 
hard, supporting her with all the strength he could. Still, Usagi was very weak, and 
that frightened him. The hopelessness of the situation threatened to overwhelm him; 
Serenity’s life was being drained away, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. 
Hecate, on the other hand, was still going strong, however frustrated she was at Usagi’s 
inability to give up. But there was still hope, Mamoru knew, because sheer will was 
sometimes all it took to win.

“Please, Usako, hold on,” he said. “I’m here now. I’m not mad that you kept your pregnancy 
a secret, I understand why you did it. And I love you. I love you so much.”

Usagi’s lips, dry and cracked with blood in the corners, moved as she tried to form 
words. Weak as she was, the look in her eyes conveyed raw determination and a second 
wind; her arms shook in spasms as she doubled her efforts, grit her teeth, and concentrated 
everything she had on completing the task at hand. But her own body fought her. Hard as she 
tried, all she could do was keep the power coming from the Ginzuishou strong and stable.

The power being drawn from Mamoru was starting to take its toll, and he was overcome 
with a feeling of weakness beyond any he had ever felt before. His voice shaking, he 
said, “Keep fighting, Usako. We’re going to . . .” But he lacked the strength to finish 
the rest of the sentence.

Suddenly, like a breath of fresh air, a warm, scarlet, motherly power surged forward 
from out of nowhere and swirled around them. The new power filled them both, and, 
recognizing the power, Mamoru turned in alarm to look outside the barrier.

“Setsuna-san!”

Setsuna was stretched out on the ground, her body withered and white as a hand fell 
from the barrier, and she lay still, drained of all life. Mamoru sucked in a breath. 
With the last of her strength, the Time Guardian had crawled to their aid, dragging 
herself over the cold, snowy ground, only to give up the rest of her life-force. To 
keep them alive.

“Setsuna-san,” murmured Mamoru, his throat tightening.

Setsuna proved to have more power left than he ever imagined. That last bit of energy 
left in her body was enough to revive both of them and give them the strength to carry 
on. Mamoru inexplicably found himself smirking. Of course she had known what she was 
doing. Even in death, that woman’s knowledge was unlimited, and she was looking out for 
them, as always. And then he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they were going to 
win this battle.

“Usako, can you hear me?” he whispered in her ear. “Listen, we’re going to make it. It’s 
okay, everyone’s looking out for us. And that’s enough to get us through this, can’t you 
tell? We’re going to get through this and start a family together, and everything will 
be okay, we’re going to . . .”

And then a terrible scream tore its way from Usagi’s throat. Blood was streaming from her 
nose, trickling from her ears, from her mouth . . . Her skin was white and blood-smeared, 
and her eyes were wide with pain. Mamoru realized in panic what was happening: the power 
surging through her tiny body was overloading her. The Ginzuishou began to pulsate 
erratically, and the barrier flickered briefly.

That brief flicker was all it took for a bolt of black lightning to stream forward from 
Hecate’s hands and strike Mamoru directly in the chest. Blue eyes widened as blood spurted 
from the wound, and Mamoru dropped to his knees, lurching forward onto the ground.

For the first time since Mamoru entered the barrier, Usagi took her eyes away from Hecate 
to stare down at him. Blood was still streaming down her face, but now tears were mingled 
with it, and she spoke quietly and tremulously.

“M-Mamo-chan . . .”

Endymion lay at her feet, unmoving.

“Mamo-chan!” Usagi screamed.

“Leave him!” snarled Hecate. “Your battle is here, Serenity!”

Serenity turned back to her numbly, her entire body shaking with strain and the sobs 
that tried to force themselves from her throat. She didn’t make a move to fight, only 
standing there, trembling in shock.

Black energy ricocheted off the barrier repeatedly as Hecate increased her efforts in 
frustration. “Fight me, you stupid child!” Hecate cried in fury, slinging power at 
Serenity. “FIGHT!”

Usagi scrunched her eyes shut and trembled as the power continued bounce off of the 
barrier. “Mamo-chan . . .”

Then something strange happened. Hecate yelled, “ENDYMION!”

Serenity’s eyes popped open just in time to see Mamoru, who was suddenly on his knees, 
reach out toward the Ginzuishou. Blood was still pouring from his wound, and his skin 
was ashen, but on his face was a look of love as he turned his gaze toward Usagi.

“Usako, I love you,” he whispered. “Fight on.”

“NO!” Usagi screamed, but it was too late. All it took was a brush of fingertips 
against the Ginzuishou, and gold power flashed around Mamoru before it was drained 
from him entirely.

Mamoru fell limply on his back, eyes wide open and staring sightlessly up at Serenity.

Usagi let out an anguished sob as she reached for him, then stopped.

She couldn’t. She couldn’t lose her concentration or she would lose the battle. Mamoru 
. . . everyone sacrificed their power so she could fight on, and she would fight on. 
She knew that, no matter how much her body or her heart fought her.

“Stupid Endymion,” Hecate snarled.

Serenity turned to face her and took a battle stance. “Leave him,” she said lowly. 
“Your battle is here.”

Red eyes gleamed with hatred as Hecate screamed and flung a ball of power at her. It 
hit the barrier, sizzling against the whiteness, then broke through and hit Serenity in 
the stomach.

Biting back a cry of pain and a rush of panic, Serenity fixed her gaze levelly ahead 
and continued to force power from the Ginzuishou.

Hecate stared at her as if she couldn’t believe it. Then, her gaze hardening, she 
hissed out, “Serenity . . . die.”

“I can’t die yet,” said Usagi, trembling. “Not now after so much has happened. Not 
after they died to keep me alive.”

That answer seemed to anger Hecate more than anything. “YOU WILL DIE!” she screamed, 
throwing a furious burst of power that made the barrier disappear entirely and penetrated 
Usagi’s right side, tearing gown and flesh as the evil winged woman laughed. Not being 
able to suppress it, Serenity let out a loud cry and clutched her heavily bleeding 
wound.

“You will never defeat me,” Hecate hissed, her voice thin and cold. “You have nothing 
left, and I have powers you do not. The odds are not in your favor, Serenity. You . . . 
will . . . die.”

Usagi closed her eyes, clutching her side as she felt her life flowing out of her, blood 
staining much of her gown red. But she felt no pain. She could sense everyone’s power 
within her, churning in a mass of raw, beautiful magic, but beneath the magic, in the 
very center of her being, she could feel something warm, something that filled her. It 
was what had caused Queen Serenity to seal Hecate away instead of killing her thousands 
of years ago. It was what had given that same Queen the strength to sacrifice her life 
so that her daughter and her guardians could one day live in an era of peace. It was 
what had brought together a handsome college student and a crybaby schoolgirl so many 
years ago. It was what had caused a group of soldiers who had little in common to 
transform into a tightly-knit group of friends. It was what had brought four alien 
soldiers to her side when she needed help, even though they were a galaxy away. And it 
was what had caused her friends to give their lives for her, time and time again.

“You’re wrong, Hecate,” she said softly. “I have a power greater than anything you’ll 
ever have.”

Hecate laughed as if the very idea was absurd. “Oh? And what power is that, Princess?”

Usagi did not answer. The only thing she was aware of was the intense, raw emotion 
within her, the love that her friends and her husband had left behind for her to gather 
her strength from. She was no longer afraid. Even though they were gone, the love of her 
friends remained with her, and that alone gave her all the power she needed to end the 
fight.

Princess Serenity held out her bloody hands, and, very calmly, she smiled.

The Ginzuishou flashed in a prism of colors as pure, hot-white power erupted all around 
them. Somewhere amidst the screaming and the burning fire that consumed Hecate, the Stone 
of Shadows cracked down the center.

Blinding white light engulfed the area for a brief moment, and then all was silent.

*****

End Chapter Eighteen