Well, this is it, people. The end of the Silver Millenium. It maybe a one hanky story, and there's a bit of blood, and I hope you enjoy it all.... DISCLAIMERS: I don't own the Senshi, nor the Generals. In fact, I don't own anything that belongs to Sailor Moon, nor do I own the Moon itself--on loan from NASA, ya see. So don't sue me! Lawyers *cringe*. A) There should be a set of Author's Notes someday with this story. B) I HAVE NEVER SEEN THE FINAL BATTLE BETWEEN THE NEGAVERSE AND THE MOON. So please, flame me not, 'cause I'm doing this off...nothing. C) Next story will be my little campy piece called "Prelude for the Modern Age" I love titles that sound like orchestra pieces. It's not listed 'cause I just came up with it. D) Mail anything to me. Flames, comments, concerns, reviews, outlines....etc, I don't care. To jkc1984@niia.net as always. THE FOUR LOVERS: HAPPINESS IS A PHOENIX Chapter Five Happiness is a Phoenix It was a cold, clean, wonderful night, breezy enough to spritefully play with your hair, a breeze that brought the smell of cinnamon and festivity from the Ball going on inside the Palaxe. And into this wonderful night stepped the boundry walkers-- guardianas--for the evening, Alys and Lian. "The Ball is so beautiful and bright this evening," wistfully whispered Alys. "The way those two danced...you'd think they knew nothing of the war!" "That's Love, Lys," replied Lian, smiling into the wind. "Makes everything look bright." "What's the status of the Senshi? I didn't hear the last update." "Better, though all of them are still in a bit of shock. Mars is finally calmer, and Mercury...well, she's come to her senses." She turned to check a sudden rustling in the bush, her hand ready to grab her sword--but it was nothing. Still, it bugged her; "Strange," she whispered. "Yes, it was," replied Alys. "That they should be hit like that, all at once. It's just odd...will they watch the Gate tonight?" "There's been no change, so I'd assume yes." They walked on a little farther, when suddenly a breeze whipped the sound of a soft grunt towards them. Alys was the first to head toward it, and suddenly a raspy cry came from her throat, and she fell. Lian's eyes widened and she ran to her, stooping beside her to see what was wrong. Her face had gone Borg white, and the texture of her skin was like cold, clammy rubber. And from her neck split warm drops of pinkish blood, thinly winding its way down her neck. Lian stood and unsheathed her sword just as her eyes found the shadowy sniper. She hit her com badge and yelled, "YOUMA!" before the attacker appeared, and she swung her dark blade with the sprinkles of purple starlight with a fierce war cry, slicing open its belly and eliciting a shriek from it With a second swing, she decapitated it--but by then others had come to join it. She hacked her way through them like scissors cut paper, as if she was only working her way through a thicket of thorns. Suddenly, a blue crystal spike slammed into her leg, and a second into her chest. As she fell, coughing and heaving as death stood by, the face of her killer appeared out of the shadow, and she gasped...then fell, only a foot from where her friend lay. The black shadow now called Zoycite smiled a cruel smile, another crystal dagger appearing in her hand, before calling to her troops. The attack was on. * * * * He was spitfire mad, emotions raging within him in waves of pulsing anger and sinister hatred. He was pushing the limits of his power beyond those he'd dreamed of, an aura of green-gray forming around him, eyes glowing insanely bright, blond hair a nimbus around his head. Lastly, he was scared, though not of his own death; that seemed so insignificant now. What he feared most was the feminine version of himself that was stalking around the battlefield, killing men in the name of "Beryl and the Negaverse!" And Ami saw this skewed version of himself, attacking, maiming, slaying...it would be disaster for both. he thought dryly, fearfully, that sudden knee-knocking anxiety fueling another wave of anger. It seemed that Beryl had hung the Generals on some huge mobile, so that they swung above the battle, imprisioned not in crystal coffins, but in empathic spheres that reflected their emotions. Whether this was intentional or not, he couldn't tell; still, it was just one more thing to tick him off. He hung closest to Jade and Kunzite; Nephrite was off aways, as if he had excluded himself from the rest of them. Of all the spheres, his was the busiest and most colorful, constantly shifting the glaring neons as his emotions crested and troughed. He wondered briefly what the others were thinking, if their thought were along the same lines as his, or if they just watched the battle below, or just trying to wake up and escape this nightmare. Jade, though, was doing neither as he hung in his sphere of placid purple--dark purple, the color of royalty, nobility, snobbery...and the closest he could get to depression. His mind wasn't as light and fluffy as it usually was, but it was trying to be; whenever he attempted depression, some thought, some idiotic memory, would come to mind. It hurt him almost that he could never tame it to seriousness, but then again, it was just his nature. It also helped that he could see the Gate, and the four Senshi, so fierce and determined to keep this attacker from winning. He watched his Rei, Sailor Mars, bring down the wrath of flames on any youma who approached, sometimes calling it up from the bowels of the moon. What was her word? "Dusted!" He could hear her say it now, see the glow in her eyes, as if he was her and she was him, a jade bowl with a roaring flame with in it, or a piece of jade in flame...and now depression attempted to set in again. Yet suddenly a flare of fire in the shape of the moon rose, and the golden sheen warmed him, and once again, he had hope. Because somehow, he knew that he would be with her again...someday. Nephrite, in his solitary place in the sky, could do nothing but cry. Not in wracking sobs, but in smooth tears that coursed down his face, tiny droplets that were supposed to help ease the pain-- except when it couldn't be eased. His sphere had turned a dripping blue--kinda green--that mocked him, shedding blue with him, and yet still kept him imprisoned. Once in awhile a streak of lightning would scour the battlefield near him, and he knew she was still alive--yet every scream he heard was her, every cry was for him, and he could do nothing. Second most powerful General REDUCED to a bystander, and there was nothing he could do about it. Nothing. And it ached inside him, so hollow, and he cried, and cried--for he knew that he'd never see her again, and could never apologize for breaking his promise to her, that he'd come back for her, that everything would be all right.... Kunzite's sphere was a blank--a total blank. And so was Kunzite. For even though the inner man was screaming at him, dressing him down, and demanding that he do something, all he could do was stare at the battle. Well, that's what it looked like; really, he saw nothing, nothing but darkness, and felt nothing but the cool energy pressed against his cheek as the hot battle raged below. Occasionally a flash of light would draw his eye, the orange a streak of hope, and he'd raise his head...but then he would slump again. He felt so hopeless that he'd just shut down. And inside his mind, when the angry voice wasn't speaking, a soft voice just kept repeating "I love thee, I love thee, I love thee, I love thee..." He never said he loved her--or, at least, it was so long ago it'd faded away. And now he wondered if she knew how deeply he cared, and he longed to say it to her just one more time...kiss her just once more...but instead, all he could do was watch blankly. Suddenly, movement caught his eye. The youma had been assaulting the Gate forever, since nearly the beginning of the battle, but the combination of the Senshi and a Knight or two had taken care of it. Now, though, some other force was moving towards the Gate--a force that caught every General's heart, and made them freeze. Their replicas had decided to show up and wipe out the ones they loved most. It was then that Zoicite went insane. He shrieked something--a cross between "AGRRHRRRR!" and "NOOOOOOO!"--and the colors of the sphere frenzied. Then, there was this lite sounding pop, as if a soap bubble had been broken, and his sphere broke. Each of the remaining Generals watched breathless as Zoicite fell... ...and their Dark Counterparts breached the Gate... ...he flipped twice, petals swirling, and landed in the battle.... ...and they went forward to embrace the Senshi.... ...and he gave a cry and took to the air, brandishing two wicked looking crystals, drawing close to the Gate... ...suddenly each Senshi doubled over, almost in unison... ...just as Zoi made it inside the gates, and the four laughed and vanished. And three more soap bubbles in the air popped, joining Zoicite on the ground. He ran to Ami, eyes widening in horror and fury screaming through his veins. He dropped to his knees and held her up, her eyes going glossy even as the blood poured out of her. "Ami...Ami, my love, Ami..." he whispered, stroking her face, her cold face. He began to fashion an energy crystal, which would slow the bleeding and help her heal--when she spoke. "Zoi..." Her voice was like the fall of a leaf, soft and fluttering and so close to silence that tears sprung to his eyes. "Love, oh Ami...I love you, Ami..." "Zoi...no...don't...please don't hurt..." "Ami, it wasn't me." "I love...Zoi...don't hurt...I love you." And she fell silent as he looked on in horror, and as the other Generals reached the Gate they heard the agonized, wailing scream of their companion, a mixure of sorrow so potent that those on the battlefield felt their hearts wrench, and even the youma felt a touch...of sadness. He screamed again, and again, his voice ringing out as tears washed down his face and onto hers, his hand in hers; "AMI! AMI!! AMIIII!!!" Each General rushed first to their Senshi as Zoi's voice died to a whisper, and his tears turned hot, and his blood fired. Nephrite scooped up his Jupiter, his Mako, her cold body limp in his arms and her eyes wide in shock, and horror....the rose earrings glittering in her ears. Jade suddenly found himself shaking, and sobbing, both internally and externally, for his fire lay dead, cruelly stabbed. He found himself kissing her lightly, whispering, "Your last kiss" before breaking into more sobs. And Kunzite found Venus, and his heart wrenched, for though she hadn't been stabbed in a mortal spot, the wound had bleed so much before he got that she was fading--fast. And so he took her hand and touched her face, and as bright, rare tears cascaded from his eyes, whispered, "I love you. I LOVE THEE, Lady Venus. My.." and he choked, and for the last time he held her, hands in her hair, as she shuddered and exhaled one last time. "I love thee..." he whispered again. A sudden scream shook the palace, and all four Generals leapt up in response. "SERENITY!" screamed Jade, and cold fury rushed through the veins of every other General. "GENERALS ASSEMBLE!!" Kunzite roared, and power screamed to the surface, and as they took off down the hall another cry reached their ears--and they went faster, for it was Endymion's voice. And finally they found the sight, and the two dead or near-dead lovers, and watched as the Imperium Crystal was raised in Beryl's sneering face--and then everything was white, and hot, and suddenly a peace coursed through them, and they knew that their Happiness was a Phoenix, is a Phoenix, and it soared with them on the waves of light...burning them to ashes...ashes from which someday they would rise to live and love again. And all went black.