The golden senshi mocked us with a smile, a knowing, twisted smile that made my blood seethe for revenge. But while my heart would fight on, my body was physically exahaused from the combat we were entangled in. Her dark soul, those haunting eyes. I wanted to rip her apart for harming Setsuna, Haruka, and Hotaru, who had become closer to me than my own family. I was not the passive Michiru you know. I was hateful and frustrated.
This is probably what she detected. Galaxia knew these emotions all too well, and as she recognized the anguish on our faces, her face contorted into a cruel welcoming visage as she told us of her proposal.
Hotaru and Setsuna looked at her as if she were mad. I must admit, I too, had my misgivings about our enemy's invitation. Give in to her. Become servants for her. We could live on forever, she said. Maybe that's what caught Haruka's ear first, as she fixed a steadfast, scrutinizing glance on those hellish red eyes. I recognized that gaze at once. Haruka had a plan.
Haruka turned to me. She stared at me with those dark blue eyes of hers. I didn't know her plan, but my heart bade me to follow.
Galaxia seemed a bit incredulous that after all this fighting, Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus would give in so easily. This expression was magnified a hundred-fold in the eyes of our companions. They begged us to be strong, to not give in, to remember our mission. But our two hearts were united. Evil or goodness, there was nothing to separate us with Galaxia's offer.
She had the bracelets there in her hand. With a quick motion, Haruka and I were enveloped in the golden light. It was numbingly cold. Galaxia took our star seeds first, adding them to her growing collection. My nervous system felt dulled. My heart seemed slower, and my vision flickered insecurely with these new pulses of darkness flowing through me. The bracelets were clamped around my wrists, my detainers, if you will. It controlled me. My feet brought me toward Sailor Saturn and Sailor Pluto, their horror visable.
But I could not feel horror, I could not feel anything. I only felt the moving of my muscles, the growing hatred I had felt toward Galaxia, now amplified by the dark energy that compelled my body. Forward, to attack my friends. My fist sailed toward Sailor Pluto, the amazement in her eyes as she dodged the attack. Haruka struck out at Sailor Saturn, the young girl who had only a short while ago called her "Haruka-papa".
They shot looks of disbelief at one another as we stood back, our bracelets gathering power. Then they faced us, a new look on their faces. They were so brave. They knew we wouldn't betray them, had so much confidence in us. When we dealt the final blast, they did not block, did not move. Only accepted it with a faith beyond comprehension, beyond reason.
As Sailor Pluto and Sailor Saturn faded, Eternal Sailor Moon and the Sailor Star Lights ran in. I believe Usagi saw the bracelets first. Her young face grew pale, her eyes widened. She could not believe our transition either. Galaxia laughed and told us to show her the reality.
She never gave up her hope, not even as we built up our attacks. Sailor Star Fighter fought, but Haruka was far too powerful. The darkness that controlled her muscles and movements was incredible. The mass of the attacks sprayed rubble over the battered warriors. I remember thinking that this was an ironic way to be buried, by one's friends and the anger that exploded between us. It's funny, I didn't even feel the tear slip down my cheek.
It was then Haruka gazed at me again, her eyes jumping in a sudden spasm of flickers. A telepathic communication opened between our stare, as Haruka's voice rang through my body, stronger than the shadows that had seized my soul. "Ready for our final attack, Michiru?" I nodded, just as Galaxia ordered us to kill Sailor Moon.
We raised our arms high over our heads, felt the energy build up in our wrists. The darkness, the hatred. Usagi's azure eyes gazed helplessly as we stared at her with our blank ones. I smiled, thinking of the sweetness of Haruka's plan. We turned on Galaxia, our eyes clearing. We shot her own golden energy at her. Her eyes were wide with astonishment. But her star seed did not appear. She recovered from the blast, and her luciferian eyes turned to her tratorius pawns.
My soul was all hatred, all ire, with no soul or conscience to focus it. My energy was spent. Our plan had failed. Galaxia congratulated us, how no other Senshi in the universe was able to resist the power of the bracelets. That victory was futile. Eternal Sailor Moon cried, "Don't you have a star seed, Galaxia?"
Perhaps it wasn't so futile, after all, I thought, as Galaxia recalled our bracelets. Now she knows what she's up against.
The light returned into my hollow body, my wrists free of the vicious clamps. As I fell to the ground, I felt a lifting of mortal burden. No more fighting, just eternal peace. I reached toward Haruka, called to her. Please, Haruka. I want to touch you, feel your warmth once more before...