Minna:  Gomen gomen gomen.  That's all I can say.  I've had this written for a 
while, but I was hesitant to send it out until it was finished.  Now, as I pack 
stuff into boxes and prepare to move across the country for college, I realize 
I might not have time to finish more of this... at least for a few weeks.
  So I offer you this, about half the chapter, a little short, very dark, but 
hopefully you'll like it?

Oh, and it hasn't been pre-read except by two wonderful beta readers (arigatou) 
who, unfortunately, disagreed in everything they told me. -_-;;  The SMRFF list 
will get this not much earlier, either.  

Also, if you like this (???) I have a new dark fic out on ASMR, called Cold. E-
mail me about it?

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailormoon.  And everything I DO own is sitting in a 
storeroom in California.

On a Wing and a Prayer, part nine- Shinu (Die, dying)
by Antigone  
	
	Venus fell, eyes clamped shut with pain.  The sounds of battle wheeled 
through her ears, pain ravaged her body.  
	Tarnished and broken, her Love Me chain clattered softy to the ground, 
still clutched in one blood hand.  Opening quivering blue eyes slightly, the 
fallen senshi saw two blurry red eyes focus and re-focus and then come into 
clarity:  The face of Beryl.  The face she had watched first with pity, then 
with worry, finally with terror from miles above the Earth's surface.  
	The Earth woman's eyes were now red, blood-shot, glowing with triumph.  
Black-red hair flew in storms around her pale face.  She was grinning, fangs 
protruding from purple lips.
	"So sad, pretty little soldier," the witch remarked, delight written on 
her features, "about your lovely kingdom.  And your poor, pathetic little 
princess."
	Agony flowing through her entire body, Venus worked her features into a 
snarl, and with her last bit of strength, spit as much as she could into 
Beryl's smug expression.  "You may win this battle," the blonde whispered, "but 
I know, someday, good will win the war."
	Wiping her face, Beryl shook her head, eyes red with the fires of hell, 
"The war will never end."
	Groaning slightly, Venus shut her eyes, the Love-Me chain falling limply 
out of her hand.  She did not move.
	Beryl stood, slowly, alone now, her Generals had found another enemy to 
contend with.  Suddenly an anguished voice raised over the battle, and Beryl's 
snake-like gaze darted to a small figure clutching a white pillar.
	Princess Serenity's gray eyes were locked on her fallen friend, her hands 
digging into the marble column, her hair coming loose and flying back from her 
body.  	
"Venus!" She cried, tears streaming in dirty streaks down her face, dusty 
with the debris of battle, "Venus!!"
	Grinning, Beryl disappeared in a haze of purple-black smoke, leaving the 
senshi's cold body to the shaking arms of her best friend.
	Stumbling forward, Serenity took her friend's body in her arms, pale 
hands desperately trying to wipe the blood from her head-senshi's face.  'She 
was so beautiful', Serenity thought, 'so beautiful, she'd hate to be covered in 
this horrible blood, she'd hate...' "V-chan," she murmured, a broken whisper.  
Eyes blank with grief, the Princess did not notice a tugging at the darkness 
buried deep within her, did not notice a hissing building up around her.
	Two glowing ruby eyes materialized first, then a figure stood behind the 
sobbing, white-clad girl, black and churning with evil.
~~
	Endymion's eyes darkened as he locked swords yet again with the man who 
used to be his best friend in the world.  Kunzite's face was devoid of any 
emotion but fierce determination to do his new master's bidding. 
	`Even if it means my death,' Endymion thought grimly, dodging another 
blow to the shoulder.
	Turning quickly to avoid Kunzite's death blow, he saw his three other 
Generals, standing off the side, watching the battle and waiting, he saw, for 
Endymion to tire.  	So they could attack him at once.
	He had no chance...
	"Please," he said, desperately, "this is a useless battle!  Look at all 
who are dying for no reason but Beryl's pride!  Stop this, please," he asked, 
reaching out a hand, his sword still held in the other.
	The red cut on his palm had reopened, and slowly dark blood oozed from 
beneath the scabbing.  Kunzite raised one, coal-black eyebrow before an ironic 
smile fell across his face.
	"Looks as if we both belong to someone else now," the general said, 
signaling to the others.
	A scream echoed across the palace grounds.  'Serenity-' Endymion thought, 
but it was the last thing that passed through his mind before everything went 
black.
	~~
	"Princess," an oily voice glided to Serenity's ears, and she finally 
looked up from Venus, sliding gray-blue eyes to the side nervously.  
	That voice... so familiar...
	"Who's there?"  She stood, her dirty white dress swishing around her 
legs, her eyes searching the nearby area.  The battle was soundless to her now, 
her eyes blind to everything around her.  "Who is it?"
	Ice-cold hands curled around her small shoulders, red eyes gazed over her 
head, the murmuring continued in her ear.
	"I think you know, Serenity, Princess, who is calling to you now."
	The darkness locked away inside her swirled and tugged at her belly, 
demanding release.  The purity of the crystal clashed inside her and dimmed her 
powers.  Grey eyes faded, and blinked, slowly as they turned to the scenes 
before them.
	Mars, black hair flowing around her body, laid out beside nameless 
soldiers she had tried to lead to victory.  The brilliant red of her uniform 
was faded, the white stained with her blood.  She did not breathe.
	Serenity's heart screamed inside her chest, her mouth could not move.
	Jupiter, kind green eyes closed forever beneath black lashes, laid out on 
the palace steps.  No visible sign of death except the stillness of her chest, 
her paleness of her once expressive face.
	Mercury, gentle Mercury, crumpled in a wash of blue and red, defeated 
while defending the protected fortress where the young women and children 
huddled in fear.
	The Princess felt shards of something burning dig relentlessly into her 
heart at the visions Metallia was showing her.
	Those very children Mercury had been trying to protect... those children... 
Serenity fought a terrible urge to vomit, to cry, to tear at her hair, to die.
	"This war," the voice continued, "these deaths.  They weigh on your soul.  
They demand your repentance."
	"No," she whispered, softly, weakly.
	"Gomen nasai, sweet Princess," the voice dripped with sarcasm, with 
darkness, "but the fact remains: without you, none of this would have happened.  
This is your fault."  Serenity lifted her hands... covered in Venus's blood...
	Something deep inside her burned to tell her that it's not true.  This 
isn't her fault, that it couldn't be.  Something... someone... had told her...  her 
mind grew fuzzy.
	Dizzily, her knees gave way, her eyes closed slowly, and she fell toward 
the ground.
~~
	Endymion opened his eyes, putting a hand to his aching forehead tenderly.  
Pulling it away, he cursed softly when he saw his fingers stained with crimson.  
Sweaty strands of black hair fell over the wound, into his eyes and he muttered 
in annoyance as he pushed them back, wincing in pain.
	He stood carefully, glancing around him.  For a moment his eyebrows 
knitted together, fear filled his chest.  Where was the battle?  Where was the 
enemy?  Where was Serenity?!  She had screamed... she was in danger, he could 
feel it, deep in his heart.  
	All around him, flowers grew, their heady scent filling the air. Emerald 
green grass fanned in the slight breeze, white clouds dotted the perfect baby-
blue sky, the golden sun beamed with brilliance.  Earth, Endymion realized, 
happiness filling his heart.  His home, his planet...  Kneeling he put a hand to 
the soft grass.  For a moment he paused, eyes gleaming with confusion.  He 
pulled his hand back, looked at his marked palm.  'Why... am I wounded?'
	Deep blue eyes searched his armor, torn and dirty, sweaty and bloody.  
Endymion felt his heart pound furiously.  Something was very wrong...  and he 
hurt. From a million cuts, wounds and bruises making themselves known all over 
his body.
	"Say the word, and you'll be healed."
	Endymion's head snapped up, his eyes widening when he realized he wasn't 
alone.  Before him stood a tall girl, wrapped in a light green dress, with soft 
red hair falling down her back, and beautiful, bright green eyes.  She smiled, 
pure white teeth beneath soft pink lips.
	"Say the word," she repeated, still locking her eyes with his, "and all 
your wounds can be healed."
	"Beryl," he murmured, not quite sure where the name came from but certain 
it was the correct name.  For a moment, the name called to mind evil, snake-
like eyes and fanged teeth, but that could not be right.  The girl before him 
was gorgeous, not hideous.

	At the sound of her name, the girl's creamy skin tinted to a lovely pink 
color and she smiled again, delight across her features.  For a hazy moment 
Endymion felt he'd have to do anything to see that smile again.  Anything.  His 
mind searched for a foundation, freewheeling.  
	She stepped forward, put one soft hand on his.  "Now," she said softly to 
him, he smiled back at her, enraptured, "What hurts?"

~~
	Dark eyelashes lifted, perfect eyes narrowed.  Blue and gray danced 
lovely in the fire of tired eyes, white hair curled around the bright glowing 
symbol of the crescent moon.  
	The white, white light of the crystal pulsed.
	"No, Endymion," the Queen said, her voice melodious and soft, "I will not 
allow you to be caught in this mind trap."
	A thin line of white caught the air.
	"You love her too much for this," her voice bit out the last word with 
contempt for her enemy's resort to mind-control and trickery.
	"Remember..." she whispered to the wind.
~~
	The Prince of Earth shook his head, biting his lip.
	'What hurts'?  Why was that question so difficult?  He had a million 
wounds all over.  His head ached, his palms stung, his shoulder ached... so easy 
it would be to hold out his hand and have her start with healing the slice 
across it.  Heal his pain, make it stop.
	So why could he not answer her?
	"What hurts?" she said a second time, her voice not changing, as 
concerned and beautiful as the first.  
	He couldn't answer, because something hurt him so much more than all his 
wounds, pulled at him, tortured him beyond mere physical scratches.  
Separation, desperation, dedication, longing... 
	"What hurts?"
	Endymion lifted confused and sad blue eyes to the girl before him, and 
the truth leapt to his tongue even as the ache filled his chest.
	"My heart." He whispered.
	She frowned harshly, her scowling making her face become ugly.
	"Bring me to Serenity," he pleaded to her, somehow knowing she had to 
keep her promise, had to end his pain the only way she could.  
	She hissed.
	And Endymion slammed into reality, as Serenity fell into his arms.
~~
	"Endymion?!" She cried, trembling, he realized, and crying.
	"Tenshi," he whispered, pulling her close for a moment, savoring the 
feeling of holding her, knowing she was safe.
	"You're alive," she murmured over and over again into his chest.  Lifting 
her eyes to his, Serenity let a sob pull on her lower lip, "Minna..." she trailed 
off, her grief telling the rest of the tale.
	"Oh, Serenity," he breathed, could not say anything else.  His eyes told 
her everything he couldn't.
	Footfalls surrounding them made the two lift their heads, and Endymion 
went white.  Serenity whimpered slightly with the pain of the evil pulsing 
inside of her.
	The Generals stood with the pride of victory, and in the middle of them, 
angry, ugly, and pulsing with power, stood Beryl.

~~

Gomen it's not much.  But email me! Okay?
~Antigone