The non-original characters in this fanfiction are copyrighted to Naoko Takeuchi and Toei where applicable. Any original characters are considered the intellectual property of Danny Lilithborne and may NOT be used without permission.
You may want to read "The Golden Queen of Shadow Galactica" as it is something of a prelude to this fiction.
--
What is a fight to the death?
To my eyes, it is the final message. When you battle someone, you must put your entire soul into it. I do not believe in battling with the heart. Even if you have the soul of a warrior, if you listen to your heart, it will cry out to witness your opponent's capabilities.
In battles where losing means lives are destroyed, you cannot give your opponent that kind of respect.
These battles are not fought for enjoyment or for pleasure. You fight for blood! And whatever messages you have to give, will be your final ones. You must move with determination, and act with courage. Do not second guess yourself. Pursue victory at all costs.
Can a Sailor Soldier fight under these conditions?
That is why I drown myself in my regret. I violated those codes because I felt that the universe was in danger. I sealed Chaos within my body, and it consumed me. I am now an agent of that force, willing to kill.
And the person standing in my way is a pitiful boy who dreams of vengeance.
Is there anyone who can stop... me?
--
SAILOR MOON: CHAOS THEORY
STRING 06 – The Ultimate Battle! Galaxia of Chaos vs. Prometheus.
--
Queen Serenity looked at the gathered Sailor Soldiers, as well as Prince Endymion and his guard. Their regretful faces was only a painful reassertion that the Queen's worst fears had come to pass, and that her daughter's dreams did in fact mean what she hoped they did not.
"There is no mistaking what I saw," Sailor Mars said. "Sailor Galaxia is dead."
"And we know what that means," Prince Endymion added. "Chaos can use her body at any time it wishes. We have no way of knowing its plans."
"Queen Beryl will surely be resurrected as well," Zoisite muttered.
"But none are left alive who allied with her," Jadeite reminded the gathering. "Even if Chaos revives Galaxia and Beryl, they alone cannot summon the forces necessary to strike at us."
"Are you crazy?" Mars shouted. "You are talking about Sailor Galaxia! The one who singlehandedly won the Sailor Wars of the past! There's no telling what she's capable of by herself!"
"Sailor Mars, you cannot allow your heart to be swayed by legend," Kunzite said with his eyes closed and a bitter expression on his face. "We have to be strong in heart and mind if we are to face this new threat."
"Like you're not scared yourself, Kunzite!" Mars sneered and then turned her nose up in the air haughtily.
Kunzite was forced to admit that for all of Mars' bluster, she was right — he was trying to keep everyone brave, but he was just as frightened as the rest of them.
"The important thing right now, is to keep the Princess safe," Queen Serenity said. "If we lose her, we lose our hope."
The Sailor Soldiers nodded.
"Prince Endymion, contact your father and King Phaon," the Queen added. "We will have to ally our forces on Earth as well."
"Yes, Ma'am," the Prince said, and bowed. His Guardians took their leave as well.
Queen Serenity wrung her hands together nervously. "Make sure Uranus and Neptune are keeping the Princess safe," she told the Sailor Soldiers. "Then return to your normal duties. That is all."
"Yes, Ma'am," the Soldiers said, and teleported away.
I don't believe in God, Queen Serenity thought to herself. Then, to whom exactly am I praying to when I hope for my daughter to be kept safe?
--
Galaxia chuckled.
Prometheus, meanwhile, was hyperventilating. For all the training he received, he was not ready to face this kind of foe. He slowly backed away from her Sword, unsure if she would strike.
"Are you going to make the first move?" Galaxia said with another laugh.
"Didn't you already make the first move?" Prometheus replied, clenching his fists.
"Technically, I haven't. Perhaps you were so frightened of me that you hit yourself?" Galaxia chuckled again, with an increasingly maddening pitch.
"Stop mocking me!" Prometheus shouted. He ran at Galaxia, lost in his anger once more, and ready to knock her down and throw all of his effort and hatred into a single punch.
Galaxia couldn't hide her disgusted smirk anymore. Putting down her sword, she merely waited for Prometheus to approach, and then in an instant made her move.
It took a moment for Prometheus to realize what happened. He didn't even feel the pain until he looked down and saw that Galaxia's fist had penetrated his chest. The shock overwhelmed him as he saw his blood flow over his opponent's arm, still embedded within. He coughed hard.
"This is the last time you insult me, Prometheus!" Galaxia said. "You're dead."
Galaxia shook Prometheus free of her arm and then pushed him off, and he fell on the ground with a weak thud. The gaping hole in his body had perforated his stomach. He would not live long.
"I've never met a more wretched fighter," Galaxia spat. "The truth is, I enjoyed torturing you. As much pain as I wanted to inflict, you accepted it all and kept coming back for more! It was so much fun watching you try, as pitiful as you were!" She laughed aloud as Prometheus' body lay motionless at her feet.
But then something unexpected happened.
Prometheus started to get up.
"Wh-what?" Galaxia gasped.
The hole in Prometheus' chest and stomach started to close up as he shook and gripped it. What's happening to me? he thought to himself. I'm... I'm healing...
Prometheus then felt incredible pain pierce through his body and let out a shout. It was something primal that forced tears from his eyes, painful stabs that struck at his every nerve.
Galaxia narrowed her eyes as Chaos started to awaken more and more within her. "Prometheus... so it's more than a mere name. Perhaps you truly have the spirit of that man who betrayed the secret of the gods."
"I... I don't know what's happening to me..." Prometheus muttered. "But something in me... hates you... and refuses to be killed by you." He rose to his feet despite the pain he was suffering. His mind felt shattered as his hands clenched into fists, protesting his willful ignorance of the agony his body was experiencing. "Sailor Galaxia..." Prometheus muttered as his consciousness faded in and out. "You will... you will not kill me!"
"Hmph!" Galaxia turned up her nose. "Do you think your immortality scares me?"
"Im-immortality?" Prometheus blinked as his wounds were now completely healed.
"The power of Chaos to shatter light into darkness... you were immune to it too," Galaxia said. "So it appears nothing short of Galaxia's Sword of Sealing can stop you. But what can you do? You are still a weakling compared to her."
She then raised her bloody hand.
"Galactica Super String!" she shouted.
Beams of light shot out from her fingertips. Prometheus focused his thoughts and movements. She shoots that destructive light from her hand, but she only has five fingers. I can evade th...
While he was busy thinking, the lights struck him full on. Just like before in the training sessions, he screamed in pain as all his nerves were overloaded, and he crumpled on the ground.
"Nothing's changed, Prometheus," Galaxia said as she walked towards her opponent. "The first thing I have to do before fulfilling Chaos' goals is to make sure you don't interfere. To that end, I intend to inflict pain after pain upon you, until you vow on your parents' memories never to appear before my face again. Only then will I cease to attack you!"
"I just... have to... ignore the pain..." Prometheus said with great difficulty as he arose, his body shaking. It was impossible to tell whether it was from pain or from fear.
"Don't think it's as easy as that!" Galaxia shouted, and kicked Prometheus across the face. Blood spurted from his face as Prometheus' jaw felt the full force of Galaxia's kick and he spun through the air, landing on the ground with a hard thump.
"Here, Prometheus," Galaxia added as she knelt on the floor. "You dropped your tooth." She threw it at him. "I'm sure you'll just regenerate a new one, but you might want to keep it as a reminder of our battle."
"You... wench..." Prometheus groaned as he rose off the floor.
"Queen Metalia isn't here to stop us this time, Prometheus," Galaxia said, approaching the man once more. "And since you can't die, there's nothing to stop me from hurting you as much as I wish. Until you make that vow, I will not stop!"
She picked up Prometheus by the scruff of his shirt. "Feel the horror of your impotence," she spat, and began to strike him mercilessly.
Prometheus accepted the beating, although he couldn't resist crying out when Galaxia hit a sensitive spot. Soon, he succumbed to the severity of the blows and lost consciousness.
"So your soul left your body for now," Galaxia scoffed. "But you still have your Star Seed. I'll wait for you to get your energy back, then I'll make you suffer again. I normally hate waiting... but it will be a pleasure this time!"
She then threw Prometheus to the ground, and crossed her arms with a sneer. Her red eyes, empty of feeling, shimmered with the light of the moon. Unable to help herself, she broke into full-on laughter watching his defeated body.
--
Princess Serenity wandered the halls of the royal castle.
She was stopped by Sailors Uranus and Neptune as she approached the outside entrance.
"What do you think you're doing, Princess?" Neptune asked.
"Are you thinking of going to Earth by yourself?" Uranus added. "Do you think we'd let you do that?"
"You're supposed to protect me, right?" the Princess said. "I know you don't want me to go... I know my mother doesn't want me to go but... but..."
"But?" Neptune pressed on.
"I feel it in my heart... something... something bad is happening. I have to see him. I have to see Prince Endymion!"
"And what exactly will that accomplish?" Uranus shouted. "You will be putting your own life in danger needlessly!"
"To get to the Golden Kingdom, you have to pass through the Outer Realm," Neptune reminded her. "And we have yet to secure a true peace between Earth and the Kingdom of Serenity yet."
"But...!"
"Enough words!" Uranus said with her characteristic determination. "Are you going to listen to us, or are we going to have to use force?"
"Please understand, these are orders from Queen Serenity, who we're allied with," Neptune told the Princess in a gentler voice. "We don't wish harm to come to you."
Princess Serenity looked down as tears filled her eyes. Her mind and even her heart knew that they spoke the truth, so what was it that was driving her to go to Earth?
"I can't just sit here and do nothing," she whispered. "Don't you understand how that's more painful to me than risking my life?"
Uranus and Neptune looked at each other, and smiled a familiar smile.
"You're very strong, Princess," Uranus said to the young woman. "But the earth must be ready to welcome you with open arms, before we allow you to visit once again."
"Once again?" the Princess asked.
"Don't you remember? You visited once before," Neptune said in an inquisitive tone.
"I always thought it was just in my dreams," was her reply.
Neptune rubbed her forehead, and Uranus her neck. Why are we doing this? Neptune communicated silently.
Let's just do it quickly, was Uranus' reply as she scratched the side of her head. Once she realizes there's nothing to do on Earth, we can return.
Uranus took Princess Serenity's right hand. "Take Neptune's hand," Uranus said afterward, and the Princess did so.
"Sailor Teleport!" they both shouted, and they were gone.
--
Galaxia was becoming testy, as Prometheus was very slow to wake up. Her characteristic lack of patience was beginning to show through as the sun began, ever so slowly, to illuminate the clouds.
"You must have gathered enough energy by now," she shouted in an irritated tone. "Get up, Prometheus!"
Silence.
"I'm bored with this waiting," Galaxia muttered. "You will get up or I will force you."
An even deeper silence.
Galaxia decided not to give Prometheus further warning. She ran to where his body lay to kick him across the chest.
Now!
Her jaw was clamped shut by a surprise uppercut from the suddenly alert Prometheus, who waited for Galaxia to get close enough that he could catch her off guard with a blow to the face. No one was more surprised at this than Sailor Galaxia, of course; she had expected him to try something like this, but was startled that he'd actually attempt this on the legendary Sailor Soldier.
The blow wasn't enough to draw blood, but Galaxia checked her jaw with her hand to make sure.
"Are you surprised, Sailor Galaxia?" Prometheus said as he got to his feet, struggling to breathe. "That you could be tricked by such an elementary tactic?"
Galaxia narrowed her eyes. She was furious. But something deeper inside was now lunging for control, telling her to suppress that. She was in a dangerous situation now with an unpredictable and volatile opponent. If he could catch her off-guard with a simple frontal assault, his capabilities were potentially unlimited in scope. Galaxia had to draw out his next attack to observe what he was capable of now.
But instead, Prometheus simply stared his opponent down. A smile crept onto his face. It turned into a chuckle. Then a laugh.
"Oh," Galaxia mused aloud with a wry smile of her own. "So you think that because you landed a lucky shot on me, you can win now?"
"No, Sailor Galaxia," Prometheus said with a shake of his head. "I think I'm finally starting to wake up. The point was never to defeat you... I just needed to know that I could at least be able to strike the likes of you."
Galaxia raised an eyebrow. "This ought to be interesting," she scoffed.
"You see, Galaxia, even before in our fights, I wasn't simply fighting you. Even then, you had Chaos sealed inside you, and were struggling against it. And I was trying to maintain my own sense of goodness, and defeat you with that. But, that was never the point."
Galaxia took a step towards Prometheus, curious as to his words, even if she knew she could destroy him where he stood.
"My parents were killed in a battle... caught in the crossfire between soldiers of war and rebels against the monarchy. You people think you're guarding the order and peace in the universe, but you're just upholding the status quo while the innocents who work to maintain that status quo starve and die!"
"That's it?" Galaxia laughed mockingly. "That's your righteous tirade? That's the way life is, Prometheus! You think it's supposed to be fair?"
"It could be fair, if we didn't have to worry about soldiers!" Prometheus shot back. "It could be fair if we didn't have people like you, using their superior command of the elements to make common people like me afraid! But now I know... if I use my force of will, I can defeat even you, given enough time!"
Galaxia frowned deeply. "You think you have more patience than I do? You're just a rat posing as a human!"
Then she felt the air rumble with power. This is the energy of the Sailor Teleport, she thought to herself. Sailor Soldiers are coming. I have... I have to stop them!
No... you fool! I thought we had overcome you!
Galaxia gripped her head as the voice of her soul started to struggle for control of her mind. And in this, Prometheus saw only another chance. Rushing his opponent, he launched a kick to her midsection, which connected.
Although the attack could not hurt Galaxia, the force of the blow sent her off her feet and stumbling onto the ground. Thinking that he'd damaged his foe, Prometheus laughed once more.
What an idiot, the voices in Galaxia's head declared in unison, and then she gasped as she realized this.
Galaxia focused her vision as she tried to identify the souls that had come to this place, and counted three of them.
Sailors Uranus, Neptune..., and Princess Serenity?
"No!" Galaxia shouted. "You allowed the Princess to come here?"
"Sailor Galaxia!" Uranus shouted. "We thought you were..."
"That's not Galaxia," Neptune reminded her. "That's Chaos taking her form!"
"Sailor Soldiers," Prometheus muttered. "Sailor Soldiers. Sailor Soldiers! The ones who stand guard against the darkness! Why do you think darkness exists at all? As long as warriors of light exist, darkness will oppose it. But if I..."
"Who is this guy?" Uranus asked Neptune. "And what is he talking about?"
"I haven't a clue!" Neptune admitted.
"Get out of here!" Galaxia shouted. "He is unstable! He..."
"I'll kill everyone who fights!" Prometheus shouted, and he felt a sudden surge of energy burst forth out of him. Anger. That would be his power. He jumped forward, intent on attacking Sailor Uranus while she was off guard.
"No!" Galaxia thought fast. Prometheus got this burst of power all of a sudden! He'll kill Sailors Uranus and Neptune, unless I...
She raised her wrists and sent energy into her bracelets.
Unless I...
The background dropped out around Galaxia and she was immersed in light. The jewels on her bracelets were covered...
...by Queen Metalia's hands.
"Q-Queen Metalia?" Galaxia gasped. "You're alive?"
"Sailor Galaxia... you cannot repeat the mistakes of your past."
"But if I don't take their Star Seeds, Prometheus will kill them! His power is...!"
"His power is hatred, Galaxia. Didn’t you fight for love and justice? How will you honor what you fight for if you don't let them sacrifice their lives here?"
"...Metalia..."
When Galaxia was released from the vision, she saw a horrifying sight.
Neptune's body lay on the ground, bloodied and broken; her eyes faded. She was still alive, but had no energy to move. Uranus’ sword was thrust into her chest. Prometheus was holding the hilt. He pulled the weapon free and allowed Uranus to drop to the ground. Like Neptune, Uranus' body had taken a fatal blow, and she would soon die.
Princess Serenity was watching all of this helplessly. Prometheus started to approach the Princess.
Let him kill her, a powerful voice in Galaxia's head shouted. Once he does, nothing can oppose us! We will destroy Prometheus and then you can achieve your goal!
No... no... this is too horrible, even for you. Galaxia gripped her head and shouted, trying to fight off Chaos from within once more.
But Prometheus just looked over the weeping form of Princess Serenity and felt nothing.
"I have no quarrel with you," he said. "You are not a Sailor Soldier, or a warrior. I am sorry that you had to witness that."
He turned to Galaxia, who was still struggling. "As for you, I've proved what I have to. I'm going to fight others and get stronger, and when I have the ability to defeat you, I'll come back. I'll be the hero that saves the world from Chaos this time!"
He then leapt away from the scene, breaking the boundaries of human ability with his jump. His anger had become a visible energy source, shattering the ground beneath him as he bounded away.
"Are you just going to let him go?" Galaxia shouted. "Aren't you Sailor Soldiers?"
"We...we've done all we can," Uranus muttered and coughed hard. "We're finished..."
"We failed... to protect... Princess Serenity," Neptune sighed.
Princess Serenity was still in shock.
Galaxia gripped the helmet on her head and threw it off in disgust, freeing her flame colored mane. "Get out, Chaos!" she shouted, and sobbed powerlessly. "Get out...!"
When Uranus realized what was happening, she gasped and grunted painfully. "Galaxia's soul... it's still alive," she said.
"The Princess?" Neptune realized. "Where is the Princess...?"
Princess Serenity was standing in front of the figure of Galaxia.
"Get away from me, you fool!" Galaxia warned the Princess. "I don't know how long I can fight it off."
"I told you we'd meet again when you defeated the darkness, didn't I?" the Princess said. Her tone sounded quiet and meek, and Galaxia could tell she was trying to hide her own uncertainty.
"But, Princess... I didn't defeat it," Galaxia said, and she felt tears well up and spill from her eyes. "I lost to the darkness. I killed so many people... and I wasn't even punished for it."
Princess Serenity didn't heed Galaxia's words, though; she reached for her, pulled her in and embraced her.
She was summoned by the darkness to combat it. Not in battle, but in embrace.
Galaxia felt the influence of Chaos seem to lessen as she returned Princess Serenity's embrace. Could it be... was Chaos dissipating from her? No. It was still there. Silenced, asleep perhaps, but still present.
"You're gentle, Princess Serenity," Galaxia whispered. "But there's one thing you have yet to understand." The Princess continued to hold Galaxia without response, so Galaxia went on.
"The same light of hope that rebuilds our future, will destroy our past."
The Princess gasped. "What?"
Uranus moaned and struggled to get up, but she had no strength to do so. "She's... talking about the legend of the Sailor Wars..."
"Sailor Uranus! Don't talk!" the Princess said, and released her hold of Galaxia to run to Uranus' side.
"Don't bother with me," Uranus whispered. "There's nothing you can do for me. I'm finished."
"Me too," Neptune said. "Just let us die in peace."
The Princess shook her head. "No... there's one thing I can do."
Light began to pour out of her body, a gentle light that swarmed into Sailor Uranus. Uranus gasped softly, and began to smile.
"Do what you feel," the Princess said. "It's okay."
"Your mother wasn't supposed to have taught you how to do this yet," Neptune said, as her own body was filled with light, too.
"I couldn't help myself," the Princess replied and smiled faintly. "Aren't I my mother's daughter?"
Uranus and Neptune closed their eyes, and their bodies disappeared, becoming a thin vapor resembling stardust, which fled into space.
"Princess Serenity?" Galaxia said. "How did you do that?"
"I... I honestly don't know," the Princess said, having snapped out of a trance. "I just saw them dying and suffering, and I knew I had to do something. Even if they had to die, they didn't have to suffer, right?"
Princess Serenity's face then melted into one of misery as she finally comprehended what happened.
"Uranus and Neptune died to protect me, didn't they?" she said, and started to weep profusely. "They didn't have to... they're gone... it's... it's all my fault."
"Princess Serenity..." Galaxia whispered.
"Prince Endymion... Galaxia, please, you have to take me to see Prince Endymion," the Princess begged through her tears. "He can make it better... I know he can!"
Galaxia bit her thumb. Not hard enough to draw blood — she was thinking. I don't know what to do. She seems irrational, and her being with me is dangerous. I should take her back to Queen Serenity, but then the Queen would certainly eliminate Chaos away from within me at the cost of her own life. I can't allow that to happen yet. I can't have the Princess suffer that loss as well.
She picked up her Empyrean Helmet and placed it back on her head, which magically drew her hair back within it. "Princess, you are not thinking rationally," she said with a serious tone. "Prince Endymion is a human. He might be trained to survive in different environments, but he is still a human, and he cannot resurrect the dead. Uranus and Neptune are not gone. Get that thought out of your mind!"
"They're not?" the Princess sniffled.
"Sailor Soldiers cannot die," Galaxia said. "The star seeds they possess do not permit that. When their physical bodies disappear, their star seeds return to the planet they protected, and await a new life that can inherit their power."
"Oh," she said. "Your star seed must be very powerful, then."
"I don't have a star seed," Galaxia replied. "When I sealed Chaos within my body, I gave up my star seed so it wouldn't be corrupted, and sent it to the far corners of the galaxy, to the newborn planets. I don't know where it is."
Princess Serenity looked down and tried to stop the tears from flowing, but they wouldn't stop. She, at least, wasn't sobbing, but she couldn't stop herself from being sad.
"Princess, we have to get you back to the Kingdom of Serenity," Galaxia said. "There isn't much time. I know you want to see the Prince, but the situation is worse than ever now."
"He's going to fight, isn't he?" the Princess shouted. "That means I need to see him even more-"
Galaxia opened up her palm and shot a blast of energy at the Princess. Caught off guard by the blast, the Princess fell unconscious. Galaxia caught her before she hit the ground.
Forgive me, Queen Serenity, but I have to get the Princess back to you before Chaos takes over again and all hope truly is lost, she thought as she teleported to Earth's moon.
--
As King Phaon completed his day's work, he was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Come in," he said, and was greeted by Prometheus. However, something was off about the man’s appearance.
"I'm about to go," Prometheus said, sounding out of breath. "But before I go, there's been something on my mind. Something I wanted to ask you."
"Prometheus, is something wrong?" Phaon pressed.
"Your wife," Prometheus said in a slight voice, advancing on the king. "Why haven't you tried to find her?" Phaon felt a sense of dread as he looked into Prometheus' eyes. He suddenly felt as if the true answer wouldn't satisfy him.
"Metalia..." Prometheus went on. "Where is she?"
His tone was full of mirth as he continued to force Phaon into a corner.
--
END OF STRING 06
--
Prometheus' true power was inadvertently awakened by Chaos. Now, a force more potent than even Chaos itself threatens to rage out of control, and Galaxia may even be defeated by such a person. What can she do? When Princess Serenity's own power begins to awaken, Galaxia comes to realize her own destiny. Next time: String 07 — Soul Necrosis! Metalia's True Face.
