Sailor Mercury dug her hands into a pile of broken masonry. It wasn't supposed to end like this. The city was in ruins, a shattered graveyard where nothing moved. They had fought so hard, and won, but at what cost?

A brave flicker in the distance caught Mercury's eye. Amid the desolation, the small orange glow of a lantern was shining. Someone was alive.

The light was joined by others. A flashlight. A mobile phone. A burning branch. The gathering lights spread until the broken city mirrored the starry sky above.

Relief swelled up like a river. Tokyo had survived.

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Author's Note: I wrote this as an exhibition entry for the first "Iron Pen" drabble contest at Anime Detour, in 2007. The challenge was to write a 100-word drabble based on a surprise prompt, which in 2007 was a lantern.