"This isn’t good," Eris said as she and her three followers watched, unseen by all the others.

"I thought we weren’t supposed to take sides," Yao asked.

"They’re breaking up into factions against each other," Eris said. "They don’t know what they’re going to be up against soon."

"Sailormoon, as she is now, will destroy the galaxy!" Gaia exclaimed. "That flower she wears on her chest has last for over two weeks! It is nothing other than the Kisenian Flower."

"You lie!" Shizuki shot back. "You want nothing more than to take my crystal and usurp my position. Which of you are on my side?"

Everyone in the room tried to look to someone else for an answer.

"I side with Rhea," Liu spoke up.

"What side is that?" Shizuki asked.

"My own side," Rhea said. "I side with neither of you."

"Sounds like the coward side," Shizuki said.

"I side with Sailormoon," Hitomi said.

"Then we side with Gaia," Samhain said.

Beltaine nodded. "We know Hitomi. And you’re gonna pay."

"Shit," Hitomi muttered. Things weren’t supposed to be like this. They weren’t supposed to be senshi. They weren’t supposed to be on opposite teams. They weren’t even supposed to be involved, or even to know.

"I’m on Sailormoon’s side," Utako said.

"I’m with Utako," Tommy said.

"Oh, please," Aya said. "You’re the oldest one here, Tommy. Make a damn decision without your little sisters. I’m going with Gaia."

Tommy said nothing.

"Aya," Utako shouted as her sister crossed the room to be with Gaia. "Good luck."

Aya smiled back at Utako and they both tried to ignore the glare from Sailormoon.

"We’re with Rhea," Aaron said.

"Looks like a tie," Shizuki said. "Two left, Minako and Chiharu, what’s it gonna be?"

"I’m on your side," Chiharu said. Sailormoon was always right. It was simple as that.

"I’m on Sirius’s side," Minako said.

"And whose side is she on?" Shizuki asked.

Sirius looked hopefully at Shizuki, but Chiharu spoke up and crushed the hope from the child’s eyes. "I say the Tau Ceti are behind this. Gaia said her crystal’s missing, as well as Rhea’s. They’ve also crushed the Opaque Prism. Their crystal in untouched, though."

Sirius was going to object, but Minako put her hand on her shoulder. This wasn’t the time for talking. That was over.

Sirius looked at Gaia, then at Shizuki. Neither seemed to care about her or her plight. "I’m with Rhea."

"Three factions?" Eris asked, watching as the everyone who could transformed.

"You’re the Sailor of occurrence, aren’t you going to do anything?"

"I won’t have to," Eris said. "Stand back."

Yao and Shun stepped back, but looked around. Nothing was happening yet.

"Wait!" Minako yelled as Sailormoon summoned her sword.

"Nice try!" Sailormoon yelled and decided to make Minako her first target.

Minako backed away, not from Sailormoon, but from a shower of dust from the ceiling. Everyone else looked up and Minako told Sirius to run. Minako turned and fled herself as Hitomi lunged at Sailormoon, knocking her out of the way as half the ceiling came down.

Gaia’s group fled in one different direction, just far enough from the damage, the remaining senshi ran or shielded themselves as more plaster and dust came down, followed by several tiles and beams.

"Usurpers," a several voices said in unison. "The fuck?" Beltaine muttered, watching from behind the remains of the wall from the previous battle. Samhain slapped her hand over Beltaine’s mouth.

"Mom?" Hitomi muttered.

"Papa?" Utako and Tommy asked.

The others stood too aghast to address their parents.

"You took our powers. We’re here to take them back…"

The last of the remaining senshi, and the last of the ones that had come before them, jumped down from the hole, gently falling through the air as if they were as light as feathers.

"It’s time to get involved," Eris said, taking away the shield of invisibility. "Attack them."

"Which ones?" Shun asked as she and Yao transformed. She wasn’t prepared to be a senshi. She wasn’t sure she liked it.

"Any of them," Eris said. "You make the choices, not me."

"Pain!" Shun shouted.

"Panic!" Yao shouted.

Two arrows, one black and one white, shot towards the crowd of the former Neo Senshi. No, they weren’t senshi anymore. They were something else… They were each someone else.

They’re eyes were glowing unnaturally, some the wrong color. Rei’s eyes glowed red, Kasumi’s a deep blue-green and Yoake’s gold. Setsuna’s eyes were stark black.

Their hair floated about as if they were submerged in water, there were strange glowing auras around them, the same color as their eyes. Strange symbols—those of no known planets—seemed embossed on their foreheads.

The arrows landed in Ryuu’s arm and Karei’s side. They seemed to ignore them.

"What the hell’s going on?" Beltaine yelled, stepping out of the crowd.

"It’s just one bitchy thing after another, isn’t it?" Samhain yelled. "What, the earth in your way of a good view or something?"

"We’re not after you," several said, then turned to Yao and Shun. "Or you."

"How thoughtful," Hitomi said, charging at her mother, who only sidestepped and watched as Hitomi met with the floor.

Karei scoffed at her daughter.

Hitomi lifted her head and glared. Someone was going to pay. Big time. "You’re not my mother!"

"No, she’s not," Eris spoke up. "I remember the last time I saw you all. You had different guises then. I’m not allowed to take sides, but I insist on a fair fight. Amphisbaena!"

Although nothing could be seen coming from Eris’s outstretched hands, everyone in the group screamed. Some shrieked, someone yelled "Scatter!" Ryuu yelled, holding his arm. They ignored even the senshi they had threatened and ran in different directions. Kasumi and Ryuu remained. Ryuu fell to the ground, holding his injured arm

"You!" Utako yelled at Eris. "You! You’re supposed to be dead! No one found you!" She opened the sensu and sent a blast of ice at Eris.

Eris shielded by crossing her arms. The ice shattered and fell in melting shards just before it hit her.

Shizuki slapped Utako across the face. Utako fell to the ground from the force.

"Lorelei!" Shizuki yelled.

"I have those memories, yes…" Eris greeted her. Yao and Shun watched as Kasumi picked Ryuu up from the ground. "But I am not her. I am the senshi of chance and change. I make the future, but I do not decide what it shall be. I am merely a catalyst."

"You talk to much!" Beltaine yelled.

"Yeah! Nova Samhain Dreaming!"

Everyone looked up as a cloud materialized on the ceiling—and where it should have been—and a misty rain fell for a few seconds and then dissipated.

Eris said nothing, but crossed her arms again and disappeared with Yao and Shun.

"Hey!" Hitomi yelled.

"Fuck! These powers bite!" Samhain yelled.

"Sailormoon, these two are mine," Hitomi said. And charged after the two senshi.

Samhain yelled and screamed her attack again. She had no idea why. Maybe something else would happen.

There was a bright fiery flash and the two were gone.

"That’s cheating!" Hitomi yelled, and ran off into the night.

"Well, now that that little distraction is over…" Kasumi said. "You can out now, were’ not going to hurt you."

Jupiter stepped out from behind the wall. She hadn’t been as foolhardy or loudmouthed as the two cousins. There was no expression on her face as she walked into view.

"Don’t you look so pretty in pink…" Ryuu said, pulling the arrow out of his arm. It vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Quiet, you!" Kasumi yelled. "You’re lucky. You don’t have to fight anyone."

"He could lose a fight against the Easter Bunny." Utako said, as the others changed. She’d always been warned that hubris would get her hurt, but she just said it meant she’d never have to listen to stupid people again.

"You, however…" Kasumi said, pointing at Utako.

"Oh, it’s always me, isn’t it?" Utako spat. "What now, you don’t like the way I blink?"

"I’m taking back what’s rightfully mine!" Kasumi yelled. "Euterpe righteousness!" She shot a blast of blue-green at Utako.

Utako screamed as Saturn lunged for her, knocking her out of the way just in time. The blast took out a large patch of floor.

"Ceberus’s fangs!" Pluto yelled, and her orb glowed red. Red lightning shot out from it and branched off every few feet, always shooting toward her target.

"Artemisian Castigation!" Sailormoon yelled, running at her, sword raised.

"Thanatos’s dream!" Saturn yelled.

"Wandering Star Mercury Arcana! Tethys damnation!"

"Euterpe Righteousness!" Kasumi screamed in horror.

"Terpischore Righteousness!" Ryuu yelled. A golden mass joined with Kasumi’s and the attacks dissipated and their senshi were thrown backwards.

"Mom!" Saturn yelled, pushing herself upwards with her staff. "Why?"

"I’m not your mother!" she said. "I am Euterpe, muse of Neptune… and my fight is not with you."

"It never is," Mercury spat. "Why’s it always my fault?"

"Because you took my powers. I am here to take them back!"

"Over my dead body!" Jupiter yelled.

"This isn’t your fight," Terpischore yelled.

"I’m making it my fight!" Jupiter pulled her Dragon Sword. "I’m not your damn little girl anymore! I’m not a doll! I’m not going to do what you tell me! Not anymore."

"Looks like we’re going to do Urania’s job," Terpischore said.

"Good, make yourself useful," Euterpe spat.

"Afraid of a little girl, mama?" Jupiter said.

"Sounds like a challenge," Euterpe said. "Give me a second." Euterpe blasted the fallen senshi again, sending them through a wall. The strategy of getting the fight out of the palace would have to wait. Hopefully there would be some palace left standing afterwards.

"Bring it on!" Jupiter yelled. "Blitzkrieg Blast!" she yelled, sending ball lightning at Terpischore and running right at him.

He dodged the lightning, but underestimated his daughter. Immensely.

Jupiter charged right into him, her shoulder hitting him as her blade shot through his back.

Saturn was pinned by a rock on her leg and her glaive had flown out of her hands. She had no idea where it was. She sat, unmoving as she watched. That may not have been her mother or father, but that was definitely her sister.

Pluto pushed the last large rock off of Sailormoon and froze as she realized the same thing that was going through Saturn's mind.

"Tethys damnation!" Utako yelled, then fell to her knees, coughing on the dust that had not yet settled.

Euterpe had been focusing on Jupiter, ignoring both Sailor Moon and Mercury. A blast of ice hit her face and she shrieked, blinded momentarily.

"Artemisian castigation!" Sailormoon yelled.

Euterpe fell to the ground, miraculously missing Sailormoon’s attack. But not Jupiter’s. Aya plunged the sword down on Euterpe’s back, her expression never once changing through the fight.

Sailormoon backed away as Jupiter pulled the sword out. The aura was fading, as were the strange symbols on their foreheads. Maybe now—in death—they were Kasumi and Ryuu again. Maybe…

Jupiter wiped some of the blood from close to her eyes, smearing it all over her face. "And she always worried Utako would be like Megami…"

Aya turned around and left. Sailormoon didn’t go near her. Utako didn’t follow, even though she knew she wanted to.

Just as Sailormoon let her sword fade away, there was another glow from the bodies.

Sailormoon gasped. Were they alive again? Were they being reborn? If so, who?

No, the glow was from something else. Two tiny slivers of crystals materialized in front of her eyes. As well as someone else.

"Lorelei…" Shizuki whispered.

"I told you, I’m not her…" Eris said. Apparently her assistants weren’t’ with her. Pluto and Saturn seemed edgy about that. Mercury was still staring after sister.

Shizuki didn’t care. She had plans for the girl. And no one was going to stop her.