"No!" Gaia screamed. "Why can’t I stop it!"
Thalia’s attack struck both Gaia and Eris, ho ere in the way of her striking down Charon. She didn’t seem to care about either’s plight.
Nepthys just stood there in the air, hovering out of the way.
"It’s already been set in fate, it can’t be reversed," Eris said, pushing herself up. "Not even with the Metallica Arachne."
"There is no way to stop it," Charon said. "The only option is to let it run its course." For a brief moment her glimpsed behind him, where the silent family from another galaxy stood.
"Incoming!" someone yelled. By the time those who cared turned to see who had yelled, Uranus had plowed right into Charon, and Neptune had skidded to a halt, with the help of the remains of a tree.
Thalia wasn’t the only on who took this as an opportunity to attack.
"Thalia Righteousness!"
"Erato Righteousness!"
Just as they were managing to stand, Uranus and Charon were struck down by Thalia’s attack. Uranus groaned.
Erato’s attack took out the tree Neptune has run into. He didn’t look like he would be getting up soon either.
"Did you really think I’d chase you?" Erato asked.
"Hey, yer not ‘s mum," Uranus muttered. "What the bloody hell is goin’ on?"
"Cerberus’s fangs!" Red lighting struck and surrounded Erato.
"You leave my baby brother alone!" Pluto yelled. "Mom, shouldn’t you be doing something?"
Gaia helped Charon to stand, as she took in all the sides in the battle. In turn, he helped Uranus to her feet. "No fair, he gets the damn pants. I can out butch him any day," Uranus muttered.
And the family from Star stayed still and silent. Speak, and they’d draw attention. Run and they’d risk running into a new disaster, or being hit in the crossfire. Sirius held her glowing eyes shut, so the three could stay hidden in the darkness. This wasn’t her fight. If she did attack, she could make the others targets.
"I’m going to have my revenge for my daughter!" Erato yelled, readying another blast. Still the red lightning circled her, striking her, but she showed no sign of acknowledgement.
"Gallant Beauty!" Neptune managed, vaguely swinging the mirror.
Erato’s attack died upon her lips. She began to shake slightly as she lifted her hands to her face. The night sky and the ruins disappeared, replaced by a picturesque scene of a forest.
"Where are we?" Pluto asked.
"This is mount Fuji," Thalia said disdainfully.
"My baby!" Erato cried, bringing attention back to her. Behind her a scene began to play like a silent movie.
Kasumi and Ryuu held each other in embrace, kissing passionately. They were dressed in traditional Japanese wedding attire.
They turned to look down as the coming dawn shone over the sea of mist hovering over the trees. The mist and the trees themselves lit up, first white, then yellow, then gold.
The sun finally broke over the horizon, blinding all in a second, then coloring the sky the most serene blue anyone had ever seen.
In that silent flash, there was a scream.
The lovers tore their eyes from the shining sky to the crowd.
Erato's eyes were slowly dripping with tears now.
People were running in all directions, away from a young woman. She could have stepped done from the perfect sky, a goddess or a nymph, beyond any earthly skill of portrayal. Her beauty had twisted in on itself, though. Her long hair was matted and fling in the wind. Every movement she made was slow and delicate, but threatened the same insanity and grief that shone in her eyes.
"Megami!" Kasumi yelled then saw what Megami was standing over.
Once, the two had fought side by side. Once, they had woken up together, talismans in their lap, signs glowing on their foreheads, and words trailing into their mind as two ghosts wandered from the corporeal world.
Now the woman had joined those who had given her the gift she’d forgotten. She had remembered her friends and longed to be a bridesmaid and sing at the wedding. Now her hair fell over her face and limp body. Her dress was shredded and she was adorned with gashes made by glass.
Megami lifted her arm, guiding with her wrist. The glass flew from the body and around her like a giant Halo. She lifted one dainty foot and stepped off of Himeko.
"My poor baby…" Erato whispered. Not even Thalia gave her any sympathy. Thalia seemed more interested in the blonde corpse.
Megami turned around.
By now several senshi had returned to the scene, all of them ready to take her on.
"You are all false!" Megami cried out. "You’re lineages stole this power!"
"I will not let you ruin my wedding!"
Megami ignored her, focusing on Aiko instead.
"Your line is the cause of it all!" Megami shrieked. She raised her hand, the glass shards following. Instead of a concentrated attack on Aiko, whom she had just accused, the shards shot at all the senshi, save for Kasumi.
"Ryuu!" Kasumi yelled. He hand blocked with his arm.
Megami suddenly lifted into the air, a thick blue aura surrounding her. "My mother will attempt to take the power from it’s true lines. I shall protect them. My sister is the only one who never stole power. He line is the only tree and pure line."
"Mercury Cosmic Power!" Kasumi yelled.
"Poisonous flood!" Megami shrieked at Aiko.
"Make up!" Kasumi’s hand grabbed the hilt of a long blade of ice as she lunged at her floating sister.
She tackled Megami out of the air and the sword plunged through her beautiful chest as they were sent rolling on the ground.
Megami began to cough, blood spurting from her lips. Blood splattered all over Kasumi before Megami whispered to her. "You have cleansed my bloodline…"
The fire faded from Megami’s eyes, leaving nothing. There was no more soul, no more magic, no more life to them or the body.
Usa reached for her brooch and a slight light engulfed them all and he illusion faded.