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Maia hadn't really realized in her hurry that she run into Ares smoke cloud, but as the smoke hit her and surrounded Hugbell and Hypnos, she lost sight of them. she could hear them and Quail and Leopard, but she she was coughing as she fumbled to grab them, but managed to be tripped by a very large, very soft object. She hit the ground and groaned loudly, but then she saw them right in front of her.

It seemed however that as soon as she saw them again they were gone, taken by a negaverser. And gently taken at that?!? Maia jumped up whirly around and coughing, before running out of the smoke and seeing the negaverser had saved Hugbell and Hypnos. She was relieved and horribly confused at the thought, but the sight gave her hope. Hope for a better future.

Then just like that Helios made it through and grabbed the crystal Maia was elated. The had did it, they had won. Endymion would not be laying hands on the crystal. A bright light flashed over everything and Maia woke up.

Lily groaned sitting up in her bed, giving a cough, to expell the smoke in her lungs, wiping her stinging eyes. She pulled her body which blossomed with a few bruises from bed and headed out on the balcony. Lily gazed up at the stars wondering if that was it. Was it over or would they be back the next night.

Ares was too busy holding her attack on the Prince to pay much attention to what Helios was doing with the aid of Chronos and Euterpe. The chibi senshi got involved, stupidly, but the Senshi of Smoke did not end her attack. There was a lesson to be learned here. The chibis would learn it hard, just as Ares had been forced to learn everything the hard way in the Black Moon Kingdom. This was the way that children were supposed to be taught. She saw absolutely nothing wrong with it. If she touched a stove and it burned her, then she learned not to touch stoves.

What was more surprising to her was how a Negaverser was allowed to touch one of them, to lift her up. The Negas could not be trusted. The Negas could never be trusted. There was no time to make a move to stop him. Ares had a Prince of Earth bearing down on her.

Just as her attack lifted, Endymion lost his balance, beginning a slow fall toward Ares' booted feet. Elation lifted her soul. Bow before me, her soul whispered. Bow to me as you never bowed to Nehelenia. Darkness pricked in her heart, power filling her so quickly that she thought she might explode outward.

In her moment of joy, Ares failed to notice Scylla growing weak, or even Sirius. Her eyes were locked on the falling Prince, his falling sword, his falling crowd. Bare hands fell to her sides, and Ares began to kneel, hands reaching forward. She was going to snap his neck. She was going to snap his neck and then have the crystal for herself. The senshi wanted it so badly that she could almost taste it.

Helios intervened, calling the crystal to herself and expelling them all from Elysion.

Painted nails were inches away from the head of the Prince of Earth when it all vanished, and then Fallon was back in her bed, weary and sleepless, hands shaking. She could see it all so clearly in her mind. Her muscles moved as if of their own power. Endymion was a traitor. No one who sided with the Negaverse could be allowed to live. Ares was willing to be the one to kill him, even in front of Chibimoon. He had to die. All who crossed her deserved death -- and nothing else. It never even occurred to her to think otherwise.

Fallon sat up suddenly in bed, staring at her trembling hands. They wouldn't stop shaking. Her vanity was across the room on the opposite wall. She glanced up, slowly, cautiously. Reflected back, she saw herself stained in blood. Bits of flesh and marrow hung like ribbons from her hair. A necklace of intestine had been draped over her collarbone like a strand of pearls. Behind her, a figure moved, drew closer. Fallon watched as Ares leaned into the dull moonlight creeping in through the window. Ares smiled at her, tucking a piece of raw flesh behind Fallon's ear. Then the sailor within her, part of her, one with her, reached out and lifted both her arms at the elbow, moved her like a marionette in the reflection as Fallon slowly began to cry.

This time, she had looked. Not simply glanced in his direction but actually saw him. His fingertips burned-- the pain seared through his body, his own vision blackening at the corners as well. An indescribable weariness washed over like a wave, his efforts didn't even make a dent in the barrier.

But.. while his efforts may not have, it seemed that Helios's efforts had not gone to vain.

Without the strength of the revitalizing crystal that Helios held, Euterpe, a senshi, a lowly one at that, he could feel his body's energy rapidly draining. The moment Helios's hands wrapped around the crystal, the moment frozen in time, suspended-- only a second but it felt as if lasted for all of infinity. It was a picture that was embedded in his widened teal eyes, the golden light eclipsing all. His mouth gaped open, sharing the mutual shock of her moment of success, his grin growing wider and wider until it couldn't be possibly be any more so.

That's how he disappeared-- with a thumbs up to Helios-- not one thumbs up. Both hands were extended in a double thumbs up before his figure disappeared within the golden light.

...

He woke up. Jerking forward, the once horizontal positioned man now sat up, the sheets soaked in sweat, blankets and pillows scattered everywhere. His hand reached out to brush against the comforting case of his violin .. He was back home?

A stupid question only had stupid answers. Of course, he was back home.

Now that he was back home.. He needed a drink. Preferably, a heavy and insanely sweet drink-- It was time to head to the bar.

Ares was going for Endymion, physically, and there was nothing Scylla could do to help her. Helios was moving for the golden crystal, and the world was going dark; she tried to let go, tried to reverse what she'd done to herself, give herself back time, but the world went black around her and Sailor Scylla faded from Elysion a moment before everyone else.

Jada Chambelyn lay on the floor where she'd fallen off of her bed, deep unconscious, breathing ragged. Her cat mewed at her, scratching at her thin nightgown, tearing the skin to try and rouse her, but his Girl did not respond. He finally curled up next to her, burying his face in her hair.

Birhan's swing at Endymion suffered an unexpected abort as the man drew his sword and slashed out at her. Jumping back, she barely avoided the wild swing, the phoenix-bow on her chest tearing in place of flesh. Of course he was less effected by the smoke than Birhan was, despite being in it longer. This must be the power of a prince, she noted. No wonder the senshi without a leader as strong as Ares were desperate for a princess, if she would also be this far above their own levels.

The ice coating her fist was slowly sending it numb. Pins and needles were creeping further up the limb as Birhan readjusted her angle of attack. She charged once again.

Too much happened at once. Behind her, Helios was yelling and filling the cavern with golden light. Birhan wanted to turn and discover just what was happening, but she couldn't tear her eyes from the sight in front of her.

Ares had moved in while Birhan was avoiding Endymion's sword. As the smoke filling the air curled into nothingness, Birhan was treated to the sight of the prince falling at Ares' feet... and Ares, a strange look in her eyes, following Endymion down, hands reaching out...

The golden light eclipsed Birhan's vision. Ari Knight woke up in bed, disorientated, scrambling in tangled sheets to get to Ares to- to... 'stop her?' her mind questioned. Why on earth would she have needed to stop Ares doing anything? Ares had done nothing wrong. Ares was just being herself - thorough, determined, protecting the others.

Ari kicked her sheets and comforter back into some semblance of order. Drawing the covers up to her neck, she huddled in the darkness, near hugging her pillow. The uneasy fluttering of her stomach, she told herself, was due to being back in this house again. Or to bad food. It had nothing to do with the disturbing expression on Ares' face. Ari had been mistaken in thinking for a split-second before they were expelled from Elysion that Ares had been going for Endymion's throat. That Ares had been going to kill someone, and with such unholy glee. Just a trick of the light.

It would be fine. Ares was a wonderful captain and Queen. The Blood Moon Court was the best family she knew. Ari had been tired from battle, eyes still stinging from Ares' smoke. The Queen that Ari had chosen to follow was not that sort of person. Her breathing slowed, heart rate calming. One hand rubbed at her stomach, and Ari thought a sleepy curse at indigestion, which was surely the cause of the roiling there, before she fell into dreamless sleep.