This idea... this idea had something to do with something. But I stayed up until past midnight, sitting in bed, scribbling in a random notebook.

This is a story about Tsukino Usagi. This is dark.

"The Other Side of Morning"

She was surrounded by darkness, but no longer naked. Trembling, she felt the half-familiar form of the fuku around her.

She shivered.

"What is this place?"

There was no answer but a beam of pale light. Light, and then standing in it, a pale blonde man, the shadows dark under his endless dusky eyes.

She gasped.

"Jae--"

He bowed, cutting her off sharply; and smiled.

"Sailormoon."

There was a long and shuddering pause.

"This... this is your end, Tsukino-san."

She leapt to her feet, shaking--

"N-nani--?"

"Hsh." he held up a hand, silencing her again. And looked into her with darkened eyes. "You have served your purpose, as it is my duty to... show you."

"No--" she arose, frantic. "It's not supposed to happen this way-- I have to be there in the future-- I... I am..."

"You are the galaxy's greatest evil, Sailormoon." he sounded almost as she had remembered him, mocking-- only now, his tone carried such weariness....

What could I have...?

"Please--" she could feel the tears well in her eyes, "--all I ever did was... I only wanted to help..."

Jadeite looked away, and try though she might not to look, her eyes wandered and locked into the blackness. Forms-- shades-- broken, bleeding, horrible-- loomed from the dark and she beheld each one.

Vaguely humanoid, if grotesque, faces; tenebrous eyes, devoid of hope, looking... into her....

"Y- yoma..."

"My yoma." murmured Jadeite, (as the eyes of the almost-pretty sea-demon found hers).

"T-tetisu--!"

"...Nephrite's yoma." he went on, disregarding, "Many yoma. Many daimons. Many more.... This is your toll, Sailormoon. Each of these...

"...all of these."

She tried to reach out; to reach out to any of them--

"I never wanted t--"

A thin and frail creature materialised from the gloom. He was kneeling, his head bent and hair, beautiful hair, covering his face.

"This is my hell, Sailormoon."

The soft voice was impossible to mistake.

"Zoi- Zoisaito-- I never--" she was shaking, weeping, the burden of fear and guilt pressing her heart.

"You killed him." whispered the shade, in a blank and vaguely sad tone, "Killed him."

"H-he said he... wanted to be with you--" she wanted to go to him, go to any of them, how sorry I am. But she couldn't--

Mother!

"It's too far." his voice broken, "Too vast, too dark, and I cannot find him, Sailormoon. I'll never find him. You... help me...?"

--He was gone as quickly as he'd appeared to her, and she gasped. Whirling away, and the visions continued.

"I died for you." murmured a regal-looking white-haired man. She looked up, still crying-- and he softened. "But it wasn't you who condemned me. It wasn't you... I loved. But I do not begrudge you that life I gave. I... I see now, and I greatly pity you." he reached a hand out to her, but she could not reach him. "Usagi-chan..."

"No--!" she shrieked, and he was gone, "Onegai-- please-- what--?"

"...Simple." murmured Jadeite, and she realized she had almost forgotten him. "This is the birthing of Serenity."

Tsukino Usagi looked up in utter horror.

And the waifish Jadeite smiled.

"You were very useful." he said softly, "Very useful, and very good. A fine leader. Very good, Sailormoon. You... saved the world." he gestured around to the sea of drifting souls, "Look what you've accomplished."

In every battle....

Terror struck her. "Minna--!"

"Iie, they're alright." he reassured her absently, "They are still... needed." Jadeite smiled sadly. "But I'm afraid you've outlived your usefulness, Tsukino-san. And you... were the killer."

She thought-- a moment-- she saw the drifting form of the silver-haired shitennou, wandering, searching-- but as quickly, he was gone.

The girl fell to her knees. She could help no-one, do nothing, and she could not-- could never-- escape.

Continuing, endlessly, these visions and shadows of darkness, addressing her, appeasing her-- and she could do nothing.

Sailormoon wept.

"What is this place?" she asked again, a final time, desperately-- as Jadeite began to fade back into the swirling murkiness.

"This is your hell, Sailormoon." he whispered, "This is the time of Serenity."

His eyes found her again and she knew everything, suddenly.

"This is the Silence."

And it was the End.