Bleurgh, excuses, bleurgh, away, bleaurgh it's short. But hey, an update! Hurray! :D Not overly pleased with it, but to be honest in terms of real time I've been writing S for about two years. There's no human way I could be pleased with the results. StarS will be better. I have great plans for StarS. (Seriously, StarS is 90% of the reason I am writing this fic. I knew how it ended before I knew how it started.) We do grind into familiar plot-moment mode for a moment here, but some of those new plot threads I introduced will come into play soon!

Thanks as always to those who let me know they're enjoying, or how I might improve. IsadoraKayStone, every time your name pops up my mouth drops a little. You rock, seriously, for sticking with it this long.

The Not So Distant Future

As Nephrite screamed, Mamoru cursed and pushed himself from the ground. Panting, he dashed towards his trapped comrade as Fisheye pulled back from his dream mirror. His hair was mussed and he was laughing slightly as he drew back.

Mamoru tackled him and they went flying, limbs everywhere and each one trying to pin the other down. Mamoru grunted as Fisheye landed a punch to his jaw and for a moment he saw two Fisheye's looming above him.

Luckily, two Kunzite's leapt into sight and jerked Fisheye away. Mamoru straightened in time to see Zoisite helping Nephrite away from the board he had been pinned to even as Jadeite froze the Remless. The creature, a shapeless cloud of black shadow, cracked and shattered into millions of small crystalline pieces.

"Don't let him go!" Mamoru shouted, but too late. Fisheye had already squirmed his way out of Kunzite's arms and vanished.

"Next time," Zoisite panted, "We keep hold of him and ask what the hell's going on."

"Agreed," Kunzite said firmly. "Prince, we should rest here until Nephrite is well enough to return us to Earth. We have progressed far enough today."

"I suppose," Mamoru replied, glancing up. They were in the shadow of the circus tent now, the ropes holding it to Elysion dotted in the forest around them.

"Two or three more days tops," Jadeite said, squinting up at the thing, "And only the two of you left to be targeted by Fisheye."

Jadeite had been targeted a few days prior and had taken a short while to recover. Today had been his first day back in the field with them and the other four had all been grateful for the added support when Fisheye reappeared.

"We'll wait then," Mamoru said, nodding. "And then head back."

As had become ritual, when they returned to Earth the first thing they did was turn on the television and watch the news. Close to a month after the event, the battle at Mugen Academy still dominated their screens. Somewhat worryingly, the next big topic was an attempt to identify the sailor senshi, which seemed to have huge public support.

"I mean it is good," Jadeite said thoughtfully as the reporter droned on in the background, "For the most part it's so they can be recognised and congratulated."

"But there will always be dissenters," Kunzite countered, "Those who would seek to harm the senshi, or those they hold dear."

"And those who would be too fanatical in their love," Zoisite joined in, returning from checking in on Nephrite. "The girls enjoy their normal lives. They have earned them, I think."

"But with so many people on the lookout they'll be found eventually, right?" Jadeite asked, "It just takes someone with a good eye on a good day."

"Hmm, I wouldn't be so sure," Mamoru laughed, indicating the television.

"Of course, identifying the sailor senshi is made more difficult by the recent spike in trends that have been credited to them. Among others, senshi hairstyles have become particularly widespread."

The screen cut to a shot of Juuban high school at closing time, focusing on the steady stream of students leaving the gate. Blue hair, hair in high ponytails, red hair bows, even a few attempts at Sailor Moon's odangos.

"Minako always threatened she'd try it," Zoisite snorted. The camera began to move forward very suddenly and a reporter darted into sight, his hand snaking into the crowd and coming back holding Minako.

"Speak of the devil," Kunzite observed.

"I have here teen idol Minako Aino who, while out of the spot light over recent months, portrayed Sailor Moon in the film documenting her battles in England. Minako also had her own run in with the sailor senshi when she and a group of her friends were targeted by the very villains the senshi protect us from. Minako, can you tell us why you chose to emulate Sailor Venus?"

"What?" Minako asked, confused for a moment. Then her hand darted to her hair and the red bow within. "Oh, I just figured if I was going to look like one of the senshi, I should definitely look like the most fabulous. I mean, I've been a fan of hers for a long while – since she appeared as Sailor V!"

"Seriously?" Jadaite was laughing – full on, no holds barred laughing out loud. "Seriously! This is gold. Are we recording this? I want the footage for posterity should their identities ever actually be figured out. Any moron could look at old footage of Minako and see she wore that bow long before Sailor V appeared."

There was a moment of silence.

"That could be a problem," Kunzite said eventually.

"The magic that protects their identities should stop all but the most determined," Mamoru reminded them. "It would take someone highly dedicated to the task."

"… but the truth now, Minako, aren't you interested in the identities of your saviours?"

"Not particularly," Minako said easily. "I mean, they're obviously fine with things the way they are or they'd have identified themselves by now, right? Maybe they'd be worried about what might happen to those around them if their enemies knew?" She had been rocking on her feet slightly, but as she answered the question Minako stilled and her voice became solemn. "I think that if people knowing who they were hindered them in what they do, then they'd rather it remained a secret."

The Present

When Viluy attacked, no one was prepared. It was the middle of the day, everyone was at school and Chibiusa was far away across town. The first thing Usagi knew about it was when her communicator bleeped and Chibiusa's voice emanated from it.

"Usagi, help!" she gasped before the voice cut out. Usagi pushed herself off the sparring mat and jabbed at the buttons of the watch-like device. "Chibiusa!" she exclaimed, "Chibiusa, are you there?" No reply. She turned to Haruka, her eyes desperate, and the older girl nodded.

"Let's go," she said, drawing out the wand that allowed her to transform into Sailor Uranus.

"Will Michiru come?" Usagi asked as they ran out of the gym.

"If she's sensed it," Haruka replied, "She has no communicator."

"The others will have gotten the message," Usagi said, biting at her lip. "Ami won't be able to go, she's in her own elective with Tomoe. The rest will be in class…" she cursed and put on more speed. When they were a good distance from the school, in a largely deserted part of the delta, they transformed, and the journey from there became much faster.

When they reached the city proper they took to the rooftops and Usagi began trying to contact the others. She had no luck with Minako or Makoto, but eventually Rei answered.

"I just got out," she said, panting. Clearly, she too was running. "I faked illness and had the nurse send me home. Where are you?"

"We're about halfway there from Mugen," Usagi replied.

"We?"

"Uranus is with me… and Neptune as well," she added, spotting Michiru a few buildings ahead, waiting for them."

"Good, I'll meet you there." The line went dead.

Chibiusa was screaming. Despite everything else, the terrified children, the teachers desperate to protect them, all Usagi could hear was Chibiusa's screams. She leapt from the roof of the adjacent building and crashed through the window into Chibiusa's classroom, rolling among the falling glass and jumping to her feet. She took in the room around her and saw the witch standing above Chibiusa, her hand raised.

"What are you doing to her?" Usagi demanded, "Leave her be at once!"

"Or what, Sailor Brat?" she laughed, turning away from where Chibiusa was curled up on the floor, "I am Viluy of the Witches 5, and you will not find me as easy an opponent as those who have come before me. My nanobots shall eat away until her pure heart is mine!"

"You're so desperate for a pure heart that you're attacking Children?" Uranus asked. "Tsch, pathetic." She and Neptune stepped forward until they were just behind Sailor Moon. A moment later, Rei burst through the door behind Viluy. Within an instant she had surveyed the scene and fire was already playing at her fingertips.

"Burning Mandela!" she shouted, slinging the attack straight at Viluy. The witch laughed, holding out a hand and shouting out her own attack. "Mosaic buster!" a cloud of… something shot out from her hand and barrelled into Mars' flame, eating away at it until there was nothing left.

"As I thought," Viluy boasted, "Nothing to my nanobots."

"Deep submerge!"

Again, the nanobots ate away at the attack, and Uranus seemed to be losing her patience. With a roar, she darted forward and swung her fist. It connected with Viluy's surprised face, sending her crashing to the ground.

"Burning Mandela!" Rei tried again, and this time Viluy wasn't quite quick enough and a reasonable portion of flame clipped her thigh and spun her away from Uranus and into the wall.

"Stop them!" Usagi demanded, "Stop them right now!"

"It's too late!" Viluy laughed, spitting out a tooth as she pushed herself up from the floor, "Look!"

Chibiusa stopped screaming. Usagi felt herself turn as if in slow motion, and she saw Chibiusa's face, eyes staring straight up at her, full of pain, sorrow… and love. There was no recrimination in those eyes.

Then they went dull, their usual vibrant red fading to a dusky pink as her heart crystal bloomed from her chest and was carried to Viluy by a crowd of Nanobots.

"Give it back!" Usagi screamed, and a voice in her head was shouting with her, both Sailor Moon and Sailor Eclipse reaching out, desperate to retrieve the crystal. The tier appeared in her hand, extending to it's full length even as she cried out, "Silver moon therapy kiss!" Light radiated out towards Viluy, who braced herself against the onslaught. Eternal Sailor Moon simply pushed all of her might into that one attack, focusing every inch of her being on the purification. She refused to believe there was no good left in Viluy, refused to believe that whatever daimon was possessing her had not left even a shred of humanity behind.

Chibiusa's star seed fell, but it was not a senshi who caught it.

"You are most helpful, Sailor Moon," the newcome said. "I, Cyprine of the Witches 5, personally thank you. Viluy was growing tiresome. This will be most appreciated by our messiah!" she laughed, leaping from the broken window even as Rei shouted one last time, "Burning Mandela!"

But it was too late. Cyprine was gone, Chibiusa's heart crystal with her.