Kousagi took a quick peek at the sky, the sun was sinking beneath the horizon and the first stars where beginning to wake up. She pedaled faster trying to make it the park before Seiya would say his final good bye.
The white-pink haired teen was a sea of emotions: anger at him leaving her all alone, sadness at the though of never seeing him again were among them. She knew Seiya had his duty as Sailor Star Fighter to protect Kinmoku, but Kousagi was too selfish to let him go and travel into a universe she would never know.
Kousagi gave a faint smile as she remembered Seiya hiding under her jacket or ducking down behind her whenever a rabid fan would walk down the street; one of the many mistakes Seiya and his friends had made upon returning to Earth was reforming the Three Lights as a source of income. She would always laugh until she either nearly choked on whatever she was eating or until she fell to the ground.
The grin faded slowly as the teenager thought of the times she would sit backstage and become invisible so Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten could perform and when they would be at the park and someone noticed him sitting on a park bench with her, ignoring the blue-eyed girl completely. Kousagi remembered the jealous fan girls who would often mock the poor white-pink haired girl.
"What's so special about that?"
"Ah, look at Seiya's little pet! Isn't she adorable?"
The only enjoyment she'd ever gotten out of those dreadful confrontations with fans would be Seiya angrily dumping a glass of water on the accusers head or his stinging words that would retaliate theirs.
Kousagi breathed in slowly, she could take all of it: the fans, being invisible, it was worth it. Seiya was the only person in her life she could talk to, especially after her mother's untimely death. Her father had shut himself down and worked like a robot, programming himself to only get through the day and lay in pain during the night, and her sister had moved in with her fiancé and wouldn't let anyone even mention their mothers name. The other Sailors would say a few nice things about her mother, but would leave the topic at that. There was no one; not even Luna or Selene, who were the only living creatures who had stopped tearing up around her, that she could turn to. Except Seiya.
The purple bike sped down a hill, the park was insight and the sky had completely dissolved into darkness. Kousagi leapt off her bike before it screeched to a stop and ran into the trees, searching for the hollow.
'Don't leave me Seiya,' Kousagi pleaded inside her head, 'What if you don't return?' The teenager wasn't sure how far away Kinmoku was, but she was confident it wasn't a left turn at Pluto.
Kousagi spotted a tall figure standing apart from two others in the hollow where she'd first met her knight in tarnished armor. Though he was a good ways away from her, Kousagi could tell Seiya had already transformed into his… her true form, which could only mean that it was coming close to departure.
Kousagi flung herself into Star Fighter's waiting arms, "Don't leave me," she whispered.
The sailor chuckled. "I have to," the black-haired woman replied, "Earth is beautiful, but I can't stay. I have my duty to Kinmoku and I don't have enough space, your planet is cramped. I'll come back… someday."
Kousagi looked into Star Fighter's face worriedly, "But what if I won't remember you? What if you come back and I've become an old woman?" She fretted.
"You'll remember me," she assured, "You'll have this." Star Fighter slipped a silver, moon shaped locket over Kousagi's head. "Open it whenever your memories of me are becoming faint, and I doubt I'll return that far in the future!"
Kousagi opened the locket and inside was a photo of Seiya and herself. Their hair was messed up and filled with leaves and flower blossoms after a day of playing in the park; it was one of the nicer looking photos of the couple.
"You could stay you know," Kousagi said softly, looking into Star Fighter's eyes and clasping her hands, "Star Maker and Star Healer are strong enough take care of Kinmoku by themselves and… and you could stay. I can take care of you! My world needs protection too! Tokyo is never safe anymore, it needs more than me and the others to keep it safe."
Star Fighter sighed, "You have many dreams, more than the average person, but that one can't come true. How many times must I say it? I have to go back, I can't stay. You're Parallel Sailor Moon, I know you and your friends are strong enough to take care of Tokyo, and the rest of the world. Your parents can help if you need it, and Chibiusa and Hotaru as well."
Star Fighter kissed Kousagi's forehead, "Just open the locket when you wish to see me, I'll be back before you know it."
The three Sailor Starlights stood back to back with their heads facing the sky.
"Fighter Star Power!" Star Fighter called, a deep red beam shot up into the sky.
"Maker Star Power!" Star Maker shouted as a white beam of light shot up.
"Healer Star Power!" Star Healer finished while a yellow beam of light illuminated the sky.
"Starlight Teleport!" all three called, the beams circled around the Starlights and they were gone, floating thru space, across the universe to their home.
Kousagi clutched the locket and sunk to the ground, tears pouring out of her bright blue eyes.
"I knew we'd find you here," came the voice of Selene, Kousagi's bubblegum pink cat.
"Common Kousagi-chan," the voice of Minako whined, "We've all got to transform Rei senses something evil near the Tokyo Tower!"
"Oh, be nice to her," Makoto hissed at her friend, "Someone she loves is gone!"
"Her mother died ten mon–" Ami was cut off.
"She means Seiya you dolt!" Rei informed, "Common Kousagi, we know you aren't feeling up to it, but it's your duty to protect the people of the world."
Kousagi stood up and wiped the tears off her face, "Thank you guys. Yes, I shouldn't put myself in front of the others." The white-pink haired girl put her new precious piece of jewelry around her neck and took a brooch out of her pocket.
"Moon Parallel Power!" she called, thinking only of her final gift to Seiya.
• • •
Star Fighter sat in her room in Kinmoku, staring out the window. She was thinking of Earth, where she had left the only thing that would have made her happier than a worm that decided to sleep in.
"Princess Kakyuu wishes to see us," Star Healer was at the door, "Star Maker is already there."
"You go on without me," Star Fighter replied, "I need to unpack."
"Suit yourself," the white haired sailor proceeded down the hall.
Star Fighter dumped her bag out on the bed and began sorting through the contents. The black haired Starlight curiously picked up a little white box that she was sure hadn't been in her bag before. Inside was a beautiful dried up red rose. Star Fighter held it up to her nose and inhaled it's preserved scent, it was mixed with a lingering smell of lilac; Kousagi's preferred choice of shampoo.
Grinning slightly the blue eyed sailor read a note that had been taped to the lid of the box:
Diamonds are forever
But this rose is enough for me.
~Love Your Bunny
Star Fighter felt a few tears spring up in her eyes, she quickly wiped them away since she was about to appear before her princess and pinned the rose to the collar of her uniform.
"I'll come back soon," she mumbled, "I promise."
a/n: Something I wrote when I first fell in love with Kousagi and Seiya, so about a year ago.
disclaimer: I don't and never will own Sailor Moon (cause if I did I'd make sure Kousagi and Seiya met hehe...)