NA: some Starlight interaction on this chapter. Earth comes next!

The Bridesmaid
Two

At the third lace, Fighter entered Kakyuu's chamber and the maid stopped working on her dress to bow respectfully, then she went on. It was a beautiful day outside, and the large windows –all of them from floor to ceiling– were facing east. Every morning the Queen stood quietly watching the nebula cast its shades of blues and oranges and whites and even pink-reds, the myriad of stars trembling gently inside, as if they were just dreaming, letting out little puffs of breath.

"Can I have a moment, Kakyuu-sama?" Fighter asked.

"Of course," the Queen said. Then, to the maid, "please, let us alone, and close the door."

The girl nodded, and quickly took her leave. She closed the door like a whisper had just pushed it, and then there were just the two of them.

"Did something happen?" Kakyuu asked, standing near the window. Fighter smiled softly, denying in a single move.

"No," she shrugged, dropping out the stiffness on her tone; "just got a message from Earth."

"I see," said the other woman. Kakyuu's burning eyes were kind, creeping over everything on their reach, but she was lost in thought.

Fighter got closer. Protocol dictates to stand at least at arm length and always talk to her like she were not human but a goddess of sorts, but instead she stood shoulder to shoulder with her. Years before, when there was not even the slight suspicion of an attack and the destruction of their planet, and all she had to worry about was to train enough, to be strong and smart enough, enough, enough; well, she wouldn't even think about disrespecting the princess nor the protocol amidst their 'friendship'.

There were memories, despite all that about a young girl, a very innocent princess sneaking out the palace just to visit her friend –a starlight–, to laugh and walk over lakes filled with waters covered in blue blossoms.

But wars tend to blur certain lines, certain types of ways; death, defeat and resistance make relationships change. And after everything, they were no longer the lady and her fighter, but the woman and her confidant.

"She wants us to come back," Fighter said.

Outside it all looked a little sad, bitter in the lack of something that wasn't wild nature. She could easily remember standing there, or on a similar point of view, and stumble upon delicate fountains and a garden exquisitely designed to take your breath away. It was all gone.

Kakyuu hummed silently.

"She's getting married," Fighter added. That seemed to wake her up from a long dream. Kakyuu blinked, and looked over at Fighter.

"It's that so? I haven't heard anything…"

Fighter chuckled, silently shrugging and denied once as if saying 'I don't know'. "I don't think she knows the protocol"

Once again Kakyuu appeared confused, but could anyone blame her? She was taught since the crib to be a princess, to behave that or this way. There were steps to take before actually doing something specific. In Kakyuu's world, you cannot just say 'I'm getting married; come to the party at six o'clock, there will be drinks', no. In her world you have first to announce it, make sure every important person knows about it and had already approved it, make a little ceremony –or two– and just then you can just get married.

Odango still thought about it as a matter of marrying her boyfriend and having a family, and it was wrong.

"Well, she should be prepared to receive people from every corner of the universe to congratulate her," the Queen laced her fingers, thinking. Fighter could almost read her thoughts. She was totally sure Kakyuu was remembering the time they mentioned to Odango the other planets and the other sailors out there in the universe, people she never heard of and never meet but was real. Odango had been so incredulous.

"Yeah, and she looks happy," that was what mattered, after all. "It's in a couple of months, so we've got time to put things on place."

Kakyuu agreed. "It won't be a problem, then," she turned, a wickedly smile camouflaged on her face, "just make sure to convince Healer that it's actually a good idea."

That made Fighter grimace, but said nothing. "Thank you."

It was oh going to be a disaster.

The city, not yet complete, was beautiful enough. The buildings emerged from the ground like they grew from the ground. Everywhere, glass reflected the landscape of streets and people –bright, alive, people– and the sky and it never-fading stars.

Yaten sat on the bench, alone. She thought nobody know about the fact she sometimes dresses up as a civilian and spent time walking among skyscrapers and buying newspapers just to look busy or just window-shopping and watching little caged birds on the pet shop. To be fair, she had all the right to keep it a secret, but no disguise was totally effective when the people you've been trying to hide of were doing the same.

That was how Fighter –Seiya–, knew.

They had similar ideas, or at least, they craved the same things. Before, they had never left the Palace's ground or cared about free time or putting on civil clothes and taking a walk outside.

Earth had had that effect on them.

"I heard there's a karaoke over there, we could use some time to rock it," at Seiya's voice, Yaten scowled. Opening her eyes, she saw Seiya leaning dangerously close to her face.

"Fuck off," she said, standing. Seiya followed her when she began to walk away, trying her best to ignore the other woman.

"I'm serious, I miss singing!" Seiya said.

"Then keep doing it by yourself," oh how she wanted to be left alone. Singing? What for? They had done it to find their princess, years ago, and to be totally fair, the only one who really seemed to enjoy it was Seiya. For Yaten and Taiki, too, it'd been a way to an end. Furthermore, she knew Seiya just wanted to annoy her.

"It's not fair, we sound good together," Seiya added, muttering it quietly.

They became silent, but Yaten couldn't go on for much more time with Seiya tracking along. She hadn't requested for an additional –plus annoying– shadow, thank you very much.

She stopped. "What do you want so urgently that you can't wait until I'm back to the palace?"

There was no response for a second. Yaten threw a glance and saw Seiya standing awkwardly a mere foot away, as if she'd had to avoid colliding with her. Ha.

"I talked to Odango a few days ago," she said. On the daylight, her hair shone in shades of blue that matched her navy long-sleeved shirt and white shorts.

"I'm glad for you, now go away…"

Yaten was about to start off, but Seiya took her by the arm to stop any attempt. "Wait, why are you so immature?" she said, sighing, and Yaten tossed her arm out her grasp. "She's gonna marry that guy, you know," 'that guy' was her way of referring to Darien Chiba, something that didn't sound very mature to Yaten, either. "And she invited us," Seiya finished.

Without thinking, Yaten denied. "No, I won't go."

"Why not?" but she knew why.

Maybe saying Earth had had an effect of them was not exactly correct. Maybe it wasn't being foreign on a foreign planet; maybe it was the people. Just the same way Seiya won't ever deny the way Odango impacted on her life, Yaten would never accept it.

"I don't want to go," she said, and stubbornly stepped away.

"You cannot run, Yaten," in two long strides, Seiya was already walking side by side with her. "Kakyuu already said we'll go, I just wanted you to know before she announces it," so that way no furniture would be blown up. "Odango it's waiting for us. Mina-chan too."

"Are you done?" Yaten asked, halting mid-step. That obliged Seiya to stop again.

Seiya nodded, unsure by the angered look on the girl's eyes.

"Then screw you!" with it, Yaten turned around and un-did the path they've done. Seiya watched her go, the slim figure becoming smaller with each hateful step, and exhaled a tired breath.

It hadn't been as ugly as she thought it would, after all.

"Bridesmaid?" Maker asked, one eyebrow lifted on that way of hers. She put on that look that said 'are you totally dumb or it's just today' on her face to accompany it.

Fighter shrugged. "Yeah, I cannot say if this is a good idea or what but she wanted it, so" and as most things Odango had ever wanted from her, she couldn't hesitate on giving it.

Maker studied her methodically. She'd been happier than Yaten about the news and the trip to Earth. Unlike her, Maker had keep communication with Amy –Mercury– and formed a kind of a friendship in which they shared their weirdness. It was sort of cute.

"What?"

Maker denied, leaning further on the balustrade of the biggest stair on the Palace. It led to the hall and had almost forty steps. "Nothing, but are you okay with this?"

"Uh-m. Yes, I said I would do it, didn't I?," looking up, Fighter tried to read the meaning of it on Maker's expression. When she couldn't find anything, she shrugged –an bad habit of hers– and stretched out a leg to be get more comfortable there sitting on the first step.

"I know you said yes, but, doesn't it bother you? Hurt you?" Maker added, half a minute later.

Scowling, Fighter tried to think about it. She wasn't hurt by it. And it definitely did not bother her. Odango was her dearest friend, and for some reason she happened to think Seiya was too. So why would she feel bad if marrying Darien was what made Odango happy?

"No, I'm totally fine."

And she believed it.

Some additionals notes: I think there should be a protocol, if anything. We have a lot of aliens in the story to make use of something like it. In the manga there are others sailors and planets mentioned, and I think it could be fun to face Bunny and our senshis to this, because by now they had just meet the Starlights and Galaxia.

Also, I don't think Seiya would spent years and years crying on the corners for her unrequired love. In most fanfics there's an angst/totally sad way of portray her after they left Earth, but that's not how somebody would face a situation like it -at least not me. I mean, I can say a broken hearth doesn't heal easier if you let it bleed, you've got to try and go on with your life. And I don't think Seiya wight like to live constantly sad or weeping over the fact she cannot be with Bunny, less when she still can see how happy she seems to be.

Nobody should.

And for Yaten, I think she might be angry. Maybe a little hurt, but not on a miserable kind of way.