A/N: I'm happy everyone liked the revelation about Chibi-Chibi. She's an adorable and underappreciated character, I think. Now, I wasn't intending to include the scene between Yaten and Seiya, but a couple of people requested it, so I thought… why not? I didn't realize I had been neglecting the Yaten/Minako scenes in the story, either. See, this is why it's good to have reviewers who can remind me of stuff! Enjoy.
There was no need for Yaten to rush when she chased Seiya out of the dining room. She knew exactly where her sister was going to go, and as such, there was no need to run and get all sweaty and gross in the process. Calmly, with a composed face so that none of the servants would wonder what was going on (there was enough gossip in the castle as it was), she followed Seiya down to her courtyard. Normally, they made it a practice to stay out of each other's courtyards, for they were private places. It was a rule that even Yaten respected, as she had never allowed anyone else into her courtyard either, not even Princess Kakyuu. But that morning she didn't hesitate in the slightest in pushing the door open and marching straight in. As she had expected, Seiya was standing near the stream, staring deeply into the water.
"Going to sulk?" Yaten asked with a half-smirk. To her dismay, Seiya didn't jump, but she didn't respond, either. Pouting, Yaten took a few steps closer and knelt, sweeping her green skirt out of the way so that she could stick a hand into the water unhindered. A few of the fish drifted closer and nibbled curiously on her fingertips, causing a smile to form on her lips. She waited patiently, enjoying the feeling of the sun beating down on her hair and the backs of her shoulders, knowing that Seiya would break sooner or later.
Sure enough, Seiya finally said, "I just can't believe it. I'm a father. Mother. A parent." Her voice was a little strangled, like she had to force the words out.
"I thought this is what you would have wanted," she said quietly, deliberately wiggling her fingers. The fish scurried away and Yaten stood up, shaking her hand so that the droplets fell to the ground instead of drying it on her skirt. "When we were told that having children would be a bad idea because our primary duty would always be to the princess, you seemed to be very disappointed." She hesitated briefly. This was why she had come after Seiya and not allowed Usagi to. That day had been on her mind ever since she'd seen Seiya interacting with Usagi's children. "Can you... is it okay, that you're technically the father?"
Seiya didn't say anything for a long moment. Her face was creased with concentration and she played absently with a strand of her hair as she thought. At last, she nodded slowly. "I think so. Chibi-Usa called me 'Papa' the other day. It was a shock, but… I liked it."
"Then I don't see the problem." One slender shoulder rose and fell in a shrug. "Honestly, Seiya. You've been given an opportunity that you once would have died for. You have kids with Usagi-chan." She gave a toss of her silvery hair and raised an eyebrow knowingly. "If anything, you should be celebrating. Now you have even more reason to stay with her."
"Only you would think of it that way." Seiya chuckled, but she sounded a little happier, and Yaten was relieved. She needed Seiya to remain her normal self, especially when Taiki was wounded. It was too hard having to be the one who was optimistic all the time.
"Are you angry at Galaxia?" she asked suddenly.
"No. Yes." Looking away, Seiya sighed. "I know, it sounds confusing. Part of me isn't. I mean, Chibi-Chibi would have died if she hadn't borrowed our power to create a new starseed. I get that. But then part of me is like, I hate the fact that she sprung this on us without warning." She folded her arms across her stomach and hunched her shoulders. "She didn't even ask first. She just assumed that it would be alright. What if Odango and I hated each other? What if we didn't want to have children?"
Yaten didn't say anything for a moment. Then she took a deep breath and rolled her eyes. "Stop borrowing trouble, Seiya. Maybe that would have been a problem, but you know that you and Usagi could never hate each other, and obviously you do want the kid, right?" She waited for Seiya to nod before she continued. "I know it was a shock to hear this so suddenly, but if you really want this, then you need to remember that you're not the only one who was surprised."
Seiya jerked at that and looked back at her with surprise written in her dark blue eyes. Yaten merely raised an eyebrow in response and left to meet the owners of the two shining stars that she could feel approaching. She stepped out into the hall and looked up at the two of them. Usagi's eyes were enormous, but she seemed calmer than Yaten had anticipated. Before any of them had the chance to speak, she took Minako's arm and pulled the blonde after her, ignoring Minako's startled squeak. She tugged the other girl down the hall and turned the corner, but not before she caught sight of Usagi walking into Seiya's courtyard.
"We're not going to spy?" Minako asked, pouting as she caught up.
"Some things need to be private," Yaten said, giving her a warning look. She was very serious about her privacy, and had been even more so ever since her time spent on Earth as part of The Three Lights. "The two of them will work out, and they don't need you eavesdropping while they do."
Minako's big blue eyes softened. "You're right," she said with a sigh. "I hate that." She wiggled her arm until Yaten's hand slid down to her wrist, then twisted her hand so that they were holding hands instead. An unrepentant grin slid across her face as she added, "Besides, we haven't had the chance to have any time to ourselves in quite a while."
Yaten swallowed hard and didn't say anything. There had been a reason for that. Being alone with Minako made her want things that she wasn't supposed to want, things that she didn't dare admit to wanting. Sometimes she couldn't figure out how the blonde that had started out annoying the hell out of her had managed to become so… so… She cast a quick glance at Minako out of the corner of her eye and then looked away hastily before the blonde could catch her watching. Her cheeks heated slightly and she ducked her head, staring at the floor. How had Minako become so important?
"Yaten?" Minako whispered.
"Yes?" she muttered.
"Do you remember when I auditioned to become an idol?"
"Of course." She remembered that day vividly as it was impossible to forget. It was the first time that she had been forced to acknowledge that maybe she felt a little more for Aino Minako than she was supposed to, and the first time that the beautiful blonde's presence had ever made her heart skip a beat. Minako had been so forceful when she was explaining the Starlights weren't missing anything, even if she had been completely wrong. "What about it?"
"That day, you told me that I was shining more than anyone." Minako sounded kind of dreamy. "I never told you before, but it meant a lot because it was coming from you."
"Minako…" Yaten stopped walking. Her mouth had gone dry. She'd been so focused on finding Kakyuu before that day. It had consumed her every thought and dream. There had been no room for anything else. But the strength of Minako's shine had ultimately forced her to realize what Seiya had known all along: that just because they were senshi with a duty to fulfill, didn't mean that they weren't allowed to have or follow other dreams. That realization had kept her going when she might have otherwise surrendered to the urge to give up.
"I don't know if you like me or not." Having stopped as well, Minako stared down at the ground, though she refused to let go of Yaten's hand. "Sometimes I think that you do… Like when we're alone together in my room." A pink flush spread into her cheeks. They'd never done anything, but sometimes, they had come close, and every day she wanted it a little more. "But then… I just don't know. Yaten? Do you… like me that way? At all?"
What was she supposed to stay? Yaten stared at her, feeling her heart beating frantically. Taiki would have had an appropriate poem to say that would have expressed all of her feelings perfectly. Seiya was spunky enough to say it all without batting an eyelash. Yaten… she reached out and slipped a hand beneath Minako's chin, tilting the blonde's face up. She looked into the beautiful blue eyes that had captivated her heart and were featured in her dreams every night and smiled.
"Idiot," she said with affection. "I wouldn't kiss someone I didn't like."
"But you - " Minako's confused words were cut off when Yaten leaned forward and gently brushed her lips over Minako's, silencing her quite effectively. It was a chaste kiss and it was over in seconds, but it was enough. Those sapphire blue eyes were huge when Yaten pulled away, and she didn't bother hiding her smirk as she tugged lightly on Minako's hand and kept walking. She pretended not to notice the enormous smile that spread across Minako's face, just like she pretended not to notice the way her own heart was fluttering madly.
TLYM
During their breakfast, Taiki had been deemed well enough to be moved from the Healer's rooms to her own room. After leaving Seiya, Usagi made her way to Taiki's room, where she found that several maids were bustling around Taiki's still body, including, surprisingly, Umeko, who glanced up when the door opened. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw Usagi looking in, and before Usagi had the chance to say anything, Umeko was muttering something to the other maids. Every single one of them obediently put down whatever they had been working on and filed out of the room past the princess. Umeko, who was last, didn't smile, but she looked at Usagi with a lot more warmth in her eyes than she had before as they proceeded down the hallway.
Smiling to herself, Usagi entered the room and stood beside the bed, looking down at Taiki, who appeared to be sleeping. Her heart ached to see one of her dearest friends in so much pain. She took a deep breath and pulled her locket out, holding it out on the palm of her hand. "Please, ginzuishou, hear my prayer," she whispered, brushing her fingers over the top of the brooch. It vanished, revealing the ginzuishou, which began to glow. "I want to help Taiki-san heal. Give me the strength to do this." Closing her eyes, she clenched her other hand into a fist and shouted, "MOON CRYSTAL HEALING ACTIVATION!"
The ginzuishou exploded with a brilliant silvery light that shone down onto Taiki's body. For a few seconds, nothing happened, and she gritted her teeth, bearing down with all of her will. She could feel Taiki's magic fighting with her, refusing to let the healing magic of ginzuishou do its work. Usagi's strength was steadily waning, but she refused to give up; she concentrated on the feelings of friendship and affection that she felt for Taiki and poured more of herself into the magic. Swiftly, she sought out the power from the gift that Taiki had accepted from her before. If it could act as a gateway, she would be in.
There. Victory sang through her and she smiled grimly as the light from the crystal grew ever brighter. "Please, ginzuishou," she said fiercely, blue eyes glittering with determination. "Help me do this!"
Slowly, the scarring, wounds, and bruises that covered Taiki's body began to vanish, replaced by new, healthy skin that grew at an amazing rate. Taiki twitched and suddenly inhaled sharply as her violet eyes flew open. She stared up, amazed at the sight of the woman standing before her. For a moment, she could almost see Usagi the way she had been during the battle when she fought Galaxia, angel wings and all. But then the light began to dim, taking the vision with it, and leaving behind a severely exhausted Tsukino Usagi in its place. Groaning, the younger girl slumped to her knees.
"What the - Usagi-san?" Taiki's voice was rough from disuse, and she grimaced, pressing a hand to her throat as she swallowed painfully. Spotting a glass of water on her nightstand, she sat up, grabbed it, and drained the whole glass, not caring that the water was lukewarm at best. Then she scooted off of the bed and stood up, hurrying to Usagi's side.
"Taiki-san, are you alright?" Sitting back on her heels as Taiki crouched down in front of her, Usagi glanced up with worried eyes.
"I'm fine." Surprisingly, it was true. Taiki didn't remember much of what had happened after the battle, but she did remember pushing Sailor Venus out of the way of that attack. It had been a natural instinct. Then there had been pain… and voices… and she kind of recalled talking to Ami… but beyond that, it was all a blur until she'd felt the softest, gentlest warmth and light caressing her body. The light had called to a place in her soul that she hadn't even known existed, and that place had responded with due haste, rising to the surface so fast that she was left feeling a bit out of sorts.
"You are, aren't you?" Usagi looked her over slowly, noticing that the horrible burns, cuts, and bruises littering Taiki's body had all but disappeared. Here and there, some of the bruising remained, but it had turned yellow and splotchy, like it was months old instead of only a day or two. She breathed a sigh of relief and set her brooch down on the ground, then flexed her aching fingers. "I'm glad."
"You healed me." Without thinking, Taiki reached out for Usagi's brooch. Her fingers froze inches from the compact as she flicked her eyes up to Usagi's face, suddenly uncertain that her touch would be wanted. But Usagi just smiled a little and nodded. Taiki picked up the locket and cradled it between her hands. It wasn't as strong, but she could feel the echo of that light sleeping inside, and it made her feel warm from the inside out.
Usagi eased herself back with her arms until her bottom was on the floor and she could stretch her legs out in front of her. The intense exhaustion that came from using the ginzuishou alone had receded somewhat, leaving a pleasant fatigue in its place. "I did," she confirmed, answering Taiki even though it hadn't really been a question. "I had to."
"Why?" she asked in a whisper.
"Because you're mine." The words slipped out before Usagi could call them back. Blue clashed with violet, and something that may have been understanding flashed through Taiki's eyes. Unnerved, she swallowed hard and reached for her brooch, letting her hand rest on top of Taiki's. "My… my friend, I mean," she stammered. "You're my friend, and Seiya's sister, and Ami loves you. I had to help."
Taiki didn't say anything for a long moment. She was looking down at their joined hands and a thoughtful expression had settled on her face. Finally, she glanced back up at Usagi and said, "I understand."
And Usagi thought maybe that she really did. It was unexpected and frightening. She nearly fell over trying to get to her feet. "I-I should go tell Seiya and Princess Kakyuu that you're awake," she said hastily, holding her hand out for her locket.
"Alright. Thank you." Taiki dropped the locket into the outstretched palm and tried to ignore the brief sense of loss that flashed through her. It wasn't supposed to be this way. They'd fought against it for so long that giving in seemed like a weakness she couldn't abide. She shivered a little and turned away, intending to take a shower while Usagi updated the others on her status, but stopped when she heard a thin, high wailing that was disturbingly familiar. Her whole body tensed, and she looked back to see that Usagi had paused just before leaving and was looking back at her with a puzzled expression.
"What's that?" she asked.
"An alert to warn us." She felt cold as she spoke, and all thoughts of getting cleaned up disappeared immediately. Something was wrong - deadly wrong. Taiki moved quickly over to her closet and pulled out a long violet dressing robe. Her Star Brooch was lying on her nightstand, and she grabbed it as she strode by, gripped it tightly in her hand as she stepped up next to Usagi. "Let me go first. If you see something, anything, run. Got it?"
Blue eyes widening, Usagi nodded. "I got it," she said in a subdued voice. Her hand promptly developed a mind of its own and reached for Taiki's. Surprisingly, the older girl didn't pull away, but held on tightly as the two of them stepped out into the hall. The alarm continued to ring, and she thought to herself that it was a dreadful sound. Taiki had certainly reacted badly to it. What did it mean? She was almost afraid to find out.
The two of them walked towards the throne room on high alert for anything out of the ordinary. They didn't meet anyone, not even a maid, which was highly suspicious in of itself. Usagi noticed that the closer they got to the throne room, the louder the alarm became. She pressed her free hand against her ear, wincing at the piercing sound that was making her ears ache, and pressed closer to Taiki as they edged into the enormous room. Taiki relaxed slightly when she saw that Princess Kakyuu and the other senshi were gathered there, but she knew that something was wrong by the looks on their faces. Giver was sobbing, her face buried in her hands, while Destroyer made a vain attempt to comfort her. Prayer stared off into space with a horribly blank look.
"What's going on?" Usagi asked. Her voice, at first just barely audible over the alarm, sounded thunderous when the alarm stopped without warning. In the ringing silence, several pairs of eyes swung in their direction. Seiya looked relieved at first, then shocked when she realized who was standing beside Usagi.
"Taiki! You're here!" she exclaimed. "But... how?"
"Usagi-san healed me," said Taiki simply, either not noticing or not caring that Usagi was frantically squeezing her hand in a bid for the woman to be silent. She hadn't asked Kakyuu's permission to heal Taiki, and she was pretty sure that she had crossed at least one or two boundaries in the process. The blonde winced slightly when everyone looked her way and stepped back quickly as Seiya and Yaten embraced their sister excitedly. Ami was looking in Taiki's direction with glowing eyes; she caught Usagi's eyes and mouthed a silent 'thank you' that made it all worthwhile.
"What was the alarm for?" she asked, winking at Ami. "What's wrong?"
Princess Kakyuu smiled at Taiki, but it didn't reach her eyes, which were filled with sadness and despair. "Sailor Star Lover was found in Kortell this morning," she said, naming a city east of the palace. "She was badly wounded. The head Healer has reported that she believes Lover will die before sunset."
Oh. Usagi's stomach tightened and she felt sick. "Why was she out there? I thought she was told to stay in her rooms."
"She went to go find Jadeite," Giver choked out, wiping at the tears that wouldn't stop falling down her cheeks. "She felt so guilty... she told me that she wanted to make things right. I thought she meant that wanted to stay here and fight alongside us, but she must have meant she was going to try to take him down on her own. I don't know why she would have been so foolish. There was no way she would have been able to defeat him."
"There's nothing they can do?" Taiki asked regretfully, glancing from Yaten to Seiya. She read the answer in their faces and winced; she may not have liked the Ginkei Starlights, but losing one of your own was unthinkable.
"I'm afraid not," the princess confirmed. Her voice shook slightly as she added, "I'm told that it was fortunate that Lover survived the transport to the palace." Kakyuu's face was very pale, and she kept fiddling with a beautiful ring that she was wearing on her left hand. Usagi couldn't help noticing that it was stunning, with a lovely dark stone that had veins of red running through it. It was the sort of gift that a lover might give.
"I'll kill that bastard for this," Destroyer growled, wrapping an arm around Giver's shoulders. She buried her face in Giver's hair to hide the tears that she couldn't keep away.
'Stand in line,' Usagi thought bitterly, easing back a step. No one was looking at her, which meant she might have just enough time to slip out before someone caught her. She tightened her hold on her locket and kept backing towards the entrance, hoping that they would all remain preoccupied with the Ginkei Starlights. 'I can't let Lover die. It's not her fault. She was caught up in Jadeite's trap, and she doesn't deserve to die like this.' Spinning, she darted towards the exit and was inches away from making it into the hall when a voice rang out behind her, stopping her in her tracks.
"Hold it! Come back here. Don't you even think about it," Minako shouted.
"What?" Eyes wide with innocence, Usagi stopped and looked back at her. The door was less than a foot away and she jiggled impatiently, knowing that every minute wasted was another minute that took Lover further away.
"You're going to try to heal Sailor Star Lover!" accused Minako, putting her hands on her hips.
"What?" Giver's head popped up, her eyes wide with hope. "Can you do that?"
"Yes," said Usagi.
"No!" Minako said at the same time. Her voice was filled with urgency, and there was a look of fear in her blue eyes. "You've already healed Taiki-san. Expending that much power twice in one day, especially without the others here to lend you their power, is tempting fate and it could easily kill you. I won't let you risk your life like that."
"Odango!" Seiya exclaimed, looking horrified at the thought.
"I don't care." Lifting her chin, Usagi scowled. "Letting Lover die is like letting him win. Don't you understand that?"
"And if you die, he will definitely win," Minako said crossly. She was all for helping out the Ginkei Starlights, but there was no way she was going to let her princess risk her life.
"I'll help you." Chibi-Usa had been sitting on the stairs. Now, she stood up, ending the argument before it had really begun. "We all can. It will be enough, Aunt Minako." She laid her hand over her own locket. "It has to be."
Usagi gave her daughter a proud smile, glad that Chibi-Usa was willing to help. Honestly, she didn't know if Minako, Hotaru, Ami and Chibi-Usa would be enough. It was much harder to heal a Starlight than she had anticipated. They were so resistant to the magic of the white moon. Even Taiki, who was already used to and receptive to the power of the ginzuishou, had been difficult. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to work on someone like Lover, who would be completely foreign and thus resistant. But she had to try. There was no way she could just stand idly by and let Sailor Star Lover die. Not if there was even the slightest chance that she could do something.
"Let's go," she said simply, turning on her heel. Whoever wanted to follow and help could, but she wasn't going to stand there and argue about it. She hurried through the halls towards the Healer's rooms, her fingers curled tightly around her locket. 'Please, ginzuishou. I'm asking for you to lend me your strength again... Help me save Lover. Everyone deserves a second chance.'
Sailor Star Lover was in much worse shape than Taiki had been. Nearly every visible inch of her skin was bruised or cut in some way. Her right hand was mangled beyond recognition, and there was a deep gash in her stomach, deep enough to show intestine, and it was seeping blood faster than the Healers could stitch. Her face was white from all of the blood that she'd lost and her breathing was laboured, like each breath was a struggle. A wheezy, bubbling sound came from her lungs every time her chest rose and fell. A few of the Healers were still trying to make her comfortable, but most stood at a silent, respectful distance from her bed with their heads bowed. It was clear that they felt there was little they could do except wait for the end to come.
"Princess. You shouldn't be here," the head Healer said, lifting his head when Usagi strode in. She blinked at him and then turned to see that pretty much the throne room had followed her down, including Princess Kakyuu. "It's not good for you to see - "
"I have seen more than you could imagine," Kakyuu said, cutting him off. "I want to see this."
"What exactly is it you do?" Seiya asked Minako quietly as the Healer, obviously flustered, tried to regain face.
Minako knew exactly what she was talking about. "We can share our power with Usagi-chan," she muttered back in low tones. "The ginzuishou… Usagi's connected to it, but sometimes it asks too much of her. It could kill her if she pours too much of herself into it. Our power helps to prevent that." Her chin quivered and she took a deep, steadying breath. "Sometimes."
Seiya winced and glanced back at the petite blonde who was pacing a circle around Lover's bed. Usagi stopped on the opposite side and nodded to herself before looking at the others expectantly. Chibi-Usa walked over to stand across from her; Hotaru and Ami moved to the bottom of the bed. Minako went to the top and wasn't particularly surprised when Seiya joined her, standing in between Minako and Usagi. The Starlight wore a grim, determined expression on her face that dared anyone to fight her right to help the sol senshi protect Sailor Moon.
"Are you sure?" Usagi asked, blinking at her.
In response, Seiya leaned over and kissed her hard. "I'm sure."
A little dazed, Usagi shook her head. "Alright, let's go."
"Mercury Crystal Power…"
"Venus Crystal Power…"
"Saturn Crystal Power…"
"Fighter Crystal Power…"
"Moon Eternal…"
"MAKE-UP!"
Several flashes of brilliant light lit up the room as the senshi transformed. As the light faded away, the six senshi joined hands so that they made a connected circle around Lover's bed. Eternal Sailor Moon closed her eyes as the top of her locket vanished, revealing the ginzuishou, which began to sparkle with a beautiful white light. Moments later, a similar pink light began to shine from Eternal Sailor Crescent Moon's compact, while the tiaras of Mercury, Saturn, and Venus began to shimmer with power.
Fighter also had her eyes closed, but she was frowning slightly, and her tiara remained dull. She could feel the power building and flowing from the other soldiers. It was familiar, but at the same time, totally different from anything she was used to. It created a connection between the senshi that was almost frightening in its intensity. Sailor Moon's power in particular was overwhelming; it was like the sun when compared to the power of the others. How was she supposed to join her power to that? It was too much. For a split second, a flash of panic nearly made her break the connection. But Venus's hand tightened on hers, refusing to let go, and at the same time she felt a wave of comfort coming from her left.
"Relax, my love," she heard Sailor Moon whisper. Except it wasn't out loud, and she didn't hear it so much as feel it. "We can't do this without you. Lover isn't used to the magic of the ginzuishou and her body is fighting it. We need your power to make her magic realize that we're not trying to attack her."
"How were you able to heal Taiki then?" Fighter asked.
Sailor Moon smiled. "You were exposed to the power of the ginzuishou repeatedly on Earth. You're already used to it. And besides, all three of you accepted the ginzuishou's power to get to your super forms," she replied.
Understanding swept over Fighter in a wave. "That was you?" she gasped, remembering Princess Kakyuu's cryptic smile. Had their princess known all along?
She laughed. "Who else did you think it would be? Now, focus, Fighter. Don't be afraid. Let your power flow into ours. Join us. We're not going to hurt you. We love you." Her voice was filled with affection and a gentle teasing. It was like warm sunlight on a cold day, and suddenly it wasn't frightening, but welcoming. Fighter felt the tension drain from her shoulders and willingly gave of her power when Sailor Moon reached for it. Swiftly, the moon princess bound the slender strand in alongside the others. Their power spun together inside of the ginzuishou until it reached maximum strength.
"MOON CRYSTAL HEALING ACTIVATION!" Sailor Moon and Crescent Moon shouted in unison.
It was extremely slow going, like they were trying to force magic into a brick wall instead of into a human body. Nothing like healing Taiki, she realized grimly, all of her fears confirmed. Taiki had been completely receptive next to this. Even having Fighter's power to lead the way wasn't doing a lot to help. Sailor Moon bore down and pushed, overwhelming what remained of Lover's powers and refusing to give up until she could do no more. Her legs finally gave out on her and she collapsed to her knees, though she still clung to Fighter and Saturn, determinedly holding onto their circle. Crescent Moon gasped raggedly a minute later and cut their connection to Lover as her own legs trembled with fatigue. Fighter shivered and felt chilled as the warmth disappeared, leaving only her own hollow power in its wake.
"Did it work?" Sailor Moon whispered shakily, hardly able to lift her head.
The Head Healer advanced with a strange look on his face, sliding into the opening between Mercury and Saturn. He began a quick but thorough examination of Lover, pulling the sodden bandages away from her body to check on her wounds. At last, he turned to Princess Kakyuu. "If we act quickly, she has a good chance of survival."
Sailor Moon slumped at the words, a peaceful smile crossing her lips. They hadn't saved Lover's life, not entirely. If the Healers didn't work fast, there was still a chance that she wouldn't survive, and infection or fever could still kill her yet. But at least their combined power had turned the tide and made the playing ground fairer, and if that was all they could do, it was enough. She let go of Fighter and Saturn and started to stand, but the world spun dizzily around her. Her transformation released without her permission and black spots filled her vision. The last thing she heard was Fighter screaming her name.
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