A/N: So I hear I managed to surprise a lot of people with the last chapter… good! I had originally intended for this chapter to have some reunions in it, but then our three main couples totally took over and decided that they wanted to have their moment in the spotlight to make everything right. And I thought… well, ok, after thirty-some chapters it's probably time. Enjoy!

For a good portion of her life, Mizuno Ami had always been an early riser, and the day after they returned from Kinmoku, in spite of the fact that they had gone to bed so late, was no different. She woke up in her old bedroom and felt a momentary flash of disorientation as she looked around. It was like the past five years had never happened and she was a high school student yet again. The strong aroma of tea that was floating into her room only served to heighten that fantasy, but she shook it off and slid from the bed, donning her old silk blue robe and tying it closed as she wandered out of her bedroom, expecting to see her mother. Instead, she found Taiki standing at the kitchen counter, absently stirring two cups of tea with a spoon.

"Made yourself at home, did you?" Ami said with a teasing smile. Her grin only widened when Taiki jumped and turned to face her with a surprised expression that swiftly became sheepish. She held a hand up before the other girl could speak and went on, "It's no problem. I'm glad you felt comfortable enough, especially since it involves you making tea."

"I haven't had any for over five years," said Taiki, carefully handing one of the cups over. "I tried to re-create something similar with the herbs and grasses we have on Kinmoku, but it wasn't quite the same. There was something key missing."

"No, it wouldn't be," she murmured, lifting the cup to her nose and inhaling the sweet fragrance with a sigh of pleasure. Kinmoku had been a beautiful planet, but sometimes there was nothing quite like a cup of good tea first thing in the morning. It had become her habit to sit down with tea and a good book for half an hour before class started; it gave her mind some time to prepare for the coming day, and she'd missed her routine. She sat down at the table and took a sip, her blue eyes opening wide in surprise. Ami took her tea with half a scoop of sugar and just a dash of cream, and she couldn't believe that Taiki had gotten it correct.

Taiki grinned, clearly guessing the reason for her surprise. "I remembered," she said with a wink, sitting down across from Ami. "You got tea once at the cafe right before we left."

"That was ages ago!" Ami said, astonished. She couldn't even remember the incident that Taiki was referring to. Dropping her gaze, she swirled the cup gently, staring down at the deep brown liquid thoughtfully. "You must have... really missed Earth, to remember things like that."

"Kinmoku is very precious to me," Taiki murmured after a brief pause. Her expression was pensive as she sipped at her own tea. "There were many things that I hated to leave behind. But Earth was... something different entirely. It changed all of us far more than I had anticipated that it would. We were different people when we came back and it was difficult to accept that there were certain things that we found Kinmoku lacking." She smiled wryly and held up her cup. "Tea happened to be one of them. You were another."

Ami flushed, a delicate pink color working its way into her cheeks. She hadn't been expecting that, either. "It's funny," she said shyly, touching the edge of her cup with her nail. "Earth seemed different after you left, too. I know that it wasn't, but the planet seemed much emptier. We all felt it, but Minako-chan and Usagi-chan and me most of all. I… I found it hard to be here with you. I kept expecting to see you at school or just walking around town and knowing that you wouldn't be there was…" Her voice trailed off and she tightened her fingers into a fist, feeling embarrassed by her uncustomary show of emotion.

"I heard you got into university in Germany," Taiki said quietly. "Minako-san told me."

"Yes, I did," she said, latching onto the change of subject gratefully. "I was offered the chance to go several years ago, but at the time I decided that I was needed more here." She stared down at the table, realizing - and how had she never thought about this before? - that there was a small chance that she might never get to finish her education. Depending on what happened to Jadeite… her stomach churned uncomfortably and she took a long sip of her tea, not caring that the liquid was still too hot to be gulped.

"I wouldn't mind seeing Germany."

Her hand froze. Ami opened her eyes slowly, the cup's rim still pressed to her lips, and looked at Taiki. There was a small smile playing around Taiki's lips and her violet eyes were gentle as she waited for a response that Ami wasn't sure how to give. Finally, she sputtered, "You… but… what about Yaten and Seiya?"

One slender shoulder rose and fell in a shrug. "I love my sisters," she allowed. "But it's not as though the two of them are going to be leaving Earth anytime soon. They'll always be close and I'm okay with that. Yaten will probably go with Minako-san and Seiya has Usagi-chan and the children. The three of us have spent so long together that a little break might do us good. That is, if you'd like me to come."

Something warm was flooding through Ami's chest, and it wasn't the tea. "I… I would," she replied, her cheeks still a pale shade of pink. "I'd like that very much."

Taiki's smile broadened and she stood up. Ami rose at the same time, an unconscious motion that brought the two of them closer together. It was odd, she reflected, looking up at Taiki. Most of the time, she found romance and relationships incredibly embarrassing to even think about, much less to act upon. But when it came to Taiki, she didn't feel that way. There was a level of comfort, of understanding, between the two of them that she had never experienced with anyone else. All the same, it took most of her courage to reach up and slide her arms around Taiki's neck, and she didn't really relax until she felt Taiki's hands come to rest on her hips.

"You know, Germany is beautiful this time of the year," she said, pushing aside thoughts of Jadeite and the future for just a moment. She wanted - needed - to have this happen. Regardless of what occurred down the road, this was what she needed now and she was going to be selfish enough to take it.

"I'd be interested in seeing all of Earth." A hand drifted around to the small of her back, pulling Ami closer. "This planet is as fascinating to me as Kinmoku was to you."

Ami found herself smiling. Seeing all of Earth with Taiki by her side… "I'd love that," she said softly. "I love you." The words slipped out much easier than she had thought they would.

A soft, "I love you too", a brilliant smile and a kiss that tasted of tea was her response.

TLYM

For once in her life, Tsukino Usagi woke with the dawn of her own free will. As the sun rose and spilled light into their hotel room, she opened her eyes instead of rolling over and going back to sleep. Though she was still tired, she sat up and rubbed her eyes before looking around. Minako had paid for the two connecting rooms the night before, and admittedly they were pretty nice, no doubt top of the line. Usagi and Seiya had one king-sized bed to share, while Minako and Yaten had gotten two queen-sized beds… but Usagi had the sneaking suspicion that only one of those beds would ever get any use.

She smiled to herself and stretched her hands over her head, then rolled her neck slowly to work out a few kinks before twisting to look at Seiya. Her dark-haired lover was still passed out and probably would sleep for a few hours longer. The only reason Usagi wasn't still sleeping was because she was starving. Her body was crying out for food to help replenish the massive amount of energy she had used up, and she couldn't ignore it any longer. Carefully, she eased her body off of the bed, doing her best to avoid waking Seiya, and looked at the phone. Tempting though it was to be lazy and call room service and use the credit card she'd swiped from Minako the night before, she knew that it would be better if she went down to the hotel's restaurant.

Twenty minutes later, freshly attired thanks to the Luna Pen (a more helpful item she had never been given), she bounced down to the restaurant, where the hotel's complimentary, buffet style breakfast was in full swing. Usagi went straight for the food and piled her plate high, oblivious to the stares she was receiving from the other patrons as she sat down at a table and dug in. As soon as the first few mouthfuls of piping hot food struck her growling stomach, she could feel herself beginning to perk up a little. By the time she was contemplating starting in on a third plate, it was almost ten and one of the waitresses was starting to give her a Look, and she regretfully decided to go back upstairs and see if anyone else was awake instead.

Minako's and Yaten's door was still closed and when she pressed her ear against the wood, she didn't hear anything. Deciding to let them sleep, Usagi moved on to her room, sliding the card through the reader and pushing the door open. The bed was empty, she noticed immediately, and the bathroom door was closed. That was alright; she was tired again and could use a nap. Just as she sat down on the bed, though, the door opened and Seiya stepped out, clad only in a towel. Her long dark hair was still dripping as she glanced up and spotted Usagi, whose eyes had gone wide. Seiya grinned and grabbed another towel to dry her hair.

"Where did you go?" she asked. "Or do I need to ask?"

"I was hungry," Usagi said, sticking her tongue out. "I couldn't sleep and I didn't want to wake you up, so I decided to get something to eat. Sue me."

"You could have woken me, Odango. I wouldn't have minded." Seiya shook her hair out and folded the towel before tossing it onto the counter. "I was a little worried when I woke up and saw that you were gone."

"I'm sorry. I should have left a note," she said apologetically, holding a hand out. Seiya moved across the room and took it. Usagi intertwined their fingers and brought the back of Seiya's hand to her lips in a soft kiss as an apology. "I wasn't thinking, I guess. Blame in on the fact that my blood sugar levels were too low."

Seiya chuckled and patted one of her odango. "I blame something, that's for sure," she teased. "Only I think it's your bottomless pit of a stomach, not your blood sugar levels."

Mock-pouting, Usagi looked up with the best set of puppy eyes she could manage. "Do you always have to tease me?"

"You know you like it, love." There was a great deal of fondness in Seiya's voice, and her blue eyes were soft as she used the index finger of her free hand to lightly trace the silver star on Usagi's forehead. In the early morning light, the symbol stood out starkly and Seiya couldn't help noticing it. "Odango, did you ever figure out what these are for?"

"Yes."

When nothing else came, Seiya raised an eyebrow. "Is this some kind of guessing game?"

"No," she mumbled, wrapped her free arm around Seiya's waist and pressing her face into the coarse fabric of the towel. Soothing warmth gradually seeped through into her cheek and she sighed. "I don't want to tell you. I'm scared you'll be upset, that you'll be angry enough to leave. I didn't mean to, but…"

"Odango." Seiya reached down and slipped a hand between their bodies. She curled her fingers under Usagi's chin and forced the blonde to look up. "There is nothing you can tell me that would ever make me so upset that I would leave you permanently. Yes, I might get angry or frustrated sometimes, and yes, we might need to spend a little time apart if I need a few minutes to myself. But I've been waiting for five years to be with you. Sometimes I could swear that it's been longer than that. I'm not going anywhere. You can tell me."

Now Usagi felt warm for an entirely different reason. "It dates back to the Silver Millennium," she said reluctantly. "Apparently it was a step in… err… ." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "The ginzuishou did it without my knowledge because it thinks that we're… there… and I don't think it will go away."

There was a long silence and then, to her amazement, Usagi felt a vibration against her cheek. She cautiously opened her eyes and looked up, worried that Seiya might be crying, only to realize that Seiya was actually laughing. Confused, she sat back on the bed, putting a little more space between her and the taller girl, but leaving their fingers safely entwined. It took a few seconds for Seiya to calm herself down and even then, she was still grinning broadly. Usagi pushed her lips together in a genuine pout that bordered on a scowl.

"Are you laughing at me?" she asked dangerously. After all of the agonizing that she had been doing, she was fully ready to be the one who walked out if that was the case. Seiya must have realized that she was treading on dangerous ground because her grin morphed into a gentle smile and she reached out to cup Usagi's cheek.

"Are you telling me that we're engaged?" she inquired.

"Well… technically… yes. The ginzuishou seemed to think that my mother's approval was enough for us to take our relationship to the next level. A bond has been forged between us and it may never leave, even if we take the next step." Usagi's voice came out as a mumble.

"And you want me to think that this is a bad thing?"

Usagi's eyes widened. "I…"

"I just got finished telling you that I've been waiting for you to want me for five years, Odango, and you think I would be angry about having something that ties us together forever?" Seiya's blue eyes were filled with love. "I would have liked the chance to have asked you myself after this mess with Jadeite has been dealt with, but honestly I can't find it in myself to argue."

Oh. Usagi leaned forward again and placed a kiss on Seiya's stomach, just above her belly button. "I never thought about it like that," she confessed quietly. "I guess I was thinking more that it was something else that we had both been forced into. But when you put it that way…" A lifetime with Seiya did sound immensely appealing.

"It is kind of annoying that it happened like that, and if it's all the same for you, I'd like for us to control the pace of our relationship from now on." Seiya leaned down and kissed her before whispering, "But I could never be angry about something like this, Odango. I love you too much for that."

For the first time in her life, Tsukino Usagi thought that she knew the meaning of the word bliss, because a living and breathing personification of it was standing right in front of her. "I love you, too, Sei-chan."

GMA

Kou Yaten's first morning back on Earth dawned much earlier than she had planned. They had gone to bed in the early morning hours, and she'd been fully expecting to sleep in until the late afternoon, barring any disasters or evil Shittenou that were out to destroy the Earth. Instead, she woke up at around noon to the sun shining in her eyes. Disgruntled, she sighed and started to sit up, but there was a heavy weight across her stomach keeping her from moving. Yaten blinked in confusion and glanced down, realizing that there were strands of blonde hair intermingled with her own silver. A slow smile formed on her lips and she shook her head in mild amusement at the sight of Aino Minako.

"Baka, I don't remember saying that we could share a bed," she muttered. There were two queen-sized beds in the room, and when she'd gone to bed the night before Minako had been in the other one. Apparently at some point during the night, the other girl had migrated, and now she was all curled up with an arm over Yaten's stomach. Yaten shook her head and gently eased Minako's arm off of her. She must have been even more tired than she'd thought if Minako had been able to sneak into her bed without her notice.

She padded across the room and into the en-suite bathroom. They had no other clothing, but at least she could be clean in the meantime. Stripping her clothes off, she left them on the floor and turned the shower on while perusing the meagre selection of shampoo and conditioner offered. Yes, this was one thing she had missed about Earth. Her hair had never been quite as luxurious or shiny as it had while using the range of expensive hair products offered by her favourite line of cosmetics. Dreaming happily about an impending shopping trip that would take most of a day, she climbed into the shower and washed every inch of her body from head to toe, including her hair - twice, just because she could.

By the time she got out, the mirrors were steamed and her fingers were wrinkled. Yaten brushed her hair, relishing in the way the strands poured over her fingers like silk, and then wrapped a towel around her body. She opened the door and stepped out. Instantly, her gaze went to the bed and the two deep sapphire eyes that were watching her progress. Minako smiled sleepily in greeting and stretched, her body arching in a way that made Yaten's mouth go dry. Swallowing hard, she crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the bed, suddenly feeling unaccountably nervous.

"Good sleep?" Minako asked, her voice a low purr.

"Surprisingly, yes." Even though she'd woken up earlier than she'd thought she would, the few hours of sleep that she had managed had been undisturbed. She honestly couldn't remember the last time that had happened.

Minako smiled, looking pleased, and sat up. Her long blonde hair fell behind her in a shower as she stretched for a second time. "It feels weird to be back on Earth," she noted, glancing out the window at the sky. It was a delightful shade of blue that made her feel like spending the day on a beach. She turned back to Yaten. "Are you… okay?"

"I'm fine, except I don't have any clothes."

Something flickered in Minako's eyes and she smirked. "I'll go downstairs and get you something from one of the shops. I think I noticed a couple of boutiques around here last night," she said, climbing out of bed. Her clothing was badly wrinkled from having been slept in, but her shirt and tunic were still in better shape than Yaten's had been. "What do you want?"

"Anything that's not orange or yellow," said Yaten, who knew exactly what Minako's taste in colors was like. Minako just grinned and shoved her feet into her shoes before she walked over to the door and stepped outside. Instead of getting up and drying her hair (a decision she would pay for later), Yaten just sat there on the bed for a while, staring off into space.

Truthfully, she didn't know how she felt about being back on Earth. She felt kind disconnected, like there was a chance she was going to wake up and find that it was all a dream. Maybe it was because of all the nights she had spent on Kinmoku, believing that this moment would never come. Yaten had spent the past five years struggling to forget about the sol senshi, particularly Minako, and yet at the same time she had wanted so desperately to hold onto everything that Minako had taught her. It had been a constant balancing act between remembering but also forgetting so that she didn't go crazy.

And now she didn't have to worry about that anymore. Kakyuu had the Ginkei Starlights to protect her, and together the five of them would rebuild not only the Tankei Kingdom but also the Ginkei Kingdom. Under Kakyuu's rule, the two kingdoms would eventually be united into one and then planet would prosper. Yaten closed her eyes and tried to imagine that. Taiki had once told them about what it was like before Kinmoku split apart, but after Prince Eris's death, they had all given up on the idea of being around when it came to pass. As it turned out, they had been right: none of them would be around, but for entirely different reasons.

Feeling slightly dizzy, she pushed herself backwards until she was lying propped up against the pillows and stared at the ceiling. Earth was completely different from Kinmoku in many ways, not the least of which in that they no longer had their regular guard duties to perform. The sol senshi didn't patrol, didn't attend to Usagi regularly, or do anything that the Starlights had dealt with every day. They lived their separate civilian lives until they were called upon to fight, and then they went right back to it. That seemed… amazing. She could hardly remember what it was like to live without having somewhere else to be at nearly every minute of the day. What would she do with this life that was now available to her?

The door swung open without warning and Yaten jumped. Her eyes slid to the clock and she realized that she'd gotten completely lost in thought as Minako walked in carrying a few bags, looking somewhat disgruntled. "Here you go," she said, tossing them onto the armchair. "God people in this town can be mean sometimes. I thought I looked good in Kinmokian fashions, but maybe not."

Well, Yaten could think of one thing to do with her time. She got off of the bed and walked over to Minako, studying the blonde with new eyes. Minako's hair was mussed and falling out of her bright red ribbon. There were circles under her eyes and the rude comments she'd gotten about her clothes probably had more to do with how wrinkled and torn they were than how well they fit her. If it had been anyone else standing in front of her looking like that, Yaten probably would have made some sort of a derisive comment. But when it was Minako... it was like everything was upside down and she had no idea where she stood.

"Yaten?" Minako's voice was very soft as she tilted her head, looking into Yaten's eyes with an inquisitive tilt of her head. "Are you alright?"

"You said you loved me," Yaten said, surprising both of them. She had not intended for those words to come out, and then they just kept coming. "Why me, Minako? Surely someone like you could have anyone you wanted, especially since you've become an idol. The people of this planet are biased towards idols." Her mouth quirked into a half-smile, remembering Minako's actions when she and her sisters had first come to the high school. Minako had been relentless in her efforts to snag one of them and hadn't really cared who it was as long as they were famous. "I'm a girl, for one thing, and you had no idea if anything would ever come to pass between us. For all you know, Princess Kakyuu would say no and you would have to leave while I stayed behind on Kinmoku. Why?"

Minako didn't say anything for a moment. "Those are some very heavy questions," she said at last, reaching out to catch Yaten's wrist when the silver-haired girl went to turn away. "Whoa, hang on. I didn't say I wouldn't answer." She brought her free hand up to cup Yaten's cheek. "First of all, I'm the goddess of love. I don't care about gender. I just want someone who can love me and who I can love in return. And really, the fact that you're a girl works in my favour. I was cursed once to never be able to find love with a man."

"So is that why you chose me?" Yaten raised her eyebrows.

"Let me finish," Minako said with an amused smile. Her thumb was moving gently across Yaten's cheek. "Like I said, gender doesn't really matter but it's more than that, because second, it's true that a lot of people have made advances towards me over the years. The more popular I got, the more people that were interested in me. I probably could have been married several times by now if I had wanted to. But I never forgot you, Yaten. Not once. You liked me when I didn't have anything to offer but hopes and dreams. You taught me so much and sometimes I don't know if you realize that. You made me value my life and my princess, but more than that, you made me want to give my life for you." Her face was serious. "I've never done that for anyone except for Usagi-chan. I didn't know I was capable of that kind of love until I met you."

Yaten licked her lips, unnerved. "Minako..."

"Shh. You're right; I had no idea if anything would ever happen between us. I couldn't leave Usagi-chan and I knew you would be reluctant to leave Kakyuu. But sometimes it's worth putting yourself out there if there's even the slightest chance that something could happen, instead of always wondering." Minako brought her other hand up so that she was now cupping Yaten's face with both hands. "And I would always wonder, Yaten. If I had left you back on Kinmoku, my heart would never forget you."

It was sappy, really, and the kind of sentiment that she should have been scorning. But Yaten believed it because she wanted to. "How can you do it?" she asked quietly. "How can you... risk?"

"Comes with the territory," she replied with a wink. "Goddess of love, remember?" Yaten made a face and she laughed out loud. "Yaten, if you don't take risks, you'll never find someone who loves you. That's just the way life is. I've had loads of people who left me." She glanced away for a minute as the lines of humour disappeared from her face, leaving her looking tired and worn. "People who thought I wasn't good enough in the end. It happens more often than I like to admit. When I came to Kinmoku, I wanted to see you, and as soon as I saw you I knew that I had to try. Even if you turned me down, even if you decided that you had to stay with Kakyuu, it would have been worth it."

Yaten absorbed all of this silently. The loss of her family had hit her hard as a child. Since that time, she'd made it a point to attach herself only to those who she knew for certain would be sticking around, like Kakyuu and her fellow Starlights. But even that plan had fallen apart when Kakyuu left Kinmoku and in following her, they had met the sol senshi. Even though she had known that they would someday be leaving Earth, that their stay on the planet was only temporary, she had gone ahead and developed bonds with them anyway. And look what had happened. After five years of separation during which she had thought she would never see Minako again, she was now standing in a hotel room in front of her, in front of that girl who had already professed to love her.

She cleared her throat. "I suppose there's not much risk right now, is there?"

An unidentifiable emotion flashed through Minako's eyes and she straightened her shoulders. "I guess you won't know unless you say something," she replied. It was supposed to be light-hearted, but it came out sounding strained, and Yaten smiled a little.

"Minako..." Her voice was low and smooth, betraying none of the nerves flooding through her. She paused and licked her lips, keeping her eyes trained on Minako's pleading face to bolster her courage, knowing that she had to do this or she would always regret letting Minako walk away. Yaten braced herself and whispered, "I love you."

"Oh god." Minako closed her eyes and dropped her head forward to rest against Yaten's shoulder. "I've been waiting for you to say that for so long."

A cold knot in Yaten's chest eased. It was much easier to say it than she had been expecting. She lifted a hand and slid it into Minako's soft blonde hair. "I love you," she repeated, feeling like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. She had been waiting a long time to be able to say that, and now that she had, she felt almost flustered. Minako must have sensed how she was feeling because the blonde's hand dropped to her side and she looked at Yaten, blue eyes soft and shimmering in the early afternoon light.

"I love you too," she said softly, fisting her other hand into Yaten's collar and dragging Yaten closer. "So, so much." Their lips brushed tentatively at first, a chaste kiss that neither of them was entirely certain about. After a moment, Minako grew bolder and parted their lips with a soft moan. Yaten pushed both of her hands into that silky blonde hair and stepped closer. When their bodies impacted, she became fully conscious of the fact that she was still dressed in only a towel and - regretfully - broke the kiss.

"I'm going to get dressed," she said, breathing slightly heavier. "Okay?"

Minako nodded wordlessly, too stunned to respond, and just watched as Yaten walked into the bathroom. Once the door had been closed and locked, she moved over to the bed and sat down, then stretched out, staring up at the ceiling. Slowly, an enormous smile spread over her face and she closed her eyes, fighting back a squeal of exhilaration. After years of searching, after months of wondering, after days of waiting, Kou Yaten was finally hers - and she could honestly say that in spite of Jadeite's arrival back on Earth, she couldn't ever remember being happier than she was at that moment.

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