Dear Reader,

Another short chapter... This chapter was inspired by a picture by Pu-sama. You can find Pu-sama's artwork at pu-sama. It's called 'Bathed in Sunlight' and it's very pretty and inspiring.

The song for this chapter doesn't quite fit with the story, but it kinda does in a way. It's a song about callings and voices and songs and memory. I sang it once in choir and it's beautiful.

I do not own Sailor Moon

I do not own Sailor Kota

I do not own Kay

I do not own 'Listen to the Rain' by Evanescence

I do not own 'The Poet Sings' by Richard LeGallienne

And because Aserene liked it so much last chapter... Here's some more self-dialogue! Hee Haw for talking to yourself!

This is for Lone Warrior2, one of the dearest friends... Call me sometime, we should get together!

Thanks to all of my friends, both old and new, and to my reviewers, you are too cool!

Stay safe
Stay healthy
Sincerely,

Starr

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The first awareness was that of a sound. An inner sound. The soft throbbing and wooshing. The ebb and flow of the ocean. But there was no ocean. Then came another awareness. Something that called to her from the void of sleep. Something that woke her. The next awareness was that of curiosity. What had woken her?

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What's that sound?

It's your heart. It's beating.

Oh... That's a good thing, right?

A very good thing. It means that blood is being pumped through your body. It means you're alive.

Alive?

Yes.

That's a good thing, right?

Right?

... maybe...

What's this feeling?

Cold.

That's a good thing, right?

Good, because it means you can feel. Bad, because it means the temperature is too low.

Oh... Why is it cold?

Where am I?

What's this!

Sight. You've opened your eyes.

That's a good thing, right?

Yes. It means you can now see what's happening around you. You can find out where you are.

What are those?

Stars.

Stars...

It's where you came from...

Home...

Yes...

They're so beautiful...

Yes...

Was I a star?

A long time ago...

And I fell...

Yes...

I am no longer a star...

No...

I am fallen...

Yes...

But I am no longer alone...

No, you aren't.

There are others.

Yes...

That's a good thing, right?

Right?

...maybe...

Why are we out here? What happened?

So many questions...

Questions?

You ask many questions...

That's a good thing, right?

Yes... A very good thing...

Then where are the answers?

...Good question.

What happened?

Remember.

Yes... AH!

You see?

Yes.

What's wrong?

It hurts.

Yes.

Is that a good thing?

Good, because it lets you know you're alive. Bad, because pain is never a good thing. It means you are hurt.

Hurt?

Injured.

That's not good, is it..?

No... An injury is never good. It means something bad has happened.

Something bad happened.

Something bad happened?

...Maybe...

Something I did.

Yes.

For someone?

For someone you love.

Love?

Yes.

That's a good thing, right?

Right?

...maybe...

Is that person happy I did this thing?

How long have I been here?

What's happening now?

I think... I need to move now...

I think... I should wake up...

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When she finally sat up and looked around all she could see was stars and the rainbow-blackness of space. Looking down she realized that she was sitting on a piece of debris from what remained of the planet she had destroyed. What had it been called? It didn't matter now... Standing up she realized that the reason she was cold was because she was naked. The remains of a cocoon of hair lay where she had been and she winced. Reaching up she felt her head and realized that her hair was now longer than the Queen's. She sighed in regret as she stared at her hands. All of the scars she had collected on her former body. All the little dings and scraps and callouses, were gone. This new body was pale and perfect. Too perfect.

"What woke me?" She muttered. Taking a step forward she stumbled and fell. Her skin, new and unused to such punishment, bruised and broke against the unforgiving stone.

"Oowwie..." She whined softly, rubbing the scrape. Turning to glare at thing that had tripped her she gasped and rolled her eyes in disgust. Her sword, which she hadn't been able to get rid of since it's forging, was lying, unsheathed, on the ground. It had been fortunate she hadn't chopped her foot off.

"Great..." Her mumbled, reaching out and gripping the hilt tightly, "You just couldn't wait for me to wake up on my own." Heathen trilled it's own annoyance at her and pulsed in her hand. The feeling of power rippled through her body, forcing her eyes closed and her body to arch with it. When she opened her eyes again she was wearing her blue-green fuku. Her hair, though pulled back in it's usual pigtails, was still dragging on the ground.

"Help a girl out?" She asked and held the oddly crooked blade to her neck. The curved tip twisted and neatly lopped her hair off at the shoulders, "Thanks..." Standing up she stretched and held the sword out.

"Well partner, tell me which way I should go now..." She said, throwing the blade up in the air. It spun twice before landing, the point thrusting to her left. She groaned and rolled her eyes.

"I don' wanna go back there..." She moaned, "I don't care if Kota's there, she can find me on her own." Heathen keened at her and the urgent tone caused shivers to crawl down her back, "Okay! Fine! We're going back! Shesh!" Picking the large blade up again she held it up and slowly turned around. When Heathen finally caught the light of a nearby sun it flashed once. When the light vanished a large gray moth flew away in the direction the sword had pointed to.

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Kota felt cast adrift. She wasn't certain how many hours she had been lying there, on that bed in the infirmary. She didn't really know, and she found that she didn't really care all that much. The voices had died down to a murmur. Sometimes they told her things. They would tell her stories of people long dead. They would tell her about long ago celebrations. Countless births and numberless coming and goings of people. Sometimes the voices sang. Beautiful, long forgotten hymns and wordless lullabies. The voices entranced and annoyed her all at once. She wished they would stop so she could rest her weary ears and brain. She wished she could stay in the timeless haze forever, simply listening to the stories the walls told.

The Queen had her moved to a room a few days later. Kota had to be drugged before hand. Any attempt to touch her would cause her to scream and cry as if she were afraid that any touch would hurt. When she woke up she knew she was somewhere else. It was a nice room, that much she could tell. There was a large window near her bed. There was a balcony with a door that was almost always open, but soon she ordered it shut. The voices outside the walls and the voices in the walls would garble together and give her a headache. So the doors were shut. There was a nurse with her at all times. She never spoke to the young woman, but she felt that the nurse was a kind person. But just in case, Kota always had her sais near at hand.

The days blurred together as Kota remained in her dream world. The colors of her dreams blurred to a hazy gray. There was no color. All was gray. The same color as the stones that had made up the old castle of Tumble. Sometimes the voices in the walls would fall silent and she could fall back into memory. Into happier times with Kay. Exploring the old stone castle where no one lived anymore because tents were much easier to live in. Memories of tumbling lessons and shows. Of dancing and singing. Of sneaking off with Kay to be alone. The time she had greeted Kay topless, just to see what his reaction would be. Happy times. Good times. Times long lost. And then the pain would come and she would loose herself once again to the memories in the castle and the voices in the walls would allow her to escape once again.

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Kota felt cast adrift. She wasn't certain how many hours she had been lying there, on that bed in her room. She didn't really know, and she found that she didn't really care all that much. The voices kept her company. Sometimes they told her things. They would tell her stories of people long dead. They would tell her about long ago celebrations. Countless births and numberless coming and goings of people. Sometimes the voices sang. Beautiful, long forgotten hymns and wordless lullabies. The voices entranced and annoyed her all at once. She wished they would stop so she could rest her weary ears and mind. She wished she could stay in the timeless haze forever, simply listening to the stories the walls told.

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And then one day she found a heard a new voice. It was soft, persistent, lonely, longing, searching, reaching. It sang a new song. A familiar song. It tugged at her heart. It pulled at her soul. She wanted to be near that voice. She wanted to hear the words clearly. She sat up. Her nurse had left to get some food. She wouldn't be back for awhile. She pulled herself off the bed and stood. The voice was calling to her. It wasn't the urgent pull of the voice of the King. It didn't hurt the way this voice did. It was a patient voice. One who was used to long waits. It was a lonely voice. One who was used to long silences. It was a searching voice. One who is used to long, fruitless pursuits, only to find that the object of the search had been hidden elsewhere. It was a voice that called to her.

Slowly she walked to the balcony and the closed door. It opened easily and she padded out onto the marble opening. Her bare toes curled in the cool, damp air and she realized that the sky was covered in clouds.

She didn't know how she managed it, blind folded as she was, but she found herself walking through the garden. Following the voice. She padded along the paths until she reached the woods near the Sea of Tranquility. The woods opened into a small meadow and she could hear the sound of a stream. The grass brushed against her thin skirt and caused goosebumps to rise on her skin. The voice was there. Nearby. So close. The words, haunting. The song, a little off key, but beautiful in it's own way. Then she felt it. Raindrops. But she could still feel the warmth of the sun on her skin. Tilting her head back she simply basked in the shower. As if the rain were washing the grime from her spirit. The drops were warm and it didn't hurt when they touched her skin. She held out her hands and when they were filled she sipped at the sweet liquid. The singing had continued, but the voice was closer now. She felt the warmth of another near her. The heat of another living being.

"I stand alone in the storm, suddenly sweet words take hold, hurry they say for you haven't much time... Open you eyes to the love around you. You may feel you're alone, but I'm still here with you. You can do what you dream just remember to listen to the rain..." She felt the hand before it reached out and gently pulled a strand of her waterlogged hair. She leaned with the pull and felt a warm breath on her face. Gently warm lips pressed themselves against her blindfold, over her eye lids. The warm body was close to her, so close but not touching as those lips softly sang in her ear.

"Listen to each drop of rain, whispering secrets in rain. Franticly searching for someone to hear, the story be more than it hides... Please don't let go, can't we stay for awhile? It's just hard to say goodbye... Listen to the rain, weeping..." And it was. The soft sound of rain on the grass, in the stream, on her body. And it was weeping. Warm hands gently touched her own and there was no pain. Gently they raised those hands to warm lips that pressed themselves to each finger. It was then Kota realized that she was still gripping her sais. Slowly she raised the blade until it rested against her temple. Slowly she slid it underneath the cloth and the sharpness sliced through the blinds and fell away.

For a moment her eyes were dazzled by the light and she wasn't sure if the wetness on her cheeks was rain or tears. Everything was touched with a golden glow from the sun, even though rain still fell from the sky in gentle drops. The green of the trees was so deep and dark. The green of the grass was light and brilliant. The clouds were a white perfection against the swallowing depths of blue from the patches of sky the shown through. But everything was tinged by the sun. And through the sunlight a rainbow blazed across the sky. A red so deep, like fresh blood. An orange that blazed like flame. A yellow that paled next to the golden of the sun. Green to rival that of the meadow. Blue as dark as the sky. Violet as deep as the twilight. It was as if she were seeing all of these for the first time. She lowered her eyes and caught those of a swirly, mercurial hazel. The six pointed star against one eye. The diamonds in the left ear that caught the sunlight and made miniature rainbows in the air. The medium brown hair that was now darkened by the rain. Kota found herself smiling for the first time in a long time.

"Hello, Starr..." Kota murmured,as if speaking louder would shatter the moment. Starr gave her a brilliant smile and the sun grew all the brighter for it.

"Hello, Tiffaura..." Starr answered. And that's all that was needed to be said.

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Kera bustled back to the room Sailor Kota was currently residing in, grumbling to herself.

"Slow page boys and their slow masters..." She grumbled, "I'm looking after a patient! Who cares about you and your snobfests..." Reaching the door she calmed herself and breathed deeply to recapture her composure. Sailor Kota was very sensitive to emotions, it wouldn't do well to upset her. Although, more than likely, she was in another stupor and wouldn't be aware of anything at all.

Pushing the door open with her hip Kera blinked. It took her a moment to take in what she was seeing. The bed was empty. The balcony doors were open, the curtains blowing in the wind. The bed was empty. She blinked again. The bed was empty. Kota was gone.

"YOUR MAJESTY!" She shrieked, dropping the tray with a crash and rushing out of the room, "YOUR MAJESTY SHE'S GONE!"

Even though a search party was sent, it was clear after they found the remains of her blindfold near the stream. Sailor Kota had left.

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"Where are we going this time?"

"I'm not really sure..."

"... Can I have another cup of Trouble's tea..?"

"Hmmm... There's an idea... OH!"

"What!"

"I know! I'll take you to the Cauldron! It'll be fun! And on the way back we could infiltrate enemy bars and have some fun!"

"Oooh! I've never been to the Cauldron!"

"You'll like it there... Other than that, we've got a Cosmos full of stars. We could go anywhere we wanted!"

"Anywhere at all!"

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She's somewhere in the sunlight strong
Her tears are in the pouring rain
She calls me with the winds soft song
And with the flowers she walks again

She dances 'mongst the diamond stars
A silver moonbeam lights her way
Antares is her messenger
And every sun and moon her stay

The loneliness and misery
Are silenced by a melody
She's somewhere and I hear her sing
Her words in timeless memory

"Stay the course
Light a star
Change the world where e'er you are"

Dark forces from the shadows call
But listen and her voice recall
She's somewhere and I hear her sing
Her words a timeless melody

"Stay the course
Light a star
Change the world where e'er you are"