~Drops of Starlight~
By Strawberry Moon Rose
I've been AWOL in the author's notes lately, haven't I? I was pretty in the zone when I wrote these chapters. Well, now that I've officially disturbed your reading flow, I'll peace out.
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the characters. They belong to Naoko Takeuchi.
Chapter 49: How Far We've Come
Usagi shot wide awake to the bleating sound of the telephone ringing. Where was she again? How did she get here? She blinked, taking in her surroundings.
Familiar carpeted floor. An unmade four poster princess bed. This was her bedroom, and in her arms was Chibi-Usa, three months old and crying. She must have fallen asleep in the rocking chair while feeding her. Again.
Usagi hurried to calm her daughter, fumbling for the pacifier on the nearby nightstand. She managed to knock over a glass of water and a half-eaten sandwich from last week in the process. Usagi rushed into the hall to silence the wailing phone, nearly tripping on a mountain of dirty laundry.
"Hello?" she said into the receiver, hoping she didn't sound as out of breath as she felt.
"Hey, Usagi! It's me. How are you?"
"Oh, Mako! Hi!" Usagi managed a small smile. How long had it been since she'd heard any of her friends' voices?
"Hey, I'm great. I just had a minute here on my lunch break so I thought I'd double check with you about your bridesmaid dress. Did you get into the shop to get measured yet? I have to get the order in by tomorrow…"
A sweat drop slid down the side of her head. "Oh, um, no. I'm so sorry, I completely forgot..." Mako was on her lunch break? Usagi stole a glimpse at the clock. How was it noon already? And Thursday too? The calendar by the phone was marked off to October 5th, 2000.
"That's okay, don't worry about it. You went to the same shop to get your wedding dress altered, right? They probably have your information on file then."
"Yeah, great thinking..." Usagi shifted Chibi-Usa into a more comfortable position while trying not to drop the phone she cradled between her ear and shoulder. She didn't know how to tell Mako that there was no way her measurements were still the same now after giving birth to Chibi-Usa. She decided that before Makoto got married next June, she'd just have to get in shape. There was no other way around it.
"Sorry about that," Usagi told her, still blinking off sleep. "Was there anything else I can do? I could be the best taste-tester for the wedding cake flavors, alright?"
Makoto laughed. "That's kind of you to offer, Usagi. But we've gotten it all under control. Unazuki has been a great help. You wouldn't believe how excited she is for her older brother to get married."
"That's wonderful, I'm so happy for you two. I can't wait for the big day!"
"Yeah, it'll be here before we know it."
Usagi pulled the coiled phone cord out of Chibi-Usa's finger's, only to be met with shrill crying.
"It sounds like you've got your hands full there. I won't keep you then. Hey, I'll drop off some pecan rolls after work, okay? I can't visit though, I've got to get home and finalize the guest list. Take care now!"
When she hung up, Usagi stared at the phone in her hand for a long moment, letting the dial tone pulse out loud until Chibi-Usa started screaming again.
I wish I was bringing a plus one to Mako's wedding, she thought glumly, returning to the rocking chair. Then maybe seeing Mamo won't be so awkward...
Mamoru was going to be Motoki's best man, which meant Unazuki, the maid of honor, would be escorting him down the aisle. Usagi was grateful for that. Being in the bridal party too, she was going to be walked down by one of Motoki's buddies she'd never met before, Takumi something. But she knew she couldn't avoid Mamoru the entire wedding or reception. Bringing someone else would be a great distraction.
The corners of her lips turned down as Usagi tried to imagine herself managing to find a date in the next eight and a half months. Or ever, really. At this rate, the only guy she saw was the pizza delivery man that stopped by once a week with a medium pepperoni and extra cheese.
But beyond just a date for one day, what Usagi really longed for was someone forever. Though she had never considered being with anyone else other than Mamoru.
At least, she'd never admitted to it.
Ever since Setsuna stopped by after the New Year saying Crystal Tokyo was forever gone, and Mamoru left shortly after, she couldn't help but feel like a complete failure.
How do you even mess up your destiny this badly? Where did I go wrong?
When Chibi-Usa fell back asleep, Usagi placed her in the crib as gently as she could, but she knew the baby was just going to wake the second she took her hands off her. She was right.
Usagi stood there for a moment, trying to hold it together.
Makoto bringing up her wedding next year must have been triggering. All her friends' lives were coming together while hers was falling apart at the seams.
But regardless, Usagi truly was happy for them. For Ami and Minako's careers, Mako's engagement, Rei taking over the Hikawa Shrine…
It wasn't jealousy plaguing her, it was fear. What if one day they forgot about her entirely?
Lately, the distance between her friends only seemed to be growing. Usagi never realized how much their sailor guardian roles had tied them together in their teenage years.
Usagi crawled in bed, pulling the covers around herself to drown out the grating cries. She reached into her nightstand, fumbling for the old keychain with the pink teddy bear. When she found it, she cradled it close to her chest. The anxiety subdued.
After ten minutes, Chibi-Usa went back to sleep and Usagi did too. She dreamed of eating takoyaki at the amusement park and laughing at the gorillas at the zoo with an old friend who was nothing but a distant memory.
"You want us to go back to Earth?" Fighter stared at her princess with raised eyebrows.
"I think it would be good for you. For all of you."
"But, Princess... Are you...sure?"
Princess Kakyuu turned to face her guardian from the open window of her study. The early morning sun was rising behind her over the Kinmokian palace gardens, pouring golden hues and warmth onto their private conversation.
"Lover, Meteor, Specter, and Ruiner have completed their training now," said Kakyuu. "I will be in good hands. We can finally afford to have two teams, just like before, and that means you three are free to wander if you so desire."
Fighter swallowed at the mention of Queen Keika and her missing guardians. It wasn't a topic of conversation commonly spoken of. "But...you'd be okay with us going? Maker, Healer, and I?"
"Of course. I know you three have wanted to return. Am I mistaken?"
Fighter turned her focus out the window, at the blooming olive blossom branches. Of course she wanted to visit planet Earth. That meant she could see her.
But that was the problem. Did she really want to put herself through all that again? It had been seven years now since they'd departed on the school rooftop. She'd moved on, for the most part. It wasn't painful, but if Fighter were being honest, it was almost embarrassing how much she crossed her mind.
How was she supposed to convey to her princess how tortuous it would be to go back and see Usagi with him? Without sounding like a selfish fool?
It was moments when Fighter felt like this that she had to remind herself Usagi was happy now and that's all that mattered. It was all she ever wanted for her.
"I..." Fighter hesitated in her response. She looked back at Kakyuu and held her orange-eyed gaze. Maybe this was some kind of punishment for breaking off their relationship - to send her to Earth and drill it through her head that Usagi had a prince and a promised future she wasn't a part of.
Fighter felt heat rushing to her cheeks. She swiftly looked away. No. Kakyuu wouldn't send her to Earth with intentions like that. She felt shameful for even considering it.
The whole situation was ironic though. As a young trainee, she'd always had a crush on her Princess. And upon returning to Kinmoku and rebuilding their planet together, she found out Kakyuu was curious about her too.
But it became apparent after experimenting with a relationship that it wasn't going to work. Fighter just couldn't do it - it wasn't fair to Kakyuu. She loved her enough to know Kakyuu deserved someone who could fully return the feelings. Not someone who divided them with an untouchable moon princess stationed at the far end of the galaxy.
But then again, maybe seeing Usagi with Mamoru and their fairy tale life together would finally make it sink in once and for all. Then Fighter could return home and figure out just what it was she wanted to do with her life.
Because these days she had never felt so lost with no direction.
"I'll ask Healer and Maker," she decided.
"Very well."
Fighter bowed and left the Princess's personal study. She didn't know where she was going, but her feet seemed to be carrying her towards the exit leading to the gardens. It had always been her favorite place to go and think.
Consumed in thought, Fighter didn't notice Maker approaching from the other direction, flanked by Lover and Meteor. They were holding a conversation about something that held no interest to Fighter. She gave a polite nod as she passed them, receiving dutiful smiles in return.
Once outside, Fighter scaled the familiar old tree and got comfortable on the red pavilion rooftop, grateful to have a moment by herself before the long day of duties ahead of her.
She stared at their planet's burning sun as it rose in the peachy sky. It was much more red compared to Earth's star. She could almost smell the distinct scent of that blue and green planet...
I'm going, Fighter decided, right then and there. She didn't care what Maker and Healer were going to say when she'd speak to them later. Though she had her suspicions for a while that a certain red-bowed blonde and blue-haired braniac had been on their minds too over the past few years.
Her heart knew what it wanted. And even though Fighter figured this trip would only leave her feeling more conflicted than ever about where she belonged and who she belonged to, she'd already made up her mind.
"World...SHAKING!"
The words blared, too close, too loud, too present. At least they were in comparison to the soft, dreamy voices Fighter and Usagi's reveries contained.
Smack. A hand across Fighter's face.
Fighter's eyes shot open. Her cheek stung. Where was she? When was she?
Just inches away, lime-green eyes bore into hers. Healer pulled back, relief flooding her face.
"God, don't frickin' scare me like that, Seiya," Healer said, exasperated. She looked at Venus, who was shaking Usagi's shoulders. At the same moment, her leader came to.
"Minako?" Usagi mumbled. "What's...going on? Where are...?"
"Thank goodness," Luna said, relieved. She sat back, beside her feline companion.
"They're okay," Artemis affirmed. "They're okay."
Below them, shouts continued to ring out.
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"
"Submarine Reflection!"
Fighter suddenly remembered the violet gas that had leaked into the cave. Her head was stuffy - a side effect of the toxic fumes no doubt. How long had she been out for? She examined her body quickly, but found no signs of injury. Had she only been asleep?
Beside her, Venus helped Usagi to her feet. Usagi also looked disoriented, but unharmed. It was like being woken up in the middle of the night in the worst sleep cycle phase - the kind that left their brains swimming in a sea of confusion.
It took a moment to get their bearings, then all the pieces clicked at once. The others - they had made it after all! Mercury must have received their coordinates and they managed to teleport there. Perhaps in the nick of time, seeing as Xenon hadn't gotten to them yet - and whatever she planned on doing after knocking them out.
Healer turned and sent an attack down off the ledge, "Star Magnetic Flare!"
That snapped Fighter into gear. She scrambled to glimpse the chaos unfolding below them in the cavern.
The guardians were all there in the crystal cave - Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Maker, Keika, and Tuxedo Mask - all screaming attacks at a dozen hideous monsters. They were the exact same fiends Fighter and Sailor Moon had encountered before; naked, pale creatures looming seven foot tall with yellow eyes and knives as fingernails.
Tuxedo Mask was struggling to fend one off with a long cane. Hitting the monster only seemed to infuriate it. Just when he looked like he was about to be taken down, Maker shot off her Star Gentle Uterus attack, turning it to a dust pile.
It was a circus of sailor guardians and monsters below. Only when Fighter was confident she wouldn't hit someone, she fired her Star Serious Laser, taking one creature out. To her dismay, another popped up just a few feet away.
"Usagi," said Venus. "You need to transform!"
"I can't, Xenon has my brooch and the silver crystal!"
"Have you seen her?" Fighter asked with urgency.
"No," came Healer's clipped reply. "We teleported right here only a few minutes ago."
Venus nodded. "That's when the monsters turned up!"
"Let's get rid of 'em first," Fighter said. "Believe me, you don't want to get struck by those claws." She touched her midsection, though the injury from the mall was completely healed now.
"Right!" Venus shot her Love Me Chain off the ledge, lassoing a monster and giving it a good tug. On the ground, Mars whipped around with her Flame Sniper already loaded and sank an arrow straight into its open mouth, dissengrating it. Without missing a beat, Mars spun again, shooting another arrow at a monster charging right for Neptune.
As Healer and Venus rushed to the edge to assist the attacks, Fighter stepped in front of Usagi, contributing lasers when she could.
"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"
"Shine Aqua Illusion!"
The team finished off the monsters in record time. Everyone waited expectantly, anticipating another wave. When it didn't come, they looked at each other, relief registering on all their faces that they somehow managed the beasts unscathed.
"You two okay?" Uranus called up.
"We're fine," Usagi said, still rubbing off the disorientation of the dream. Or rather, flashback from a few months ago.
All of the sudden, the crystal-veined walls brightened.
"What's this?" Jupiter asked.
"A very strong energy force is approaching," Mercury announced, looking up over her compact computer.
"You don't say," Healer muttered sarcastically.
"It's her, isn't it?" Usagi's expression turned serious.
Fighter bent her knees, extending the sword blade from her star yell once again. Up here on the ledge, they were most likely safe. It was the guardians below, on the battlefield she feared for.
"There!" Mercury pointed at a spot in the air, at the mouth of the entrance. Everyone's focus turned to where the atoms in the air vibrated viciously.
Smoke curled, revealing the Kinmokian guardian. She floated effortlessly with a satisfied smile as the sailor team took her in for the second time.
Sailor Xenon was on the smaller side - roughly Usagi's size, with youthful features; large brown eyes and a button nose. Her sailor uniform of black and grey were a harsh contrast to her electrifying purple mane, which hovered around her, glowing like the crystal formations.
It wasn't her looks that were outwardly threatening. It was the dauntless confidence Xenon possessed while being fully aware she was outnumbered - as if she could take them all easily. That fact alone made the amusement etched across her pretty face so unsettling.
Fighter's eyes zeroed in on Xenon. There was an outline of something small and presumably heavy in the pocket of her sailor skirt. It had to be Sailor Moon's transformation brooch. The gears in her head turned.
"My, my, what a surprise!" Xenon crowed in her syrupy voice. "I want to say I saw this one coming, but you all have outdone yourself, managing to worm your way here. Thanks for keeping it interesting."
"Xenon..." Keika came forward, her mouth open like she wanted to say so much more.
"Oh, Sailor Keika, how nice to see you someplace other than the dimension you banished me to," Xenon said with a trace of nastiness.
Keika looked at her guardian with pain. "I tried to save you," she said. "Many times, I offered you chance after chance..."
"As if I could have ever returned without him. Where's the justice, huh? No one got punished but me. So here we are, folks. Welcome to the show."
"What would Ruanyu think of your actions now?" Maker dared to try and reason with her.
"Yeah," Healer added. "If he's the good guy you always said he was, wouldn't he be pissed you followed us to Earth? Would he pat you on the back for all this?"
"Ruanyu would have liked Sailor Moon," Fighter called down. "And you know it. He'd want you to forgive me. To forgive us."
Something visually shifted in Xenon. "Shut up!" she shouted. "You don't know anything about him!" Her hair flashed brighter and so did the embedded veins of light.
An idea formed in Fighter's mind. Could it be...?
"Star Serious Laser!" the Starlight directed her attack at the largest vessel of crystal in the wall.
Two things happened at once - everyone jumped in surprise, including Xenon, and the laser collided with the patch of glowing rock.
For a moment, Fighter feared her laser would ricochet and hit one of the guardians below. But it did something better than she hoped - it absorbed, causing the strange crystal to crack and a small chunk to shatter to fragments like glass.
Simultaneously, Xenon's glowing hair dimmed, then fired back up again. She heaved a deadly glare at Fighter.
"Some of her power is stored in the crystals!" Mercury came to the conclusion faster than Fighter could verbalize it herself.
"Everyone, attack!" Uranus clamored.
"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"
"Deep Submerge!"
"No!" Xenon looked panicstricken. She flung her arms, sending tiny bombs raining down. The cave floor became rubble on impact, the explosions left their ears ringing. But it didn't stop them from destroying several of the largest crystal clusters. Each time one broke open, the light fizzled out and evaporated, leaving Xenon's luminous mane to dull a notch.
Xenon summoned monster after monster. The creatures rose from the ground, turning on the nearest guardians. It forced their attacks to be redirected, halting their plan to destroy the power sources.
Fighter clenched her fist. She looked at Healer and Venus. "I'm going down," she told them. "Give me some cover."
"I'm coming too," Usagi declared.
"Bun Head, no, it's too-"
"Dangerous? I know that. But I'm getting my brooch back."
Fighter knew that look of determination. When Usagi was being stubborn, there wasn't room to argue.
"Hurry it up, you two." Healer proceeded to turn and yell, "Star Sensitive Inferno!"
"We're with you," Venus assured them.
Fighter offered her hand. Usagi took it. The Starlight shot her a quick, wink-smile combo before they leapt off the ledge together into the battle below.