Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Sailor Stars: Chaos Theory
Act 25: A Late Night Encounter
By: Sora Kazeno
Usagi has never gotten into trouble while going for a walk…. right?
Usagi inhaled the cool night air. She walked slowly down the sidewalk. She waited at a street corner for the red light to change. The car next to her played Nagareboshi Ne. She smiled as she listened to the Three Light's song. The smile began to fade, as thoughts about the dream she just had enter her mind. She wondered what it meant. Was this the course of the new future? It gave her a chill to see Crystal Tokyo transform into the Silver Millennium without Chibi-Usa existing in it. Instead, a different little girl was meant to exist in it.
Once the light changed she crossed the street. She had many questions running through her mind. Had she seen her new future? She had more questions than answers. She was so focused on her thoughts that she didn't see Michiru and Haruka as she walked past them.
Haruka and Michiru exchanged worried glances when they realized Usagi had passed them without a second thought. They turned around and began to walk toward her. "Usagi-chan?" Haruka called out to her.
Hearing her name startled her. She gradually turned around. She relaxed when she realized it was Haruka and Michiru. "Hi."
"It's kind of late to be out by yourself," Haruka said, as she scanned the streets for a sign of any of the others. She found none confirming Usagi had been alone.
"I just wanted to go for a walk… I had a hard time sleeping. I had this strange dream…" Usagi responded.
"What happened?" Michiru asked, as she stepped forward.
"I'm not really sure…" Usagi said, as she thought about how the two of them would respond to her dream. "…I usually talk to Rei-chan about these things."
Michiru smiled politely at her response, "Is everything else alright?"
"It's been a little weird adjusting to being back…" Usagi said, as she thought about everything she had been through since her return. "Things were easier when I was just the Moon Princess." Usagi paused for a moment before she continued, "But everything changed when I awakened again as Cosmos. I was finally getting used to everything, but it turned upside down."
"Let us help you turn everything right side up," Haruka offered as she tried to make the burden easier on her. "We are here to protect you."
Usagi smiled at her choice of words. "I heard something similar to that earlier in the day from Mamo-chan after he helped me home, because my leg was injured."
"You injured your leg? What happened?" Asked Haruka, as she looked down at Usagi's leg for any signs of an injury. "You seemed to be walking okay earlier."
"Varada attacked again and he knocked my staff away from me. I couldn't defend myself and was thrown into a bike rack. Tuxedo Kamen protected me and Varada disappeared. I cut my leg and Mamo-chan helped me home," explained Usagi, as she recapped events earlier in the day.
"I'm glad to hear that you are spending more time with Mamoru-san," said Haruka with a smile.
"If you injured yourself… there are no markings. How is that possible?" Michiru asked. She tried to piece everything together.
"Seiya was invited over for dinner at my house and he suggested I try to heal the wound myself and I was able to," Usagi said with a happy smile.
Upon hearing his name, Haruka's eyes narrowed at Usagi. The moment of relief she felt seconds ago about her spending time with Mamoru turned into frustration hearing Seiya's name. "You're spending too much time with him," she said darkly.
Usagi's eye twitched at the change in Haruka's demeanor. "I don't understand why you are still so upset with Seiya, Haruka-san. You accepted Fighter as a senshi, but you refuse to acknowledge Seiya as my partner."
"He is still an outsider and you belong with Mamoru-san," said Haruka, as she tried to keep her anger in check.
It was Usagi's turn to become angry at the older woman. "If you don't accept Seiya than you don't accept me!"
"Kitten, you're not being fair," said Haruka, as she tried to reason with her.
Michiru stood silently next to Haruka. She agreed with everything Haruka said, but she knew if she voiced her own opinions Usagi would become angry with both of them.
"You're not being fair! You are judging him based on where he is from, not by how much he cares about me!" Usagi yelled at Haruka with tears running down her face. She spun on her heel and ran down the street away from them.
"You have to be careful with her," said Michiru. She took a few steps forward and turned her head to face Haruka. "I don't like this anymore than you do, but you have to be more subtle. The last thing we want is to push her away completely. You know she will only run into his arms."
Haruka nodded her head while she thought about Michiru's words. "You are right, Michiru. But we can't stand by and do nothing."
Usagi slowed her pace when she was a few blocks away. She walked onto a bridge overpass and looked down at the cars passing down below. It was peaceful up here. She was sure of her choice when she left Earth and when she was on Kinmoku. It wasn't until she returned to Earth that she began to question her decision. Everything seemed out of control. Mamoru was different. He seemed so attentive to her and caring. He didn't seem so distant and closed off. He wanted to talk about everything. Was it because she left Earth? Then she thought of Seiya and how he has been the same since she first met him. He teased her at first, but was always kind to her. She was with him and that is how it would remain.
Logos appeared a short distance nearby. "I'm surprised you're all alone."
Usagi gasped and turned when she heard a voice she didn't recognize. A quick glance told her he was related to Varada. She reached into her pocket for her brooch and realized it wasn't there. But her crystal pendant was around her neck.
"There is something unusual about you," he said as he took a few steps forward in her direction. "Your aura is… different from the others."
Usagi slowly took steps back in order to keep her distance from him. She couldn't transform into Sailor Moon and everyone had warned her not to become Sailor Cosmos. But she was alone and didn't have any other alternatives to defend herself.
"I guess it's time to see what you can do…" Logos said, as he collected scarlet energy in his hands.
He was about to attack and Usagi had no other option than to transform if she wanted to avoid getting injured again. She touched the crystal pendant on her neck. She knew the others would be upset, but she was out of options. "Cosmos Crystal Power, Make Up!" After her transformation ended she placed her staff in front of her and effortless blocked his attack.
"I was not expecting this turn of events," Logos said with a smile.
"Turn of events?" Sailor Cosmos repeated.
"This new information will be most valuable to the organization," said Logos, as he took a step back.
"What organization?" Sailor Cosmos said, as she tried to understand what he meant.
"The name does not matter at the moment," said Logos, as he pushed a few bangs of his hair to the side and revealed part of a black mark on his forehead.
Sailor Cosmos stared at his forehead and tried to understand what it meant, but a majority of his forehead was still covered.
"It doesn't matter," said Logos, as he began to taunt her. "As soon as I am done here I will go after those you care most about."
"I will end this now!" Sailor Cosmos exclaimed, as she raised her staff. She felt power surge throughout her entire body, as words came to mind of an attack she had used when she was controlled by Chaos. "Cosmos Twilight Flash!"
Logos was bathed in a bright white light making him cry out, "There will be more coming after you! This is only the beginning!" He was obliterated from sight.
Sailor Cosmos easily defeated him. She couldn't help, but think about the remarks that he made regarding going after the ones she cared the most about. She began to feel nauseated and collapsed on the sidewalk. She had to talk to the other girls, but she couldn't right now. She needed to be alone and be somewhere she wouldn't be bothered. She slowly rose to her feet and an object caught her attention. She smiled at the Moon.
She glanced at the staff in her right hand. She traveled to Kinmoku with her abilities. Why not home? The distance was trivial in comparison. The large crystal sphere at the top of her staff began to glow, while her body glimmered. She vanished from Earth.
She smiled at the sight of her former home. She vaguely remembered how it had appeared after she restored the palace to its former glory. As she kept gazing at the moon she de-transform, but instead of changing back into Usagi, she changed into Princess Serenity. Her sailor fuku changed into the white silky gown worn by Princess Serenity. She kept her staff with her as a precaution. She looked at the barren ground before and raised her staff. Plants began to sprout from the ground. Several of them had buds on them and would bloom soon, but she didn't want to risk exerting herself too much and left the budding plants. She knew she would be back again another time to help them along if they needed it.
She heard approaching footsteps behind her making her turn abruptly. It was Sailor Pluto accompanied by two other Sailor Senshi, whom she had never seen before. She looked at Sailor Pluto for an explanation.
"Princess Serenity!" Exclaimed Sailor Charon and Sailor Titan, as they dropped to the ground to bow before the Princess.
Princess Serenity was taken aback by their actions. "..umm.. are you the Moon Senshi?"
"Yes," said Sailor Charon, as she stood up. "I am Sailor Charon, guardian of the Princess of Pluto."
"I am Sailor Titan, guardian of the Princess of Saturn."
"…I'm sorry, I don't remember you. I never received all of my memories from my past life. I only have fragments," said Princess Serenity in a nervous tone. It was clear they had played an important role in the past with the Silver Millennium, but nothing had triggered her memory, yet. "What are you doing here?"
"We are on our way to retrieve the other Moon Senshi," explained Sailor Pluto. "We are going to see if we can free the others and return."
"Is it anything I can help with?" Asked Princess Serenity. She was hopeful for any distraction.
"If we need your assistance we will ask upon our return," said Sailor Pluto with a warm smile.
"Sailor Pluto… the new enemy…they attacked me earlier," said Princess Serenity, as she dropped her eyes to the ground.
"Are you alright?" Sailor Pluto asked, as she quickly closed the gap between the two of them.
"I'm fine. It was someone different than before. He claimed to be part of an organization."
"Did you catch the name?"
"..no…I didn't have my brooch and I had to transform into Sailor Cosmos to defend myself."
The look in her eyes told Sailor Pluto everything. She was struggling with this new enemy and the discord among the senshi. It was unlike her to forget her brooch. It was clear she wanted to be left alone for a while.
"We should be leaving," said Sailor Pluto, as she gestured the two other women to leave with her.
Princess Serenity watched the trio leave in a flash of light. It seemed as if wherever she went someone would always find her. She looked back at the Earth and realized it was late. She should return soon before the others worried about her disappearance.
Sailor Cosmos sighed as she returned to Earth. She lightly tapped her brooch and reverted to Usagi. She knew she would need to inform the others regarding recent events. Tomorrow. Usagi glanced up at the Moon one last time and began the journey back to her home.
Usagi wished things were simple again. Whenever she visited the Silver Millennium a part of her always thought about her past. She thought about him. Mamoru seemed like a completely different person since her return from Kinmoku. She knew she would never stop loving him but… it was different. Her relationship with Seiya was completely different than the one she had with Mamoru. She realized she had been trying to assure herself of this statement multiple times since her return.
She wanted to build new memories at the palace. It would one day be her home, many years from now. She wasn't ready to be a Queen or a ruler. She was deep in her own thoughts and oblivious to the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching her from behind. A pair of arms grabbed her from behind and held her close to them. Usagi jumped on instinct and tried to turn around, she was unable.
"You have to be careful at this time of night," Seiya whispered in her ear, in a playful tone. "You never know whom you are going to find."
Usagi smiled and allowed herself to relax in his arms. She giggled at his playfulness. Seiya relaxed his hold on her and she quickly spun around to face him. She put her arms around him and hugged him close to her. "I'm glad I ran into you." She was silent for a few moments until she added, "I'm sorry about dinner earlier. At some point I won't feel so weak after I use my powers. I thought I would be used to it by now."
"I'm sure it will become easier for you in time," Seiya said, as he tried his best to reassure her. "I didn't adjust to my new abilities right away."
Usagi frowned, "I don't have the time. Everyone is in danger because of me. I can't properly protect everyone as Sailor Moon. This new enemy is too powerful for the other senshi."
"We can protect you, we will protect you," said Seiya with a determined look in his eyes.
"I was attacked earlier," Usagi spoke softly.
Seiya was speechless as he waited for her to continue.
"I was in a rush earlier when I left my home and forgot my brooch. A man… he was tall with dark purple hair… dressed like Varada appeared. He never said his name, but when I transformed into Sailor Cosmos to defend myself, he said something about an interesting turn of events and he had to inform his organization. I wasn't sure what he meant. I wanted to make sure he didn't escape, but I ended up defeating him… and he was gone. He disappeared after I used a powerful attack…." Usagi said, as she walked slowly besides Seiya.
"Did he say anything else?" Seiya prodded, as he tried to make sense of the encounter Usagi had with the new enemy.
"I think he said something about my aura being different than the others and he threatened to go after those I care about the most…" Usagi said. She tapped her chin as she tried to recall the entire conversation. "I'm pretty sure that was everything."
Seiya didn't speak, but it was evident he was worried based on his facial expression.
"Everything is fine," said Usagi when she noticed the concern.
"We should speak to Taiki and Yaten and see if they have any ideas," Seiya said after a long hesitation.
The Three Lights apartment was a short walk from their current location. Seiya and Usagi were both lost in their own thoughts. By the time they arrived it was near midnight.
"You were gone for a while," Yaten said in an annoyed tone as the door opened. Taiki didn't look up from his book on the couch.
"Guys, we need to talk," said Seiya in an urgent tone. Usagi was a few steps behind him.
Taiki marked his location in his book and closed it. His eyes widened and when he noticed Usagi's presence. "What happened?"
"Odango was attacked a little while ago, by someone new," Seiya stated, as he sat down in a chair to the left of Taiki.
"I think he was part of the same group of people that attack me the other day," added Usagi. She sat cross from Seiya, to Taiki's right. Yaten sighed as he plopped down on the couch.
Usagi quickly recapped the events to the other Starlights. They listened intently and asked a few questions in regard to the man's appearance and his remarks.
"Based on everything you've told us, I agree with the other girls for you to remain as Sailor Moon rather than Sailor Cosmos," Taiki said slowly. "Whatever information the other man was about to deliver to the others must have been important."
"If only we knew what he was referring to, we would be able to figure out their goal and who they are searching for," Yaten said. He flipped a few strains of his silvery hair out of his eyes. "Seiya mentioned earlier that you were attacked before in the past two days. Tells us anything you can remember."
Usagi eyes widened slightly. "It's a long story… are you sure you want to hear it all now?"
Taiki smiled, "We have nothing, but time."
His kind comments placed Usagi at ease. She quickly began to discuss the first attack and the second attack the next day. The three listened intently as they began to piece everything together. Usagi discussed the Moon Senshi with them. She had little information to offer them other than they were the protectors of the other senshi since they are princess' from their respective planets. Setsuna was the only one that seemed to remember them. Luna vaguely remembered them, but had little to offer. She told them she knew they were allies.
The group talked for hours until they realized it was the early morning hours. Everyone insisted she stay to rest since it was nearly three in the morning. Taiki and Yaten left the room to retire to their own bedrooms, which left Usagi and Seiya in the main room.
"I just need a blanket and a pillow," said Usagi, as she began to feel awkward at the situation.
"I'm not going to let you sleep on the couch. Sleep in my bed and I'll stay out here," Seiya said, as his stubborn streak began to surface.
Usagi was taken aback by his remarks. "But this is your place! It's not fair to you. I will sleep on the couch." Usagi could be equally stubborn when she wished.
"No," Seiya said flatly. He folded his arms across his chest in defiance. "You are a guest."
Usagi raised her right eyebrow at him. She knew this would take a while.
Usagi glanced down at the dress she wore. She realized in seconds she was dressed as Neo Queen Serenity once more. She took a deep breath and looked around at her surroundings. She was in a beautiful garden. Flowers stretched out in the field before her. She slowly stood up as she tried to determine her location. In the distance, she saw an unmistaken shape in the skyline. A crystal tower. She was in Crystal Tokyo.
A noise behind her startled and caused her to turn around quickly. Her large pale pink bow shifted in the wind. A small young child ran forward. Chibi Usa ran toward her with King Endymion following just a few steps behind the small child. They smiled warmly at her.
A large gust of wind came out of nowhere and blew flower petals everywhere. She could no longer see them, only the sea of red petals before her. She took a few steps forward and tried to see past the storm of petals. Her eyes squinted, but all she could see was a rainbow of colors. As the petals slowly fell to the ground, her vision began to clear. Her lips slowly parted.
A young girl, roughly the same age as Chibi Usa, rushed forward to her. "Momma!" The young girl with silver hair shouted. She had cerulean eyes and the unmistakable mark of a crescent moon on her forehead. She wore the dress of the royal princess of the Silver Millennium. A man in the distance stood there in a maroon colored suit, as the little girl continued to run to her. She turned her gaze back to the man in the distance. He had long, dark black hair tied back in a ponytail. The suit was similar to one a certain Three Lights' member wore. The coloring was slightly differently, darker. She couldn't make out all of the details. Her thoughts were redirected to the young girl inches away from her with her arms outstretched.
Serenity bent down and hugged the girl tightly. It was clear she was, or would be, her daughter.
Seiya walked forward to the two girls and kneed down beside them. He smiled at the two, "How are my girls today?"
The little girl grinned. Serenity smiled warmly as she tried to make sense of everything around her. What did this mean?
Seiya lightly placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "I'm really happy. We have the perfect family."
"So you did go through with it."
Serenity felt the iciness in her voice. She looked up and Eternal Sailor Uranus stood there. Beside her were Eternal Sailor Neptune and Eternal Sailor Pluto. They all appeared very angry.
"You sent us on a long mission, so you could marry, didn't you?" Sailor Uranus accused the Queen.
Serenity and Seiya stood up as the Outer senshi approached the royal couple.
"And to have a child with him?" Sailor Neptune added with piercing eyes.
Sailor Pluto did not speak, but displayed sadness in her eyes.
Sailor Uranus' hand began to shake in rage. She could no longer keep her anger in check. She lunged forward at the King and swung.
"No!" Serenity yelled at the events before her.
Usagi gasped as her eyes opened. She felt confused by what she had witnessed. She felt baffled as she tried to determine her surroundings. She was not in her room. A breathing sound to her right directed her attention. It was Seiya sound asleep in the bed next to her. She breathed in deeply a few times, as she tried to process everything from her dreams. She slowly rose and exited the room. She needed a glass of water to calm her nerves before she tried to return to sleep. A part of her felt like what she had witnessed was a prediction. The first rays of the sun tried to peak in through the window. She had slept for only a few hours since the long discussion with the Three Lights.
Usagi quickly opened the bedroom and gently closed it behind her. She was surprised to see a light on in the kitchen area. Taiki sat at the counter with his back toward her using his laptop. He seemed to be in deep concentration, as he typed on the keyboard. Usagi walked forward.
"You're up early," Taiki said, without looking away from the computer screen.
"Eh?" Usagi was startled by his remark and how he knew of her presence without turning around. "I umm… had a strange dream and wanted to get some water before going back to sleep."
"Strange dream?" Taiki asked. He turned his attention away from the computer to face her. Dreams were a fascination to him; he believed a person can tell a lot about an individual from them. "What happened?"
Usagi filled a glass with water. "I'm not completely sure what it means, but I was in the Silver Millennium." She paused. She realized she didn't feel comfortable talking to Taiki about this. Part of her dream was about Endymion and the second half focused on Seiya and a possible family they could have in the future. It was obvious Taiki waited for her to continue. "I'm not really sure what happened… and I don't want to talk about it yet…" she wasn't sure how he would react if she told him everything that happened. It was more of a conversation she needed to have with Seiya.
Taiki nodded his head in acknowledgement, "Very well." He turned back to his computer to continue his work on the poetry.
Usagi quickly finished her glass of water, anxious to leave the awkward situation. She placed the glass back on the counter, "Good night."
When she was halfway back to the bedroom, Taiki finally spoke again, "Whatever happens, don't break Seiya's heart again. I don't think he would be able to handle it."
Usagi took a sharp intake of breath after hearing his harsh words. She wanted to retort something back that it wouldn't happen, but a part of her could not say it with complete confidence, yet. She silently returned back to the bedroom. She entered the bedroom and closed the door behind her. She turned around to walk back to the bed.
"I was wondering where you went," said a very sleepy Seiya. After a few moments Seiya realized Usagi didn't seem like herself. She was very quiet, out of character for her, which meant something was wrong. "Are you okay?" Seiya said, as he sat up with a concerned look on his face.
Usagi sat down on the other side of the bed and sighed. "I had this dream where I was in the garden of Crystal Tokyo with Endymion and Chibi-Usa."
Seiya felt a sense of dread when he heard the sadness in her voice.
"Chibi-Usa was running toward me…. And then there were tons of flower petals in the air and I was in the gardens of the Silver Millennium… with you," she said, as she turned to face him. "But then Uranus, Neptune and Pluto appeared. Sailor Uranus lunged forward to attack you and I woke up." She wasn't comfortable discussing everything in her dream with Seiya, yet. How could she tell him that she thinks they get married and have a daughter, even though it was just a dream?
"Well… it's not like that hasn't happened, yet…" Seiya said in a playful tone as he tried to brighten her mood. "It wouldn't be the first time Sailor Uranus hit me."
Usagi's jaw dropped at how lightly he took to the information. Then she began to laugh, her eyes twinkled.
"But you made it pretty clear at the Silver Millennium, when we returned, for them to leave me alone," Seiya said as he took a more serious attitude.
"Yeah…" Usagi said, "But I don't know...I guess it just makes me nervous that something like that could happen again." She wanted to talk to Seiya about the rest of the dream, but she was afraid to. Was it her future she witnessed? Or what if it was nothing more than a dream? She didn't want to bring it up until she knew for sure.
"Worrying about it now won't change anything," said Seiya, as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's still early, we should go back to sleep. Maybe things will be better in the morning, after some sleep."
Usagi looked toward the window and noticed the sunset began to creep up over the horizon. "Yeah…" she said as she yawned. She felt more relaxed after she was able to ease off some of the burden she felt. Seiya kissed her softly on the cheek. Usagi smiled and then lay down on her side of the bed. She closed her eyes.
Several hours passed before everyone woke up. It was now late morning, the sun nearly at its peak in the sky. Usagi and the Three Lights plotted out their plan for the day over a late breakfast. Taiki made them breakfast and as always, Usagi gulped down her food. She knew she had talk to the other senshi about the events that occurred last night with Logos. She was nervous to tell them she had transformed into Cosmos, especially after they had discussed she should remain as Sailor Moon. She could already picture Rei glaring at her. Once breakfast ended, Usagi was able to convince the Three Lights, rather Taiki and Yaten, to accompany her and Seiya to Rei's family shrine.
Usagi called the other girls and asked each of them to meet her at the shrine in two hours. Usagi hung up the telephone and was shocked by the appearance of red fireflies in the apartment.
"Princess!" Yaten gasped as he recognized her signature mark. Taiki and Seiya quickly gathered around the fireflies, as they began to take the shape of a miniature Princess Kakyuu.
Princess Kakyuu smiled when she witnessed Usagi walk over to stand next to the three Starlights. "I'm glad to see you looking well," Princess Kakyuu said, as she directed her comments to Usagi. She then turned to address each of the Three Lights. "I'm glad to see all of you together."
"Earth is under attack again," Yaten said, disrupting the joyous mood in the room.
"An attack?" Repeated Princess Kakyuu slowly while she processed the information she just learned. "It doesn't seem right… after everything that has happened."
Taiki gave a brief overview of the attacks and how they haven't seen the new enemy. "They are looking for someone called the Guardian."
"…the Guardian….?" Princess Kakyuu's eyes narrowed as she heard the title. "I've heard this label before somewhere. I will have to consult with the others in the Scarlet Palace. Perhaps there will be some information in the archives. I will contact you as soon as I learn something of value." She turned her attention to Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten, "Please look after Usagi-san in the meantime. Earth will need our assistance."
"Of course," Seiya responded without any hesitation in his voice. Taiki and Yaten exchanged glances at each other and nodded their head. They had a hunch something like this would happen. The Princess wanted to keep Seiya with Usagi for as long as possible and the new enemy justified a reason to keep them on the blue planet.
Princess Kakyuu turned her attention to Usagi, "Have you experienced any other side effects since your return?"
"I feel great!" Usagi reassured her. "The few times I've used my powers, they have felt stronger."
"That is wonderful news. I will see all of you soon," Princess Kakyuu said, as her imaged dissolved into red fireflies.
Sailor Pluto glanced around her surroundings. She was home again, on her original birth planet. Sailor Charon and Sailor Titan stood to her left.
"This place is so …. barren…" said Sailor Charon as she inspected her former home. It was difficult for her to see the once luscious planet deserted. "We don't have much further to go, Setsuna-san." She wanted to leave as soon as she could, regardless of how tired she felt from the long journey.
Sailor Titan slowly walked a few steps in the opposite direction of the two women. She was mesmerized by the brightness of the stars beyond. "There are so many galaxies out there…" she murmured as she looked at each bright star.
"I know we are close, Yui-chan, but we should rest for a little while," Sailor Pluto said with a weary expression. "We know we are safe here to rest. I cannot promise what lies beyond."
Sailor Charon frowned, but she couldn't argue with her since her logic was sound.
"While we are here, tell me anything you can about where you were held captive. Perhaps a detail can shed light on the location," Sailor Pluto said, as she sat down on a large flat boulder. She was unsure what planet they had been held captive on.
"The planet was originally covered in greenery. When we awakened inside the crystal imprisonments, the planet was deserted. It was barren... much like here. The planet was originally supposed to be another colony for the Moon. The Queen wanted us to investigate, since it had been months since a report was received," Sailor Charon said, as she sat down next to Sailor Pluto on the flat rock. She sounded frustrated while she discussed her last mission given to her from the Queen. "Now we will never know what happened to them."
Sailor Pluto reached over and placed her hand on Charon's shoulder in an effort to encourage her, "I'm sure we will be able to learn something about the colony. I understand you want to be able to fulfill your last mission that you received from Queen Serenity."
Sailor Charon nodded her head in acknowledgement. She remained there for a few moments more before she stood up. She slowly walked forward to stare at the royal palace of the planet in the distance. "If we are going to rest for a while, perhaps we should head to the palace?"
Sailor Titan frowned as she tried to judge the distance to the palace. "It seems rather far… if we walked there we will be exhausted…" she began to argue. "Unless… we spend the night there and rest?"
"I think that is a wonderful idea," said Sailor Pluto, as she began to reminisce being a young girl in the palace. She thought about a time she was in the palace and snuck into her parent's room. She remembered staring at a crystal time key in awe. Her mother had warned her to be careful with the key. She gasped when she realized the key she had given Chibi-Usa was a replica of the crystal key. She always wondered what had happened to the key that had mesmerized her as a child.
Seiya, Yaten and Taiki tried their best to disguise themselves. Rumors had surfaced about a comeback of the Three Lights. Reporters hounded Seiya more than ever before since he saved Usagi from the bus.
Mamoru had become restless since Usagi's return and left his apartment to walk around the streets of Tokyo. The Three Lights were across the street from him, he would recognize them anywhere. Seiya stood to the left of Taiki and Yaten. His face was turned to the side as if he was talking to someone. Seiya took a few steps back. Mamoru's heart sank when he saw the twin pair of odangos. Usagi looked up at Seiya and smiled gleefully. She appeared very happy. He pained when he thought about how Usagi used to smile at him in the same manner. Seiya said something to her, but Mamoru was too far away to hear the conversation. Her expression changed and she began to pout as she looked up at Seiya. Yaten and Taiki laughed at the exchange. Seiya put his arm around Usagi's shoulder and whispered something in her ear, for her ears only. Usagi's lips partly slightly, as a blush began to creep across her face.
Mamoru couldn't watch anymore and began to walk away. He used to have movements like the one he had just witnessed with Usagi. If he stayed and watched from the distance it would make him angry. He started to feel as if he had been replaced by the man from Kinmoku. It was a depressing thought. Yet, if he gave up, he would truly be replaced. He needed to develop a plan to win Usagi back. He needed to find a way to talk to her alone again. He frowned when he realized that was only half the battle. He needed to figure out what he would say to her, something to make her understand. He refused to believe the future he had thought would come to pass was gone for good. He needed to find a way to have Crystal Tokyo become a part of this timeline again.
"You were attacked again?" Makoto asked, after she listened to Usagi's story.
Usagi tried her best to reassure the girls they did not have anything to worry about. "I can defend myself…" Usagi said, as she chose her words carefully. "If I use my abilities as Sailor Cosmos, I can easily defeat them and no one will be injured."
"But Usagi, we still don't know who they are searching for. What if it's Sailor Cosmos?" Rei asked as she thought out loud. "I have a bad feeling about this… until we know for sure it would be best if you remain as Sailor Moon… you may not be as strong, but at least you will be safe."
"Safe?" Usagi said in an accusing tone. "I was injured the last time I fought as Sailor Moon and had to use my abilities as Sailor Cosmos to heal myself!" She felt her temper rise at her friend's remarks. She took a deep breath when she realized that Rei was trying to help her, even if she didn't agree with the methods.
"But Usagi-chan, your new abilities are still too unstable," said Luna as she tried to ease the growing tension in the room.
"What do you mean by unstable?" Seiya asked, as he came to Usagi's defense.
Luna was taken aback by Seiya's remarks. She was used to being able to scold Usagi without interruption. "What I mean is this, Usagi-chan have you mastered your new abilities?"
Usagi's eyes became downcast as she stared at her hands. She knew Luna had a point. "…No I haven't yet."
Seiya's eyes narrowed as it became his turn to become frustrated, "It's not fair to ask her that when you already know the answer. She had to abruptly leave Kinmoku."
"He has a point," Yaten said, as he spoke up for the first time since the group began to discuss the recent attack. "Her training was never completed on Kinmoku. All of the basics weren't covered yet." Yaten began to laugh. Everyone stared at him.
"Are you okay?" Asked Minako, completely flabbergasted by his reactions. It wasn't normal.
"You should have seen Usagi-chan try to throw a punch at Galaxia during training!" Yaten exclaimed between giggles.
Taiki and Seiya burst into laughter after they pictured the image.
"…She what…?" Ami asked, in utter disbelief. "Usagi-chan doesn't know how to do that!"
The Three Lights laughed even harder.
Usagi glared at them. "I told her I never did it before!"
The laughter continued to the point of their faces became bright red. A few minutes later the laughter finally subsided. The Inner Senshi were speechless by the actions of the Three Lights. They had never seen them act this way before.
Once the laughter dwindled, Seiya tried to take the situation serious again. "But how can she train or learn to control her powers fully if she is not allowed to use them?"
The Inner Senshi exchanged glances at each other. They knew Seiya was correct but they didn't want to admit it. They were all in a no win situation.
No one responded.
Yaten stood up and stretched. "I don't know how you guys can have so many meetings all the time that last this long." He yawned.
"Agreed," Taiki said, as he stood up next to him. "I think we have achieved all that we are able to for today. I'm with Yaten."
"I'm going to stay here for a little while," Seiya said as he remained seated next to Usagi.
The girls chatted idly as Yaten and Taiki quietly left the room.
"I'm glad to see you are feeling better, Usagi-chan," Ami said, as she redirected the conversation to Usagi. "You scared us the other day when were we all at the Silver Millennium."
"But I'm all better now!" Usagi smiled cheerfully.
"You seem a lot happier now," Minako said with an arched eyebrow and she moved closer to Usagi. She was in prying mode and wanted to pump Usagi for information. "Usagi-chan… you never told us about your adventures on Kinmoku! What is the planet like? What is the palace like? What kind of training did you do? Is it like Earth?"
Now it was Usagi's turn to laugh at all of Minako's questions. "Well… wow… where do I start?"
"Maybe with your arrival and the banquet held in your honor?" Seiya asked, as he tried to offer information to Minako and a place for Usagi to begin the tale.
"A banquet held in your honor?" Rei repeated in an incredulous tone.
"Yeah… it was really strange. I walked into the room behind Princess Kakyuu… and everyone bowed down in appreciation." Usagi began to recap her time on Kinmoku with Seiya's help. She left out a few details of her dreams, her doubts, and her thoughts about Mamoru.
Varuna flicked his crimson hair to the side in frustration. When he became fidgety he often fussed with his bangs. "I haven't seen Logos since last night."
"Nor have I," said Varada as he became concerned about the older man, who was considered their pod leader. The organization was structured into several groups of three. If something happened to him they would have to avenge him. "The last thing I remember he told us was about his quest to find the Guardian. I didn't believe there was a Guardian… but if he is gone than that Guardian must have found him."
Varada frowned at Varuna's words. He knew he was correct. "This is too much of a coincidence."
"I shouldn't have doubted the legend of the Guardian," said Varuna in dismay. "If I had taken the situation more serious…"
"Don't beat yourself up over this. I had my doubts as well since it was only a legend. But I'm starting to think the legend has come to life." He turned away from Varuna and looked at the replica hologram of the Earth. "We have found energy signatures that we must look into on this planet. We find Logos, the Guardian, or we die trying."
Varuna nodded his head in agreement.
Who is the Guardian they keep talking about? What is Mamoru's master plan? What can he say to convince Usagi to leave Seiya and return to him? Will Usagi's dream come true and Sailor Uranus will attack Seiya again? The Inner Senshi will finally encounter the organization in the next act along with… Act 26: Seiya and Usagi's Second Date.
Thank you Kikis87 for all your help!