The Chibi Senshi and Rini sat with their elder selves while Faith and Hope's elder selves left for the throne room. They were seated in the council room, in their original seats. Their elder selves occupied their parents' former seats. The sight reminded the younger generation that in this time their parents were dead.
Annika's younger self kept gazing at her elder self. She had grown up to be quite attractive. Her violet hair had the same texture as her mother's and fell a little longer than her mother's had, to a little past her knees. But she had bound some of it into braids and rolled them into a bun behind her head. She had not yet detransformed. However, she had removed her gloves, revealing beautiful violet nails. She was drumming an absentminded tattoo on the table as she waited.
Cosmic Mars could not tear her eyes from the Venus seats. They had been empty since she had been nine. Now, ten years later, every time she saw those empty seats, her heart ached. Absent mindedly, she put her hand on her broach and squeezed hard, as if trying to make her heart stop throbbing.
Annika put a hand on her older self's hand, trying to comfort her anyway she could. Cosmic Mars gave her younger self a saddened smile. She appreciated the girl's concern. But it was a bit odd to be comforted by her past self. Still, she accepted it.
The door reopened.
Cosmic Uranus and Cosmic Neptune walked through first and said,
"Our king and queen…Neo-Queen Serenity the Second and King Helios."
The Chibi Senshi gasped. Rini's breath caught in her throat.
Neo-Queen Serenity the Second was the first to enter. She was a dazzling sight.
The girl had grown, so that she was about Neo-Queen Serenity's height. Her hair was still in its trademark odangos, but her pink pigtails had grown so that they trailed on the ground. She wore a dress similar to her mother's, except that she had straps, spaghetti straps that were strung over her shoulders. The straps themselves were more like chains. They were crescent moons stuck into one another. Translucent silk trailed from her straps to her wrists where they met crescent moon bands. Unlike her mother, Neo-Queen Serenity the Second had multicolored butterfly wings protruding from her back, unlike the plain white ones her mother had possessed.
She wore white high heels with two straps crisscrossing one another over the top of her foot. Where the two crossed there was a bright golden crescent moon. The crescent moon upon her forehead shone bright as a star. Crescent moon earrings hung from her ears. Upon her head rested not the crown of the late Neo-Queen Serenity but of the late Queen Serenity. It was silver, rather than golden and had a single golden crescent moon in the center, made of gold. She took her place at the queen's chair.
King Helios was no less stunning. King Endymion's color had been purple. King Helios' was blue and white. He wore a long white tunic, to a little past his waist. It was bound with a blue and white rope type belt. Over his top he wore a blue velvet vest. There was white lace decorating the edges. He wore tight white slacks that went all the way into blue boots that ended at his knees.
His golden horn was clear and shimmered in the pale light. He wore a golden crown around it. He took his seat by his wife.
The queen spoke,
"You girls have heard?"
The Chibi Senshi nodded. The queen continued,
"But your presence may well alter time for the better."
The girls nodded.
"But unfortunately, we can't know how. Maggie?"
Cosmic Pluto sighed, "I don't know. The timeline has been unreliable ever since…"
The queen nodded, saying softly,
"Mom…I wish you were here to tell me what to do."
Helios put his hands on his wife's shoulders. She sighed and said,
"But you all said that you were attacked?"
The Cosmic Senshi nodded. Uranus spoke,
"The enemy's been stepping up on their efforts."
The queen nodded,
"What about our shield?"
Cosmic Neptune shook her head, "It's failing."
As if on cue, the ceiling was knocked inward.
The Senshi and the royals were on their feet instantaneously.
A different youma, almost identical except this one was white wasted no time in attacking. The Cosmic Senshi immediately launched attacks,
"Cosmic Winds Surround!"
"Cosmic Death Whisper!"
"Cosmic Ocean Reflection!"
"Cosmic Dying Blade!"
The four attacks combined, as the inners wasted no time.
"Cosmic Flower Thunder!"
Cosmic Jupiter let petals swirl around her until they became a stream of pink. She jerked her arms apart and with a clap of thunder, the petals became charged with electricity, joining the previous four attacks.
"Cosmic Fire Shimmer!"
Ringlets of fire surrounded Cosmic Mars and at her command, they formed small comets of fire which she flung towards the other attacks, merging with them.
"Cosmic Icy Waterfall!"
A geyser of water erupted from around Cosmic Mercury and with a gesture they formed into her hands and she shoot out a stream of ice.
The combined attacks slammed in the youma. There was a flash of light and then the youma gave them a chuckle,
"That tickled."
The Senshi gasped and the Chibi Senshi, those that could withdrew their talismans. Madelyn and Faith were the only two that could use their talismans in their civilian form.
Cosmic Uranus barked out orders,
"Tactical Retreat. Get the King and Queen out."
Swiftly they hurried to obey, pushing most of the Chibi Senshi ahead. Faith and Madelyn brought up the rear because they had talismans to defend themselves. But they could feel the youma right behind them. Desperate, Faith shoved Madelyn ahead and whirled to face the youma, her space sword out.
With a swipe of its claws, the youma shattered the mystical blade. But her claws did not stop there.
Faith let out an ear piercing shriek as the youma cut straight through her arm, severing it instantly, just below the elbow.