I know that this chapter has been a little delayed, but it's been hard to get the chapters out because of school and everything. You all understand, right? ^^ Okie. I hope that everyone comments, I like criticism! ^^ Remember, if I owned Sailor Moon then Usagi would be with Seiya..



"Maker?" Akiko finally caught up with Taiki.

"What is it?" Taiki kept walking.

"I needed to ask you something, senshi to senshi."

"I hope you will make it quick, I really don't feel like talking."

"I hope you know that you don't have to make a scene with me, Maker. We go back a long time. I know you better, why're you putting up this front?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Scythe."

"Don't play dumb with me!" Akiko spun Taiki around. "Is there something you're hiding from me?"

"I'm not hiding anything." Taiki's brown eyes burned.

"I know that you are hiding something, and I know what it is." Akiko shook her head.

"I hardly think that you are basing your opinion on anything concrete." Taiki scoffed.

"You're in love with Ami." Akiko scowled at Taiki.

Taiki blushed and scowled right back at her. "No."

"That is it, Maker. You're in love with her and you can't take the feelings because they would sever you from Kinmoku. I am totally right, I can read you like a book. You need to just deal with these feelings, everyone else has given in to them. I don't see why you have to fight it so much." Akiko placed her hand onto Taiki's forehead. Taiki closed his eyes and let her vision come to him.





"Maker?" Kakyuu stood in front of him.

"Yes?" Taiki knelt before Kakyuu.

She looked at him for a moment in disbelief. "You . . .are so . . . different. What happened to you?"

Taiki looked down at himself and realized he was still in disguise. He tried to transform but he couldn't find his 'star yell'.

Kakyuu just sadly smiled at him. "Maker, you can't find it because you do not want to find it."

Taiki stared at her in disbelief.

"You don't want to come back and serve me, is that it?"

"No! Princess, I want to come back and protect you!" Taiki tried to grab Kakyuu's hand.

"I understand, I don't need protecting, my Maker." She smiled sadly at him. "It isn't me who you want to be with, it's her." Kakyuu moved her hands around and created a ring out of thin air. Kakyuu handed the ring to Taiki. "Protect her like you would have protected me, my lovely, my Senshi, my friend." Kakyuu started to fade away into the red background.





Taiki opened his eyes and looked down at Akiko. He glanced down at his hands, and saw he was carrying a ring. He let a tear slide down his face. "She is letting me choose! And she wants me to be with Ami." Taiki shook his head.

"Would you be happy if you were with her?" Akiko's purple eyes looked up into his brown eyes.

"Of course I would be happy with Ami, but my duty," He clutched the ring tighter. "My duty lies with my Princess, the one who I have sworn to protect no matter what, I need to choose her."

"Kakyuu wants you to choose with your heart," Akiko poked his chest. "Instead of with your mind, like you always do."

"If this were only easier, if there were just a clear answer . . ." Taiki tried to explain in vain.

"Come on, Maker. Ami will be waiting for you." Akiko and Taiki started walking towards Rei's temple.

***

When they got to Rei's temple, it was around five o' Clock. Rei disappeared into a room to do the fire reading, and Makoto went to consult with The Outers. Seiya, Usagi, and Hoshi all sat down on the floor and Usagi played with Hoshi. Yaten and Minako retreated to the corner of the room, and Ami stood outside, as if waiting for something.

"Hoshi!" Usagi giggled. She poked Hoshi in the stomach and Hoshi laughed. Seiya smiled as he felt warmness coming out of Hoshi. Seiya leaned over and kissed Usagi on the cheek.

"Hoshi, Hoshi!" Hoshi chanted and clapped her hands. Her blue eyes sparkled.

"You're so cute!" Usagi grinned.

Hoshi laughed and grabbed onto Usagi's pigtail that came out of her odango.

"Now stop that!" Usagi couldn't help but laugh. Seiya laughed with her. "I wonder why she's here, and where she's from." Usagi thought out loud.

"Where are you from, Hoshi?" Seiya leaned down and asked her.

Hoshi just looked at him and giggled.

"I'm from the stars, just like your name. I'm from Kinmoku, can you say that?"

Hoshi looked at him a little funny and then said, "Kinmotu."

Seiya laughed. "Hoshi, why're you here?"

Hoshi giggled to him and then laughed. "Princess."

"Princess? What kind of Princess? Do you mean from the Moon?" Seiya continued, trying to get information from this small child.

"Doon, Doon," She giggled.

"No, Moon." Seiya corrected her.

"Moon, Moon. Mama!"

Usagi looked shocked.

Seiya continued, not quite sure what Hoshi meant. "Is your Mama from the Moon?"

Hoshi sighed and looked at him, bored.

"Seiya, what do you think she means? Why do you think she was attacked by Surya?"

"Sayah! Sayah!" Hoshi interrupted.

"That's right," Seiya smiled. "I'm Seiya." Seiya felt a warmth go through him. "This is Usagi, can you say that?"

"Sagi, Sagi! Dongo!" Hoshi grabbed onto one of Usagi's Odangos.

"Ouch! Hoshi, stop it!" She grabbed onto one of Hoshi's hearts. "How do you like it?" Both girls started laughing. Usagi took Hoshi onto her lap, and gave her a little squeeze. Hoshi reached her arms out and wiggled her fingers towards Seiya.

"Sayah!" She reached for him. Usagi passed Hoshi over to Seiya. Hoshi giggled and tried to grab onto his ponytail.

"No, no, Hoshi." Seiya warned in a fatherly tone.

"Hai, Sayah." Hoshi laid her head down onto Seiya's shoulder and yawned.

"I think that she's sleepy." A voice echoed from behind them. Usagi and Seiya turned around to see Michiru, and Haruka standing behind them. Hoshi jumped down off of Seiya and ran over to Michiru. Michiru picked her up.

"Hello, what's your name, little one?" Michiru balanced Hoshi on her hip. Hoshi got down and then pointed.

"Hoshi! Sayah, Sagi!" Hoshi named the people in the room, and then pointed to Haruka, and stopped. She cocked her head a little and then scowled. "Unus! Bad Unus!" She ran back to Michiru and hid behind Michiru's skirt.

"Do you think she means Uranus?" Seiya asked in confusion.

"I don't know why she'd say that." Usagi stood up and went to Hoshi and tried to get her.

"I don't think you've made a friend." Michiru giggled. Michiru turned around and picked up Hoshi. Hoshi looked at Haruka and stuck her tongue out and Michiru giggled. Haruka scowled at Hoshi and Hoshi whimpered and hid her face in Michiru's shoulder. Usagi went over to Hoshi and took her in her arms.

"Sagi," Hoshi sighed.

"I'm going to put you to bed, you must have had a long day." Usagi left the room with Hoshi still in her arms.

Haruka, Michiru and Seiya watched Usagi leave the room.

"We heard about the battle, Seiya." Haruka said just as Usagi left.

"Yeah, I guess Makoto would have told you all about it." Seiya stretched and stood up.

"Hai, she did. She also told us about what you did." Michiru swayed her skirt a little.

"What did I do?"

"Well, you saved our princess from Venus's attacks. She would've been pretty scratched up if it weren't for you." Haruka narrowed her eyes.

"So? What's with the third degree?"

"What Haruka means," Michiru touched Haruka's shoulder, "Is that she wants to thank you for doing so."

"Oh," Seiya half-smiled.

"I just wanted to tell you," Haruka scowled. "That you don't need to do it again."