The Sunset Glows in the Sky. The Messenger from the Stars is a Meteorite.
All of the girls ate oatmeal at Rei's the next morning as it was the only food she had enough of to feed twenty-six of them. Suddenly the door flung open and Minako, who had risen early and disappeared, hurried in, an ecstatic look in her blue eyes. "Usagi, Rei, Makoto!" she exclaimed as she swung the door closed behind her then waved a small newspaper clipping at them, "The Three Lights are in Tokyo, in Juuban district and they're doing a live filming at the park in two days!"
Kanmi shot Minako an exasperated look but kept quiet, daintily spooning her breakfast into her mouth.
"Kakkoii!" Usagi exclaimed, "That must be who I saw at the air port when Mamo-chan left."
"You saw them?" Ami demanded, then drew back and blushed at her rudeness.
Usagi nodded eagerly, "I think so."
"Minako," Makoto asked, "When is this exactly? We have to go!"
"I've got all the info right here," the blond answered, waving the clipping again.
Furea, who sat nearest to where Minako stood, reached up and snatched the paper, examining it thoughtfully as she chewed. Swallowing, she asked, "So who are these 'Three Lights' anyway? What's so special about them?"
Rei snatched the paper back, looking over it with a grin, "I guess I can forgive you for not knowing, because you're not from Tokyo. The Three Lights are a super popular singing group with amazing music. Almost every girl loves them!"
"Hey," Makoto suggested, "You guys should all come with us."
"I do not know," Enogu said slowly, "We know nothing of your kind of music, after all. We are from a completely different world originally."
"Then we will have to introduce you to it," Michiru, mostly silent for the morning, stated calmly.
"There are still youma out there that we need to take care of," Luna reminded the girls, "The Three Lights will have to wait. We have our duty as Sailor Soldiers first."
Minako, Ami, Rei, and Makoto sighed in unison. "I guess you're right Luna," Minako submitted.
"So how do you go about finding and destroying these creatures?" Toumoku asked, placing her spoon with a clink in her now empty bowl.
Apollo explained, "Solara, Helia, Artimis, Luna, and I all go into their control center and track the youma and tell you where they are. Of course you split up in groups to make things go faster."
"I do not think there are many left," Helia added.
"So when do we start?" Akari asked brightly.
"As soon as we are done eating," Haruka answered with a grin.
"Dying Star!"
"Bright Solar Shine!"
The two powerful attacks struck the pack of youma in front of Sailor Brown Sun and Sailor Pink Sun. After their yells faded and many dissolved, only one of the creatures remained.
"Go for it Akari," Pink Sun suggested with a grin as her brown-clad companion fidgeted anxiously, wanting to run forward.
"Alright!" she smiled and darted towards the youma, "Bright Solar Shine!"
When she shining brown light struck it, it promptly disappeared with a scream.
Brown Sun did a short victory dance before turning back to her friend. Tsute laughed.
"What?" the brown senshi asked curiously.
"You're so funny!" Pink Sun answered plainly, holding in more laughs, "I forgot how much I missed you guys. If only Teal..." she trailed away.
Fortunately, Brown Sun missed her last comment and responded cheerfully, "I haven't had this much fun in a long time. The Golden Millennium almost never got any invaders, and these are easy to beat."
"They're the same ones we fought long ago," Tsute reminded, more soberly as she started walking down the street, her friend following just behind her. Behind them, people began coming cautiously out of their shops to take curious glances at the Sailor Senshi now that the danger was gone.
"But it seems so much easier," Sailor Brown Sun protested.
"Maybe it is because there were so many of them then," Tsute suggested as Akari caught up, "Or maybe we are just stronger."
"I really don't know," Brown Sun nodded.
"Setsuna-san," Sailor Violet Sun asked as she hurried down the road next to Sailor Pluto, "Where do we go now? We have not seen any for a while."
"We can just keep looking," Sailor Pluto answered with a shrug, "They cannot be many more left to find.
Just then, Solara's voice sounded in their ears, "Go two blocks left and two back and you should find a group of about four of those things."
"Thanks Solara!" Sailor Indigo Sun answered.
"I guess we know where to find them now," Pluto said and smiled, quickening her pace while Indigo Sun struggled to keep up.
They rounded two corners and sprinted into a mostly empty street. Only the four youma stood before them, prowling slowly about in their search for humans to drain.
Not waiting time, they attacked. "Indigo Invisible Beams Beat Down!"
"Dead Scream!"
As the attacks neared the confused youma three more voices chorused from another street. "Black Light Eclipse!"
"White Light Purity!"
"Gray Solar Shadows Consume!"
All five attacks struck the knot of creatures simultaneously and all disappeared with shrieks.
"Huh?" Indigo asked then hurried forward, Pluto followed.
From around the corner of another street came the three shades senshi, Sailor White Sun, Sailor Black Sun, and Sailor Gray Sun.
"Talk about overkill," the dark senshi commented with a sideways smile.
White Sun laughed quietly, "That did make things go quickly."
"Apollo told us to come here," Gray Sun said, "What a coincidence to see you two here as well."
Setsuna chuckled, "Solara gave us directions here as well."
"I guess they are running out of youma to keep us busy with," Indigo suggested.
Sets of hurried footsteps clacked on the street across from where Black, White, and Gray Sun appeared. Rounding a corner, three more senshi ran into view: Sailor Gold Sun, Sailor Bronze Sun, and Sailor Silver Sun. The bronze senshi stopped immediately in confusion when she saw five soldiers already standing on the sidewalk before them. A few cars trickled through the intersection and people emerged onto the sidewalks now that the youma were gone. Gold Sun and Silver Sun ran a few steps more before they paused in confusion as well.
"Where's the youma?" Sailor Bronze Sun called, hurrying towards the other senshi.
"Luna told us there were some here," The silver senshi added as the trio crossed the street towards the other senshi.
Both Indigo Sun and Black Sun burst into laughter.
"What?" Gold Sun demanded as she reached them, "Was that a joke somehow?"
Pluto smiled, "Solara directed Itazura and I here."
"And Apollo told us to come as well," Gray Sun added.
"Those cats should talk to each other more often," Gold Sun said sternly then laughed, "They really do not seem to be telling each other where they send us."
"I wonder how everyone else is fairing," White Sun pondered.
Although Sailor Orange Sun could run fast with much more ease than Sailor Venus could, the silver senshi did not mention it, pretending to be comfortable as she struggled to keep up. Venus did not want to let her companion know that she was any less capable.
The orange senshi skidded to a halt as they rounded a corner with. Sailor Venus bumped into her as she stopped as well; people walking along the sidewalks still kept a safe yet curious distance from the pair of senshi.
"I know I saw them go this way," Orange Sun muttered, scanning the busy street in front of them.
Venus nodded, "I saw the youma too, but they can't be on the street. The cars and people would be out of here if they were. I wonder if any of the other senshi destroyed them first."
Just then, a pair of sailor senshi dressed in red clattered up to the street on the other side of the intersection. Both Sailor Mars and Sailor Red Sun glanced around, with perplexed expressions matching the other pair of girls.
"Rei! Furea! Over here!" Sailor Venus called, waving above the traffic. Meanwhile the traffic lights still forbid either pair to cross.
Both senshi glanced up at her, but Mars's attention quickly transferred to scanning the street again.
"Did you see the youma?" Sailor Orange Sun asked loudly, cupped hands around her mouth.
"We know they're—"Sailor Red Sun started but her counterpart cut her off.
"Look out!" Rei yelled and pointed above Venus and Orange Sun.
The pair whirled around in time to see a clump of youma leap down from the overhang above them. Venus yelped and hurried to the side and out of their way while Kanmi quickly spun out of range. Five of the creatures landed on the pavement between them. One cackled. Almost immediately, the intersection cleared of cars and the sidewalks cleared of people, all hurrying to safety in shops or farther away. Not waiting for the lights to change, Sailor Red Sun and Sailor Mars bolted across the street.
Sailor Orange Sun was the first to recover from the surprise of the attack. She raised her hands in front of her and shrieked, "Orange Solar Flare!" All but the cackling youma managed to avoid the slow attack. After its laughs melted into screams then into nothing, only four of the creatures remained.
"One apiece?" Sailor Red Sun asked with a grin as she counted their enemies.
"Of course," Orange Sun replied, smirking.
Venus and Mars exchanged glances, each smiling. Each could easily destroy all four with just one attack. This was for the fun of it.
"Hey you!" Mars called to the nearest creature, tossing a pebble at it. When it turned wrathfully towards her, she waved, "Over here!" Turning quickly, she dashed down the sidewalk away from the others. The youma followed eagerly. Abruptly the soldier stopped and spun on her heels. Before the youma could stop as well, she attacked, "Mars Flame Sniper!" It hurried right into the flaming arrow, disappearing instantly without even a cry. Sailor Mars laughed triumphantly.
Orange Sun quickly regained her balance from the last attack and repeated, taking careful aim her chosen youma. "Orange Solar Flare!" she shrieked again. This time the creature could not avoid her and dissolved with a shriek.
Venus lashed out with one of her more useful attacks, "Venus Love-me Chain! " Instead of destroying the youma she just bound it in place. It struggled against its golden bonds. Time for some old stuff. She thought, then attacked, "Venus Crescent Beam Shower!" lights shot down towards the creature and it disappeared wailing. "Alright!" she cheered and turned her attention to the last remaining youma.
Sailor Red Sun disliked taking an indirect way about winning. She simply targeted and attacked, "Red Solar Heat Wave!" Red heat bore down on the creature and it vanished with a scream that echoed through the city. All four girls relaxed, feeling a sudden peace.
A moment later, Apollo's voice sounded in their ears, "That is the last of them. All the youma are gone. Meet back at the shrine."
"So," Mars said softly, "Off we go then."
The four girls retreated back across the street back towards Rei's home, finding a place to shed their sailor fuku before continuing on. The streets and sidewalks filled with cars and people once again, the danger now gone.
"You know," Furea commented as they walked along together, "I kind of wished for a better fight. This was all too easy and too short."
"You've got that right," Kanmi agreed. "Now life gets boring again."
"You could always stay around here some more, we always have plenty to fight," Minako suggested. "I wouldn't mind the help. Then I could be a normal high school girl more often."
"We cannot do that," Kanmi shook her head. "Our kingdom is waiting for our return. We have our duties to hold to as you have yours."
No one responded and the quartet traveled in silence for a long while. As they came in sight of their destination, both Rei and Furea suddenly stopped where they were, eyes blank. "Do you feel it?" Rei asked her companion.
Furea nodded, "Yes. There is something very evil nearing."
As suddenly as they had stopped, they began walking again, past the building with a large sign across the front saying 'Ginga TV.' The feeling of darkness passed.
Minako and Kanmi gave each other quizzical looks and followed them, not asking questions.
Usagi rushed out towards them when the came nearer to the shrine. In her hand she clutched a white envelope addressed to America. "Rei, Minako, Furea, Kanmi!" she exclaimed, coming to a halt in front of them. "You're the last ones back except for Haruka, Michiru, and Kigai. Luna said they were all the way on the other side of town when you finished off the last youma."
"Great," Rei responded calmly, "So what are we doing now?"
"Getting ready to go home?" Kanmi asked softly.
Usagi nodded, "Yea. Enogu-hime and the others are already planning the best place to leave from."
"I guess we should get inside then," Furea said and sighed. Leaving already? I was hoping we could stay at least a little longer. We just became friends again...
As the four girls headed towards the sliding doors, Usagi continued towards the stairs and away. Minako paused and turned around, calling after her, "Usagi-chan! Where are you going?"
Not pausing as she quickly descended the first few steps, she answered back over her shoulder, "I want to send off this letter to Mamo-chan before I have to say goodbye to everyone!" A few moments later, her bobbing blond pigtails disappeared from sight.
Rei, who had also stopped commented, "She's been writing to him every day since he left, hasn't she?"
Minako sighed and nodded, "It must be hard for her to be separated from him for this long." After a pause as they both gazed blankly down the stairs, she suggested, "Let's get back inside with the others. There are a lot of goodbye's to say to all of the Golden Sun Senshi."
Rei smiled and she and the blond followed their two other friends inside Rei's dwelling.
Haruka regretted not taking the car when the trekked half way across downtown Tokyo. It took Kigai, Michiru, and her over and hour to walk back to the Shinto shrine once Helia informed them the last of the youma had been destroyed. She rounded the last corner several long steps ahead of both Michiru and Kigai, both of whom were naturally slower than her.
"Why are you in such a hurry Haruka?" Michiru asked, hurrying up to her partner's side.
"We're late enough as it is," she explained impatiently, "I just want to get back."
"We can't have missed much Haruka," Kigai pointed out, straggling behind both the older girls. "Aiji and Enogu would never start anything without everyone there."
"She is right, you know," Michiru agreed.
Suddenly Kigai gasped and broke into a dead sprint, passing both Michiru and Haruka as she ran towards the huge set of stairs leading up to their destination.
Michiru paused and gently grasped Haruka's hand to get her attention, "What do you think—?"
"It has to have something to do with her princess," Haruka said absently, "Or else it's evil. Let's go!" She took off at a run, her teal-haired companion following after her. They clattered up the stone steps, breathlessly stopping at the top. In the middle of the lawn Kigai knelt, head bowed, in front of two unfamiliar figures. Haruka's eyes darted between the winged figure and Kigai while Michiru's were glued on the much smaller one. Stepping forward, Haruka called shakily in shock, "U-usagi? You need to get out here."
Kigai as well as the two strangers in Sailor fuku looked up immediately at Haruka and Michiru. The doors to the shrine slid open and Usagi stumbled out. "What Haruka?" she asked as she gained her balance, then she noticed the two visitors between her and her soldiers. She stopped and gasped. "Queen Astra?" she asked quietly.
The winged woman, already staring at Usagi, smiled. "Yes Sailor Moon, Princess Serenity. It is I." She pivoted, obscuring the smaller girl in teal and Kigai from Usagi's view with her large pale blue wings. Her hair was the same light blond color as her daughter Aiji's but done in buns like Usagi's with the remainder of her hair falling straight down just past her shoulders. Her outfit was very similar to Usagi's Eternal Sailor Moon outfit in style, only consisting of periwinkle blue, sky blue, and pale yellow of the sun in difference. Like both of her daughters, she had pale china-like skin and calm light blue eyes.
A moment later, several people appeared at the open doorway behind Usagi, staring in awe yet not saying a word. Soon everyone who could had crammed themselves in the opening, straining to see the new arrivals.
After a long pause, Usagi finally spoke again, "Why are you here? Everyone is safe and they are ready to go home."
"I wanted to meet you, Serenity," the queen of the sun began, "And I wanted to make amends for my actions in the past." After a thoughtful pause of glancing around she added, "Your home is beautiful. From here, the Sun looks stunning in your blue sky."
Usagi blushed, "My name now is Tsukino Usagi. People never call me Serenity now."
"Alright Usagi-san," Astra nodded, "Is there a place we might speak better?"
Before Usagi could answer, a small yet serious voice piped up from behind the queen's wings, "Your Highness?"
"Ah yes," she said slowly with realization and backed away, reveling a tiny girl in teal sailor fuku with short pale sea-foam green hair. "I should introduce to you Kinshou Kashoku, one of my most trusted soldiers."
Usagi smiled and bowed politely in greeting, "Pleased to meet—"
She was cut off as several girls burst through the crowd at the door, Tsute at the lead. The pink-haired girl cried, "Kashoku! You're alive!"
Tsute, Akari, Kumori, and Mikomi smothered the tiny senshi in hugs.
Still standing at the top of the stairs, Michiru murmured, "That must be Sailor Teal Sun, my counterpart..."