Disclaimer: I own nothing, except maybe Mira's mother.

On a planet where only Grounders yelled and the sole polite noise was idle chit-chat, it shouldn't've shocked her just how quiet the royal mausoleum was. But behind away for so long made a lot of everyday things seem strange to the princess.

She had shed her ranger suit for a more formal gown, black with cobalt blue designs swirling like galaxy clusters. Her orange hair kept itself out of her face, down and rather plain in spite of her dress. She phased through the golden exterior and into the inner sanctum of her family's final resting place.

An ice blue color surrounded her, the walls and staircase almost crystalline in appearance. Smooth gemstones the size of a giant were dug into the sides, their colors distinct and gleaming. It reminded her of an old foreign history book she had shown to her father after her studies one day. Stained glass, it had called the designs. King Nova scoffed.

"Our tombs are far more beautiful than those…and outsiders can't even begin to peer inside," His ethnocentricism faded for a moment, softening at the little girl on his lap as he sat on his throne, "But they are very pretty, all the same."

She started to ascend the stairs, climbing up towards the sky one heavy step at a time.

"I don't get it," An angry teen version of herself had hissed during one of her visits, "They're dead. Who cares how it looks? It doesn't change anything."

King Nova had stared blankly at the last gemstone, as though wishing to ghost inside and curl up.

"No, my little Mira; there is nothing pretty about death. But, without beauty," he gestured to the mausoleum, "…we cannot begin to cope with the loss of our loved ones."

Mira Nova had long since grown up and seen the world outside of her sheltered gilded cage. Then, only then, after she had watched her fellow Space Rangers were gunned down, citizens crushed to death under collateral damage, even criminals so desperate to escape the grip of the law they did the unthinkable, could she begin to understand what he had meant. The little girl inside of her wanted to run to the palace, hug him until he choked, scream "Daddy, Daddy, you were right…you were so right…".

Yes, Mira knew the world now for what it was, and it wasn't pretty gemstone graves. It was gray, ugly and quite frankly depressing.

She finally reached the top of the tower. New levels were built every third generation or so, to accommodate the deaths that continued despite the mausoleum's completeness. Someday, her father would be next, and then her, and then her children. A never-ending spiral, always reaching towards the sun.

The final gemstone was indescribable. Daddy must've found the best artisan to craft it; vibrant hues of oranges pinks and yellows swirled and speckled the smooth surface. Not quite as dramatic as sunset, but not as tame as a garden. She bowed her head before reading the inscription below the jeweled coffin.

Maizilei Nova

Birth: August 29, 2160

Death: April 22, 2200

A death as noble as her life and blood

She closed her eyes against the words, swallowing hard. She had been old enough to remember her mother…but there was nothing. No smiling face, no soft voice, not even the warmth of a touch. Daddy had often remarked how much she reminded him of her mother, until he realized it bothered her. Mira didn't like to be compared to anyone, no matter how beautiful the pictures and stories. Playful. Headstrong. Intelligent. These were the criteria that he saw mirrored in his daughter.

Mira hated the epitaph, as if nobility was all that mattered. She'd rather her mother was less noble and alive than dead and some sort of martyr.

She set down the bouquet of flowers on the designated shelf, right beside her father's tokens of mourning. She stayed a few minutes, blew a kiss, and then left.

She ghosted out into the open air, pausing a moment to wipe the remnants of mourning from her face.

"I missed you at Cosmo's today." A familiar voice murmured. She twisted on her heels, then quickly tried to recover from her shock.

Buzz Lightyear stood, leaning casually against the mausoleum. He was dressed in his usual standard issue uniform, his face solemn.

"Hey, Buzz." She tried to sound casual, "What brings you out here to Tangea?" He sized her up like a doctor examining a mental patient.

"You seemed off today, ranger. Left early, requested permission to take a small cruiser to your home planet… Quiet, for once." It might've been a joke, but Mira couldn't tell. She bristled.

"It's none of your business what I do off-duty."

"As team leader, it kind of is."

"Well, I'm fine. You wasted rocket fuel chasing after me." She growled, "I…just wanted privacy."

If he knew he was fighting a losing battle, he didn't show it. He glanced at the section of wall she had come out of, as though it was a door.

"Someone you know in there?" He asked softly. Her shoulders sagged.

"Yeah…my mother." She admitted. He bowed his head.

"I'm sorry." Mira blinked, doing a double-take. No questions…just an inappropriate apology.

"It's not your fault." She pointed out.

"No, I'm not sorry for her. I'm sorry for you." He frowned, "How did it happen?"

Mira wasn't sure what was throwing her off more; her rare indulgence in the past, or Buzz's almost human empathy. It was probably Buzz… It almost made her think he had emotions. She shook her head.

"It wasn't anything new… Well, nothing new when it comes to royalty and Grounders. She was just out for a walk and they attacked her…" She closed her eyes

"Easy, Princess..."

"Don't call me that!" She snapped. Buzz held his hands up in an "I surrender" pose.

"Mira." He corrected himself obnoxiously. He sighed, "If there's…anything I can do for you…"

"There's nothing you can do, Buzz." She hissed, then her tone dropped into a mumble, "There's nothing anyone can do."

Buzz stood awkwardly for a moment, watching Mira for any signs he could pick up on. She was just quiet. And still.

"Well, I guess I'll go then."

"Yep, you should." There was something he detected in her voice, like a red blimp on a radar screen. Warning, warning. But he didn't know what the warning was for. He nodded to her.

"Carry on then, Ranger Nova. I…hope you're up to standard tomorrow."

"Of course, Ranger Lightyear." Warning, warning…

Buzz returned to 42 no more at ease than when he had left it. It was strange; hadn't he attained the information he was seeking? Hadn't he learned the reason behind her moodiness, and offered his assistance if she required it? But she didn't seem relieved after their conversation. She wasn't happy.

He launched into space, grave expression plastered on his face. Truth was, it wasn't his obligation to see how she was. He was only responsible for his teammates on duty, or if they were in peril. But Mira's pain hurt him, for some reason. Her sadness was his. He wasn't sure what to make of this emotion; he couldn't recall having it for any other person. Something stronger than sympathy or affection…

Mira opened her eyes as she heard 42's engine roar to life, watching the space ship with passive interest. Buzz had tried, she'd give him that, but he was utterly clueless about how to deal with a woman. It raced upwards, towards the sun, like the spiraling mausoleum. Life was a spiral; whether down or up she wasn't sure of.

She realized she knew nothing about Buzz's parents, if his mother or father were still alive. She guessed some things were too personal to talk to him about. Maybe there'd come an anniversary during the year where he'd be off, privately grieving his own loss.

Le End