Here is today's chapter! Work on the next chapter will begin soon if not immediately. This prequel is almost done so yeah...

Anywho, today we get to meet Taiki's family! Exciting, no? Enough of my crazy ramblings...Crazy? I was crazy once...

Sailor Muse: Don't start that rant again.

Hai, hai.

I do not own the rights to Sailor Moon or any affiliate character thereof. They belong to Naoko Takeuchi and Toei Animation...:writes note:...must...take over...Toei...Animation...:looks up:...why are you still reading this? Go read the chapter!

Dozo minna!

Yaten stared at the three grave markers. Snow swirled around her, but she didn't care. Nor did she flinch when a cold wind bit through her coat. She knelt down in the snow. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I wasn't strong enough. Taiki says by training to become a Starlight I'll become strong. But I can't do it. I'm not strong. I'm not who they think I am…I'm no one." She turned to her sister's marker. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I failed you Kei. I failed you all." She rose to her feet and walked away, heading out of the city.

- - - - - - - - - -

Taiki sighed wearily. She slumped down in a chair and held her head in her hands. "You okay?"

Taiki looked up at Seiya. "There's no trace of her in the city," Taiki answered. "I knew she'd run. I knew she'd run but I didn't stop her."

"If we had kept her in the city against her will she would have run anyway. At least now we can try to talk to her."

"Agreed," Kakyuu said as she walked to them. "Maker, go after her. Fighter will remain here."

"Princess, I don't even know where to start looking," Taiki replied.

"Trust in your heart to lead you," Kakyuu replied. "Come Fighter." The two walked away, Seiya patting her friend on the shoulder in encouragement.

Taiki rubbed her eyes with her left index finger and thumb. "Where would she go if she didn't want to be found?" she whispered.

"I've lived in the city my whole life. I'd love to go out to the countryside someday," Yaten's voice echoed from her memory.

"That's it!" Taiki exclaimed. She leapt to her feet and tore down the hall.

- - - - - - - - - -

Taiki pushed up her sunglasses as the sun glared off of the snow. She looked around the flat landscape. There's no place like home… she thought. She sighed and walked down the road. She stopped when she saw a figure in the middle of the field straighten. The two stared at each other. Taiki bowed slightly and continued walking. She stopped when someone grabbed her arm. She looked over at an older woman with soft blue eyes, graying brown hair swaying in the cold wind.

"Kou?" the woman asked. Taiki nodded and the woman threw her arms around the tall teen. "I missed you so much!"

"So you're back," a gruff voice stated.

Taiki looked over at a tall, dark brown haired man with a hard, chiseled face. "Hello," she said uncertainly.

"Come on. Dinner's almost ready." He turned and walked away.

The woman turned and hugged Taiki again. "Welcome home daughter!" The two walked towards the house. They walked inside and Taiki stood uncertainly in the front hall of the farmhouse. "Come in!" she said, pulling Taiki inside. "We missed you so much!" She smiled. "Though your father will never admit it of course."

"Mom…I can't stay long," Taiki said. "I'm looking for someone."

"Who?" she asked.

"A friend of mine who just lost her family. I'm sorry, but I need to go."

"Figures you wouldn't have changed. Always abandoning your family," her father scoffed.

"I never abandoned you!" Taiki shouted.

"Please…" her mother tried.

"You ran out on this family a year ago!" her father thundered.

"I didn't run out! I left because I had to! It was the only way to keep you and Mom safe!"

"Yeah right!"

"I don't care if you believe me or not. But I have something I have to do." She turned and walked out of the house.

"Leave! That's what…" Taiki's mother suddenly screamed.

The teen burst back inside and skidded to a halt. Several vampires were dragging her parents out of the back. "Leave them alone!" Taiki shouted as she ran after them. She stopped at the door and saw more vampires outside. Realizing she had no choice, she pulled out her Sailor Change Star. "Maker Star Power! Make UP!"

"Kou…?" her mother whispered in shock.

"Penetrating the darkness of night, the air of freedom breaks through! I am a sacred shooting star! Sailor Star Maker!"

"Kill her!" the leader ordered.

"Star Gentle Uterus!" The attack slammed into the five vampires, killing them. Maker ran to the couple and helped them up. "Are you all right?" she asked.

Her mother looked at her. "Kou? You…you're a Starlight?"

Maker nodded, her head bowed. "I am."

"Why didn't you tell us?" her father demanded.

"I couldn't put you in that kind of danger if you knew," she replied, undoing her henshin. "I wanted to…I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter…not anymore," her father said.

"So…who is this friend you're looking for?"

"I can't really say."

"This friend of yours have silver hair?" her mother asked.

"Yeah."

"She passed by two days ago. She was heading west," her father answered.

"I have to go," Taiki said.

"Let me at least pack you some supplies," her mother insisted and hurried inside.

Her father looked at her. "I know we've had our differences in the past, but I've always been proud of you Kou. So very proud."

Taiki smiled. "I know. I missed you both so much. There were so many times I wanted to come and visit."

"Why didn't you?"

"We didn't part on the best of terms. I guess I was just afraid."

He wrapped an arm around her and smiled. "You're always welcome here Kou. Always," he said.

"And the both of you can come and visit me in the capital if you want. Just let me know before hand."

"We might take you up on that one day," he smiled.

"Here you go," her mother said, handing a large pack of food to Taiki. "That should last you for a while."

"Thank you Mom…Dad. I love you both." She hugged them and swung the pack onto her back. She began trudging through the snow when her father told her stop. She turned and saw him pulling a horse over to her. "I can't take Star."

"You can bring him back after you find your friend," her father said.

Taiki smiled and took the reins. She swung up onto the horse and placed her bags on either side of the saddle. "Thank you. I'll be back soon. Wish me luck." They nodded and she rode off on the brown and white horse.

- - - - - - - - - -

Taiki reined the horse to a stop. Three days had passed since she had been reunited with her parents. She looked around the pure white landscape, wondering how Yaten could make it this far out. She refused to believe that the small teen had fallen victim to the elements.

"Where are you Yaten?" she murmured, her voice muffled from her scarf. She scanned the landscape again and paused when she saw movement near the edge of a small forest. She kicked the horse into a gallop and descended upon the figure. She leapt off the horse and knelt down next to the lump. She rolled it over and stared at Yaten's shivering form. Letting a stream of curses, the tall Starlight picked Yaten up and slung her over the saddle. She got up behind Yaten and wrapped her arms around the silver haired Starlight. She let out a harsh cry to the horse and they bolted back the way they had come, Taiki urging as much speed from the horse as she felt was safe.

- - - - - - - - - -

Taiki's father looked out of the window as a cold, night wind howled. "What's wrong Kanshi?" his wife asked.

"Something's out there Kairen. Stay here," Kanshi ordered. He picked up a staff and pulled a coat on before venturing outside. "Whoever's there, show yourself!" he ordered. He grabbed the lantern hanging by the door and held it out as something fell heavily in the snow. "Star?" he slowly asked. He walked forward and saw his daughter holding a smaller teen in her arms. "KAIREN!" he bellowed.

She hurried out. "What is…blessed ancestors!" she exclaimed.

"Get a hot fire going in the main room now! And get blankets!" Kairen spun around and ran back inside. "One moment Star," he said to the exhausted horse. Kanshi picked the two teens up and pulled them inside, sweat beginning to form on his head. He pulled them into the main room and grabbed the blankets in the room. He threw them over the shivering forms of the two Starlights as Kairen hurriedly built up the fire. He ran outside and walked Star over to the stable. He placed several blankets over her and gave her plenty of water and feed before returning to the house.

"They're both ice cold," Kairen said, placing a tenth blanket on Yaten.

"Kou must have driven Star faster than ever," he murmured.

"Keep an eye on them. I'm going to boil some water." He nodded and Kairen hurried into the kitchen.

"Da…Dad…?" a weak voice asked.

Kanshi walked over to Taiki and sat down. "I'm here Kou. You and your friend are safe now."

Taiki's teeth chattered. She nodded. "Hurried…back…fast…as…I could…"

"I know. You're both going to be fine now, do you hear me?" he said. She nodded, smiling faintly. "Good. Now get some rest. Gods know you've earned it." Taiki nodded and drifted asleep, letting the warmth from the fire seep into her face. Kairen emerged a short time later and dipped several strips of cloth into the scalding water. She wrung them out and let them cool slightly before placing them on Taiki's head, wrists, the inside of her elbow, and on her neck and legs. Kanshi did the same to Yaten. The two adults pulled the teens closer to the fire.

"At least they're not shivering as much," Kairen murmured.

"Aye," Kanshi agreed.

- - - - - - - - - -

Yaten weakly opened her eyes. She looked up at the strange ceiling and frowned. She tried to sit up but her body refused to obey. Instead she moved her head from left to right, looking at the walls of the room. On her left was a window, a heavy curtain drawn over the glass. Two bookshelves sat on either side of the window. On her right was a large, wooden dresser and a door that led to a closet. Next to the dresser was a fireplace, a dying fire flickering inside.

"You're awake," a kind voice said.

Yaten watched as a kind woman with graying brown hair placed a bowl of steaming soup at the bedside table on her right. "Where…" Yaten tried to say.

"You're safe and warm child. You've been asleep for nearly a week. We were starting to get worried you might not wake up, but our daughter was insistent that you'd pull through. Looks like she was right."

"Daughter?" Yaten whispered.

"Answers can come later." Footsteps thudded on the wood floor and Kairen looked over briefly. She nodded and rose to her feet from the chair. "Get plenty of rest child. I'll be back later." She walked out of the room.

The footsteps neared and a familiar face sat down in the chair Kairen had just vacated. "You gave my parents a scare."

"Taiki?"

"That's my name," she smiled.

"What…how did…?"

"I was worried about you," Taiki said softly. "You left without so much as a goodbye or a note." She smiled faintly. "Even if the Princess hadn't ordered me to make sure you were okay I would have followed you."

"Why?"

"Because I care about you…" she fell silent and looked down.

Yaten frowned slightly. "You…do?" Taiki nodded. "As a friend, right?"

"A friend," Taiki confirmed. "And maybe something more…" she whispered. She looked up at Yaten. "I don't want to influence anything you decide. It's still up to you if you want to become a Starlight or not."

"How can I protect the Princess when I couldn't protect my family?" she asked.

"You try to do the best you can. No one can ask for more. Not me, not Fighter, not the Princess. You have the strength within you to become part of a legend. I saw it the first time you were attacked at the parade. You did the exact thing Fighter or myself would have done."

"I can never escape being a Starlight, can I?" she asked.

"What makes you say that?"

"When I was out there in the snow…I could hear my family talking to me… telling me that I needed to stop running. That I was meant to do something better with my life than being a nobody. That I should follow my heart…" she said, her voice falling to a whisper at the end. She let out a slow breath and looked at Taiki. "I'll go back with you. If I can do something good with the rest of my life, then so be it."

Taiki nodded. "We'll leave once you're able."

Yaten pushed herself up and looked at the still steaming bowl of soup. "Is that any good?" she asked.

Taiki smiled. "Best soup on all of Kinmokusei," she replied. She picked up the tray and placed it over Yaten's lap.

Yaten picked up the spoon and ate a small amount. Her green eyes widened in surprise and she looked at Taiki. "This is good!"

"It should be. All the vegetables and meat are fresh," Taiki replied with a warm grin. "The palace chefs are good, but there's just something about a simple meal, you know?" she asked.

Yaten nodded, swallowing another spoonful of soup. "There's nothing like a home cooked meal." She stared into the soup.

Taiki rested a hand on Yaten's. The silver haired Senshi looked into the warm blue eyes. "You have a home here Yaten. If you want it."

Yaten smiled, tears shimmering in her eyes. "I'd like that." Taiki smiled and hugged the smaller girl.

- - - - - - - - - -

"Are you sure you have to leave so soon?" Kanshi asked.

"Yeah. We need to get back," Taiki said.

"Well…don't be a stranger," Kairen told her.

Taiki smiled. "I won't be."

"That goes for you as well," Kanshi told Yaten.

She bowed slightly. "Thank you. For everything." The two Starlights turned and began heading down the road, bundled in several warm winter coats. "So…will I have to go through training?"

"Yeah. Don't worry though. Seiya and I are still training."

Yaten frowned. "Seiya?"

Taiki nodded. "Seiya Kou. Star Fighter."

"Wait, wait. Her first name is Kou too?"

"Yep."

Yaten began giggling. "So all three Starlights are named Kou."

"Yes they are," Taiki laughed. The pair continued down the snowy road to the train station, laughing and talking. She's learning to live again… Taiki thought as she laughed at a joke Yaten had said. I'm glad.

A much happier chapter than yesterday's. Please leave me a review. I have plot pudding for those who do!