Once upon a June, the Crystal Palace held a grand celebration for the birthday of Neo-Queen Serenity and Usagi Small Lady Serenity. In the Rose Garden, lanterns cast butterfly-shaped shadows on the white tablecloths, champagne flowed freely down towers of crystal, and the air was filled with the music of flutes and zithers.

Yet, at an opportune moment, the Princess slipped out.

She had been trapped in childhood's cage for far, far too long, but now finally resembled the Maiden of her proper age. In fact, her longer legs made it harder to traverse the secret passageways she knew so well—but she wasn't discouraged.

Into the Firefly Garden, with its dark velvety towers of hollyhock bending over the tulip beds. Johnny-Jump-Up and Hearts' Ease bloomed in shaded hollows. A stream wound through the garden, a placid, broad creek over which fireflies performed liturgical dances. Yet Chibiusa (for this was the name the princess held dearest to her heart) knew that the still waters disguised a willful current.

She knelt beside the brook, arranging the tiers of her pink skirts so that they would not take a stain from the grass. When she was settled, she looked skyward. Among the scattered stars, one shone violet down on her.

"Saturn," said the Princess. The word alone was prayer, memory, and admonishment.

Then she clasped her hands in her lap and shut her eyes. "Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight… I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight."

There was a rustle from the shadows.

Chibiusa darted to her feet. "Who's there?" she asked.

A shadow stirred. A gentle voice said, "You have one hand on your transformation brooch. That's wise."

"I'm a fighter," Chibiusa said, but she lowered her brooch. "Who are you?"

"You're smiling, Princess."

Yes, she was, wasn't she? "I recognize your voice."

"Then you know who I am."

"I want to hear you tell me."

"As you wish."

Into the light stepped a tall young woman in black. She lifted dark eyes. "I am Hotaru Tomoe, and your humble servant."

Chibiusa gave a cry. She flung her arms around Hotaru and held her tightly. "Hotaru! Hotaru, Hotaru, Hotaru…"

"I'm sorry it took so long," Hotaru whispered.

Chibiusa pulled back to look up into Hotaru's face. "How did you know," she asked, "to find me here?"

"I…" her eyes dropped to their clasped hands. "I had a dream," she said. "A dream where I walked through an underground kingdom and met a man in white. We talked about you, and he told me the directions to this garden."

"Oh!" Chibiusa covered her smile—or her hiccuped sob— with one hand. "Helios, wherever you are, I bless your name. You're here, Hotaru," she said through a laugh, "You're here!"

Hotaru pressed her cold hand against her dear one's cheek. Her brows lowered. "My Princess…"

"Yes?"

"I have a confession to make."

When Hotaru moved to put a little distance between them, Chibiusa respected that wish.

"Well, I might as well get it out now." She held her empty hands out, palms-up. "I can't transform into Sailor Saturn anymore."

Chibiusa's eyes went wide, garnet-colored in the evening light. "You can't transform?"

Hotaru held up a transformation pen in her left hand. "Saturn Crystal Power," she said deliberately, "Make-Up."

A breeze stirred the leaves around them. A wind passed over the brook. Hotaru remained, absolutely and perfectly, Hotaru.

Chibiusa's brows came together; for a moment she looked very like her father. "This doesn't make sense. Did something happen to you?"

Hotaru shook her head. "Nothing. I think that 'nothing' is precisely the matter. Sailor Saturn is meant to attend to calamity, the end of the world. But the world's last ending was nine hundred years ago. Since then, the ice caps have been repaired, pollution has been cleaned up— we're a little short on Horsemen of the Apocalypse. And that's a good thing!" she added hurriedly. "But that's not the world for Sailor Saturn. I think… I think she has gone dormant."

"How interesting." Chibiusa tapped her chin with a finger. "The Royals, Pluto, all the rest—what do they know?"

"They know that I have been living in seclusion for a long, long time." Hotaru's hand gripped her sleeve; startlingly pale against the black coat. "Setsuna-mama knows about Saturn's dormancy; she says it is not unprecedented. All the others know is that I have been traveling the world, alone, mastering magic. It has the benefit of being true," she finished dryly.

"So I'm… the second person who knows about Saturn?"

"Yes."

"Thank you for trusting me," Chibiusa said. "But I wish you hadn't stayed away so long."

Hotaru hung her head, so that the lanterns along the path illuminated her face better. She looked very tired. "I'm sorry. I wanted a way to protect you. I felt I couldn't come to you with nothing to offer except… well, myself."

Chibiusa cupped Hotaru's face in her hands. "And you think that's not enough?" Her arms came around Hotaru again; Chibiusa buried her face in her shoulder. "I've missed you," she said, "so much."

"I thought you were happy, here in the Palace—a Guardian at last, and the Four Generals returned—"

"And I have so much gossip to share about that, by the way—"

"And Helios, living aboveground. I thought you had everything you needed."

"But I didn't have you." Chibiusa drew back, only to lay her forehead against Hotaru's. "How could I build up a good future without you?"

Hotaru said nothing, she only gripped Chibiusa's hands tightly. For a moment they stayed like that in a rich, loving silence.

Abruptly, Chibiusa spoke. "What kind of magic did you learn?"

A shy smile. "Let me show you."

Hand in hand, they left the brook's side. Hotaru led Chibiusa to the base of the lilac bush, where low boughs concealed a secret, low space. Soon they were knee-to-knee in a bower of lilac; white and purple and pink flowers abounded, stained gold where the lantern-light was brightest, silver above from the moon's touch. Hotaru reached up and snapped a little twig from the ceiling. It truly was a "twig;" the poor thing didn't even have any leaves to boast of.

Hotaru held the twig upright between herself and Chibiusa. Her eyes shut.

An aura surrounded her hand, of a deep heliotrope, and a low B note sounded through the garden, as might be produced by chiming a crystal goblet.

The twig trembled. It shot forth leaves. Hopeful little buds clustered at its end, and they burst into bloom after a moment's quiet coaxing from Hotaru.

She handed the blooming twig to the Princess, who cradled it gently in her hands.

"I may not summon the power of the Abyss anymore," Hotaru said, trying for lightness, "but maybe I can be official Druid to the Queen."

"Druid? Like the old Earth-magic of Europe?" Chibiusa's eyes sparkled. "You should talk to Zoisite. But, wait, that's not the title I want for you."

Hotaru was perplexed. "What title, then?"

"Well— darn, I'm already on my knees. Should we—no, no, this is perfect."

"Come again?"

"You're perfect." Chibiusa looked deeply into Hotaru's eyes. "Pretend that I've just gotten on one knee," she said with a grin.

"Oh?" Hotaru remembered to exhale. Then inhale. "Oh."

The gravity of the moment hit Chibiusa at the same time. Was this really the right moment? No— no room for doubt— it was the perfect moment. In the Firefly Garden, alone, without losing a moment, not a breath.

Chibiusa's smile grew steady, like a candle burning before an altar. "I've known this since we said goodbye, in the twenty-first century," she said. The blooming twig she tucked into the bodice of her dress. "I've known this since the day we met," she added, grasping Hotaru's hands. "And you know it too, don't you? I want to be your wife. I want to share our future—everything you are, everything I am." A sudden uncertainty. "Have you changed your mind?"

"Never." Her amethyst eyes were very bright.

"Good, good, I just wanted to be sure!" Chibiusa almost giggled, but composed herself in time. "Please, Hotaru, will you stay with me, and be my wife? Let me take care of you."

A wind passed over them, and the lilac boughs shook. Small purple blossoms rained gently on the two maidens. Hotaru reached forward and brushed an obstinate petal off of Chibiusa's fringe (the princess had barely noticed).

"Only if you let me take care of you," Hotaru said, "and protect you."

Finally Chibiusa laughed, a sound of pure joy. "Yes!"

And then—like two streams that have twisted and fallen through the woods and finally, finally mingle, to go together to the sea—the two maidens came together in a searing, aching, joyful kiss.