Lady's Notes: I am attempting to correct my mistake and make this chapter a bit longer. I hope I did well! I tried to make it more... episode-like with more stuff going on. I got a pretty good idea as I was writing this, too... I rather like it. And I must keep on saying this, too... my Sun senshi will not disappoint you! She's not like all the rest! Hehe. She has a non-cliche story behind her, hopefully. And it will unfold!

Oh, and before I forget... I wanted to thank the people who review my fic. It really means a lot, especially since you're kind and constructive about it! Thankyou!

Supernova in the Sky

Ch. 4

The majority of the day went over quite well, Kotori managing to keep her anger in check and pretend like everything was swell between her and Capella. She suspected nothing. ChibiUsa, however, sniffed something peculiar in the air. With frequent breaks in cooking to check in with Diana, the young girl finally decided to go home for the day around two in the afternoon.

"Well, you certainly had a good idea for lunch, Kotori," the blonde said, running the dishwasher at last. "The kids really loved the pasta. They don't get really… multicultural food often, seeing as we can't cook too well!"

The redhead quickly rolled her eyes, keeping her inner dialogue as inner as she could, and then put on a fake smile.

"Why thank you Capella! Your compliment is appreciated!" She smiled and began cleaning up the rest of the kitchen, which was nothing new.

"If you two don't mind," she started, "I think I'm going to go take a walk. I might go shopping for some new shoes. Mine are a little bit worn and I saw a cute pair at the boutique down the street yesterday!"

"Oh! Well since you'll be all by yourself, Kotori—" the redhead's attention was drawn to the rabbit-bunned, "—I was wondering if I could invite you over to dinner at my house tonight!"

What? That was out of the norm. She needed the time to scour over that letter more! As short as it was, Kotori knew there was something fishy about it!

"I don't know if I can, Usa-chan… I have to help make dinner here."

"Aw it's okay, Kotori!" Capella said with a bright smile. "I have it taken care of! The fisherman downtown just caught the biggest load all season and he's putting his fish on sale. I'll take the kids down there to pick out a fish and some of the older ones can help me cook. Go on, have fun with ChibiUsa!"

With a sigh in her mind, Kotori knew it would be rude to deny the girl if her only excuse was shot down. She'd look at the letter when she got home. That way everyone would be asleep! Success!

"Okay, I don't see why not!" she relented. "What's your mother making for dinner?"

Hah! Dinner! Yeah, right! If there was going to be an impressive dinner of any sort at the Tsukino residence, it was only going to be because Makoto came over and made it. And then, there came ChibiUsa's idea. Makoto was going to be there!

"Hmm… I think we're having udon tonight! Or maybe yakisoba… I don't know, it's always a surprise with my mother!" she laughed. If Usagi ever felt like cooking, it was usually instant ramen.

"Anything for dessert?" Capella saw the mischievous smile on Kotori's face and smacked her on the head.

"Hey! It was nice enough of her to invite you over to her house, don't be picky!"

"Actually, dessert is our favorite part! My mom buys all kinds of ice creams, jellies, and mochi! You've gotta stay for that part!"

SOLD. Kotori ran to her room to pack her things. Sighing at how unsurprising this whole ordeal was, Capella returned to scrubbing the crusted pancake batter from the countertops.

"So Usa-chan, what grade are you entering this next school year?"

"Eighth…" The hefty sigh ChibiUsa heaved was a little surprising for the redhead. Eighth grade was supposed to be the boy-year, so she thought. Kotori knew she'd be having a field day.

"You don't sound enthused," she said.

"No… maybe I feel guilty… my best friend held herself back a year so we could go to school together. Or, maybe I just feel out of place I guess…"

"Out of place? Why do you say that?" Kotori asked, raising an eyebrow. Quickly, not realizing how she was just spewing her emotions everywhere, ChibiUsa put her hand over her mouth and laughed.

"Oh, I'm sorry… I shouldn't be whining to you like this! I really am excited. I've heard so many neat things about eighth grade year and I don't know why I'm so like this! Ignore me, I'm just being weird!" Kotori merely shrugged.

"Okay."

"Did you like your eighth grade year?"

The question slightly startled the redhead. She never really thought about such things anymore, especially since she knew it was no use. She'd never remember what she wanted to.

"You're never gonna believe me, ChibiUsa, but I can't remember anything before my 10th grade year. I woke up one morning in the hospital, and the doctors said that my parents and I lived in a very dangerous part of Italy, and they were making a long trek to Japan for my safety when they ran us off of a mountain road with a semi." ChibiUsa gasped, not expecting such a response.

"So… you must've had amnesia, and… I'm guessing they… your parents, I mean, they must've…"

"Died? Yeah… it's too bad. Everything that could've gotten me things like money and security and a place with extended family was destroyed. Y'know, legal documents and whatnot. Capella was there at the hospital with me. Said she found me washed up on a lake she was camping by with a bad sunburn." To the young girl's surprise, Kotori chuckled a little bit. "It figures, doesn't it? It figures that things had to get trashed up for me right as I was really starting to be someone…"

"Why do you say that, Kotori?" ChibiUsa asked, tilting her head.

"I think about it all the time, and I realize that I was well on my way to adulthood. It's not like I lost everything when I was young. I have no idea what kind of a future I could've been building myself at that time… no idea. It's all gone," Kotori explained. "But oh well. What can I do about it now?" With a confident smile, ChibiUsa patted her friend on the shoulder, and continued walking.

Meanwhile, Rufus was finally where he wanted to be. All of this climbing and jumping and lurking… he was too big for this. No cat of his… stature needed to be doing this. Regardless, after a challenging workout, he reached Kotori's windowsill, which he didn't remember being so high up earlier in the morning.

The room was empty. Perfect. And in the midst of Capella slamming the window shut, one pane slightly bounced back, leaving it ajar. If he were slimmer, it would be an easy fit inside. But no. If he were slimmer meant nothing in this situation. Sucking in all the weight he could, he slinked his way slowly and painfully through the crack of the windowpanes, and he would later tell someone to oil them in the near future. Nothing should be that difficult!

At long last, there he was, the mustard-yellow envelope right in front of him, the top still left open, and the letter peeking out just a little, teasing him with various kanji that the writer could draw very well. Making haste, he pulled it the rest of the way out, and read over it.

What stumped him every time he looked at it was the fact that after the Sincerely, there was no name! Rufus stared long and hard at the bottom of the paper until something happened that scared him half to death. His forehead started to glow. The shiny gold circle shone a thin beam of light, revealing a hidden name.

Kikeno Shigeo.

"Kikeno Shigeo?" he murmured aloud, tilting his head. That name didn't sound very familiar. Or did it? "Kikeno Shigeo…" He wracked his memory for something, anything. Queen Mau and her beautiful, stern face, and the lovely gold, red, and black gown she wore every day… he blushed, trying to move to a different subject… everything he knew about the Sun Kingdom – which wasn't much, Queen Mau's suitors, Queen Mau's guests… ah hah! An image came to his mind at last. "Kikeno Shigeo!"

Then, without warning, there was a bright eruption of light, and everything in the room was shaken by a faint wind. In the dissipation of the light, a tall, broad-shouldered man stood, cloaked in black.

"You called?"

His voice was slightly higher than what would suit him, and his earthy brown eyes locked patronizingly on the cat. Rufus merely tilted his head.

"Huh?"

"You said my name three times. That's the call," the man said. "My name is Shigeo, and you must be Rufus."

"How do you know who I am? I never said anything to anyone! Unless… you've been to Mau before! Yes! I remember you… you came to see our queen and then left because we didn't have one!"

"Well," Shigeo began, "she couldn't appoint anyone to guide the Sun Kingdom's princess. But now I see that she does, though it's a pity. They could have sent someone more qualified for the job."

"Hey! You just watch what I can do! I was sent for a reason!"

"You can't guide our princess if you don't know anything about her," Shigeo said smugly. "So let me fill you in…"

"MOOOMM I'M HOME!"

After opening the door, ChibiUsa hung up the house key and saw her mom ambling around the kitchen in an apron, reading an old Sailor V manga. Typical.

"Welcome back, ChibiUsa! I have some good news I want to tell everyone tonight… so I hope you don't mind if they're all coming over!" Usagi said with a grin on her face, toying idly with her blonde pigtails. The daughter merely nodded, making way for Kotori to enter the home. Right away, the girl's golden green eyes were wide in marvel over the home. Usagi was quite the homemaker, it appeared. Photos of the family and friends and pets decorated the walls with scrap-book like appearance, and motherly knick-knacks lined shelves that were perfectly dusted. It seemed as though ChibiUsa's mother was the exact opposite of what she was always telling Kotori.

"Amazing..." she murmured.

"Oh, right... Mom, this is my friend Kotori from the orphanage. I was wondering if she could stay for dinner!" ChibiUsa perked, putting her hands together. "After all..." she mused, "you're always telling me that it's a good idea to make friends with people other than Hotaru..."

"It's true!" Usagi said defensively, putting her hands on her hips. "You're so reserved sometimes, you don't give other people the time of day! I'm glad you're finally getting out of your snobby little shell. Now," the mother turned to the redhead, who was immediately pensive. "My name is Usagi. ChibiUsa here is always telling me about her friends from the orphanage, but I don't believe I've heard of your name yet!"

"Taiyouno Kotori!"

The girl's pride outshone everything. That was good, Usagi thought. Sort of. The last thing her daughter needed was someone who was going to teach her how to put herself even more above the general population. Regardless, Usagi put on her best smile.

"A beautiful name! Please, do call me by 'Usagi'. Anything else is too formal. We're friendly around here!"

Hours into the night, friends piled through the Tsukino Residence door, including ChibiUsa's father Mamoru; family friends Ami, Rei, Makoto who helped cook, Minako, and Hotaru; and animal friends - as weird of a term as Kotori believed it was - Luna, Artemis, and ChibiUsa's cat Diana. All sense of nutrition went out the door when Usagi and Makoto entered the kitchen - butter, a personal favorite of the redhead's, oil, and batter were put on just about everything, and it was a fried food fiesta. These people cooked to kill. Then, Kotori's curious mind sensed something was up when Rei and Minako started serving up a round of hot sake. She sensed it when Usagi politely passed up the offer, and any sensible, hard-working house wife was very open to social drinking.

So something had to be up. And she was right. Mamoru took a serving fork and lightly chimed it on his ceramic sake cup, catching everyone's attention with a slight ding. The laughing and casual chatter died down, and with sparkles in their eyes, Mamoru and Usagi looked themselves in the eyes before the husband cleared his throat.

"Usagi and I have an announcement to make," he said. "And we're very happy about it!"

Obviously. Kotori glanced over to her friend sitting by her silent comrade Hotaru, and neither of them were saying anything, though ChibiUsa had a look on her face that could give a heart attack. Watching her clench her fist, she fidgeted in the awkward silence. As a newbie to this group, she was feeling very out of place. Usagi bit her lip and smiled, and then said two words that lead to the biggest outbreak Kotori could have imagined.

"I'm pregnant!"