Haruka rubbed her eyes as she leaned up on her elbow. She slid the covers down her long torso as she contemplated her dream. The details were fleeting, as if the wind carried them away with each blink, but she knew someone had visited her. Not seeing the others around her bed, she jumped in surprise when Yaten sprung to her bedside.

"You're awake!" The silver haired idol cheered as she took Haruka's hand.

"Your grasp of the obvious e is amazing," she sneered, pulling her hand away from the small girl.

"And you don't remember shit," Yaten growled as she snatched the hand back, checking vitals as Haruka finally quit fighting.

"You don't know what happened, do you?" Seiya's voice alerted her as she moved from the doorway. "You've been sleeping for almost a day. What did she do to you?"

"Nani?" Haruka blinked as she tried to decipher the words.

"You were arguing or something with Michiru, and she attacked you!" Seiya repeated as she began to feel the anger filling up. When the flash lit up the room, all the girls rushed to the kitchen, where they found Haruka lying on the floor. Michiru had the blonde's head cradled in her lap, the sapphire eyes lined with tears.

"Seiya brought you back here," Yaten added as she released her hand with a deeply etched frown. Haruka looked around, worried, unsure if the disgust in her voice was at her or something else. "If we had found you like that, I don't think there was much hope of working with them further."

"Yaten has been by your side all night. Your energy kept spiking," Seiya offered.

"Why didn't you fight back?" Taiki voiced her question laced with more curiosity than on the surface.

"It happened so fast," Haruka shrugged as the tall brunette glared at her under hooded eyes. She would have to do better than that. "We were talking," the blonde sighed as she glanced toward Seiya to guess how much she needed to explain to the others. The raven haired woman nudged her on with an exaggerated eye roll, a deep inhale flowing within the blonde as she readied the words. "I have lost the ability to transform," Haruka blurted without realizing she had skipped several steps in her story.

"Since when?" Taiki asked as her brows scrunched together. "Since we lost the princess?" The genius answered on her own as Haruka shrugged.

"What does this mean?" Yaten winced as she scanned the full height of the blonde with her eyes as if she was checking that it was the same woman. "The Sailor Star Seed is there," the shorter woman snorted. "I should know. I spent all night trying to balance it!" The silver haired senshi began to agitate as her hands were thrown into the air.

"I don't know," Haruka softly repeated before taking the flailing hands of the sensitive woman. "I know I am beyond grateful for you were staying by my side all night," Haruka gifted the short woman with unshielded gratitude, Yaten calming down slightly that her work was not discounted. Haruka moved the covers from her legs as she strained to swing them over the edge of the bed.

"What are you doing?" Seiya suddenly demanded, and Haruka knew she was not referring to getting out of bed.

"You all have done so much for me," she smiled as she turned to stare at her feet resting on the floor. "But I need to figure out how I fit in. My power has served its purpose, so the planet has reclaimed it."

"Well, yes, we may need to change some tactics," Taiki explained before Seiya raised her hand to silence the tall idol.

"I just— I just need a moment to clear my head, that's all." Haruka raised from the bed with as much concentration as she could. The three idols watched silently as the blonde moved from the room, unsure if there was anything they should do to keep her put.

"Can she just lose her powers like that?" Seiya finally asked Taiki the question she had held onto since Haruka's confession.

"Clearly," Taiki snorted before navy blue eyes narrowed at her. "Something else must be at work here," the brunette finally answered in a more serious tone. "I have an idea, but I need to research first." Taiki turned to leave the room as Yaten flopped herself back onto the bed Haruka once occupied.

"I guess rebuilding Kinmoku will need to wait a little longer," the shorter idol shrugged. Seiya blinked at how easily the sensitive accepted the change in plans. She thought of asking but thought better of it. The silver haired singer sensed the question in Seiya's mind, lime green eyes meeting hers. "I'm worried about her," Yaten answered aloud. Seiya didn't have to ask who she was referring to as her gaze traveled to the door.

"Do you think we should let her wander about by herself?"

"I wouldn't want to face her wrath if she finds we followed her. So I doubt she is in any danger." The petite girl rolled over onto her stomach, her hands fitted up under her chin. "I just hope she stays out of her own way," Yaten sighed. Seiya could only nod in agreement before she moved to find something to distract her for the time being. She couldn't help but wonder what Michiru's mirror could have done to make the valorous blonde appear so lost.

~*~*~

The canvas sat on the easel, at home in the nested wooded clamps, the morning sun shining proudly on it. The golden rays of light transcended as they reflected in the shimmer of the golden paint. Setsuna studied the painting for a few moments longer, partly to guess the effects added since her last viewing and to provide the artist an opportunity to say anything. Michiru had stilled when the tall green haired woman entered the room, immediately noticing the brush on the side table.

"You made some updates," she commented, finally breaking the silent wall that Michiru was building. "It was a simple sketch before, and you added a few things."

"That's enough, Setsuna," Michiru sighed as she rose. "You know what you are looking at just as well as I do."

"You're the artist here, don't let me drive your vision," the garnet eyes turned soft as she was met with a stare. "I am not the one who is capable of seeing what Haruka has the potential of becoming, no matter if it is for better or worse," she added as she raised her hands to show they were clean.

"How am I supposed to know?" Michiru complained. "I am dealing with only jumbled visions of a fleeting infatuation I had." A single green eyebrow went up at the remark, the taller woman deciding against disagreeing with the statement.

"Only thing I know for sure is that Uranus and Neptune make each other stronger. Yet, neither can reach the same on their own. Yet, their pull towards each other keeps them dancing across the sky and not spiraling into the depths of space."

"I don't think we're talking about planets anymore," Michiru groaned.

"Aren't we?" Setsuna smiled as she moved out of the studio, pleased with the thought she had set in motion. She had seen the ocean Senshi's reaction once she wielded the mirror against Haruka. There was no limit on how far back the vision could have pulled, but she felt the shift in the evening when instead of continuing their verbal assault on each other, Michiru chose sympathy. The mirror will always show the deepest truth to the talisman holder, and Setsuna could only hope that the fact she saw dissolved all of Michiru's hesitation. Unfortunately, Uranus never did seem able to come to her senses without Neptune.

She descended the stairs, an odango blonde head popping up from her spot on the bottom step. Usagi turned at the footsteps, her hopeful look slightly dropping as she saw Setsuna alone.

"She won't come out still?" Rei asked from the other side of the railing.

"Michiru is just working with many ideas," Setsuna offered.

"There isn't time for this. We need to work together, including her," Minako growled in a determined voice that caused the tall senshi to blink in surprise.

"I am sure she will. We are not out of time yet," Setsuna tried to calm them, a snarky smile on her face at her little time joke. She knew none of them would challenge her if she said it wasn't an urgent situation yet.

"Thanks for trying to talk to her," Usagi smiled gratefully before blue eyes shifted to the other girls. "Now what?"

"Kero and Fox are out there somewhere," Rei groaned. "We can't let them just wander and attack random people."

"That may be, but we can't wander the city looking for them," Makoto sighed as Usagi dropped her head. "Com'on, we'll take you home," she added as she pulled the small blonde by her hands.

"Thanks for your help Setsuna, let us know if anything changes," Minkao nodded in thanks at the tall woman before following the others out the door. "We'll stop by your favorite park on the way back!" Minako cheered as she jumped up to hug the petite odango blonde.

"The one with the boba machine?" Usagi smiled as the others rolled their eyes.

~*~*~

Haruka sighed as she turned her gaze to the sky, the night remaining quiet to her pleas for answers. Unsure that anyone could answer her, she wandered the city and ended up at the park fountain. She sat on the bench, the stone statues uncharacteristically quiet, with the water shut down after the crows had returned home. Home, she chucked under her breath. Where was home anymore for her?

Reaching her hands deep into the jacket pocket, grateful that she remembered to grab it in her haste to leave, she sought some warmth. A rustle between her fingers was a sensation she wasn't expecting, plucking the paper from the deep crevasse it had managed to conceal itself. She pulled the item, immediately recognizing a sketch pad's off-white color. She paused, her mind drifting back to when Michiru gifted her the sketch. She was amazed at how the artist saw deep into her soul and expressed it on paper.

Blinking away the thought before it could wander further down the path, she sucked in a deep breath as she opened the drawing. She needed to be reminded of what it looked like to be full of hope. She paused as she stared at the image, something striking her as different. Adjusting the paper, she tried looking again and was met with a more familiar appearance. She was on the stage, and her microphone extended to the crowd as they sang along with the song.

Was what greeted her first a glitch?

Grunting in frustration, she dropped the paper, leaning to look at her image at the water's edge. When the same unsure eyes greeted her before the ripples in the water disported it, she angrily whipped her hair back. With her ponytail out of the way, her eyes drifted leisurely around until they saw her in the reflection pool again. The blonde fringe falling in her eyes began to dance in a soft breeze before she blinked in surprise.

Remembering the flash she saw when she first opened the sketch, she gripped the edge of the paper and studied the image closely. Then, her thumb concealing the long flowing hair of their signature look, she saw a memory replacing the graphite lines on the paper. Not her holding a microphone, but her image holding a sword, proudly pointing toward the enemy.

Teal eyes blinked in surprise as she lowered the paper, wondering where the image came from, never questioning it as a memory.

"Look at her, Kero," a voice hummed beside the fountain. Haruka jumped to her feet, the paper discarded in the wind, landing on the wet surface where a woman in a green skirt and matching crop top was crouching.

"She seems lost," the mono-colored woman replied to the first. Haruka glanced and saw the girl in the silver dress, her brows furrowing.

"I am not lost. I have found the murders of Princess Kakyuu," she growled as she began circling the two, stalking them.

"It's unfortunate," Pewter Fox sighed as if she had only done something minor as she missed a stop sign. "But what is important now is you're alone."

"I may be alone, but I can still beat the both of you," she hissed as she continued to move around them. Kero watched her with concern, but Fox remained unmoved.

"That is why we're here. We know you are formidable," Fox complimented as her hands grew wide in the sky with the words. "When you were a Senshi," she impassively added. Haruka remained stone face, the accusation brushing past her. "We know you can't transform," she said as her hands moved to her hips, the long tail wiggling about as if to challenge the blonde to prove her wrong. A smirk moved to her lips when Haruka made no move to transform.

"You may not know this, but we were once like you. Determined, strong, devoted, but void of power," Kero suddenly offered, slinking back to her squat when teal eyes moved to glare at her.

"Nothing but a slave to Galaxia," Haruka hissed.

"Technically," Fox sighed. "We were robbed of our power, much like you were. We had a taste of it, but our Star Seeds dimmed."

"You weren't worthy," Haruka bellowed. Fox pressed her lips in annoyance, giving the blonde a look to ensure no more outbursts. Haruka clenched her jaw, silently indicating she would reluctantly listen to their ramblings. But, at least for now, a she would not last long fighting them off in her current state. Maybe if she could get them to use their power, the others would be alerted to their presence on the planet. She only hoped that once they tried to steal her star seed, she'd do her best to keep them on this plane until they arrived.

"All the insults you throw stick to you," Fox shrugged. "As a powerless being, we could have easily killed you and taken your star seed. You had some power, but it seems you are no longer worthy," Fox threw her words back at her. "However, lucky for you, we have an opening—"

"Never," Haruka growled.

"Not even if it can show you where you belong?" Kero chirped from her spot.

"You were being rather loud with your dramatic longing," Fox shrugged. "It's true, though. Hand your Star Seed over to Galaxia; she can tell you the truth. She sees all the guardian planets."

"And then what, die her slave?"

"No, Galaxia gives you life—more power. And if you die, you will be reborn a true Sailor Guardian. No questions about where you belong or powers abandoning you when you need them. You are powerful enough to be a leader like us," she gestured to herself. "Reside in the galactic cauldron. None of this errand running like the others."

"That seems too good of a deal. So what's the catch?" Haruka asked as Fox's smile began to grow.

~*~*~

Seiya glanced up at the clock again as she refilled her mug. Hours had passed, and she was becoming more and more confident that something was wrong. Haruka had never been gone so late without some notice. As much as the raven haired idol hated feeling like a mother hen, she regretted letting the blonde leave without a word.

The shuffling of papers caused her to look into the living space, her brows raising as the tall brunette shuffled different books around—padding to the sofa to not disturb the woman deep in concentration.

"Fascinating," Taiki muttered as Seiya placed a cup of coffee before the bookworm. Purple eyes rose as she glanced at Seiya, muttering a silent thanks before taking a sip.

"Something interesting?" Seiya guessed as the girl leaned back in her seat to enjoy her short break from the books.

"You could say that," Taiki muttered as she rubbed her forehead. "I was reading Kakyuu's journal," she added without looking up.

"Helping with Yaten's meditation, right?" Seiya ventured.

"Initially, yes." Taiki nodded before taking another long sip. Navy blue eyes blinked in surprise, wondering what had brought the well-read Senshi's attention if it wasn't the meditation strategies.

"What is so interesting then?" Seiya finally relented and asked as the brunette continued to enjoy the warm beverage. Purple eyes glared at her momentarily before she set the coffee cup down and picked up another book.

"The Silver Senshi?" Seiya read the title of the book she was handed before looking back confused. "What does that have to do anything?"

"Well, if you follow Kakyuu's notes… a lot," Taiki shrugged. "Reviewing the meditation techniques was quite insightful. A few of them went deep, to tap into a foreign power as if Senshi's could access a power deeper than their guardian planet." Taiki paused to give Seiya a chance to absorb the information.

"But why?" Seiya finally asked.

"Unknown, but she seemed to have a lot of notes to maturate the technique. It seems she was working with Haruka— I mean Storm. Her notes indicate that Kakyuu thought Storm to be the silver senshi of lore."

"That old kids' tale of the woman who destroyed an entire army and then just… died?" Yaten asked as she rubbed her eyes, clearly catching part of the discussion. Yaten took a seat next to Seiya on the sofa as the raven haired woman shrugged in agreement with what the big deal was.

"It's slightly more complicated than that," Taiki sighed at the idol's limited understanding of the story. She had to find a copy of it in the material that Kakyuu had brought to refresh her memory of the details. Yet Kakyuu thought it was important enough to bring with her as she fled Kinmoku. "She was trying to get Storm to reach the power that the Silver Senshi held."

"Well, with Galaxia knocking on the door, I can understand why she would be desperate to find it. But to think that Storm had it all this time—"

"That's just it," Taiki stopped the shorter woman as she returned the journal. "They worked on it for years," she explained as she flipped through the pages. "Back to the beginning of this one."

"I guess that is why they would spend the time alone together," Seiya released a sad chuckle, remembering all the trouble she gave the blonde.

"Why did they never tell us?" Yaten pouted as she sunk into the sofa.

"It's not like we made it easy for her to open up," Taiki shrugged. "We pointed out every time she was different. So why would she give us the biggest disparity?"

The three all shrugged. Their eyes were downturned at the memories. Seiya felt a pang of heavy guilt, and her mind weighed with the sins of her youth in addition to the grief of Haruka being out in the night alone still. The raven haired leader stood, determined that it was time to go and find the annoying blonde. A click of the door lock caused all of them to freeze. The door swung open, and the trio blinked as the teal haired woman stood in the entry.

"Michiru?"

"We need your help," Michiru begged breathlessly. "Kero and Fox have Haruka."

~*~*~

"You ran all the way here?" Healer howled as they began running down the street.

"The others called me, and it's not like you gave us your phone number!" The teal haired senshi snapped back. "It was on the way, alright?"

"What do you mean they have Haruka?" Maker asked as they neared the park, aiming to be more strategic. They stopped at the clearing, understanding immediately washing over them.

The three figures were surrounded by Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, and Sailor Moon. Two were quickly recognized as the members of the Shadow Galactic that they encountered, and Seiya began to feel the power well up in her hand to strike those who killed her princess. However, she paused when she saw the third was wrapped in a mess of vines that they could barely make out who it was except for the crop of unmistakable blonde hair.

"Haruka!"