AN: Thanks for the reviews guys! Hope you'll like this new chapter :)
Almost a week has passed since they spoke with Helios. They were more and more worried as each day passed.
"There's no change in their condition Princess." Maker reported to Princess Kakyuu.
She sighed, "Have I made a mistake in asking her to come here?" Kakyuu stepped up next to a window and looked at the bright stars against a dark purple sky, eyes wrought with guilt.
"You did what you thought would help Fighter." Maker smiled at her Princess. "I would have done the same. Actually I have." Maker chewed on her lower lip as she thought back to when she allowed Usagi to enter Seiya's mind to confess to him.
"You did what you thought would help Fighter." Kakyuu reiterated Maker's words back to her, making the latter smile.
"Thank you Princess." She bowed and retreated from the room.
A couple sat on a bench in the park. They watched as the lake shimmered in the waning rays of the setting sun. "Odango." A man whose hair was greying had lifted his frail hand to touch his wife's chin, "I love you."
She let his touch lead her to face him, "I love you too Seiya." He lifted her face and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. Their lips parted and he looked lovingly into her eyes. She opened her eyes and returned the same loving look into her husband's midnight blue eyes. Usagi's grey hair was still tied in the same two buns with ponytails… just the way her husband likes it, and it blew in the breeze of the summer wind. They sat staring at each other, planting light kisses on each other's lips often. They still had some time before meeting their son for dinner so they sat together on the bench for a while longer, in each other's arms.
Suddenly the warm air turned chilly as they heard hooves approach behind them. They stood up quickly and Seiya stepped in front of her wife to protect her.
There had never been trouble in the past 48 years they had been together. "Who is it?"
"Don't be afraid. I am here to rescue you." They saw a winged horse with a golden horn. Usagi gently placed her hand on her husband's arm.
"I think," She looked strangely at the horse, "I think I've seen this somewhere before." With a flash of gold light, Pegasus transformed into Helios. She squinted her eyes in an attempt to remember where she had seen the stranger before. "He looks familiar."
"Yes Princess," the young boy bowed, "we have met before."
"Where?" She could not remember where she had met him and why he was calling her Princess. Seiya looked from Helios to Usagi and back, evidently confused.
"On Earth when I asked for help from my Maiden." At the mention of his Maiden, Helios's face dropped slightly. He realized what it meant for his love if Serenity chooses to remain with Seiya.
"Your Maiden?"
"You call her Chibi-Usa."
"Chibi-Usa…" she frowned at the name. It was extremely familiar to her. "Chibi-Usa…" A flash of pink crossed her mind and her frown deepened. Seiya noticed his wife's distress and hugged her. He felt her relax a little in his arms and suddenly tense up again.
"CHIBI-USA!" She bolted up and stared at Helios who nodded. She turned around to face Seiya, "Seiya I remember!"
"What do you remember?" He frowned in confusion, he didn't understand what she was talking about and certainly didn't understand the growing sadness he felt.
"I went to Kinmouku to rescue you because you were in a coma. And I found you!" She held on to him tightly and tears ran down her cheeks.
"Odango, I don't understand. Kinmouku? What coma?" He held on to her shoulder tightly as tears started to form in his eyes as well.
"Seiya I…"
In a second, Usagi disappeared in his arms; Pegasus had vanished too. He cried, screaming her name and ran to find her. The sky grew darker as he fought desperately to remain hopeful in finding her. But everything went black again… he was alone again.
She opened her eyes and squinted to adjust to the light. But she didn't need to squint much as lots of heads came in front of her, blocking the light.
"Usako?" Mamoru kissed her passionately on the lips and she cringed slightly… 'Was that Seiya? He doesn't call me Usako.'
"Seiya?" her voice croaked hoarsely. Ami quickly gave her a glass of water to drink to wet her throat. She repeated a little louder, "Seiya?"
Everyone looked away as they saw the pain in Mamoru's face. They couldn't imagine what it must have felt like to have the one you love call out another man's name.
"Seiya?" Her memory and perception were still hazy after waking up but Seiya was the only thing she could focus on. After being with him for 48 years from her perspective, she felt empty without him by her side.
"He's over there." Mina stood beside Usagi and helped lift her up. Surprisingly, Healer had also gotten up to help; she was stronger than Mina and did a better job at lifting Usagi. They helped her walk over to Fighter's bed and supported her as she sat on the edge of her bed.
Usagi looked at the sleeping woman. 'A woman…?' But as she closed her eyes and touched the sleeping girl's icy hands, she recognized the feeling that was building inside her. It was the same feeling she had everytime she touched Seiya… the warmth of his love for her.
She smirked at remembering her husband's comment when she was giving birth to their son. 'Hikaru…' tears started to form as she realized that she had lost her son – that he wasn't real. She leaned in close to Fighter's face and a tear fell on the sleeping girl's cheeks. Her golden hair fell around their faces, hiding them from everyone else.
Ever so quietly, she whispered, "I can't lose you too." She gently brushed her lips against Fighters.
When she lifted her lips off, she hovered a few inches above Fighter's face. She opened her eyes slowly to see that Fighter was also slowly opening her eyes to reveal a pair of beautiful dark blue eyes.
Fighter could recognize those big twinkling cerulean eyes anywhere and her own eyes twinkled. "Odango…" her voice was barely audible. If Usagi hadn't been inches from her, she wouldn't have heard her.
"Seiya!" She hugged her and buried her head in Fighter's neck. Fighter had tried to lift her arms to wrap it around her wife but found it difficult to move.
"Hold on Fighter, you haven't moved in months so you lost a lot of muscle. It'll be hard for you to move." Maker instantly rushed to Fighter's side and began to check her friend. "Tsukino-san, can you step aside so we can examine her please?" Fighter frowned slightly knowing that Usagi was going to leave. Maker noticed and made a compromise, "I'll let her stay here if she sits on the chair and not on your bed. Everyone else will have to leave."
Healer strolled out casually. Michiru and Haruka were hesitant to leave but Mina dragged them out. Mamoru stared painfully at Usagi who had her back to him, still looking at Fighter. He lingered for a while longer before sighing and leaving the room. Ami noticed but made no indication to speak about it…yet. The water senshi stayed to help Maker examine Fighter.
During the whole exam, Fighter and Usagi never broke eye contact. Their eyes sparkled at each other… they didn't need words to understand each other anymore. Like in the world they had created, it was still just the two of them. They didn't notice anything around them and it didn't matter to them.
After Maker gave Seiya some water, she croaked out softly at Usagi, "Hikaru?" She saw the tears fall from her wife's face and understood that their son didn't exist. Tears fell from her eyes upon realization.
Ami and Maker looked curiously at the two but never questioned them. They were clearly not ready to be asked.
"Shouldn't we be leaving now that she's awake?" Haruka growled.
When no one answered, she looked at her lover for support only to see her staring away.
Mina sighed, "If you force her to leave now, she'll only hate you." When Usagi had woken up earlier, Mina noticed the slight insecurity that crossed her friend's face. If she hadn't been observing her carefully, she would've missed it.
"She won't hate us once she remembers her real life again!" She shot Mina a threatening look, "We just have to take her away from Seiya and remind her!"
Michiru sighed, "Haruka we can't force her. She'll still need to recover before she can travel back to Earth." Haruka pounded against a wall and stormed off and Michiru followed after her.
Princess Kakyuu was walking up to the hospital room and eyed Haruka as she stormed off; Michiru gave her an apologetic bow when they passed by. The princess met Healer, Mina, and Mamoru in the hallway.
"I heard Fighter and Usagi are awake." Healer bowed and nodded. She quickly updated her princess to the two's condition.
"Princess Kakyuu," she turned to face Mamoru who had bowed to her, "May I request an escort for my return to Earth?"
"Healer," Healer's subtle expression of horror did not go amiss by the princess… her Starlight did not want to spend time alone with this man. Kakyuu held back a giggle and continued, "Please find Star Keeper and escort Mamoru-san back to Earth together. I do not want my Starlights to travel alone." Healer and Mamoru bowed. She didn't' like to travel so far and with Mamoru, but the compromise of having another Starlight was better than nothing at all.
Looking through the room window, Princess Kakyuu realized why everyone was waiting in the hall. "Perhaps I will visit them at another time." She turned around and walked away.
"I'll go find Keeper and I'll meet you in the courtyard where we landed in an hour." Healer instructed Mamoru and left as well.
Mina looked sympathetically at Mamoru, "She'll come around. It seems like they've been through a lot."
"Thanks Mina." Mamoru knew that Usagi needed time and space to readjust and his presence will just upset her further. But even then, he wasn't sure if Usagi will ever love him the same again. Still, he appreciated Mina's efforts to cheer him up. He said goodbye and left to explore the palace before leaving.
Mina walked back into the room to find Ami, Maker, and Usagi sitting around Fighter's bed. Ami and Maker were in deep conversation while Usagi and Fighter just stared at each other, Usagi holding on to her hand.
"How are you guys feeling?" Mina asked bubbly.
They all turned to look at her. Seiya and Usagi took a while longer to register who she is and smiled back.
Ami walked up beside the blonde and pulled her aside, whispering, "I don't think they really recognize us. It seems like they've been living alone in a world they created in their head that they forgot about us." She turned her head to look at the couple who continued to gaze into each other's eyes, "It'll take some time for them to completely recover but…"
"It looks like they've fallen in love." Mina finished Ami's sentence. The two of them knew that when Usagi inevitably leaves to return to Earth, she'll be devastated.
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