｢Chapter 13｣

'Ouhi!" Healer rushed into the study room without knocking the door. Both Kakkyu and Maker looked up from their work and saw Healer panting heavily and was covered with sweat.

'Something serious must have happened. Healer's perspiring. That's unusual. Could it be Fighter?'

"What happened Healer?" Maker waited for Kakkyu to ask the inevitable question.

"I felt the brilliance of a star disappearing just now . . ." Healer trailed off. "It's from the Sol system."

"The Sol System?" Both Kakkyu and Maker repeated. Kinmoku has always kept a close diplomatic relationship with the ruling kingdom, Moon Kingdom, of the Sol System, especially when they were all good old friends of them and had fought so hard together against Galaxia back then.

"What had happened?" Kakkyu added on.

"I'm not sure, Ouhi. I just felt the fading of a brilliant star." Healer replied sadly. They all had grew emotionally attached to the sol system senshis during the time they spent on earth searching for their Ouhi and Kibou no Hikari (Light of Hope). Knowing that something happened to the sol system just made the situation depressing.

"I will check out." Maker stated, standing up from her seat. "I'll keep you all informed. Healer, you should go back and rest. Don't think too much."

Healer just nodded her head as Maker left the study room.

"Ouhi, I shall make my leave now." With that, Healer left the room as well.

Healer sat in her office, frowning so much. She could feel pain in her. Even though they were galaxies away, she could feel the hurt feeling of the lost brilliance of the star. 'Which star was it? What exactly happened? And what's taking Maker so long to find out? She's the most resourceful. Argh. This is driving people crazy.'

"Healer are you in there?" Maker called.

"Yeah!"

Maker entered the Healer's office. Healer could feel sadness emitting out of her.

"I just came from Ouhi's" Maker stated, sitting down in front of Healer at her desk.

"Who is it ?'Healer asked.

"The seed bearer for . . . . . . Earth." Maker replied quietly.

Silence fell in.

"What happened?" Healer asked after a while of silence.

"Mercury said that the spacecraft Endymion was taking. . . crashed into a comet." Maker started after the silence. "The spacecraft disintegrated in the Kuiper belt."

"Why is he there in the first place?" Healer asked.

"To get a special present for Neo Queen Serenity and his daughter." Maker replied quietly. 'What an unique present is that.' "Their birthday are coming. Remember?"

Healer just nodded her head. Stillness filled in. And the two of them just at their respective position, feeling sorry and miserable about the situation.

"What is going to happen from now on?" Healer asked.

"I . . . don't know." Maker trailed.

"Fighter . . . Is she informed?" Healer asked.

"Not yet. I just came from Ouhi's" Maker repeated. 'She would be so affected. Serenity is devastated by the news. Mercury told me so. She wouldn't get out from her room. She wouldn't want to eat. She wouldn't want to see anyone. She locked herself up.'

"Are you intending to inform her?" Healer questioned. "It's been so many years." Healer continued with implied meaning. 'She took all these years just to cheer up a little.'

"I don't think we should keep it from her. Ouhi has her plans as well. She wants Fighter to be informed." Maker stated as she stood up. "I'll make my move first." And Maker walked towards the door.

"Informing Fighter now?" Healer asked

"Probably yes." With that, Maker left the infirmary.

'It's gonna be HER birthday soon. And HER baby's first birthday. How is she?' Fighter thought as she spared along with Ameno. Suddenly, a wave of uneasiness washed over her. Her eyelid started to twitch. 'What's that?'

"Sensei! Be careful!" Ameno shouted as she swing forward, unable to stop her sword in time.

Fighter, startled by the sudden shouting, reflex back a little and allow one of her knees to land on the ground, escaping a deep cut in her arm. The sword just brushed past her sleeves, leaving a shallow scratch on her right arm.

"Are you okay sensei?'" Ameno rushed forward to Fighter's side. "Sorry! I should have noticed that you are not looking at my direction."

"It's alright Ameno, it's not your fault. I'm the one who is not in focus. Can't blame you on that." Fighter assured. "It's not even a deep cut in the first place. Don't worry too much."

"You should go to the infirmary and get the cut dressed, Sensei." Ameno concerned, frowning as she saw blood still continue to flow out of the slash.

"Alright then. Help me to take over for this while when I'm away." Fighter answered as she stood up. Her eyelid continue to twitch. Brushing away the feeling of uneasiness, Fighter forced a smile on her face to assure Ameno that she was fine. Then she left the training field and started to move to her next destination. the infirmary.

'What's wrong with me today? Why am I thinking so much of her today? Why am I so distracted today? What's the feeling of uneasiness? Weird. I'm weird today.'

"Healer are you in there?" Fighter called out at the closed door. 'You better not be in there Healer. I don't want anyone to know about this injury, let alone to nag about me. Maker. . . If she knows that I lost focus during training today, she's gonna be real upset. I've chose to love her didn't I? I couldn't let her know that SHE still surface from time to time. Argh! What do you want Fighter?' Fighter was being frustrated with her own self, her conflicting mind.

"Yes I am in. You're looking for me Fighter? Come in!" Healer responded.

'Damn it!' Fighter cursed. She opened the door very slowly and saw Healer looking towards the door with concern.

"You're looking me for?" Healer asked again before she saw the blood that had tickled down from the cut to her hand. "What happened?" Healer stood up from her table and rushed towards Fighter. "How did you cut yourself? Let's sit over there." Healer continued as she guide Fighter to the chair as went over to her supplies.

"I - I kind of lost focus during training." Fighter replied truthfully as she glanced on the floor."

"Maker told you already?" Healer assumed, since the big incident that had just happened could be only reason why Fighter was distracted.

"Told me about what?" Fighter looked at Healer confusingly, sulking in the process.

And Healer returned a frown back to Fighter. "She didn't?"

"I haven't seen her for the day yet." Fighter explained. 'Well morning was the time I last saw her.'

"Then why are you distracted?" Healer couldn't understand what else could distract Fighter during her trainings.

"I . . . was . I just felt really uneasy during training today. Can't focus at all." Fighter elucidated. "So what are you talking about? Tell me about? You've seen Maker today?" Fighter then asked.

"Er. . . Endymion was involved in a space accident. He . . . didn't manage to survive through it." Healer answer softly not wanting to look at Fighter as she finished up the bandage she was rolling around Fighter's arm.

Fighter shot her eyes opened. She was outraged. "What about Odango? How is she?" Fighter asked panicky, squeezing Healer's wrist real tight.

"I don't know. . ." Healer answered with pain. The pain Fighter was inflicting on her subconsciously on her wrist. The emotional turmoil that was flying around Fighter's mind. "Maker didn't explain much to me."

"I'm going to find Maker now." Fighter avowed determinately, releasing her grip in Healer and run towards the door, towards the direction of Kakkyu's study room, where Maker was most likely to be in.

"FIGHTER!" Healer screamed after, trying to run after Fighter. But the starlight of strength was way too fast for her. Soon, she lost sight of Fighter. Defeatedly, Healer returned back to her infirmary.

Maker sat the at balcony 3 hallway away from the training ground. 'How should I put it? How should I say? Why am the one to inform Fighter? I would rather not inform her about the situation. It's selfish not to inform her, Maker. You must inform her.'

Determined about her decision, Maker began to move towards the training ground. She, however, didn't manage to see Fighter in the field.

"Ameno, where's Fighter?" Maker asked.

"She's at the infirmary. She got distracted today." Ameno answered.

"Thanks." Maker said briefly, turning back from the training ground.

"Maker!" Fighter burst into Kakkyu's study room without knocking. "Is Maker here?" Fighter demanded, before realising that Kakkyu was looking at her questionably. "Sorry Ouhi!" Fighter apologised, knowing that she had been really rude, to enter the room without knocking.

"You are excused Fighter." Kakkyu accepted. "Maker's not in. She took the day off, saying that she's feeling unwell. You're looking for her for?"

"I - yah. Sorry Ouhi for disturbing you. I will find her in her room then. May you excuse me." Fighter said.

"You are excused."

Maker arrived in front of the infirmary, surprise to find the door open. Healer always had the habit to close the door.

"Fighter?" Maker popped her head into the room as she called out. "You're there?"

"She's not here. She went running to look for you." Healer answered as she walked towards the door. "I told her."

Maker looked at Healer in shocked. 'So now, what will happen?'

"She came here injured saying that she was distracted during training. I thought you have told her. It slipped out of my mouth."

"It's alright Healer, You didn't know. I'll look for her now."

"MAKER!" Fighter burst into Maker's room through the connecting door, only to find it empty. 'Where is she? Is she intending to keep the truth away from me?'

Fighter returned back to her room, slamming the door behind her. She sat down angrily and worriedly on her bed. She could not keep her mind away from the situation in the sol system.

Maker returned back to her room, after being directed by Kakkyu. She was greeted excitedly by Mochi. She kneeled on the floor, stroking Mochi gently. "Not now, baby. I have something more important to do."

She open the door quietly and saw Fighter sitting angrily on her bed, with tears filling in her eyes. "Fighter. . . " Maker called out gently. "I have something to tell you." She continued.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why am I the last to know?" Fighter gritted through her teeth, showing her anger.

"I - " Maker wanted to explain, but stopped. She find no reason to explain why she chose to inform Fighter last.

"How's Odango? How is she taking it?" Fighter demanded.

"She . . She wouldn't get out from her room. She wouldn't want to eat. She wouldn't want to see anyone. She locked herself up." Maker told Fighter the whole situation Mercury informed her.

Fighter winced. She closed her eyes, allowing tears to path down her face.

"Fighter . . ." Maker moved in closer, wanting to hug Fighter. But Fighter pulled away.

"Sorry. I want to be alone now." Fighter said coldly, standing up from her position.

Maker just nodded her head. 'I should have seen this coming.' She moved towards the door. "If you want to talk, I will be at next door." Mochi came up to Maker. Maker carried him up and spoke gently. "Fighter's down. Can you be with her in place for me?" She then place Mochi into Fighter's room, closing the door after.

Leaning her back against the door, she allowed her tears to find their own way down.