An Epilogue

Usagi

The days were long again. Usagi could feel the heat of the sun and the sweltering humidity of summer pressing down on her. She could hear the cry of cicadas as they drowned out the noise of spring memories. And more than ever, she could not forget the nostalgia that the season brought with it. She looked over the balcony of her childhood home and watched the cars drive by. In the distance she could almost hear the crosswalk as it chirped for crossing school children. In an odd moment of sudden silence, another noise, soft as a pen against paper began to infiltrate the summer scene. It grew louder and louder, until Usagi realized it was a voice calling out her name over and over. It was a magical sound, reverberating with laughter like the singing of bells. She followed it from the balcony back into her room, stepped a foot outside her bedroom door into the hall, when the voice was suddenly loud as day.

"What're you doing, dumpling?" When she looked over her shoulder toward the voice, there he was—eyes deep blue like the sky, jet black hair, and that charming smile that could woo any girl in the world—Seiya Kou. His arms were outstretched toward her, and he smirked at her, nearly causing her knees to turn to jelly. "Get over here! I've missed you!" He shouted, mid laugh.

Usagi yelped his name and sprinted to him, jumping into his arms and into a hug that spun them both until they landed onto her bed. She laid over him, both of them laughing until it finally quieted again. She breathed deeply, feeling his heart beat beneath her palm that rested against his chest.

"Seiya! I thought I'd never see you again! How did you get here?" she asked, her heart still aflutter at his presence. She tried to take him in, but it was hard. He seemed exactly the same as the last time she had seen him at the Galaxy Cauldron. Had he not changed at all since then, or was there something about him that was different that she just couldn't quite place? She wondered if he could see the differences in her—how her body had matured over the years, how the curves of her arms and legs and waist were fuller, how her eyes had softened, and her voice had deepened, and how she had to act now that she was soon to become queen. Had he noticed these things even though she felt exactly the same as she had when they had been together so many years ago?

There was no time for her to ask. Seiya's lithe body moved her from him as he stood and walked toward her balcony door. He leaned against the frame and smiled. "I've got to go, Usagi."

"But you just got here!" she protested, running to him and grabbing around his waist. "Won't you stay for a little longer? I want to know how you've been. I want you to know about me again." Usagi held back the lump in her throat and nestled her head into his side. She took a breath and looked up at him from beneath her eyelashes; an electricity zapped through her chest. His brilliantly blue eyes were shining as he smiled down at her.

"I love you, Usagi," he whispered. His voice was magical, soft and ringing like a bell. It almost lulled her to sleep somehow, and by the time she had caught her breath from beneath his spell, his eyes were closing, too. He leaned his head toward her, she knew because she could feel the warmth of his skin above her.

Usagi felt her eyes flutter closed on their own, lifting her lips to meet his, her heart pounding in her chest. She breathed in the scent of his cologne that she used to think smelled like Mamoru; it was rich and earthy—roses and spice and the almost familiar scent of osmanthus that she now could place as the scent of Kinmoku osmanthus—and she realized it had never been anything like him. She breathed again, but the Kinmoku osmanthus was gone. There was a coolness beneath her palms now. When she opened her eyes again, she was met with the darkness of her room in the palace of Neo Crystal Tokyo. She could feel tears falling down her cheeks, and she pressed her palms against her eyes.

"Usako, what's wrong?" Mamoru's calm and steady but slightly groggy voice came from beside her. She felt his lips press against her temple, and his hands wrapped around her waist. "You were crying in your sleep."

Usagi tried to compose herself before rolling over and into Mamoru's embrace. She snuggled her head into his chest and the scent of him filled her nose and comforted her, erasing the memories of what had been. He held her tight as she sighed. With her breath, a part of the dream tried to escape.

"Just a dream," she whispered. "It seems I still cannot shake those final moments with Chaos."

In truth, it hadn't just been the dream that caused these tumultuous feelings inside her. Sometimes, the smell of Mamoru's cologne or a certain flower in spring would catch her nose and remind her of Seiya. Or sometimes the way he held her—the way his hand wrapped around her shoulder, his fingers strong yet gentle against her skin—would make her think of when Seiya had been her protector while he was gone. Other times, Mamoru would smile at her and, for just the shortest instance, she would think she saw a glint of Seiya's smirk in his lips. Most of the time, though, she would just be existing in the world; whether she was walking through the park or passing by the arcade or eating a parfait…no matter what she did, somehow Seiya still existed in those places. He was a happy phantom that haunted her when she was least expecting it, but those few moments of joy brought a deep, pressing sense of nostalgia that crossed over into a pit of near despair.

Mamoru caressed her head, his hand sliding through her hair, across her ear and neck, "Do you want to tell me about it?" His eyes searched for her, but she frowned, turning away from his kindness. "Or maybe we should get breakfast?" His voice was playful now. He didn't press for further answers. It was possible he knew. He remembered how everything had played out. When they were reunited after Cosmos restored life back to normal, she had told him the entire story—Seiya's final wish that had ultimately caused the rift in destiny, how they had been together for that year, and about her own final wish to restore things to how they had been….

"I'll get breakfast," Mamoru said resolutely, not waiting for a response from her. He smiled, placing another quick kiss against Usagi's forehead. He was perfection in human form; always doting on her needs, quick to care for whatever small inconvenience she could possibly have even though her life had become so simple. She watched as he stood, his bare, sun-kissed chest strong and sculpted in the dim morning light just beginning to peek through the sheer curtains. He was a modern day Adonis. It only made her feel worse that destiny had blessed her to be with the kindest, most handsome man in the universe, and yet part of her heart had been stolen by someone else.

Usagi stepped out of bed, her legs leading her to the balcony. She opened the door and the wind blew in, fresh and crisp. In the dawn sky, now gradient shades of violet and peach, there was still a sparkling star—the star of the Kinmoku system. To ensure its light never ceased, she had learned its position and would glance up to it on clear nights and mornings. After her first—and only—visit she knew she could never return again, lest she undid the steps she had taken to protect Seiya from this heartache. She had just seen a glimpse of him then, their eyes making contact just briefly before she scurried away back to Princess Kakyuu's throne room.

That had been enough to remind her why she stayed away. She could still remember being at the end and beginning of the universe with guardian Cosmos, completely alone, yet surrounded by the star seeds of the people she loved. And then, when it all seemed lost, Cosmos had asked her if she wanted to start a new life.

"I would like to return to the way things were." She had said, confident that she belonged with Mamoru, but still so much in love with what she and Seiya had been.

Cosmos had nodded to her, raising her scepter in the air as if about to bring down a gavel and make her final sentence.

Usagi had to interject. There was still one exception she had to make, "And one more thing." Cosmos's face was already knowing. Had she lived this moment, too? Did she know then the pain Usagi wanted to bring onto herself? "I just wanted to make sure…" Usagi leaned her face close to the small sprite and whispered in her ear. "Will you please let Seiya forget all of this?"

The concern on the guardian's face was confirmation. She knew that Usagi would live with this darkness in her heart. "Would you, too, like to forget?"

Usagi shook her head. It would have been easier to forget, to let herself believe that Mamoru had been the only one to have her heart. She had known, just as Cosmos did, that she would suffer, but she wanted to remember. She wanted to think of Seiya's kindness, the love that he had shown her, and how they had once been one. "No, I'd like to remember. As long as one person can remember, I would like to do that. I want this to live on—I want Seiya and I to live on at least in my memory…no matter how painful it might be."

"Are you sure?" It was Cosmos's final warning, Usagi knew. Her last chance to save both herself and Seiya. "It cannot be changed."

"Yes, I wouldn't want it to be lost." And it was true. Usagi felt it in her heart, the welling sense of love that still existed there.

Cosmos nodded, her expression suddenly a little clouded. For a brief moment Usagi realized that Cosmos had not chosen this path. She had let herself forget. Before Usagi could ask anything further, the guardian's voice rang out throughout the universe, "As you wish."

The memory felt like an old movie, but it was clear as if it had happened yesterday. Sometimes she thought of Seiya being in that same place, being asked to make an impossible decision with the power of the universe at his fingertips. Even though it had angered her then, she now understood why Seiya had wished for her to be by his side so many years ago. Usagi had made mistakes—had been a little too caught up in the moment—and she knew Seiya had, too, in that moment. But she no longer blamed him. Love is powerful; when you have it, you feel whole, but when you are without it, it can destroy you. Somehow back then she had been steady. She had not been selfish enough to make Seiya remember their love, but she was selfish enough to let it live on in herself. Perhaps, in actuality, no one should have remembered.

But she chose to. She remembered it all, the good and the bad. She could still hear his voice: the charming smugness he had when he knew he was losing her; "Mamoru may have had you first, but I think I won your heart," and the sting of his anger during their argument after she had reunited with Mamoru; "I'll always love you, and that's the difference between me and you." But she knew that wasn't true. She had promised him, "Even if we couldn't exist this way, I would still love you." And in those final moments while the universe was ending, with Seiya's face between her hands, her lips still damp with his kiss, and his hands warm against her back, she had said it one more time, "I promise, Seiya. I will always love you." And no matter the nostalgia it brought with it, or the hurt that sometimes came with it, she had meant it.

Usagi could hear Mamoru's footsteps approaching from the corridor. Into the wind that was blowing off the ocean, she softly called out Seiya's name. Sometimes saying it was enough to remind herself that he still existed there, not just in her heart but as a physical entity in the universe. She breathed. Her eyes closed for a brief moment, and behind the dark of her eyelids, she saw him standing there, his back to her, surrounded by osmanthus and the sky of an unfamiliar planet. He turned, his gaze falling on hers, and he smiled, his eyes full of recognition.

Seiya

The sky was brilliantly crimson. So deeply red, in fact, that hardly anything else could be seen in the night sky. It was the first time in centuries that this phenomenon had happened—the Bleeding of the Stars. Everyone in the city had gathered outside for the occasion, their hands shielding their eyes from the light of the suns. People chattered away excitedly, children danced in the red glow that enveloped them all, and others stood distantly speaking in hushed tones.

"A sky like this is a bad omen, you know," Seiya overheard a woman say to her children. "Once, during a sky like this, a powerful force bent on taking the universe for itself ruined this planet."

Another man chimed into the conversation, "Yes, they say it took the star seeds of everyone but the Princess and her guardians, who just barely managed to escape."

"If it destroyed the planet then how did we get here?" one child interjected.

"The Princess, of course!" the mother scoffed, with a wag of her finger. "If it wasn't for her, Kinmoku would be just a million pieces of rock floating in our solar system! She was able to seek help and rebuild our solar system." One of the children clapped for their princess's bravery while the other gasped, afraid of the idea of a life where nothing existed. The family prattled on about the goodness of life and how lucky they were for such a strong princess to rule their planet.

Seiya sighed, staring at the way the sky seemed to ripple in flame. This was not the first time he had heard such a story about the Bleeding of the Stars. Many said the event was ominous—too reminiscent of a time when the planet had been visited by a far away star who left the planet in flame and rubble—but some of the older generation, those who had lived and been reborn, told of a different kind of story. On a night like this they had been visited by a messiah. She came from a far away galaxy, her skin pale, her golden hair so fair it was nearly silver in the light of the suns, and a golden crescent moon upon her forehead. This messiah had returned the power to their protectors.

"You look worried, Seiya!" a woman's voice chimed from behind her. "Don't believe those old wives' tales. It's a blessing to have such a sky."

"Yes," chimed another voice, "truly a reminder of all that Princess Kakyuu has done for Kinmoku."

Seiya turned to see Yaten and Taiki, their hands full of books and flowers and other trinkets they had been sent off for. The two smiled at her reassuringly.

"I know," Seiya groaned, brushing her hair from her eyes as she looked into the sky, "but it's not even true, is it—all of the tales about Kakyuu? What about the Messiah? What about our roles in helping? I don't remember anything of the sort. How did such a tale begin if there wasn't a bit of truth to it?"

Yaten shrugged sympathetically. "I guess we'd have remembered if it was important, and it has been so long since those days, does it really matter now?"

From beside her, Taiki passed off a handful of supplies to Seiya. "Why don't you ask Kakyuu yourself? You know you're her favorite." The brunette haired girl winked and smiled a soft, knowing smile.

Seiya sighed as she took the stack of books, dried petals, and earthen yarns. "You know I have. It's always the same thing from her."

She knew her friends were all too familiar with her fascination with what had happened before, during the New Light Age. Kakyuu was too. How many times had she asked her only to be met with Kakyuu's simple response: "I believe something terrific happened there, but I met no messiah," and she would end the conversation with a slight frown on her face as if it hurt to remember.

Seiya looked up to the sky again. Under the abnormal hue, she could easily make out the stars from distant galaxies: Cygnus A, Andromeda, Virgo…but there was always one that seemed to shine the brightest—a small star named Sun from the Milky Way Galaxy. It always drew her attention as if it was calling out to her. Someday, surely, she would sneak away to find whatever existed there, but for now she was to complete her duties.

"Seiya…"

She turned around abruptly at the whisper of her name. Taiki looked back at Seiya, quizzically for a second and then nodded her head to the side, pointing her chin down the cobblestone path of the market.

"Let's get back before Kakyuu thinks we've run," she joked, nudging Seiya with her arm. When Seiya didn't move, she frowned. "You alright? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

It took a moment for Seiya to realize it had just been Taiki or Yaten saying her name. She shook her head and smiled. "No, no ghost. Just tired, I think."

For the remainder of their walk back to the palace grounds, Seiya remained silent. She felt like she was in a bit of a daze, and when she thought too hard, things only seemed to get worse. In her head she felt like everything was a bit blurry; her friends' faces seemed to look a little more masculine, the world seemed to be a little darker, her heart felt a little colder. A sense of urgency—something that she was supposed to do, but had been forgotten—washed over her.

When she finally arrived with the others to the large castle, Seiya found herself overwhelmed by the scent of sweet osmanthus, the floral perfume of their princess. Despite the fact that it was not an uncommon smell, it sent her vision into circles. Too unsteady to finish her errands, she weakly dismissed herself to her room. Once there, she laid herself across her silken sheets and closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of the wind, the trickle of the nearby creek, and the soft crackle of the ice in the sky that caused the scarlet blaze between the clouds to ebb and flow in hues of gold.

"Seiya."

When Seiya opened her eyes again, the red in the sky had faded to the deep amethyst of night. She laid still for a long time, her brows furrowed, until her eyes closed once more to avoid the darkness of her room that felt like it was creeping through her pupils and into her soul. She listened for the voice to call out to her again. In some way she could feel a strange warmth next to her as if someone had existed there, like a phantom limb that had been removed. The previously overwhelming smell of osmanthus began to fade, and a sweeter scent replaced it. The aroma was something just at the tip of her memory; almost like vanilla, but not quite. Soft, slightly floral, sweet like sugar—a hint of amber perhaps?

Seiya strained her ears to hear the voice once more, hoping that the sound would answer who the scent belonged to, but it never came. Instead the soft rustling of fabric from nearby jolted Seiya up to a seated position. Her eyes adjusted to the dark and a female frame stood nearby her door. Long pigtails flowed past her elbows, head cocked to the side. For a moment it looked like someone she had seen before, but a pale stream of golden light from the clouds opening and reflecting the light of their sun revealed Kakyuu in the shadows' place.

"I didn't mean to frighten you, Seiya," Kakyuu's voice was soft and melodic—a warm, singsong tone that drifted just barely over top of the noise of the night. "I just wanted to check on you. Yaten and Taiki mentioned you looked unwell." The princess's red hair swayed softly as she tilted her head to one side. In a silent and graceful movement, she had made her way to the foot of Seiya's bed where she sat ever so softly. The scent of the princess's perfume wafted with her and overwhelmed Seiya's senses once again. Seiya scrunched her nose slightly as the scent she had been so desperately trying to place disappeared as quickly as it had come, leaving an empty hole in her memory.

Seiya crossed her arm over her chest and bowed slightly from the waist. Kakyuu gently touched her elbow to encourage her to rise and answer her question, but Seiya took a long moment to contemplate. "I'm alright." She settled back into the pillow against her headboard and sighed. It was pointless to bring up anything in a way that would tip off Kakyuu about what she was really digging for. She squirmed briefly under Kakyuu's concerned stare that had not left her since she had woken, and came up with something to say. "Do you know anything about the Milky Way Galaxy?"

There was a brief flick of surprise on Kakyuu's face. In the light of the moons, Seiya could have sworn her eyes widened just briefly, before returning to a neutral, soft smile. Her head tilted again, another dead giveaway that something was amiss. She always pretended to be concerned when she was hiding something, tilting her head this way or that. Seiya had known her long enough to know that.

"I have heard of it," Kakyuu replied carefully. "Once many years ago, there was a power that surged through the universe from the coronation of the king and queen of the planet Earth. If you're wondering about it, I'm sure that you felt that then. It was the kind of power that stays with a person—becomes part of their soul. In fact, many felt it, senshi and those who were not selected as guardians alike. The force that tried to destroy Kinmoku and the Tankei Kingdom corrupted herself over it." Kakyuu added a pointed, knowing addendum to her explanation, "if that's why you're curious about it." She smiled softly, but there was a pained edge to her voice. The story had ended as if she had dismissed a child from their history lesson. Then, in the next moment, she leaned forward and touched Seiya's forehead with the back of her palm. "You don't feel fevered, thank the gods." It was her way of moving on from the conversation. She had already said more than ever before.

Seiya frowned, ignoring Kakyuu's gentle touch. For some reason, tears were welling in her eyes. "I think I'm unwell, Princess," she admitted. "Someone has been calling for me from that galaxy. It started long ago, but back then it was faint and infrequent. Now it's happening everyday. I wake up to a woman's voice, I go to sleep to her voice. She's always calling for me, and I can never find her." Seiya looked into Kakyuu's eyes, the weight of her confession beginning to slide from her shoulders. "Every day that passes I feel like I'm losing a little more of myself, and I don't know why."

Kakyuu seemed to be frozen. Her lips had parted with a soft oh, but she did not make another sound. Seiya could almost see a resolve in her eyes, but she could tell there was an internal battle over something. Suddenly, she embraced him. Her heart was beating quickly beneath her chest. She slowly parted, holding Seiya's shoulders at an arm's length. Her eyes stared into his for a long, silent moment.

"I can tell you a story, perhaps," Kakyuu murmured, an unfitting lack of confidence in her tone. She looked about the room as if someone was watching before adjusting her skirts and inching her way full onto the bed. Her hands reached out to grab Seiya's, and she sighed shakily. "I will give you some of my memory. Please, close your eyes."

Seiya was surprised at the princess's sudden openness about the things she had always held close to her chest. She leaned back, slightly hesitant, before closing her eyes.

A warmth began to grow between Kakyuu and Seiya's fingers as the princess spoke, "I will tell you about the time we were visited by Neo Queen Serenity many suns ago…." Her voice began to fade as a vision of a time long past appeared in the darkness of Seiya's eyelids as if she were experiencing it through the eyes of Kakyuu herself.

Seiya found herself in the throne room, very similar to how it looked now. A crowd of foreign people had gathered there, appearing to be from a number of different galaxies and planets. In hushed tones they chattered excitedly. A select number of words seemed to find themselves in the mouths of the guests, including the words kind, beautiful, brave, and elegant but when Seiya listened closely they were not used to describe Kakyuu. There was someone they expected to arrive that was the topic of conversation.

The soft hum of the conversations tapered off as Kakyuu stood at the front of the throne room. "Please rise as we welcome her highness, Neo Queen Serenity of Neo Crystal Tokyo, the Moon Kingdom, and messiah of peace for the entirety of the Milky Way Galaxy and our universe. Please join me in paying our deepest respects for her display of courage in strength with her ultimate sacrifice to return balance and life to the universe."

A deafening applause sounded as the entire crowd rose to their feet. A slim figure enveloped within a silver light entered through the front doors. She was everything the murmurs had spoken of and more. Golden-silver hair in two buns, with long flowing locks of hair at either side of her head, swam around her slim frame that was covered by a flowing, white, floor-length gown adorned in pearls and gold. Wisps of curls framed her soft face and brilliantly blue eyes that shined with nothing but kindness. On her forehead was the golden crescent mood that had been passed down from legend. The standing ovation continued as she glided to the front of the throne room, where she curtsied to Kakyuu and turned to look out at the crowd. Her eyes skimmed the group for something, and a slight look of disappointment seemed to cross over her for the smallest of a moment before returning to a beaming smile.

"Thank you for your warm welcome," she began, her voice melodically soft with a hint of playfulness unfitting for a queen of her elegance. The voice was vaguely familiar. Seiya thought he had heard it somewhere, but being in Kakyuu's own memory it was hard to tell where or if he had really heard it before. "Without the assistance of Princess Kakyuu and your sailor senshi, I can truly say I would not have been able to bring peace to the universe after Galaxia's corruption from Chaos. I give my most heartfelt thank you to the Kinmoku kingdom and its guardians for their assistance in stopping Chaos."

Another round of applause filled the air and she turned back toward Kakyuu. "May I speak with you in private?" Serenity asked over the roar of the crowd, her head tilting to the side slightly.

"Of course," Kakyuu's voice spoke happily. She led the princess to a small, private sitting room behind the throne and encouraged her to sit. A plate of small cookies was on the table and a loud rumble came from Serenity's stomach. Her cheeks blushed scarlet and Kakyuu's voice chimed in once more, "Please, help yourself!"

A visible change in the queen's demeanor happened quite suddenly. She laughed loudly, throwing her head back, and took a handful of the treats, eating them happily. "Oh, thank you so much! I was starving! The trip was longer than I anticipated. Endymion said I'd be too sleepy if I ate before I arrived." Her expression was relaxed. She looked much more like a regular person and less like a queen now. Her voice whined slightly in her following sentence, "It's so tiring being a queen, how do you do it, Kakyuu?!"

Kakyuu's voice was kind and light hearted as she laughed softly. Seiya imagined her face would have been smiling in the way that she reserved only for close friends when they were in private. "You haven't changed at all, Usagi. It's comforting." There was a brief pause, and Kakyuu's voice was much more reserved in her next breath, but Seiya was focused on the pang in her chest at the informal name that Kakyuu called Serenity. "With this unexpected visit, though, I must admit I am a bit worried. We've just achieved peace—please tell me something has not changed to cause your sudden arrival?"

With the trailing of Kakyuu's sentence, Serenity slowed her snacking and her face seemed to fall slightly. She placed a half eaten cookie back onto the plate, looking down briefly, and when her eyes met Kakyuu's again, they were glistening with tears.

"I know it was sudden," Serenity said quietly, "but I needed to make sure you knew what I had written to you about…it's of the utmost importance that he remains unaware of our past relationship—for his own sake."

Kakyuu nodded, a solemn air filling the space. "I imagine, then, that this will be your final visit to Kinmoku?" She seemed to be prying for something, but Seiya couldn't tell quite what it was she was fishing for. She only knew she had heard the same tone numerous times when Kakyuu had questioned her for her motives about learning from the times long past.

Serenity nodded. "Yes, I imagine it will be." She remained silent for a long moment. "Is he here?"

"Yes, but not entirely as you knew him." Seiya couldn't quite understand who they were speaking about or why Kakyuu was showing him the memory of this private conversation. It seemed as if the queen had something to hide.

The queen nodded again before rising from the cushioned seat. "May we take one last walk together before he returns? Endymion will be expecting me soon."

There was a short nod from Kakyuu before she rose, leading Serenity out into the adjacent hallway. Large, stone arched windows lined the hall and outside the panes were the suns of Kinmoku, as well as the grand gardens that surrounded the castle. They had just barely made their way down the hall when footsteps began approaching.

"I think we should return in case—" Kakyuu began, but it was too late. Seiya, Yaten, and Taiki had just turned out from descending a spiral staircase at the end of the hall. Seiya watched herself make eye contact with Serenity, and the memory that she had once been watching through Kakyuu's eyes suddenly became her own.

"Seiya, that's enough for now!" Kakyuu's voice came from somewhere far away, as if in another realm. Seiya knew it was a warning, but she could not look away from the memory as the forgotten pieces of the puzzle began to fit together.

Now, in the middle of the hall, she saw Serenity there—her brilliantly blue eyes wide open in surprise. Her pink, glossy lips parted ever so softly, and that's when she said it: "Seiya!" Her name reverberated from Serenity's lips in a way that almost beckoned her, but in the next instant the queen had suddenly disappeared into the throne room door with Kakyuu just a moment behind her.

Seiya had not known then, but it dawned on her now that this moment had been the catalyst—the simple whisper of her name from the lips of the queen of the Milky Way Galaxy. It set a million questions into motion: How had she known her name? How did someone so beautiful and kind and full of life know that she existed? Why did she feel so familiar? She had mentioned Kakyuu's senshi helping her so how could he not remember her? The answers weren't quite clear yet, but now there was a connection. A heaviness had laid itself upon her chest and more questions rose up, but different in their intention. Why did she feel so sad? Why did she want to know everything about Serenity and then more? Why did she want to hold her in her arms and caress her body and kiss her lips until they were warm and swollen?

The feeling was welling in her, almost more than she could bear when Kakyuu's voice loudly broke the moment that was now suspended in time. "Seiya, you must wake up!" She felt her eyes open suddenly and the link to Kakyuu's memory was broken. Her brain was foggy, and she felt a strange fatigue overcome her body. Kakyuu was staring at her, an odd expression of worry and fear cast over her scarlet eyes. Her fingers were shaking as she smoothed her hair from her eyes.

"That is all you need to know of the Milky Way Galaxy and Queen Serenity. I think you know now how powerful she is. When she called your name that day, you experienced her light. Because the Bleeding of the Stars occurs at a time when Kinmoku and the Milky Way are closest, I'm sure this is causing this memory to reappear right now." The kindness Kakyuu had shown before was replaced by a cold formality. She was back to being all business. "You should clear your mind at the hot springs before sleeping again. You'll be haunted by dreams if you let yourself fall asleep with my memories fresh in your head." The sentence was a command and less of a suggestion, but she did not remain in the room to make sure Seiya did as she commanded. Instead, she hurriedly left the room, a strange urgency in her pace.

Seiya, on the other hand, was still reeling from what she had just experienced. The room was still dark. She longed to have one more glance at the beautiful queen from the Milky Way Galaxy, and she told herself she'd only stay for a moment longer to dream. She closed her eyes once more, but this time she felt different. Rather than sleep, she felt as if she had transcended space. In a way she felt like her body had changed to something a little more masculine. In the distance she could see the Kinmoku countryside rolling beyond her. The sweet, amber and vanilla scent she had smelled before surrounded her, and then there was a whiff of ocean air, but not of Kinmoku oceans. It was something different. All sounds seemed to have stopped. The hairs on her neck prickled. And then it happened.

"Seiya." Clear as day, the voice of Serenity called out to her. Seiya turned, suddenly met with the backdrop of the balcony attached to a crystal castle, and on the balcony stood the slender frame of a woman he had once known, Usagi Tsukino. Their gazes met, her eyes soft and happy, and he smiled at her, sure that one day, they would meet again.

A/N:
Thank you so much for following along with me on this novel-length journey that I started when I was unemployed in the middle of covid. It's hard to believe it is truly ending here! I appreciate the kind words, Seiya-hate lol, and encouragement over the years. I have some plans for more in the future, so hopefully I'll see you all then!

Wishing you all the best and thank you again for the reviews, favorites, and, again, sticking with me 'til the end!