Once she had returned to the Palace, young Jewel resolved to check on Star and Ivy first. They two were roommates in the Crystal Palace. Neither could contain their elation at having the chance to use the bunk beds. Star was in the lower bunk, typing a few essays. Ivy was on the floor, tackling her pile of homework. When Jewel peeked in, they both looked up and smiled.
"Good evening, Princess." Star as she curtsied while giggling.
Ivy, however, knew Jewel didn't particularly care for such formality. Of course, it was understandable why the redhead exhibited a fair amount of disdain toward her title. Nevertheless, Star was courteous and slightly silly, so Jewel didn't snap at her.
"Good evening, Star, Ivy. I just came by to ensure you're OK." Jewel explained to her teammates
"You're worried about Charoletre deceiving us, huh?" Star asked Jewel. Her question was meant to be rhetorical. Sadly not everyone knows when someone is asking a rhetorical question.
"Yes...I mean, no...I mean..." Jewel stammered, her voice laced with anxiety. She knew these two were the most likely to deal well with whatever their issues were.
"We know what you mean." Star laughed cheerfully. Shaking her head slightly, she couldn't help but think her princess sometimes took things far too seriously.
"We're fine. Don't fret. We know what those counterparts are seeking to do. We have to stay strong." Ivy replied, her brilliant green eyes shining with strength.
Jewel hugged her silver-haired and brunette pigtailed friends to reassure and calm herself. Then out of the corner of her golden eye, she spotted several empty bottles of sugary sodas sticking out from underneath the bed. The red-haired beauty knew they couldn't have been Ivy's as she did not like soda.
"Star, have you...?" Jewel started to say before the blue-eyed girl rudely cut her off.
"Had way too much caffeine? Looking at it now," as she glanced at the empty soda bottles, "Yes, I overdid it. But I need the caffeine so I can complete my essays." Star burped, and she burst out laughing.
"So, now I have to deal with a sugar-fueled Sailor Senshi, who can shoot exploding stars from her hands," Jewel remarked sarcastically. Star still seemed in control of herself.
"Just wait about...five hours...and she'll crash," Ivy informed her future queen. Ivy had just looked up on her laptop how long it took before a person experienced a sugar crash after drinking lots of caffeine. She was slightly worried about Star's heart since too much sugar can result in heart issues.
"If that's how short of a time it takes, I better get back to my essays!" Star returned to her bed and began to type furiously.
"How are you feeling, Ivy?" Jewel questioned softly to the brunette.
"I'm just waiting until dinner. I'll fuel up with brain food, then. Perhaps you should check on Dawn and Shadow too?" Ivy smiled just like her mother.
"Chibiusa gets Holly and Alexis, and I get double trouble." Holly and Alexis were more likely to have a dispute than Dawn and Shadow.
Yes, Dawn and Shadow were as different in personality as day and night. Yet they worked well together when push came to shove. This situation with these doppelgangers drew the twins even closer. Jewel peeked in to see Dawn and Shadow on the floor, side-by-side, surrounded by a mountain of homework. It may be best not to bother them as they look stressed. Thankfully, at dinner, they acted perfectly normal.
Due to the sugar and amount of work Star had to do, the Soldier of Constellations needed a breather. So, she stepped outside for a minute. Unexpectedly a voice cut through the silent night, "You're too smart to be out here alone."
Star quickly snapped her head toward the mysterious voice. She let out a sigh of disgust, seeing her double. She grumbled in annoyance and wished she had just kept doing her essays.
"Why did you groan? You're not in distress already, are you?" Alternate Star tilted her head in confusion.
"You and your creator are a pain in everyone's asses! None of us, especially me, have time for your BS! I need to complete my essays! So just scram already! I don't have time for you!" Star screamed furiously at the fake before her, unquestionably not in the mood for any more issues.
"What's wrong with me?!" Alternate Star sobbed loudly, to which Star rolled her starlight eyes in annoyance.
Seeing how she shed no tears, the ridiculous life-like doll wasn't truly upset. Instead, she sounded like some cartoon character who did "turn on the waterworks." Did Charolette not give them the ability to cry? Regardless. Star did feel she overreacted, letting her strain get the better of her.
"Whoa! Hey, calm down. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken my aggravation out on you." Star awkwardly comforted her adversary.
As Star pulled the doppelganger's hands away from her face, the white-haired girl was not surprised her counterpart's hands felt delicate but stiff. Charlotte probably stuffed it with wool to feel warm like; human hands and trick people, but the outer shell might be wax, paper mache, wood, china, or porcelain.
"A-Are you going to scream at me again if I ask you a few questions?" Alternate Star sniffled.
"No, I won't. Yet, I only have a few minutes, so make this quick," Star warned her enemy.
"Alright, I'll make it quick. Why are you so kind and loyal when your so intelligent?" Alternate Star demanded the original.
"Just because I'm intelligent doesn't give me the right to be an arrogant snob," Star answered irritably. Again she wanted this done and over with as soon as possible.
"You could have whatever you wanted if you let go of that kindness and loyalty," her forgery tried again to upset her.
"I'd rather keep it," Star replied deadpan.
"You love studying and books too, which proves you know how important your intelligence is." Alternate Star stated. She was thrown for a loop why this girl wasn't bending at all.
"I never said it wasn't important. I think it's better to have more than just that as a personality." Star explained impatiently.
"I guess I can agree with that." Alternate Star conceded to the original's point.
"Are we done?" Star demanded to her copy.
"One more thing. If you're so sure of your personality, why are you insecure about your inherited powers?" the fake used the last card at their disposal.
"What do you mean?" Star asked, one eyebrow cocked.
"I know you don't like that you can do what your father used to do in the Dark Kingdom's time." Alternate Star pointed out.
"I may not like them, but I love my father. Therefore I accept that part of me." Star replied strongly.
"If you won't break by talking, I'll break you physically!" Alternate Star forcefully shot off a torrent of water, which Star dodged.
"Nova Storm!" Star pelted her foe with silver stars!
"Come on! Present a real challenge!" Surprisingly, Alternate Star could control a handful of the stars to hit their user, however, with some difficulty.
"If you insist," Star switched tactics and left illusions of herself as she teleported around the area.
There is no way to tell which one the original Star was. So Alternate Star swamped everything around her with a giant tidal wave! Thankfully, the real Star had taken refuge in a tall tree as she learned to get to the highest ground in a flood and hold on for dear life, so she was safe! Although she didn't desire to do her next move, she had an idea.
Launching herself out of the tree, she saw Alternate Star prepare a great pressure water attack. Therefore, Star began stealing her energy, and the attack started losing water to sustain itself! "Argh! No! I won't allow you to" Alternate Star was cut off as Star grabbed her and generated powerful cryokinetic/frigokinetic blasts to freeze her rival solid!
The energy she collected was a little. Regardless, she already had some from their last battle with Charlotte, and her nemesis wasn't destroyed. Consequently, there was plenty more to sap if needed. Rushing home, she enlisted the help of her friends to help her haul in her icy antagonist, which they were not too happy about so late at night. Yet they're grateful Star was OK. In the morning, the starlight blue-eyed girl went to Neo-Queen Serenity to complete her plan.
"My queen?" Star bowed, respectfully waiting for permission to speak.
"Yes, Star?" Neo-Queen Serenity asked kindly.
"Last night, I faced and overcame my doppelganger. Unfortunately, I didn't make her explode or burn. Instead, I froze her to preserve her because I figured if I could drain her energy, maybe you know a way we can use it to help Crystal and Comet." Star hoped this was possible. She'd been so excited thinking up this idea! She even had Trisha use a model-like form of Dark Dome Close to seal her doppelganger's energy away until required.
"Hm, in the past, energy normally immediately returns to those it was stolen from unless contained or used. Endymion, do you think you, Shinnetou, could transfer energy?" Neo-Queen Serenity turned to her husband.
"While they were able to gather energy, I think Beryl gave them that ability only to reawaken Queen Metalia." King Endymion said fretfully.
"What if myself, Hotaru, Zoisite, and our daughters tried our healing abilities?" Neo-Queen Serenity suggested.
In the past, Zoisite held the tile as Shinnetou of Purity and Healing. Hopefully, Dawn had inherited some of that power too.
"I'm willing to try everything we can." King Endymion vowed.
Neo-Queen Serenity gathered Chibiusa, Hotaru, Emily, Dawn, and Zoisite (Kunzite came with her.) Both looked like they had only aged a little since the Dark Kingdom days. Also, it was revealed that the Shinnetou had chosen last names for themselves. They had selected the surname of Knights, which was appropriate as they used t be Prince Endymion's knights.
Everyone gathered in Crystal and Comet's recovery room except for Shadow, who did not like seeing her parents for personal reasons. Using their healing powers on the joined energy seemed to force into Crystal and Conet slowly, but it is working! First, Crystal regained color in her cheeks and opened her eyes!
Glancing around, she smiled. "Hi, everyone."
With tears in their eyes, Ami and Urawa hugged Crystal. Crystal sobbed as she was so sorry for worrying them. Comet regained some energy, but she couldn't still move her legs!
"Don't worry. I'll take care of her." Quartz took it upon himself to aid the moon cat's daughter.
Of course, Luna was hesitant about this. As they left the room...
"Don't fret, Luna." Artemis smiled.
"Artemis, how can you expect me to feel comfortable with a temperamental kitten watching over our daughter?!" Luna snapped, her ruby eyes blazing.
"Calm down. You may not see it, but he's in love with Comet." Artemis revealed, his blue-green eyes shining with pride, that two of his kids had found love.
"What?! Um, Artemis, you DO realize our kids have human forms, too, right?" Luna reminded him.
"Uh...We'll have to worry about that bridge when we come to it." Artemis sweatdropped, rubbing the back of his head nervously.
Luna sighed dejectedly. Did they not have enough to worry about?!
