The flight to Earth was busy for most of the Taskforce, taking care of the wounded, cleaning and repairing equipment, making lists of things that needed to be replenished, and writing reports.
The Taskforce had taken over some wounded from other units of the Fleet, which meant that if one group of persons onboard the ships of the Taskforce was busy then it was the medical personnel.
At least there was one joyful thing, it even brought Minako and Setsuna out of the med bay, Hotaru was awarded the Space Medal of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances for her deeds on Fondor.
Of course all of them were proud of her but Michiru, Setsuna and to a part SunTzu also had mixed feelings about it, it had been very risky what the teenager had been doing back then. Which didn't mean that they wanted to not honor her skills and the fact that it was her that saved the remaining fleet defending Fondor.
Haruka and SunTzu both had a talk prior to the awarding, both were pretty sure that Hotaru would succeed their flying skills even faster than they thought and might could even succeed some of the absolute legends out there.
SunTzu noticed that another sign of the war changing was the circumstances of the awarding. These ceremonies used to be pompous in the beginning of the Shadow War and now it was just a small gathering of the Inner Court and the Leadership of the Taskforce.
Not that some of them had time for anything more, as Minako and Setsuna didn't even have time for a tea afterwards.
After a few work-packed but, except for Hotaru's medal-awarding, uneventful days the Taskforce arrived at Earth again.
At least this time there weren't any dead for the Taskforce to bewail, which was a small miracle given the heavy combat on Saleucami.
The medical arm of the Taskforce had done an outstanding job and the casualty management and rescue chain had worked flawless, even the French Commander had praised it, and it was a sureshot that the whole med bay and the medics would get a recommendation from both Admiral and Royals.
The two Star Galleons of the Taskforce had parted while descending to Earth and would land in France again to unload the expeditionary troops of the Foreign Legion.
Mamoru and Colonel Bernard were scheduled for a meeting with the French President, Secretary of Defense and General Staff later that week to debrief their cooperation.
The opinion from the boots on the ground was concordant, soldiers from both Crystal Tokyo and France both would anytime work together again. The French had been an immeasurable help and along with the experience, the sensation to have helped to liberate a whole planet from an enslaving machine force sure was one of the proudest moment a soldier ever could feel.
While Minako and Setsuna stayed back to overwatch the transfer of the dozens of wounded, most of the serious cases being soldiers attached to the Fifth Fleet and Fleet Group, the rest of the Taskforce went their ways.
The state limousine, escorted by black SUVs and two police motorbikes in front of the motorcade set forth to Juban as soon as the Royal Family, including the Neo Queen's father, and the boyfriend of the Princess, were inside.
The Galactic Senator and the Head of Intelligence immediately went to their offices to resume their work, the later accompanied by the Commanding Officer of Serenity's Wolves.
The pilots flew their starfighters over to the hangars and then met in the Flight Center before they left together and went out for a celebratory burger dinner for the youngest among them.
Unfortunately Hotaru's mother couldn't make it but Chibiusa, Helios and even Rei, Yuichiro and the two Coronians showed up later on.
And the teenager noticed that SunTzu seemed to be off, definitely missing Setsuna at least as much as she did, but that wasn't all, there seemed to be more. Maybe it was because the things he had seen on Saleucami although both the French and the Taskforce didn't had any servicemen killed in action, Hotaru had heard that in other places there had been high numbers of casualties.
Setsuna came home in the middle of the night, Hotaru had texted her that she would sleep at her other parent's place.
Between two treatments, at least the refined Kolto-Bacta-Gel was working as intended and again achieved even better results now, Setsuna had replied and excused herself for not being there.
When she saw Hotaru's answer she had to smile, although her daughter would liked to have had her around she understood very well. Just another proof that the little one was becoming an adult.
Before Hotaru went to bed she had sent another message, telling her mother good night as well as that there had been someone tonight who would probably had been even more happy to see her tonight. SunTzu seemed off this night, not openly but she had observed him and he definitely seemed introspective in those moments. Although Setsuna was completely done, she had not even remotely having got ridden of that exhaustion, there had been just too much to do, she still had problems to fall asleep, her thoughts kept revolving around SunTzu. It seemed he was still asking himself where he would be without the War and it just enforced her opinion.
By now it would just have been fair to let him know why he really was where he was right now.
Yes, he deserved to know the truth.
"And that's why I believe he has earned the right to know the truth about his origination, your Majesty."
Sailor Pluto had requested a meeting of the Senshi, King Endymion and the two advisors from Mau the very next morning. And although anybody attended without hesitation, almost nobody could even think about the reason. Nobody except Sailor Mars, she had figured out that if SunTzu wanted to know all of Setsuna, she would also want him to know why he was here and where he originated from.
Neo Serenity's posture showed that she was thinking hard about it for a moment and then turned to her husband who nodded at her and she then turned back to her Sailor Senshi as well as Luna and Artemis.
"Does anybody has any objections?"
A few heads turned to Artemis or Ami but both kept quiet just as the rest.
"Fine, then it is settled, SunTzu will be granted the right to know about his origination."
Setsuna bowed down in front of her Neo Queen and the Queen's reply was a friendly smile before she looked to her Head of Intelligence.
"Ami, I assume you're going to be the one to tell him."
"If you don't mind your Majesty, I'd like to be the one to tell it to him." Setsuna chimed in and immediately earned nods of appreciation from a few of the other Senshi.
"If that Is your wish, I'll not deter you from it."
"Thank you again, your Majesty. As the one mainly responsible to bring him to this Galaxy I feel the obligation to do so."
Both Royals nodded at her.
"Speaks for your character my friend. When do you plan to do it?"
"I would like to talk with him as soon as possible."
It was almost noon when SunTzu had sit down at his usual spot on the bench under the tree in the Crystal Palace Courtyard.
He was having a cigarette and wondered himself where all the Senshi were. It looked like a storm was approaching so he was glad that at least he could get a cigarette in before it would begin to rain.
"Too bad that I smoked lately as well. Telling you now that it's unhealthy would be double morale."
"You have my official permission to call me a bad influence for you then."
SunTzu got up from the bench and turned around, to his surprise Setsuna was transformed. And she looked very serious, and not in the usual Ice-Queen-way.
"What happened? Where is everybody?"
"Listen, I came to talk to you. There's some things you should know, about your origination. But I think it's better if we go inside."
Setsuna used the Garnet Rod to point at the Crystal Tower.
The happiness in SunTzu's face after hearing Setsuna's voice had made space for a skeptical glance but nevertheless SunTzu followed after behind her towards the Crystal Tower.
They entered the Palace and while Setsuna lead him through the main corridor he asked her from a step behind.
"You found some new informations regarding to my past?"
"I… I really think we should talk about that in private." Was her reply, looking at one of the Royal Guards down the corridor.
A moment later she stopped in front of a door and after letting her Garment Rod disappear, she opened it. It was a meeting room close to the throne room, used for talks with state guests in privacy. The room itself was a rather small but beautiful decorated room with two high-grade arm chairs and a small table in its middle.
Setsuna waited until SunTzu had stepped inside the room before she closed the door.
"I think we should sit down." She said and looked at SunTzu as she pointed at one of the chairs.
She could already see that a plethora of feelings was working in SunTzu. He was quiet but there was a certain curiosity in his eyes.
"What is it this time, you guys found out my real middle name?" There was small, playful smile on SunTzu's lips as he sat down although Setsuna could see right through, he was nervous.
Setsuna's facial expression didn't changed its austere look. What had she found out about him?
"I know Master Cilghal asks you this often but you still don't have any memories of your past life, do you?"
SunTzu shook his head and then his gaze fixed Sailor Pluto.
"What is it you want to tell me?"
For a moment she tried to withstand his gaze but finally she had to turn her eyes away.
"Everything…"
"What do you mean by that, Setsuna?"
It was like the room went completely quiet, the only thing SunTzu could hear was the slow ticking of his watch for two seconds before he spoke again.
"Setsuna?"
His tilted head and facial expression gave away that he began to worry now. But where would she start, there was so much to say? And to feel guilty about.
"I… I actually don't know what to tell you first as there's so many things I want you to know, so I begin with how everything started before it spiraled down into becoming the Shadow War."
SunTzu's face got more skeptical but he didn't say a word, so Sailor Pluto continued.
"In the beginning it was just a few Youma trying to attack us but this was just to find out how fast we can react and to keep us disrupted from elsewhere in the Galaxy. And we, the Jedi, Intelligence, everyone was fooled and distracted from what really was happening. Chaos, through what he calls himself, the Herald of Chaos, already had shared an army around him."
"Youma were those monsters, right? I fought one of these when I got here. Remember that jumping out of AICA incident?"
SunTzu bit his lip, that was when he had noticed Rei in that special way the first time.
"The monster you thought was a clone of one of the strongest one of them."
"Clone? What happened to the original?"
"Killed. That man was a priest. It happened before you arrived here."
"Arrived from Kamino, you mean."
"No. Not from Kamino."
A small smile scampered over SunTzu's face.
"Ah yes, i remember, not from Kamino but Tatooine then. It's where I saw you for the first time. You seemed so aloof back then."
But Setsuna's reaction wasn't a reciprocating of the smile.
"No, that's also not what I meant."
SunTzu's eyes narrowed and his brows furrowed.
"What do you mean by it then?"
Setsuna looked to the floor for a moment before she turned back to SunTzu.
"Agent Wong. She snatched you from the street before Chaos's killers got you."
"Chaos's killers? When was that? And where?"
Another glance at the floor, followed by a deep breather.
"SunTzu. You are not from here."
"I know, I'm German."
"It's not this, you are not from this Galaxy, this Universe."
"Not from this Universe? I don't understand."
"I think you have heard about the multiverse-theory and traveling between Universes."
"It's theoretical, like time traveling."
"It used to be. See, as keeper of Time and Space I am able to do both, traveling through different universes as well as time travel. And somehow Chaos had found a way to at least let a single person do so as well."
"Are you really telling me that I got brought here from a different universe?"
Her eyes showed the certain sadness they so often he shown, although it had become better lately, at least he had thought so.
"You were brought here to specifically fight Chaos. Or more precisely, the Herald of Chaos."
"I was brought here to guard the Senshi."
"On whom the Herald has it in on."
"But you said killers. And that Ada was there as well, so not a single person or just the Herald."
Setsuna nodded slowly before she rose to speak, her voice having lost a lot of its strength.
"The Herald used the device he had created to travel to your dimension. He hired those killers at the spot."
"And Ada? How did she get there?"
"I was about to get to that point. The Jedi, as well as Lord Vader, found the place where the enemy had installed the device to travel to other universes but the Herald already had fleed. Vader destroyed the device as it seemed to much of a danger to have around .By that point Crystal Tokyo, the Jedi Council and the Chief of State already shared the same opinion on the dangers of Chaos. It was at that time that AICA was commissioned."
"Why you didn't focus on neutralizing the Herald then?"
"You see, the last time we fought the Forces of Chaos we prevented a cataclysmic Ice Age on Earth. But the Future and the Now were changed, as Chaos already meddled with time and space and not even me, Rei or Michiru know what will happen in the Future now, something that is completely new for me and as you can imagine something that I truly find to be uncanny. It is also the reason why the Chibiusa that you know is actually an older version of herself from the Future. And this is also why Hotaru is younger than she should be. A lot of things including the promise of the Senshi to not age anymore in the future after Mamoru-San and Usagi married was lost back then. In the end Chaos got away though, hiding in the unknown regions but while searching for it we found a warning, a prophecy."
She paused for a moment before she begane to recite the prophecy.
"When darkness would once more harm and enslave this Galaxy through it's Herald, only a man from another place in time and space, a bearer of the Force although unknown to him, a man destined to become personified war, will be able to best the one that fell to Chaos, as only that man will be able to best himself."
"Himself?"
And then SunTzu's eyes widened in shock, as the realization tightened his guts and made a bout of nausea sweep over him.
"The Herald… the Herald of Chaos is…"
"You in this Universe, yes."
SunTzu had become pale as he zoned out, somehow trying to grasp the fact what Setsuna had just told him.
"For months the Herald had captured and enslaved Force Users to help him search for the right Universe as he knew about the prophecy as well. And to make sure to not take the risk of an anomaly when killing you himself in that universe, he then hired men to kill you."
SunTzu still was sitting in his chair, motionless, his gaze far away as Setsuna continued her telling.
"When the Jedi assaulted his lab they barely missed him but found his documents about his research to find you. In a haste it was decided to sent a stealth ship with Lieutant Colonel Wong and a team of Spec Forces to rescue you, the Neo Queen and the King lending me the power of the Ginzuishou and the Gouruden Kurisutaru to move such a freight to another Galaxy and back."
His gaze eyes were squinted when he looked at her again but her eyes didn't met his, as the crimson gems that her eyes were, were speaking of regret now fixed on a point beside her legs.
"In the end it was me that ripped you out from your life and brought you here. To fight Chaos and the Herald."
"But why? Why me?"
"From all versions there of the man you are in other universes you are the closest resembling the Herald in powers. As far as I know you are the only other version of yourself that the Herald found which was Force-Sensitive."
She somehow found the strength to force herself to look into his eyes.
"I understand if this is a lot, I am…"
"No! No you don't understand! I probably had a peaceful life, far away from war... and Chaos... and... and loosing friends in the most horrible ways possible!"
SunTzu had jumped out of his chair, yelling at Setsuna, who again couldn't stand his gaze. Best she would have jumped up as well, but not to yell as well but to lay her arms around him.
But that would have just been to consort herself, to hope he would hug her back, telling her he wasn't angry at her although he had all the right not in the world but in two universes to be angered at her. It had been a plan and mission of all parties involved but she was the one that had connected the universes. Instead she would tell him the whole truth, as it was the least she could do, even if it meant to hurt the man she loved deep down.
After his outbreak his shoulders and head had slumped down and he stood there for a moment, and seeing him like that broke Setsuna's heart even more.
She pursed her lips and was back looking to the floor.
"You had an ordinary life, so much i have heard." And then she turned back to him, her voice gaining more of strength back again. "But you never were ordinary."
And never were and will be to me…
"Listen into yourself. You might not have your memories to your old life again but you know that you were different. The premonitions, the way you could influence people, make them share your opinion. The Force works on a much, much smaller level in the Universe of your origin but what you probably have joked about as your sixth sense was the Force."
"I see. That's why everybody is so afraid of me falling to the Dark. And let me guess what happens if that ever would happen."
Their gazes met again, Setsuna's was still full of contrition while SunTzu's face didn't hid his anger.
"Who is it, Setsuna? Cilghal? Ami? Makoto?"
"All of the Senshi except one have retracted from… the task to neutralize you in case it would become necessary."
"All except one. Let me guess." He wheezed and shook his head one time.
Setsuna didn't answer, confirming who it was.
"You know Setsuna, i thought I was more than an asset to you. I guess I was wrong."
SunTzu got up again, obviously to move to the door of the room and leave.
"SunTzu." Setsuna pleaded.
SunTzu stopped but didn't turn around.
"I got brought here as what? Pawn offer? What will you do when we win this war? Kill me too? Tieing up loose ends?"
The pain and anger audible in his voice hurted Setsuna on physical level.
"It might be true that I am the one tasked with your extermination if it ever should become an necessity."
"The woman I love so." Another wheeze. "I wonder if my own Universe is that cruel as well."
Now she was up again as well, hands at her side, clenched to fists.
"What do you think? That that's my damn goal? To kill you? That I'm hoping that you fall? In a great lot of timelines and universes the according soulmates to the Inner Senshi were turned against them. I do had my fair share of heartbreak but even I don't know how it feels to kill or be killed by the one you love with your whole being. And I'm not intending to ever find out."
SunTzu turned around to her and she continued.
"Nobody in this Palace thinks that you could fall at this moment and your current state. Believe it or not, even me. I very well see that you are capable of becoming the man you ought to be."
"You mean the weapon." A small pause. "I think I'll go now, I heard enough."
"And then? What will you do? Where will you go?"
SunTzu heard the fear in her voice but he just shrugged.
"I don't know. I don't know why you brought me here. I don't know why nobody told me earlier. I don't know if I can trust anyone here anymore. Right now, I don't even know if I want to stay here on this planet. I… I need to be alone."
"Whatever you do… don't leave us again."
Or should I say don't leave me and Hotaru again…
"Because why? You wouldn't have any control over me anymore? Or because I could fall and you'd have to kill me? Maybe that would even be better, no old burdens."
For a moment a flare of anger rushed over Sailor Pluto's face.
"Do you think trying to anger or hurt me will make me fall for you?"
SunTzu shook his head another time.
"Ever so objective, Setsuna."
"You wanna know why?! Soichi died because of Chaos! It killed him from the inside out, an unstoppable cancer. As long as I cannot guarantee a hundred percent to myself that you won't fall to Chaos and doom yourself, I won't give in to my feelings. This one night was already more than enough to stirr up my inner fears that the same could happen to you. Until I cannot be sure that you will never fall, I'll rather watch you from afar."
Now it was SunTzu who had to avert her gaze after her outburst.
"I'm sorry If I'm such a nuisance to you. I guess that goes for the others as well. I think it really is better if I leave this room now."
SunTzu turned around again and brought his watch up to his mouth.
"AICA, pick me up at the Palace Landing Site immediately."
Setsuna shook her head, her squinted eyes looking at him in anger.
None of them said a word to the other anymore as he left the room, Setsuna sitting back down in the chair.
As soon as he had closed the door behind him, she couldn't keep her tears at bay anymore.
A few meters past the door, Sailors Mercury and Jupiter were posted up.
SunTzu strutted past them, wondering he hadn't sensed them before, shaking his head slowly at them, then putting a hand up to already finish any conversation they had intended as he continued his way out.
Leaving the Crystal Palace SunTzu ignited a cigarette immediately after he was out of the door only to notice that the cancer stick did nothing to calm the storm in his mind down.
As he was nearing the landing spot of the Palace a few minutes after leaving the Tower, AICA was already waiting there, he noticed that a woman was standing in front of his ship.
"Don't even try to calm me down."
He stopped in front of the woman, a few meters in front of AICA.
"Calming down others is usually a thing you do, TopGun. I should know."
"Talking about knowing things, how long?"
"Setsuna was right, you really didn't take it well."
"Oh, how would you react? How long did you know, Rei?"
She sighed loudly and looked away from him for a moment.
"I got all the details soon after my appointment as Senator."
"That long? And I trusted you. I trusted all of you! And you all made me a tool, an asset."
"I think you remember that I told you you never were, are and will be one for me. I stand by these words. Ever have, ever will."
The honesty in this words somehow took away a lot of the anger and he took a deep breather, letting his hand sweep over his head.
"SunTzu, I know this is a lot, that it hurts. But it doesn't change anything for the people that are in your life. I don't care where you're from, as I wouldn't be where I am, or here at all, if it wouldn't be for you."
"All of us… You do know who's coming to get me when I fall, whatever she's taking for that."
"Oh TopGun, you don't get it, do you? Love is a primary factor of our power. That's why me and Ami became Cosmic Senshi, think about that. Sets is willing to kill what in a lot of opinions is the other half of her soul."
"She brought me here."
"As did Ada, the Jedi, Crystal Tokyo, the Court as whole and the Leadership of the GA. You can't blame her for everything. For real, as your ex and knowing very well that although you went through hell and back, you, WE, had great times as well. You owe her that too. I for my part am happy that you are part of our lives."
SunTzu's face hardened and he lowered his gaze.
"I'm only here to take lives and see lives taken. Personified War." He wheezed ironically.
"No, no that's not true. The Herald is the one who takes lives! You are the one saving them and not only mine or the other Senshi's. You want me to take you to New Rago? I've been in the orphanage with Mako-Chan before Saleucami, that baby girl you rescued, Hanabira, she is the most sweetest thing in the world. And it's your merit that she's still alive."
SunTzu didn't show any change in emotion or replied.
"I know it's hard to process, and it might not be the same but it also was a lot to process when I learned about my powers, you are not alone. You are cherished and you are one of us."
Rei let out another sigh, crossing her arms.
"I know that at least part of you wants to run away, jump into AICA and just fly off, but let me tell you one thing. It's okay to be sad and angered, to feel alone, it's even okay to feel lost right now." She let out a wheeze. "I really should have told you that last time already… it's not right to leave the people you love and that love you behind."
SunTzu didn't reply but Rei's eyes met his as he slightly raised his gaze.
She took another deep breather after seeing his sad puppy eyes.
"C'mon, I'll get you home. Take the afternoon off and let everything ease down. I'll be there with you."
SunTzu went internal again, thinking about what to do, weighing things up.
And then he looked up, but not at Rei but at AICA.
"AICA, get back to the hangar. I'll see you tomorrow my dear."
This sparked a small smile on Rei's lips.
It begun to seriously darken and the wind increased as the two former lovers walked to the parking lot close to the west wing of the palace.
As soon as Rei had steered her red Porsche over to the bridge over to Minato it began to rain.
Rei looked over to SunTzu who wasn't said a word since ever they had left the landing spot.
His head was leaned against the window, with his arm supporting it.
"It's okay, I got you."
After hearing Rei say this, the first of many tears began to stream down his face.
Rei brought SunTzu to his apartment and stayed there.
He settled down on the sofa. The tears had stopped but he still was quiet, while Rei shepherded him.
She had called up her office and Yuichiro on the way, telling the former that she was out for today and her boyfriend that she needed to take care of SunTzu.
Rei was glad that Yuichiro understood, furthermore, he even offered to come over as well. Rei thanked him but told him she got it before she told Yuichiro she loved him and thanked him for his trust and big heart.
Rei had just fetched them tea as it suddenly rang on the door.
Before Rei could react SunTzu was already at the door, surprising her.
SunTzu opened the door, outside it was still raining and a figure with an oversized black hoodie with the hood up stood in front of him.
"S'up? I heard you went home. Mom went over to Michiru and Haruka's place so I thought I'd come over."
Of course Hotaru had heard it as well, even that he hadn't talked with Ami and Makoto after he had left the room where her mother and him had their conversation in. But why bother with things that had been done and told, and not just see if he still would talk to her like before or not.
Hotaru was phragmatic with certain things and this was one of them. It was a good thing he still was here, even at home, and that he still tolerated Rei around him.
She wouldn't wanted to do it on her own of course, neutralizing him if it should become a necessity, not that she thought he would ever fall at all, and she should know about falling to the wrong side, but she didn't understood all the fuss about it. If he would fall to Chaos it was more than likely that it would be time to let her Glaive fall anyways. In the end it still all was about Death and Rebirth, even if her current life, as hard as it had been already, sure had its pros nowadays.
"Hotaru, Darling. Nice to see you." Rei appeared next to SunTzu. "Won't you let her inside, TopGun? It's still storming outside."
SunTzu took a step aside so Hotaru could enter.
Setsuna had her head bedded on Michiru's thighs, both were sitting on the spacious sofa in the living room of the apartment of Haruka and Michiru. Michiru was stroking Setsuna's long, dark hair to consort her friend.
Soon after SunTzu had left the room where Setsuna had told him the truth about his origins, Michiru had entered it and had found her best friend in tears, that was just after Setsuna informed Rei via text that SunTzu had left the Palace as he took the information bad.
Immediately Michiru had told Haruka that she would take care of her and left for their home with the broken Senshi of Time.
Haruka had came back home shortly after them and since she wasn't good with words she showed her sympathy with making sure that Setsuna got the best hospitality possible.
Michiru had so far found out that it wasn't exactly SunTzu's anger and sorrow that had broken her heart but the guilt to be the one responsible for hurting him this bad.
Setsuna had stopped crying but was still feeling horrible, still trying to calm down her worried mind at least a bit. At least she wasn't alone and she really hoped SunTzu wasn't either.
A few hours later Rei had just finished cleaning up the kitchen after cooking a curry for Hotaru, herself and SunTzu.
The other two were sitting on the sofa and SunTzu was, there was no other way to state it, getting his ass handed over to him in Mario Kart by the teenager.
And while Rei watched how Hotaru won another time, because of what the youngest of the Senshi described as SunTzu having boomer-reflexes and SunTzu threatening her with AICA-grounding, she couldn't help but think to herself that having a family on her own one day seemed to be a pretty nice thought.
She waited until the banter between superior and subordinate was over before she walked up to the sofa and leaned down, first kissing Hotaru on the head, drawing a big smile from the girl, and then SunTzu before she walked to the apartment's foyer.
SunTzu turned around and looked over the back of the sofa.
"You're already leaving?"
"You're not the only man I have to make sure he's doing right. Plus you have another charming raven-haired here to keep you company."
Rei proceeded to put on her shoes and Jacket, SunTzu got up and shuffled to the entrance of the apartment as well.
"Rei, how can I…"
"You're at home, you're not drunk and have someone around that deeply cares for you. I've done my job and Hotaru can take it from here." She smiled at him. "You're welcome, TopGun."
And then she looked behind him at Hotaru.
"Hotaru-Chan, if he makes any moves to leave this planet, city or apartment you have my authorization as Senator, and big sister, to hurt him."
She smiled widely at his dumbfounded face while she brought her index finger up and waved with it.
"I don't want to hear anything. Who else in this Galaxy can say that they have a Galactic Senator cooking Kare Raisu for them? Be a good boy and don't get any stupid ideas. I'm proud of you that you made it through the first shock."
It was a very, very wry smile but SunTzu couldn't help himself.
"Thank you Rei."
"No, SunTzu. Thank you, from all of us. It might take time to accept everything but you made it to here. You found a home, love and a family." Her head motioned to Hotaru. "No matter what you do, don't leave in a rush again. I'll be here in minutes if you need someone. As will the others."
"Thank you."
"Just doing my job. You leaving again would mean to break some hearts including that of Usagi. And my main purpose is to keep Usagi safe. Don't let me come after you with Phobos and Deimos."
SunTzu smiled again, her humor still made the pain go away, just as it always had.
But suddenly she sighed and the smile on her face vanished.
"Listen, there is something Setsuna didn't tell you."
"What would that be?" SunTzu prepared himself for another heartbreaking reveal.
"Your name, the real one." Rei began to lean in to his ear and then whispered something into it.
SunTzu eyes widened for a moment and Rei pulled back from his ear.
"I think it's nice. Now, do you want me to call you by your real name from this moment on?"
For a moment SunTzu thought hard, that was his name, the name he had lived most of it's live as. Setsuna had said a peaceful life that was. No war, no fighting the ultimate evil, not having to fear about and even loosing loved ones. But here he was, a universe and half a globe away from home, having lived through an intergalactic war for a year and a half, having been at the highest highs and lowest lows, from exchanging pilot stories with the husband of the Chief of State of most of the Galaxy to being a drunk, broken individual on the probably most hostile planet this Galaxy knew. The faces of his friends, allies, acquaintances flashed before his mind, the memories of so many things which had happened, from being celebrated as a hero to being tortured, from Marvin and Gistess over to the Senshi, from the gruesome visage of Abeloth to the belle of Setsuna. Rei was here, Hotaru was here, Haruka and Michiru and Ami and Minako and Makoto and all the others were just a call away. The woman he loved was here. He might have had peace in his universe, his old live. But he could make a difference here, help to save the innocent, protect the ones he loved.
"You can call me by my name. SunTzu."
A hand reached for his cheek, her hand gently cupping it, and Rei and him locked eyes.
"SunTzu. You are our SunTzu. My TopGun."
"And you are my Moeru Shōjo. And I'm here because It's my home now."
Her head fell on his chest and her hands grabbed onto the sides of his shirt.
"Forever."
"Forever."
For a moment they just stayed like this before Rei spoke again.
"You know, this whole multiverse thing also means one thing."
"And what would that be?"
"That there is one, where we both made it and share our lives together in peace."
"You really think so?"
"Pretty sure about it." And then she laughed and pulled her head away from his chest. "And I think I really should go now, before that thought gets even more appealing."
"You should go home to your Samurai."
"And YOU should talk with Setsuna."
SunTzu nodded slowly and Rei gave him a last small stroke over his cheek before she grabbed her handbag from the nearby counter and left.
Michiru-Mama, how is Setsuna-Mama doing?
She calmed down a bit, Ruka-Papa is with her right now. But she has to meet with her father soon to report to him.
How off is SunTzu?
Kinda introspective and of a certain sadness but I wouldn't say he's breaking apart. Rei cooked dinner for us and I'm kicking his ass in Mario Kart
Maybe it's better if you stay there tonight. I don't know when Setsuna will be back. And she really needs to rest after that.
Rei just had left the apartment when Hotaru put down her phone and turned around to SunTzu, outside the sound of Rei's Porsche starting was to be heard.
"Hey SunTzu, do you mind if I crash the couch tonight? It seems Mom stays over with my other parents and it's still raining outside. And with the way you're totally loosing in Mario Kart I'm not sure if I ever want to get into a car with you again."
Still looking at the door, SunTzu left corner of the mouth twitched. Right now he was pretty sure that God, the Kami, the Force, Destiny or whoever was running this show, had brought him here to show a certain teenager, that he very much was capable of kicking her ass in Mario Kart.