Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Sailor Stars: Chaos Theory
Act 69: Friends or Adversaries?
By: Sora Kazeno
Tumblr blog (sorakazeno) features pictures and videos from the art exhibits mentioned in the chapter.
Yaten is practically choking after he took several heaping bites of tonkatsu curry with rice. He reaches for his water, guzzling it down trying to stop his tongue from burning. He significantly underestimated how spicy the restaurant can make curry. A mistake he will not be making again in the future. He stops drinking for a moment to glare at Minako before downing more water. He also realizes he needs to order another drink. He will never make it like this.
Minako is trying not to laugh. She tried to warn him but he was too stubborn to listen. She smirks for a moment before she begins scrolling through the menu to order some additional spices and some extra drinks for Yaten.
Yaten looks down at his plate. He is only a quarter of the way done. He is unsure how he will ever be able to finish it. His face turned bright red from the heat. He is really contemplating ignoring the don't waste food policy that is so common in this country. He looks at the food in front of him. But how is he going to finish this?
The waitress returns to the table with a tray. She places two drinks down in front of Yaten and a few small bowls of spices to sweeten the curry to tone down the spice.
Once the waitress leaves, Minako reaches for the first bowl and tries to dump the entire bowl on his curry.
Unsure of what Minako is up to, he grabs his plate and pushes it closer to him. "Are you trying to kill me?"
A throbbing vein appears on the side of Minako's head from her boyfriend's accusation. "I tried to warn you but you didn't want to listen. You didn't want to believe me," Minako chides. "I'm trying to help you fix the curry so it's not so spicy."
Yaten stares at her for a moment, questioning her statement. He relents. She can't make it any worse, can she? He moves his plate closer to her.
Minako quickly sprinkles the seasoning around his plate. She then uses his spoon and mixes the curry sauce. Once she is satisfied she passes it back to him.
Yaten stares at the plate, reluctant to eat any more. He picks ups his spoon and places a little of the curry sauce on it. He stares at it before he finally picks it up and shoves it in his mouth. He is ready for the sharp tingle of the spice but finds it milder. He looks at Minako is disbelief. "It is a bit better, what did you do it?"
Minako winks and waves her finger. "It's a secret blend!" It was actually a trick Makoto used to help Usagi when she ordered curry that was too spicy years ago.
The food is still spicy but it is now possible for Yaten to finish it with the extra drinks. He silently eats the rest of the meal, pausing to look at Minako a few times. He makes a note that she is not always wrong. The problem is figuring out which times she is correct. She'll never get proverbs right.
Once the dishes are empty they leave. As soon as they step outside the small restaurant, they are greeted by a few camera flashes. Minako smiles as she leans into Yaten's arm. She is not sure if they are fans or for the newspaper. Either way, they were going to receive an award winning smile. Yaten can only manage a partial smile at the flashes start. He reminds himself it will only be a few more days until he won't have to deal with his anymore while he is on Kinmoku.
Usagi sighs as she waits at Tokyo Station with the other girls. They are waiting for the Joetsu Shinkansen to take them to the onsen for the evening. She is unusually quiet. She is going to wait until they are in the onsen before she springs everything on them.
Rei whispers to Usagi, "Are you okay?" It is obvious she isn't.
Usagi slowly nods her head. "It is just going to be hard. This is the part I'm not looking forward to on our trip."
"Minako-chan and I can help you as much as we can," Rei offers.
Usagi shakes her head no. "It's time I told both of you everything too," she closes her eyes tightly, trying not to picture taking everyone's starseeds.
Usagi's statement alarms Rei, causing her to question how much more there is to tell. How much Usagi has been keeping to herself?
"Mako-chan, we haven't seen you in so long! Tell us how your cooking classes are going," Minako asks.
"They've been great! I learned so much from the teachers. I'm glad I decided to pursue cooking right now. It would be a lot easier to manage a catering business out of my apartment than opening a flower shop," Makoto responds with a smile. She is ecstatic to finally be reunited with her best friends. She felt a little left out when she learned Ami was able to see everyone on tour. But looking back, there was no way she could leave school for that long with such small class sizes.
"I'm sure you will be successful," Ami encourages her tall friend.
Minako catches the glimmer in Makoto's eye. It can only mean one thing. "One of your classmates or someone at your school reminds you of your old senpai."
Makoto laughs as several teardrops form around her head.
The other girls sigh as large teadrops appear next to their heads.
Makoto tries to switch the topic off her senpai look alike.
"We'll talk about it when we get there. We want to hear all about you and Ami-chan's adventures while we were gone," Minako responds with a wink.
Ami is quiet as she looks at Usagi. Something still didn't seem right. Usagi and Rei seemed to be hiding something from her the day she attended the concert. Usagi didn't seem like her bubbly self. She knows something happened on the tour. She plans to get to the bottom of it this weekend.
The girls take a connecting train and are picked up by a minivan to drive them the rest of the way to Kusatsu Onsen Hotel and Resort. Minako didn't have a problem making a reservation on such short notice given her new idol status. The vehicle pulls up in front of a large white building with an orange brown roof. They are ushered inside to reception and Minako checks the group in. Afterwards they are taken to their room.
The girls explore the large traditional style room, their socks brushing against the tatami mats.
Rei walks over to the closet confirming there are five futons for the night.
"Wow, this place looks great Minako-chan," Makoto complements.
Minako flashes a victory sign. "And this is only the start!"
Rei, Usagi, Ami, and Makoto teardrop at Minako's response.
"Modesty was never her thing," Ami whispers to the other girls. They eagerly nod their heads in agreement. Minako is oblivious to all of this.
Usagi changes the subject, "its dinner time!"
The five girls sit down to dinner. While they were on the train, Makoto and Ami discussed everything they have been up to since the three girls left. They used dinner to discuss the beginning of the tour which included Hawaii, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and started discussing Boston.
"How is Mamoru-san?" Makoto asks Usagi when she learned they visited him.
"He's doing okay. He's adjusting to school." Usagi pauses, realizing the next part will lead up to the alternative timeline. "While we were there we met at new senshi and were attacked by some new creatures."
Ami turns her head sharply to look at Usagi. She assumes the new senshi is Sailor Earth. But a new enemy? "Usagi-chan… you didn't mention a new enemy."
"It was temporary," Rei interjects. "The entire thing is rather long and… complicated."
Usagi nods her head, glad to have Rei's help. "We can talk more when we are alone in the onsen." Usagi suggests. Her eyes stare at her empty cup. Maybe it would be easier if summed it up first and then filled in the details. She looks at Ami and Makoto. "I fought Chaos again and during the past few weeks my nightmares returned."
Makoto and Ami gasp loudly at this revelation.
Ami's eyes soften. "I knew something happened. You didn't seem like yourself when I last seen you."
Usagi slowly nods her head and turns to Ami. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you in São Paulo. I wanted to tell you and Mako-chan at the same time," Usagi hastily apologizes.
"Everything is okay though?" Makoto asks, studying the faces of Rei and Minako for confirmation. Both girls nod their head yes. She doesn't understand why she and Ami were not contacted about a new enemy.
The girls quickly make their way to the onsen. Since it is late at night the five of them are the only ones present.
Usagi leans back on the ledge. She explains the dirt creatures, how they met Sailor Earth and Mamoru became King Endymion.
Makoto listens attentively. Ami nods her head picking up a few new details when she heard the story the other week.
Tears start to form in Usagi's eyes as she explains how she woke up suddenly at Rei's shrine and Rei didn't understand what she was talking about, her conversation with Mamoru and then with Setsuna.
Ami looks at Usagi in alarm. "Setsuna-san… tried to change the timeline? But isn't that… no one is supposed to interfere with…" her voice trails off.
Rei steps in. "Setsuna-san thought she was "fixing" the timeline and restoring it back to what she thought it should be."
"Oh my God…. Usagi-chan… but you stopped her, because you're back here…" Makoto voice grows softer as begins to understand why Usagi immediately began crying when she spoke of another timeline.
Usagi continues. The memories everyone expected her to have, her attempts to reawaken her powers as Sailor Cosmos, the tsunami which lead to her harnessing her powers and the battle against Chaos. She had to stop several times while she discussed this.
Minako and Rei are horrified as they hear more of the details from Usagi, ones that she had kept from them.
"Usagi-chan… you were holding all that in this entire time?" Minako whispers in disbelief.
Usagi slowly nods her head, apologizing. "I needed a little time before telling everyone and the less I had to talk about it, the better."
"Usagi-chan… is everything the same since you returned? I don't think any of us noticed a difference." Ami asks, trying to understand why they did not sense any of this.
"As far as I know," Usagi immediately confirms. "None of you would remember the other time because you don't have a Time Key. Only Pluto, Charon, and I remember what happened." She hesitates before she continues. "When I returned, I was back in the park and only a matter of seconds passed. Sailor Pluto returned and we spoke in the Time Streams."
"We were all confused when the two of you left. Uranus and Neptune were angry they were not included and I know if King Endymion could have, he would have went into the Time Streams too," Rei recalls the side Usagi did not see while she was with Sailor Pluto.
Usagi nods before she continues and wraps up what happened in Boston. She discussed part of her conversation with Mamoru and how she had to tell him she moved on. It was extremely difficult. She left out the part of what she told him to make him understand.
Ami whispers to Rei, "is that what you two had meant about coming to an understanding?"
Rei nods her head. She follows Usagi's lead and omits the additional information. It is not her story to share.
Makoto's eyes narrow. She has always looked up to Haruka, that isn't a secret. She is frustrated by the older woman's inability to let Usagi make her own choices. "After all this time, they won't accept it…" She shakes her head. "What has to happen for them to finally understand?" She asks the group but doesn't expect a response.
Ami pauses to look up at the stars above them. "I feel like they betrayed Usagi-chan… especially Sailor Pluto." She voices her opinion quietly.
Usagi sighs. "I spoke with Setsuna-san earlier this week and she told me she would not interfere."
"But can we trust her?" Makoto asks.
"Mako-chan?" Minako stares at her wide eyed.
"I want to believe her," Usagi responds softly. "Especially after what happened and Chaos awakened…" She looks at all of the girls. "Becoming Sailor Cosmos has become a fixed point in time that cannot be changed anymore. So if… Sailor Pluto attempted to send me to another time again… and I become Sailor Cosmos… Chaos will also awaken."
"She wouldn't risk that again," Ami immediately interjects. "It's too dangerous."
Usagi numbly nods her head in agreement. "I'm still not sure what I'm going to do… I've asked her to help stop Haruka-san and Michiru-san from interfering too. I'm hoping tomorrow will go okay."
"I'm sure it will," Rei adds optimistically. "It's like the Three Lights said, she would be risking part of her career too in such a public place."
"That is true," Minako nods her head in agreement. "But it is what they do when they are not in public that is concerning."
Ami, Usagi, Rei, and Makoto teardrop at Minako's word choice.
"Um… I think I'm going to speak to Queen Kakyuu about it when I see her in a few days," Usagi shifts her weight a little as she realizes she has been sitting in the same position for a long time.
"In a few days?" Ami asks looks at Usagi confusion.
"Are you going to Kinmoku?" Makoto asks, wondering how much more she had missed while the girls were on tour. "So… that is what they meant during their interviews getting away for a little awhile."
Usagi nods her head. "I've had a few premonitions during the second half of the tour… some took place on Kinmoku. I'm not sure why but I know it is really important for me to be there with them."
"Is that safe Usagi-chan?" Ami asks in alarm. "The last time you went there for a while…" Her voice trails off recalling when Fighter brought Sailor Cosmos back and she was near death.
"I'll be keeping an eye on her!" Minako volunteers with a grin.
"Eh? Minako-chan?" Ami and Makoto exclaim in unison.
Makoto twitches in eye when she looks over at Minako. "When where you planning on telling us you are dating Yaten-kun?"
Minako laughs nervously. "Well…you know… ummmm…" She continues to laugh.
"What about your parents? How will you explain how long you're going to be gone?" Rei turns to Minako. "You wanted to keep Yaten-kun a secret from your dad, but how do you explain this?"
Usagi looks at Minako for a moment not giving the blonde a moment to respond to Rei's question. "Minako-chan…. your parents were at my parent's house really late… my mom even told me to stay out as late as I wanted since they wouldn't stop asking questions."
Ami interjects. "Questions about what?"
"I had to tell them I am a senshi." Her statement shocks the other three girls.
"It was the only way. They were going to try to ground me and tell me I'm not responsible for dating a boy behind their back and wouldn't let me go to the studio. They said I needed to more reliable like Sailor V… or Sailor Moon and I had it." Minako explains summarizing the evening.
"Oh… Minako-chan…" Makoto slowly adds. "Wow."
"Yeah… let's just say…. They see me a lot differently now," Minako smiles a little. "A bit more understanding… but more paranoid if I'm out late; thinking I'm fighting somewhere."
"How did you explain you'll be visiting Yaten-kun's home world?" Rei questions with a raised eyebrow.
Minako winks flashing a victory sign. "Senshi mission with Usagi-chan!"
Rei, Makoto, Usagi, and Ami crumple into the water after listening to Minako's explanation.
Makoto shifts her attention to Usagi. "Is there anything we can do to help you Usagi-chan?"
Usagi is surprised by the brunette's question. "Everyone has been supportive, please continue being supportive."
"Of course," Makoto grins before her eyes harden. "I'm sorry you had to go through all of this and we weren't there to help you… well we were… but you know what I mean…" She stumbles with the rest of her words.
Rei reassures Usagi. "We'll continue to support you... you and Seiya-kun," Rei smiles.
Usagi turns to Rei to address her trip to Tokyo. "You went to Tokyo to talk to Haruka-san, Michiru-san, and Setsuna-san."
"Someone had to try to talk some sense into them," Rei explains while waiving a finger. "Though it was more like… yelling at them at first."
Usagi looks at Rei for a moment before she starts laughing. She looks up at the crescent moon peeking out from behind the clouds in the night sky. "I'm hoping going to Kinmoku for a while will be a break from everything, a chance to get away and put the nightmares behind me."
Mamoru is attempting to study but he can't, he feels uneasy about something but he doesn't know what is causing it. He taps the lead tip of his mechanical pencil on the paper.
He tried to bury himself in his studies since he last spoke with Usagi. Because of this he wasn't worked on learning his new abilities. He looks at the Golden Crystal and sighs. He is doing the exact opposite of Usagi. She would do anything to avoid her school work. He is using his school work to avoid something. He smiles a little at the thought.
He sulks knowing he won't see her for a few weeks. She is going to Kinmoku, a planet that is far away and it nearly killed her the first time she was there. She was fine when she was there for a few days for Queen Kakyuu's coronation. But what if something happens? His eyes narrow. He knows deep down Fighter would never let anything happen to her. He frowns. She will be protected… just…
A popping sound redirects his attention to his pencil. He put too much pressure on the tip and the lead broke unable to support the additional weight.
He sighs loudly lying the pencil down on his notebook. Even now he can sense her presence in Japan but it is so far away and faint. He would have to spend a lot of time and energy to narrow down her location. Once she leaves for Kinmoku, he will not be able to feel her presence. That bothers him.
Realizing he is not going to be able to study anymore before his classes in the morning, he checks his e-mails, hoping it will distract him. He scans the recent e-mails he received from Motoki, Rei, Ami, Asanuma, and Setsuna. He stares at the messages already assuming what some of them will be about. The mouse hovers over the one from Setsuna. Usagi has been back for a while now. Did the two of them speak? He clicks on the e-mail and reads the message, confirming his suspicions. Setsuna wanted to meet with him in person and discuss the conversation she had with Usagi. He checks the date. It was from a few days ago.
The five girls return home the following evening. Usagi flops down on her bed for a few minutes with the cordless phone in her hands. She told Seiya she would call him when she got back and warned him it would be late.
She clicks on the button to receive a dial tone. She is about to start dialing his number when she remembers she has the phone number for his old apartment memorized. She sits up and walks over to her dresser. She placed his temporary number near the picture she has of them. She dials the number and lies back down in bed.
The onsen was supposed to be relaxing but she is exhausted. The girls finally know everything. They were surprised by the events, especially Ami. After hearing it, Ami had told her she understood why she didn't want to bring it up on the tour. She is glad she finally knows what happened.
The phone keeps ringing. She is about to give up when at the last moment, someone picks up. "Hello?"
"Seiya…" Usagi smiles at the sound of his voice. She realizes how tired she is. Why is she still so tired? Wasn't she resting a lot this week? She went to sleep early almost every night.
"How did everything go?" Seiya asks hoping there weren't any complications.
"It went fine. They were all really understanding… and worried about what Setsuna-san had done and if she will try something like that again. I explained to them that it shouldn't be possible and Setsuna-san had promised she wouldn't interfere but they weren't sure." Usagi closes her eyes. "I'm pretty sure they are going to keep an extra eye on Haruka-san tomorrow."
Seiya lets out a sigh listening to Usagi's confirmation Haruka will be at the event. He had assumed as much given how close Haruka and Michiru are. "Maybe it will be a good thing to keep an eye on them." Seiya suggests before shifts the topic a little. "I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. I think the exhibit might be fun. I was able to see a little bit of it today while we were rehearsing."
"I'm sure anything by Michiru-san will be really pretty. She is a good artist." She remembers how she tried to be talented and cultured like Michiru when they first met. She was not successful. It was the first and last time she tried to play her violin.
"Ami-chan and Makoto-chan won't let us be late tomorrow. They have the train schedule and everything picked out." Usagi laughs. "Minako-chan and Rei-chan are planning to come to my house to get me." She stares at the ceiling. "But Minako-chan was late to school a bit too… I wasn't the only one."
"She was fine making to most places on the tour on time. The exception was if an event last longer than was predicted," Seiya recalls; he teardrops a little. "She might have been a little bit more on time than I was some days…"
Usagi laughs. "I thought you were a pro! It means working long hours and not taking breaks just because you are tired." She recites the answer a photographer gave during a photo shoot the first time they were on Earth.
"Well…whose fault was that?" Seiya counters back.
Usagi laughs in response.
The longer they talk; Seiya realizes Usagi sounds less tense than she had earlier in the week. He is hoping there will not be any issues tomorrow and then they'll be on Kinmoku, away from all of this.
Makoto and Ami wave as they see Rei, Minako, and Usagi approach the entrance of the subway station to take the Oedo Line before transferring to another line. Minako, Rei, Makoto, and Ami are very eager to see the exhibit and performance. Usagi is more nervous than excited at the moment.
Rei glances at Usagi to tell her quietly. "I'm sure it will fine."
Usagi smiles for a moment.
Minako beams as she is beginning to receive more recognition from fans. Pictures snap of Minako by herself and Minako standing next to Usagi. The five girls quickly board the train.
When they arrive in Koto City, they walk the short distance from the train to the Team Labs building. The girls stare up at the red miniature obelisk near the front entrance. Standing near it is Michiru and Haruka.
Ami bows slightly when she greets them. "Thank you for the tickets so we could come to this event."
"Of course," Michiru smiles back. "I hope you enjoy the exhibit and the mini concert." She is trying to over compensate for Haruka, whom does not look pleased. "It is nice to have everyone together."
The seven women walk inside and are greeted by one of the workers explaining how the exhibits work. She reminds them about the dangers of wearing a skirt in some of the exhibits because of mirror floors and shorts are available to wear underneath. Luckily they had followed Michiru's advice and all wore shorts with sandals since some of the exhibits also feature water. The room is staring to fill with other guests.
They walk back to the locker area to put away their sandals and bags. After they finish securing their belongings they meet up with the Three Lights.
Usagi rushes over to greet Seiya happily.
"Yaaaten!" Minako immediately moves over to his side.
Yaten grimaces a little. Minako has too much energy for him at the moment.
Taiki greets the rest of the girls.
Haruka barely acknowledges their presence.
Michiru remembers her conversation with Setsuna and tries to break a little of the ice. She reminds herself, everything she is doing is for her Queen. "I'm glad we will be able to perform together and you were available."
"You were the one that invited us," Yaten responds harshly.
"Yaten! Be nice…" Minako chides.
Michiru turns to Seiya. "I heard you had to move because some fans recently found your apartment. That must have been awful."
Seiya isn't sure what angle Michiru is trying but responds, "Yeah… our new place will be ready when we get back."
Michiru nods her head. "Setsuna-san had mentioned the… trip you'll be taking." She chooses her words carefully.
"How convenient," Haruka adds. It is the most neutral comment she can add.
Usagi and her friends stare at Seiya and Haruka, half expecting a problem to begin. So far neither one wants to kill each other and hopes it will remain that way.
"Where will the new apartment going to be?" Michiru asks trying to keep tabs on them.
"Global Front Tower," Taiki responds slowly.
Michiru stares at them for a moment before she starts laughing.
Haruka's eyebrow twitches in anger.
Usagi and her friends stare at the Three Lights along with Michiru and Haruka, not knowing what to say.
"What is going on?" Seiya asks not understanding the responses he is receiving from everyone.
Michiru finishes laughing to finally answer Seiya's question. "I guess we know who our new neighbors will be, ne Haruka?"
Taiki immediately looks at Yaten and Seiya in disbelief. The people they have tried to avoid the most will be living right next door to them.
"It's a big building….surely…" Ami tries to come up with something.
"The larger units are on the higher floors and there is currently only one vacancy." Haruka immediately shoots down the idea they might live somewhere else within the building. "At least it will be easier to keep an eye on Kitten," Haruka adds at the last minute.
Before anyone else can say anything, a few staff members arrive to lead them to the first exhibit.
Seiya narrows his eyes. He hates the idea of seeing them more but if they are planning something, he might be able to stop them sooner.
Michiru gestures to the girls to approach the first exhibit ahead of them. It is a long dark narrow hallway with a waterfall at the end. Water is running down the soft black surface beneath their feet, the sides of the path are illuminated by a pale light. Each black wall has a hand rail to help the guest climb upward. At first glance it doesn't look too steep, until one starts climbing.
Usagi grabs Seiya's hand and pulls him forward with her. Ignoring any looks she receives from Haruka. "This doesn't look so bad!" She starts climbing, letting go of his hand.
Makoto and Ami follow behind Usagi and Seiya. Makoto takes a few weary steps behind her Queen. "Oh wow, this warm water is really nice and warm."
"Very relaxing," Ami has to speak loudly over the rushing sounds of the water.
Usagi giggles. "I don't see why they had a warning sign about being careful, this is easy!" Usagi somehow places her foot wrong on the slick mat. "Ahhhh!" She flails her arms around trying not to fall backward into Makoto.
Makoto braces herself for Usagi to come crashing into her.
Hearing the commotion next to him, Seiya immediately reaches for Usagi's arm, trying to stop her from tumbling backward. He stops her from completing falling over and Makoto uses her free right arm to stop Usagi while her left arm is holding the handle bar tightly.
Makoto lets out a sigh of relief when Usagi doesn't knock her over.
Usagi slowly stands back up laughing.
Rei, Minako, Yaten, Taiki, Haruka, and Michiru are thankful they had waited longer to start climbing. They wanted to avoid being behind Usagi for this reason.
"Same old klutzy Usagi!" Rei shouts up at her over the rushing water.
"Hey!" Usagi whips around to yell at Rei and nearly lost her balance again.
Everyone teardrops.
"Somethings don't change…" Haruka whispers to Michiru.
Michiru turns to Haruka, "perhaps it is a good thing somethings can remain constant."
Yaten turns to Taiki, "this is worse than the plastic bag."
Taiki laughs slightly. "Hard to say."
The group approaches the Black Hole Exhibit. The female staff member bows slightly to greet them. "Please be careful with this exhibit, it is our most difficult one. Spread out, no one has been able to cross it without falling over."
"Eh?" Seiya looks at the lumpy black floor in front of him. Sure it looks uneven. "It can't be that bad." With all the training he has completed over the years, this should be easy.
"Step aside, you're not fast enough," Haruka challenges.
Michiru sighs.
"Anything will spark the competitive side," Yaten grumbles.
"Haruka-san also hates losing," Minako whispers back.
"I think I'm going to wait until they're done," Taiki comments, moving to the side of the room along the back wall to have a clear view of the insanity that is about to happen.
Usagi looks nervously at Seiya and Haruka. But interfering at this time would only make it worse. Maybe this is what they need to do.
"Usagi, are you sure this is a good idea?" Rei echoes her thoughts.
"I don't think we could stop them," Usagi responds back while nodding their head.
"Yeah…" Makoto agrees next to them.
"This will be quick," Seiya sounds as confident as ever.
Haruka immediately counters back, "Not the first time I've beat you."
"When was there ever a first time?" Seiya scoffs at her.
"Too many examples to list," she smiles. She lowers her voice slowly, "In your other form."
Seiya narrows his eyes at the tall dirty haired blonde next to him. There were several times Sailor Uranus had gotten the better of Fighter for various reasons. The one that comes to his mind first were the comments regarding Fighter not being able to protect Princess Kakyuu.
"Not sure why you'd think you'd stand a chance," Seiya retorts trying to throw her off, a tactic that had been used on him.
Haruka smirks. "They call me the Senshi of the Wind for a reason." Without another word she takes off attempting to run across the lumpy uneven surface.
Seiya follows behind. His pace is quick but not as fast as Haruka's.
Haruka reaches a few meters before she starts to stumble forcing her to slow down.
Seiya is slowly catching up at his slower pace. He is focused a little more on balance than speed. Seeing Haruka fumble confirms his suspicion about this exhibit. Speed won't help, agility will.
Haruka gathers her barring and moves forward. She takes a few steps forward. She can't fall over, not right now. She is going to beat Seiya.
As Seiya gradually closes in on Haruka, neither one realizes moving through the exhibit becomes more difficult.
Haruka is struggling and has to slow her pace a little more. As Seiya draws closer the ground becomes more uneven, less predictable. She sees him move closer. She clicks her tongue in annoyance. She pushes herself faster.
Now Haruka's moments begin to affect Seiya's. He can feel himself struggle with his balance and has to stop to avoid a fall. He glares at Haruka; he's so close. Why is it becoming so difficult now?
The two continue to push forward, now three fourths of the way to the exit. They are traveling at an angle, moving closer to each other to be lined up with the door to the exit.
Their combined weight shifts everything too quickly for them to compensate.
There is some cursing as Seiya and Haruka crash into each other and fall onto ground.
Taiki and Yaten start moving forward along with Michiru, expecting the worst between the two of them.
Usagi stares at them, her eyes unblinking.
Minako and Rei sigh loudly already imagining how this will play out. They is no way they could stop Haruka and Seiya if they starting fighting.
Makoto starts to move forward behind the others.
Ami watches everyone plotting out the best route in her head.
Laughter starts to fill the room.
Everyone freezes.
Seiya slowly sits up laughing as he figured it out.
Haruka moves away from him looking at the man like he is crazy and has finally snapped.
"I should have realized why they called it a Black Hole," Seiya turns around to look at Yaten, Taiki, and Michiru who are no longer standing up right. "The more movement and weight of those around you, it makes this harder to cross."
Haruka shakes her head. "So the only way was to go separately…" Haruka slowly tries to stand back up.
More people have entered the room behind the girls. The ground is completely uneven as other people approach. Seiya shakes his head and instead of trying to stand back up, he crawls forward toward the exit. Even then it is still difficult for him to make progress. "So is this what it's like struggling to walk a straight line without falling over like Odango?"
Haruka snickers for a moment and then laughs a little. "I don't think anyone is clumsier than her."
Yaten whispers to Taiki, "The whole world is ending if they might actually get along."
After everyone makes it out of the Black Hole exhibit in one piece, they move into another dark hallway filled with soft mats underneath their feet. As they continue to walk forward the texture changes into a stiffer one. A few spaced out red lights near the bottom of the wall illuminate scattered sections of the path.
Ami's eyes are still adjusting to the sudden change and bumps into the person in front of her. "Oh, I'm sorry!" She apologizes and tries to bow but she can't judge how close she is to the person in front of her and her head hits them as she bows. She shoots back up, even more embarrassed. She is thankful whoever the person is, can't see her face.
"Not everyone's eyes adjust quickly to the darkness," Taiki comments after hearing Ami's apology. "It seems everyone is going to be bumping into each other today."
As if on cue, Makoto bumps into Ami and she nearly collides with Taiki again. "Sorry! It's so dark in here!" She apologizes.
Ami and Taiki laugh.
"Huh? What's so funny?" Makoto asks. She recognizes Ami's laughter right away.
"I was just apologizing to Taiki-kun for bumping into him because it's hard to see," Ami explains.
The three continue to move forward, slowly.
Behind them, Seiya is planning on startling Usagi. He never had the chance to scare her at the campsite. He slows his pace until he's a little behind her. His eyes had adjusted quickly as well as his cousins, being used to traveling throughout dark galaxies.
Usagi slowly takes a few steps forward onto a softer mat. She can see additional circles of red light up ahead but it makes everything else in front of her harder to see. "Why don't they have more light in here?" She grumbles. At least there isn't anything for her trip over, is there? Suddenly she feels a hand on her shoulder and she screams bloody murder.
Instinctively Minako grabs onto Yaten's arm and holds it tightly in a deathlike grip.
Haruka and Michiru were behind the others giving them some space until they heard Usagi's scream. They move as quickly as they can through the faint lighting.
"SEIYA!" Usagi yells at him once realizes it was him. "Why did you sneak up on me like that? You could have given me a heart attack!"
"Oiii, you're exaggerating." Seiya tries to calm her down. He didn't expect her to scream that loud right by his ear.
She crosses her arms against her chest. "That was not a nice thing to do."
"Sorry…" He responds sheepishly. "But I guess it's good to always expect the unexpected?"
"Trying to turn this into a training exercise for Usagi might be a good idea. She is still leagues behind the rest of us," Rei jumps in with a grin.
"Hey! No double teaming me!" Usagi shouts at both of them.
Haruka sighs. "How many more exhibits do we have?"
"We've only started," Michiru whispers back.
At the end of the hallway, a bright light marks the start of the next exhibit. Usagi quickly moves forward, wanting to be away from the darkness. She prefers the light. She opens a curtain and gasps at the breath taking sight.
Thousands of twinkling lights flash and changes colors of the rainbow suspended on long thin vertical strands. Then they turn bright white. They begin flashing at different times and it reminds her of traveling through the galaxies, the same view she will have tomorrow when she travels to Kinmoku.
The lights change and ascend upward, causing Usagi to inhale sharply. The lights moving upward remind her of seeing a newly freed Galaxia leading the starseeds home where they belong.
Usagi shakes her head for a moment trying to focus on the present. She slowly walks forward watching the rest of the lights. The rest of the group moved on to the next section of this exhibit. She walks forward slowly making her way to a large mirrored room. One side of the room is filled with lights while the other three walls are made of giant mirrors. She looks down at her feet and realizes she has been walking on a mirrored surface this entire time. The ceiling looks like a giant mirror.
Everyone looks around in awe of the sight before them.
Usagi moves closer to stand next to everyone. "I'm really glad everyone is here today to enjoy this."
Rei turns to Michiru, "which exhibit is yours?"
"The next one," Michiru responds with a smile.
Haruka looks around at the mirrors. She can't help but feel a little uneasy. It reminded her of the trap Queen Nehelenia had set for them.
The group makes their way out of the light show and down another dark hallway full of warm water that comes up to their shins. Evenly spaced out are dim white circles of light. They reach the end of the hallway and it opens into a large room with a mini pool up to their knees. The water is warm and soothing.
Projections of different colored fish are scattered throughout the room, as if they were in the water with them. They are also patches of color mimicking corral moving in the water and the occasional starfish. The group stands near each other enjoying the exhibit.
Ami smiles; enjoying the exhibit immensely, "this is so calming and relaxing."
Usagi is amused by the fish and watches them closely, trying to follow them as they move around.
Minako stands next to Usagi, staring wide eyed at a carp. "They look so real!"
Makoto turns to Michiru, "this is amazing!"
"Thank you," Michiru smiles brightly.
"Don't be so modest. You spent all your free time in here after we returned from Boston to get this just right for today," Haruka complements her partner.
Taiki is also listening to the piano melody accompanying this display. "The music in the background, is that something you composed?"
"Yes," Michiru confirms. "Haruka is an excellent pianist."
Seiya turns to look at Haruka in disbelief. "You play the piano?"
Haruka shots him an annoyed look. "Who else would be her accompanist?"
"So… you're playing in the concert later?" Yaten looks at Haruka in surprise.
Rei doesn't understand how the Three Lights are so flabbergasted by this. "You never heard Haruka-san play before?"
"No…." Taiki confirms. "She wasn't in the last two concerts." He pauses for a moment to look at Haruka. "I look forward to hearing you play later."
Usagi leans forward, brushing her fingers through the water. "It's almost like you can catch the fish!"
Everyone except Minako teardrops at her actions.
"It's fun!" Usagi exclaims. "Even if they aren't real."
Minako places her hand in the water as if she was petting the fish.
Ami watches them closely and gasps. "It changes the projection of the fish drastically."
"Yes," Michiru agrees as she places her hands in the water. The ripples turn the large fish into three smaller fish. As the ripples dissipate, they form one fish. "This was the challenging part that Setsuna-san helped me with."
Usagi tenses slightly after hearing Sailor Pluto's name.
The group moves onto the next section. The room is filled with giant balls, taller than all of them. Usagi bumps into a red one and it rolls in the direction of Haruka and Michiru changing colors to white. She grins. "I can bump into something and not fall over!" She'll gladly take the victory.
Minako pushes one of the spheres toward Yaten and it turns bright green.
Ami touches one as it turns a dark blue.
All of the balls change colors every few seconds throughout the room.
Taiki looks around toward the ceiling trying to find a projector that shifts the colors throughout the room.
Makoto rubs her fingers against the material. It's soft, kind of rubbery like a balloon but thicker and sturdier.
Usagi wants to get back at Seiya for scaring her in the dark hallway earlier. She tries to push one of the huge globes toward him but it rolls to the side.
Seiya laughs. No matter how hard she tries, something always happens. "Did your aim get worse since you tried to hit me with a pillow?"
Usagi's eyes widen. She had completely missed him. She blushes thinking of what happened directly after the pillow fight. The orbs changed color to a hot pink, helping her to hide her blush. "Yeah… well it was a long day!" She tries to defend her lack of coordination.
Seiya smiles. "Is that your excuse today?" He eyes her mischievously, moving closer to her, leaving little space between them.
"Seiya… everyone is watching."
"So? What's wrong with them knowing how much you mean to me?" He whispers before her leans in and kisses her passionately.
Haruka glares at Seiya with daggers in her eyes but does not verbally say anything.
As everyone enters the next exhibit, they find a group of people lying on the floor looking up at the ceiling. Their eyes shift upward to see a wide variety of flowers floating across the ceiling on a projection. The colors rotate between red, white, purple, and orange. All colors are very noticeable against the black backing. Music plays in the background over the speakers.
They spread out on the floor nearby and observe the flowers glide across the ceiling.
Usagi watches the flora as they begin to shift to include bright butterflies, plants, and petals. The imagines are very relaxing.
Rei smiles. The first two exhibits were more hands on but the remaining ones seem to be more relaxing; a moment to enjoy things in life and not worry about everything else. If she could, this would be a great place to meditate.
Seiya reaches his hand over to find Usagi's in the darkness.
Usagi's head turns toward to Seiya when his fingers intertwine around hers. "It's so beautiful in here."
Seiya responses by squeezing her hand a little more in his. He is trying to enjoy this moment as much as Usagi but he is nervous for what awaits when he returns to Kinmoku. Will it happen as soon as he arrives or later? The wait is frustrating. It was like when the Starlights first searched for Princess Kakyuu, they knew she was around somewhere but had to be patient for her to appear. Patient, something he is not always the best at.
"Where is the projection coming from?" Ami wonders out loud. From this angle, the projection should be coming from somewhere where they are lying but there is nothing present. The exhibits are an amazing blend of art and technology. She never imagined technology could be used this way.
"That is part of what makes it amazing," Rei adds.
Taiki is lying next to Rei and found the projection location but opted to keep the information to himself. Before the war, he often helped with technical equipment.
Makoto watches the flowers float across the screen. She smiles when she recognizes several of them. Seeing their beauty makes her second guess being in school for cooking at the moment. She really wants to open a flower shop, but how could she without money and space?
Michiru and Haruka are lying near Rei, on the other side of Usagi and Seiya. She is speaking quietly to Haruka as a few more butterflies flutter by. "Butterflies can often mean rebirth or a fresh start."
Haruka sighs; she knows exactly what Michiru is implying after the conversation Setsuna had with them a few days ago. She stares at the flowers that appear for a few moments. There really was no way around it. "We'll talk to Kitten after the performance. Assuming he doesn't do anything stupid before then." If only they left for Kinmoku without her. "I still don't like him…"
"But?" Michiru asks picking up there is more to the story than her partner wants to discuss.
"He… does seem to… make her happy," she finally admits out loud. That part could not be denied after seeing how Usagi's mood seems to brighten when he is around her. Her lip twitches. That used to be how Usagi reacted around Mamoru. Going back to the other timeline… was that only way for her to go back to Mamoru? Is she too far gone?
"Ohhh… look at that one!" Minako points to an orange red flower, "I think that one is my favorite." She whispers to Yaten.
Yaten nods his head but he is not paying attention. He is thinking about the conversation with Queen Kakyuu from the other day and Seiya's outburst.
While everyone was at the exhibit, minus Hotaru who wanted to go the library, Setsuna is back in Boston with Mamoru for tea. "They are all at the opening exhibit for an art gallery and then a performance after," Setsuna explains. "Given Usagi-chan was going to tell everyone else about the timeline… I thought it would be best if I was absent." She stares at her cup. "Hotaru refused to see Usagi-chan with…" She doesn't need to finish the sentence.
Mamoru nods his head. "I hope Hotaru-chan will be able to… adjust. It's been difficult for all of us."
Setsuna nods her head. "I've been tempted to take her to a different timeline to see Small Lady… but that would only cause more problems than it would solve." There is long silence between them before Setsuna continues, trying to change the subject to something a little lighter. "Michiru-chan has really outdone herself with this new piece."
Mamoru sips from his coffee before placing it back on the table. "I feel like I'm missing out on so much by being here. It's funny how before I was so sure this was where I needed to be."
"It is a difficult position to be in," Setsuna quickly agrees. "If you weren't here then you would be missing out as well." After receiving a skeptical look from Mamoru she continues. "You never would have met Ayumi-san or found the Golden Crystal." She eyes him carefully. "One decision can lead to many changes and open the door to new possibilities that did not exist before."
A small smile tugs at his lips. "That is true. But at the cost of the dream I wanted more than anything else?"
"Sometimes what you think you want is not what you actually need and it takes a while to figure out the difference between the two," she smiles slightly as the image of the new Golden Kingdom comes to mind.
"I just need to be in two places at once to figure it out then," Mamoru states simply before glaring out the café window.
Setsuna laughs at his over simplification. "We could all use a double. Though mine would forever guard the Gates of Time… perhaps this is part of the consequence for leaving the gate unguarded for so long." She stares at her tea again. "But I don't think any of us could have seen this coming."
Mamoru turns to look at her directly. "I think we all become comfortable with what we seen and didn't think the timeline would be anything but on track." His has been over this scenario too many times to count in his mind.
"There is more to it than that. I had thought the change occurred when Usagi-chan became Sailor Cosmos, but looking back, the change began to take place before then," Setsuna finally opens up.
Mamoru stares at her, waiting for her continue.
"I've never encountered another time when Queen Beryl's seal was broken. That seal never should have been destroyed," the emerald haired woman reveals.
"How was she freed then?" Mamoru had never considered fighting Queen Beryl again was never meant to happen.
Setsuna shakes her head. "I don't know. It makes me uneasy. If someone interfered… they knew exactly what they were doing and they are still out there."
The group pauses to grab a pair of soft plastic slippers for the next exhibit. Usagi quickly finds her size and places the plastic sandals on her feet. She is the first to enter the new exhibit and unlike the previous ones, her eyes adjust immediately.
They are in a small outdoor garden area with tarps above them. Mist is sprayed from above and from the ground, creating a foggy atmosphere. There is a path that weaves around mossy areas with large silver orbs that remind her of giant eggs. It doesn't take long before she starts to disappear in the fog.
The others are much slower to navigate the exhibit.
Rei, Ami, and Makoto bump into each other and quickly apologize.
"It is so foggy in here," Ami comments. She smiles a little realizing this is what it must feel like to be stuck in her Shabon Spray attack.
Yaten grabs Minako's hand to prevent her from bumping into an egg.
Haruka and Michiru finally start to navigate forward once their eyes finish adjusting to the dim light and fog.
"How did Odango get so far ahead?" Seiya questions, he lost sight of her.
Usagi seems to appear a few second later out of nowhere, startling the group.
Michiru's eyes narrow. Her sudden appearance out of the mist reminds her of Sailor Pluto.
"The mist is like being in the Time Streams…" Usagi continues, "Being able to navigate it can mean the difference between life and death." There is nothing playful about her statement.
Haruka watches her closely; Usagi seems different.
Usagi suppresses a sigh as a few memories rush to her mind, "the difference between sealing Chaos and being lost to time."
Seiya walks up to her and places his hands over hers. He can see the hurt in her eyes as she remembers something from the other timeline; the pain that doesn't end. When he sees the far off look still in her eyes, he hugs her tightly, snapping her back to the present.
"I still can't believe Usagi-chan had to go through all of that," Makoto shoots a look at Michiru and Haruka. "Maybe it's better if none of us see Setsuna-san for a while."
Yaten doesn't hold back. "Tomorrow we'll be far away from all this and it will be more peaceful without teammates fighting each other."
Haruka has tried to ignore a lot of things she had seen and heard but she was not going to let that one slide. "We do what is necessary to protect our Queen."
Seiya lets go of Usagi. He is going to put Haruka in her place. He turns around, walking toward her. "Protect her? You almost killed her, all of us!"
Haruka takes a step forward. "You don't know what you're talking about. All we have done over the years is to keep her safe." She glares at the raven haired Three Lights member.
"I saw how you tried to "protect" her against Galaxia. You could have killed her with those energy blasts. I protected her from you," Seiya retorts back, his temper rising as he is closing the distance between him and Haruka.
"You started all of this by bring Galaxia here. We were fine without you," Haruka sneers, her fists clenching, adenine pumping through her veins. "We would have been off if you stayed away."
Seiya glares at Haruka, his eyes challenging her. "Someone had to protect her when you failed to." He throws Haruka's remarks from that battle back at her.
Taiki reaches out and grabs Seiya's arm before he can advance any further. "This is not the time or the place, there are too many people around," he reminds him.
Seiya smirks while look at the Senshi of Wind. "This is far from over."
Usagi moves around Seiya to stand in front of him. "Seiya… please don't fight, it will only make things worse," she pleads with him. She can understand his anger over what happened to her but doesn't want to see anyone fight.
He relents. It is easier to brush off Taiki comments than Usagi. His expression softens. "I'm just worried about you and everything you went through."
"I'm fine," Usagi tries to smile, but it is a small one. "I made it back, right? Everything is exactly the same as before I left."
Rei doesn't verbally say anything to Michiru and Haruka but her glare speaks volumes her words do not. Everything is still very tense between them and the Three Lights.
Michiru grabs Haruka's hand and pulls her to a far corner of the exhibit; their forms become difficult to see due to the thick mist.
"He's very protective of her," Michiru reminds Haruka.
Haruka nods her head in agreement, "Even more than before." She sighs. "At least we know he will protect her."
Michiru uses this time to remind Haruka of Usagi's wish. "You're going to have to let this go Haruka." She smiles a little. "You know in some ways you're both alike."
Haruka turns her head sharply to look at Michiru in confusion. How could she believe they were similar?
Michiru continues, "You will both stop at nothing to protect her."
Everyone makes their way to the final exhibit. They enter a room with full of flowers hanging from the ceiling.
Makoto gasps at the breathtaking display. She is surrounded by real flowers everywhere, like nothing she had seen before. She moves to the side to avoid hitting a few the flowers, noting this exhibit was not designed for very tall people.
Makoto was not the only one struggling with the low hanging flowers. Taiki, Haruka, and Seiya also had to dodge them.
Usagi has a very different reaction. She giggles, "Finally an advantage of being short!" She proclaims with a smile.
Minako eagerly agrees, "For sure!" She turns to Yaten, "don't you think so too?"
Yaten makes a face at Minako for reminding him he is the shortest of the Three Lights.
Taiki examines a purple flower dangling near him. The shade of the orchid reminds him of the crossed bands above the shorts of the Maker fuku.
Rei and Ami are standing nearby admiring the flowers. "I'm glad you were able to come today, I know you have a huge exam coming up next week."
"I missed being able to spend time with everyone together in one place. I wanted to see every before they leave," Ami explains looking at a pink flower.
Rei raises an eyebrow. "They?" She isn't quite sure who Ami is referring to.
"Everyone," Ami clarifies. "It's been ages to be able to just spend time together."
Rei nods her head in agreement. "It is amazing they were able to get the flowers to grow downward like this."
"A lot of it is gravity," Ami explains and she moves on to a brighter pink flower.
"Only orchids could pull this off, they can grow without soil and absorb the water from the air," Taiki interjects as he steps a little closer to the two girls.
Ami looks at Taiki shocked. "I didn't know any of that. I wasn't aware you liked flowers a lot."
Taiki shakes his head no. "It was on the sign right before we walked in for the Floating Flower Garden exhibit."
Ami teardrops.
Yaten and Seiya appear next to Taiki. "Ready to go?" Seiya asks him. "We need to start getting ready for the performance. Michiru-san and Haruka-san left a few minutes ago and we're performing before them."
An hour later, a crowd has gathered near the small stage in the large section at the back of the building. It is a ticketed event and only so many were allowed entrance.
Usagi, Minako, Rei, Makoto, and Ami are near the front of the stage.
Minako turns to the other girls, trying to keep her voice down. "They are going to debut their new remix today!" She grins. "I caught part of it in the studio earlier this week, it sounds great."
"Remix?" Makoto asks, turning to Minako for her to elaborate.
Rei grins. "It was…. suggested to them on the tour when they kept arguing about lyrics to make a remix of the some of their older songs."
Before Makoto can ask anything else, the audience cheers as the Three Lights take the stage.
The group sings some of their new songs from the recent tour. It is meant as a mini concert with only five songs. Before the fifth song starts, Seiya speaks into the microphone. "Before the three of us start our final song, we want to talk a moment to talk about this new song, or rather, an updated song."
"This song idea was created during our recent tour and was rather spur of the moment that led to a lot of time in the studio this week," Taiki adds.
The crowd listens in silent anticipation.
Yaten concludes, "We might have had some help from some very special ladies for this."
Some of the female fans scream in the audience.
Haruka and Michiru watch from the side of the stage as the opening beat plays for a few seconds before the Three Lights begin to sing.
The crowd cheers as they recognize Nagareboshi he.
Usagi and her friends watch them as they sign, enjoying the different sound for one of their favorite songs.
During the interlude with a saxophone, Haruka turns to Michiru. "They sound a lot different today in this version."
"Of course they would," comments Michiru also picking up on the difference in their singing versus when they first performed together. "They are no longer searching for their Princess… they don't sound in pain." She pauses. "They sound happy."
Haruka's eyes narrow, "A little too happy then." A thought crosses her mind that unnerves her. "Like this is where they belong."
The next section of the song begins that features Seiya. As always, he looks at Usagi while singing this section. His eyes are on her the entire time.
Michiru frowns. It is become more difficult for them to take their previous stance. "You can't deny how happy she is. She's practically glowing."
Haruka sighs and adjusts her bowtie looking at the large smile on the Queen's face. "I guess we will have to talk to them after the performance. We can't avoid it anymore."
Michiru performs several pieces with Haruka. She looks over at Haruka for a moment, preparing to play their next piece together before she is joined by the Three Lights for the final section of the concert. With a smile she gestures downward with her violin for them to begin the final piece, "Dance of the Goblins." When the song concludes, Haruka stands up and walks over to Michiru. They bow together as the audience applauds loudly.
Haruka walks off stage and passes by the Three Lights as they return to the stage. She keeps her eyes focused forward, a way to stop herself from say anything. After all, she didn't want to do anything that could jeopardize Michiru's performance.
Taiki sits down at the piano, out the three of them; he is the best at this particular instrument. Yaten has a bass guitar, and Seiya has an electric guitar. Once they are set up, they begin. They play three instrumental songs together before the concert concludes for the night.
Haruka waits until she sees Usagi back stage with the other girls. What she is going say will involve her. Haruka talks with some of the staff as she continues to keep an eye on Usagi, waiting for a time when she is with Seiya. It doesn't take long.
"Are you ready?" Michiru asks, studying Haruka carefully, knowing how difficult this will be.
"I don't have a choice do I?" Haruka grumbles.
Michiru shakes her head side to side. "It is for our Queen." The duo begins to approach the couple.
Usagi is speaking to Seiya and she is resting her hand on his arm. Her grip tightens when she sees Haruka and Michiru approaching them.
Seiya instinctively wraps his arm around Usagi's shoulders protectively to keep her close to him. Seeing the two older women approach them like this makes him feel uneasy.
Haruka's eyes narrow at the gesture. She and Michiru are not a threat. "We didn't come here to fight," are the first words she utters. "Just to talk."
Usagi voice shakes a little. "What did you want to talk about?" She tries to keep her voice even but she has a bad feeling. She had hoped they could learn to get along but it seemed like they weren't ready for that quite yet. The uncertainty is evident in her eyes.
Michiru is frustrated by the look in Usagi's eyes by their mere presence. How did it become this bad? She looks over at Haruka waiting for her say something. After a few moments, Haruka is still staring at them, not speaking. Michiru shakes her head slightly and begins. "We owe you an apology," Michiru begins, "both of you."
Seiya's eyes widen in disbelief. He never would have guessed this what they want to discuss with them. "You what?" His mind is still trying to process the teal haired woman's words.
Michiru continues, "We never should have interfered." She looks at Haruka, who is still not helping. "We should have realized how much it hurt you Usagi." When Haruka still doesn't speak, Michiru elbows her in the arm, sharply.
Haruka inhales deeply, grasping she has to say something. Michiru won't let her just stand there while she does all the talking. This is the hardest thing she has had to say in the past two years. "We won't stand in your way." She turns her gaze to Seiya immediately to threaten him, "Unless you do something to hurt her." She glares at him. "Just give me a reason."
"Haruka!" Michiru chides her. "We discussed this."
Haruka's mouth twitches a little. "Sorry." She mutters to her partner.
Michiru grabs Haruka's arm and pulls her away before she can say anything else. She had hoped to have a little more of conversation but it was clear Haruka was truly not ready for this.
"Hey, Michiru not so rough!" Haruka grumbles as Michiru continues to drag her away.
Usagi and Seiya stare at their retreating backs in disbelief.
A smile gradually spreads to Usagi's face. Setsuna had spoken with them. "I think that is the closest we will receive as an apology from Haruka-san." Her eyebrows constrict a little. "Everything we went through could have been avoided if they accepted us sooner."
Seiya rubs her shoulder in response. "I'm still angry at what they put you through. You never should have experienced any of that." He hesitates a little. "But at least this is a start in the right direction." He adds, knowing how important it is for Usagi for all of the senshi to get along. He kisses her on the forehead.
Even with his eyes closed, he can sense the brightness of the flash. He tries really hard to keep his expression neutral. He should have known it would happen sooner or later today. It is a public event. Of course there are going to be cameras taking pictures. Events were fair game. He opens his eyes and to see a few a photographers were permitted backstage. "I'll talk to the press. Go and enjoy the rest of the day with your friends and I'll see you tomorrow." He smiles at her.
Usagi beams as she looks up at him. Happily, she walks away to rejoin Minako, Rei, Makoto, and Ami. Her footsteps are lighter, everything is turning out perfectly. Everything she has worried about is turning out just fine. Only a few remaining things hang over her head: Seiya returning to Kinmoku, why the Starlights looked like they wanted to attack her, and why is it so important she speaks with Galaxia. At this point she feels like everything will work out without any further complications.
Usagi, Rei, Makoto, Minako, and Ami are gathered at the Hikawa Shrine at midday in one of the secluded forest areas behind the residence area of the shrine, a location that is off limits to visitors. "I can't believe how fast this week went," Rei comments. She looks at Usagi with a grin. "At least this time, it's not a complete shock that you are traveling with them."
"Minako-chan is still a little bit of a surprise. After all this time, to finally see you with Yaten-kun will take a little getting used to," Makoto comments, teasing Minako a bit.
Minako laughs a little. "Yeah well…" Her cheeks redden. She is nervous to travel to Kinmoku as Yaten's girlfriend. She is still oblivious to the rules the Starlights have to follow on Kinmoku regarding relationships.
Ami turns to Usagi, "by the time you return, it will almost be time for your birthday."
Usagi eagerly nods her head. "I'll make sure I'm back in time! I wouldn't miss karaoke with everyone!"
The girls keep talking amongst themselves, not seeing the Three Lights approaching in the distance as they talk quietly together.
"Are you ready for this?" Taiki asks Seiya.
Seiya tries to keep it together. Of course he is worried about what may or may not happen but he will never regret his choice. He loves her too much. It truly is a blessing and a curse to be a Starlight. "I'll have to face it sooner or later but I'm sure it will work out fine." He tries to muster as much confidence as he can. "Queen Kakyuu wants us to protect her. How can I do that without my Change Star?" He muses.
"You would still protect her without. Like the time you protected Sailor Moon and didn't have time to transform into Fighter when Sailor Tinn Nyanko was about to shoot her with energy." Yaten points out. Seiya can be so stubborn when it comes to Usagi. Something Yaten is slowly beginning to understand. This realization hits him hard. Just how much has Minako begun to change him?
Seiya smiles. "True." He looks at Usagi up ahead with her friends as they say goodbye. Everyone is hugging each other. They are a strong team when they work together. Much like how Fighter, Healer, and Maker work well together. He speaks louder so the other girls will be hear them. "Ready to go?"
Usagi turns to face him, eagerly nodding her head. She pauses to see her friends one more time. "I'll see you soon, and we'll have a lot to talk about when we're back." She pauses to look over at Makoto. "Next time… we can have some of your cooking?"
"Of course!" Makoto agrees. "I'll be on a break and I can make a proper welcome back feast. Just let me know what you want." She gives her a thumbs up sign.
Little hearts appear in Usagi's eyes.
"Usagi will defiantly be back since you promised her food," Rei teases.
"Well it won't be to see meanie Rei-chan!" Usagi sticks out her tongue at Rei briefly. She turns to face Minako.
Minako nods her head slowly. She is very nervous about this. She went to Kinmoku for Queen Kakyuu's coronation. But this is totally different. She is Yaten's girlfriend. She will be participating in some of the palace activities. Something she will have to familiarize herself with when Usagi begins to live on the Silver Millennium.
Usagi, Minako, Seiya, Yaten, and Taiki transform into their senshi forms. A combination or feathers, ribbons, and energy crackle in the air as the transformations conclude.
Sailor Cosmos summons her wings, her cape disappearing. She will need them for the journey. The long wings are folded but nearly touch the ground. She looks at the others to signify she is ready to bring them to Kinmoku. It will be a little taxing to take four people with her, but the other senshi will boost her powers a little, giving her a burst of energy. The four form a circle around her. She is about to raise her staff and pauses. She had almost forgotten. "We are going to stop on Pluto for a moment to see the Moon Senshi. They have asked to be informed when we are leaving or returning to this system. They are still in the process of recording our energy signatures."
"Energy signatures?" Sailor Venus looks at Sailor Cosmos confused.
"That is smart," comments Sailor Star Maker immediately recognizing what they are doing. "By learning each senshi's energy signature they can tell the difference between each of us and a potential enemy."
"Ohhh," Sailor Venus nods her head in understanding.
Ami looks shocked. "That is a brilliant idea."
"It was something they were developing during the Silver Millennium… but it was never finished in time before Queen Beryl attacked." Sailor Cosmos explains recalling the memory before pausing for a moment. "But given how fast Beryl attacked, nothing would have stopped her back then."
There is a moment of silence between everyone before Rei speaks. "Good luck Usagi, Minako-chan. I hope you have a lot of fun." She looks at over at Sailor Star Fighter and the other Starlights. "Take care of them."
Sailor Star Fighter nods her head in acknowledgement. She would never let anything happen to Sailor Cosmos.
Sailor Cosmos looks at the four senshi surrounding her, waiting for each of them to acknowledge they are ready. They grab each other's hands tightly, forming a circle around her. The Guardian raises her staff above her head. The eight pointed star within the sphere sparkles as it starts to expel energy. Sailor Cosmos' hair begins to slowly rise upward as the star on her forehead emits a burst of bright gold energy. All of her eight pearl rings are glowing in a soft white light. A small wall of wind picks up around the Starlights and Sailor Venus. Then in a radiant flash of white light, they shoot upward in the sky.
Sailor Cosmos can't help but smile. She is finally traveling among the stars again. Only a few short weeks ago she thought she would never have this ability again. But here she is in her correct time. And she is with Sailor Star Fighter heading to Kinmoku. A place she was terrified she would never see again either.
She is pacing herself as they pass Jupiter, moving to the outer region of the Milky Way. She can imagine the reception she will receive appearing on Pluto with the Starlights. But they are senshi too and their energy signatures need to be mapped. After all they will be traveling between galaxies the most.
Sailor Cosmos focuses back on the present as they pass Neptune's orbit. By the end of the next century Pluto will rotate enough to be at the opposite end of the galaxy and its furthest point from Kinmoku. Her eyes scan the surrounding area as she can sense the light from many starseeds, the Moon Senshi.
Her heart starts racing in her chest. When was she able to start doing this? A chill fills her. It is true. Her powers evolved during the previous timeline. She has learned new ways to use them in ways she never imagined. She questions what else she will be able to do.
She slows her pace more as they enter Pluto's orbit, making sure the gravity pulls them toward the planet rather than cause them to overshoot it.
Sailor Venus is in awe of the view she has of the Milky Way. Usagi had mentioned how one of the exhibits reminded her of shooting stars; this is what she meant. It truly is beautiful. It also makes her feel small. There is so much to see past Earth. Countless worlds she has never seen or heard of. Things she will have plenty of time for when she retires from being an idol. She can only be an idol for so long since she will age significantly slower from everyone else due to the Ginzuishou, the same will apply to the Three Lights.
Sailor Cosmos lands on Pluto with the Starlights and Sailor Venus.
Within seconds the five of them are greeted by Sailor Callisto, Sailor Oberon, Sailor Phobos, Sailor Triton, and Sailor Titan.
Sailor Triton and Sailor Titan stare at the Starlights.
Sailor Callisto bows to her Queen, then to Sailor Venus. "It is great to see you again Minako-san, it's been awhile."
Sailor Triton tenses and is not willing to hold her tongue. "What are you doing here?" She looks at the senshi in black with disdain.
"We are all traveling to Kinmoku," Sailor Cosmos answers for the Starlights.
"Isn't it dangerous for you to go there?" Sailor Phobos questions the Queen actions.
"Not anymore," Sailor Cosmos assures them. "Being enclosed in the crystal for so long with the gas triggered an immunity response. The atmosphere of the planet no longer affects me negativity."
"Are you sure?" Sailor Triton asks, trying to find an excuse to keep Sailor Cosmos here and away from the Sailor Starlights.
"I would not be traveling to Kinmoku it were dangerous," Sailor Cosmos tries to explain. She pauses. "If it was really that dangerous for me, Fighter would never allow me to return." She looks over to the Starlight and smiles. "You had mentioned in a previous conversation you wanted to map each of the senshi's energy patterns. There are four senshi will me today."
Sailor Oberon beams. "I was hoping you would say that!" She rushes off to gather a scanner. The sooner she can finish building the database with everyone's information, the better.
"How long will you be gone?" Sailor Phobos questions so she can anticipate their return.
"Two weeks or so," Sailor Cosmos answers.
"We would invite you to join us but…" Sailor Star Fighter adds. Some of the Moon Senshi are more understanding than the others. If recent interactions with Uranus and Neptune were any indication, spending more time together might be the only way to change perceptions.
Sailor Oberon returns a few minutes later. "I need to complete a brief scan on each of you, it won't take long." One by one she scans each with a small portable electric device that resembles a small hair dryer. She checks the information. "Thank you!" She adds when she is done collecting all of the data.
She turns to Sailor Cosmos, there is one more thing she needs to give her, an item she has spent months perfecting. This will also be the perfect time to test its capabilities. She hands her a golden crescent moon compact.
Sailor Cosmos is surprised by the item. "What is this?"
"It's a long range communicator. We should have no problems staying in contact with you now while you are on Earth," Sailor Oberon happily explains. "I am not sure if it will also work on Kinmoku. Can you test it while you are there? If the range is not far enough, let me know and I will work on making more adjustments."
"Of course," Sailor Cosmos beams. "So… in the future, I can let you know ahead of time when I will be passing through."
"Correct," Sailor Callisto agrees. "And if you want to meet us somewhere, if there is an enemy, or even just to talk, it will be a lot easier to do so."
"That's great!" Sailor Cosmos smiles at the device in her hand. "I understand why you are far away but it must be really difficult for you." She holds the communicator close to her. "I will try it out tomorrow."
"We want to see you and the other senshi happy. There will be times when we will be able to join you. I hope those times will be peaceful and not only when there is danger." Sailor Callisto explains. She doesn't need to confirm the Queen's suspicions. After what Sailor Pluto and Sailor Charon had tried and were still unsuccessful, the others will need to learn to move on.
Sailor Venus looks at Sailor Callisto with a smile. "When we were talking on Nemesis… I had mentioned I wanted to be an idol."
"How is that going?" The shoulder length blonde haired senshi asked her Princess.
"Wonderful! Everything is perfect," Venus can't help but grin as she answers.
"I'm very happy to hear that. I want to do whatever I can to help you fulfill your dreams," Sailor Callisto responds with a slight bow of the head. She meant every word.
Sailor Cosmos looks at those around her. She knows not all of them are supportive of her choice but believes they can one day come around too. She looks at the Starlights and Venus. "Are you ready to continue? I'm sure Queen Kakyuu is expecting us soon."
The Starlights eagerly nod their heads, anxious to return to their homeland.
Sailor Venus slowly nods her head; she is a bit more apprehensive.
"We will stop by on the way back," Sailor Cosmos explains, she doesn't want the others to worry.
"We will look forward to seeing you again then, My Queen," Sailor Triton bows her head low, the other Moon Senshi next to her demonstrate the same respect for their Queen.
The Starlights and Venus form a circle around Sailor Cosmos and join hands. Sailor Cosmos looks at each of them to confirm they are ready to depart. After she receives a head nod from each of them, they are ready to continue their journey.
Like before, the eight pointed star flickers on Cosmos' forehead as she gathers massive amounts of energy, her pearl rings glowing as a small wind begins to picks up and surrounds them. Then in a flash of white light, they are gone.
The Moon Senshi watch five shooting stars in the sky, a bright white light, orange, blue, lavender, and green. It does not take long before they are no longer visible.
Queen Kakyuu waits in the garden a short distance from her personal office. She is standing with a few of her advisors. They are finishing the last item on the meeting agenda and per the Queen's request are concluding it outdoors. She does not want to miss the arrival of her honored guests. Shiori, Sakura, and Yuna will be joining them soon. They are finishing a few last security checks to prepare for everyone's arrival.
A bright light in the distance catches her eyes. It is early afternoon in Kinmoku, around the time they are expecting their arrival. While she has happy to see them approach, she hesitates knowing what will happen. She tried to avoid it but the Council would not listen to her, and the Council has the final say regarding disciplinary matters for the senshi. As they come closer, she can see the additional color trail for the other senshi. She dismisses her advisors, wanting to greet the senshi privately.
The light grows brighter and the speed decreases as they approach. Queen Kakyuu takes a few deep breathes, still unsure of how all of this will work out. When the five senshi arrive before her, greets them with a smile. "Welcome back to Kinmoku."
The Three Starlights immediately bow their head to acknowledge the Queen. She smiles at their gesture. "I'm glad you could join us today Sailor Venus." She greets the senshi in the orange fuku. She vaguely remembers her from her previous visits. Her full attention turns to Sailor Cosmos. "Hello Usagi-chan," she bows her head slightly. "I was hoping we could talk privately for a little while. It is customary on Kinmoku for me to greet Heads of State upon arrival."
Sailor Cosmos looks confused. Was she greeted like this in the past? Head of State? Her? She looks at Sailor Star Fighter quickly trying to figure out what she should do.
Fighter gestures with her head to follow Queen Kakyuu.
"Okay," Sailor Cosmos agrees. "But I'm not a Head of State…?" She is confused.
Queen Kakyuu looks at her a little confused. "You are Neo Queen Serenity of the Silver Millennium?"
Sailor Cosmos teardrops. "Well…yes… but…" She laughs a little to ease the tension.
Queen Kakyuu addresses the four remaining senshi. "Shiori and the others should be here any moment to escort you around." They are about to leave when the Queen stops. "If it is alright with everyone, I would love for you to assist in a brief training session in an hour."
The Starlights immediately agree. Venus slowly nods her head, not wanting to be separated from them. Sailor Cosmos nods her head as well.
"Excellent. I will take Sailor Cosmos there when we are done," Queen Kakyuu comments as she begins to the lead the young Queen away from the others, leaving the four senshi in the hallway.
Sailor Cosmos gives them one last glance as she turns a corner with Queen Kakyuu. In the distance she can see Shiori approaching with Sakura and Yuna. She can feel her body subconsciously tensing at the sight of Shiori. Her moment with Seiya… still fresh in the Guardian's mind, even it was rather one sided.
"That seemed a little odd," Sailor Star Maker comments to Sailor Star Fighter and Sailor Star Healer.
"Not really. It's just we were usually the ones to greet the other guests in the past… but… our situation is just different." Healer shifts out of her fuku to Yaten and the others do the same. They don't have to be senshi for the next hour. A part of Healer feels uncomfortable being in her senshi form when it is debatable if she is a senshi that still serves Kinmoku. Starlights were always meant to protect Kinmoku.
"Sorry we are late," Shiori apologies as she greets them. "It's been a busy day and the Queen is planning a rather large training event soon."
"Yes, she mentioned it to us and we will be participating," Taiki adds with skepticism. How large is it supposed to be? He had assumed it was simple based on how the Queen had presented the information, unless that is what she wanted them to think.
Shiori turns her attention to Seiya. "It's good to see you," she then casts a glance to the others, "all of you." She glances around quickly and immediately notices Sailor Cosmos is not present. Perfect. "Sailor Cosmos was not able to come…?" She asks.
"She is with Queen Kakyuu, visiting Head of State," Seiya quickly explains.
"Oh," Shiori responds in annoyance she missed that detail.
"Well..." Sakura turns to Minako. "I'm sure you weren't able to see much of the palace the last time you were here. Since you're going to be here for a little while, how about if we walk around and catch up?"
"Sure…" Minako smiles. "Can we go slowly? I want to try to learn more about Kinmoku as well."
Sakura is a little surprised by Minako's question. "That is fine. I think it's great you want to learn more about our culture. There are a lot of similarities to Earth but there are some things that are very different too." She gestures with her hand for Minako to follow her. "We'll start with where your room will be and where you'll eat your meals since you'll be going to those locations the most."
Taiki turns to Yuna. "How has everything been? Have there been any issues with the outlying tribes?"
Yuna sighs. "A few. Nothing we can't handle. It is always the same. We hoped after all of this time some of these things would have been resolved but they are so stubborn."
Queen Kakyuu notices the change in Usagi. She seems down and less cheerful than the last time she seen her at the Scarlet Palace. "Is anything wrong Usagi-san? I'm sensing that something is bothering you terribly."
Usagi nods her head yes. "There are a lot of things going on that have been rather difficult." She gives a brief recap of the alternative timeline and having to fight Chaos again. She acknowledges the nightmares but does not go into details. She doesn't want to give all of the specifics to Queen Kakyuu.
Queen Kakyuu is alarmed after listening to Usagi; she makes a mental note to speak with Maker, Healer, and Fighter privately regarding Sailor Cosmos. "I'm sorry you had to fight Chaos again. Chaos should be a thing of the past now that its energy is sealed." She doesn't dare tell Usagi the truth of Chaos' physical form at this time. She will know the truth when the time comes, if it ever comes.
"It was very difficult," Usagi agrees solemnly, "but everything seems to be fine since I returned back to this time. I'm hoping the nightmares will end soon… they are starting to become less frequent." She can't explain why but talking to Queen Kakyuu about this seems to be a little easier. She brings up another topic that has been difficult for her that no has seemed to be able to help her with. The reason she had to tell Queen Kakyuu everything that happened. "I'm still trying to figure out how to handle Sailor Pluto." She looks at the red headed Queen for advice. "If she were a senshi on Kinmoku… what would happen to her?" She asks in a small voice. She needs some clarify on what she can do and if what she had done has been the correct decision.
"It is a very unique situation given Sailor Pluto's abilities. None of the senshi within the Kinmoku Star System have abilities anywhere along the lines of Sailor Pluto," Queen Kakyuu begins to explain. "However, her actions were unforgivable. Had she been a senshi that served the Scarlett Palace, she would've been banished from the palace and potentially exiled from the entire planet. Her transformation item would have been confiscated as well."
Usagi frowns slightly. This is what she was afraid of hearing.
Queen Kakyuu continues to explain her position. "Kinmoku has very strict rules regarding senshi conduct."
Usagi winces a little as it reminds her of the situation Seiya is in because of her. She sighs a little. "I'm worried about Seiya." A thick silence fills the air.
Queen Kakyuu's posture becomes more rigid after hearing his name. "It is a delicate subject that will be discussed later tonight. I'm sorry I can't discuss with you right now." She pauses, trying to let Usagi down gently. "It is rather complicated and we need to be leaving soon for the training activity." She hopes that answer will satisfy Usagi for the moment. She can't tell it is up to the Council and if found guilty, Fighter would lose her Change Star without question. Kakyuu is still looking for a way to prevent it and delaying the meeting for as long as possible will only help her.
"I'm sorry," Usagi begins to apologies. "I didn't know about the special rules the Starlights have to follow… until it was too late. I never wanted my relationship with Seiya to cause so many problems." She looks at the Queen to ask one other question that has eluded her. "Why was I never told any of this when Seiya and I first became a couple? I would have liked to known the rules on Kinmoku."
Queen Kakyuu nods her head. "You are not a senshi from Kinmoku and therefore our rules do not apply to you." She pauses. "We were also more focused on your training the first time you were here since your powers just surfaced. Our main concern was for you to be able to control your abilities. But even then, your training was cut short when you became ill." Queen Kakyuu looks at Usagi in the eyes. "Fighter, rather Seiya has been through so many painful things throughout his life. I wanted to see him happy. And especially after the heartache returning here after his time on Earth, I would've done anything to see him happy again." She smiles at Usagi. "He's finally happy again and it is all thanks to you Usagi-san."
Usagi smiles at Queen Kakyuu words. "I'm happy with Seiya as well… my future is with him."
After walking around the palace for a little while, it is time for Shiori to lead everyone outside to where the training activity will take place.
Seiya, Taiki, Yaten, and Minako are shocked to see so many Sailor Starlights already waiting for them. Quickly glancing around, they count four different teams of Starlights from various ranks and levels of active duty. Once they are factored in, there are now six teams of Sailor Starlights.
Sailor Star Striker is the first to greet them, Sasha, the senshi that trained Fighter, Maker, and Healer to learn how to use their abilities after they first received their Change Stars. Her hair is starting to grow out again, and it is pulled back into a very short ponytail. Her hair starting to match all of the other Starlights, each with their long hair pulled back in ponytails. "You're late," she greets Shiori. Her eyes widen when she realizes Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten are with Shiori, Yuna, and Sakura. "I was not expecting to see the three of you here today!" She exclaims. Her tone then turns serious, "so the three of you are our special opponents?"
Seiya shrugs his shoulders. "We're not sure what is going on. We were asked to participate in a training exercise when we got here an hour ago. We don't know is going on."
Striker turns to Shiori. "Well… you're the leader now, so what is next?"
Taiki looks over at Shiori, questioningly. Wondering what Striker met by calling Shiori the leader since Striker has unofficially been the leader of the different Starlight groups behind the scenes for as long as he can remember.
"Yeah. Well first we should probably transform," Shiori looks over at Yuna and Sakura. They pulled out their Change Stars.
"Destroyer Star Power!"
"Creator Star Power!"
"Protector Star Power!"
"Make Up!" They finish in unison. Within seconds of their transformation sequence beginning, Seiya, Yaten, and Taiki understood why Sailor Star Striker had referred to Shiori as the leader.
Shiori's transformation had changed. A five pointed rainbow colored rotating star forms beneath her feet as her body is surrounded by white flashing light. She jumps up in the air as a circle of energy travels down from her forehead to her toes, as the circle passes her, her fuku materializes. A bright red flash appears on her right upper right before she lands and strikes her final pose with her right arm outstretched behind her, her left arm in front of her in a closed fist.
Like Shiori, a five pointed rainbow colored rotating star forms beneath Sakura's feet. The light of the star grows brighter and flashes a few times before she leaps straight up in the air with her arms crossed over her chest before she flips several times in the air. A white circle moves upward from her feet taking the shape of her black fuku. A bright orange flash appears on her right shoulder moments before she lands and has her left hand on her hip while her right hand is behind her body stretched outward.
Yuna has the same five pointed rainbow colored rotating star beneath her feet. She completes a back flip and launches herself upward into the air. Her feet are pointed downward and her arms spread out horizontally. A circle of bright light moves up her body beginning from her feet until it reaches her head to form her tiara. There is also a bright orange flash on her right upper arm. She lands with her arms crossed against her chest. Her right arm is higher up than her left, her fingers resting on the elbow of her lower arms. Her right wrist is open and the fingers are facing downward.
Seiya, Yaten, and Taiki immediately recognize the marks on the women's shoulders. Every Starlight on Kinmoku knows that mark and what it represents. It was a mark any would feel honored to receive. An honor the three of them had always assumed they would eventually receive prior to their return to Earth to help the Sailor Senshi.
"The three of you… received the Kinmoku Blossom…" states Taiki staring at the flowered mark on their upper arms.
"It is natural since Queen Kakyuu ascended the throne that she would appoint three senshi to the title of Queen's Guard," Sailor Star Creator reminds them.
"Someone had to fill the role since you were on Earth. We all had assumed it would have been the three of you to receive the Kinmoku Blossom…" Sailor Star Destroyer adds, looking directly at Seiya. To receive the Kinmoku Blossom is the highest praise but it comes with additional responsibilities. Those that receive the Kinmoku Blossom must stay by the Queen's side as long as they are senshi and serve the crown longer than any of the other senshi. They are only relived from this duty by death or the Council's removal, which would have made it impossible for the Three Lights to remain on Earth or travel there for extended periods of time without Queen Kakyuu present.
Sailor Star Protector grins. "That also means our powers have a grown, and we're finally stronger than you."
Yaten smirks. "I doubt it."
Sailor Star Protector's smile vanishes. "What do you mean? Receiving this mark makes us the strongest senshi on Kinmoku."
"On Kinmoku." Taiki echoes. "You don't think our powers have strengthened as well?"
"Oh this I have to see," Sailor Star Striker jumps into the conversation. "I want to see how all of these years of training have paid off now that you're living on a different planet. You'll have to transform if you're going to participate in the training activity."
Seiya looks at Sailor Star Striker for a moment and shakes his head. She is the same as always. He turns to look at Yaten and Taiki. Yaten shrugs his shoulders. Taiki gestures with his eyes they did agree to participate in the training exercise.
Seiya pulls out his Change Star, pausing to look at the object for a moment. Is he going to lose it? He pushes the thought to the side. "Fighter Star Power, Make Up!" Three gold stars shoot past his body, two are five pointed stars, and one is an eight pointed star. The stars moved around his backside and back to the front, the Change Star now taking the shape of a brooch. His form changing to female as the body color changes from a blend of white and pale blue to hot pink, a black bra forms followed by a pair of shorts. She outstretches her arms to her sides while gloves and thigh high boots materialize. The star on her brooch flashes brightly for a moment as a silver crescent moon flashes and feathered wings briefly appear on the Starlight's back. The three gold stars pass by her body one more time as the feather wings dissolve into a mass of white feathers floating by in the wind before she completes a back flip striking her final pose with her right hand on her hip and her left out in a horizontal line with her shoulder.
"Healer Star Power, Make Up!" Yaten places his right hand on his forehead and leans back as three golden stars shot past his body. Two are five pointed stars and one is an eight pointed star. His body is a blend of white and pale blue until a brooch takes shape on his chest. His body turns hot pink and his from changes from male to female in an instant. Black gloves up to her forearms generate as do thigh high boots, seconds later the two remaining pieces forming the rest of her fuku emerge. The star on her brooch flashes as a silver crescent moon along with feather wings. She rotates around and the wings disappear as fast as they appeared, leaving a trail of feathers behind her. She spins around a few times before placing both of her hands just above her hips on her lower back.
"Maker Star Power, Make Up!" Taiki makes a circular motion with his right arm until he places it on his hip as two five pointed golden stars fly past his body with one eight pointed golden star next to it. The color of his body changes from white and blue to hot pink as well as his gender. Black shorts form followed by the black bra. Her boots and gloves appear at the same time from the top point of the material down to her fingers and toes. Her golden brooch flashes brightly due to a silver crescent moon mark followed by feathered wings on her back. Like the previous two Starlights, they are there briefly before they disappear into a trail of white feathers. Maker raises her left hand to her forehead and places her right arm to her side, striking a final pose.
Sailor Star Striker stares at the three Starlights she had spent countless hours training and the ones she had assumed would become the Queen's Guard. "When did you start having feathered wings? No Starlight… has ever…" She doesn't understand what has happened.
"Our powers… evolved." Sailor Star Fighter finally answers. She isn't sure herself how their power changed when they became members of the Royal Court of the Silver Millennium.
Another Starlight approaches Fighter, Maker, and Healer. Sailor Star Crusher. She has long pale blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. The bands above her shorts are colored in teal. She eyes their fuku's carefully noting the other subtle changes. "When did you receive a white band on your collar?"
"Last year," Sailor Star Healer answers in a bored tone. Didn't anyone notice these changes when they visited for Queen Kakyuu's coronation? She pauses. She was wearing a robe over her fuku during the festivities. Of course they wouldn't have noticed. Healer pauses, there were a lot of Starlights absent for the coronation due to being on assignment.
Sailor Star Striker is focused on another detail. "What does that mark on your brooch mean?"
Before Maker, Fighter, or Healer can respond, they are interrupted by a bright flash of golden light as another senshi arrives.
Sailor Galaxia is surprised to see how many Starlights are already gathered. A smile tugs at her lips when she realizes how much could be accomplished. It is the perfect test to see how much the Guardian's powers have grown. "I'm glad to see how many of you are here to help. I see I haven't missed anything yet." She scans the senshi in the area and realizes Sailor Cosmos is not present. Her eyes fall on Minako in surprise. "I did not know you would be traveling to Kinmoku as well."
"…." Minako isn't sure how to respond. "It was kind of last minute…" She feels out of her element as if she is interfering with everything.
"The more senshi the better," Sailor Galaxia reassures her.
"You're a senshi too?" Sailor Star Striker now eyes Minako differently. "What star system are you from? I don't recognize you." She doesn't give Minako a chance to answer. "Why don't you transform and join us?"
Minako is hesitant. She feels like she is intruding in something that is meant for the Starlights. She looks over at Healer for confirmation it would be okay.
"Go ahead," Sailor Star Healer tells her. "It's not often they are able to train with a senshi with powers like yours." She makes a reference to Minako being a planetary senshi.
Minako's fingertips brush against the orange crystal around her neck. She was planning on assisting them in whatever the training activity was… but she still feels out of place.
"You should join us," Sailor Star Crusher chimes in, after seeing Minako's hesitation. "Working with different senshi is always a welcomed addition."
Minako closes her eyes for a moment, pushing away any lingering doubts. She was the first on Earth to become a senshi during this lifetime. She is the leader of the senshi in Usagi's absence. Transforming into a senshi in front of a group of senshi is an easy task. "Venus Eternal, Make Up!"
Bright orange light explodes from the crystal around Minako's neck. Her body becomes various shades of yellow and orange as dozens of hollow gold stars erupts from her pendant. The symbol of Venus glows on her forehead. She twists and turns in a circle, the stars transform into orange ribbons around her body. Ribbons in her transformation sequence immediately mark her as a planetary senshi, a unique feature for any planetary senshi. The ribbons are suspended around her body for a moment before a gold flash takes place from underneath her feet, her fuku now fully formed. The rush of the energy pushes all of her hair upward for a few moments as she turns, white feather wings appear on her back as well as a silver crescent moon on her brooch. As she spins she pauses for a moment to brush her long blonde hair out of the way before she strikes her final pose. Her left hand is raised above her head and her right arm is horizontal above her waist. Her feather wings flash orange for a moment before they fade. Her wings where visible longer than the ones the Starlights had.
Sailor Star Striker looks at Sailor Venus and then to Maker, Healer, and Fighter. "The four of you have feather wings and the same mark on your brooches. What does all of this mean?" Now she wants answers. She doesn't believe that Maker, Healer, and Fighter are just helping out Earth for right now which is what everyone was originally told. Something about them being gone for so long doesn't add up. For them not to receive the title of Queen's Guard it's as if they not expected to return permanently. Before she can receive the answers she is hoping for, two more people appear.
Queen Kakyuu walks across the field, Usagi walking beside her. Everyone's attention is now on them. When she stops near the Starlights, the group instantly drops to their knee, bowing before her. Fighter, Maker, and Healer do the same out of habit with the others.
Venus is the only one standing, feeling extremely awkward surrounded by kneeling Starlights. She looks at Usagi and then drops to one knee as well, bowing before her Queen. Sailor Venus doesn't dare more until the other Starlights stand up after receiving a gesture from Queen Kakyuu.
"I'm glad everyone is here today for this training exercise," Queen Kakyuu smiles at everyone.
Sailor Star Striker immediately recognizes Usagi; it is clear who their opponent will now be. She is curious as to how much her powers have grown and how she will fare now that Kinmoku's atmosphere no longer weakens her. Will all of the rumors of Sailor Cosmos' abilities finally be confirmed for herself?
Sailor Star Saber is confused. "Who are we fighting? I don't see another group here." She looks at her fellow Starlights and receives a few head nods in agreement. She flips her ponytail behind her shoulder, pushing the red-orange hair to the side. She lowers her hands to place them on her hips where her gray bands are above her black shorts.
Queen Kakyuu gestures with her hand to Usagi. "You will be testing your abilities against Usagi-san and vice versa." She keeps her explanation simple. As she looks at the Starlights gathered before her, she realizes many of them have never seen Sailor Cosmos. Most of the Starlights had missed her coronation because they were out on assignment and could not be pulled away.
Sailor Star Saber can't help but laugh. "One girl can't stop us. Especially one that looks so young."
Sailor Star Crusher observes the stance of the Queen's Guard, the Starlights that were on Earth, and Sailor Star Striker. They don't seem so carefree. They know who this blonde haired woman is next to their Queen, one that shouldn't be underestimated. She turns her gaze to Usagi, "who are you?"
Queen Kakyuu turns to Usagi with a smile, "Show them."
Usagi can only slowly nod her head. Seeing so many senshi before her, she feels intimidated.
Sailor Galaxia walks over to Queen Kakyuu and stands next to her. They are now waiting for Usagi.
She places her hand on the crystal pendant around her neck, the source of her power. Everyone is watching her, waiting for her to do something. Her eyes meet Fighter's.
Fighter nods her head as if to tell Usagi everything is going to be okay.
Usagi looks into Fighter's eyes for a few moments before she nods her head. "Cosmos Crystal Power, Make Up!" A sea of white feathers surrounds Usagi as they take the form of large feather wings reaching down to her toes. Her body glows in a shade of light pink. Pure white ribbons transform into the bodice, dress, and collar at the same time. White ribbons cover her feet taking the shape of high heels shoes with wings, further marking her as a planetary senshi. Feathers fly through the air. She flaps her wings once and the remaining feathers float through the air until they vanish. Her hair is no longer blonde but white in heart shaped odangos. She leans her head back as an eight pointed star blazes on her forehead. The same mark is visible on the wings on her chest and waist as well as the crystal orbs forming around it. Ribbons of color break up the white panel on the front of her dress in the shades of the rainbow. She raises her hands in front of her face, flashes of light emitting from her eight fingers as pearl rings materializes on each one. Hair ornaments, a choker, and earrings appear with flashes of white. Ribbons were no longer used for the rest of her transformation sequence, signifying she is drawing powers from the stars. Her eyes are still closed as she out stretches her right arm. Hundreds of shooting stars are all converging into a single spot creating a blinding flash of rainbow light as her staff forms in her hand. It glows brightly as soon as the object is held in her hand. A few more flashes of white light and a flowing cape is visible. Sailor Cosmos opens her eyes and strikes a final pose with her staff in her right hand.
The Starlights that have never meet or seen Sailor Cosmos stare at the woman before them in disbelief. They had known the Guardian had returned but they never dreamed they would be training with her and she would be their opponent.
Sailor Galaxia breaks the silence. "I will be observing only today." She needs to see how much Sailor Cosmos' powers have grown since their last encounter. The Guardian has to be ready before she learns more about her powers and responsibilities.
Sailor Cosmos looks at all of the Starlights before her along with Sailor Venus. It hits her. This is the premonition she had seen. They were about to fight for a training exercise, not because she is their enemy! She misunderstood the premonition she had seen. She relaxes a little.
"I am requesting none of you hold back. This is a test for all of you to see how much your powers have grown. Healers will be on standby should anyone be injured." Queen Kakyuu explains to the group.
Sailor Star Fighter frowns slightly. Anytime healers are present for a training session, it isn't good. She had hoped it wouldn't be this kind of a training session. Not holding back would mean she would have to fight Sailor Cosmos seriously. Something she prefers to never to do again.
Sailor Venus looks back and forth at Fighter, Healer, and Maker. Where they really going to fight Sailor Cosmos like that?
Sailor Cosmos grips her staff tightly. Her instincts tell her she is going to be on the defensive based on how many Starlights are present. Many of them will want to prove themselves against her. To see how powerful she is and how their abilities measure up. She decides she will not attack first. She looks at her closest friends next to the other Starlights she recognizes. Destroyer, Creator, Protector, and Striker. They know what she is capable up. They are hanging back as several Starlights she has never seen before advance forward.
Ruby colored energy flies toward her from a Starlight she does not recognize. She reacts by doing the first thing that comes to mind, protecting herself. "Brilliant Barricade!" The energy hits the barrier and disappears. The other Starlights are advancing now, waiting for their chance. One by one they hit the barricade that was constructed by the Guardian.
Sailor Cosmos realizes if they all begin to work together and attack her at once, it would be very possible for them to overpower her. As much as she would prefer not to, she will have to attack them back. She will start with a simple attack. "Cosmos Twilight Flash!" The beam of energy splits into two surprising the Starlight nearest to the one that just attacked.
The Starlights that have never battled Cosmos before eye their opponent carefully. They are beginning to understand why there are a significantly higher number of them to try to defeat her.
Sailor Star Crusher is taken aback by what she witnessed. She was significantly under estimating the Guardian. She waits a moment while Cosmos is focused on two different Starlights attempting to attack her. She believes the senshi is distracted and launches her own attack. She was also unsuccessful.
Cosmos quickly uses a different attack after seeing how many Starlights are near Crusher. She has to hit several of them at once, a way to demonstrate her powers. "Divine Stardust!" Beams of bright light hit six Starlights knocking them back. They have never faced an advisory like this.
Healer, Maker, Fighter, Destroyer, Creator, Protector, and Venus are still with holding their attacks, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.
Sailor Star Destroyer is starting to become impatient. She is standing next to Fighter. Why are the others just standing around? They have grown stronger since the last time they trained together. Sailor Cosmos is not invincible.
Sailor Star Striker tries her own attack only to have an attack sent back to her as well. "Starlight Breaker!"
Sailor Star Fighter grabs Destroyer's arm and pulls her closer to her.
Destroyer turns to look at Fighter who is now inches from her and is about to say something when she feels the heat of the energy attack along her back. She just missed being hit. She stares at Fighter. "You knew her attack range…"
Fighter doesn't look at Destroyer when she responds; her eyes are watching Cosmos closely. "The range on that attack is the same as mine." She inhales sharply. Sailor Cosmos had turned around and for a few seconds it looks like as if the previous Sailor Cosmos was standing there with dark pink hair.
"The sooner we end this the better," comments Maker to Healer and Fighter. "Our only chance is to overpower her like we did Galaxia."
Fighter immediately rejects the idea. "She is a lot stronger than Galaxia."
"We're also a lot stronger. She can't stop all of us," Healer chimes in. This is taking longer than it should. "If she really wanted to, she might be able to defeat all of us within a few minutes."
Sailor Star Creator agrees. "This is never going to work if we keep attacking separately. Queen Kakyuu didn't want us to hold back. She wanted to test both sides."
Sailor Star Destroyer smiles. "Then let's show her what we got." She looks at the Protector and Creator. They nod their heads to signal they are ready. "Star Nova Blast!"
"Star Sniper Shoot!"
"Star Storm Raider!"
The Queen's Guard attacks Sailor Cosmos. Their attacks take her by surprise and all of her attention is focused on them.
Fighter turns to Sailor Venus. "When you have an opening, take it and use your chain to get her staff." She pauses. "It's her weakness."
Sailor Venus slowly nods her head, flabbergasted by Sailor Star Fighter's remarks. Her statement makes Venus realize she needs to take this training exercise seriously as well. "Okay."
"Star Serious Laser!"
Sailor Cosmos is taken by surprised from the high level of power from Fighter's attack. She looks into Fighter's eyes and can still see some of the hesitation of what is about to happen.
"Star Sensitive Inferno!"
Sailor Cosmos is forced to take a few steps back. Destroyer, Protector, and Creator are stronger than she remembers but the additional energy from Fighter and Healer is making it extremely difficult to hold all of them back. They weren't this strong when she fought them a few weeks ago in the other timeline. It doesn't make sense.
"Star Gentile Uterus!"
Maker's attack adds to the groups, pushing Cosmos back more. Her eyes catch the silver moon symbol on their brooch. Their powers were upgraded when she became Queen. It makes her question just how powerful they have become. She tries to gather some of her own energy to send the attacks back to them but there is too much. It is taking all of her focus to block the massive amount of energy from blasting her backward. She inhales sharply when she realizes she can't keep holding them back. Their attacks are going to break her barrier soon unless she tries something.
Sailor Cosmos closes her eyes in deep concentration. Her aura changes slightly and a faint pink glow emits from her body. She is not sure where this additional surge of energy is coming from but it is giving her confidence she just might be able to pull this off. Sooner or later the Starlights will have to reduce their energy; both sides cannot keep this up forever. With a final push she starts to push the energy back in their direction.
As the energy approaches them, the Starlights stop attacking knowing how it will play out. They scatter.
Sailor Venus uses the confusion to strike. "Venus Love-Me Chain!" She whips the chain around until it connects with the bottom of Cosmos' staff and pulls as hard as she can while she still has the element of surprise. It works. Sailor Cosmos can't maintain the grasp on her staff and it flies out of her hands and into the air.
Sailor Star Destroyer is closest and leaps in the air, collecting the staff. Once she lands on her feet, she looks over the staff in disbelief that an object could yield so much power.
Sailor Cosmos' eyes narrow. "I would let go of the staff."
Sailor Star Destroyer smirks. "Are you kidding? We're not just going to give it back to you."
Sailor Cosmos raises her right hand, the ring about her ring finger glowing brightly. "I suggest you let go before you're injured." She warns her again. Cosmos won't hesitate when it comes to attacking Sailor Star Destroyer.
Sailor Star Destroyer doesn't believe her. She remembers how it was during training; Cosmos is powerless without her staff. "Forget it. The training exercise is over, you've lost." Her competitive side comes out. It feels great to best Sailor Cosmos.
Sailor Cosmos slowly shakes her head. "Don't say I didn't warn you." The ring on index finger on her left hand now glows at well. The orb on top of the staff reacts with a flash of white light.
Sailor Star Destroyer yells out in pain as she lets go of the staff and it disappears. Within seconds it heated up to a temperature too hot for her to hold. Even through her glove she can feel the sting. She shakes her hand out.
The staff reappears within Sailor Cosmos' right hand. She used to her rings to teleport her staff and attack at the same time. She holds the staff without wincing as if it was cool to the touch for her.
Maker, Healer, Venus, and Fighter stare at Sailor Cosmos in disbelief.
Sailor Star Fighter speaks up first. "When did you learn to do that?" She had never seen that ability before. None of them have.
"I learned a lot about my powers the last time I fought Chaos… ways I can use my powers that I never imagined," Sailor Cosmos explains to Sailor Star Fighter without hesitation in her voice.
Sailor Star Fighter shakes her head slightly. Horrified of what else happened to Usagi in the other timeline.
"That is enough for today," Queen Kakyuu interjects. Everyone had stopped battling and this seemed like the perfect time to end the training. She looks at Sailor Galaxia and receives a nod of approval. "Thank you everyone for participating today."
Sailor Galaxia approaches Sailor Cosmos. "Your powers have grown significantly, as have your control over them. You're finally ready."
"Ready?" Sailor Cosmos repeats unsure what Sailor Galaxia is referring to.
"I'll be back in two days. You'll need to rest since it will be a long journey," Sailor Galaxia begins to explain. "It's time you learned why you are called the Guardian, and what you are the Guardian of."
Sailor Cosmos doesn't understand. "I protect everyone…"
Sailor Galaxia shakes her head. It is clear Sailor Cosmos is unaware of her other responsibilities. "We will be traveling to the Galaxy Cauldron."
As soon as the words Galaxy Cauldron are mentioned, the Starlights around her whisper among themselves.
Sailor Star Fighter's eyes widen. She knew this would happen sooner later but she didn't anticipate it now.
"I will answer all of your questions then. I have a few things I must do to prepare for the journey. We will leave early that morning." Without another word, Sailor Galaxia disappears in a flash of golden light.
Something about the phrase Galaxy Cauldron makes Sailor Cosmos feel uneasy.
"Those of you with injuries step forward so a healer can examine you," Queen Kakyuu instructs the senshi.
Sailor Cosmos's heart drops when she sees half of the Starlights step forward. She was trying to protect to herself and stop them from attacking her; she had tried to avoid hurting them. "No. I'll heal everyone. It's my fault anyone was hurt."
Queen Kakyuu looks at Sailor Cosmos in disbelief. "But there are so many and healing injuries is exhausting for one person. We have many healers here for that reason."
Sailor Cosmos shakes her head no, side to side. "I want to do this." She raises her staff above her head. The eight pointed star flashes within the crystal orb. For a few brief moments Sailor Cosmos had a golden crescent moon on her forehead. The orb on top of her staff glows brighter. "Moon Healing Escalation!"
A mixture of white light and pale pink pours out of her staff, surrounding everyone.
Destroyer looks down at her hand and can feel the pain disappearing. She moves her hand a little more and within a few more seconds, the pain is completely gone. She looks at the other injured Starlights and sees their wounds vanishing. The burns in the grass are disappearing and returning to its previous state.
As Sailor Cosmos finishes healing everyone, she begins to feel a little faint. She pushed herself and her abilities. In a way she is surprised she isn't more exhausted than she feels. Healing this many senshi should have left her unconscious. How much has her powers changed? She starts to stumble on her feet.
Fighter rushes over to her to stop the senshi from falling over, her arm around Cosmos' lower back. After she helps Cosmos stand upright, Fighter doesn't remove her arm, an intimate gesture that does not go unnoticed by the other Starlights observing them.
The sound of footsteps rushing over to the couple is heard. A dozen guards and a Council member arrive.
Norio's icy amethyst eyes glares at Fighter and Cosmos. If he needed confirmed that Fighter had broken the law, this was it. No two senshi should be that close. He clears his throat before speaking. The elder crimson haired man directs his comments at Fighter. "Fighter, you are being summoned for a Council Meeting this evening."
Fighter's arm around Sailor Cosmos' tightens. She had expected this to happen shortly after her arrival, but not like this. "For what?" She challenges back even though she is certain she knows what it is about.
Norio doesn't blink. "Disciplinary matters. I understand you've broken the laws of Kinmoku." His statement hangs in the air for a few moments as he stares as Fighter's arm around Cosmos before he gives the next order. "Turn in your Change Star and if you're cleared you can have it back." He grins knowing there is no way Fighter will be able to keep her Change Star. He will finally be rid of this problematic Starlight.
Maker clenches her jaw tightly. She didn't want to report it to Queen Kakyuu but she is bound by the laws of this land.
Sailor Star Healer and Sailor Star Maker look at Queen Kakyuu in horror. Is this what she meant it would be handled when they were back on Kinmoku? It was only a matter of time until it became public knowledge on Kinmoku.
Queen Kakyuu shakes her head no to signify she had tried to prevent this but was unable. The Council has their own agenda when it comes to governing the Starlights in this kingdom.
Sailor Star Destroyer steps forward in disgust. Nothing was making sense. "Fighter just got back here! She hasn't done anything!" A summons before the Council in such a public display will likely not have a favorable outcome for Fighter. She knows this. The other Starlights know this. The Council wants to send a message and they are using Fighter to do so.
Fighter finally releases her hold from Sailor Cosmos' back, now that the Guardian seems to be on steadier feet. Fighter sighs saying softly for Cosmos only to hear, "I knew this coming sooner or later." She doesn't fight it, she de transforms back into Seiya.
Sailor Cosmos is beginning to panic. "Seiya…." She looks into his eyes recalling everything they had discussed and the confidence Seiya had displayed before that everything will work out. Was that all an act?
He tries to reassure her. "It will be fine." He looks at the guards and knows he has to leave with them until the Council meeting.
Sailor Cosmos watches his retreating form is disbelief. This was a lot more serious than Seiya led her to believe. She walks over to Queen Kakyuu recalling the brief conversation they had earlier.
"I'm sorry but the current law must be followed," Queen Kakyuu explains to Sailor Cosmos.
Sailor Cosmos can feel a few tears form in her eyes as her left fist clenches. The rings on that hand begin to glow.
Seeing her rings glowing, Sailor Venus rushes over to Sailor Cosmos to try to comfort her Queen. She may not understand everything that is going on but knows enough that if Cosmos's powers become unstable it would spell disaster.
Sailor Star Destroyer looks at Sailor Star Healer and Sailor Star Maker for answers. She closes the gap between them. "What did Fighter do?" The two Starlights refuse to respond.
The woman with purple hair smiles as she listens to the update from her senshi. Sailor Cosmos has returned to Kinmoku and one of the Starlights has already been summoned before the Council. "Monitor everything and report back to me as soon as you know the outcome."
The woman looks down at the tarot reading that was interrupted by the senshi's appearance. The first card she had pulled today was the death card. Whatever happens that breaks the Guardian is about to occur on Kinmoku. She laughs.
Can you actually order extra spices at the Coco Curry to tone down the spice? Not that I know of. But I never bought the scary spicy version. Next I go I'm going to up it a little.
I will be adding around 10 posts to my Tumblr (sorakazeno) today for the all of the different Team Lab exhibits feature here. Look for #chaos theory act 69 or #teamlabs tokyo
A snippet appeared! The next act will include another one. Only a few left to go!
As Usagi is learning, Kinmoku is not going to be nearly as peaceful as she had hoped.
Yes the transformations for Destroyer, Creator, and Protector are based off of the Starlight's transformations in the Cosmos movie. Fighter, Healer, and Maker briefly having feather wings in their transformation might have been influenced by the Cosmos movie as well. I completely forgot I gave them a power up in Act 40. Oops. Added to the list of thing I still need to figure out.
Calling Destroyer, Creator, and Protector the Queen's Guard and the Kinmoku Blossom was a last minute add on and it helps to explain the different group of Starlights present, bonus!
Global Front Tower is a high rise apartment building in Minato close to Tokyo Bay. In the 90s anime we never learn the name of the building where the Outers reside to my knowledge.
What is going to happen to Seiya? Will he be able to keep his Change Star?
What is Usagi going to learn when she ventures to the Galaxy Cauldron?
The next chapter is the one that sparked the continuation of the story, I hope you enjoy the twist and turns it takes! Stay tuned for Act 70: The Galaxy Cauldron to be posted on 6/22/24. Teaser will be posted on 6/15 on Tumblr.