Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Sailor Stars: Chaos Theory
Act 71: The Day Everything Fell Apart
By: Sora Kazeno
Yaten turns to the taller man next to him, looking up at him in a state of utter confusion as he speaks. "A light burned out. It doesn't make sense. How is she still alive?"
Taiki looks at Yaten in disbelief. "Are you sure?" This is not the kind of accusation to make lightly to anyone.
He glares at Taiki for even questioning him. "There is no mistaking the feeling of a star burning out."
Yuna runs up to them, "what happened? We heard a scream."
"We're not sure…" Taiki answers for both of them as the three of them walk to the palace entrance. It was better to not mention a starseed burning out at this time.
The five Starlights watch the Queen's retreating form. Shiori breaks the silence. "Something is seriously wrong, did you see her expression?"
Realizing there is nothing else that can do here, Taiki suggests to Yaten, "We should wait with Queen Kakyuu, Seiya, and Minako-chan for an update."
Yaten nods his head. Once they put a little distance between them and the Queen's Guard, he speaks quietly to Taiki, "I have a bad feeling about this and Seiya is going to need our help."
Queen Kakyuu, the Three Lights, and Minako remain outside of a room in the hospital wing an hour later siting in chairs. The door is still closed without any new information.
The Queen will not say this out loud, but the longer the door stays closed, it means Usagi is still alive and they are trying to save her. She glances at Seiya wondering if her assumption is correct. He knew the risks of something like this. He had seen it firsthand. He knew better.
Seiya's foot is tapping. He's becoming more anxious and inpatient with each passing second. His irritation growing, "what is taking so long? We should know something by now." He does not remove his eyes from the door.
"I'm sure they are being thorough," Queen Kakyuu is trying to keep her own emotions in check. She hopes her assumption is wrong.
"Usagi-chan is going to pull through. I'm sure. She always finds a way," Minako tries to keep the group up beat.
Yaten is surprised by Minako's comment. He turns to stay something to her but stops when he sees she is barely keeping it together.
"Usagi-chan is always able to bounce back… no matter what she faces," Minako finishes looking at her hands. The longer they go without any new knowledge, the less hopeful she feels.
"Did something happen at the cauldron that could have caused this?" Taiki asks out loud to no one in particular. "Where is Sailor Galaxia?"
"I think this is something else that is not related… but we will have to see…." Queen Kakyuu responds softly.
Destroyer, Creator, and Protector are in a small meeting room near their quarters. They decided it was better not to crowd the medical wing any further. They didn't have much time left before they are supposed to leave to check on the Lemurians. They finished reviewing their agenda as they stand around the small table. It is time for them to depart.
Sailor Star Destroyer is restless. She wants to know what is going on but there was still no news.
Sailor Star Protector is tired of seeing how Destroyer has acted the past couple of days since the Three Lights returned. "We have to go, they are expecting us and we cannot abandon our duties."
"Queen Kakyuu told us how important our presence is in the region," Sailor Star Creator adds, as she finally takes her eyes off the notes on the table in front of her.
"I know," Sailor Star Destroyer snaps. "I just don't like leaving here without knowing what happened."
Creator turns to her leader. "We all want to know but it's only been an hour or two. This might help us take our mind off it in the meantime."
Protector is tired of keeping this to herself. She needs to check Destroyer. "I'm surprised… when did you start to care about Usagi-san so much?"
Sailor Star Destroyer stiffens at the tone her comrade used. "Huh?"
"You're only acting this way because it involves Fighter," Protector awaits for a reaction from the lavender haired woman before her and when she receives none she continues. "You think no one knows what happened between you two but we've known this entire time." Her eyes narrow. "I was hoping you would have trusted us enough to tell us, especially given those three Starlights are not on Kinmoku anymore."
Destroyer takes a step back, not anticipating this confrontation. "Know what?" She is going to play dumb as much as she can. She thought she kept her emotions in check around the others.
"Stop playing dumb," Sailor Star Protector calls her out. "We know exactly what almost happened. You really think Queen Kakyuu doesn't know what happens in her own palace? It's a good thing they went to Earth when they did. Don't you think?" She pauses to emphasize the next part. "We could have lost our position too… we work together in teams of three."
Sailor Star Destroyer turns away. She can't face Sailor Star Protector. "We… we should go…" Her fists are clenched tightly and they are shaking. "It's not fair…" She states walking out of the room, ending the conversation of what might have happened between her in Fighter.
The doctor finally leaves the examination room. He is in his late thirties with very short brown hair and glasses. He approaches Queen Kakyuu, "I need to speak with you Your Majesty."
Queen Kakyuu immediately stands up and gestures with her hand to walk with her a little further down the hallway to discuss Usagi's condition. As a guest of her country, she is responsible for her health.
Seiya stands up and is about to protest, he wants to know what is going on but Taiki reminds him. "It is protocol for Queen Kakyuu to be informed first since Usagi-chan is a foreign Head of State."
The Queen and doctor walk halfway down the hallway and speak in hushes tones.
Minako shakes her head in frustration. "We should know what is going on." Within seconds she is on her feet followed by Yaten and Taiki.
"None of us are direct family. Therefore the Queen will always hear information first," Taiki tries to explain to Minako but his words only seem to fuel her irritation.
Queen Kakyuu gasps loudly, her hands covering her mouth as she listens to the doctor as her fears were confirmed.
All eyes are on the Queen for a hint as to what is transpiring.
Seiya is about to run over but Yaten grabs his arm. "She'll tell us in a minute." His tone softens, "I know this is not easy…" He could only imagine how he would feel if something like this happened to Minako.
Queen Kakyuu nods her head slightly as she thanks the doctor for his hard work. She stands there for a few moments gathering her thoughts while the doctor returns to the room to continue to treat Usagi. The Queen stands still with her eyes closed, gathering her thoughts. She takes several deep breathes. It is clear she is upset with the news she was given.
Watching her actions and body language only make the Three Lights more anxious, especially Seiya unsure of what they are about to hear. They know Queen Kakyuu too well.
Queen Kakyuu waits another moment or two before she begins to walk back to the group. She has a few tears in her eyes. She hates that she will be the one to deliver this message knowing how difficult this will be for Seiya.
The four of them do not speak as the Queen approaches them, eagerly waiting for an answer.
Once she is standing next to them, she addresses Seiya first. "You should probably sit down."
Seiya's heart is racing after Queen Kakyuu's statement. He needs answers now. "What happened?" Panic is making his voice waver.
"Is Usagi-chan going to be alright?" Minako immediately asks. She feels responsible for Usagi while she is on Kinmoku.
Queen Kakyuu realizes she just needs to tell them. The longer she waits, the more it will prolong their anxiety. Her mind races as she tries to figure out the best way to explain to them what happened. "She will be alright...in time." She pauses. "It is miraculous it didn't kill her." She turns to Seiya to explain to him one sentence that is going to change everything. She closes her eyes tightly for a moment to try to calm her racing heart. "Usagi-san…." She pauses. It's better if she is blunt. "Usagi-san had a miscarriage."
No one responds. All they can do is stare at Queen Kakyuu as they try to process the information they were given.
Queen Kakyuu repeats herself with a slightly different wording to let it sink in. "Usagi-san was pregnant and lost the baby."
Once Seiya heard it a second time, his feet began to buckle under him. Taiki and Yaten move quickly to grab his arms to prevent him from falling over.
Minako stares wide eyed, her hands covering her mouth. "Usagi-chan…." Her mind whirls while she tries to think of anything she missed that hinted Usagi was expecting. "When can we see her?"
"Not for some time," Queen Kakyuu responds gently. "The doctors are still with her and she won't be awake for a while." She frowns. "She doesn't know what happened to her yet." She looks at the senshi before her. "I'm assuming based on your reactions none of you had known… and Usagi-san likely didn't realize it herself."
Minako's eyes lower. "I'll tell her. It's my responsibility to my Queen."
Queen Kakyuu places her hand on Minako's shoulder lightly. "No. That is why it should not be any of you. I don't want her to see you and always think of this conversation." She feels the lump forming in her throat as she speaks. "It is my duty as Queen, to explain to her what has happened while visiting the palace." She looks at the Three Lights for a moment. "I will speak with her first; this can't be kept a secret from her. Once I've spoken to her, if she's ready all of you will then be able to see her."
The Queen's eyes focus on Seiya as she explains the next part. "She was lucky this time. Any other senshi would have died to have a starseed burn out inside of them."
"Yeah… lucky…" Seiya retorts. He shrugs Yaten and Taiki's arms off of him and storms off.
"He needs time to cool off," Yaten comments as he watches Seiya walk down the hallway.
Taiki nods his head in agreement. "I'll check on him in a few hours."
Usagi is in a dark space. She doesn't understand what is going on around her. Everything is black without any light. She waves her hands in front of her trying to feel something, anything to help her navigate.
A pink light flashes in the distance. She sprints toward the light, hoping it will be a way out. The light begins to flicker as it grows dimmer.
"No wait! Don't leave!" She pleads with it. The light fades into nothingness and she is surrounded by darkness once again.
Usagi stops running.
She feels cold as she realizes she has encountered this light before but she can't place where she came across it. It is very familiar, she knew it well. Her mind is in too much disarray to connect the two. This realization terrifies her more.
Her shoulders slump lower. It was similar to when she was imprisoned by Chaos.
A flash of light appears before her. This time it takes shape of Karin as Sailor Cosmos. Her facial expression is grin. "It is too late."
Usagi doesn't understand. "What is too late?"
"That light has run its course and has been extinguished."
"What do you mean? What is happening? I don't understand!" She feels tears stinging her eyes. Her mind can't figure out why she is even crying.
Sailor Cosmos' expression softens. "You mean you didn't know all this time?" Her voice shifts and it hardens. "You didn't notice the changes with your powers and how it was affecting them?"
Usagi takes a step back from the now mirrored image of herself as Sailor Cosmos. Karin is gone. "I couldn't control my powers because I was angry." Her heart skips a beat. Is there some other reason that she was struggling with her abilities other than anger and exhaustion?
Sailor Cosmos slowly shakes her head sadly. "It is more than that. Why you were so emotional… why your hormones were all over the place." She is on the verge of crying. "You really didn't know?"
Usagi grows inpatient. She doesn't want any more riddles she wants a direct answer. "Tell me! What are you trying to say?"
"You were -"
The sound of Sailor Cosmos' voice is replaced with loud beeping. She opens her eyes a little and sees two doctors and a few nurses surrounding her.
Usagi tries to open her mouth to speak but her throat feels like cotton. No sound comes out.
Everyone is speaking so fast. She can't follow, it's like her brain is processing everything in slow motion for a language she had only recently learned, Kinmokian. Her head is throbbing. She feels weak and dizzy, drifting back into a dreamless sleep.
"I'm really worried about Usagi-chan," Minako states as she stares at the table in the sitting room of her quarters. Yaten is sitting next to her on the couch. She had pleaded for him to stay with her for a little bit, she didn't want to be alone. "She is going to be shocked when she wakes up and I know this is going to be hard for her. I can't believe this is happening to her…." Her voice cracks at the end.
Yaten leans over and put his arms around Minako to comfort her. "It's going to be hard for a lot of people." He pauses. "I know you'll do everything you can to support her. Everyone will." He tries to give her words of encouragement but his mind is elsewhere. He is worried about Seiya and his anger. When Seiya is hurting he can be rash and do some really dumb things. He had seen it too many times. He starts to question if leaving Seiya alone was the best decision.
Haruka is looking up at the partial Moon in the sky through the window of their apartment building.
Michiru lightly places a hand on her arm to gain her attention.
"Hmm?" Haruka turns slightly as she realizes Michiru is standing next to her. "Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts."
Michiru smiles, "I could tell. It is going to be okay Haruka." She tries to reassure her partner. "We promised Usagi."
Haruka's eyes narrow slightly. "How can we protect her if she's not even here?" She hates the idea of Usagi being on Kinmoku for so long.
"She isn't power less on her own," her tone sharpens. "You know they'll never let anything happen to her." She pauses. "He won't let it."
Haruka sighs and relents. "I hate to say it but you're right. He will protect her and won't let anything bad happen to her. But I still hate that it is him protecting her. Him… out of all people." She finally mentions the other part that is bothering that seems to have more often then she likes lately. "I don't want to keep being left behind."
Michiru laughs lightly enjoying the moment to tease Haruka some more. "Then I guess you have another reason to be nice to Seiya-Kun."
Haruka grumbles under her breath.
"Come on, I know how to cheer you up," Michiru gives Haruka a suggestive smile as she pulls her toward the bedroom.
"Michiru…" Haruka blushes as she follows her teal haired lover.
The Queen's Guard returns from their mission and they immediately notice the flags are at half-mast. The Starlights immediately assume the worst, Usagi didn't make it. They rush through the palace to the Queen's office. They knock on the door, waiting for a response.
On the other side of the door, Queen Kakyuu is staring at a picture of herself and a man she hasn't seen in years. "Please give me the strength in this difficult time." Her fingers trace his jaw line. She lets out a deep breath and places the picture back in her desk. She assumes it's the guard to tell her Usagi is awake. "Come in." She can't delay it any further. A moment of relief passes through her when she realizes it is Protector, Creator, and Destroyer. Not the guard to tell her Usagi is awake. She looks up at them from her desk. "I assume there were no issues? You're back rather quickly."
"There were no complications," Destroyer confirms. "It was like our last visit. They seem to be more in line with following the Scarlett Kingdom." She desperately wants to ask what happened but her Queen is asking her for an update.
Sailor Star Creator clears her throat. "There were a few disagreements in one of the villages but the leaders are starting to work together more."
Sailor Star Destroyer interjects, "we weren't needed there tonight." She tries to push the topic off from their visit to what has happened here.
Queen Kakyuu nods her head, appearing to be in deep thought after listening to their update.
Destroyer can't wait anymore. "Is everything alright here?"
Queen Kakyuu gestures for them to be seated. She can't keep this from her Starlights, not these three. It was better they heard it from her rather than someone else.
The Queen's Guard quickly sits down, their body postures displays their anxiety regarding what they are about to hear from their Queen.
She lets out a deep breath. "What I am about to tell you is not public knowledge yet. I am waiting to speak with Usagi-san when she wakes up."
"She's okay?" Sailor Protector smiles in relief. "We saw the lowered flags and assumed…."
Queen Kakyuu looks down at her desk, the gesture silences the Starlights. "Usagi-san will recover but she…she…." She struggles to say these words out loud again. She can only imagine the sense of loss the younger woman will feel when she wakes up. "She lost her child."
A heavy silence fills the area, broken only by the gasps from the senshi.
Protector speaks first. "Child?" After Queen Kakyuu nods her head, she continues. "You mean she was…?"
Sailor Star Creator is frustrated. "How could she be so reckless using her powers like that?"
Queen Kakyuu frowns slightly at the outburst. "I don't think she knew. It does not appear any of them knew. They were all rather shocked."
Destroyer's conversation with Seiya earlier today comes to mind. "Seiya-san… is he…" She isn't sure how to ask this question given their history. "Was he…" She can't finish it.
"He did not take the news very well." Queen Kakyuu pauses to look at Destroyer. "Please give him a lot of space."
Their conversation is interrupted by a knock on the door. It's the guard Queen Kakyuu has dreaded. The one to inform her Usagi is awake.
Taiki knocks on Seiya's door before he opens it a little. "I heard you wanted to speak with me?" He peers into the room. It's rather dark. The only light in the room is coming from a lamp light in the corner. He finds Seiya at the other end of the room sitting in a chair that is turned around. His arms rest on the top of the back. As Taiki moves closer, he can see Seiya's eyes are still a little red.
Now that he is standing next to the raven haired man, there is still no response. Taiki tries again. "I'm a little surprised you asked to speak to me… given the issues we had on Earth." Nothing. Taiki sits down in the vacant chair at the small square wooden table.
Seiya stares ahead at the wall as he finally speaks. "I needed to talk to someone one logically about this and I thought of you first." There is an eerie tone to his voice.
Taiki leans forward in the seat, "Seiya what happened?" This was not the response he expected.
Seiya continues his intense gaze at the wall while he addresses his cousin. "I don't think that child was mine."
Taiki's eyes widen in surprise. "Seiya what are you saying?"
Rei and Ami are at Makoto's apartment. They are finishing up a home cooked meal by Makoto who wanted to practice a dish she recently learned. They meal was perfect but the atmosphere just doesn't seem right.
Rei leans back in her chair. "Is this how it is going to be?" She looks at her companions. "The three of us here while Usagi and Minako-chan are on Kinmoku?"
Ami nods. "It will be an adjustment but they were gone longer on the tour." She points out.
Rei sighs. "I'm worried about Usagi. The things she has seen…" She pauses. "I haven't seen anything in the fire."
"Maybe what she saw is far into the future? We haven't seen anything and it's been peaceful for a while," Ami points out. She hopes this era of peace will continue for a bit longer. But she's being realistic. "There always seems to be an enemy out there, somewhere, waiting for the right moment."
Makoto stands up to clear the dishes. "We can't make the mistake of worrying about what ifs." She pauses to look at her two friends. "We already made that mistake once."
Rei nods. "This is different though." Her instincts tell her something will shift soon but without guidance from the Great Fire she is in the dark what the change will be. She stands up to walk over to the sink to help Makoto with the dishes. "Thank you for dinner. It was delicious Mako-chan."
"It was great to see the both of you," Ami stands up from the table to join the other two in the kitchen. "I'd love to try any other recipes you have."
Makoto grins. "You bet!" She laughs. "I'm sure Usagi-chan will want to be a part of it too."
Rei shakes her head. "You'll have to make twice as much then, this will never be enough for Usagi."
Makoto teardrops and nods her head in agreement.
Taiki stares at Seiya for a moment before he responds. He wants to make sure he understands everything perfectly. "Seiya what are you saying?" He asks again, eying Seiya closely.
Seiya's gaze does not leave the wall when he finally answers his cousin. "You know that our anatomy is… different because we're senshi."
Taiki nods his head in agreement. "Yes, doctors have done extensive tests on us." He pauses as he is beginning to understand what Seiya is saying. "When is the last time… you were Fighter?"
"Besides coming to Kinmoku… it was back in Boston when we tried to find the creatures before moving on to South America." Seiya responds without hesitation. He has gone over this in his mind countless times in the past couple of hours.
Taiki leans back in the chair, confirming his suspicions of why Seiya wanted to speak with him. "That was several weeks ago…" He watches the raven haired man carefully. "Yet it takes a minimum of a month and a half for secondary functions to resume based on the gender we are in." They might physical take a form but they have to be in that single form consistently. Switching between the two forms constantly puts them in a state of limbo.
After receiving a head nod from Seiya he continues. "And before Boston… you were in this form so long. All of us were since there were no battles to face." He looks at Seiya as if to ask if something happened between him and Usagi prior to the tour.
Seiya sighs. "Nothing happened until Brazil… and that was less than a week after I was Fighter. We spent hours running around in our fukus looking for the enemy for several days before we left."
Taiki clears his throat. "Maybe being in one form for so long could have changed… or sped up the process?" He realizes how this sounds. Based on everything they learned about their unique anatomy, Seiya is right. It doesn't make sense how the child could have been his. Without staying in one consistent form the body cannot have a menstrual cycle or emission that could lead to pregnancy. "Seiya… what if something did change? What if you're wrong about this?"
Seiya finally turns to look at Taiki. "What if I'm not?"
Taiki can see the anger in Seiya's eyes. "Have you spoken to Usagi-chan?"
"No."
"You're upset. Think this through," Taiki warns him. He knows how brash Seiya can be when he is this angry. An idea hits him. "Talk to the doctor and find out how far along she was. That would clear this up."
Seiya nods his head, taking in Taiki's advice. He doesn't think he is wrong but he needs to know before he confronts Usagi about what she has been up to when he wasn't around. His eyes return to the wall again. "I want to be wrong about this Taiki, but this feeling in my gut, I can't shake it."
Usagi slowly opens her eyes again. She can hear people talking but she is too tired to try to process all of what they are saying. She recognizes they are speaking in Kinmokian, something about feeling bad for her. She forces herself to sit up, her body protesting a normally simple action. It is harder than she thought. Why does she feel so weak?
A nurse stands next to her bed with a pillow to put behind her to make it easier to sit up. Another nurse rushes to speak with a guard to let Queen Kakyuu know Usagi is awake.
Usagi's feels sore and exhausted. She remembered returning from the cauldron and then feeling a lot of pain. "What happened?" She asks a nearby nurse. They won't answer her verbally; instead they cast an empathic glance.
"Queen Kakyuu is on her way to see you," a nurse responds after speaking with a guard. "I'm sure she can answer your questions. She wishes to discuss with you what happened."
Usagi bites her lip questioning if this is typical. Normally doctors or a nurse tell a person what happened or what is wrong. Why aren't they telling her? Did something really bad happen? She immediately raises her hand to her neckline to confirm her pendant is still present. She lets out a sigh of relief to feel it is still there. She is in the same timeline she believes. That provides her with some comfort.
The minutes gradually tick by as Usagi waits for the Queen. She questions what is taking so long. She shifts the blanket off of her and moves to the edge of the bed. She places her bare feet on the floor and starts to stand up, only to fall back onto the bed. She wasn't able to stand up. She sighs. Her body is clearly giving her a message to rest. She moves back to the pillow to lean against it and throws the blanket back on her. She shifts her weight and pain shots up her stomach. She recalls the agony she felt before she collapsed. It was from her mid-section. She doesn't dear touch that region in case it is over sensitive.
Her fingers play with the crystal around her neck, confirming it is still there. It doesn't place her mind at ease. She tells herself she just needs to rest and she'll be fine tomorrow. After she speaks to the Queen she'll be less confused. She'll know what happened.
Usagi is snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching her. She sees a blur of red that does not come into focus. She rubs her eyes and opens them again to see Queen Kakyuu is seated next to her.
"How are you feeling?" Queen Kakyuu asks her softly.
"Tired and confused." Her eyes meet Queen Kakyuu's, "what happened?"
She has thought about this for hours trying to determine what would be the best way to break the news. It's better if she's direct and just tells her. "You…" she starts, her mind reflecting how much Usagi's life will change with the information she is about to learn. She forces herself to start again. "You… had a miscarriage."
Usagi stares at the Queen wide eyed. "I…what…." She misheard her. "…baby?" There is no way.
Queen Kakyuu's expression softens. "You were pregnant and lost the baby."
Usagi gasps as she listens to the statement again. "I … no. That can't be right…" Usagi fumbles with a response. She was really careful.
The Queen rubs the back of Usagi's hand in comfort. "I'm sorry you had to experience this. I'm guessing this is a surprise to you as well?"
Usagi slowly nods her head as she tries to fight this idea. "I don't understand how…I was using birth control…" She looks directly in Queen Kakyuu's eyes. "Are you sure?"
Queen Kakyuu nods her head yes. "It is not a mistake." She gives Usagi a few moments to process this as the idea is sinking in. "I need you to listen carefully," she warns the young Guardian. "It is extremely dangerous to be a senshi while you're pregnant. It can cause your powers to be unstable. This is even more dangerous during a battle."
She studies Usagi carefully as she finishes the last part. "You are the first senshi to survive a miscarriage like this. When the child's starseed burns out, the energy released is strong enough to kill the mother either instantly or within a short period of time."
"Starseed…" Usagi's eyes widen. "The burst of energy I felt healing everyone…" Is this why she has felt so much stronger in the past couple of days? She hadn't grown stronger; she was draining the energy from another starseed? She shallows. "Where did the starseed go?"
"The Galaxy Cauldron," Queen Kakyuu answers without hesitation. "The starseed will eventually be reborn, just like all the starseeds of all the senshi that passed before our time. Starseeds that burn out always return to the cauldron. Starseeds that were forcefully stolen… are a different matter."
Usagi leans further back into her pillow, hiding her face in her hands. "This is too much."
"I understand this is a lot to take in at once. Is there anything I get for you?" She stands up from her chair.
Usagi takes a few deep breathes before lowering her hands. There is one more question she has to ask. "Does Seiya know?"
Queen Kakyuu sadly nods her head. "He didn't take the news well."
Usagi tries to bury the heaviness in her heart. "I have to talk to him." She tries to get up again but is stopped by Queen Kakyuu.
"Rest here. I will speak with Seiya and let him know you are asking for him."
Usagi numbly nods her head.
Queen Kakyuu knocks on Seiya's door, hoping he is in a better state of mind from the last time she spoke with him.
Taiki opens the door, surprised to find the Queen. "Queen Kakyuu."
She enters the room right as Seiya is standing up from his chair. "Usagi-san is awake."
Seiya press his lips together for a moment. "How is she?" He is trying to not let the past few hours cloud his judgement. He needs to confirm how far along Usagi was first.
"I think she is in a bit of a shock after hearing the news." She pauses to meet his gaze. "She is asking for you."
He frowns slightly, not sure if he is ready to find out the answer. But something like this he cannot put off. "I'll be there shortly." He responds looking at Taiki for a brief moment.
Queen Kakyuu is surprised by his response. "Oh."
"I need a few minutes to pull myself together," he comments before turning to walk to the right hand corner of the room to the bathroom and closing the door.
This was not the reaction she had expected from Seiya. But then again, this is something he never had to face before. With her eyes she gestures to Taiki to walk outside the room with her. Once they are in the hallway she continues. "Is everything all right?"
Taiki shakes his head no. "I'm worried about Seiya. He could snap at any minute."
Queen Kakyuu nods her head. "It's not surprising, given the circumstances."
"It's not that. Seiya has a theory," Taiki stops when he sees a guard in the distance. "Could we speak privately in my room?"
"… of course," Queen Kakyuu responds, she can feel her blood pressure rise. Whatever Taiki is about to tell her in serious. This is a cause for alarm. The two walk a few doors down and enter Taiki's room.
Seiya exits the bathroom to find his room empty. He realizes it is probably a good thing. The less people he is around, the better. Silently he walks down the hallway. He is dreading this more than speaking in front of the Council. He exhales loudly. He could only imagine what the Council would say after hearing this. Thinking of the Council and Norio irritates him.
The thought of the child Usagi lost being someone else's further fuels his anger. He starts to question what else could have happened when she was in Boston and he left. She was spending a lot of time with Mamoru no doubt. The recent "training" session she had with him last week, going to Boston to see him when Ami was visiting.
His fists clench. Was he really a fool this entire time? His eyes are squinted closed for a moment. This is why he has insecurities with their relationship. Why there is jealously. He was always worried Usagi would go back to Mamoru at some point. He clicks his teeth. Maybe that some point finally arrived and he missed the warning signs because he didn't want to see them. He didn't want to listen to his fears. When did his life become a really bad television drama?
He takes a deep breath, if he was not the father than the only other logical choice would be Mamoru.
His anger is reaching a boiling point. He has to know the truth now otherwise it will drive him mad. Taiki's caution echoes in his mind but his instincts won't let him leave it alone. He curses a few times quietly to himself as he pauses outside of her door on the medical wing.
He takes a few deep breathes. He needs answers but he is terrified of what he will learn. Suddenly standing in front of the Council didn't sound so bad. He relents and knocks on the door. After not hearing a response he opens the door.
Usagi is sitting upright in the bed staring forward with a vacant expression, her hands gripping the blanket near her waist. A gray cuff is attached to her arm with long wires extending to a machine next to the bed to monitor her vitals.
He walks over to the empty seat next to the bed to talk her. He already knows it is necessary to be sitting down for this conversation. "Odango?" He calls her softly. She still appears in her own little world. He lightly places his hand over hers for a moment.
Usagi jumps when she feels his touch. She turns to face him. "Seiya? I… I didn't even hear or see you come in…" She can't believe he suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
"It's okay," he reassures her. "How are you feeling?" He holds off asking what he needs for the moment seeing how much Usagi is struggling.
"Tired and … confused…" Usagi pauses as she still tries to process what she was told. "I don't see how this happened…. I was taking birth control and…" her voice trails off. Did she miss some days? She blushes slightly; they were together a lot during the tour.
Seiya starts to redirect the conversation to seek the answers he is here for. "Did the doctor say how far along you were?" He has to know. He isn't going to say anything until he has that answer. That part of Taiki's advice he is going to follow.
"I don't know… I didn't ask and the doctor didn't say anything," she is a little surprised by Seiya's question. "I mean it couldn't have been too far considering…" her voice trails off and she looks down at her hands.
"Why didn't I realize something was different?" She asks herself out loud. "Queen Kakyuu told me it's dangerous to be a senshi when you're pregnant." Her hands subconsciously clutch the blanket tighter. "She said I am the first senshi to survive while a star burns out…" She shuts her eyes tightly thinking of what she lost.
Seiya's expression softens a little. "I know. It's part of the reason Kinmoku has so many laws regarding senshi. It's meant to keep everyone safe." He leans back in his chair a little. "They had hoped the laws would deter some but others disregarded them." He sighs when thinks about how the Scarlett Palace is structured. "There are so many Starlights here because of the restrictions. Some of the senshi retire, some are forced to leave, and others have died for various reasons." He thinks about the senshi that perished when his training had just begun. He didn't know the Starlight. "You can't be a senshi and a mother here. A Change Star is taken as soon as it's discovered."
Usagi looks at him wide eyed. "Even after having a child… they can't be a senshi anymore?"
Seiya shakes his head no.
"That's horrible."
Seiya shrugs a little. "Years ago, when I first became a Starlight, I saw a Starlight die when she was pregnant. The star burned out."
Usagi blinks a few times staring at him. "Why didn't you tell me this before we spent the night together?" Usagi doesn't understand how Seiya could not tell her something so important.
Seiya realizes he is going to have to explain part of what is going on. There is no way to avoid it. "At that time, it was impossible for you to get pregnant."
She doesn't understand what he means. "Seiya, what does that mean?"
He looks at her a moment asking himself if he is really ready to have this conversation. He has to tell her. "Because my anatomy is different, I can be both genders. It takes time for all… biological functions to kick in." He tries to explain it as simply as he can to her. "I have to consecutively being in one form for a period of time spanning almost two months." The sentence hangs in the air.
Usagi inhales sharply. Nothing was making sense. She looks in eyes, really looks at them this time and she can see pain and some anger on the surface. It's starting to click. She shakes her head no several times. "That can't be right because I ended up pregnant after I was with you." She tries to process this in her mind but nothing is adding up. She looks at him sharply. "Seiya… you can't possibly think…" She can't finish the sentence. It's ludicrous.
Before the two can say anything else they are interrupted by the doctor coming in to check on her patient.
Seiya lets out an annoyed sigh at being interrupted for a moment but then again the doctor can answer the nagging question that won't leave him alone; the question that will decide everything.
This time it's a female doctor with short orange hair wearing glasses. "I'm glad to see you're awake. How are you feeling?" She asks Usagi as she checks her vitals on a monitor. She taps a few buttons and sees nothing out of the ordinary.
"I'm still really tired," Usagi answers.
The doctor nods her head. "That is expected." She removes the cuff from Usagi's arm and the machine starts beeping. A few buttons are pressed and the beeping stops as the machine is shut off. "You need to take at easy and relax a lot the next couple of days." She eyes Usagi's carefully. "Don't exert yourself." Her tone is serious. "You may have rather advanced healing abilities but it does not replace the rest your body needs."
Usagi nods her head. "I feel like I could sleep for a few days anyway."
The doctor smiles a little. "Did you have any questions about anything?"
Seiya's comments echo in her mind. She looks at Seiya for a moment before she hesitantly asks, "how far along was I?" She feels like she needs to prove to him that what he was saying earlier didn't make sense. Of course it was him.
"Based on the size of the fetus; around three months." She responds without batting an eye. "Considering how far along you were, you didn't notice any changes?"
Seiya's eyes narrow. His heart beats faster as his suspicions are confirmed. It is impossible for that child to be his. Three months ago he barely saw Usagi outside of school since he was preparing for the tour every moment he wasn't studying or doing homework. Nothing happened between them until the tour.
Usagi's mouth is really dry as she tries to shallow, looking at the doctor in disbelief. "Three months?" There has to be a mistake. "Are you sure?"
The doctor nods her head. "Give or take a week or so but yes." Her expression becomes serious. "Please be careful in the future. You were lucky this time and might not be as fortunate the next time."
Usagi nods her head. She tries to speak but her voice fails her. This is too much to process all at once. It's all over whelming. Her eyes return to staring at her hands.
The doctor can sense the tension in the room and excuses herself. "I'll give you some more time to rest. If you need anything let any one of the staff members know."
Usagi's eyes are focused on her hands at the doctor leaves, still trying to absorb the information from the doctor. She speaks softly, "That can't be right." Her hands clench tightly. "We only recently…" she finally looks at Seiya and stops mid-sentence when she sees the fury in his eyes.
Seiya is glaring at Usagi in disbelief. "So it's true…" He speaks softly at first. "That child was someone else's." The filter he had kept in place since he first entered the room is gone. "Who?" His voice rises. He asks her even though he already knows the answer. "Did you sneak over to Boston to see him when you said you were studying for your school exams?"
Usagi stares at him wide eyed as she listens the accusations he is making. "Seiya…" she tries to find something to say but she is too shocked by his behavior.
He continues. "I guess it was convenient for you to stay in Boston for a bit while the tour moved on. No wonder you were so insistent we leave. It made it easier for you." His fists are shaking now as his volume continues to increase. "And now there are these training sessions…" He shakes his head in disgust.
"It's not like that at all!" Usagi interrupts. She can't believe what she is hearing. "What are you saying? How could you think that?"
Seiya is up on his feet. He can't believe she is going to continue to deny what happened when there is proof. "How could I not?" He yells at her. "You were with someone else in order for you to be that far along!" He lowers his voice a little. "It wasn't until the last month that we started to have sex." His shoulders slump in defeat. "There isn't another explanation."
Usagi shakes her head side to side in horror. How can he think that? How can he say that? "No Seiya… you have it all wrong!" Usagi responds as tears start falling from her eyes. Why won't he believe her?
"How?" He snaps. He recoils a little, lowering his voice. He's sure it was loud enough already and most of the staff in the medical wing heard him yelling at her. "I guess I was a fool this whole time to think you ended everything with him." He sounds broken. The anger is starting to be replaced by grief.
Usagi pleads with him. She's crying so much she can barely get the words out. "I haven't been with anyone else."
Seiya's eyes narrow at her, shooting a look of distrust. He shakes his head, disdain setting in. "Stop lying Usagi." He turns and starts walking out of the room. She refuses to admit what she had done.
Usagi's eyes widen. It's rare he calls her Usagi unless they are out in public. She has to stop him but she is too weak to get up from the bed. "Seiya, wait… we can figure this out." She pleads with him. She doesn't want him to leave when he is this angry. There has to be some kind of explanation for all of this.
Seiya stops in his tracks, pausing to turn and face her. "There isn't anything to figure out." His eyes lower for a moment before he continues. He's too hurt to even look at her. "This isn't going to work out after all." Without uttering another word he turns and exits the room.
Usagi's bottom lip begins to quiver as can't keep her emotions in anymore. She sobs. "Seiya come back…" She utters between sobs. This wasn't supposed to happen. Their relationship was not supposed to be like this. "I…. I…." Her voice is too fragmented and quiet for him to hear now that he had left the room.
She cries. It's been years since she cried from a broken heart. Flashes of light appear for a moment as her pearl rings materialize but she is too exhausted, her energy too depleted for them to remain for long. She buries her face in her hands bawling.
Seiya is at the other end of the hallway before he comes across Taiki and Queen Kakyuu walking in his direction. He didn't want to talk to them or anyone right now.
Even though the two are a fair distance from Seiya they can sense the anger brewing.
Queen Kakyuu quickens her pace, she's worried about Seiya. He shouldn't be this angry after speaking with Usagi. "Are you alright?"
Seiya shakes his head no. He needs to keep this short so he can be alone. He turns to Taiki, the fastest way to convey what is going on. "I was right." He turns and keeps walking. He doesn't know where he will go but it needs to be away from everyone right now.
Queen Kakyuu turns to Taiki in alarm, her thoughts on the discussion they had in his room. "Does that mean the child…?" She can't finish the sentence, waiting for a response from the Three Light's member next to her.
Taiki lets out a deep sigh. "This isn't good."
They can hear Usagi crying from down the hallway. The door to her room is open.
Queen Kakyuu hates the situation this has created. "I'm going to check on Usagi-san." She pauses, "please find Yaten and let him know. I must speak with him immediately about this."
Taiki nods his head, acknowledging her request. "I'll find him and Minako-chan as soon as I can and bring them here."
"Thank you," Queen Kakyuu responds before turning all of her attention to Usagi. She walks down the hallway and enters her room, closing the door softly behind her. "Are you alright Usagi-san?" She asks as she approaches even though Usagi is clearly distraught.
Usagi's shoulders shakes as she cries. She doesn't look at Queen Kakyuu when she responds. "I want to left alone for a while." She's not ready to talk to anyone about this. Not until she figures out what happened. She needs to talk to Seiya again but he's too angry right now.
"I understand," Queen Kakyuu assures her. She is about to leave when she stops to ask, "What about Minako-chan?"
"No…" Usagi whispers between tears.
"Very well. I will let the others know not to disturb you so you can rest. If you need anything please let medical staff know. They will have to come in at times to check on you,"
Usagi mumbles, "Thank you."
Without another word, Queen Kakyuu leaves the young Queen to be on her own.
The longer Usagi sits with the information; her brain tries to catch up processing everything that occurred. A new wave of tears consumes her. Her heart breaks as she doesn't understand how all of this happened. She tries to make sense of it but can't. The doctor has to be wrong. What other explanation could there be?
Minako rushes to Usagi's room alongside Taiki and Yaten. She is worried about Usagi now that she knows she miscarried. The three find the Queen near the room with the door closed. Even with the door closed she can hear Usagi crying on the other side. Her heart skips a beat.
"What happened? Is Usagi-chan okay?" Minako asks in a panicked state.
"Usagi-san wants to be left alone." She pauses for a moment. "We'll return to my quarters. I have a lot to discuss with you but this is not the best location."
The three senshi follow Queen Kakyuu in silence. So many thoughts are running through Minako's head. She wants to run back to speak with Usagi directly but if she wants to be left alone for a while, she should respect her wishes.
Once they arrive at the Queen's chambers, Taiki and Queen Kakyuu fill Minako and Yaten in on their individual conversations with Usagi and Seiya.
Minako face turns from shock to frustration, immediately defending her Queen. "Usagi-chan is not that kind of person." She refuses to believe Usagi would cheat on Seiya like that.
Taiki interjects. "She almost left Seiya once before." He pauses. "There is no other explanation on how she ended up with a child otherwise." His tone is cold. Seiya is not the one at fault.
Minako glares at Taiki for a moment considering his statement. "I just can't believe it."
Yaten leans over to hold her hand to try to calm her down. The last thing he or anyone needed was Minako and Taiki fighting over what Usagi might have done. One other nagging thought lingers in his mind. "What does this mean for us going forward then? I mean… we're on Earth because of Seiya wanting to be with Usagi-chan…" He squeezes Minako's hand a little tighter. If there are summoned back to Kinmoku, he knows things will end between them too.
Before anyone can further ponder what the future may have in store for them, there is a knock on the door.
Queen Kakyuu lefts out a small sigh of relief. Maybe it's a good distraction given the topic they are discussing.
The Queen's Guard are checking in when they started to hear something happen on the medical unit which involved a lot of yelling and Queen Kakyuu was present. They sit in some chairs across from Yaten, Minako, and Taiki.
Yuna can quickly pick up on the tension in the room. "What happened?"
"Is Usagi-chan okay?" Sakura immediately asks.
Shiori picks up on Seiya's absence. If something happened, why isn't he included in this discussion?
Queen Kakyuu looks at her three Starlights and sighs. She doesn't want to tell them yet. Not with Shiori's history. "I'm not sure all of what happened yet."
Usagi cried until there weren't any tears left to shed. She's exhausted and eventually falls asleep. She can't handle everything right now and her body is still fatigued from the ordeal she experienced. Her rest was anything but peaceful.
She sees a crystal throne room. She has been here before. Her stomach drops when she realizes she is inside the palace of Crystal Tokyo. Neo Queen Serenity is waiting for her. The Queen approaches her shouting in anger. "How could you be so reckless at a time like this?" Tears are falling from the Queen's eyes as she approaches Usagi. "You ruined the only chance!"
Usagi is taken aback by the Queen's anger. "What are you talking about?"
"I kept warning you. Why you shouldn't be with the Starlight and you refused to listen!" Her tone sharpens. "I told you Seiya would leave you when he learned you would betray him in the worst possible way." She pauses for a moment, a slight smile on her lips. "And he did." Serenity relishes the intensity of their fight.
Usagi inhales sharply.
Neo Queen Serenity shakes her head at Usagi. "Your stubbornness lost your daughter." She pauses. "My daughter." She is now inches away from Usagi looking down at her with fury in her eyes.
Seeing the harshness in her eyes, Usagi takes a step backward. "…what are you saying?" None of this is adding up.
"You lost your one chance to have Chibi Usa in this timeline."
Usagi's head hurts. She's drained, distraught, and now more confused than ever. "You're not making sense!" She challenges back. "Chibi Usa is from Crystal Tokyo! And that timeline no longer exists!"
Serenity scuffs at her for not being able to comprehend the gravity of the situation after all this time. She still hasn't figured it out. "You were just in a timeline where she existed. Once a starseed is created like that it cannot just simply vanish even if that timeline ceases to be." She looks at the young woman in front of her. She needs to spell it out. "You were pregnant with Chibi Usa."
Usagi gasps, her hands covering her mouth in absolute disbelief. It's not possible. She was never with Mamoru in that way when she was in the timeline.
"Your carelessness cost me my daughter a second time." Fresh tears fall down the Queen's face.
"No…" Usagi shakes her head side to side this can't be right. Her and Mamoru in those two months… she stops. She can feel herself start to hyperventilate. She was in that timeline for two months, it's been several weeks since she returned to the present timeline.
Pluto. Pluto sent her to timeline were Chibi Usa was already conceived.
The pink light that vanished in her dreams that was so familiar belonged to Chibi Usa.
Yaten and Taiki left Queen Kakyuu room. A few hours passed and it was time they check on Seiya. It's not good to let him stew for this long. They don't have to search far as they find Sailor Star Fighter heading to a palace exit. Seeing Seiya as Fighter, the two of them break into a run. They need to catch her before she leaves.
"Fighter, wait!" Taiki calls out when they are finally in ear shot.
She turns around to look at them. Even after being transformed, her eyes are still red. "I need to get out of here for a bit. Try to clear my head. I can't just stay in my room."
Taiki knows this probably what she needs the most right now. "Where are you going in case we need to reach you?"
"I don't know," her tone is short; she is starting to get annoyed. "I'll be back later." She turns to walk a little further away from them before she plans on teleporting.
Yaten snaps at her. "You can't just run away from this."
Taiki puts a hand on Yaten's shoulder to stop him saying anything else.
Fighter glares at the oldest member of the team.
"A break is probably a good thing given the circumstances," Taiki adds.
The Starlight nods her head. She is about to leave but pauses for a moment. "I don't plan on leaving Kinmoku if that is what you're worried about." She turns away from them and closes her eyes. Her brooch crackles with energy and seconds later her body is surrounded by white and pale blue energy as she teleports herself off the grounds of the Scarlett Palace.
Yaten turns to glare at Taiki. "You sure that's a good idea?"
Taiki releases his hand from Yaten's shoulder. "Fighter needs to take out her frustration somewhere. You saw the anger she is trying to hide." Taiki looks over to the spot from where the senshi disappeared. "The pain she is trying to hide." He turns back to Yaten. "Stopping her would only escalate things further."
Now that is just the two of them Yaten looks at the taller man. "So it's true then… that child…" He doesn't need to finish. He had his doubts when he listed to Taiki and Queen Kakyuu. But seeing Fighter in this state made it real. "I keep thinking of what Mina said about Usagi-chan."
Taiki nods his head in agreement. "Somehow I think there is more to this."
Yaten looks at Taiki. "Oh?"
Usagi wakes up abruptly from her nightmare. Her entire body shakes as new tears fall down her face. Is it true? Was that child really from the other timeline? The pink haired girl she thought she would never see again? She pulls her knees closer to her chest as she cries.
She's not sure how much time passes until she is finally able to stop the tears. The overwhelming sadness is turning in anger.
Pearl rings appear on all eight of her fingers, glowing brightly.
An eight pointed star glows on her forward.
Without a word uttered the crystal pendant around her neck is activated and she becomes Sailor Cosmos.
Her eyes are closed tightly as some many emotions wash over her. But one is growing fast, uncontrollable rage.
Her eyes snap open and the Scarlet Palace begins to shake as the Guardian unleashes her pent up wrath.
So the child that Usagi miscarried was actually Chibi Usa. I have been sitting on this plot point for two years. This idea was floated around when I was writing the fourth arc. But I realized if Usagi had Chibi Usa already or was pregnant with Chibi Usa, she would have stayed in that timeline and became of Queen of Crystal Tokyo. It would undo all of the world building I've done. This idea started to develop from that abandoned plot concept. So happy I can finally talk about it.
Huge shout out to Monimezu for creating and helping with an upcoming plot line that was hinted in some recent acts.
The whole idea of the Three Lights needing to consistently be in one form before assuming all biological functions is something I made up for this story. I wanted it to be clear there is no way in heck the child was Seiya's and this gives it the extra twist the story needed.
This is the fight that has been hinted since SeiUsa week in October 2023 in "This is Only the Beginning" as well as "Is this the End?" from Rare Pair week in March 2024.
The final three snippets to appear in Act 72: You Were Warned What Could Happen
"You've ruined everything with Seiya!"
"Usako, stop this!"
"Not everything went back to exactly how it was. Don't you know what you've done?"
I'm going to sum it up as….Pray for Sailor Pluto. The odds of her being confronted by an enraged Sailor Cosmos in the next act are one hundred percent. Usagi is done talking. But that chapter will not be out until August as its back to writing Act 72 for Camp NaNo July with a word count goal of 60,000. It is going to be WILD. See you sometime in August for more chapters! Updates will be on my Tumblr as well as posting dates once I figure it out. Time to go back to outlining Act 77! Shiori is going to be a trip.