Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Sailor Stars: Chaos Theory
Act 66: Steal Me Away
By: Sora Kazeno
The remaining days of the tour pass in a whirlwind of events for the Three Lights and Minako. Rei and Usagi continued to explore São Paulo. Tonight is the final concert of the tour.
Usagi and Rei are sitting in a small café enjoying the tranquility while everyone else is at fan events. Rei swishes her tropical juice with her straw. "I can't believe we go back to Japan tomorrow."
The blonde sitting across from Rei frowns at something else. "I can't believe we are going to miss almost an entire day just by being on a plane!"
"It's because of the time change. Remember how we gained all that extra time when we landed in Hawaii?" Rei recaps for Usagi. "It won't be that bad, just get some sleep and we'll be there before you know it around 8pm at Narita."
Usagi sighs. Other than her night with Seiya, she's only had one other night without a nightmare or premonition in the past few days. She's constantly tired and the stress is making her hungry all the time. Eating has always been a way she copes with extra stress. She leans back in her chair, her eyes downcast. One of things she has tried to avoid is approaching rapidly. "I guess I'll have to face everything I've been putting off; like speaking with Ami-chan and Mako-chan about the other timeline." She lets out a deep breath, "and Setsuna-san too."
Rei tries to lighten the mood. "Did you hear? Michiru-san is doing an art exhibit and a small concert next week and she asked the Three Lights to perform with her."
Usagi stares at Rei in shock. Her eyes blink several times as she tries to process this new information. This is first she heard about it. "Seriously?" She looks at Rei for confirmation.
"Isn't it a good thing? Maybe it will help them get along?" Rei suggests, her voice raising slightly at the end of her question.
"I hope so…" Usagi doesn't sound too convinced given her last conversation with Haruka. Usagi stares are her tea. Her thoughts focused on how Haruka and Michiru have acted toward Seiya in the past. Will it continue?
Rei realizes the news seems to have backfired and is only making Usagi more worried. She looks at her watch. "We should be going; we don't want to be late for their performance tonight. Starting some of the packing early would probably be a good idea too."
Usagi nods her head slowly.
Rei pauses, "I'm going to help Minako-chan clean up her dressing room after tonight's concert; you know she's going to have tons of makeup and clothes!"
Usagi laughs as she pictures piles of clothes around Minako's dressing room. "I'll help you too. Otherwise Minako-chan will be there for hours. I'm really looking forward to the party with lots of food!" Usagi grins. They can all relax and spend time together, something she missed a lot on the tour. It was rare all of them were together unless they were on an airplane or at a concert.
Setsuna looks across the table at Mamoru.
Mamoru is nodding his head with a slight smile on his lips. "That sounds like Rei-chan confronting Haruka-kun and Michiru-chan. She can be very… very direct..." He tries to suppress a laugh as he recalls Rei's past antics with Usako. The smile fades as quickly as it came. "But for Rei-chan to be that angry… it makes me very worried about Usako if she's still not sleeping."
Setsuna looks at her tea mug in front of her. "The entire situation caught Michiru-chan and Haruka-kun by surprise. I think they needed to hear it. They are not listening to me."
His facial expression hardens. He dislikes what he is about to say but it is for the best if it will help Usako right now. "But Rei-chan's right. I hate to agree but none of this is helping Usako." He has thought about this a lot during the past year. "She has the weight of the world, no the galaxy on her shoulders and she needs to be surrounded by people that can support her." He pauses. "I'm going to do what I can but it is difficult…" His voice trails off, he can't finish the sentence. He is supposed to be the one supporting her. It was always him.
The emerald haired woman presses her lips tightly together. The position she is in is so difficult right now. She can't tell him his future. It's selfish, but she doesn't want it to change from what she has seen. "I understand… at this time we can only support Usagi-chan in whatever she needs. Even if it means we take a step back right now to give her space."
The duo sits in silence for several minutes finishing their drinks. "Thank you for visiting… it has helped out. I don't hear a lot about what is… transpiring."
She tries to comfort him, this is all so painful for him and it is clearly written on his face. He will be struggling for a while. "I wish things could have turned out differently for you." It is a half-truth.
"Me too." Mamoru responds, turning his head to look out the window of the coffee shop, trying to mentally prepare for what lies ahead of him.
Minako is backstage with the Three Lights as they prepare for the final event. "I can't believe this is it!" Her voice softens. "The last one… I don't know when I'll be part of another concert." The realization hits her hard, she has enjoyed every moment performing on stage.
"You're just getting started, I'm sure there will be plenty of concerts for you in the future to the point you'll be sick of them and can't for them to be over," Yaten tries to encourage Minako. But he is absolutely sick of all of these events.
Minako smiles at the silver haired band member. "I should be heading on stage."
Yaten is a few steps behind her; they walk quietly next to each other the short distance. He grabs her hand before she can step onto the stage. A quick glance around and he confirms they are alone; he kisses her briefly on the lips. "For good luck." He fumbles with his words. "Not that you'll need it or anything like that…"
Minako giggles slightly before heading up the stairs leading to the stage.
Yaten waits until she is on stage before walking back over to Taiki and Seiya with a slight smile on his face.
Taiki narrows his eyes but doesn't say anything.
"What a nice shade of red lipstick you're wearing," Seiya teases Yaten. After all the comments he had endured from his cousin while dating Usagi, he is going to enjoy throwing remarks back at him.
Yaten's eyes widen and he immediately rubs his lips. Pulling his hand a way he sees a little red on his hand, his cheeks start to flush matching the shade of lipstick "Dang it." He moves past them to a bathroom nearby, he can't have lipstick on before going on stage.
The crowd applauds at the first chords of Minako's song.
Usagi and Rei cheer extra loudly for Minako at the end of each song. Her performances throughout the tour have improved.
Rei notices this is the happiest she has seen Usagi in the past few days. But she is still struggling. She had an issue with Serenity this afternoon. She can't imagine what it would be like to fight against her former self that wants something so different than is desired in her present life. Rei hopes Usagi will have another peaceful night, the perfect way to end the tour supporting her friends and boyfriend.
"Thank you everyone for your support! I am humbled by the encouragement everyone has given me," Minako begins to thank the crowd. "With your help, I'm going to continue to grow as a singer thanks to everyone's kindness." She has to stop as tears flood her eyes. She has one more song with Yaten to perform and she needs to keep it together.
The blonde turns to the side of the stage to signal to Yaten and the band she is ready for the last song.
Yaten walks across the stage and this time he stands right next to Minako, closer than he has ever stood to her for a performance. The song begins and it's different this time. Past performances they would turn toward each other to sing but this time there were looking directly at each other. Each time that happened, the crowd cheered even louder. When the song ends they are staring into each other's eyes.
The duo receives a standing ovation for their performance. They remain on the stage listening to the applause. As they walk off stage toward the steps and out of sight of the fans, Yaten kisses Minako on the cheek briefly.
Minako is laughing lightly. "It was so much fun!" She turns to Yaten, "we should have made those changes sooner; the crowd seemed to love it."
"Well… we were trying to be discreet. But it is easier to get away with more for the final concert." Yaten explains as he turns his attention to Taiki and Seiya, trying to mentally prepare for the next set of songs.
Taiki starts to walk up the stairs, focused on this final performance.
Yaten notices Seiya looking at him with a smirk. "What?"
"Nothing," Seiya grins and he starts to walk to the stairs.
Yaten is starting to become annoyed at that knowing grin. "Stop smirking."
Seiya laughs. "Now you know what it's like. It's not the worst thing in the world to be in a relationship, is it?"
Yaten expression transformations to one of seriousness, "It's one thing to be in a relationship, but it is an entirely different thing to be in a relationship that is forbidden."
Seiya's amused appearance instantly vanishes. "You've been talking to Taiki too much."
"He has a point," Yaten reminds his leader.
Seiya shakes his head side to side, dismissing the topic. "Odango is not from Kinmoku."
Yaten sighs in response. Seiya hasn't connected all the dots. "Usagi-chan is not from Kinmoku. But Sailor Cosmos is… and Usagi-chan is her reincarnation. So technically… she is no matter how you try to spin it."
Seiya pales at Yaten's statement. "I never thought about it… like that…" But they are two different people, three if you count all of her reincarnations.
"Then when you throw in the factor that is also a Queen and a senshi at the same time…who knows," Yaten shrugs his shoulders walking over to the stairs. "We should be starting the concert." Seeing the look on Seiya's face he realizes this was probably not the best time to have this conversation right before the show.
"Give me a minute and I'll be there," Seiya responds slowly. He needs a few moments to process all of this. He never considered what Yaten had told him regarding the reincarnation. But aren't all senshi reincarnations of stars from a previous time? He shakes his head to clear it. There are no answers only more questions to his current circumstances but right now he needs to be on stage singing his heart out like he doesn't have a care in the world.
He lets out a deep breath as he climbs the stage and walks out onto the stage were Taiki and Yaten are ready in their starting positions. He looks around at the full stadium taking the moment in, knowing this is the last one in this country.
In the front row is Usagi, cheering him on. He smiles at her. He is not going to give her up for anyone or anything. He is a member of her Royal Court. He was told to protect her by Queen Kakyuu. And that is what he is going to do, Kinmokian laws be damned.
The music begins for the opening song and he can't take his eyes off Usagi.
The Three Lights receive a standing ovation and cheers for an encore of some of the songs. This was typical for a lot of the shows. They agree to do one final song. It seems only fitting to end with the song that started it all, Nagareboshi He.
Everyone is on their feet cheering until the final note is played. After bowing and thanking the fans, the Three Lights finally walk off the stage.
Usagi turns to Rei, "I'm glad it's the last show…but I'm not ready to go home tomorrow." She wishes she had a few days to spend with everyone in this city but Minako and the Three Lights need to be back in Tokyo.
"Let's not worry about it and enjoy the party," Rei suggests. She is thankful Usagi asked her to come on this adventure.
Usagi nods her head. She hasn't seen Seiya in the past few days outside of one other concert due to his busy schedule. She can't wait to see him.
The two girls gradually make their way back stage as the crowd thins. Usagi slowly walks behind Rei, trying to take everything in. Her life seems so dull compared to Minako's and the Three Lights. She pauses for a moment, realizing her life is far from dull regarding being a senshi. She grabs Rei's arm for a moment as she reminds one of the things she wanted to do before the tour. "Do you think when we get back to Tokyo… the two of us could travel to your former home…?"
Rei is taken aback by Usagi's sudden request. "You mean…"
Usagi nods her head. "It is something I've want to do everyone but I never had the chance to bring it up. I was never able to see everyone's kingdoms and I want to experience them with each person."
"I don't remember it at all…" Rei pauses. "It would be like both of us would see it for the first time," she grins. She had only been on Mars once in this life time, to obtain the red crystal pendent around her necklace that unlocks her eternal powers. She had never seen her previous residence. "That would be great. I would love it and I'm sure the other girls would too." A part of her mind questions what brought this on but she brushes it to the side.
They walk in silence until they find Yaten and Minako back stage talking with some of the staff.
"You were great Minako-chan!" Usagi exclaims rushing up to Minako to give her a large hug.
Rei is a few steps behind. "For your debut, it was a heck of way to start!" Rei hugs Minako as well.
"I'll see you at the party later, I need to clear everything out my dressing room," Yaten waves goodbye to Minako, giving her some much needed time with her friends. He notes Usagi seems to be upbeat today which means she likely hasn't had as many issues lately. He pauses, "I would get started on your dressing room… it's a disaster."
"Minako-chan… how much stuff do you have?" Usagi looks at the blonde confused.
Minako laughs. "I bought a bunch of clothes and it's a bit of a mess from the past few days." She thinks about everything thrown around her dressing room. Since it is the final show she can pretty much throw it in a box and deal with it at home. "We're all going to clean our dressing rooms so the staff will have less work to do and we can start the party sooner."
"I'll help you," Rei offers knowing how fast Minako can make a mess of things. She is a lot like Usagi in this way.
"That would be amazing Rei-chan! I know we could finish it really quick!" Minako eagerly accepts the extra help. She grins a little before looking at Usagi, "I'm sure Seiya-kun could use some help clearing out his dressing room too."
Usagi's eyes widen a little. "You sure?"
"Go ahead I'm sure you're dying to see him," Minako winks.
"Sure!" Usagi beams and looks around the hallway, realizing she doesn't know where it is.
"End of the hall… on the right, I think," Minako adds trying to recall. She knew where Yaten's dressing room was without a problem.
Usagi follows Minako's instructions to the end of the hallway and then it splits into different directions. She blinks a few times. Did she miss something with Minako's instructions? That can't be right.
She turns and walks back a little bit realizing she walked right past a door with Seiya's name on it. She teardrops. She knocks loudly on the door. When the door doesn't open, she knocks again wondering if she in the wrong place.
The door flings open and Seiya's slightly annoyed expressed immediately turns to one of joy. "Odango?"
"I heard you needed help packing up your stuff," Usagi explains and as she moves past him and sees the mess scattered across the room. It's almost as bad as her room when she was trying to pick out an outfit for a date with… she clears her throat. "Wow…"
"I'll get to it," Seiya shrugs removing his yellow tie and adding it to the collection of things that need to go in a box. He wraps his arms around her first. "The tour is over." He smiles genuinely for the first time in days.
Usagi nods her head, leading back into his arms. She places her arms over his which are around her waist. "You're in a good mood."
"Of course," Seiya said letting of her. "I'm finally going to be able to rest a bit."
Usagi turns around to face him, smiling. "I'm glad to see you happy." She pauses, thinking back to his final concert a few years ago. "This one is a lot different than your last one… everyone's happy instead of sad."
"We were able to finish this one too," he adds thinking back to the night when Usagi wished him good luck before the concert with Michiru and Haruka. "There is one more event we were asked to perform in Tokyo. It would be right before we leave for Kinmoku." He pauses, stilling trying to figure what they are planning. "You're never going to believe who we are performing with."
"Rei-chan told me it's going to be with Michiru-san." Usagi pauses. "I was really surprised when I first heard." Her voice grows softer. "Maybe it will be a good thing. You'll never get along unless you spend time together."
Seiya looks at Usagi in awe for a moment. "You can always find a positive in any situation." There is a pause between them. He turns to look at the mess he created the past few days and sighs. He grabs one of the boxes and starts tossing papers in the box. "I can go through these at home."
Usagi kneels on the floor to start picking up some of the other scattered papers from the floor to help him.
"Odango you don't have clean this up," Seiya explains to her, feeling a little guilty she is cleaning up the untidiness.
Usagi pouts for a moment. "Hmph! It's what a good girlfriend does." She turns to face him with a raised eyebrow. "And the sooner we finish here, the sooner we can go to the party with everyone else and eat all the food!"
Seiya laughs at her statement. "The real reason you are here."
Usagi's face falls as she gives him a sad puppy dog look. "And here I just wanted to see you because I barely saw you the past couple of days."
Seiya misses her expression since his back his facing hers gathering up some pages with information on the tour schedule. "It has been rough, but now you'll get to see me all the time to the point you'll get tired of me always being around."
Usagi laughs as his remark. "I'm sure your manager will find a way to keep you busy."
"Not all the time…" Seiya hesitantly remarks. He grabs another box and starts picking up some clothes that were lying around from earlier. He had to change quickly this afternoon from an event to his attire for the concert.
Usagi pauses when she finds a few pens on the floor. "Do you remember… what you told me when I went to wish you good luck… after that night on the school rooftop?" She turns to Seiya.
"Of course," he immediately responds. "How could I forget? I didn't hold anything back and told you that I fell in love with you." He reflects on the moment. "I knew it was my last chance to be able to talk to you alone." He looks over at Usagi. "I couldn't keep it to myself anymore."
Usagi nods her head slightly. "I remember you had said you wanted to steal me away after the concert…"
"I meant it," Seiya grins as he finishes putting the remaining clothes in the box. He closes the distance between them sitting next to her on the floor, wondering what brought this up.
She looks at him curiously. "What was your plan?"
"My plan?" Seiya echoes. "Umm… well…." He stutters. "I never really came up with one since… I knew it wouldn't happen. It just a happy thought before trying to find the Light of Hope."
"Well this is your final concert again… so I guess you have a chance to steal me away and you don't have a plan?" Usagi teases him, enjoying Seiya being at a loss of words for once. She sighs loudly to emphasize her point.
His hand reaches for hers, squeezing her fingers tightly. With a smile, "I might not have had ideas then but you are giving me some ideas now."
Usagi blinks at him a few times. "How did you come up with something so fast?"
"Easy. I'm alone with you in a way a never imagined or thought possible before." He leans in, his lips claiming hers. His hands shift to around her hips, pulling her closer to him. He breaks away for a moment to whisper in her ear. "I was planning to shower before the party…"
Usagi's eyes widen at the bold invitation. Instead of verbally responding she answers with a kiss, her tongue brushing against his lips. She smiles as she feels Seiya hold her tighter. Seeing it as a sign of encouragement, she leans into him more. After a few seconds she nearly loses her balance.
Seiya lets go of Usagi, quickly pressing his hands on the floor to prevent them from falling over. He adjusts his balance and rises to his feet. He reaches a hand out to Usagi to help her up.
Usagi eagerly grabs his hand. When she looks up into his eyes, the lust is unmistakable.
Seiya lets go of her hand for a moment to go back to the dressing room door, locking it. "Just in case." He adds. Walking back over to Usagi he grabs her hand leading her to bathroom, closing that door behind them as well.
He turns on the shower to let the water warm up before returning all of his attention to Usagi. He lightly picks her up placing her on top of the counter; his hands linger by her thighs before his right hand moves up to her chest as his mouth returns to her lips. After hearing a small moan from Usagi he shifts his mouth to her neck.
"Seiya…" Usagi mummers as she reaches for the buttons on his dark green dress shirt. The party is the furthest thing from her mind.
Minako and Rei carry the final two boxes of Minako's items from her dressing room. They come across a few staff members that offer to take the boxes to the truck outside. They happily pass the boxes, glad to be done cleaning up the dressing room.
"Next time, I am not going to have so much stuff in there," Minako mutters. She thought it would be great to have more outfits to pick from but in the long run she ended up creating more work for herself.
Rei agrees with her as she sits down on a couch. "I couldn't believe how much stuff you had!"
Minako laughs while she adjusts her royal blue skirt. "Me too! It's amazing how many things I bought while I was here. It's like things kept popping up!" She sees Yaten and Taiki up ahead loading some musical instruments. They are no longer in their suits and wearing sneakers, slacks and polio shirts.
Rei lets out a small sigh. "I can't believe it's over."
Minako nods. "It was definitely an experience!" Her voice becomes softer as she asks, "How is Usagi-chan?"
"She's doing a little better, fewer nightmares now," Rei comments reflecting on the change in Usagi in the past few days.
The two girls don't notice Taiki and Yaten until they sit down next to them on the large couch.
Minako rests her head on Yaten's shoulder, her fingers immediately reaching for his. The audience is gone and it is just them back here right now.
"I haven't seen Usagi in a while," Rei comments realizing how long it has been.
"Seiya either," Taiki adds.
Rei shakes her head. "I'm not looking for them; they'll turn up when they do." She shifts a little on the couch. Was Usagi like this with Mamoru-san too? Or did she notice it more because they've been around each other constantly due to the tour? She changes the topic. She's not sure how much Taiki and Yaten know regarding what Usagi has been through in the past few weeks. "Usagi's been struggling."
"Anyone would after being thrown into another timeline," Yaten interjects, he is hoping by making them aware he and Taiki knew some of what happened, Rei would be more forthcoming with information. This might be their only chance.
Minako picks her head up from Yaten's shoulder to look at him. "I know you knew about the nightmares… but the other timeline?"
"When did Usagi tell you?" Rei asks suspiciously given Usagi hasn't seen Yaten and Taiki as much.
"Seiya told us," Taiki explains, "after a lot of prodding," He discloses. "Something was off with him and he's been rather distracted."
"We weren't going to leave him alone until we received an answer," Yaten shifts his position slightly, he wanted to make it clear it wasn't easy for Seiya to talk about it based on the look Minako had on her face. The last thing he needs is for her to be angry at him. He turns to Rei, "is she still having nightmares?"
"It's somewhat improved… she's starting to have nights without them," Rei responds slowly, not expecting to have such a frank conversation with everyone. They all need to keep an eye on Usagi; they all need to protect her.
He cuts to the chase to discuss something far more important. "She said she was struggling with her powers." Yaten looks at Rei directly.
Taiki's posture shifts slightly as the conversation now has his full attention. His amethyst eyes study Rei and Minako carefully for their facial reactions to determine if there is more going on that they are not revealing to them.
Rei shakes her head no. "It was just that one day. She seems fine since then." She isn't sure if she wants to discuss the other issue Usagi has had with the other side of her, the part that is still Serenity.
"That's good. Otherwise it could be dangerous," Taiki needs them to understand that even though they are Usagi's best friends and protectors, they need to be careful should something happen.
Rei shots him annoyed look. "Usagi is not dangerous." She resents the suggestion.
"Don't misunderstand; her powers as Sailor Cosmos could be. We've already seen it happen once." Taiki challenges back.
"She hasn't had any other issues since she awakened and fought Chaos," Rei counters. Her eyes narrow at Taiki. She doesn't understand where this is coming from. "Whatever happened to Usagi was in another timeline and she defeated Chaos then too."
"There is always a first time," Yaten is focused on Rei, missing the conflicting expression on Minako's face.
Minako lets go of Yaten's hand, bringing his attention back to her. "Usagi-chan is fine," Minako responds coolly. "She has us to help."
Yaten sighs, realizing this ended up being more confrontational than he anticipated. "Only when she tells you what is wrong." He needs Minako to understand the position they are in. "Look at how long she hid the battle against Galaxia from you. If it wasn't for the Prophecy she might not have ever told you."
Rei is on her feet. "She's not the only one hiding things. I'm sure there is a lot we don't about you either and Kinmoku." Two can play this game.
"This was not meant to cause problems," Taiki interrupts before anything else could be said between Rei and Yaten. "We just want to make sure Usagi-chan is okay given everything that has happened."
Rei sits back down on the couch and crosses her arms. "We're all worried about her."
"But there is a lot we don't what is going on with Usagi-chan… I don't even know what she and Seiya-kun fought about." Minako looks at Rei for confirmation. "Normally she would have told us."
Rei's facial expression softens. "I don't know much about it either… other than it was something in his past regarding someone else we was with."
Yaten and Taiki exchange a look for disbelief with each other. "Seiya has never been with anyone else… that we know of." Taiki explains slowly. He looks at Yaten and his eyes widen. "What did he do that night?" What happened after he left the party that he refuses to talk about with anyone?
Yaten lets out a deep breath. "He never talks about it, you heard him." He shakes his head. "He can be extremely stubborn. It also means he did do something stupid." He tries to brush if off for now. It is something that can be addressed at another time.
The four of them sit in silence, lost in their own thoughts regarding Usagi and Seiya.
Minako breaks the silence by changing the subject to something more neutral. "I can't believe we're going home tomorrow."
"Thank God that is over, it was ridiculous," Yaten quickly voices his displeasure of the entire tour process.
"And back to writing new songs," Taiki reminds Yaten there is still a lot of work ahead of them.
Yaten shoots Taiki a look of annoyance.
"When are you going to Kinmoku?" Minako asks; she knew it was being discussed but a date was never decided.
Rei looks at them surprised. "You're leaving…?"
"Visiting," Taiki corrects her. "We'll be departing after we finish appearances in Tokyo for a few weeks."
Minako turns to Yaten, not realizing how soon it would be or how long they would be gone. She also wanted to know about a rumor of one of those events. "It is true?"
"Is what true?" Yaten asks for clarification.
Minako raises her eyebrows. "That you are performing with Michiru-san?"
"Oh that… yeah…" His voice is far from thrilled at the collaboration.
Rei thinks back to the conversation she had with Michiru and Haruka. "Maybe it's a good thing?"
"We don't know if it is a good thing or a bad thing yet," Taiki adds skeptically. He wants to believe there will be less hostility since they will all be in the public eye.
"It's a good thing," Usagi appears next to them, hand in hand with Seiya.
"It's a lot different to get along professionally rather than personally," Seiya comments with seriousness in his voice.
Usagi is hopeful the worse is behind them. "I'm sure everyone will be able to get along."
Rei looks at her watch realizing how long they had been waiting for her. "What took you so long? Minako-chan had a ton of stuff and we were done a lot faster."
Usagi teardrops a little. "Umm… well… I know Minako-chan told me where to go but… but I might have gotten a little lost on the way." She laughs nervously.
Rei jaw drops for a moment. "You had to walk a straight path."
Usagi racks her brain for an excuse, "so many of the hallways look the same..."
Rei and Minako teardrop thinking of the time Usagi missed an entire concert because she got on the wrong bus.
Taiki shakes his head in awe. "Yet you made it much further distances flawlessly." He reflects on the idea that Usagi has always gotten lost, never Sailor Cosmos. Are they really that different?
Usagi laughs loudly.
Their chatter is interrupted by the staff cheering as the last of the items were loaded onto the truck. The party can finally start.
Usagi leans back in her chair, full of food. She's not sure how much she ate and what she eaten, but it was all delicious.
The staff members congratulated the Three Lights and Minako on the successful tour. Many asked for pictures with them and their autographs. Everyone is in a good mood enjoying the festivities of what everyone was able to accomplish by working together.
A young man in his mid-twenties walks over to Taiki and places a bright red drink in glass before him. "Happy Birthday Taiki-san!"
Taiki checks his watch realizing it is in fact May 30th, his birthday. "Thank you," he answers politely. "But I'm not old enough to drink." He turns down the beverage.
"Happy Birthday!" Yaten, Seiya, Usagi, Minako, and Rei congratulate Taiki.
"Yes you are," the man assures him, surprised Taiki is turning down the drink.
"The drinking age is twenty and I'm eighteen," he responds looking at the man in confusion why he would think it was legal.
"In Japan it's twenty but in Brazil it is eighteen and as of a few minutes ago, it's legal for you. Enjoy the night!" He congratulates him again.
The man looks over at Usagi and Seiya. "Sorry, I couldn't bring you anything you still have a month or two to go." He turns to Minako, "you have even longer to go, maybe the next tour." He leaves the group and walks away.
Usagi starts cackling out of nowhere. Her entire body shakes as a few tears fall from her eyes since she is laughing so hard.
"She's lost her mind," Rei stares at Usagi not understanding what has brought this on.
"Usagi-chan, are you okay?" Minako asks wondering if she had gone mad or if something was seriously wrong.
Usagi laughs a few more times before she can finally stop. "When did I become the older person in the relationship?"
Taiki and Yaten look at her not following what she meant.
"My birthday is before Seiya's so I'm older than him," Usagi explains. She never realized this before; she was so used to being so many years younger than her partner.
"Usagi… wow… that is strange," Rei is finally able to respond when she realizes the blonde is correct. It is something neither she nor the others ever thought about since they were so used to the age gap between her and Mamoru.
Once the laugher dies down a bit, Seiya looks at the drink in front of Taiki before turning to face him. "So the rules are different here, and it's okay?" Once he sees Taiki's annoyed expression he continues, "So you're going to drink it since someone was nice enough to bring it to you?"
Taiki's eyes narrow at Seiya in a disapproving scorn. "This is a lot different but it is easy to follow the rules and avoid it." He moves the drink further away from him to make his stance clearer to the raven haired band member.
When he sees Taiki isn't even going to consider the drink he shakes his head. "You are the most boring person I know."
Taiki's eyebrow twitches. He knows exactly what Seiya is trying to do but he will not fall for it. "You could learn a thing or two."
Rei and Minako are watching this conversation unfold completely lost why this is such an issue for them.
Usagi bites her lip. This she picked up on. Taiki is commenting on Seiya breaking Kinmokian laws, something the other girls don't know about and she doesn't plan on sharing with them. Nor telling them how he almost broke the law with Shiori and risk Yaten and Taiki finding out.
Seiya responds with a wide grin, "Some rules are meant to be broken." His eyes catch Usagi's for a moment, "and worth it."
Rei and Minako cast a questioning look at Usagi.
Yaten sighs loudly. "I'm going to be listening to this for the next week, aren't I?"
Seiya does not verbally respond as he shrugs and leans back in the chair.
A couple staff members come back with more drinks, this time for Rei and Yaten.
Minako pouts with an annoyed look she was skipped even though she knows she is underage. "Couldn't they make an exception after all of our hard work on this tour?"
Yaten looks at the bright red drink in his hands, shrugs and takes a sip, looking directly at Taiki.
Taiki glares as his older cousin for his bold move.
"It's legal here," Yaten reminds him as puts the drink down. It's not one he is going to enjoy based on the burn at the back of his throat.
"Isn't the drinking age on Kinmoku also eighteen Yaten?" Seiya chimes in with a smirk.
Taiki displays contempt by forming a straight line with his mouth but he does not respond.
"I wasn't offered one either," Usagi comments to Minako, trying to take the focus off of Seiya and Taiki.
Rei grins, "probably a good thing. You tend to find punch but it always has alcohol in it at fancy parties."
Usagi laughs with a hand behind her head. "It only happened twice and the last time was three years ago!"
Minako turns to Usagi, laughing. "That was the party where everyone spoke English, right? Didn't you dance with Haruka-san there?"
Rei nods her head adding, "Remember when Usagi started reciting a cooking recipe and Mamoru-san tried to take her to the side and she uppercut him by accident when she was flailing her arms around while talking?" She can picture the scene vividly and felt bad for Mamoru. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Minako bursts into high pitched laugher starting another round of cackling from Rei.
"I sort of remember that…" Usagi responds with embarrassment.
The Three Lights stare at Usagi and her two hyena sounding friends.
A few staff members arrive to ask for more pictures.
Usagi sighs looking at her suitcase. This was really it. She is going to return to Tokyo and face Setsuna. She'll need to tell Ami and Makoto what transpired. "I'm looking forward to seeing Ami-chan and Mako-chan. Mako-chan has been so busy with school, we haven't talked to her this whole trip!"
"It will be great for the five of us to be together again. It feels like it's been so long," Rei thinks back to how the girls used to see each other almost every day. "I'm also looking forward to sleeping in my own bed." Checking the time she realizes they to need to hurry. "We don't want to be late."
Usagi nods.
The two girls don't speak as they focus on packing their remaining belongs listening to the television in the background on the NHK network. The news is airing and they zone it out until they recognize Minako's voice. They drop the clothes they were folding and rush to the screen to watch.
It is part of her interview from yesterday. Minako smiles in the camera as she answers questions. It shifts to a few clips of her singing on stage by herself, then one of her singing with Yaten, followed by Three Lights singing some of their news songs.
Usagi grins. Even though they went to almost every concert, she will never be tired of hearing him sing. The two girls don't speak until it goes to a commercial break.
"I'm really glad everything worked out for Minako-chan. We know how much she wants to be idol," Rei beams at her friend's accomplishments.
Usagi nods. Other than the nightmares which have become less frequent, everything is perfect.
Rei and Usagi join the Three Lights on the plane. They were barely on time but not the last one to arrive.
Seiya is seated in one of the rows to the side scribbling in a notebook not paying attention to anything or anyone around him. Usagi sits down next to him and he doesn't even look up, he is too focused.
Taiki is a few rows ahead of him reading a book.
"I thought we were going to leave without you." Yaten comments when he finally sees Minako. He is sitting in front of Seiya but behind Taiki. He wanted to sleep during as much of the flight as possible.
She sticks her tongue out at him. "Well if you did that, I'd find some other way to get back." Her eyebrows arch up, thinking how Rei and Usagi rejoined them on the tour. "Besides I couldn't help it; I had to find another suitcase." She selects a seat next to Rei, sitting behind Seiya and Usagi.
Minako whines to her companions, "This flight seems so long because of the time change, isn't it?"
"We'll arrive in Tokyo around eight in the evening," Taiki doesn't look up from his book. "Hopefully it will be a quiet arrival."
Yaten laughs at Taiki's optimism. "We'll have peace and quiet once we're back in our apartment, away from everyone else."
Seiya continues to ignore everyone as the pencil scratches the paper. He pauses for a few moments, reviewing what he penned before he continues writing.
Usagi peers over his shoulder trying to figure out what he is working on so intensely. The paper he is using in the notebook looks funny. Five small lines are group together at a time. There is a small break and another group of five lines underneath. This pattern is spaced out throughout the page. She stares at it a few more seconds until she realizes he is actually writing music.
Seiya jots down a few more eight notes and finally a half note on the treble clef, pausing to tap his pencil listening to the melody in his head.
Usagi watches him not understanding what it means as he puts it down on the paper.
He remains in deep concentration until he nears the end of the page and stops to let out a sigh. He's stuck for now. "It's a start," he says to himself closing the notebook. Looking up he realizes Usagi is sitting next to him for the first time.
"What is that?" Usagi points to the notebook.
"A new melody for a song I came up with this morning," Seiya responds enthusiastically.
"Hopefully it is something we can use," Yaten chimes in; he wants to have one fewer song to write upon their return to Tokyo.
"Nope." Seiya rejects the idea flat out. "This one is all mine and it's going to be for my solo song," he explains proudly at what he has crafted. "But I have no idea what the words will be yet."
"Can I hear it when it's done?" Usagi asks timidly.
"Of course!" Seiya assures her. "You'll be the first one."
Flight attendants walk to check on everyone as the plane is breaking to head to the runway.
Several hours later, Usagi is resting her head on Seiya's shoulder. She was too tired to stay awake any longer. She starts snoring like a buzz saw.
The noise wakes up the Three Lights member in front of her from his nap. Yaten covers his ears. "What the hell is that sound? Is the plane coming apart?"
"It's just Usagi snoring." Rei pulls out her ear plugs she has used many times on this trip for the nights Usagi started to snore really badly. She pauses before she puts them in. This is the first time she used them since Usagi was in the other timeline. Maybe this is a good sign.
"At least she is sleeping…" Seiya looks down at her. Wishing it wasn't quite so loud but glad she is resting as he looks down at her.
The sound of Usagi's snoring thankfully starts to diminish but not for the reason they were hoping.
Sailor Cosmos stares up at the swirls of black energy in the air. She can feel its ominous presence, unnerving her. Realizing the truth between light and darkness was not easy to accept. But she can change it all. She has to. She looks at the enormous circular object a short distance away. Her light is the only one to dissipate it.
Worry consumes her. She is running out of time. But she has to do this; there is no other way to save the others. She is the only one that possesses the powers to stop this madness. She closes her eyes mentally preparing for what she is about to do, there is no turning back. She can only hope that one day Fighter will forgive her for what she is about to willing do. She gradually looks at the others surrounding her one final time. Her eyes land on Fighter's for a moment, she can no longer hold back the tears. Fighter looks at her confused and worried. She mouths to her, "I'm sorry." Sailor Cosmos quickly turns away as a bright flash of light from her brooch emits before the scene fades out into something else.
Sailor Cosmos looks around at the group of senshi across from her in the large grassy field. They are all in a fighting stance. A closer inspection of the senshi and she realizes nearly all of them are Sailor Starlights. Many of them she does not recognize. She guesses there are close to twenty of them.
Examining the senshi in the front row she recognizes Sailor Star Striker, Sasha, the trainer of the Starlights, recognizable by the red crossed bands near her waist. Each Starlight can be easily identified by the colors of those bands. None are the same. Next to her is, Eternal Sailor Venus? Her eyes show hesitation. She is standing next to Sailor Star Healer whom is next to Maker.
She inhales sharply seeing the senshi next to Maker. It's Fighter. Her eyes are down, she doesn't want to do this but she seems to not have a choice. Right beside her with a piecing gaze is Sailor Star Destroyer, Shiori with navy blue bands, similar to Fighter's. Destroyer is standing way too close to Fighter for Cosmos' liking. Next to her are her comrades, Creator with bright orange bands and Protector with light pink bands. Behind them are additional Starlights but she doesn't recognize any of them.
Why do they look like they are all about to attack her? What could have happened to generate this animosity? She looks down at her wrists; the golden bracelets she briefly wore are absent. She is not the enemy, is she?
Turning to her side she notices Queen Kakyuu and Sailor Galaxia, they are observing everything wordlessly.
The image focuses on Sailor Galaxia and shifts to a time Sailor Cosmos is standing next to the golden senshi on the training grounds on Kinmoku. They both returned from somewhere.
Sailor Cosmos grips her staff tightly. Something doesn't feel right. She feels dizzy and she can't explain why. She doesn't have Moon Sickness anymore, does she? This feeling reminds her of that illness. A stabbing pain shoots through her from somewhere around her midsection causing her to double over in crippling agony as she screams.
Usagi jolts awake, the eight pointed star briefly flashing on her forehead as she comes to. She is breathing heavily. She would have fallen out of her seat if she wasn't strapped in by the seatbelt.
Seiya immediately places his arms around her, trying to soothe her. "It's okay Odango," he whispers softly.
Usagi can only numbly nod her head. She has so many questions regarding what she witnessed. Why where there so many Starlights and it looked like they were about to attack her? More importantly, why was Fighter about to attack her? Where are the other Inner Senshi? Why was Venus the only one present? Her heart races when she realizes it must take place on Kinmoku and Minako wants to join them on the trip. What could she have possibly done wrong? She has to keep what she seen on Kinmoku to herself, she is afraid of what it could mean and doesn't want to worry the others. They might try to prevent her from going. But she needs to go; something is telling her she needs to be present. She tries to smile a little at Seiya to convey everything is fine.
Yaten and Taiki stood up from their seats when the bright flash erupted behind them. They exchange a look at each other indicating they have to watch Usagi carefully.
Rei and Minako move from their seats behind Usagi to check on their Queen. Rei eyes her posture carefully before asking, "What happened?"
After a quick glance around she realizes there are five pairs of eyes fixed her, watching her every move. They knew something happened. She can't just sweep this away. She has to tell them something.
Usagi looks down at her hands. "It wasn't a nightmare…" She quickly thinks of what premonitions she had seen and is comfortable sharing. "I've been having premonitions lately… I think."
Rei bends down next to her. "Usagi this is serious."
Usagi swallows. "They don't make sense… but a darkness is coming." She thinks of what she didn't tell Seiya yesterday. "There was also this field of orange flowers." She clenches her fists. "I don't know what is going on." She shuts her eyes tightly trying to block the image of the Starlights wanting to fight her from her mind, telling herself again, she can't tell them what she just seen. They will prevent her from going to Kinmoku. She can't let Seiya go alone.
"I'll do a fire reading tonight." Rei immediately responds. "Try to recall any details you can, it could help." She pauses. "I know they are confusing when you only see part of the image and it is not always clear. You think what you see can mean one thing, but it turns to be something entirely different. We don't always get to choose what we see and then we have to try to make sense of what we do see," Rei tries to comfort Usagi as she recalls similar words Michiru had spoken to her.
"Everything is a jumble of images. I was also standing on some rocky surface." Usagi adds, trying to give Rei a little more to go by.
Taiki turns to Yaten after realizing there is very little information to go by. "We should contact Queen Kakyuu; maybe the Oracle has seen something as well."
"Oracle…?" Usagi slowly repeats as if she has heard that name before.
"She was the one that seen the Prophecy about everyone dying that led use to return to Earth," Seiya reminds Usagi and the other girls.
"I would like to meet her." Usagi wonders if the Oracle has seen any premonitions similar to the ones she has seen.
Taiki frowns slightly. "So you want to come with us then…" He knew Seiya had mentioned it but he isn't sure if this is a wise choice.
"I have to," Usagi cuts him off. "I'm supposed to see Galaxia on Kinmoku but I don't know why."
"Odango?" This is the first Seiya has heard of anything with Galaxia.
"It was one of the images I just saw. I'm not sure why, I just know it's really important that I'm there to meet with her." Usagi looks down at her hands. Why was Galaxia and Queen Kakyuu watching as all the Starlights were about to attack her?
Seiya looks over at Taiki and Yaten. "Then we'll go to Kinmoku right after the concert event and figure out what is going on."
Taiki nods his head in agreement. He doesn't want to go against a premonition Sailor Cosmos had. He remembers the warning, they always come true. It might not be exactly what was seen but it will be similar.
Yaten shoots Taiki a look but they can't talk about it now. Flight attendants have returned to their section of the cabin and they are preparing to serve dinner.
The plane finally lands at Narita International Airport at the scheduled time. It does not take them long to pass through customs. Their luggage was already forwarded by the staff ahead of time. All they have to do is make it out of the airport.
As the group approaches the exit, the screaming starts.
Taiki sighs, reminding himself it is almost over and then they can enjoy the peace and quiet of their apartment. He replaces his look of annoyance with a small smile.
Yaten sighs even louder than Taiki. This is the part he hates the most. He will never get used to this. He turns to Minako for a moment and lets go of her hand as they approach the fans. They're not ready to make themselves public yet. He considers waiting to see what happens with Seiya on Kinmoku. If he needs to break if off with Minako, it would easier before any official announcement was made. He has no choice but to turn his apprehension into a smile. A skill the three of them had to master quickly.
Minako holds back, wanting to put some distance between her and Yaten. She can hear the fans screaming their names as they come into view. She looks over at Rei and grins. She starts to walk into view and some of the fans are shouting her name. Minako closes her eyes for a moment, enjoying the feeling as her idol career is truly beginning.
Rei on the other hand is looking forward to a quiet night at the shrine. She grimaces. It won't be that quiet. Grandfather told her to snag one of the Three Lights while she was on tour so they would never have to worry about finances at the shrine again. She teardrops as she thinks of the last conversation she had with him.
More than anything she wants some time to herself to conduct a fire reading. She needs answers before Usagi leaves for Kinmoku. What if meeting with Sailor Galaxia is somehow dangerous to her?
Seiya turns to Usagi, "You ready for this?"
Usagi is nervous based on the conversation she had with mother the other day. "Not really but as long as I'm with you, it will be okay." She tries to reassure herself.
Seiya smiles and rubs the back of her hand with his thumb. "They sound a little rowdy and we might have to push pass some of them and I don't want to be separated from you."
Usagi nods her head as she can hear more and more fans screaming up ahead for Taiki and Yaten; some for Minako as well.
Seiya squeezes her hand one more time as they come into view of the fans. The screaming intensifies as the last member of the Three Lights appears.
Security is already present and the fans are roped off. Seiya is immediately relieved when he thinks about the fans that were blocking the Three Lights when they came back from an event in Osaka. Yet, because he tried he avoid the fans, he ran into Odango for the first time at the airport.
The Three Lights acknowledge the crowd by waving at them as they passed. Dozens of bright flashes blind them but they continue onward. They had all agreed ahead of time to not stop for any pictures or autographs. Tonight they just want to make it home.
Four cars are waiting for them near one of the airport exits; a car for each of the girls, and one car for Three Lights.
"Seiya, let's go," Yaten shouts at him annoyance. He wants to leave the madness behind him.
"You guys go ahead; I'll meet you back at home. I'm going with Odango to help her with her things," Seiya tells them. He didn't want to say goodbye to her yet.
Taiki and Yaten are too tired to care. They can yell at him in the morning. Sleep sounds glorious and they will be away from people.
Seiya helps Usagi into the car before he walks around to the other side to open the door and climbs in.
As the car is leaving the airport, Usagi leans back on the seat letting out a content sigh to be back in Japan. "I'm glad we're back in Japan so I don't have to worry about English anymore! That was really hard this entire time." She laughs. "Good thing I didn't have to have conversations with people."
"Take the next few days to relax, catch up on your sleep," Seiya suggests. "We're going to be busy at the studio and in post tour interviews. But I'll call you."
Usagi nods. Maybe some time to be alone is a good thing. "I have a few things I need to do too… like talk to Setsuna-san."
"Do you know what you are going to say to her?" Seiya turns to her, concerned how the conversation will go.
Usagi shakes her head no. "Not yet but I'll figure it out." Her eyes widen and she realizes she almost forgot. "I have training tomorrow."
"Training?" Seiya looks at her confused; then he remembers. "Good luck, I'm hoping you can help him." He tries to sound neutral since he knows this is important to Usagi. She has the biggest heart he knows, she wants to help everyone.
Usagi closes her eyes and rests her head on his arm. "I really liked seeing you almost every day." She adjusts her hand to be able to hold his hand. They don't talk the rest of the way to Usagi's parent's house. Instead they enjoy each other's company.
Seiya helps Usagi with her luggage to her parent's house. "You didn't have to drop me off. I wasn't going to get lost," Usagi states while she fumbles with her house keys.
"I wanted to help you and spend a little more time with you since I know it might be a few days before I see you again." Seiya picks up the second piece of luggage. "How much did you pack in here?"
Usagi teardrops, "A lot." She places the key in the door and lets out a sigh. She is happy to be home but now she'll have to start dealing with the difficult things she has avoided during the trip. She walks in the front door and immediately takes off her shoes. "I'm home!"
Seiya takes off his shoes as well. He is planning on carrying the luggage upstairs to Usagi's room due to the weight.
A meow from the stop of the stairs catches her attention.
"Luna!" Usagi is about to say more but stops when she sees another pair of shoes that aren't familiar.
Seconds later she is greeted by her mother and another person she was not expecting to see. She hadn't seen her in years. "Mom! Aunt Koemi!" Her mother's older sister. The aunt securitizes everything and everyone in the Tsukino household. While her name is supposed to being happy and smiling, she rarely does.
Aunt Koemi is a little shorter than Ikkuko with darker purple hair than her sister and hazel eyes. The resemblance between the two is unmistakable. "I still couldn't believe Ikkuko would let you run off with some boy!" She abruptly stops talking when she realizes Usagi is not alone and Seiya is standing next to her. When see the singer her eyes widen. "It is true! I thought Little Ikkuko was making it up!"
Usagi teardrops. "Umm… Seiya, this is my Aunt Koemi. My mom's older sister."
"Nice to meet you," Seiya responds with a smile.
"Usagi, why don't you take your things upstairs first and then come back to talk to us about your trip? Shingo and your dad are out this evening covering a baseball game. You know how much your brother loves going to games."
"Okay. Seiya is going to help me carry them up since they're kind of heavy," Usagi explains and starts moving the lighter of the two pieces of luggage up the stairs.
Ikkuko uses the moment to guide her sister back into the living room.
Usagi and Seiya carry the luggage up the stairs. She smiles at Luna. "Hi Luna."
"Welcome home Usagi-chan," Luna whispers. "I'm trying to stay away from your Aunt."
Usagi grins. "I wish I could do that too." She opens her bedroom and immediately flips on the light switch. She freezes when she looks around her room. "Whaaat….." She musters.
Seiya drags in the second piece of luggage and looks around with his eyebrows raised.
Large teardrops appear on the side of their heads at the noticeable change in the appearance of her bedroom.
Minor cliffhanger, not super exciting. Just insanity to come next.
I have no idea if Shingo likes baseball; it is just an excuse for them not to be home. I also have no clue if Ikkuko has a sister. It just adds to the greeting Usagi receives when she returns home.
Based on the love/hate feedback I have received regarding Shiori, you might see her again… soon and with a bigger role than originally intended. :P Kinmoku is going to be something else!
Yes, one of the premonitions is directly related to the short from SeiUsa Week, "This is Only the Beginning". This is a little more detail as to what Fighter had seen.
What did Setsuna see in the future? Find out later this month! I wrote several short stories in the world of Chaos Theory for Sailor Moon Rare Pair Week, March 24th to the 30th. They will be added as additional parts and grouped with the Guardian Collection on A03. A collection for Watt Pad will be created as well. will be individual stories.
I will be participating in Camp NaNo in April which means the month will strictly be a writing month for me and thus no chapters will be posted.
Amazing art by Monimezu from this story is posted on my Tumblr (sorakazeno). Blog also features my Sailor Moon collection, comparing real life AzabuJuban to the anime versions of Juban. And of course updates and teaser scenes (usually posted the week before a new chapter) for Chaos Theory. Feel free to use the ask button.
Minako is going to have a lot of explaining to do in the next part that will be posted on 5/10, Act 67: Minako's Secrets Exposed.