What? No chincy author notes at the beginning of the chapter? Thank you for all the great reviews! You guys are awesome! ^_^
[::Rekindling Stars::]
by Lady in Red
(The wind cries)
"It was definitely the energy of the silver crystal, are you sure?" Haruka questioned her lover as they sat along the coastline in her sports car. They had just been driving along the shore taking a break from life itself, an escape in essence, when they felt a strong surge of power.
Michiru examined her mirror in front of her then looked back to Haruka. "I'm positive. It's the Princess and she's on Kinmoku." The car door slammed which made Michiru jump at the sudden noise. "Shouldn't we call the others?" Michiru asked not yet getting out of the vehicle but instead leaning her elbow out over it's door.
"The others? They were supposed to be looking after her, they are the last people we should be turning to for help. No, you and I are doing this and we're doing this NOW!" Her voice was stern but Michiru knew it wasn't meant towards her. Haruka had always been drawn to their Princess in a special way and never wanted to see any harm come to her. After all it was her duty to protect her, she just became sensitive when it came to matters concerning Usagi.
URANUS PLANET POWER, MAKE-UP!!
Sailor Uranus stood before the wide spread ocean with the wind whipping through her hair. "You look just like a super hero like that." Michiru mused as she got out of the car and shut the door soundly behind her.
"What are you talking about, I am a super hero." Uranus winked over at her. "Do you want me to prove it?"
"Not now, later." Michiru smiled.
NEPTUNE PLANET POWER, MAKE-UP!!
Michiru felt bad not even informing Pluto of their plans. For so long it had only been her and Haruka to get the job done, but ever since they had found Setsuna she acted as sort of a guide and mentor to them. This was something none of the other senshi could ever do, but Setsuna couldn't be there all the time, and some things just needed to be done on their own. Michiru didn't see tending to matters of their princess as one of them.
It didn't take too long to reach the planet of Kinmoku. Travel of any kind was not a problem for Neptune and Uranus, they possessed powers superior to those of the inner senshi. Having no idea of what to expect when they arrived they were on immediate defense as they landed in an open field. "Do you honestly think they kidnapped her?" Neptune asked Uranus only half seriously.
"No, but if she's using the crystal here, that can't be a good sign that all is well." Uranus looked around her to gain her bearings. "The wind of this planet is so similar to ours." She voiced her thoughts aloud as the gentle breeze stirred her fuku around her. Her eyes stopped on the far horizon.
"I see it too." Neptune said as she saw what Uranus had stopped on. Without another word the two were heading towards the royal palace of Kinmoku at a rapid pace. In no time at all they would be upon its gates.
The two planetary guardians waited crouched among the treetops to see just how many guards there were surrounding the gates. "Should we be nice and present ourselves properly?" Uranus asked with a bit of a smirk.
There were five guards at the gate and it seemed there were palace workers mulling around in the courtyard just inside of it. "Now that's not your style." Neptune shook her head and prepared to launch off of the branch she was perched on seeing as how Uranus wouldn't be there much longer.
The guards below were laxed and it didn't look as though there was ever much threat of some one storming the gates. Leave it to Uranus to be the first in that department. In a few swift moves the two were over the wall and blending into the shadows of the courtyard. A few people turned their heads to a sudden movement but found nothing there but the sweet music of a bug that resembled a cricket.
"We should find the Starlights." Neptune suggested closely following every move that Uranus made.
Uranus paused momentarily too look into a finely cut window to a throne room. "No, we head straight for the Princess." The Starlights had Uranus and Neptune's Princess therefore they were going to confront theirs.
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Neptune asked with a smile on her face, an uncommon gesture for the expression. Within seconds they crept into the palace unbeknownst to anyone. "How are we even supposed to find her?"
"We'll ask some one." Uranus gave her a playful smile and began walking across the giant room not afraid of blowing her cover. Footsteps were drawing near them, echoing down the hall, before Neptune could even warn Uranus she was plastered up against the wall next to the door.
Zankou had woken up and wandered down the hall having no clue as to what had happened. "Funny I thought I heard voices." He mumbled to himself and peered into the throne room. There in the middle of the room stood the beautiful Neptune waving at him and she proceeded to blow him a kiss. Zankou was so dumbfounded as to what was going on that he had no time to react before Uranus was upon him. She held him with one hand over his mouth and the other arm under his to hold him in a half nelson.
"Look Neptune, I found some one to ask." Uranus smiled a childish grin that Neptune had grown to love.
"It's urgent that we speak with Princess Kakyuu. Would you please show us where we can find her?" Neptune asked in a civilized manner but Zankou only shook his head. "No?"
"I think you'll change your mind." Uranus tightened her hold on him making his eyes roll back into his head.
"Uranus! You're going to kill him before he gets to tell us anything!" The lecture was not one that Uranus wanted to be hearing but she knew she was right and loosened up a bit. "Why don't you just tell us where Kakyuu is and make this easy on yourself?" Neptune tried to reason with the man.
"I'm right here." A voice came from the other side of the room drawing their attention away from the struggling man in Uranus's arms. "To what do I owe this honor?" She asked crossing the room delicately and climbed up to perch on her throne. She wasn't dressed in royal garments but instead in what looked to be a long silk robe tied to the side.
"We've come for our Princess." Neptune said bowing before her. Uranus threw Zankou to the side but did not bow to this woman.
"You bow now, after you've just barged in here?" Kakyuu laughed lightly at the display Neptune had shown before her. "Besides, what makes you think your Princess is here?"
"Don't lead us around. We know she is here, we felt the energy of the silver crystal here." Uranus' patients were already becoming obsolete as she hissed back at Kakyuu through clenched teeth.
"Usagi came here on her own free will, why do you assume I'm holding her here?" Kakyuu stood and walked to the two senshi.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zankou ran as fast as he could down the halls, he didn't know if Kakyuu was in trouble or not, but the hold that the blond senshi had taken on him was anything but friendly. He had to find the Starlights, they were the Princess' bodyguards and therefore should be doing their job in protecting her.
He rounded the corner of the hall to see Maker and Healer standing above Fighter on the ground with Lover. "Fighter, don't let her go!" Healer called out.
"Some one mind telling me what's going on?" Maker asked shrugging her shoulders a bit. He saw Lover whisper something to Fighter but couldn't quite here what it was and then Fighter answered back causing a shocked expression to spread across Lover's features.
"Starlights!" He yelled bringing them all to attention. All of their previous thoughts save one had left their minds. Healer spit in the man's face much to the surprise of her taller friend beside her. Zankou wiped it off but didn't address the issue. "The Princess is under attack in the throne room." He said in a low rumble slicing through Healer with his eyes.
Healer and Maker took off down the hallway while Fighter and Lover stumbled to their feet. The loud thunder of heeled boots made its way down the hall and to the throne room in mere seconds and soon the Starlights were face to face with the Earth senshi, Uranus and Neptune. "Stay back." Kakyuu warned.
"Run." Healer whispered over to Lover, but she refused to move. Fighter had caught wind of what she had demanded of the blond Starlight and became completely confused.
"YOU!" Uranus pointed across the room to Fighter with her space sword. "You probably know just where she is too, don't you?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Fighter called back in anger, her body still in a fighting stance. She had no idea why Uranus and Neptune would be here let alone accusing her of anything. When the Starlights left Earth, Fighter assumed the terms between them and the outer senshi were good. It looks as though they were, but only because they wouldn't have to deal with them any further.
Uranus was dead set in between the Starlights and Kakyuu. By now Kakyuu had risen from her throne when she noticed the entrance of Lover, and she had been with Fighter nonetheless. Anger was building in Uranus' features as Neptune kept a cool eye on Kakyuu. "Don't play dumb with me. Do you think we are blind? Did you think that we didn't know?"
"She doesn't know where she is." Kakyuu cut in before anything further could be revealed.
"Get the hell out of here... NOW!" Healer hissed lowly at Lover who was standing between her and Fighter. Again Fighter caught this but couldn't address it since she was a bit preoccupied with Uranus pointing her sword ominously in her direction.
Uranus' eyes scanned the group of Starlights spotting the new oddball of the group. "Fine." She said calmly and sheathed her space sword. "If you don't want to tell us where you're keeping her..."
WORLD SHAKING!!
Her power erupted from her body and quickly ripped a path through the hard marble floor of the throne room and made a direct hit to its target. "LOVER!!" Kakyuu screamed as the Starlight took the blast and fell to the ground.
Healer dropped to her knees and cradled the fallen senshi's head with her arms. "Hang on, you'll be alright." She held her close.
"No..." Fighter gasped at the horror she had just witnessed. Uranus was once again coming between her and some one that she could share in happiness with. Maker just set herself and prepared for another attack.
The blond haired Starlight, the one Kakyuu had called Lover had meant nothing to Uranus. She hadn't aided the Earth senshi in defending their planet or defeating Chaos, Uranus owed nothing to her. That is why she was the one that must take the blunt of her statement to heart. She chuckled slightly. "Well now, I guess you're going to have to bring her out now won't you?" Neptune smiled at her partner's brilliantly executed plan.
Lover choked and blood began to trickle from the side of her mouth. The impact had simply been too much for her small body. Without energy to heal soon, she would surely die. "What are you waiting for?" Uranus was growing impatient. "Do you want to see her die?"
Healer began crying a little which surprised both Fighter and Maker. She turned her eyes up from Lover's fading form to address Uranus. "What do you want us to do you've just about killed her!?" She screamed.
"Exactly, I want you to bring Usagi out here now! That's the only way to save your little partner there, she's the only one who can heal those wounds."
"Odango..." Fighter muttered with wide eyes under her breath. Why was she asking for Usagi? Was that why she came here? Did she believe Usagi was here? Everything was beginning to fall into place now.
Kakyuu ran over to Healer and Lover on the ground and held Lover in her arms. Fighter's heart weakened a little, but quickly recovered now that word of her odango was involved. "Can't you see?" Kakyuu sobbed onto Lover who was fading in and out of consciousness. "This is Usagi! You've blasted your own Princess!" Kakyuu screamed to Uranus and Neptune who just stood there in utter shock.
"Get... away... from me..." Lover breathed through clenched teeth at Kakyuu. Kakyuu looked down amazed at what had just escaped the blonde's lips.
Healer looked at her eyeing her carefully and then looked up at Fighter who looked as though she was going to pass out. "She knows what you've been up to." The words hit Kakyuu like a dagger to the heart.
While their conflict was going on Uranus and Neptune still doubted the authenticity of this senshi. "That's not our Princess." Uranus said taking a slow pace towards their circle.
"Usagi, you have to understand..." Kakyuu sobbed and had lost her composure completely. "I love you, I had to do what I did so that I could be with you..." She clutched on to Lover's gloved hand.
"That's not our Princess..." Uranus was slowly coming around and almost above the group on the floor.
Lover used what little strength she had left to rip her hand from Kakyuu's hold. That exertion of strength took its toll on her as her transformation faded and left Usagi lying bleeding on the floor in Healer's arms. "Fighter... gomen... ne..."
Fighter fell to her knees along side her odango on the floor. "Odango..." Tears were steadily falling down her face as the truth of the matter had finally reached the one person it needed to too late.
"You knew she came here for Fighter and you still kept them apart! You knew how much they loved each other and your greed and own feelings played out for your malicious game to keep them from one another!" Healer had been full out crying for a while now and was now fit to take her full frustration out on her Princess. Usagi was going to have to pay for Kakyuu's selfishness with her life.
"Koneko..." Uranus took the small girl up in her arms. "Gomen ne, I didn't know, gomen." It was the absolute first time that Neptune had ever seen her partner shed a tear and now it didn't look as though they were going to stop.
Usagi smiled up weakly. "I know..."
"I just wanted her to love me... I wanted her to look at me the way she looked at Fighter, I wanted that smile to be for me..." Kakyuu stood alone while standing trial in front of Healer, her accuser.
Usagi had come to Kinmoku for her, she had actually left her home and traveled across space and time to be with her... and she never knew it. Now that she was here, in front of her, beckoning her to hold on to her, she was leaving forever. Dying a death she never should have without ever knowing how she truly felt about her. "Odango..."
Usagi's eyes lit up one last time to look at Fighter. "Aishiteru..." The word slipped slowly off of her pale lips as her eyes closed for the last time and her body fell limp in Uranus' arms.
Uranus placed her down on the floor and slowly backed away from the damage she had done. "No... she can't be gone..." she said ghostly quiet to herself.
Fighter's eyes flashed with a million emotions and her body seemed to be frozen, she couldn't will her self to move if she wanted to. She watched as Healer took the girl in her arms and felt for a pulse. "She's... gone..." She said slowly bringing the lifeless body to her chest.
Before Kakyuu knew what had happened, still staring down at the motionless figure of her love in Healer's arms, Fighter was almost upon her. If it hadn't been for Maker's body blockade in front of her, Fighter would have ripped the Princess limb from limb. "WHY!!??" She screamed at Kakyuu as the Princess just backed away with tears in her eyes.
"Fighter..." Healer called from the ground looking up at Maker struggling to restrain her shorter companion.
"WHY!!??"
"Fighter, I just..." Kakyuu stammered on her words, she saw the raw emotion in Fighter's eyes, for the first time in her life she saw hate for her in her senshi's eyes. She knew there was nothing she could say now that would make everything all right. There was no use trying, she knew she would kill her if given the chance and this thought enraged her. "How am I any different from you? You once tried to woo and steal her away from her love, how does that make the two of us any different?" She didn't regret saying what she said, the eyes that Fighter had for her right now hurt and she wanted to reciprocate that pain.
"WHAT?!" Fighter asked astonished. "How can you even presume to compare yourself to me? I left her with her love, I respected the fact that she loved him and not me, I only wanted to see her happy... HER happy not me... and that Princess is where we differ!"
"Fighter..." Healer called once again from the ground holding Usagi in her arms still. "Fighter leave her, it's not worth it."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"They're gone." Zankou said as he walked across Kakyuu's bedroom to bring her a bowl of soup. She hadn't spoke to anyone since her confrontation with Fighter. "I have no idea where they went either. Maker disconnected our tracking devices before their departure so there was no way we could find them easily."
"Let them be." Kakyuu said weakly. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot and her complexion was deathly pale.
"But your majesty..."
"I said leave them!" She snapped back not wanting to hear his lectures right now. Her senshi had abandoned her and taken along with them their friendship. She didn't blame them, after all, what kind of friend could she be to them now?
Zankou sat on the bed beside the princess tucked under the covers. "At least we still have each other." He smiled at her and brushed her hair back to expose her face. Her entire appearance was unkempt and truly unbefitting of a princess.
"I have no one." She spoke coldly and flatly. "Leave me I don't want anyone to touch me ever again." Zankou snarled a face at her while she continued to stare at the wall across from the foot of her bed, he got up and stormed out the door leaving Kakyuu alone forever.
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The sweet familiar air blew in through the open window above her bed bringing with it the scent of cherry blossoms. The world was alive with the everyday sounds of the birds, lawn mowers and children playing outside. Usagi opened her eyes with a great deal of effort and found a white ceiling above her. Every once and a while the tail end of the curtain dancing in the breeze above her would come into her vision. Where was she?
She felt as though she had no strength in her body but strained her muscles to sit upright and glance at her surroundings. She was in some one's bedroom, it looked as though it was a woman's. There were flowers sitting on the table at the end of the bed and more on the dresser and vanity. She felt suddenly very uncomfortable and alienated in her new surroundings. With a great deal of effort she brushed the covers off of her and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Plush red carpeting met with her bare feet and the floorboards creaked under the added weight. She tried to push herself off of the bed to stand but only found herself back on its padding moments later.
"Easy. Are you trying to hurt yourself again?"
Usagi looked up into the familiar green eyes of Healer. "Where are we?" She asked agreeing to stay seated.
Healer smiled at her and sat beside her on the bed. "We're home." Without prior warning she threw herself back and folded her hands behind her head in a relaxed position. "What do you think?" She asked turning her head to the side.
Usagi looked at her completely confused and then looked around the room again. "Home? Whose room is this?"
"Yours."
"What happened?"
Healer propped her head up with her hand and rolled to her side. "You died." She winked at Usagi as Maker opened the door.
"Oh I see sleeping beauty has awoken." She smiled as she joined the two in the room.
"I died?" None of this was making sense and Healer seemed to be beating around the bush with her answers, at least she could count on Maker to be straight with her.
"No, you didn't die, you almost did but you didn't." Maker said taking her pulse.
"Do you remember what happened?" Healer asked seriously. Usagi just numbly nodded as the graphic scene replayed in front of her. "Well when I was holding you I pretended to take your pulse when you passed out. I told them you were dead so that they would leave you alone, so we could bring you here." She smiled unusually large being very proud of herself.
"Where exactly is here?" Usagi asked afraid that they were still at the palace some how.
"Earth." Maker exclaimed. "We brought you to Earth. We haven't contacted anyone since we got here... we weren't sure if you wanted to or not."
Usagi nodded that she understood but then looked down at her hands in her lap. "And Fighter?"
Healer looked to Maker and then turned to Usagi with a broad smile. "Yes, Fighter is here too." Usagi's face lit up at the news.
"She's actually sleeping right now. A lot of her energy was drained and she'll be out for a while." Maker added the facts and then stood up when she was satisfied with Usagi's physical condition.
"Why? What happened to her? What happened after I passed out?" Usagi was almost frantic and hysterical in her questioning but she needed to know.
"Fighter is the one that kept you alive. She gave you her energy to keep you stable, if anything, she's the reason you're here today." Healer remembered the state Fighter was in when she thought that Usagi was dead. After Uranus and Neptune mysteriously disappeared and Kakyuu ran from the scene Healer told her of Usagi's true condition. From that moment on Fighter had done nothing but care for her and channel her energy into her in essence keeping her alive.
Usagi began to tear up a bit and once again tried to push herself to her feet not caring how much pain it caused. She had to see Fighter. "Usagi you really need some more rest." Maker tried to pursway her done but Usagi was having none of it. Healer saw that it was no use and offered herself up as human crutch. Together Maker and Healer escorted Usagi into Fighter's room where she was sleeping soundly in her bed, or rather Seiya was. Fighter didn't have enough strength left to maintain her transformation and slipped back to Seiya.
"Oh Seiya..." Usagi whispered as she knelt down at the sleeping woman's bedside. "Why did you have to go and do that?" Healer looked over at Maker and they knew to leave her alone, so without further questions the two left and shut the door behind them.
She looked so beautiful and peaceful sleeping. Usagi ran a finger down the side of her face to trace her jaw line and then brushed two fingers gently over her lips. She didn't know why but she was crying, perhaps from joy or maybe it was the fact that she was responsible for her love being in this state. "Gomen..." Her voice was breathy and light as it carried her message through the air. "I wish I could say more, to tell you how truly sorry I am for all of this and any pain I've caused you but my words aren't enough. My words could never tell you how much I truly care for you. Maybe it would be better if I just left, that way I couldn't hurt you any more." Usagi sobbed and wiped the tears from her face with the back of her sleeve. "But for now I'll stay, I have to until you wake up so I can tell you that I'm sorry." Her head came down to rest on the side of the bed and sleep once again claimed her to its realm.
Seiya woke up not really knowing what time it was but only that it must be late. It was dark in the room but it held that strange light that you only see at the brief moment of dusk. It was just such a light that she remembered leaving this planet to the last time they were here. It was so warm and calm yet the description didn't go well with her memories of that day. Taiki had told her that it was as if the sun was setting on that chapter in their life and now they had to look ahead to a new day. Yet here they were again.
She turned her head over to glance at the alarm clock on the stand beside the bed and noticed a figure slumped over by her side. "Odango?" She asked brushing her fingers along the buns protruding from the head. What was she doing in here? Hadn't those two been taking care of her? But still... she came in here... she came to her...
Usagi became startled with the sudden contact and brought her head up to open her eyes. The brilliance of azure met with cobalt and they stayed that way for what seemed like an eternity. "Seiya, I..." Usagi said pushing herself from the support of the bed and meagerly trying to stand. "I wanted to say thank you." She said trying to keep herself from breaking down and crying. She had to get through this. "I wanted to say thank you and I'm sorry."
Seiya smiled at her sitting up. "What are you sorry for?" She asked not taking her eyes off the blond in front of her. "I'd do anything for you Odango."
She had to say that didn't she? "I'm sorry for all the pain I caused you and the suffering that I brought upon you. I just wanted to tell you that before I left."
Seiya became concerned and her heart started to pound in her chest. "What do you mean before you left?" She inched to the edge of the bed and sat with her feet resting on the floor in front of Usagi.
"If I stay here I'll only cause you more pain and suffering, so it's better if I just go." Usagi turned away and started for the door. She knew Seiya was trying to get up and follow her but she didn't have the strength, Usagi used this to her advantage and moved quicker pausing momentarily at the door. "Even though I did all of those things, I always loved you." She couldn't hold the tears back any longer
"Odango... Usagi please wait... don't leave me... not again... I couldn't take it again..." Seiya pleaded as she fell to the floor having used all of her strength to make it that far. "Please don't go... I'll be in much more pain if you do."
Usagi turned around and saw the pitiful shape Seiya was in and the tears that were coming to her eyes. How could she leave her like this? She was asking her to stay, she wanted her here with her, and she wasn't pushing her away any longer. "Gomen!" Usagi called out and rushed over to her wrapping her arms around her tightly.
Seiya threw her arms around her odango and held her as tight as she could for fear of losing her. "Promise me that you'll never leave again?"
Usagi laughed through her tears. "I promise." She pulled away and wiped her tears to just plainly stare into her love's eyes. "How could I now?" And instead of an answer Usagi found herself wrapped up in a very passionate kiss, no longer one sided but heartfelt from both.
"Do they have enough energy to be doing this?" Healer asked Maker as they stood above the couple on the floor.
"I don't think so, but I'm not going to be the one to pull them apart!"
Seiya and Usagi laughed at Maker's gesture and statement and resumed what they were doing. "Come on! At least wait until we've left the room!" Healer stated exasperated.
"That reminds me? Why are you still here?" Seiya asked still on the floor.
"She's our Princess, we have a duty to watch over her now." Healer pointed to Usagi in Seiya's arms.
"Nani? I'm not your Princess. You two owe nothing to me."
"Yes you are, and yes we do." Seiya commented, still holding on to her for dear life.
"If I agree with you for now will you two leave us alone?" The two nodded. "Good, lose those fukus!"
"Yeah, I'll watch over her for now!" Seiya said capturing Usagi's lips in yet another kiss giving Yaten and Taiki the hint.
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