My sweetheart...I'll search for you from the silver oceans, your scent
leading me on, I will never forget, and as I cross the galaxies, I will find
you...
Kakyuu.
Search For Your Love.
I liked the title. There. I said it. The entire fanfic is centered around
the title. A Starlight song, thus about the Starlights. I like Kakyuu, although
she is absent for most of the story. I actually started typing at `Where is
she?" Shouted Seiya, and decided that later on I would figure out how exactly
it came to be that Kakyuu had disappeared. I hope you don't mind the idea I
eventually came up with! Comments are welcome and greatly appreciated, now
September 30th and still NO WORD from ANYONE out there! Aren't there any
authors that can sympathize and e-mail me!? Even flames!? Please? (She added in
a meek voice, adding a `meep.' Meep at the moment is my favourite word. Words
are so useful. Various words that others have trouble saying (sagacious being
particularly impossible,) or just useless little small ones that can mean
anything. Like you actually needed to know that...) Thanks for reading!
P.S: the line `arigato omigoshstah.' is spelt wrong. I'm sure. This is just how
it sounds. It means `thank you for teaching me.' I think. If this is wrong or
someone actually knows the proper spelling, please talk to me.
Search For Your Love.
"Nothing is fake as long as you believe it. Everything is believable
until you know the truth."
-Kinmoku sage.
"So, Seiya. What would you like for your birthday?" Asked Yaten, swinging
down from her perch on the branch.
"It doesn't matter, you guys..."
"Well, even if it doesn't matter to you, it matters to us. Brothers,
right?" Said Taiki. Since she had come back to Kinmoku, she had been trying to
lay back a little. Yaten glared at the brown haired girl wither her pea-green
eyes.
"Sisters, Taiki. SISTERS!!!" Yaten had been the least satisfied with the
trip to Earth.
"What is it, Michiru?"
"Nothing, Haruka. I'm just watching Kinmoku Star. Seiya's birthday is
tomorrow, you know." Haruka glanced down at Michiru, who was holding her mirror
out in her right hand for her to see. The festivities on Kinmoku were filling
every corner of the royal palace.
"No, actually, I didn't. Are we invited to the party?"
"That's not why I'm so interested in it, Haruka."
"Why, then?"
"Seiya isn't willing to confess her feelings to the Princess, her ruler.
It wouldn't be right. You know like Ma..."
"I know. So what, you want to go give her a pep talk? What about Taiki
and Yaten? Think they would understand?" Michiru lightly elbowed her partner.
"They would understand. Their the ones that asked me about it. They could
tell that Seiya wanted something for his birthday, but the two couldn't figure
out what. I only knew because of my mirror. Actually, since we have a meeting
tomorrow..."
"We can't go?"
"No, what I was saying was that I have a better idea. A pep talk of
sorts, but..."
"But? Are we getting just a little bit mischievous now, Michiru? Is that
a grin playing upon your lips?" Haruka teased her. She received another elbow,
but this time, the impact wore harder down on her stomach.
"It'll take some help. My mirror, Pluto's orb, and Hotaru and Rei's
telepathy."
"I can't help?"
"We could always use some back-up energy..."
"Great! SO, just what ARE we doing again?" Michiru leaned down and spoke
of her plan to Haruka, who began nodding, then laughed.
"I think you're becoming a bit too much like someone I know and love,
Michiru,"
"And who might that be?"
"Who else? Your truly!" Once again, Haruka gained an elbow for her joke.
But, she reflected to herself, it had been worth it.
"Yaten? Are you in there?" Taiki said, walking through the open door into
Yaten's bedroom. Yaten was lying on the bed, applying make-up to her already
plastered face.
"Yeah, I'm here." Yaten answered, swishing her feet up and down, looking
like a teenage girl busy on the phone.
"I've got an answer form Earth. Apparently, Michiru says she knows what
Seiya wants, but refuses to tell us. Their going to help get it for her. They
said we'd understand, and be ready tonight. Apparently, all this secrecy is
supposed to make some small degree of sense later on."
"I hope, I really HOPE you're joking, Taiki."
"Why?"
"You mean you expect, THEY expect us to sit around tiwiddiling our thumbs
without a GIFT? I think not!"
"Yaten, you know we can trust them."
"Taiki, this is the group that thought we were aliens."
"Yaten, we ARE aliens. Any lifeforms from other planets such that...."
"Alright, alright. Whatever. Save the dictionary lingual for later. What
I'm saying WAS that they thought WE were enemies."
"That was perfectly understandable, and..."
"AND?"
"I believe at the moment we are good allies."
"Sure. EVERYONE thinks we're allies. But just you wait..."
"Yaten, weren't you the person who told me after we left that you were
glad to meet Michiru and Makoto, and how that the senshi weren't so terrible
after all, and that you may even consider going back to Earth one of these..."
"ALRIGHT ALREADY!"
Under the second moon's light, the Three Lights tossed in their sleep.
Each eyebrow twitched for a moment as red and purple energy seemed to fill each
of the rooms, each senshi feeling like the world was being changed by others.
Attacks. Danger. They should protect the Princess. The universe itself was
being torn into shreds. But, later, it wouldn't matter. The old would be the
dream, and the new the reality.
"Where is she?" Shouted Seiya. Taiki and Yaten looked up.
"Who?"
"Kakyuu."
"Like I said," Yaten said, her pale hair swirling behind her as she
turned to say it, "Who?" Seiya gaped.
"What do you mean, who?"
"I mean, who? What's your problem?"
"The princess! Where is she?"
"Oh. The Princess is in the throne room."
"Thanks." Seiya slammed the door and began walking towards the throne
room. That had been weird. It wasn't like Yaten or Taiki to joke when it came
to matters concerning the princess. For all they knew, the planet could have
been under attack. Seiya reached and pulled open the giant red and gold door
that led to the throne room. It had been such a strange dream, seeing Kakyuu
vanish. She had to make sure she was okay. She knelt down at the throne, never
having been so happy to see the red shoes.
"Princess," she began.
"Yes, Seiya, my love?" Seiya `gacked,' as she choked on her words.
"Your...love?!" Seiya herself had never really been able to say anything
to Kakyuu. She supposed that if the princess felt that she should make the
opening move...she looked up, blushing. On the throne sat Usagi. Two odangos
fell from her head, hitting either side of the gold throne. Seiya just stared,
dumbfounded. "U...Usagi? What on Earth are you doing HERE?" Usagi just smiled.
"I rule here, Seiya. How quickly you forget! Maybe you should go back to
Earth and talk to Princess Mercury if you're not feeling so well..."
"You..you called me `my love.' I know you did!" Usagi giggled.
"Of course I did. We ARE married, you know." Seiya fell back.
"Oh no," Usagi said as Seiya blacked out.
"Seiya? Sei-ko? Please wake up," Usagi's voice came from above him.
"Sei-ko...Usagi? Where's...Mamoru?"
"I hope you're joking. It would be terrible if your memory was hurt..."
Usagi said, returning to her regularly scheduled ditziness.
"No. Where's Mamoru? Remember? You're `only love?'"
"Are you implying that I'm having an affair?!?!?" Usagi burst into tears.
Waterworks began filling the room. Seiya took a moment to look around. He was
in some sort of chamber, a partial hospital, from what appeared to be Kakyuu's
palace.
"No, of course not...dear," Seiya said, trying to get a hold of the
situation, "But...where is Mamoru?"
"You...*sniffle* know. He's where he's always been since he got married.
You know. To Rei-chan."
"He...he married REI?!?" Usagi nodded. Seiya sat back and clasped his
head.
"Where's Kakyuu?"
"Who?"
"Kakyuu. The woman that rules here."
"That would be me, Seiya."
"No. No. Listen, she has long red hair, and almost golden eyes, and a
black crown, and...."
"Seiya, you DID hurt your head, didn't you. Listen. I've always ruled
here. This planet is the first planet with a moon, so, in a way, is my home
planet. I only learnt of it after you gallantly came to my rescue, throwing
yourself against Queen Beryl." Seiya sat back.
"And, where exactly WAS Mamoru at this point?"
"You remember, don't you? He had been injured by Zoisite. You and the two
other Lights showed up to help us. You had already reassembled the Outer Senshi
and we defeated Beryl together!"
"Okay," Seiya said slowly. He stood up. He was in his old Lights suit. He
turned back to a man. He wasn't going to ask any questions. He was just going
to GO. He had to find his princess.
"Seiya?" Asked Usagi from where she was kneeling by his bed. Seiya
glanced back at her.
"FIGHTER STAR POWER MAKE UP!" He shouted. The henshin was instant,
swirling stars turning into her fuku.
"Seiya? What are you doing?" Usagi asked. An attendant walked by.
"Your majesty, it really isn't a very good idea. You see, you are
suffering from some form of exhaustion and-"
"Your majesty?!"
"You ARE the king, sire."
"Right. Sure." Seiya looked down at Usagi, who was staring up at him with
hurt eyes. Where was her princess? This was turning out to be the strangest
birthday ever. Speaking of which...why wasn't there a party? Even kings got
parties. Was that just a dream? Her birthday coming? She had to find, to save
Kakyuu. The story Usagi was telling was popstouros. She had to get out of
there. Seiya glanced around. There was an open window. In her senshi form, she
would easily survive the fall, with strength left over to run. And, there was
always the possibility of actually landing ON something, no matter how slim.
She took a fleeting glance at Usagi then began running to the window. With a
single leap, she flew out of the window, stretching her arms wide for one
moment, to catch the wind. Feeling it lift her up even as she fell. So this is
what Haruka feels, she thought to herself.
"Seiya!!!"
In the attendant's chamber, Queen Usagi was already calling for help.
Healer and Maker rushed to the scene.
"What is it, Queen?"
"Seiya's gone. She just...just jumped out the window!!!" Maker and Healer
looked around. Something’s wrong...Maker grimaced. She was doing what she was
supposed to be doing. But somehow, it felt wrong. Oh well. Duty was duty.
"Seiya always used to run off, Queen, before you met him," said Healer,
"We'll find him. As usual." Healer added with sarcasm, remembering the various
chases Seiya had led them on throughout the century.
"Alright. Just....bring her home safely, okay?"
"Of course."
The land was the same as Seiya remembered it, She had already switched
back to her human guise, finding it had much more endurance. The mountains rose
off to the east, where the phoenix and red dragon lived. To the west was the
Valley, a large forest that occasionally abated into orchards and meadows. To
the north was the Ice Fire, the brightest part of the star, which had ice
mountains that acted as volcanoes on the inside, making them completely
uninhabitable. To the south was the Gold Desert, which was better, because of
there was food despite the climatic conditions, and the caves didn't erupt ever
month or so. Seiya looked around at the crossroads she had reached, and opted
for west. There was an old man there, the great Sage of Kinmoku. But no one had
seen him in the last hundred years. If Seiya could find him, though, he may
learn about his Princess. Reaching out to a nearby tree, he plucked an apple
and began on his way.
The dirt road winded deep into the forest, black trees beginning to cut
through what had once been a clear path. For a moment, Seiya feared getting
lost in the woods, but remembered his princess and continued on. The third moon
of Kinmoku glistened over head, a single pearl in the ocean of the night.
Finally stopping in the roots of a large tree, Seiya settled into the little
nook and laid back. He needed rest. He would search for her again tomorrow.
"Hey Mister! Mister! Good morning, hello! Wake up. Mister!" Shouted a
voice above him. Seiya groggily looked up.
"Hnnn...wha?" was all he could make out. A small boy with curly blond
hair and blue eyes was staring down at him. ; ) (For all you Slayers
fans...this kid keeps bumping into everybody...) A small hand handed him a bowl
of oatmeal.
"You lost? Our house is right over there," he said, pointing. "My mom
suggested me helping you out. Like oatmeal?" Seiya looked at the kid.
"Yes...thank you," he said, picking up the plate. He let out a little
gasp as the full heat hit his hands. He quickly put the plate back down on the
ground.
"Hey Mister, it's probably hot."
"Yeah, thanks." Seiya fished into his pocket. He had to have something...
he withdrew a thin silver ring. He hadn't seen it before, but it had no
inscription. Probably some small token or something. The kid would appreciated
it much more than he would. Seiya wasn't too fond of rings himself. "Here.
Thank you." The boy gasped and put the ring in his dirty hands.
"Wow....." He murmured as he stared at the ring in awe. the kid darted
forward and gave him a hug. "Thanks Mister! Need anything else?"
"No. But do you know where the Princess Kakyuu is?"
"Kak-yuu? Fireball? Nope, never heard of her."
"Thanks Anyways. Do you or your mom know the way to the Great Sage of
Kinmoku?"
"I've heard of a Great Sage near here, but no, I don't know how to get
there. As for Kinmoku...what's that?"
"What do you mean?!"
"Kinmoku. What is it?"
"This planet." The kid turned his head `no.'
"Nuh-un. This is Lunar Star. Everybody knows that. You feeling okay,
Mister?"
"Just fine, thanks. I'll be on my way," Seiya said.
"Well, take the oatmeal. We have food at home."
"Alright. Ja!" He waved as he walked away, the forest now filled with
light, and the occasional bird flying from tree to tree. The little boy just
watched on as the black haired figure faded into the distance of the trees.
Seiya looked down at his shirt. The red was covered in a thin layer of
brown mud, from when he had fallen asleep in the tree. He sighed. So far, this
mission wasn't going well. He still didn't know where to find the sage. Seiya
closed his eyes and continued walking. What was with this `Lunar Star?' This
was Kinmoku, the planet under the rule of the fair Princess Fireball. How could
it be anything else? How could everyone not know? Before he knew it, he had
bumped into an weathered signpost.
`To Forest of Wind,' stated one sign, `To Meadow of Gold,' said another,
and, finally, the last sign, nearly falling off the post, read `To Anywhere.'
Seiya looked at the possible directions. The Meadow of Gold was somewhere he
had been before, when the Three Lights and Kakyuu had gone for a picnic. He
placed his hand on that sign. It had all been so long ago...
"When we find him, king or no king, I am personally going to...." Yaten
said as he cracked his knuckles in his fist. Both senshi had reverted to their
male forms. Yaten stopped thinking about what he was going to do with Seiya
once he found him and took a moment to look at himself. "Just look at me! Here
I am, Princess of my own kingdom, and I'm a MAN. Do you know what my people
would say if they saw me? They'd say, look, there's Yaten, the Princess who's a
MAN. I'm telling you, Taiki. I can't live like this!" Taiki put his finger to
his lips.
"Shhhh." Ahead of them was a small cottage, with a small boy playing in
front of the house. Yaten glanced through the foliage.
"Think he's seen him?"
"Maybe. Come on." The pair walked out into the sunlight.
"Hullo," said the boy, finally noticing the two.
"Hello. We are wondering if you could tell us if you've seen a long,
black haired man around here, blue eyes, a bit shorter than me, but taller than
him," Taiki said, pointing to Yaten. Yaten took the opportunity to lean over
and hissed furiously in Taiki's ear.
"HER,"
"Have you?" Taiki said, redirecting his attention to the child.
"Yup. He was here earlier. My mom and me gave him some oatmeal. Catch!"
He said, throwing the ball at Taiki, who caught it and stared at it. The blue
orb glistened like the Earth in the sun, Taiki thought, thinking about how they
had gone home, with the princess, leaving Usagi and her friends on earth. Taiki
shook his head. Going home with the princess but leaving Usagi on Earth? He had
better talk with Mercury when he got back. He seemed to be having problems. The
boy ran up to him, and reached up for the ball. "You're supposed to throw it
back, but that's okay." He finally wrested the ball from Taiki, who had become
much more interested in the ring Seiya had given him.
"Who...gave you that ring...."
"You know. The guy that was here earlier." The kid said innocently,
grinning. Taiki and Yaten facevaulted into the ground. Yaten was the first to
speak as the kid darted to and fro, looking at them.
"He...he....he..."
"Traded his engagement ring..."
"FOR OATMEAL?!" Yaten stood up. "That does it!" He reached out and
grabbed Taiki by the hand. "We are finding him now, before it gets any
worse!!!"
Seiya looked at the crossroads once more. Three paths. Any one of them
could take him to his Princess, or none of them. Suddenly, he heard footsteps
behind him. Cautiously, Seiya turned to meet his visitor. An old man, cane in
hand, stood there.
"Hello, there." Croaked the old man. "Which way are you going?" Seiya
raised an eyebrow to the crumpled figure before him.
"I don't know. Any one of them could take me to the one I seek, or none."
"So...you don't know where you're going?"
"Anywhere, I guess."
"See! You do know,"
"Hun?" The old man lifted up the cane and pointed it to the signpost.
"See? You want to go anywhere. That's left." Seiya looked down the road.
Might as well.
"Thank you." And without turning back, Seiya began walking down the
gnarled pathway. The old man just chuckled.
"He's close. He has to be," Taiki said. "We were only about an hour
behind him. The boy said he came this way."
"`The boy' could have been lying, you know. Didn't you ever lie when you
were a kid?" Taiki turned and looked at his friend with a serious face.
"No."
"Oh," The two walked in silence, finally coming to the signpost where
Seiya had been an hour before. The old man was now just sitting on a stone.
"Greetings, sir." Said Taiki. Yaten just gave a grumpy wave.
"Where are you going?" Asked the old man sternly.
"Where are friend is."
"And where might that be?"
"We don't exactly know. Have you seen him?"
"Maybe. Maybe not."
"Long black hair? Tall?" The man just shrugged.
"That never has mattered to me, who goes here. What matters to me is
where they are going." Yaten leaned forward, prepared to yell in the man's ear
in case he had hearing problems.
"WE ARE GOING WHERE SEIYA IS."
"And where exactly is that?" Yaten finally threw up his hands,
exasperated.
"ANYWHERE! WE DON'T KNOW!!! IS THAT OKAY WITH YOU?!" He said the last
words into the old man's ear.
"Well, if you're going anywhere, it's that way." Once more, the old man
picked up his cane and pointed to the deserted dirt road to the left. Taiki and
Yaten looked unconvinced at the sight of the road. "Go on, get out of here,"
said the man from his place on top of the grey granite rock. Yaten shrugged at
Taiki, who began walking.
"Thanks a heap," Yaten hollered back to the old man, who was now
grinning, his grey eyes gleaming out of his white hair. He had always wanted to
try playing the hermit of legend. Irritating Yaten and Taiki was worth
something to him as well. Or should he say, her.
Seiya had come to a golmen. A golmen was a house actually built into a
hill, as this one was. The front door had been left open, allowing Seiya to
notice the inconspicuous dwelling. Carefully, he had entered the house. Now he
was staring at a relatively tidy living room, which consisted of a sole piece
of furniture, a chair. A sign hung above the wall said simply `sit.' Seiya
looked around the room, then decided to try the kitchen. The kitchen, too, was
almost empty. Above the table hung a picture, which was a portrait of the old
man. Evidently, this was his home. A brass inscription was at the bottom of the
painting, and Seiya took a moment to rub off the dust with his already soiled
coat sleeve. The dust fell off in clumps to reveal the engraved inscription
beneath, which said, `To G.S. Arigatou omigoshstah.'
G.S....great Sage? Seiya gawked. The old man....but if he had come all this way
looking for him, and he had already met him...what on Earth was he doing HERE?!
He felt the sudden urge to throw the painting. All this way for nothing. He
hadn't learnt the whereabouts of his Princess, or what to do. Why, the only
instructions `G.S.' had given him had been road directions! He was lost.
Or....were they the only instructions? He had been told, in a way, to sit on
the chair....Seiya went into the living room and sat. Now, from his seated
position, he could make out the word `wait,' on a brick in the wall. Strange.
Seiya began feeling cold. Wait for what? After all his years in battle, the
sensation of being caught in a trap refused to leave his body, or his
goosebumps.
"I'M TELLING YOU WE ARE LOST!" Came a voice from outside the dolmen.
Familiar. Yaten? Impossible...
"WE are not lost. WE are here. YOU may be lost if YOU so desire, but I am
quite content with simply being here." Then again...
"`HERE' is not where SEIYA is, Taiki!" For a minute, forgetting about his
present troubles, Seiya decided to greet his friends.
"ACTUALLY...." he called out. Seiya could have sworn he had heard Yaten's
jaw drop. Maybe he had. Maybe he hadn't. But he could hope.
"Y...y....y...you...." Yaten looked pensive for a moment, remembering the
promise he had made to himself about what he was going to do to Seiya when he
found him. He began running to Seiya, his hands reaching for his friends
throat. "YOU'RE DEAD!!!'
A few hours later as the sun began to set and the pale crescent moon
began rising, the three were finally sitting out by a campfire they had made
near the golmen, not wanting to disturb the Great Sage if he happened to return
home. Taiki had finally managed to extract Yaten from Seiya, who's hands had
clung to the others neck for a good portion of an hour. The three were now
sitting silently, remembering what they could of the past, Taiki and Yaten
amazed at the fact that they couldn't remember much.
"So....that's it, then." Taiki said quietly, after hearing Seiya's story.
It was like he had been dreaming. He had felt strange, the last few days...what
if Seiya was speaking the truth? He didn't want to believe it, to believe that
life had ever been this way, but something had begun to feel more and more
false as the last week wore on. He could be telling the truth.
Yaten was having similar thoughts. He hadn't felt the same twinge of
reality as Taiki had, he thought to himself as his chin rested in his hands and
he stared into the red flame, remembering the soldier of fire...dying? He
looked at the log he was sitting. And the soldier of wood....like something he
was supposed to remember. Their Sailor Crystals. It was just too faint. But
Yaten was the soldier of healing, although few would believe it. In his past,
he learnt that his mind and body were actually less susceptible to damage as
the other senshi. Meaning, in short, that he hadn't hit his head and he wasn't
brainwashed. Something had happened. Something to change a world he didn't
remember to the one he did. Yaten could call upon a pure healing force if she
summoned her full power, but it was something she rarely did.
Seiya was just looking at his two friends. How much they have changed, he
thought, looking at the two sober faces, each staring into the flames, which
danced as reflections over their eyes, so little time in a world that shouldn't
be. They look like they believe me. But if this is true, how do we get back?
The next morning the sun rose brightly over the skies.
"We have to get back soon," said Taiki quietly. Seiya nodded. Yaten
looked up from where he was lying on the ground.
"We can spend one more day here, actually. Maybe we can figure out what's
happened. The whole idea of going back to a queen who isn't ours doesn't
exactly appeal to me, Seiya." It was strange, but the three had always had a
deep pact with each other. Queen or not, rule or poverty, the three would be
together for better or worse. If Seiya said something, it held true.
"I agree," Taiki said, turning. "We need to learn more. If the story you
told us is true, you seem to remember much more than we do."
"Yeah. Tomorrow, yesterday...it was supposed to be my birthday." Taiki
made a little noise, close to `hmm.'
"What did you want?" Yaten asked. Here we go again, thought Seiya. He
stood. The two looked at him. Seiya turned to the sky.
"Something I can't have." Taiki and Yaten exchanged wondering glances.
Seiya put his hands in his pockets before turning back.
"Let's go get some fire wood." The two, sensing something had bothered
their reclusive friend, nodded.
A couple of hours later, around noon, the fire had been built up and the
trio had gone fishing, finding a nearby stream. they had begun discussing ways
to find out what happened.
"Perhaps it is an interdimensional/temporal switch," Taiki said,
contemplating his idea. "It is feesible that we have traded places with a set
of different senshi. If that's the case, all we need to do is find the Pluto of
this dimension and ask her to send us back. That, or the Pluto from our
dimension could come for us."
"I am not waiting a millenia here for Pluto. We have to get back soon.
This whole lack of memory thing is driving me insane." Yaten said cooly. Seiya
grinned and looked at him.
"I'd say you're FAR past `driving,' Yaten."
"Shut up, Seiya." Yaten picked up one of the fish they had caught and
threw it at him. It hit squarly in the face. Sort of. The fish passed through
Seiya and landed on the ground behind him. Yaten raised an eyebrow.
"Uh....Seiya?" Seiya looked at his hand.
"I feel fine. Here, hit my hand." Yaten, (quite willingly,) obliged,
slamming his hand down hard, since the fish had sort of missed.
"Thanks."
"Any time!" Seiya looked at his hand. That had hurt.
"Well...this means that either we exist in the same space, which means
we're both fading..." Seiya picked up a fish and threw it at Yaten. Yaten,
confidant that he actually understood the conversation, cockily let the fish
hit. He fell back, dazed. "Or, the fish wasn't real." Taiki glanced over,
revealing a set of calculations he had made on a rock with charcoal.
"The fish wasn't real. Maybe none of this is. Why ever we're here, it
isn't a transdimensional. This is elaborate. Probably an enemies trap."
"Which enemy? The telepaths are at peace."
"Maybe not all of them."
The night wore on steadily, each feeling sleep trying to conqur them as
the minutes passed. Taiki had been using some metals in the area, along with
the `Star Serious Laser!' To put them together and shape them. He had various
electronical equipment in his pckets, small recievers etc, which he had finally
set up into a tracking device. The energy patterns began bleeping.
"There is some strange energies in all the surrounding areas. But it's
not from our system."
"What do you mean?"
"Aliens."
"Okay, now you can go with the technical stuff."
"An alien energy, of telepaths could have entered our system to try and
control our reality. This would benefit them by knocking out the original
ruler's bodygaurds and leaving her exposed,"
"Kakyuu..." Seiya said, aghast.
"In the time while we were fishing, for example, they would be launching
an all out war beside us and we wouldn't even hear it. Or, there's the
possibility of a dimensional, although they are much more rare, in which event
we simply AREN'T on this Kinmoku, and will stay on Lunar Star until someone
manages to get us."
"Which means?"
"Unless we get some help, we are in real trouble."
"I don't know about you guys, but I need to think about something else."
"I'll keep at the reciever. You two talk while I work, okay? It'll help
me to concentrate."
"Uh...okay..."
The night wore on, the three finally settlign down to sleep.
It was the morning when Yaten rolled over from where hee was lying
besides the log to talk to Seiya about a question he had held in curiosity all
night.
"Seiya?"
"Hmm?"
"What did you want for your birthday?"
"Uh.....do you remeber Kakyuu?"
"Not really. Sorry,"
"It's okay. In our world, our real world, I mean, I always
felt...well..."
"Close?" Yaten put in, his eyes showing that he was reading deeper than
Seiya wanted him too.
"Yeah. I never wanted to say anything. But when we came to Earth, when we
were men..." Yaten gagged.
"Do not mention becoming men, Seiya. Please."
"I felt like I could say something. But you two...I didn't know what to
say. She's our princess." Seiya's shoulders sagged like in defeat.
"Why are you telling us now?"
"I guess you're like blank slates. You don't remeber Kakyuu, so I don't
feel nearly as embarresed."
"That's good!" Croaked an old voice. The trio turned, the Great Sage had
wandered once more into their mists.
"Hey G.S." Said Yaten, figuring that someone as deaf as the sage wouldn't
care. The old man eyed him, picked up his cane, and slammed it on his head.
Yaten fell back, dazed and partially unconcious. Taiki sweatdropped and moved
off his log to let `G.S' have a seat.
"Is there ANY reason you're listening in on this conversation?" Seiya
asked, now feeling full embarresment.
"Great Sage of Kinmoku," Taiki said, using the name Seiya had told him,
"Do you know why we're trapped here?" The cane slammed down, and Taiki fell.
Seiya glance nervously around.
"You listen, and listen good. You think this is all a lie?" Seiya nodded.
The old man grinned. "Good! Finally one of you idiot..." He broke off in
midsentance, as I hearing a whisper the others could not. "Never mind that.
Anyhow, the best way to destroy a lie is with the truth. It is the oldest of
all weapons, the first thing spoken, and something which more warriors have
fought for more than any other cause. Perhaps when you finally destroy all of
your lies you can go home. But not before."
"Are we home? Isn't this just a fake world...."
"Nothing's fake as long as you believe it. Everything is believable until
you know the truth." Taiki and Yaten began trying sit up. The old man eyed them
and grinned as he brought the cane onto their heads once more. "There. That'll
give us a minute. Just remeber what I said. Any deception's worth something if
there is greater truth behind it." The old man hobbled off.
"WAIT!" Seiya shouted. "Are you from there? From our world? Or are you
just the ene...." He stopped. He had run for a full minute, but the sage was
nowhere to be found. How could he have escaped so fast?...
"Seiya?" said Yaten.
"Be there in a minute!"
"If I ever see that old wooden armed jerk I'm going to..." Taiki just
sighed.
"Destroy the deceptions..."
"Does that mean we have to go back to the palace?" Seiya nodded. "Just
great. I haven't had a vacation in..."
"Two weeks?" Taiki offered. Yaten just galanced angrily back at him.
"IN A WHILE."
"But if we're going to follow what he said..."
"HE could be the ENEMY Seiya, or doens't that mean anything to you?"
"It means something to me. But if we want to learn anything, it's not
going to be here." The three stood up.
"Agreed."
*Moon Revenge.*
Trees passed by as the three walked in silence.
Stopping at a blue creek for a drink.
Eating fish by a campfire.
The three finally came to the hill, where the palace rose like a golden
star in the valley below them.
"FIGHTER STAR POWER"
"HEALER STAR POWER"
"MAKER STAR POWER"
"MAKE UP!!!"
*Memory flash backs.*
The three marched to the doors. Each of the guards bowed once and opened
them. These three in henshin were not to be trifiled with. By anybody.
*Soredomo!"
"You may not pass here. There is a royal audience." Said a guard, joined
by at least en others to guard the doors to the throne rooms. The three loooked
at each other an nodded.
"STAR SERIOUS"
"STAR SENSITIVE"
"STAR GENTLE"
"LASER!"
"INFERNO!"
"UTERUS!"
The doors blast open, shattering into a light rain. Moon revenge ends. (I'm
sorry 'bout that. you'd have to read slow for it to fit, but I was listening to
the music and it just kept going with the words. If you can listen to Moon
Revenge, great, if not, ignore.)
The twin doors lay crushed on the ground, wooden splinters shattering as
the three pairs of black boots marched slowly over them. Inside the throne
room, Queen Usagi sat silently at her throne.
"Seiya! You're back!" she lept up and hugged him around the neck, her
blue eyes watering and staring into StarFighter's. Seiya turned her head.
"No, I'm not." She said through closed eyes. (Those little streaks on the
cheeks appear.)
"Nani?"
"Usagi....I don't know whether or not you are real in this world," She
said as she gently brushed off a tear that had fallen from the watery eye, "But
this has never been real, not to me. You have your Mamo-chan..."
"Rei has-" StarFighter put a single finger to the Queen's lips.
"And I have my Kakyuu." Lights began bursting in the background and
reality itself seemed to glow, but Seiya hardly noticed. Usagi quietly backed
away.
"I understand..." the eyes spoke of a different story, Seiya thought to
himself as he faded back into his civilian form. Too blue. Blue green, really,
like the oceans.... Usagi gave a sad wave as the Lights fell backwards and the
fake world shattered into a thousand shooting stars.
The three lights crashed onto the ground, the void of space fillign the
skies above them in radiant stars. Taiki was the first to speak.
"Okay...."
"Is that the best you can do?"
"Give me a minute to process this...."
"Taiki?"
"Processing..."
"Shut up."
"Gladly."
"Are you two done yet?" Seiya said. The three were lying on the ground,
staring up at space. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the rising
dawn.
"This is our world, right, Taiki?" Taiki reached over, picked up a stick,
and hit it down on Yaten's head.
"OW!"
"Affirmative." Yaten rubbed his head gingerly.
"What's the date?"
"Well....since we know it was at least partially temporal...and we went
through an infinite incaculable amount of time..."
"Meaning?"
"Today is either what should have been tommorow yesterday, or we are
about twenty years into the future."
"Can you put that in simpler terms?"
"It's either your birthday, or..."
"Or?"
"We are SERIOUSLY messed up." The two sighed. Murphy's law was probably
already at work, waiting for more innocent bystanders to get caught in the
undertow. Suddenly a voice came out ofthe distance.
"Hi guys!" From the side of the hill, a hand was gradually followed by a
body, a glove, and finally a white mess of hair.
"It's an old guy. We are SERIOUSLY..." Yaten whispered hoarsley. A fist
landed on his head.
"Who're you calling old?" Sailor Uranus said. The three other Outer
senshi followed up the hill, each coming from a different side. Taiki ignored
this for a minute as he finsihed processing the info...
"I have my memory back!" he thougth about this. "Seiya," he said,
turning, "You didn't know that we knew how you felt about her?"
"Y...y...you knew?"
"Hello people, we are here you know," Haruka said, waving her hands.
"If you knew...why not say anything? SOMETHING!"
"Wasn't are place, Seiya. You should know that."
"You're right...I'm sorry, Yaten, Taiki."
"Hello," said Michiru quietly. The three others were brought sharply back
to reality and looked over, each sweatdropping. The impression of `oh, yeah.'
floated over them.
"Why are you here?"
"Gee. LET ME THINK. Could it be that it is someone's birthday and the
senshi decided to hold their meeting on Kinmoku?" Uranus said before Neptune
could answer.
"A birthday?"
"As in...yours?"
"Oh yeah." Seiya grinned. "Great!" Yaten looked at him.
"Fine. Everything's great. And when my head stops spinning one of you can
tell me what just happened."
The party had gone well, although the Outer senshi hadn't fessed up to
having anything to do with the alternate reality. Seiya kept looking at Haruka,
and after a few moments he realised that he had seen those eyes before in the
alternate reality. Michiru too, although he couldn't place it yet. Whatever had
happened, he knew they had been part of it. But, it had turned out for the
best. Seiya was no longer afraid of saying anything to his Princess. After the
festivites had worn down, only Kakyuu, the Lights and the other senshi were
left.
"Well, it was fun seeing you again, Seiya!" Usagi grinned. The other
senshi nodded.
"Happy birthday!" They smiled in unison, then joined hands.
"MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER!"
"MARS CRYSTAL POWER!"
"JUPITER CRYSTAL POWER!"
"VENUS CRYSTAL POWER!"
"MOON ETERNAL POWER!"
"SAILOR...TELEPORT!!!" The five Inner Senshi dissapeared in a flash of
rainbow light. The four Outer Senshi glanced at the Lights and shook hands with
each of them. Of all of them, only Haruka took a moment to wink at Seiya, who
had apparently figured it out.
"Thank for the gift, guys," Seiya said. Even Setsuna smiled. The four
grinned and dissapeared. Yaten and Taiki looked at Seiya and Kakyuu.
"We should probably go away for a bit," Taiki said. Yaten winked and
clacked his tongue at Seiya.
"Good luck..." The tow walked away, leaving Seiya and his Princess under
the stars.
"Seiya-kun? What was it you wanted to say?"
"Princess...I've wanted to say this for a long time, but..." Kinmoku's
Princess looked down at him and smiled gently. She was ruler, and knew all that
went on in the land. But for the moment, for one golden moment, she could be a
person instead of that ruler, the rulerwho controlled her time and her life.
For Seiya, her soul would be free. Helping Seiya up, the two kissed under the
white moon light, and a shooting star shot across the heavens.
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