No real author's notes this time . . . Just a really long, complicated "readme" file. And no, I don't own the Sailor Starlights or Princess Kakyuu or the Kinmoku Kingdom. They are all concepts originally created and copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi. But any other characters that appear in this story are my intellectual property . . . except for their names, which are more likely than not a sly nod toward some other animated series. *indicates emphasis* ____________________________________________________________________ STARLIT LEGENDS - THE FALL OF THE KINMOKU KINGDOM PART TWO: CRYSTAL By Kotetsu _____________________________________________________________________ TWO YEARS LATER **THWACK** Kuno's staff flew out of his hands and slid across the slick grass of the garden. In the next instant, his opponent had brought the tip of her own staff to his throat, and had assumed the victory stance. "You're getting better," he grunted with approval. Kou Seiya dropped her own staff to the ground and wiped her brow. "You let me win," she pouted resentfully. "Granted. But I didn't go all that easy on you, y'know." "Why thank you," Seiya smirked. "And just *when* am I going to get that real match that you promised me?" "You're far too eager for a real fight," Kuno reprimanded the girl. "A true warrior must avoid combat whenever possible." "What kind of moronic advice is--" "You should listen to Captain Kuno," Anya commanded firmly. She had been watching the match from the shade of a nearby ginyu tree. Yaten sat next to her, quietly sketching the match as it progressed. Taiki was perched on the lowest branch of the tree, oblivious to her surroundings, absorbed in a thick volume of classical poetry. Kuno noticed that once again the three girls were wearing their long hair in identical ponytails, tied at the napes of their necks. If he remembered correctly, it was Yaten who had coerced the other two into adopting the traditional hairstyle of her Colony. "We have to look coordinated," she had explained prissily to Kuno when he had inquired about their new look. Seiya raised an eyebrow at Anya's words, then shrugged, seeming to accept them. "Whatever you say, Lady Anya." Then she turned back to Kuno. "Shall we go at it again?" she asked, picking up her staff. Kuno glanced over at Anya, waiting for her approval. He took a brief moment to appraise her with his weary eyes, taking in her slender build, neatly braided auburn hair, steely gray eyes, and pursed lips. As usual, she was dressed in her most casual outfit - leather boots, split skirts, low-cut bodice. Ready for hand-to-hand combat, or lemonade with the Queen Mother on her private veranda . . . whichever situation arose first. Kuno thought sourly. Anya thought for a moment, then shook her head. Kuno got the message. "That's enough training for today," he told Seiya. "I'm sure that you want time to wash up before dinner. I know that I do," he grumbled as he turned away and strode across the garden. Crossing the palace grounds, swinging his staff back and forth as he walked, Kuno absent-mindedly contemplated the events of the past two years. First, there had been his promotion to Captain of the Guards. That had been an unexpected surprise, even though he knew that the Queen favored him over some of the other guards. Then there had been the arrival of those three insufferable children. As if his new job hadn't been stressful enough already, Queen Maresuu had ordered him to oversee the training and tutoring of the three future guardians. To top it all off, he was to be partnered with Lady Anya, who among the Queen's Knights was probably the one who hated him the most . . . Taking his orders with a grain of salt (as he was used to doing,) Kuno had set to work attempting to discipline the children. It didn't help matters that Princess Kakyuu had fallen into their ranks and was a willing accomplice to most of their mischief. And Anya was no help either - in fact, she seemed to *approve* of their insubordinate behavior. "They're just kids. Let them have fun while they still can. And it's good for Kakyuu to be having fun with some real friends," she had told him. Easy for her to say. They never short-sheeted Lady Anya's bed . . . Kuno was a man who valued order and discipline. Under his leadership, the Queen's royal guards had become the most efficient, well-ordered protectors in the history of the Royal House of Kinmoku. He viewed it as his duty to make sure that the three children would become fitting guardians for the Princess - well-mannered, respectful, obedient, and willing to serve. As it turned out, Kuno had his work cut out for him. The dark-haired girl, Seiya, was among the worst students that Kuno had ever had the misfortune to encounter. Although she appeared clever enough, she never really applied herself to her studies. She was a good enough student during combat training; but was ill-mannered, obnoxious, loud-mouthed, and far too much of a prankster during all other times that she was with Kuno. If the girl had only put half as much effort into her training as she did into goofing off and having fun . . . She would have easily been Kuno's favorite student. By far the worst was Yaten. She always had a scathing insult for Kuno on the tip of her tongue, and was always finding a way to weasel out of combat training. "I REFUSE to sweat like a great hairy bull, like YOU," she had snarled at Kuno once. Taiki was by far the best behaved, and had impeccable manners. But she didn't seem to mind tagging along during Seiya's and Yaten's forays into trouble. And she had made it very clear to Kuno that she would rather be doing something "worthwhile," like studying or reading poetry, than engaging in combat training. Even Princess Kakyuu had adopted some of the disrespectful mannerisms of the foreign children . . . but then again, Kakyuu had a sharp tongue and a temperamental nature to begin with. Lady Anya just made the situation worse. She had a reputation for breaking the rules, and for disobeying orders when she felt like it. Ruled by her impulses, Anya showed unwavering loyalty only to Queen Maresuu. She was beautiful, dangerous, and more of a distraction for Kuno than an aid . . . Such a distraction . . . Two years had gone by quickly, and Kuno had managed to make some progress with the children. They had almost completed their academic studies, and were beginning to fit in a little better with palace life. Most of the Knights, guards, and servants in the palace still disdained the Kous. And Kuno didn't blame any of them - far too many palace personnel had been on the receiving end of one of the children's infamous practical jokes. However, Kuno soon recognized that there *was* hope for the children. Like Lady Anya, he had observed the growing friendship among the three and Princess Kakyuu. The four of them were extraordinarily close, especially since they had only known each other for two years. They whispered secrets into each other's ears, studied together, trained together, and were rarely seen apart. Kuno had noticed (much to his wry amusement) that Seiya was the only person who could ruthlessly tease Princess Kakyuu without inflaming her temper. And as Kuno knew well, the single most important factor in a guardian's relationship to his or her sovereign was the loyalty, love, trust, and friendship between the two. "They will make excellent guardians," Kuno had grudgingly admitted to Anya. "They could use some approval from you every now and then," Anya had chided him. "They need some encouragement." "They don't need encouragement. They already think that they know everything," Kuno had muttered sourly. And that was the end of that conversation. Kuno had used to quarrel with Anya quite frequently. But after he realized that Kakyuu and the other children enjoyed watching his verbal sparring with Anya, he had rid himself of that particular habit. Although the two of them still had their arguments in private, in public they were very careful not to make spectacles of themselves. Kuno shook his head sharply, bringing himself back to the present. He had crossed the palace grounds and was now heading up the staircase to his own private chambers. Tapping his staff against the railing as he climbed the stairs, Kuno was just about to return to being absorbed in his thoughts when the screaming began. In an instant, Kuno had shouldered his staff and whirled around, every nerve on edge, every sense focused on the shrill screams echoing down the staircase. It was coming from . . . the Conference Hall? At the top of the stairs? Without giving his bath or dinner a second thought, Kuno lowered his staff and charged up the stairs. * * * * * * FIVE MINUTES EARLIER Kakyuu hovered behind her mother, watching quietly as Maresuu arranged the flowers along the length of the conference table. It would have been far easier for Maresuu to summon one of her servants to complete the task for her; but Kakyuu knew that her mother had always been fond of flowers, and the simple ritual of arranging them seemed to calm her, to soothe her nerves. Outwardly, Kakyuu's mother was always calm and regal; inwardly, however, Kakyuu knew that she worried day and night about her kingdom. "Kakyuu-chan, you're extraordinarily quiet today," Maresuu commented. Kakyuu cocked her head. "Are you going to call the Knights together?" "Yes." "Why?" "You know why." "Because of Mau, right?" "Yes. It's good for you to be aware of these things, my Kakyuu- chan. You will be the Queen of this kingdom someday. You should know how to react in a crisis situation." A crisis. That was a bit of an understatement. The nearest solar system to Kinmoku contained the planet Mau, which was home to a sentient race of feline-like demi-humans. The government of Mau had always been a steadfast ally to the Kinmoku kingdom, and Kakyuu was under the impression that Queen Maresuu had been good friends with Mau's regent. But only a fortnight ago, tragedy had struck. The Queen of Mau had been murdered in her throne room, her Star Seed ripped out of her chest by one of Galaxia's Sailor Animates. Her aids had looked on helplessly as their Queen faded away. Within moments, Galaxia herself had descended to the surface of the planet. Thunder rumbled, lightning flashed, the ground was split and rendered, and the oceans boiled. The Star Seeds of the people of Mau were taken en masse; within hours, the planet was a lifeless rock floating in space. There were no survivors. "If Mau has fallen to Galaxia, then . . . Kinmoku is next, right?" Kakyuu asked her mother, although she already knew the answer. "Yes," her mother sighed. The pain and weariness she heard in the Queen's voice alarmed Kakyuu. "I had hoped that we would have more time to prepare . . . But I suppose that it was foolish of me, to think that Galaxia would wait until I was prepared to fight against her . . ." Kakyuu lowered her head, staring at her feet. "I'm sorry," she mumbled apologetically. "I'm sorry that I'm not a Sailor Senshi yet." There was a moment of uncomfortable quiet. Then, Kakyuu heard the rustling of the Queen's gown, and suddenly Maresuu's soft hand was resting on her shoulder. With her other arm, the Queen pulled Kakyuu into her warm embrace. "Don't be sorry. Don't worry about that, my Kakyuu-chan. You will make a wonderful Queen someday. And that's all that matters. That's all that I ever hope for." Kakyuu squeezed her eyes shut and burrowed into her mother's arms, struggling to hold back tears. She knew what the palace personnel said about her. She knew what some of the Knights thought of her, how some of the Guards thought of her. She knew that she was loud-mouthed, rude, disrespectful, unruly, and temperamental. And she was horribly aware of the whisperings that echoed throughout the palace halls. That Kakyuu, she hasn't calmed down at all as she's aged. She doesn't know how to behave like a proper Princess. She's spending too much time running around with those foreign brats. She's too irresponsible to become a Sailor Senshi, and we'll all be left defenseless when Galaxia attacks. She has such a short temper, she doesn't know how to be diplomatic about anything. What kind of daughter is the Queen raising?! "I love you, mommy," Kakyuu whispered softly. She knew that she was far too old to be using such a childish address for her mother . . . but she didn't care. "I love you too," she Queen said as she pulled away from Kakyuu's embrace. "But I really must prepare this room for the conference. Would you like to help?" "I don't know anything about flowers. Except how to pick them." The Queen laughed softly. "Yes, Anya had told me as much. Well then, isn't it about time that you learned? Flower arrangement is one of the finer arts that even royalty can indulge in, every once in a while." Maresuu glided softly over to one of the vases, and began fiddling with the stems in the flower bouquet. "The important thing is to maintain a sense of balance. Colors and shapes should all compliment one another, and never detract from each other." Gingerly, Kakyuu approached another vase and began re-arranging the lilies in it. "Like this?" she asked her mother for approval. "Kind of . . . Keep trying, you'll get the hang of it eventually." Pursing her lips with concentration, Kakyuu continued to struggle with her flowers. After a few moments the entire ordeal became insufferably boring. Kakyuu had a sudden yearning to be running around barefoot in the gardens with Seiya and the other girls, laughing and playing whatever game they thought of first. Tag sounded like fun. Then Kakyuu shook her head, viciously suppressing her urges. It was time to focus on the task at hand. She had to learn to be responsible, she had to learn to be patient. she resolved as she squared her jaw with determination and continued to fidget with the bouquet in front of her. "Hello? Excuse me?" Simultaneously, both mother and daughter whirled to face the owner of the surprising new voice. While they had been working with the flowers, another woman had entered the Conference Hall. Kakyuu recognized her outfit as that of a messenger from one of Kinmoku's semi-independent city-states. Her silvery-gray hair was collected in a bun at the nape of her neck, and her messenger's robes flowed exquisitely around the curves of her lithe body. Cold azure eyes blinked at Kakyuu, and the blushing princess quickly tore her eyes away from the woman and stared intently at her hands. She was still young, but she knew a looker when she saw one. It was no surprise that the woman had gotten past the guards outside the hall. The woman strode forward confidently and stopped in front of Queen Maresuu, bowing deeply. "My Queen Mother, I come from his honorable Governor Yosho with an urgent message." "You may rise," the Queen said, and the messenger quickly rose out of her bow. The messenger hesitated for a moment, darting her eyes at Kakyuu, who was standing quietly nearby. "Is this your daughter, the lovely Princess Kakyuu?" the messenger asked. "Yes, this is the Princess. Do not worry. Whatever you must say to me can be said in front of her." The messenger smiled. It wasn't a pretty smile, not at all. thought Kakyuu with a shudder. "How perfect," the messenger sighed with happiness. The Queen raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" "This saves me the trouble of searching for her after you've raised the alarm," the messenger explained calmly. "What?!" With a grace and fluidity of movement reminiscent of a ballet dancer, the messenger ripped off her robes and revealed the outfit that she had been wearing underneath. Scaly green reptile hide created her laced bodice, boots, gloves, and leggings. A green sailor collar and bejeweled golden bracelets completed the ensemble. Kakyuu's heart leaped into her throat when she saw the golden bracelets. She instantly recognized the markings of a Sailor Animate, simply from watching their images plastered all over the intergalactic news reports. The Animate bowed as she introduced herself. "Greetings. I am Sailor Stone Croco." That was when Princess Kakyuu began screaming. * * * * * * Anya stretched her arms over her head, yawning happily. The sun was warm on her shoulders, the grass was soft underneath . . . It was the perfect time and place for nap, if there ever was one . . . "Miss Anya, aren't you coming back to the palace with us? You'll miss dinner," inquired Taiki softly. Anya laughed. "You three had better hurry back, or you'll get in trouble. Me? I think that I'm in the mood for a nap, and right here seems to be the perfect spot." "The gardeners will yell at you," Yaten reprimanded Anya. And Anya knew that she spoke from experience. "I'm *starving*," whined Seiya. "Let's just go back without her." Yaten shrugged. "Fine with me. C'mon, Taiki, let's go." Anya closed her eyes and let her mind drift as she listened to the children talking amongst themselves as they left the gardens. Only, they weren't really children any more, were they? Nearly fourteen years old, and probably more adult than the majority of girls their age. Seiya didn't appear to be afraid of anything; Yaten refused to take crap from anybody; and Taiki was already so quiet and mature that it was almost creepy. In fact, Anya had grown quite attached to the three of them over the years. Her thoughts began wandering, and Anya could feel her body settling into the familiar patterns of sleep. < ---? > Instantly, Anya's eyes flew open and she jerked herself upright. *Something* was very, very wrong. Her empathic senses flared as she struggled to pinpoint the sudden disturbance that she had felt. Then, she felt it. The unmistakable energy signature of a Sailor Senshi . . . but lacking the familiar warm glow of a Sailor Crystal. Anya uprighted herself and sprinted across the gardens. Yes, she could definitely feel it now. The presence of a Sailor Animate, the Queen's distress radiating across the palace grounds, and overpowering everything was the electrifying sensation of Princess Kakyuu's hysteria. With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Anya realized what she had to do. Anya switched on the communication device that she wore embedded in her bodice. "Guards? Guards!" she panted as she ran. "Lady Anya?" came a response. "Why are you contacting us on this channel?" "Never mind that," she snapped irritably. "We've got a crisis. Summon all the Knights. Tell them that the Queen is in danger. She's in the Conference Hall right now. I think . . . Kuno is on his way there. But most importantly, I need three guards dispatched to the gardens ASAP. Order them to detain the guardians. They should be approaching the left wing of the palace right now. Hurry, and catch them before they scatter." "The Queen is . . . ?" "BEING ATTACKED BY ONE OF GALAXIA'S SERVANTS!!! KAMI-SAMA, ARE YOU DEAF?!?!" "And you want me to waste manpower to detain three CHILDREN--" "YOU WILL DO AS YOU ARE TOLD! On the Queen's authority, I COMMAND YOU!" Anya viciously snapped off the communication device as she skid to a halt in front of one of the many staircases that led to the upper levels of the palace. By her calculations, she had less than a minute to dash to her private chambers, collect the tools that she needed, and meet up with the three girls on the other side of the gardens. Quietly dreading the events that were about to commence, Anya sprinted up the stairs. * * * * * * "If my nose gets sunburnt, it will be Kuno's fault for making practice run so late," Seiya grumbled as she walked through the gardens, shifting the weight of the staff resting on her shoulder. "You shouldn't be so vain about your face," Taiki sighed. "That, and you should have been smart enough to put on sunblock," chided Yaten. Seiya laughed cheerfully. "What, you think that I waste my time worrying about details like that? I've got more important things to think about." "Like . . . ?" prompted Taiki. "Um . . . Like . . . Like . . ." "I knew it," giggled Yaten. "You really are a vapid air-head." "Speak for yourself," Seiya grumbled. "I'm not the one who spends an hour in the bathroom every morning." Yaten sniffed defensively. "A girl has to look her best, you know." "Calm down, you two," Taiki said as she stepped between Seiya and Yaten. "When we get to the dining hall, I don't want the guards yelling at us again for being disruptive." Yaten was about to open her mouth and give a nasty retort; but she suddenly paused, seemed to reconsider, then shook her head and smiled. "Hmm, you're right. It's not worth it." "I wonder what's for dinner tonight?" pondered Seiya aloud as the three girls continued their walk across the palace grounds. "Depends on who is in charge of the kitchen staff tonight. If it's Miss Akiko, then you can be sure that it will be bland and disgusting," muttered Yaten. "Though very nutritious, I'm sure," added Taiki. "Did I detect a hint of sarcasm in that comment?" asked Seiya slyly. Taiki blinked, surprised. "Why, no . . . Um, I wasn't being sarcastic . . . Besides, I don't want to de-throne Yaten as the Queen of Sarcasm. Right, Yaten? . . . uh . . . Yaten?!" Seiya and Taiki stopped abruptly, realizing that Yaten had stopped walking alongside them and was standing far behind them. The girl had cupped her hands to her ears and was cocking her head, an expression of intense concentration on her face. "Yaten, is something wrong?" asked Seiya nervously. "Shh! . . . I'm trying to listen." Taiki glanced around the gardens, then shook her head. "I don't hear anything." Slowly, Yaten dropped her hands from her ears and an expression of bewilderment shadowed her petite face. "Something's wrong . . . I can hear screaming . . . Only, it's kind of like . . . In my head . . ." She began to tremble. "All of a sudden, it's so cold . . ." Momentarily shedding her composure, Taiki rushed to Yaten's side. "Are you okay?!" she asked as she placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Your skin is like ice." Yaten smiled gratefully. "I'll be fine. It's . . . It's nothing." Her teeth chattered as she spoke. "It's going away now." "It's not okay," Seiya said as she dropped her staff and strode back down the path and joined the other two. "Don't lie to us. Didn't Anya say something about you being . . . oh, what did she call it again, empath? Yeah. If there's trouble, we have to get back to the palace right away. We have to protect Princess Kakyuu." Taiki nodded solemnly. "Right. Yaten, do you think that you could locate the Princess if you used your empathy?" "I don't know if it works that way." "She's probably in the palace somewhere," said Seiya as she took Yaten's hand and began pulling her along the path. Dropping her hand from Yaten's shoulder, Taiki strode alongside Seiya as the two quickened their pace. "Let's get to palace and figure out what to do when we get there," commanded Seiya as the three girls began running. Sprinting across the palace gardens, the girls nearly ran straight into the three guards blocking their path. "There they are!" the first guard cried out as Seiya skidded to an ungraceful halt in front of him. "You have to let us through!" Yaten cried out as she managed to slow down and avoid smashing into the second guard. "Princess Kakyuu is in danger!" That was when the guard lunged forward and grabbed Yaten's shoulders. "What th--" Before Yaten could finish her protest, the guard had whirled her around, jerked her arms behind her, wrapped one gigantic hand around both of her wrists had secured them behind her back, and had clamped the other hand over her mouth and used the strength of that arm to pull her in close to his body. "HEY--" Taiki opened her mouth to scream, but a third guard had already wrapped a burly arm around her waist. With his other hand he muffled her mouth and used his arm to wrap around her chest, pinning her arms to her sides. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" shrieked Seiya in outrage as the first guard lunged for her. She tried to dodge, but even her agility could not help her avoid the reach of the guard's long arms. One of his hands caught her elbow and squeezed it tightly, gripping it like a steel vice. Pulling her toward him, the guard shot out his other hand and dug his fingers into the girl's shoulder. Before Seiya's shocked brain had even comprehended what was happening to her, the guard had her pinned against his body and her mouth was covered by one of his gloved hands. Seiya struggled in the guard's arms as her mind whirled with panic. Seiya watched Yaten and Taiki also struggling against their captors, resulting in a lack of success similar to hers. Yaten muttered something incoherent underneath the guard's muffling hand; in response, the guard tightened his grip on her face and hissed, "We are not traitors. We do this on the authority of Queen Maresuu and Lady Anya." Seiya's mind receded further into a state of numb shock. "Good job, you three. Hold them still, and for the love of Kami- sama keep them from screaming." At the sound of Anya's voice, six heads simultaneously snapped around and stared down the length of the garden path. Lady Anya strode resolutely toward them, clutching an elaborately carved wooden box in her hands. There was an unreadable expression on her face, but an unmistakable coldness in her eyes. Anya halted herself in front of the three guards, knelt down, place the box in front of her, opened the box, and pulled out its contents. The three young girls watched, eyes widening with horror, as Anya pulled two bejeweled silver bracelets and held them gingerly in her hands. Leaving the box at her feet, Anya straightened to a standing position. "I will count to three," she intoned emotionlessly at the guards. With a snap, she fixed the first bracelet around her wrist. "On the count of three, I need you to push those girls toward me and then *get out of the way*. I cannot be responsible for what happens if you aren't quick enough to dodge this." The second bracelet snapped around her other wrist. Still managing to keep her face an unreadable mask, Anya raised her arms in front of her, the bracelets on her wrists facing outward. "Are you all ready?" "Yes, my Lady," one of the guards answered. Taiki tried to yell something at Anya, but the guard's hand over her mouth effectively muffled her protest. Ignoring her, Anya began counting. "One." Seiya felt a tear slide down her cheek, unbidden. It couldn't be true. Anya hadn't betrayed her. It couldn't be true. Her mind screamed at her to keep struggling against her captor, to escape before it was too late. But her body, strangely numb and weary, refused to move. "Two." Somewhere in Seiya's brain, an epiphany suddenly occurred. she thought calmly. "Three." It all happened so quickly that Seiya once again didn't have time to realize just exactly what was happening to her. The guard jerked his arms away from her body and kicked her in the small of her back, thrusting her forward. Seiya stumbled toward Anya, flailing her arms for balance, her eyes fixed on the silver bracelets around Anya's wrists. The bracelets flashed brilliantly. Once. Twice. Thrice. Seiya winced at the bright light. Suddenly, there was no more Anya. There was no more grass. There were no more trees. There was no more garden. There was no more sky. There was nothing but painfully luminous silver light, surrounding her, engulfing her, ripping through her, tearing her body apart. A flower bloomed in front of Seiya's chest. < . . . how pretty . . . > At that moment, Seiya felt herself . . . detach. She watched with mild interest as the flower's petals spread apart, revealing a dazzling golden crystal. Twinkling in the silvery light, the crystal slowly rose from the flower's center and began floating away from Seiya. thought Seiya as she watched her small body crumple lifelessly. The light began to fade. Her body began to fade. The world melted. Everything dissolved into darkness. And Kou Seiya's thoughts were abruptly terminated. * * * * * * Trying to control the shaking of her body, Anya cupped her hands around the three Star Seeds. Perfectly normal Star Seeds, from what she understood, except . . . these three were continuing to shine, even after their owners had become merely three lifeless corpses at Anya's feet. The guards stared at her, horrified. "Lady Anya . . ." One of the guards began to address her, then seemed to hesitate, and let his voice trail off into silence. Anya turned to face the guards, fighting to keep her composure. "Everything will be explained in due time," she said calmly. "Right now, we haven't a moment to spare. I want each of you to carry one of the children. Follow me. We need to reach the Princess, before it's too late." Obediently, the guards scrambled forward and gathered the dead girls up in their arms. Anya noticed that this time, the guards were unusually gentle as they handled the corpses. One of the guards actually pressed his finger to Seiya's wrist, an expression of disbelief on his face. "She's really dead," he gulped. "Yes. They're dead." "Why--" "We don't have time for explanations," Anya snapped. Enclosing her hands around the three twinkling Star Seeds, Anya whirled around and strode toward the opposite wing of the palace. "Follow me," she commanded over her shoulder. The three guards, each carrying the dead body of a young girl, followed Anya as she headed toward the scene of the real battle. * * * * * * Kuno paused just long enough outside of Conference Hall to observe the lifeless bodies of the two guards in front of the doors. Although there was no blood, nor any sign of a struggle, Kuno could tell instantly that he was staring at a pair of corpses. But Kuno could mourn his fallen comrades later. At the moment, the hysterical screams of Princess Kakyuu seemed far more urgent. Charging into the Conference Hall, Kuno paused a brief moment to observe his surroundings before he entered into the conflict taking place. Queen Maresuu stood with her back to the large conference table, facing a woman that could only be a Sailor Animate. Kuno noticed that the Queen was surrounded by a barely discernable glow, and recognized that she had somehow managed to erect her personal shields. Her opponent, the Sailor Animate, was obviously quite displeased. In fact, the particular Animate in question was holding Princess Kakyuu with her arms pinned behind her back, using her free hand to point a curved dagger at the princess's chest. "Drop your shields, or I will skewer your daughter's heart," the Animate snarled. "MOTHER, DON'T DO IT! KUNO! ANYA! LARA! SOMEBODY! HELP!!!!!!" The princess screamed hoarsely, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You will not murder my daughter," the Queen stated calmly. "If you were to kill her before you stole her Sailor Crystal, then you would have failed in your mission. The instant that she dies, her Sailor Crystal will be reborn in another child somewhere on this planet. The power of Kinmoku will pass out of the hands of the royal family and into the body of an unknown. You will waste years searching for that Sailor Crystal. You know that as well as I do." "Bitch," the Animate spat contemptuously. "'Tis a cruel queen who shields herself but leaves her own daughter unprotected." Kuno lowered his staff, pointing it at the ribs of the Animate. "I am Kuno Saotomei, the Captain of the Queen's guards. I command you to let the Princess go," he growled at the enemy woman. The Animate started, noticing Kuno's presence for the first time. She smiled smugly, and tightened her grip on the princess's wrists. Kakyuu winced with pain, but did not scream again. "Well, well, well," sighed the Animate, licking her lips. "What have we here? Do you wish to challenge me, sir? I am Sailor Stone Croco, a servant of my Queen, the golden Sailor Galaxia. I can kill you with a flick of my wrists." Kuno narrowed his eyes. "I know your methods of murder. But I doubt that you can win against me in a *fair* fight." Stone Croco laughed haughtily. "You're a fool. I don't have time to play games with you. You were a fool to challenge me, and you were a fool to fight in the name of these two here. Have you really spent your life in the service of this self-righteous bitch of a Queen? Or have you dedicated yourself to this pathetic twit of a Princess, who can't even summon the power of her Sailor Crystal when her planet needs her the most? If so, then I pity you." Kakyuu whimpered, tears glistening in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Captain Kuno," she sniffled. "I can't do it. I can't become a Sailor Senshi. I can't save Mother." Her voice broke, and she began sobbing. "I can't save ANYBODY!" she wailed. Disgusted, Stone Croco roughly thrust the tearful princess away from her and threw her to the ground. Kakyuu crumpled, crying out with pain. The Queen watched dispassionately, but Kuno was livid with rage. "How . . . DARE . . . you . . . insult my Princess!" he snarled through gritted teeth. The veins at his temples pulsed with hatred. Finally, he could stand it no longer. He hunched his shoulders forward, and charged toward the evil woman, bellowing a wordless battle cry as he thrust his staff into her chest. Stone Croco, obviously surprised by the sudden attack, managed to dodge Kuno's staff . . . but just barely. Kuno did, however, manage to startle her enough so that she dropped her dagger. Hissing with rage, she clawed at Kuno's face. Kuno danced away from her advances, sparring with his spear as she feinted another of his attacks. But she had not been expecting to actually fight Kuno, only to simply kill him by taking his Star Seed. Unexpectedly thrust into a defensive position, Stone Croco was unable to use her bracelets to finish off the fight. Slow and unprepared with her responses to Kuno's advances, she quickly found herself at a disadvantage. Suddenly, Kuno saw an opening. Lowering his staff, he roared again and charged forward --- "Captain Kuno, wait." The Queen's command halted Kuno in his tracks, and a startled Stone Croco even paused long enough to whirl around and appraise the Queen with her curious eyes. Kuno realized with horror that the faint glow surrounding the Queen was no longer there. Maresuu had dropped her shields. "I understand now," said Maresuu with a small smile on her lips. "I didn't realize it before, but now it makes perfect sense. The final link. The missing piece of the puzzle." Maresuu turned toward her daughter, who was trembling on the ground nearby. "My dearest Kakyuu- chan, please understand that I always have and always will love you. Even when I am gone." "W-what?" sniffled Kakyuu. "Promise me something," she Queen addressed her daughter tenderly, in a voice so soft that it was almost a whisper. "Promise me that when you become a Sailor Senshi, you will defend the people of this planet and defeat Sailor Galaxia." Kakyuu's eyes widened with horror. "Why? W-why are you saying this now?" "Promise me," the Queen repeated. A little more sternly, this time. "I promise," Kakyuu whispered. Queen Maresuu smiled again, but her eyes were shining with sorrow. "I will miss you all terribly," she sighed as she turned to face Stone Croco and Kuno. "My dear Captain . . . I will miss you too . . . Give my regards to the Knights . . . and Lady Anya . . . and the other children, the guardians . . . I wish you luck. All of you." Kuno's hands trembled, and he almost dropped his staff. "My Queen, NO!" Stone Croco brought her wrists in front of her chest as she stepped forward. "I really must compliment you for stopping your foolish resistance. I will relish the glow of your Star Seed," she said as her bracelets flashed with golden light. "Goodbye," Queen Maresuu whispered her last words as the liquid gold light engulfed her. She did not scream. But her daughter did. "No . . . No . . . Mother . . .MOTHER . . . M-M- MOOOOOOOOOOOTHER!" * * * * * * < . . . mother . . . > < . . . so warm . . . soft . . . this scent, it's so familiar . . . it can't be . . . > "Mommy?" There was light everywhere. "Is that you?" No answer; but the comforting sensation of arms wrapping around her, pulling her in close; hands stroking through her hair, a kiss on her cheek. "It is you," Seiya sighed happily. She allowed herself to relax in her mother's embrace, allowed the lazy sensation of floating to soothe her, allowed the brilliant white light to wash over her. She could see nothing except her mother. Curly dark hair and kind blue eyes, like her own. A wispy white gown and angel wings . . . how appropriate. "Mother, am I dead?" Seiya asked, already knowing the answer. "Yes," her mother whispered into her ear. "And I missed you, my little Kou. You have no idea, how much I've missed you." "The . . . This is the afterlife. And we'll always be together. From now on. Right?" No answer. "Right?" Again, her mother's warm lips brushed her cheek. "No. No, we will not be together. Not for many, many years." For a moment, the light - the world - flickered. The moment passed, and Seiya lifted her head from where she had been resting it on her mother's chest. "Why not?" "I have to show you something." The light faded, and Seiya's surroundings finally came into view. She blinked. The Conference Hall . . . ? Seiya and her mother were standing in one corner of the hall, watching the scene unfold in front of them. Queen Maresuu was crumpled lifelessly in front of the oval conference table. Cradling her mother's lolling head in her lap, Princess Kakyuu was hunched low over the Queen's corpse, her body trembling with the force of her quiet sobbing. Kuno was there, and . . . a lot of other guards. Lots of guards. Flooding in through the doorway. There were flashes of gold light, and the guards were crumpling. Seiya squinted, attempting to discern who was in the center of the foray. A woman? Somebody. Whoever it was, she was dodging the guards' attacks with the grace of a ballet dancer, laughing triumphantly as each guard was engulfed in a flash of light and thudded to the ground, unmoving. "Can they see us?" Seiya asked her mother. "No. We're not even really here." "Oh." With a roar of rage, Kuno charged toward the dancing woman. She smirked contemptuously as she plucked a sword from the hands of a fallen guard, raised the sword above her head, and brought it swinging downward in a graceful arc. Kuno managed to dodge, but just barely. Instead of slicing off Kuno's head, the blunt handle of the sword came crashing down on his skull. Instantly, the man crumpled. Princess Kakyuu jerked her head upward. "K . . . Kuno . . . ?" she mumbled. With a flash of light, the last of the guards had fallen. Seiya tensed her body, waiting for more to enter the room. But none did. The woman licked her lips, fixing her eyes on Kakyuu. "That takes care of the first wave," she laughed softly. "And by the time the second wave comes, I will have your Sailor Crystal." "No! LEAVE HER ALONE!!" Seiya screamed as she lunged forward. Suddenly, she felt her mother's firm hand on her shoulder, restraining her. Seiya stopped, and stood watching helplessly as the strange woman advanced upon the cowering princess. "They can't hear you," Seiya's mother scolded. "Screaming will do no good." Shakily, Kakyuu stood up. "You . . . You killed my mother . . ." Seiya whirled around to face her own mother. "Isn't there anything that I can do?" she pleaded desperately. "Yes. My Kou-chan, have you ever heard of the Sailor Senshi?" "Everybody knows about the Sailor Senshi. They're all over the news. They're the ones that Galaxia is trying to kill. Sometimes they join Galaxia. They're like . . . guardians or something. Of each planet." "A Sailor Senshi is created when a person harbors a Star Seed that is not normal, but a special Star Seed that is bound to the life- energy of their guardian star. This is called a Sailor Crystal," Seiya's mother explained. Her voice was calm, but her eyes were strangely sorrowful. "A Sailor Senshi is a true child of the stars, one whose Sailor Crystal has been birthed by the living planet itself. And, one whose Sailor Crystal has been properly activated. A Sailor Crystal needs love, and hope, and a human soul. A Sailor Crystal needs energy. A Sailor Crystal needs *sacrifice*." The enemy woman crossed her arms over her chest. "Die, Princess Kakyuu." Her bracelets flashed. Two golden rays of light raced across the Hall and toward the Princess. "NO!" Kakyuu screamed as she held out a hand - - - - - and the golden rays dissipated. The woman took a step backward, eyes widening with shock. "How . . . ?" Kakyuu brought her hands to her sides and clenched her fists, trembling with rage. The tears had tried on her cheeks, and she was snarling with anger. "How . . DARE . . . you . . . attack the Royal House of Kinmoku!" Her forehead began to glow with a ruby-red light. Seiya grasped for her mother's hand. "What do you mean, sacrifice?!" "Kou-chan, you could be a Sailor Senshi." "WHAT?!?!" "You have to go back. You have to protect Princess Kakyuu. You have to summon the power of your own Sailor Crystal, power which I gave my life to create." "I - I don't have a Sailor Crystal! I saw it right before I died - it was just a Star Seed!" Seiya's mother smiled, calm and serene. "Not anymore. Don't you know that Sailor Crystals are bound to their guardian stars by a cycle of death and rebirth?" Seiya shook her head. "I don't understand." "Do you want to protect your Princess?" " . . . Yes." "Then that's all that matters." Kakyuu's opponent, the Sailor Animate, whirled around as she heard footsteps pounding toward the Hall. "Not more guards!" she snarled. Lady Anya burst into the hall, followed by three panting guards . . . each carrying a small, limp body in their arms. "That's my body," Seiya said calmly. It was a rather unpleasant sight. Kakyuu blinked, startled by the new arrivals. "L - L - Lady Anya? Are those . . . ?" The three guards skid to a halt, staring open-mouthed at Kakyuu's glowing forehead. "SHIT!" spat the Animate. Anya didn't even pause to catch her breath. "Princess! You have to summon your guardians!" Seiya noticed that she was holding her hands awkwardly, almost cupping them to her chest. Kakyuu hesitated, an expression of bewilderment forming on her face. ". . . What?" "It's your job to defend this planet. You have to summon the power of your guardian star, Kinmoku! If you do so, you will re-awaken your guardians!" Kuno moaned and stirred. Noticing him for the first time, Anya gasped and rushed to his side. The Animate glanced around wildly, finally beginning to panic. The floor of the hall was littered with fallen bodies, impeding her movements. The Princess's forehead was still glowing with intense ruby-colored light. If four more guards had just burst through the door, then more were sure to come. The Animate snarled, baring her fangs. She tightened her body, and once again brought her arms in front of her chest. "DIE, PRINCESS!!!" she screamed as she leapt forward, bracelets flashing. This time, something seemed to snap inside of Princess Kakyuu. Once again, she held out her hand, and the rays of golden light vanished. When she held out her other hand, the Animate was sent flying backwards. As the evil woman crashed into the wall behind her, Kakyuu brought one of her arms over her head and pointed at the ceiling. "I summon my guardian spirit," she intoned. Scarlet light enveloped her. "I summon the power of my sovereign star, Kinmoku, and the life energy of its people," the princess continued as a violent wind suddenly began whipping around the hall. "I summon the power of my Sailor Crystal, and the legacy of my mother, and the power of THIS PLANET to DEFEAT THE EVIL THAT THREATENS IT!" Wind and light and (the scent of olives?) swirled around the room. Even Seiya could feel the violent energy eddying in rippling tides, a vortex of power centered around the tiny princess in its center. For a moment, Seiya felt her mother's arms wrap around her. "I'll miss you," her mother whispered into Seiya's ear. The princess screamed. "KINMOKU PLANET POWER, MAKE UP !" And, as far as Kou Seiya could tell, the world ended. * * * * * * The wind stopped, the light faded, and the dust settled. Kou Seiya awoke in the arms of a complete stranger. "And just who exactly are you?" she asked the guard holding her. The guard yelped with surprise and dropped Seiya on the ground, something which she did not appreciate in the least. Muttering colorful obscenities under her breath, Seiya rubbed her sore tailbone and stood up. "Oh, my," came Taiki's voice. "Is that Princess Kakyuu?" Standing over her fallen mother's body was . . . a girl who looked a lot like Princess Kakyuu. Seiya blinked, rubbing the dust out of her eyes. No, it was definitely Princess Kakyuu. Only . . . "She's a Sailor Senshi," Seiya breathed. Sailor Kinmoku stood over the body of her fallen mother, legs planted firmly to the ground, fists clenched at her side, teeth bared in a snarl of rage. She wore curled scarlet slippers adorned with olive blossoms; a revealing skirt composed of petals of ruby-red silk; her breasts were covered with silken wings, adorned with a winged star in the center of her chest; a scarlet bow around her neck, a red sailor collar, and a gold five-pointed star on her forehead completed the ensemble. Seiya couldn't tell if she looked sexy, dangerous . . . or both. "My question," came Yaten's voice from beside Seiya, "is what exactly we're supposed to do with *these* crazy things." Seiya looked down at her hand, and suddenly realized that she was holding . . . something. Funny, there had been nothing there a minute ago. A gold, five-pointed star. Just like the one on Sailor Kinmoku's forehead. A star with wings. Seiya looked to her left, where Yaten was crawling down from the arms of the guard that had been holding her. "Stop looking at me like I just rose from the dead," Yaten muttered sourly. Seiya looked to her right, where Taiki was already standing on the ground, brow furrowed in thought as she contemplated the strange object in her hand. Seiya looked ahead of her, where the Animate was staggering away from the wall and toward Sailor Kinmoku. And, just beyond the pair of opponents, Lady Anya and a groggy-looking Kuno were crouching together in a corner. "Don't just stand there like idiots!" Anya shouted at the girls. "Help the Princess!" "Oh yeah, like how?!" Yaten snapped. "How about . . . do the first thing that pops into your head?" suggested Taiki pragmatically. Seiya shrugged. "Best suggestion I've heard all day." Then she clutched the winged star in her hand, rose the hand above her head, and gulped. "Fighter Star Power, Make Up!" It felt as if a two-ton object had slammed into Seiya's chest and knocked the breath out of her. Whatever happened next, it had the effect of making Seiya very, very dizzy. There was a flash of light, the world did a stomach-churning loop-de-loop, she was falling, she was spinning, she was . . . it was . . . It was over. Sailor Star Fighter held her hands in front of her face. Her *gloved* hands. "Oh, wow," she said, for lack of a better thing to say. "Maker Star Power, Make Up!" "Healer Star Power, Make Up!" The Animate wasted two precious seconds watching the girls transform, then cursed and turned back to face Sailor Kinmoku. "Will you fight me, new-born Sailor Senshi?" Kinmoku held her hands out in front of her. "KINMOKU FUSION TEMPEST!" she screamed as a hurricane of flowers swirled toward the woman. The Animate laughed haughtily. "Flowers?! You expect to kill me with a bunch of sweet-smelling flowers?!" Sailor Kinmoku pulled her hands back, hesitating for a moment. The she turned toward the three newly-transformed Sailor Senshi. "Fighter. Maker. Healer. This one is called Sailor Stone Croco. She's too strong for me to finish off by myself. I need you to weaken her before I strike again." Sailor Star Healer scratched her head. "What did you just call me?" Sailor Star Maker blushed. "Um, isn't this outfit just a tad bit too . . . revealing?" Stone Croco threw back her head and laughed again, a malicious sound that chilled Fighter to the bone. "You must be joking! These three, defeat ME?!?!" Fighter stepped forward. "Are you laughing at us?!" she cried out, enraged. Maker pressed her finger to her lips, once again furrowing her brow. "Since we've become Sailor Senshi . . . now what?" There was a small popping sound, and Fighter once again found herself holding something in her hands that hadn't been there a moment before. A five-pointed star with wings. Strangely, she didn't find herself surprised in the least. " 'Do the first thing that pops into your head,' " Healer repeated Kou Taiki's words back at her. Then she clutched her own star-shaped device, and swung her arms toward the Animate. "Star Sensitive INFERNO!" A ball of electric-blue lightning raced across the hall and enveloped Stone Croco. She screamed and staggered backward as the lightning danced in graceful arcs around her, searing her flesh. Healer turned toward the other two. "Now! Hit her while she's down!" Maker nodded. "Right. Here goes nothing . . . Star Gentle UTERUS!" Marbled light, alternatively deep violet and searing white, surrounded the Animate. "DAMN YOU!!!" the woman screeched with rage as she fell to her knees, her energy draining into the swirling light. Fighter blinked. "Star Gentle what?!" Maker blushed again. "Um, never mind. Just hurry up and attack her, baka Fighter!" "Fine." Fighter raised the strange device over her head. "Star Serious LASER!" Rays of golden light hurled toward the Animate, leaving scorch marks and drawing blood where they touched her flesh. The woman snarled and hissed with rage. But when she tried to fight her way back to a standing position, she stumbled forward and collapsed onto the ground. Stone Croco swore violently as she attempted to upright herself again. "I'll kill you for this," she spat contemptuously as she fought to upright herself. "Now, Sailor Kinmoku!" Anya yelled from across the room. Sailor Kinmoku clenched her jaw with determination and stepped toward the struggling woman. "This is for killing my mother," she said coldly as she raised a hand in front of the Animate's face. Suddenly comprehending her fate, Stone Croco's face fell. She uttered one last whimper of fear. "Starlights Royal Straight FLUSH!" Razor-edged cards appeared out of thin air and raced toward the fallen woman. They sliced up her arms, her chest, her legs, her neck, and her face. She screamed - a guttural, primal, dying scream - as the cards turned to flashes of light, and ruby light began to whirl around her. The light flashed brilliantly, momentarily flooding the entire Conference Hall. Then, abruptly, the light vanished. And nothing but a pile of ashes was left in front of Sailor Kinmoku. * * * * * * That was when Kuno blacked out again. When he awoke for the second time, he was in a bed in the palace infirmary. He moaned with pain as his surroundings slowly swam into view. His head throbbed as if he had been hit with a sledgehammer. "Finally. I thought that you would never wake up." Kuno blinked. "Lady Anya?" Anya brought her finger to her lips and winked conspiratorially. "Shhhh! You're not supposed to have visitors. But the nurse just stepped out for a moment, so I thought--" "How convenient that you were hovering outside the infirmary, waiting for the perfect opportunity," Kuno snapped. Then he winced with pain. "Kami-sama. Aren't there any decent pain-killers on this planet?" "Yes. But I ordered the nurses not to give you any. I need you to be lucid for this." "For what?" "For this conversation." "What conversation?" "The one that we're going to have right now!" Anya sighed, exasperated. "Oh . . . Well, my head really hurts," Kuno grumbled. "So make it snappy." "The Queen is dead," Anya began solemnly. "I know. I was there with you." "How much did you see?" "More than I probably wanted to. I don't know how you did it, but you did. You managed to make those three girls Sailor Senshi, didn't you? Hmph. Congratulations. I guess." Anya shook her head. "No, I can't take credit for any of that. I was just the person who killed them. It was Princess Kakyuu that called them back, and gave them their Sailor Crystals." Her voice grew softer, almost introspective. "Kuno, I . . . I was holding the Star Seeds from those girls in my hands. But when the Princess transformed . . . those Star Seeds vanished." "You had this planned all along, didn't you?" "Is that an accusation?" "Maybe." "Surely, you aren't implying that I knew about the Animate's attack today, and that I planned for my Queen to die." "Hmph. But you knew that those three girls were going to become Sailor Senshi, right?" "I hoped that they would." Kuno laughed. "And here I thought that it was just another of your shrewd political maneuvers, assigning three guardians to the Princess, one from each Colony." "Actually, that's partially true. What better way to placate the Colonies than to employ the services of a Sailor Senshi from each one?" "Congratulations. You're smarter than you look." Anya shrugged, grinning. "If that's meant as a compliment, then I thank you very much." Then her face grew serious again. "Regardless, this kingdom is now without a regent." "Right. Amendment Four, Section Two of the Articles of Kinmoku. Even the eldest heir to the Queen cannot ascend to the throne until she is sixteen years of age. Or in this case, the only heir to the throne." "We have one more year before she turns sixteen. Until then, she can rule with the aid of a temporary council of six advisors. Three Knights, and one representative from each of the three Colonies." "I assume that you're going to be on the council?" "Only if the other Knights give me a vote of confidence." "Any idea who else is going to be on the council?" "If all goes well, we'll avoid Governor Bushou from the outer Colony . . ." Anya made a face. "But enough about politics. It's giving me a headache." "You think *you've* got a headache . . ." "Okay, okay, okay. I retract my complaint." "Thank you." Kuno sighed. " . . . How is the Princess doing?" Anya looked down at her hands. "She's taking it pretty well. She cried a lot, but . . . that's to be expected. She's been asleep for hours. I think that her transformation drained a lot of energy out of her. When she de-transformed, she was holding a star-shaped brooch in her hands. I guess that's what she has to use to transform into Sailor Kinmoku. But I'm not sure. I mean, it's one thing to *read* about Sailor Senshi and hear about them on the news, but it's another thing entirely to have to deal with them in real life . . ." "Speaking of the news - how much of this has the media gotten a hold of?" "Everything. The other Knights and I tried to keep it hush-hush, but we should have realized that it was all in vain. It's all over the galaxy right now." Kuno smiled. It was a cold smile. "We did it. We defeated one of Galaxia's minions. And now the whole galaxy knows about it. Galaxia has been humiliated." "She'll be furious. She is sure to retaliate. Captain Kuno, we could have just jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire." "So? I'll be out of bed by tomorrow morning. I'll tell the guards to stay on alert. What more can we do? If she wants to strike back, then she will strike back. We can't stop her. We can only hope that when she comes, our Senshi will be ready. And if they could . . . if those girls could defeat Sailor Galaxia . . ." "You suddenly seem to have a lot of faith in those girls. Why the change of heart?" "I have a lot of faith in Princess Kakyuu." "Oh. If that's the case . . . Captain Kuno, I have a favor to ask of you." "Finally. I knew that you would get to the point someday." "If all goes well, I will be on the ruling council during the next year, before Kakyuu-chan can be crowned as the rightful Queen Mother. And I won't have enough time to spend with those three girls. And they need training. As much training as humanly possible. They're not ready to fight against Galaxia; they hardly have a clue what they're doing. Would you . . . ?" "I don't know a thing about Sailor Senshi. You're the expert in that particular field. Or, as near to an expert as we have in the kingdom." Anya rolled her eyes. "Trust me, I'm as clueless as you are. I don't know the first thing about Sailor Senshi powers, or how to train one to fight in a combat situation. You're just as qualified as me. If not more so." "If that's meant as a compliment, then I thank you very much." Anya was momentarily surprised to hear her own word thrown back at her. And yet . . . There was a strange look in Kuno's eyes, something almost roguish . . . Anya blinked. "So, then, you accept the challenge?" "Yes, I accept. But I warn you, I will not be an easy-going taskmaster." "That's all right. These are not necessarily the best-behaved students. But then again, you already knew that." With a cheerful wink, Anya rose from her seat beside Kuno's bed and strode out of the infirmary. Kuno was left alone with his thoughts. And at that moment, he desperately wanted a painkiller, more than anything in the world. * * * * * * "Hey . . ." < . . . go away . . . I'm sleeping . . . > "Pssst! Wake up!" < . . . make me . . . > Hands, shaking her roughly. "Dammit, wake up!" Taking one last desperate stand, Kou Yaten blindly reached out from underneath her covers and attempted to slap her assailant across the face. Unfortunately, the other girl dodged Yaten's hand easily. With a groan, Yaten finally decided that sleep was finally out of the question. She sat up, yawning and rubbing her eyes. "Who is it?" she asked groggily. Her room was still dark, and she was not yet fully awake . . . "It's me, stupid. Taiki." "What are you doing here?" asked Yaten, more than slightly annoyed. "That's my question for you. Do you know what time it is?" "It's the middle of the night," Yaten answered thickly. "Yes, I know that, but . . . well, just *look* at you? How can you still be sleeping?!" "It's the middle of the night," Yaten repeated stubbornly. "Yaten . . . It's been two days since you last fell asleep." " . . . Oh." But Yaten was still considerably peeved about being awoken from her sleep. "So why did YOU deem it necessary to wake me?!" "Geez. I tried to wake up Seiya, but she sleeps like the dead---" "Hey, wait a minute - then why are you awake?!" Taiki blinked, momentarily taken aback by the question. "Dunno. I was pondering that question myself, actually. I woke up this morning, I noticed that nobody else was at breakfast, so I sought out Lady Anya . . . She didn't say anything, just told me not to wake you two up . . ." "And as we all know, Taiki has absolutely no problems with obeying authority," Yaten snarled sarcastically. Taiki shrugged, brushing off Yaten's remarks. "Whatever. My hypothesis is that although the fight drained a lot of energy from us, I'm still at least twice the size that you are, so . . . I guess that it didn't take as much out of me. And you're just a little shrimp, so . . ." "Ha ha ha. Very funny. I know that I'm a shrimp, but what about Seiya?" "Not a clue. But I'm not worried. If something were wrong, I feel like we would know about it." Casually, Taiki plopped herself down on a chair across from Yaten's bed. "Anyway, I needed to talk to one of you before I went crazy." "About what?" "First off, these things." Taiki waved her hand in the air, and suddenly she was holding two five-pointed stars. One was small and golden, adorned with wings. The other was much larger and clunkier, and sparkled with numerous colors. Yaten's eyes widened. "How'd you do that?" "I wish I knew. I must have done it fifty times in front of Anya today, she never got tired of studying it. Anyway, the called the small one something specific . . . a henshin aid, I believe. And larger one is a--" Taiki grimaced. "-Star Yell." "Uh . . . cute name. I guess . . ." With a wave of Taiki's hand, the objects vanished. "Listen, the whole planet is jumpy right now. There's been a big uproar about the Queen's death. Everybody expects Galaxia to storm the palace any moment. Kuno lectured me for an hour about our responsibility as Sailor Senshi in a time of crisis. He says that he'll start training the three of us as soon as possible. And, by the way, we're forbidden to leave the palace grounds." "I get it. No matter how you look at the situation, we're screwed. It's either getting our butts kicked by Galaxia, or getting our butts kicked by Kuno." "I wouldn't exactly put it in those words, but . . . yeah, that's about right. And another weird thing . . . At first, I couldn't even look Lady Anya in the eye. But after she explained everything to me, about the Sailor Crystals . . . She asked me if I still trusted her . . . I said that I did. And the moment that I said it, it was like I suddenly realized that I had trusted her all along. Isn't that strange? She *killed* me, and I still trust her." "That's funny. As much as I hate to admit it, I just can't bring myself to be angry at her." Yaten smiled, a knowing smile. "This isn't the first time for me, either." "Good. At least I'm not alone." Yaten yawned again. "In all honesty, did you see *any* of this coming when you first arrived on Kinmoku?" "No. Not at all. But for some strange reason . . . I don't feel very surprised." "Me neither. Weird, huh?" "That's kind of what I needed to talk to you about," Taiki murmured softly. Her voice dropped to a quiet, hesitant whisper. "Yaten . . . after you died . . . did you . . . see anything?" Yaten clutched her bedsheets in her hands and bit her lip, almost hard enough to draw blood. She should have known. She should have known from the moment that the other girl walked into her room. Judging by the thoughts and emotions that Taiki was broadcasting, she had the exact same experience that Yaten had . . . Yaten gulped, willing the tears to stop forming in the corners of her eyes. "I saw my mother," she whispered softly. * * * * * * Seiya thought viciously as she almost lost her footing again. Gritting her teeth with determination, she re-gripped the thick ginyu branch and continued on her way across the palace grounds. If she wasn't so tired to begin with, this would be a lot easier! Slowly, gingerly, Seiya eased her way across the network of ginyu trees that crossed the gardens. Having woken up barely an hour earlier, her first immediate thought had been to find Princess Kakyuu. But Lady Anya had been very firm when she ordered Seiya to stay in bed, and to not see the princess at all. "Princess Kakyuu has retired to her chambers. She will see nobody," Anya had stated calmly. That had only confirmed Seiya's suspicions. The Princess was beyond upset. She was having a breakdown. She had realized that the moment that Sailor Kinmoku had incinerated Stone Croco. And now, as one of Kakyuu's closest friends, Seiya felt that it was her duty to comfort the Princess. There were plenty of guards crawling around the gardens, and Seiya had to be especially cautious as she approached the window of the Princess's chambers. She didn't know much about the political atmosphere on Kinmoku at the moment, but she knew that the death of the Queen would have everyone on their toes. Finally, Seiya wrapped her arms around the thick ginyu branch closest to the Princess's window. She squinted, peering into the room through the window. Kakyuu was lying on her bed, still in her night shift, her back turned to the window. Other than the princess, the room seemed to be empty. Cautiously, Seiya rapped her knuckles on the window. Although Kakyuu didn't stir, Seiya was surprised to find that the gentle pressure of her tapping had forced the window to slide inward . . . wasn't it locked?! How careless, and especially at a time like this!! Nevertheless, Seiya marveled at her good fortune and slowly pushed the window open. "Princess?" she whispered softly into the quiet room. "Seiya, is that you?" Kakyuu asked flatly, without bothering to turn and face the other girl. "It's me." Seiya finished climbing in through the window and then hesitated, unsure whether she should approach Kakyuu or not. "Um, you could look at me when you speak to me," she suggested. Slowly, the princess pulled herself into a sitting position. Her fiery red hair fell in waves down her back, unnaturally beautiful hair for someone who had obviously been in bed for quite a while. But still, she kept her back toward Seiya. "What do you want, Seiya?" she asked levelly. "What do you *think* I want?! I want to see if you're okay!" Seiya blurted out, annoyed at the Princess's indifference. "Why would I . . . be troubled?" Seiya took a step backward, suddenly afraid. It was wrong, all wrong. Kakyuu's voice was so calm and serene that it sent chills up Seiya's spine. The Kakyuu that she knew would not be taking the death of her mother so lightly. "I don't think that you're okay at all," Seiya said shakily. "Princess, do you need to talk about anything? Please? That's what I'm here for. I want you to be able to talk to me." Finally, Kakyuu began to turn toward Seiya. She shifted her position on the bed, gracefully swinging her legs until they were hanging off the side of the bed closest to Seiya. She placed her hands in her lap, fixed her eyes on the dark-haired girl, and smiled serenely. "Seiya . . . I can't afford to be upset right now. I'm virtually the Queen, after all. And my kingdom is in turmoil. A good Queen does not waste her time crying and screaming when her people need her. A good Queen will rest quietly while she regains her strength, and then she will be able to focus all of her energy on doing what needs to be done. I am going to be a good Queen. Just like my mother." "But . . . But . . ." Seiya sputtered with disbelief. "But that witch just killed your mother! Aren't you angry?!" Kakyuu's voice was calm, and strangely soothing. "My mother did not die in vain. Her death has accomplished a great purpose." Kakyuu raised a slender hand to her own chest, and placed it over her heart. "Seiya, it's the same reason that your mother died. It's because of our Sailor Crystals. They've never existed before; they've never been activated before. The energy released by our mother's deaths was what enabled us to become Sailor Senshi. That love, that warmth, and that sacrifice . . . My mother will always be with me. She's a part of me, now. A part of the stars." Seiya stepped forward again, some of her initial fright beginning to wear off. "If you're not angry, then . . . aren't you sad at all?" "Yes. Yes, I am sad. But I already told you, a good Queen does not have time to waste crying silly tears. I am going to be a good Queen. Just like my mother." "Um, yeah . . . I heard you the first time. But I have one more question." "Hmmm?" "Princess Kakyuu . . . aren't you scared?" Without hesitation, Kakyuu nodded her head. "Yes. I'm terrified. I'm terrified of Sailor Galaxia, and what she'll do to me when she finds out about Stone Croco . . . but . . . A good Queen can't allow her people to see her fear. She must lead them, show them her courage, and never let her enemies see any sign of weakness." "Oh. And you're going to be a good Queen. Just like your mother." "Yes. Yes I am." If Kakyuu understood that she was being mocked, she showed no outward sign of comprehension. Staring at her sorrowful red eyes, Seiya realized with a shiver that the Kakyuu she knew was dead. The temperamental princess who had laughed and screamed and cried and pouted and dashed barefoot across the palace gardens and gotten into the most horrible mischief at Seiya's side . . . That princess was dead. She had been killed by Sailor Stone Croco. What remained was only the shell of a girl, a girl who wanted more than anything to assume the identity of the person that she loved the most. The mother who had just been taken from her . . . "I'm sure that you will be an excellent Queen," Seiya said emotionlessly as she turned toward the window. When Kakyuu made no response, Seiya sulkily began climbing onto the thick ginyu branch just outside the window. "Goodbye, Princess," she said as she pulled herself through the window. "Goodbye, Seiya," the Princess whispered after Seiya had left. * * * * * * "Queen Galaxia-sama." Galaxia frowned. "I already know, Theta." Sailor Theta bowed even deeper, her blonde locks trailing down to the ground. "Stone Croco was over-confident. She was far too cocky, wasn't she? I promise that *I * will not be so careless. Galaxia- sama, if you allow me to--" "No." Theta jerked her head upward. "A-A-Am I not suited for the job?" Galaxia shifted her weight on her throne, leaning forward slightly so that she appeared far more intimidating to the Animate in front of her. She was in a very, very black mood. "Do you have any idea what Stone Croco has DONE?!" she snarled, eyes flashing menacingly. "She has awakened four new Sailor Crystals! More Sailor Crystals for me to collect! And I cannot . . . *CANNOT* . . . collect immature Sailor Crystals!" Theta nodded, finally understanding. "And you will have to give them enough time to mature, enough time to grow strong enough to fight you . . . Oh, but my Queen Galaxia-sama! Even as mature Sailor Senshi, they cannot hope to stand against your awesome power!" Galaxia smiled coldly. "I know. I will look forward to killing the children who humiliated my campaign . . . But I cannot stand the waiting." Theta bowed again, even deeper this time. "My Queen . . . When the time comes, may I--" "Yes. When the time comes. I will be the judge of that. Until then, I want you to strike the other systems around Kinmoku. Leave the kingdom in peace. Let them grow complacent . . . wait until their guard is down. Pick off the surrounding systems. Leave their civilization isolated in deep space. When the time comes . . . They will have nowhere to run to, nobody to turn to for help." Theta smiled, licking her lips. "It will be my pleasure, my Queen." Galaxia waved her hand imperiously. "You are dismissed from my presence." "I will not fail you," Theta said as she faded from Galaxia's dimension. Galaxia sighed, staring at the spot where Sailor Theta had just stood. One more little annoyance to deal with, that's all that it was. Just one minor setback. She could kill the Sailor Senshi of the Kinmoku kingdom with her hands tied behind her back. Galaxia rested her hand on a raised fist, contemplating the twinkling stars above her. Her stars. Her Star Seeds. Her Sailor Crystals. Lost in pleasant thoughts of expanding her collection of Star Seeds, Galaxia ignored the stirring moans inside her body. Was that a cry of protest that she just heard? Or the growling of something more sinister? Galaxia shook her head, and returned to admiring her collection. She didn't have time to waste pondering minor neuroses. She had a galaxy to conquer. END PART TWO