[ ] Act 46 - Stars 4 Originally appeared in Nakayoshi, September 1996. Translated by Alex Glover. Version 1.01, 3.97. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Three Lights stare in surprise. "You- you were this close to us," Seiya says. "This whole time..." They kneel before the woman. "This whole time, we have been searching for you, my Princess." "Seiya..." the woman says. "Taiki... Yaten... I've finally met you...! I always heard your singing voices, the voices of your hearts. So many times I thought of going to you. But my body's recovery took longer than I had expected... Chibi-Chibi-chan helped me. She told me of you three. And of Sailor Moon. She has always protected and encouraged me." "Chibi-Chibi...?" says Seiya. "Who on earth are you...?" The woman turns to the small girl. "I felt the power of your full star," she says. "You are another sailor soldier, aren't you, Chibi-Chibi-chan?" Chibi-Chibi smiles at her. "Chibi-Chibi Crystal Power!! Make Up!!" She transforms, appearing in a sailor suit. "A sailor soldier!?" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nyanko licks her lips. "You made it," she says. "Traitors!" "What!?" say the two cats. "If I am a fake cat, then you are too!" She thrusts her arm out and light swirls around the two cats. "Luna! Artemis!!" Usagi calls. They appear in their human forms. They jump to the roof of the school. "You won't get away!" says Nyanko. She flies after them. "Nyanko-chan!?" says Usagi. "No, an enemy!? Silver Moon Crystal Power! Make Up!!" Nyanko holds up her arm as she approaches Luna and Artemis. The metal bracelet around her wrist glows. "Galactica Puppet!!" Usagi rushes between them as electricity shoots at Luna and Artemis. "Sailor Moon!!" they cry. "I want to be friends with you, Sailor Moon," says Nyanko. "Now, for a little introduction. I am Sailor Tin Nyanko!" "Then you must be-!" says Luna. "From the planet Mau!? Using the sacred name of a sailor soldier! You are nothing but a flawed imitation of our planet's single hero, Sailor Mau!" "Selling out the bodies of the peace-loving people of Mau to unknown enemies!" says Artemis. "How could you!?" "You know nothing!" Nyanko says. "You are the ones who turned traitor and abandoned Mau! The planet Mau is no more! It has been made a planet of death by the Shadow Galactica!" "...It what!?" the two cats say. "How!? What happened!?" "Be quiet!" yells Nyanko. "When I win this fight, I'll take off this bracelet and be given a perfect body! Then I'll get a sailor crystal from Galaxia-sama, and have a planet of my own, and become a true sailor soldier!! Yaaah!" She leaps into the air. "Luna!! Artemis!!" Usagi says. "Luna and Artemis are from the planet Mau...! The two of them have a mother star just like Phobos and Deimos...! And they left their home to come to this solar system for us...!" A gray figure materializes between Nyanko and the two cats. "Stop!" she yells. "You're all comrades from the same planet!" "Diana!?" say Luna and Artemis. "Dad! Mom!" She screams as Nyanko's attack strikes her, and she is transformed back to the form of a cat. "Diana!?" Usagi calls. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chibi-Usa gasps. She runs to her room. "Diana!?" She sees her cat's basket empty. "Diana!? Where are you!?" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The gray cat meows quietly. Luna and Artemis hold her. "Diana!?" they say. "She can't talk!? Because of that attack!?" Usagi sticks her arm out. "Open your eyes!" she says. "Nyanko-chan!!" "Heh heh!" Multiple images of Nyanko appear, spinning around. She brings together the bracelets on her wrists. A blast shoots past Usagi, striking Luna and Artemis. They change back into cats. "Luna!! Artemis!!" Usagi runs to them, screaming as she goes through the blast. She picks up the three cats, who can only meow. "Diana!! Luna! Artemis! Hold on!!" "It's my fault," she thinks. "I always drag everyone along into this destiny!" "Stupid! Diving into it yourself!" Nyanko turns to the sound of the new voice. "Star Serious Laser!!" Seiya calls. Nyanko is struck in a burst of light, and disappears. Usagi drops to the ground, holding the cats. "Star Fighter!" she says. "Star Healer! Star Maker! ... Chibi-Chibi!?" Taiki takes the three cats from her. "They're still breathing. Let's go to our house." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Usagi walks into the spacious room of the downtown condominium, carrying Luna, Artemis, and Diana. She sees the woman in red standing inside. "You're..." "I am Kakyuu," says the woman. She kneels before Usagi. "I am the first order imperial Princess Kakyuu of the Red Cercis Kingdom of the planet Kinmoku." ['Kakyuu' means 'Fireball'.] [The planet name is a pun: 'kinmokusei' here is written to mean 'the planet Kinmoku', but the word normally means 'fragrant olive'.] "I apologize for the rudeness of these ones," the woman says. "They are the three guardian soldiers of our Kinmoku star system. Greetings, Sailor Moon-- no, next queen of the Silver Millennium, Neo-Queen Selenity." "How do you know me...?" Usagi says. "The desire of the strong, beautiful guardian soldiers of the solar systems is to be sailor soldiers scattered across the galaxy. You took the Prince's hand, and you showed the shining of this planet's next king and queen. In that moment, the power of this planet's light, filled with the power of life, crossed time and space and spread throughout the entire galaxy. That was a message from this solar system stronger, brighter, and warmer than ever before. I have wanted to meet you for so very long." She takes the three cats from Usagi and places them on a blanket. "Good, they're still breathing..." she says. "They need treatment. The starseeds of these ones have power and brilliance just like the sailor crystals. I'm glad they're safe..." "Princess," says Seiya. "The enemy escaped before we could deliver the final blow. It seemed she was not being ruled in her heart." "Sailor Moon," says the woman. "I request that you please save this galaxy. The galaxy is becoming a horrible thing now. Sailor Galaxia has begun attacking all the planets with sailor soldiers in the galaxy. The sailor crystals of the sailor soldiers are being stolen, people and cities are being assaulted, planets are being ruined one after another. Galaxia is forcing the young with ambition and power to work under her. She has built a horrific empire, called the Shadow Galactica. The enemies that have been attacking you are not really true sailor soldiers. They are innocent ones, only ruled and used by Galaxia's bracelets. They have been crushed by the power of Galaxia's bracelets, and are without life..." "The sailor soldiers of the galaxy," says Usagi. "Their home planets were attacked, and their lives taken by Galaxia...!?" "Sailor Galaxia," says the woman. "She is the soldier of destruction! The planets attacked by Galaxia are turned to planets of death. Things with and without life alike are destroyed. And he was too... Right in front of me..." Her eyes start to water. "But no matter how many planets are attacked, only when Galaxia reaches this solar system will the real test occur. Galaxia's final target is surely you." "Why... me...?" says Usagi. "It is because you have the most powerful of all the sailor crystals in the galaxy. You are the soldier with the Silver Moon Crystal." "The existence of you and your Mystical Silver Crystal have upset history!" Safir said as he wrapped his hands around Usagi's neck. Usagi gasps. "The whole time..." she thinks. "Everything, it was my fault... Everyone was drawn in for the power I carry. Battles occurred." "Where is Galaxia?" she asks. "The crystals of my most precious ones, too... have been stolen. I have to get their crystals back... I have to go to Galaxia...!" "I will show you the way," the woman says. "Princess!?" the Three Lights say. "The one who can save this galaxy is only you, Sailor Moon. Galaxia's location is at the center of the galaxy." "The center of the galaxy...!" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The sun sets on the downtown condominium. Seiya plays the piano as Taiki and Yaten look on. "In the galaxy..." says Taiki, "there are many star systems like this one. But this solar system is a special place. There are no other star systems which have completed their growth with such balance. Many planets have died midway through their growth." "Growth?" says Usagi. "Planets all grow from starseeds," says Yaten. "Not just planets. Different sizes, different shapes, different names, but... All things with life grow from starseeds. This planet and its people have starseeds. Same with our planet. And of course, we, the sailor soldiers, grow from starseeds. Sailor crystals are created as special starseeds, and spread out to the chosen planets. They grow together with those planets, finally becoming guardian soldiers and defending the planets. The first who attacked you, Iron Mouse, her planet Chuu was defended by Sailor Chuu. Aluminum Siren's planet Mermaid, by Sailor Mermaid. The planet Coronis by Sailor Coronis. The planet Mau by Sailor Mau." "And in this solar system..." Usagi says. "Mercury by Sailor Mercury, Venus by Sailor Venus, Mars by Sailor Mars, Jupiter by Sailor Jupiter. And Earth, by me and Mamo-chan..." Seiya holds her as she starts to cry. Yaten and Taiki leave the room with Chibi-Chibi. "I'm all right," Usagi says. "I won't cry anymore. The battle with Galaxia is approaching." "You..." thinks Seiya. "Even now, you're burdened with such heavy wings." "Princess Kakyuu, also," he says. "Her beloved was lost to Galaxia... Sailor Moon, whatever battle awaits you in the galaxy, we have power at your side." He kisses her hand. "We will protect you." "Thank you," says Usagi. "If for some reason, I wasn't a sailor soldier... I wouldn't have friends helping me. I might not even have met them." "All that is a sailor soldier is inside the sailor crystals," said Yaten. "The crystals of unknown power, the sailor crystals, won't disappear!" "If for some reason the Silver Moon Crystal didn't exist, would I not have even been born...?" She looks at Seiya. "I wish our bodies could last forever, too..." she says He slowly leans down and kisses her softly on the lips. "I hope that we are born again," he says. He gets up and walks to the door. "It's late. I'll take you home." "That's okay," says Usagi, holding Chibi-Chibi. "We can manage. ...Thank you." Seiya watches the two leave. "We are of different stations in the universe," he thinks to himself. "It might be unrequited love, Seiya." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Yay! Swings!" Chibi-Chibi runs into the park. "Chibi-Chibi," says Usagi, carrying the three cats. "If we don't get home, mom will be worried." "Just a little!" says Chibi-Chibi as she jumps onto the swing. "Hmph..." says Usagi. "You're a wonderful kid, you Chibi-Chibi. You don't tell me anything at all. But strangely, you're dear and lovable, and you put me at ease. Even though you don't say anything, you seem to understand... I was startled that you're a sailor soldier, too. ...Just where are you from? Who are you?" Chibi-Chibi looks up at her. "I'm me." Usagi stares at her. "I'm me..." she thinks to herself. She grimaces. "Hey now! You dodged the question again! Answer me for real, Chibi-Chibi!" A sailor crystal drops to the ground. Usagi looks up and sees a woman with long hair blowing in the wind, cast in shadow by the moonlight. "...Who's that?" Usagi picks up the crystal and hands it to the woman. "Thank you," the woman says. "You always have so many friends. I wonder if that special sailor crystal draws them to you." She spreads her arms out and is surrounded in light. A storm of wind blows at Usagi. "Who is that!?" she thinks. "Such power!" A bolt of lightning strikes the park from the sky. Energy swirls around the woman. Rain begins to pour down. "A storm!?" Usagi thinks. "Such strong power! This is like no enemy before!! Who is that!?" "Sailor Galaxia," said Princess Kakyuu. "She is the soldier of destruction!" "It can't be...!" thinks Usagi. The woman smiles as her power spreads out through the city. "It can't be!!" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Original manga copyright © 1996 Takeuchi Naoko. English translation copyright © 1997 Alex Glover. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sailor Moon Translations | Sailor Moon Volume 17