Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Among Stars ❯ Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 

Taiki Kou sat typing rapidly at his computer while his two companions adjusted their instruments for an upcoming concert. It was a few months since the defeat of Galaxia, and Princess Kakyu had announced that she needed to take a diplomatic mission to ask the assistance of the neighboring planets to help in the reconstruction of their home world. It was Seiya's suggestion that the Starlights should come back to visit earth while their princess was away. Taiki hoped it didn't have anything to do with Usagi, but with Seiya, it was hard to tell.

 

"This isn't good," he muttered, still typing furiously, his eyes locked on the screen.

 

"What's not good?" Yaten asked.

 

"Our princess. It's been weeks since we last heard a contact from her, and now she's not showing up in the energy field at all."

 

"My gosh!" Seiya gasped, now joining the other two in front of the computer screen. "She's not hurt, is she?"

 

"Can't say," Taiki admitted. "She may have simply gone beyond the planetary boundaries of the scanner. There is a strong energy field that is interrupting some of my computer waves."

 

"Well, is there any way we can go and check it out?" Yaten asked rather impatiently as he pondered how Taiki could be so calm about everything.

 

"We could travel across this boundary and track our princess from there. I can use a homing crystal that will lock in on her power."

 

"Great," said Seiya. "Then let's go." But Taiki only shook his head.

 

"There's a problem," he said. Seiya sighed. There always had to be a problem, didn't there? "There need to be four of us to do it. And since Galaxia attacked our planet..."

 

"There's only three," Yaten finished. Taiki nodded his silent agreement.

 

"Well," said Taiki, turning back to the computer and typing some more. "There is one person we could transfer our power to, but I don't know how much you'll want her help, Seiya."

 

"Who is it?" Seiya asked, even though by Taiki's tone, he already had a rough idea of who he was talking about.

 

"Haruka Tenou."

 

* * * * *

 

"You want me to do what?!" Haruka exclaimed. Seiya had to cover his ears to withstand the force of her yell. It didn't seem like the sky senshi was too interested in helping them out.

 

"It wouldn't be for very long," Seiya muttered. "Just a few weeks at the most."

 

"Any amount of time you want me to spend as a Starlight is too long," Haruka asserted as she stubbornly turned her back on Seiya. However, the singer wasn't out of options just yet.

 

"Do I have to tell your princess you won't help us?" he asked. He knew that Haruka had something of a soft spot for Usagi; she hated to have the girl upset with her. And as Seiya predicted, Haruka began to cave in.

 

"You're low, Seiya," she muttered.

 

"I've got no other choice," he pointed out. "Trust me, if we could get anyone else for this mission, we would. But for some reason, your body is the only one that will accept our power." Haruka sighed. The last thing she wanted to do was help this jerk who seemed to thrive each day on annoying her. Then again, if it meant getting him out of her hair and keeping Usagi out of the picture...

 

"You owe me big time, got it?" she said. Seiya smiled.

 

"Sure. Whatever you say."

 

That evening, Haruka was lead to observatory just down the street from her house. Strange, she expected it to be closed this time of night, but for some reason, Taiki had a key and let everyone in. The group climbed the stairs to the top floor where a large glass ceiling led the way for a clear view of a cloudless night sky.

 

While Haruka glanced around trying to see how many of the planets she could find, Taiki walked over to the corner and sat down in front of what looked mike some kind of computer. Only this computer had a crystal screen and what looked like a small platform attached to the side. Protruding from the center of the platform was a crystal like orb.

 

"What's that?" Haruka wanted to know.

 

"An energy transfer unit," explained Taiki, as if it really explained anything. "Yaten, Seiya and I focus our powers on our mother planet, and with any luck, this device transfers them to you. The skies are clear tonight, so it's the best time for us to call on Kimono's power. Just clear your mind during the process. And whatever you do, don't take your hand away until the whole transfer is finished. Understand?"

 

"Yes," Haruka muttered and closed her eyes. At that, Taiki nodded and switched on the machine, which began to whir with energy. The Three Lights gathered together and placed their hand on the front screen, sending their energy to Haruka. For a moment, Haruka felt nothing, but suddenly the jewel beneath her fingers began to grow warm, even hot. She felt a foreign energy enter her body, suppressing her powers of the sky. It wasn't exactly comfortable. Haruka's fingers tensed and she was tempted to remove her hand, but then she remembered what Taiki had said and held firm. Her patience seemed to pay off, for in a few minutes, the stone grew cold once more.

 

"That's it," Taiki said. Haruka opened her eyes and glanced down at her body.

 

"Geez!" she exclaimed, throwing her gloved arms across her chest. "How do you three wear these outfits? I'm practically nude!"

 

"You're fine," Seiya muttered, taking a seat and rubbing his forehead. The energy transfer had taken quite a bit out of him and now he had to rest. Preferably without Haruka's complaining. "Like you have anything worth looking at anyway..." he muttered under his breath.

 

"What'd you say?" Haruka asked, grabbing Seiya and holding him upward. Taiki and Yaten sweatdropped.

 

"Those two..." Taiki sighed.

 

"They never change."

 

Despite his exhaustion and general lack of patience with Haruka, Seiya still was kind enough to lend her some clothes to put over the rather embarrassing Starlight attire before she headed home.

 

"You cannot transform back right away, it would be too much," Taiki explained. "First let yourself get used to the powers. Your body will revert back to civilian form by morning."

 

"I think you just enjoy humiliating me," Haruka muttered as she grabbed a jacket from Seiya and put it on. After that, she grabbed her keys and headed out the door. Ordinarily, she wouldn't have been quite so impatient with the three of them, but being disconnected with Uranus really made her feel uncomfortable. Before getting into her car, she glanced up at the night sky and whispered, "I'm sorry. I promise I'll be back soon."

 

Yaten watched curiously as Haruka's car pulled out of the parking lot of the planetarium and disappeared down the street.

 

"So what happens if she transforms back too early?" he asked curiously. "I mean, it won't hurt her will it?"

 

"Not at all," Taiki said. "I made that up so she would leave."

 

"Huh?" Yaten and Seiya both stared in shock at their friend. Sure Yaten let out a white lie now and then, and Seiya would probably say anything if it meant he could win over a pretty girl, but it wasn't like Taiki at all.

 

"You see," said Taiki, calming folding his hands and resting his chin on his fingers. "When we transferred our powers to her, we transferred everything, including that power which allows us to take our current civilian form."

 

"You mean, the power that changes us to men?"

 

Taiki nodded and Seiya felt his throat sink into his stomach.

 

"So what you're saying is... when Haruka transforms from a Starlight back to herself, she'll be..." Another silent nod confirmed his fears.

 

Yaten sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Wouldn't it have been safer for all of us if you just told her she couldn't transform?"