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Earth
"So, Tsuki-chan is the one that told him my name?" Usagi asked, frowning slightly.
Kakyuu nodded, looking down at the printed information in front of her. "Yes, but she refused to tell him anything else. The others' names I think he got from the newspapers. As for your identity as a Senshi ... it, unfornutately, is a logical conclusion."
"The StarLights are Senshi, so their friends are probably Senshi." Rei sighed as she glanced over the email in front of her. "If this is everything she's said to him, why does Tsuki-chan think she's betrayed you? This is ... the reporters outside know a lot more dirt on us than anything she gave him."
"Unfortunately, she is just now beginning to realize that Meiya isn't what he's claimed to be. His opinion meant the world to her, she wouldn't even have come with me if he hadn't told her to." Kakyuu sighed, slumping into the chair. "Thankfully, she's vowed never to speak to him again. I only hope that ... if she does, she doesn't ..."
Usagi raised an eyebrow at the redhead's posture. She had never seen the other woman when she wasn't sitting ramrod straight, no matter what the situation was. "Learning that your father isn't the man you thought he was is quite upsetting, I'm sure."
Kakyuu smiled slightly. "Quite. Although, I think she's actually happy about that."
Rei frowned slightly. "Happy that her father has betrayed you?"
"Happy that her father isn't Meiya."
"Kakyuu-san?"
Kakyuu blushed and stared down at her folded hands in her lap. "Tsuki's parentage was never ... certain. Because she looked exactly like me when she was younger, Meiya ... he accused me of cheating on him."
"Wrong thing to say to the ruler of the world," Rei replied, smiling a little.
"Actually, I uh ... it would seem that she and Kageshirou have the ... uh, same biological parents." Kakyuu's face turned as red as her hair and she kept her eyes focused on her hands. "We didn't know before now because I refused to allow Meiya to have her blood tested and we never saw her get hurt."
Usagi glanced at Rei and smiled. "So Taiki-chan is Tsuki-chan's father? And she's happy about this?"
Rei smirked as the redhead nodded. "Then it looks as if we're going to have to have a baby shower when the StarLights come back. I'm sure Taiki-chan will be thrilled."
Kakyuu glanced over at Usagi and saw a slight frown. "I'm not sure that will be a good idea, Kumada-san. Tsuki is ... still getting used to the idea, but ... I think she wants to tell him herself. She even asked me if she could go to the other world to help with the search. She has never gotten along with the twins, she barely gets along with Mi-ko." She sighed slightly, looking back at the crystal storage devices. "I'm hesitant to let her go, though ... I know she wants to spend time with Taiki, but ... when Meiya finds out the truth ..."
"What do you think he'll do, Princess?" Usagi asked.
"That depends, I think, on if the child Lin is carrying is his. If it is, he will try to use it's safety to turn Usami to his side. And where she goes ..."
"The others may follow," Rei replied. "Especially ones that hate humans."
Usagi looked up at her long time friend, frowning. "The twins would never follow him."
Rei shrugged. "Meiya, no, not directly. But Usami-chan? They are sworn to protect her, no matter what. Just as we are sworn to protect you. Although, if you had started working for the enemy, we would have just kicked your ass."
Kakyuu chuckled softly. "The twins would do the same to Usami, but they aren't the ones I'm worried about. There are a million refugees here who want the war to end. And if they think they'll be able to go home, they would follow Meiya."
"Only as long as he is your husband." Usami smiled at the older women as she came into the room, carrying Rsin. "If you end the marriage, they will follow you, not him. And I will never follow him, whether or not the child is his."
"'Sami, I can't end the marriage. It was written into the peace accord that-"
"The peace accord that they violated when they kicked us off the planet." Usami sat down beside her mother, the green-haired girl immediately climbing into the redhead's lap. "And if I remember correctly, the exact wording was 'Neither Empress can end the marriage of any one couple for her own gain'."
Kakyuu frowned as the little girl snuggled up against her. "True, that is what it says. But ending my marriage to Meiya would be for my own gain."
"No it wouldn't. It would be to the benefit of your people, not just yourself," Rei replied.
"But that would still benefit Dema," Usami replied. "Like all Hrrrrunai contracts, the peace accord has loopholes. They never wanted to get themselves into a situation that they couldn't get out of."
"Where did you learn so much about Hrrrrunai dealings?"
Usami grinned. "From Kara. I'd love to use that training to ruin any plans of his that I can."
Usagi smiled a little. "So, Usami-chan, what are the loopholes in the peace accord?"
"It's in the wording. 'Neither Empress can end the marriage of any one couple for her own gain'." The black-haired Princess' grin widened as the others started to catch on. "Urani says that Enishi and Murikaz were married. Since they knew that Enishi and Uncle Seiya were still married when he left the planet-"
"Their Empress would have had to end all of the marriages before they could marry."
Usami nodded. "And, if I have the timing figured out correctly, isn't that when Kara wanted the two of you to renew your vows? Right before we left Kinmoku?"
Kakyuu's grin matched her daughter's. "Why yes, it is. Funny thing, that ... there wasn't a single officiator left on the planet. I wondered why Kaish made sure they left first."
"She's always been against marriage. I think she was happy to see them leave."
Rei smiled slightly. "Does this mean you're not married, Princess?"
"So it would appear. But I don't know for sure that she did end them all."
Usagi chuckled. "Then why don't you?"
"Fuminori." The grin faded and Kakyuu sighed. "She was the only reason I didn't consider it before. She and Kou actually chose each other."
"Fuminori-san is gone. I don't think it matters to her much anymore," Usagi replied.
Usami nodded slightly. "Kai and Mi-ko would understand, I'm sure. They already call Jinia-san, 'mama'. Plus Hikari-chan isn't legally a Kinmokunai and doesn't have any rights in our society, but if her parents were to get married, even in an Earth ceremony-"
"Okay, I get it. But I will have to look into the details of how-"
"Warriors Council."
Kakyuu frowned. "Just how long have you been planning my divorce from your father?"
"Since the day Tsuki was born."
"Tsuki, you don't have to do this. You can just wait until Taiki comes home to tell him."
Tsuki sighed. "Dema, this isn't just about telling him. Well, not completely. I can heal others as well as myself. And if the others are going to be fighting, they could use my help."
Kakyuu sighed. "But Tsu ..."
The youngest Kinmokunai Princess hugged her mother, then smiled sadly. "I want to prove to myself that what Meiya said isn't true. That I'm not just a spoiled brat. Or, at least ... that I can be more than that."
"If you get hurt-"
"I'll heal. Then Kagshirou will kick my butt. I am a Senshi, Dema. I haven't been in training all of my life for nothing."
Kakyuu sighed, realizing that she wasn't going to change the younger woman's mind. "I knew I'd regret letting Seiya teach you girls how to fight," she replied.
Usami smiled slightly, hugging her sister. "If you get hurt, Kageshirou will kick your ass. Then, as soon as you heal, I'll kick your ass."
"Princess, it's time to go," Argent replied, smiling slightly at the two sisters. She was as puzzled as the rest of them as to why the redhead suddenly wanted to go when she had so vehemently been against her sister going. The younger princess had argued that she was the best qualified to go, since she alone among the remaining Kinmokunai Senshi had healing powers. The rest of the children were forced to stay behind, with only Argent, her daughter and Sailor Pluto accompanying them.
"Don't worry, Kakyuu-hime. I'll take care of Tsuki-chan," Pluto replied. "Just don't let Persephone get the better of you."
Argent motioned the others back as she opened the portal to Gaea. The easiest access point was in the middle of downtown, so they had been forced to use an alternate location in an abandoned building. Argent's daughter, Aura, went first, followed by Tsuki. Pluto stepped up to the portal, only to hit some kind of barrier.
"What the-?!"
A tall woman with long purple hair appeared in front of her. "Daughter of Chronos, you cannot cross in to that world."
"S-Saturn?!"
"Hota-chan?"
The purple-haired woman looked between the green-haired woman and Kakyuu, since they had spoken. "I am Sailor Kiviuq, Guardian of the pathways between Gaea and other worlds." A long staff, taller than herself, appeared in her hands. On the end touching the floor, it resembled Pluto's Time Key. The other, looked like a longer version of the Silence Glaive, but with four blades instead of two. She positoned the blades in front of her, glaring lightly at Pluto. "You are not welcome there."
"Then let us go in her place."
Kakyuu turned to the new voices and frowned at the two women that had appeared. "Truli? Nami? Shouldn't you be on my son's ship?"
The younger of the two shook her head. Like her older brother, Tavek, Nami Kryshta had spent most of her life around the Royals and had a pretty good understanding of Japanese. "We're under direct orders from the Commander to follow if 'either of the Princesses gets it into her thick head to get involved'."
"But what could you-" Usami's jaw dropped as first Nami, then Truli, transformed into Senshi in front of her. "He never said he had Senshi on his ship. Brat."
"If you're going, hurry. The portal won't remain open much longer," Argent replied, frowning past Kiviuq.
The purple-haired Senshi motioned the two younger women forward. "Hurry, if Cronos finds the others before you do ..." She watched as they vanished, the portal closing behind them, then turned to face the green-haired woman. "She's likely to figure out how to get into this world."
Sailor Pluto watched in shock as the woman in front of her changed. The long purple hair turned green, the purple fuku shifted to blood red. "Get out of here, now!"
Usami grabbed her mother's arm and pulled her over to Argent. As she teleported them away from the building, she could hear the beginnings of Pluto's attack.
"Dead S-"
"KAI!"
Jinia nearly jumped off the couch as three women appeared in her living room. "What the- Princess?!"
Usami spun to face the group on the couch and saw a black-haired StarLight. "Who-Hikari?"
Chibi StarHealer turned to face the other girl, dropping to one knee in the same fluid motion. "Princess."
Seeing the look on Kakyuu's face, Kai stood, putting Yo-Ichi on the couch. "What's happened?"
"No! Usami, you can't-"
"Pluto's under attack. Urani, keep my mother here!"
Urani nodded, standing. Jinia jumped to her feet as well as Chibi StarHealer stood. "You can't be serious. You can't fight this ... whatever it is!"
"Then who should? You're forgetting, mom, that several of this dimension's warriors aren't even here right now." Chibi StarHealer frowned, moving to stand beside Usami. "Gomen nasai, okaa-san. I have to."
"Hikari ..."
"Usami, no!"
"Hiko!"
As the black-haired princess teleported herself and her friends away, the three older woman collapsed, unconscious.
