Drops of Starlight

Chapter 41: Banishment

💫 Drops of Starlight 💫
By Strawberry Moon Rose
🍓🌙🌹

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Chapter 41: Banishment
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"What should we do?" Maker asked, struggling to keep pace with Fighter and Kakyuu while supporting Yaten. Despite her protests of being fine, Yaten transformed into Healer to prove her readiness.

"I need to find my mother," Kakyuu said. "She can get us somewhere safe."

Fighter, still reeling from defeating her first real foe with Kakyuu's help, argued, "What do you mean? We just showed what we're capable of! We can fight too!"

"Healer is in no position to engage in battle," Kakyuu countered. "We must get her to the infirmary."

Fighter knew better than to contend with her Princess. But she could see it in Kakyuu's topaz eyes - she knew they could do this. They were strong enough! To hell with the protocol. Weren't more sailor guardians an advantage? They were under attack, this was war!

An abrupt explosion sounded from the next wing, sending dust trickling down from the billowing ceiling. The Starlights exchanged frightened glances. Fear flickered on Kakyuu's countenance.

"Let's go," she ordered and sprinted off, her long red hair streaming behind her.

Fighter, Healer, and Maker looked at one another. They had no choice but to follow her.

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"You've been injured, Ruanyu!"

"It's alright."

"It's not alright! This happened to you because of me. We have to hide before you're found again."

"Xenon-"

"C'mon, follow me." The purple-haired guardian led him into a dim, hidden passageway of the palace, forgotten about centuries ago. Overwhelmed by pain, Ruanyu submitted without argument.

Huddling close, Sailor Xenon tugged at her dark grey sailor collar, tearing a long strip of fabric to fashion a makeshift bandage. She wound the cloth around Ruanyu's upper arm, securing it with a tight bow. Blood seeped through the material, but it would have to do for now.

"If we find the others, I'll force Keika to listen," Xenon insisted. "I'll make sure she helps you."

"Like Guihua helped me?" Ruanyu chuckled darkly. He had just barely escaped the King's attack. So much for trying to explain himself, it was clear Kakyuu's father didn't believe him when he'd said he was on their side. All the months of Ruanyu's double agency did them no favors.

Ruanyu grunted.  "Calamity's aware of us. The other generals are hunting me down.  I'm a target to both sides. I can't have you in the middle, Xenon. It's too dangerous. We need to leave, at least for now."

"Ruanyu..." Xenon's bottom lip quivered. His gloved hands cradled both sides of her face, his touch bringing forth even more emotion. How did it come to this?

To the inhabitants of the palace, Ruanyu was just another one of Calamity's evil generals who wreaked havoc on the city with shadowy, energy-sucking fiends. And to Calamity, he was a pitiful traitor who had fallen in love with a sailor guardian. They should have outed their relationship to Keika and explained their secret plan to take Calamity down. But it was too late, too dangerous now.

Xenon squeezed her eyes shut. This was all wrong. The other sailor guardians would never see that Ruanyu's love for her was legitimate. It was beginning to look like they would have to resort to plan B; running off together.