Drops of Starlight

Chapter 42: Fortune Teller

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

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Chapter 42: Fortune Teller
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The night seemed to hold its breath, the crackling fire the only sound as the Starlights finished recounting their tale.

Usagi, still leaning into Seiya's comforting embrace, found her hand and held it. She'd had her fair share of difficult encounters as a sailor guardian. It wasn't easy, the job they were all fated to. But this? It was more than she had anticipated.

"Hmm," Haruka said, leaning back in her seat, letting the story simmer. The flames cast dancing shadows across her handsome features.

Seiya anticipated it - the unfavorable comments that would follow. She'd hear how this was indeed all her fault, how if she wasn't such an impulsive idiot, they wouldn't be in this mess. What were they thinking, telling the outer guardians all this? As if they needed any more reason to dislike them. To dislike her. Seiya had her defense lined up, prepared for the barrage of insults about to be hurled her way. But the criticism didn't come. Not really.

Hotaru was the first to speak. "I'm sorry you had to go through all of that."

"Indeed," Michiru agreed softly.

"It was a tremendous night for all." Keika looked at her daughter's guardians with compassion. She had relived that night many times, pondering if she had done the right thing.

"This began on Kinmoku a long time ago," Haruka said with caution, "but the fight is here now. In our solar system, on our planet. Like it or not, we can't stand aside and do nothing."

Seiya waited. Surely this was the calm before the storm.

"So now you know we're not the enemy," Yaten said, crossing her arms. "Or do you still have your suspicions?"

"You brought the enemy to our system," Haruka countered. "And if you hadn't shown up, neither would she. But..." She looked at Michiru, then Hotaru, and almost reluctantly, Setsuna.

"I believe what Haruka is trying to say," Michiru said after a long pause, "is that we assumed the worst when we discovered the monsters were from your planet. We were regretfully wrong."

"Is that supposed to be an apology?" Taiki murmured to Ami.

"I'm not really sure..."

"So that's it?" Yaten said rudely. "You accused us of attacking people here. Of being monsters ourselves."

"She's right," Minako piped up. "It wasn't fair to jump to conclusions."

Rei added, "You're not wrong to be skeptical of those beyond our solar system. But times have changed. We have a common enemy. We always have."

Usagi seized the moment, eagerly nodding in agreement. This was what she had been saying the whole time! "Yes, we're on the same side! We can trust each other!"

"And we've gotta fight together," Makoto agreed.

Haruka had to admit that hearing their story made her feel a touch more compassionate. Seiya had screwed up. Haruka understood how that felt. The thought of sacrificing Hotaru to defeat Mistress 9 still haunted her. Imagining a world without their little firefly, with the blood on Haruka's hands, sparked a pang of guilt she couldn't ignore.

The realization that even Xenon, amidst her quest for revenge, acknowledged Usagi's significance to Seiya, made Haruka ponder. Could it be that Seiya truly loved Usagi? The man seated just two chairs down clearly did not anymore. No matter her disapproval of Usagi's romantic decisions, Haruka understood that Usagi deserved genuine love after all she had been through.