A new future

Without you

It has been a year now since the last battle against Galaxia. Bunny and her friends can finally enjoy a normal life, but a lot has changed. The girls have graduated from school, and the seriousness of life lies ahead for them. But before that, they all want to go on vacation together one last time. They've rented a beautiful house by the beach and are getting ready to leave. Rei, Ami, Makoto, and Minako are already at the train station, waiting for Bunny as usual.

"Where is she again? She's never on time! We should have picked her up," Rei complains. "She'll probably be here soon. You know her," Ami tries to reassure her. "I'll try calling her," Makoto says, taking her phone out of her backpack. "Bunny? Where are you? Our train leaves in 5 minutes!... I see... Okay... Sure." Everyone stared at Makoto in anticipation. "Well?" they all asked at once. "She's on her way."

"The train will be arriving shortly on platform 2. Attention on the platform," suddenly, the announcement echoed. 

Everyone watched the stairs, wondering if Bunny would make it to the train. Just as the train was pulling in, the four of them saw Bunny's blonde hair running up the stairs. "Bunny, come on, hurry up, the train is already here!" Rei shouted at her. "Don't be so mean, Rei! I'm here already. Help me with the suitcase instead!" Bunny shouted back. "What's wrong with your suitcase?" "The wheels on one side broke. If that hadn't happened, I would have been on time too." Bunny was close to tears. She still had her moments of clumsiness.

A short while later, everyone had found their seats, and the vacation could begin. Minako sat down next to Bunny. "Hey Bunny, do you know what happened a year ago today?" she asked her friend, looking sadly out of the window. Bunny knew exactly what day it was. One year ago today, she had said goodbye to Seiya on the school rooftop. One year ago today, he took a piece of her heart with him to his planet, leaving her behind without a final clarifying conversation. Bunny loved Mamoru, and she knew he was her destined future, but Seiya couldn't escape her thoughts throughout the year. Bunny nodded sadly to Minako. "I wonder if Yaten still thinks of me," Minako continued, but Bunny was once again lost in her own thoughts.

Mamoru was always so mature and serious. They picked up where they had left off. At first, it was wonderful for her to have Mamoru back after the long separation. But especially as the anniversary of Seiya's departure approached, she found herself thinking about him more and more. Suddenly, Bunny was brought back from her thoughts as Rei waved her hands right in front of her face. "Earth to Bunny?! We asked you something." 

She shook her head for a moment. "Um, sorry, what was that? I was lost in thought." 

"We wanted to know if you remembered the key to the house. We're almost there." Panicking, Bunny rummaged through her handbag. "Yes, here it is." She pulled the key for the house out of her bag with a smile. It was a small house right by the beach. After the friends had unpacked, they changed into their swimsuits and headed to the shore.

In the evening, Bunny sat on the porch, gazing at the stars. One star shone particularly brightly. "Seiya. It's been a year now since you left me, and I still often think of you. I hope you're doing well on your planet. Mamoru is very good to me, but why can't I get you out of my head." 

Her phone interrupted her thoughts. Mamoru. Her heart skipped a beat. "Hello?" 

"Hey Bunny, I just wanted to hear if you arrived safely." 

"Hello Mamoru, yeah, my suitcase is broken, and we almost missed the train, but everything worked out. The beach is beautiful. I wish you could see it."

 "Yeah, that would be nice, but I have exams at the university soon, so I can't leave. Take care of yourself, Bunny. I love you." 

"I love you too, Mamoru." She hung up and looked up again, the bright star from earlier had disappeared.

When Bunny entered the living room, "Search for your love" was blaring at full volume. Minako was sitting on the couch with a huge pillow on her lap, surrounded by a massive pile of tissues. All the dams had burst for her. Yaten had been gone for a year now without a message from him. "What's going on here?" Bunny wondered. Makoto whispered to her, "Minako still loves Yaten, and he never contacted her. Amy accidentally let slip that she regularly writes to Taiki. Well, you can see the result. The song has been playing on loop for half an hour now." Bunny's eyes widened. "Wait, Amy writes to Taiki? How is that possible? They're on their planet!" "Amy and Taiki developed a system together. If you want to know more, you'll have to ask Amy how it works. Anyway, let's eat for now." Makoto had once again worked her magic in the kitchen and prepared a delicious dinner for her friends. Minako sniffled a couple more times and joined them at the table.

Bunny shared a room with Minako. Both were in bed; the day hadn't been easy. Minako was still sniffling softly, yearning for Yaten and his green eyes. Bunny, on the other hand, caught herself thinking about Seiya again. Seiya was the one who always made her laugh. How many times had she cried on his shoulder because of Mamoru? Yet he was always there when she needed him. "Oh, Seiya, why didn't you ever reach out? I miss you. It's not the same without you," Bunny sniffled too and eventually fell asleep, exhausted.