A new future

Are we in the right place?

The scent of the sea filled Bunny's nose. When her vision finally cleared, she found herself standing in front of a cave on the beach. The white sandy shore and the soothing sound of the ocean were so different from the barren landscape she had been in before. Helios stood beside her, still holding her hand.

"Are you sure we're in the right place?" she whispered to him, but at that moment, she froze. Behind her, she heard his voice. "Bunny." It was Mamoru. She turned around in slow motion and looked at him. When she could move again, she ran toward him, crying, and into his arms. Mamoru stroked her back, concerned.

"Bunny? What happened?" he asked. But Bunny couldn't answer him yet. She pressed her head against his chest and tried to stop her tears.

"Come, let's go a bit deeper into the cave, and we can seal the entrance again and discuss everything calmly," Helios said gently.

They settled inside the cave, and Helios sealed the entrance they had just come through. Finally, Bunny found her voice and began to tell Mamoru everything that had happened in his dream world the first time she was there. Mamoru listened thoughtfully, but he didn't interrupt her. When Bunny finished, there was silence. Mamoru leaned against a wall, and Bunny took a step toward him.

"Mamoru, what happened wasn't your fault. None of it."

"Bunny is right. We need to look forward. Aislinn is still weakened, even though her power is slowly and steadily increasing. We still have an advantage. Now, you two are united," Helios interjected.

Mamoru lifted his head and looked at both of them.

Meanwhile, with Seiya and Chibiusa:

Since Chibiusa's room was in the basement, both of them could climb out through the window without much difficulty. They reached the car unnoticed. "If Bunny finds out about this, she'll kill me," Seiya whispered before he started driving.

"For now, we have to make sure she doesn't get killed. We can worry about everything else later."

Brrr... brrr... brr... Chibiusa's backpack rang. She frantically searched for her phone. Seiya couldn't help but smirk; she looked very much like Bunny in that moment.

"Yes? Hello, Hotaru? .... I see ... yes ... we're on our way .... okay .... all right, see you soon."

"What did Hotaru want?" Seiya asked.

"Nothing special. She mainly wanted to know if everything went well and if we're on our way."

Seiya finally pulled up in front of the house he had visited earlier in the morning. They had just gotten out of the car when the door was already opened for them.

"Good evening, both of you. Come inside. Michiru and Haruka are in the back living room; we can go right through," Hotaru greeted them.

It was a large living room but sparsely furnished. "How did it go?" Haruka wanted to know right away. "She's gone. I hope your plan works, and we'll be with her soon."

"We hope so too, which is why we shouldn't waste any time. Neptune Power, Make Up," came from Michiru, who then transformed into Sailor Neptune.

"Uranus Power, Make Up."

"Moon Crystal Power, Make Up."

"Star Fighter Power, Make Up."

"Saturn Power, Make Up."

The little girl with her black-green hair sat on the blanket, surrounded by the Sailor Warriors, watching the spectacle of transformations with rapt attention. Saturn picked up Setsuna and sat down on the slightly separate sofa with her. Chibi Moon picked up the Key of Space-Time, Neptune held up her mirror, and Saturn her sword. All four of them positioned themselves in a circle, and Chibi Moon also raised the key. All three objects began to glow. Everyone watched expectantly to see what would happen. But the glow faded away. Setsuna made a delighted cooing sound, but disappointment spread across the faces of all the others.

"Well, that worked out great," Fighter muttered.

"Did you have a better suggestion?" Uranus countered.

The little girl on the sofa suddenly waved her arms wildly and signaled to Saturn where she wanted to go. Saturn picked her up and approached Chibi Moon slowly. Setsuna kept reaching for the key. "Here, do you want it back?" Chibi Moon asked the little one and handed her what she was asking for. The moment her fingers touched the key, the symbol of Pluto appeared on Setsuna's forehead, and the mirror, sword, and key immediately began to shine again.

"Quick, hold hands. The Gate of Space and Time is about to open. Just concentrate on where you want to go," Saturn shouted. Everyone quickly held hands with their neighbors. Saturn was right, as soon as the circle was closed, the space around them began to spin. "Bunny, my darling, I just want to be with you. Where are you?" Seiya thought, conjuring up images of his wife in his mind. They all felt a tingling sensation throughout their bodies. They felt weightless at times.

Finally, they had solid ground beneath their feet again. They blinked cautiously several times. They were on a beach, with the endless blue ocean in front of them, soft sandy shores under their feet, and a high cliff behind them, towering meters into the sky.

"Where are we? Are you sure we're in the right place?" Chibiusa asked, still feeling slightly disoriented.

"It looks more like a vacation to me. Bunny said she was in a rocky desert last time... Did you all make sure to think of her?" Fighter wanted to know, addressing Neptune and Uranus.

"Of course, we thought of the princess. We have a mission to fulfill, after all. She must be somewhere around here," Uranus snapped back. While the three of them were arguing, Neptune walked toward the sea. She took off her shoes and let her feet be surrounded by the cold waves. Near water was where she could think best. Lost in thought, she closed her eyes and focused on her other senses. A touch brought her back to the present.

"Are you lost in your own world again? Come on, let's see if we can find her around here," Uranus whispered to her.

"They are here somewhere, very close. I could feel them," Neptune replied. None of them suspected that they were only a few meters away from their friends. Fighter paced restlessly up and down the beach. "Where are you, my darling?" he thought, scanning his surroundings.