💫 Drops of Starlight 💫
By Strawberry Moon Rose
🍓🌙 🌹
Josephine Wall is one of my favorite artists, and the world I'm trying to describe is straight up any of her paintings. Before or after this chapter, please type her name into Google Images to see what I'm trying to refer to because words can't possibly do it justice.
Also, the article of clothing Seiya is wearing in this chapter is inspired by a beautiful SeiUsa drawing by veganimegirl.
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Chapter 27: The Cosmic Valley
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Later that night, after they had given Rei and Luna a lengthy recap of their encounter with Nephrite, Usagi stepped into a warm, soothing shower. Cleansed of the sweat and grime from the battle, she emerged refreshed and invigorated, ready to face the daunting task ahead. She slipped into her pajamas, her damp hair cascading down her back.
As she entered the bedroom, she found Seiya patiently waiting for her.
"You really want to do this now?" Usagi asked, tugging on her hair. She flipped it over her shoulder and adjusted the strap of her pajama top.
"Yes," Seiya said. "We can't say when the next attack will come, and I couldn't bear it if you got hurt."
"So...how do we do this?"
"It'll be easier if I show you." Seiya motioned for Usagi to join her in the middle of the bed.
Skeptical but intrigued, Usagi climbed onto the mattress and settled on her knees across from Seiya. "Don't we need to transform to make my new tier?" she asked.
"No, not this way."
"Are you sure?"
Seiya smiled up under a raised eyebrow. "Bun Head, do you trust me?"
"Of course I do."
"Then take my hands."
Without hesitation, Usagi placed her hands into Seiya's open palms.
"Now what?" she whispered. It was quiet, making the sound of her heartbeat audible in her ears. When Usagi had gotten a glass of water from the kitchen a few minutes prior, Rei was already snoring on the couch - no doubt exhausted from her travels to Tokyo. They were the only ones up.
"First I need you to relax," Seiya teased. "I can feel you trembling."
"No, I'm not!"
"It's okay. You haven't done this before. I'll lead..."
She ignored Seiya's questionable word choice and closed her eyes. Usagi focused on taking slow, deliberate breaths. Her shoulders sank and her body settled into a comfortable position. Seiya's hands were warm, slightly rough, but gentle.
"Focus on clearing your mind. Ignore any distractions."
Usagi didn't mention that Seiya herself was enough of a distraction, but she did as she was told. It all felt a little silly, and doubts crept in about whether meditation could really unlock a new weapon. Was this some sort of weird Kinmokian ritual?
After a few minutes, Seiya continued, "Now, I need you to lower your defenses. Open your heart, your mind, and your body for me..."
"Seiya!"
"I'm serious! You're going to feel a portion of my energy, but it won't work if you don't let me into you."
"F-Fine..."
"Good girl."
A few moments later, Usagi felt a strange tingle at her fingertips. It tickled in a pleasant way and caught her by surprise. Usagi's eyes nearly shot open, but she regained herself and allowed her body to accept the Starlight's power flowing in at their joined hands.
The sensation crept up, caressing her wrists, spreading to her elbows, shoulders, chest, stomach, and across every inch of her body. It was almost pleasurable and her breath hitched in surprise. This time she couldn't help it when her eyes peaked open. Usagi was wonderstruck to find they were no longer in her bedroom.
"Seiya!" she gasped.
They were standing outside, amidst a beautiful, otherworldly meadow. Vibrant, long grass tickled her ankles and a warm breeze carrying the floral fragrance of spring kissed her face. Usagi looked around in amazement, taking in the rainbow-colored sky, twinkling with thousands of brilliant stars, even though it was daytime. Majestic mountains lined the faraway horizon. A unique butterfly danced right in front of her face, its iridescent wings shimmering in a kaleidoscope of colors.
"Where are we?" Usagi asked in awe. She turned towards Seiya, and her breath caught.
Seiya was now wearing a beautiful, flowing blue dress with delicate spaghetti straps adorned with golden beads on her shoulders. The lightweight material swayed gracefully in the wind, revealing a high slit that exposed one of Seiya's long, toned legs, complemented by matching blue heels.
Usagi glanced down to find herself in Princess Serenity's cream and gold gown. She looked at the Starlight in confusion, and Seiya smiled, captivating the essence of a radiant princess from another land.
"We call it 'The Cosmic Valley,'" Seiya explained. "Think of it as another realm, much like that place you once told me about, the one that Helios watches over."
"Are we actually here?"
"No, not physically. We're still in your room. But don't worry, when we return, no time will have passed at all."
"You've been here before?"
"A few times." Seiya pointed in one direction towards a sizable willow tree. At least it resembled a willow tree, though there was something metaphysical about it. "That's the direction we need to go for your new tier. It's how I harnessed the power of my new star yell."
Usagi nodded, trying to take it all in. The world of bursting pastel colors was like an exquisite painting and Seiya fit right in wearing that stunning gown. She had never seen Seiya wear anything so feminine, but it suited her like it was custom-made.
Seiya noticed her staring and smiled mysteriously. She recognized Usagi's dress right away - she had transformed into it when Chibi Chibi's starseed bestowed her the power to fight Galaxia. But Usagi had never seen her in this form before, and if Seiya was being honest, she liked the way Usagi was looking at her.
She extended her hand, and the moon princess took it while casting a shy smile. Their fingers interlaced, and they made their way toward what looked like the tree of life.
The sun caressed their faces in a nourishing warmth, making Usagi feel at peace. She wished they weren't on a mission so she could lie down in this dreamy meadow beside Seiya, surrounded by all the exotic flowers and glittering, colorful sky.
Further along their path, they reached a small, tranquil stream they had to cross, and no bridge in sight. Its crystal waters sparkled invitingly in the sunlight.
Seiya kicked off her heels and lifted the hem of her dress, leading the way into the shallow water. Usagi followed suit, mirroring Seiya as the crisp water embraced their calves and bare feet.
Emerging on the other side of the brook, they found the moss-like grass was squishy beneath their toes. Usagi noticed her toenails were painted silver while Seiya's were shimmering gold. The small detail, for some reason, made her smile.
As they reached the tree, with its swaying tendrils of leaves cascading like emerald wisteria, Seiya parted the leaves like a curtain. She guided Usagi toward the oversized, textured trunk. It was so large, Usagi was sure all the sailor guardians could hold hands in a circle around the trunk.
"Sometimes, when I was younger," Seiya reminisced with a nostalgic smile, "I would sneak away here. I'd try to climb this tree. See that branch there? I never made it much farther than that," she admitted with a laugh.
"How do you know about this place?"
"The Princess brought us here one time when we were younger. It took me years to figure out how to return on my own. It's all about visualization, a skill the three of us have a natural gift for, being Starlights. It's how I showed you our planet and shared the story of Galaxia."
"I do remember," Usagi recalled that concert where she sat in the Ferris wheel. Seiya had used her powers to telepathically project what had happened to Kinmoku. Among those memories, one stood out - the Starlights, bathed in the soft sunlight of a similar meadow, surrounded by swaying grass. Fighter, holding hands with Princess Kakyuu, and the sun glittering around them.
"Does it take a lot of energy to do that?" Usagi asked. "I just...I remember you blacked out right afterward."
"That only happened because I was still weak from those injuries. But you don't need to worry now."
"I'm sorry. You were injured because of me, and then you used your powers to help me understand..."
Seiya patted one of her hair buns. "Don't apologize. I'm the one who leapt in front of Tin Nyanko's attack. And to protect you, I'd do it again in a heartbeat."
That's what I'm worried about, Usagi thought. And that's why I need to be stronger...
Seiya's voice turned softer as she continued, "But I haven't been here for years. This place holds nothing but beautiful memories for Yaten, Taiki, and me. But for our Princess, it brings too much sadness. She doesn't come here anymore."
Usagi couldn't fathom why such an enchanting world would make anyone feel anything other than bliss. Confusion knitted her brows, prompting Seiya to explain, "It reminds her of her parents, King Guihua and Queen Keika. They were the rulers of the Tankei kingdom of Kinmoku, where we all live. She has too many childhood memories of them playing with her as a young child here."
"Did something happen to Princess Kakyuu's parents?"
"Yes...". Seiya took a long pause. "No one knows what exactly. Their starseeds were stolen by Galaxia during the war, but when we returned home, their starseeds didn't."
Usagi cradled her arm to her midsection protectively. "But... But we released them all, Galaxia and I. They should have found their owners. I don't understand..."
"We don't either. But the truth of the matter is, they've been gone now for seven years, and we had to accept that for whatever reason, they weren't coming back. Our Princess had already been crowned before we first came to Earth, so when we returned, it wasn't new to her to rule on her own. But there were so many responsibilities the King and Queen took on, which made it pretty overwhelming at first. It would have been nice to have them and their sailor guardians around to help restore our planet. We had our work cut out for us, that's for sure."
"Princess Kakyuu's parents had sailor guardians of their own?"
"The Queen did, yes, four of them: Sailor Krypton, Sailor Xenon, Sailor Argon, and Sailor Neon. They died defending our planet during the war. It was at that point the Princess made the difficult decision to flee for planet Earth and we followed her here. Without the King and Queen and the three sailor guardians' help, we were no match for Galaxia."
"Three? But you just said the Queen had four sailor guardians."
"Oh. That's because we lost Sailor Xenon years before Galaxia. The Queen banished her because she turned on us."
"That's horrible." Usagi tried to imagine if Sailor Chibi Moon had guardians of her own one day. She would be in the same position, making a tough call to exile one of Chibi Moon's closest companions. Even though Usagi didn't see her own guardians very often anymore, they still meant the world to her. They were her friends. Were all sailor guardians not friends?
"What happened?" she asked.
"We were up against a faceless, malevolent force that went by the name 'Calamity'. Xenon fell in love with one of Calamity's generals, and that love clouded her judgement. The night our palace was invaded, he was destroyed, and she lost it. I was just twelve or thirteen when it all happened. Taiki, Yaten, and I were in the midst of our training at the time but got caught up in the middle of that battle by mistake. It was our real fight, and we weren't even officially crowned as sailor guardians yet. But, don't worry, between the three of us and Sailor Kakyuu, we managed to save the day."
"Princess Kakyuu is a sailor guardian too?" Usagi asked. She wasn't sure why that surprised her, but it did. Why didn't she transform during the Galaxia war?
"I guess there is a lot you don't know about my past, huh?"
"I guess so... I don't even know how you became a sailor guardian, Seiya."
"I'll share that story someday. But for now, we have a mission that's much more important."
Usagi nodded. They couldn't forget what they came to this world for, even if this realm stirred up memories for the Sailor Starlight.
Seiya gently rested her hand against the ancient tree trunk, motioning for Usagi to do the same. "This isn't an ordinary tree," Seiya explained in a quiet tone. "It possesses a unique power. If you provide it with a portion of your energy, it will offer you something in return. Focus on your desire for a new weapon, just as I'm sure you've done in the past."
"Got it." Usagi didn't have to be told twice. She wanted nothing more than to cleanse Nephrite of the evil in his heart. Naru deserved that much.
Usagi's lunar power flowed graciously and willingly. With her closed eyes, she wasn't aware of the pink aura radiating off her Serenity form. Her golden-blonde pigtails began to float as the mystical silver crystal's incredible power activated, coursing through her veins like a river of light.
Seiya hadn't anticipated feeling the surge of Usagi's energy. Their connection was meant to channel into the tree, but there it was, coursing through her, a current of warmth and pure essence. It caught her off guard, a sensation so compelling that it stole her breath. Seiya couldn't help but wonder if the magic was overflowing because of their joined hands, merging their powers in an unexpected way. It took all her concentration to not get distracted by the moon goddess. The Starlight refocused her attention to offering up her star power.
As they continued to focus their energy, a golden aura illuminated Seiya's form. Her signature ponytail, adorned with a matching blue ribbon, defied gravity, hovering around her like a shimmering halo. The synergy between the power of the moon and the power of the stars collided in an overwhelming force that threatened to knock them off their feet.
Usagi's grip on Seiya's hand remained tight. Together, they pushed through the surge of energy, navigating the turbulent magic.
As the phenomenon reached its peak, the tree came alive with a breathtaking display of colors. It pulsed like a cosmic nebula, casting shades of blue, green, purple, and pink, with stars and celestial bodies speckled amidst the ever-changing hues. The universe itself seemed to open before them.
The colossal branches began to sway, and the leaves rustled like whispers around them. Usagi opened her eyes and watched in amazement as a blinding orb of light descended gently from the branches, falling with the grace of a feather-light snowflake. It nestled into her open palms. Instinctively, she grasped it, and the light faded.
In her hands lay a brand-new tier with a sleek gold and sparkling pink design. At its core, an intertwined crescent moon and star formed the centerpiece. Two halves of a heart sparkled beneath, while iridescent pearls embellished the two-foot rod that extended down to the hilt she clung to. Even outside her sailor guardian form, she could feel the awesome power it contained, pulsing like a heartbeat.
"It's so strong," Usagi whispered. Her hopes soared.
"Yes, it is," Seiya said.
"Did we make this together?"
"Yes, but it was mostly you. Your light shines so bright."
Usagi smiled modestly, knowing she was blushing. She couldn't take her eyes off her gorgeous new tier. Her eyes prickled and she suddenly felt emotional, but she didn't know why. It had been so difficult trying to make it on her own, but it came so easily with a little help.
As the leaves of the willow continued to move, slivers of sunlight danced across the gleaming tier, like the mesmerizing patterns at the bottom of a pool. It glittered like precious diamonds as Usagi gently rotated it in her hands. The star and moon at its focal point reminded her of Fighter's star yell, which she had received from the very same place.
"Thank you," Usagi whispered, craning her neck up at the enchanting tree.
As if answering, the willow tree bent right to the wind, tickling her face with its spindly leaves.