Fallen Stars: Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Sailor Moon or anything that comprises it. This is a non-profit story written solely for my own enjoyment and that of anyone who wishes to read it. The story and original characters are mine. Please don't use them without permission.

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Fallen Stars

- A Sailor Moon Fan-Fiction by Nutzoide -

Chapter 7: The Epilogue Arrives!

The Return to Whence They Came.

Minako wasn't known for being an early riser, but there were some things that could stop even her from sleeping in. Her imminent return to her home world from some warped fantasy one, for example. That is just the kind of event that will make anyone as excited as a child waiting for their trip to an amusement park.

Of course that left her with very little to do besides sit and twiddle her thumbs, but thankfully for her, her friends were in exactly the same boat. Well, Ami almost always rose early anyway, but that was Ami for you.

And, in typical Minako fashion, what else would she be doing but snooping out gossip? True, she had matured a great deal since her days of teaming up with Usagi to stalk their friends, but some things would never change. This time her definition of snooping just boiled down to a girl to girl chat in the back of their caravan as Rei packed and re-packed her belongings, making sure she had everything that she wanted to take back home. In all honesty Rei was happy to have the company. It had been a long time since she and Minako had just chatted.

"So come on Rei-chan," Minako wheedled, a cheeky but strangely innocent smile on her face. "Spill the milk already. What's it like?"

Rei just shook her head, though she didn't mind a bit. "What's what like?" she asked in reply, feigning ignorance.

"You know what what," Minako pouted. "The Mako-chan what. What's it like? What's -she- like? Is she really as spaced out as she looked when she was following all her sempai look-alikes?"

The mention of Makoto's old upperclassman made Rei frown, but she forced herself to let that go quickly. "She's not spaced out. She's a hopeless romantic." Rei paused and shook her head. "No, make that a hopeful romantic. I think the starry eyed thing is her looking for an opening to be romantic when someone is ignoring her."

"Do you think she'll be baking you cookies and stuff?" Minako asked. It was a pretty classic show of affection back in school after all.

Rei chuckled at that. "Knowing her, probably. I wouldn't mind a bit. Makoto-chan is a great cook."

"Makoto-chan huh? Or just 'Makoto' even. You really do like her, don't you?"

Rei nodded. "Yes. If I didn't, I wouldn't have let it go this far."

"This far?" Minako asked, her eyebrows rising and her grin growing larger. "Just how far have you gone."

Rei just gave her friend a withering look. "Far enough to know how I feel, and that's all you're going to get."

Minako just leaned back against the caravan wall and smiled. "So, is it like you thought it would be?"

Rei paused. "No. Not really."

"Oh?" Minako asked, caught by surprise. "Why not?"

Rei had thought about that a lot recently. "What's changed? I mean really changed. We've always had fun together, all of us, even though we all go to different colleges and universities. And if we could spend more time with each other, what would happen? I found out. Makoto-chan is still one of my best friends, she's just more than that as well. Nothing has changed, except that we're both happy to be closer to each other than friends are supposed to be."

The look Minako gave her was slightly incredulous. "You can't be serious."

"Really, I am," Rei replied in earnest. "I love her, but it's not a crush and I haven't fallen head over heels or anything. She's the one who had the epiphany. That just gave me the chance to realise that I like being closer to her."

She paused. "You know, I actually thought she would lose interest in me pretty quickly," Rei confessed. "What with all her 'sempai' turns and everything. But she was gentler and more sensitive than I thought she would be, and she still made me feel protected too. It scared me a little when I realised I really did like her as well. She makes me feel a little like Haruka-san does when she's got that charm dial of hers turned way up, or those pretty boys in my manga books, but without the predatory edge they have. It's just warm and comforting."

Minako's smile had slowly grown as Rei had talked. "You're dead wrong, Rei-chan. You're definitely head over heels."

Rei smiled with a touch of embarrassment. "No I'm not. I just like her, and she likes me. It's nice."

Minako just nodded, smiling ear to ear. "I bet."

---

Rei wasn't the only one thinking about relationships that morning. Haruka had wandered out beyond the vast camp, enjoying the sunshine and trying to be patient over seeing Michiru again. It was tantalising, know how close she was to seeing her partner again, and still being an entire world away.

The smell of her damp hair, the melodic singing of her violin, there wasn't much that Haruka couldn't feel of Michiru now, all etched into her memory. The second she got back she would lock them both in their bedroom for as long as she could get away with, and experience her all over again.

Haruka had thought there would be nothing that could ever make her forget every little thing that made up Michiru in her mind, but scarily that had turned out not to be true. It had only been two months or so, but little things had begun to seep away. She couldn't quite picture that knowing smirk Michiru wore when she played turnabout and flirted with a man right in front of her. She couldn't remember the words to the song she use to sing to Hotaru when the girl was still so small, even though Haruka had always listened in, in secret.

They were just little things, but they were enough to plant the seeds of worry inside her. Had it also been two months in Tokyo? What had Michiru done in that time? Was she still frantically looking for her, even though there must have been nothing they could have done? Did she still wait at night for her to magically re-appear? Had she and Hotaru moved on in their lives, knowing nothing could be done?

... Had Michiru been unfaithful too?

The worst part of that was that Haruka didn't even feel guilty, but she knew how hurt she would feel if Michiru had found someone else. Angry even. She just sighed and looked up to the cloud strewn skies. She would live with whatever had happened, and she would just have to hope that Michiru would do the same. They knew each other far too well to be idealistic about such things.

"Haruka?"

The tall, boyish blonde looked around to see Ami standing there, once again wearing her school uniform. It was only natural that she was the only one actually wearing anything suitable to return home in. However, what struck Haruka was hearing her name spoken so intimately from Ami. She was more used to it now, being the way everyone spoke in this world, but still...

Ami surprised her again when she stepped close and wrapped her arms around Haruka's waist in a gentle, friendly hug.

"Ami-chan," Haruka said, taken aback. "What is it? What's wrong."

Ami just smiled into Haruka's robe. "Nothing. I've just been very silly." She broke away and looked happily into Haruka's eyes. "Thank you for looking out for me, Haruka. I'm sorry I have avoided you over the last few days. That isn't the way a friend is supposed to behave."

Haruka finally returned the smile as she realised what Ami had meant. They had been avoiding each other, ever since that awkward goodnight at the Warlock's tower. Ami had seemed withdrawn since then. Haruka had made more than one attempt to involve her in what was going on, but with little success. At the time Haruka couldn't blame her. Their feelings were still confused when it came to each other, she knew, but she had tried not to let that get in the way of everything else.

Now Ami was doing the same. She hadn't wanted to get closer to Haruka, and in so doing she had ended up avoiding her. Simply hearing Haruka's concern for her over her shooting of that soldier in the battle at the manor had broken through the defences she had put up. But Ami could live with that. It wouldn't be the first crush she had ever had that could come to nothing.

"I'm sorry I've been making you uncomfortable," Haruka said, but Ami hushed her.

"It's too late for that," she replied. "Nothing you have done will make us think less of you, myself included. I'm just glad you aren't worrying around us any more."

She leaned up, cupping Haruka's jaw in her palm as she placed a light kiss on the taller girl's lips. A kiss that lingered as Haruka replied in kind.

Ami was blushing as they parted, but the smile she wore lit up her face. "We can still be friends, like we are supposed to be. As long as you are happy, I don't mind." Her eyes fell. "We can enjoy it for what it was, right?"

Haruka nodded. "Of course."

Ami's smile returned, even though her eyes were moist. "I know I can't win against Michiru-san, but I don't want to. I won't tell her, and I'll make sure the others don't either. Just remember to say hello every now and again, okay? We miss seeing you all when you disappear for so long."

"I'll try," Haruka replied. "I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, but we missed you too. We were just ashamed. Especially me."

Ami nodded. "And that was silly of you. So now we've both been silly we are even." She was about to turn back, but she paused.

"Thank you, Haruka-san. For everything."

Haruka smiled in reply. "You're not the only one who gets to say that, Ami-chan. Thank you."

The pair stood there for a moment, both wearing their faint smiles, before they went their separate ways. They both still had things to pack and people to say goodbye to after all.

---

"Are you sure you are ready, Makoto dear?" Juriere asked as they kneaded their dough together inside the family's caravan.

Makoto giggled a little and shook her head. "I'm sure." It was the fifth time she had asked since daybreak, and each time she sounded like just as much of a worrisome parent as the last. It was something Makoto had come to like about the woman - the fact that she was treated as a member of the family and not just as a guest.

"Leave her alone Mother," Jiyu said from the bunk on the forward wall of the mobile home. "She's going to be gone in less than an hour. You could be grateful that she wants to spend that time with you."

"'With us'," Maki corrected from the other end of the bunk.

Juriere looked down into her bowl. "I am. I will miss having a girl around after this, but surely there are other things you could be doing Makoto, not just baking with a worrisome old woman."

Makoto laughed at that. "Old? That's one thing you're not Juriere. Anyway, what should I do? I've got everything I want to take. I'd rather be with my family, especially after all this trouble we've caused."

"I don't know if you caused it, but you certainly helped remedy it," Jiyu countered. "And with considerable skill I might add."

"Thank you," Makoto beamed. "I hope you all get it to work out. Politics is so complicated."

Jiyu just shrugged. "That is for the old guys to sort out. We've done our part, at least for now."

"Exactly," Juriere agreed, "and you all came out of it safely. That is more than enough for me. What will you be doing when you do get back dear?"

Makoto found that she actually had to think about that. What was she doing back home? "I still have to finish my studies, I guess," she replied eventually. "I'll have to find myself a job, see all my friends again. And be a warrior for love and justice on the side!"

"Wow," Maki said to himself as he imagined his 'older sister' as an angelic swordswoman, riding through the world of the gods. "Do you wear shiny armour?"

Makoto chuckled, picturing the undersized sailor outfit that passed for her armour when she was Sailor Jupiter. "Ahhh, not exactly. It stands out though, that's for sure."

"Can I come and visit?" the young boy asked optimistically.

"I don't think it works like that," Makoto replied, "but don't forget me, or else I'll have to come back and punish you!"

Maki just grinned in response. "I won't, nuh-uh!"

It was only a few minutes later when Rin came in with the news. "Makoto, they are ready now. Rei says you should get your things."

Makoto let out a sigh as the silence hung from the sentence, rinsing her hands in the water bowl. "Okay. I guess it's time to go."

She and Jiyu's family filed out and into the large open circle, ringed with the thousands of people who had stayed the night with them. There in the grassy opening she took her place with the other Senshi as they all looked on. In the centre of that clearing stood Haruka, Desir, Kaori and every one of the Warlocks that had travelled with them.

All eyes were focused on Haruka as Master Daltass held her hands, feeling for the faint trace of otherworldliness he had sensed in her before. Kaori stood beside them, her consciousness reaching out around them as she searched for that thread. The other Warlocks waited for her signal, the tension growing palpably among the assembled throng. When that signal came the Warlocks completed their semi-circular chain and began pouring their own minds into Haruka's ethereal thread. Desir was not about to touch any of them, but with such a mass of magical energy focused on the tendril that linked Haruka and her home world, all she had to do was reach out and touch it.

The summoning power within her shot along the thread like a flame along spilt gasoline, and the Warlocks broke apart, leaving Haruka gasping in the centre of the clearing as a murky, purple black sheet of liquid reality floating upright above the ground, ringed with fire and shimmering like oil on water. The crowd withdrew, but the flowing portal grew no wider than ten feet and soon settled to hang just above the grass by Desir's outstretched hand.

"There it is," Master Daltass said, helping Haruka to her feet. "Well done my young woman. That must have felt interesting to say the least."

"No kidding," Haruka replied. "And do you really need to be exploring any more?" She took her hand from his.

Master Daltass just smiled. "Ah, my apologies, but you know how I like to take care of my apprentices."

Haruka just shook her head. It was a bit late for last minute communing, but she knew what he was like.

Over with the others Makoto said her goodbyes, giving her nomadic surrogate family hugs in turn. "Thank you for everything you have done for us," she said, and she turned to Rin. "Look after them all for me."

Rin nodded and accepted the hug. "I will."

"You too Jiyu," Makoto added as she gave the eldest his hug. Jiyu didn't reply, but just smiled.

"I don't get a goodbye hug?" Tachi asked from the side, but Makoto wasn't about to forget him either.

"And you girls please take care of Makoto for us," Juriere said to the others as Makoto finished her farewells, feeling herself tear up as she did.

Rei nodded. "We will. Don't worry Mrs. Juriere."

"By the way," Ami asked Rin, "isn't Kimiko here?"

Rin just shook his head.

"Why?"

The boy looked down at the ground. "She said not to tell."

Ami nodded with a sad smile. Maybe the girl just didn't like goodbyes. "Then please tell her that we wish her good luck."

Rin nodded. "I will."

With that the girls took up their bags and turned towards the shimmering circle that would take them home. "You know," Haruka said under her breath, "there's no guarantee this will take us back to Tokyo. We're the guinea pigs in this one."

The idea wasn't one they liked. Who knew if it would get them anywhere safely? But Minako just shrugged. "Nothing adventured... right? It sounds like they've worked it out pretty well to me."

Haruka smiled at the optimistic blonde. "True." She turned to the Warlocks and bowed, receiving a bow from each of them in return.

"Good luck," Master Daltass said with a twinkle in his eye.

Standing the other side Desir just smiled at them all. "Well kids, that's all for this world. It's been fun."

Rei gave her own personal bane a deadpanned stare. "No, it hasn't. I would say I'd miss you, but I think good riddance is more appropriate."

"Awww," Desir pouted, "after this you never have to see me again. Don't I even get one kind word, my little Rei?"

Rei scowled, but looked away. "You saved my life, so thanks. But that's all you get."

If her grin was any indication Desir didn't seem to mind a bit. "That's better. Have fun girls, and don't do anything I wouldn't!"

"Fat chance," Makoto muttered with a smile. She took Rei's hand and they gave each other a final glance before they both stepped into the rippling darkness.

"'Bye everyone!" Minako waved before she too hopped into the portal, finally followed by Ami and Haruka as they stepped through together.

A few people cheered, the few who knew them shed a quiet tear, but as Desir took her hand away the portal just shrank away without so much as a clap of thunder or a puff of smoke.

Once again, the Seraphi had left Seiji just as mysteriously as they had appeared.

---

Desir watched with bated breath as Rei and Makoto stepped through the portal.

Then Minako, and Ami, and Haruka.

She waited as the shimmering purple-black sheet slowly shrank until the flaming circle become a pinprick in the air. Then it just ceased to exist. And nothing had happened.

Desir smiled, and that smile widened until it threatened to split her orange face in two. That grin bared the blades of bone that were her teeth, glinting in the sun, while everyone else assumed the spectacle was over. It had worked. It had -worked-!

All her planning and scheming for this one chance, and it had paid off! Her sorceress no longer existed in this world, but the pact had not been annulled! No sudden wrenching back to her harsh, unforgiving birthplace. No explosion of demonic essence into the air. Nothing. She was free!

Free! The concept was the holy grail of any demon or demonette who had ever experienced another world! No more animal survival or scheming one-upmanship back in 'hell'. No more bending and scraping to the sorcerer's every whim. All she had to do was stay within the guidelines of the pact that had been made, and she could live however she liked. Without the sorcerer to interpret it every which way, and dish out the punishment when their ideas were overstepped, it was perfection as far as any bound being was concerned.

Then a hand lighted on her shoulder, she felt her power wrap itself around her as if it were a straightjacket, and her exultation shattered like sugar-glass. She turned to see Daltass standing there, a pleased, unthreatening smile on his face. The spell had already been cast. She had just been careless.

"I don't suppose we can come to some kind of agreement?" she asked, but Daltass just shook his head with that same languid smile.

Desir sighed in defeat. "You jammy bastard. After the portal and that butch looker... you're going to be so sick after all this, you know that?"

Daltass nodded. "I think I shall live." He pushed a little further, his eyes losing focus as he did.

"Hey, get out already!" Desir exclaimed, already powerless thanks to the all but completed banishment spell. "Whatever you're doing you'd better stop or when I get called back up I'll make your ancestors wish you were never born!"

Daltass' eyes re-focused and his smile returned. "Just a little something to keep you otherwise engaged."

Then, before Desir could issue her ready retort, Daltass' hand left her shoulder, and the banishment took effect. With a scream and a single almighty lurch, like receiving a charging elephant to the small of the back, Desir was wrenched from reality and sent hurtling back between worlds.

She knew this little joke of fate's was going to stay etched on her mind for a long, long time. Just like the Seraphi, she was headed home too.

"Oh... Bugger it!"

---

The End

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Author's note: Only eight parts, two of which weren't even full length chapters, and it still took the best part of ten months to write! So, there you have it. Now I just have to see about getting around to a sequel! '

Please send any comments and constructive criticism are always greatly appreciated, and there is no better reward for a writer than to hear back from the readers.

Many thanks to Richard King for his proofreading assistance.

(c) Nutzoide 2006