The clear eyes opened, no gentle romantic flutter of eyelids, and the teenager with russet brown skin sat up, and observed. A few things immediately came to her notice:

• They were no longer under attack.
• The cackling man that had chased her was missing.
• The leafy maze was gone.
• The other sailor soldiers that her core had called out to were nearby.
• The warmth that had overwhelmed her no longer hummed within her core.

In fact, her core felt suspiciously vacant. This may have been the way it once was, when she wandered the surface of her home and completed the tasks that tugged at her mind and compelled her body, but so many strange days had passed since then. That power that welled up within her, which she could channel towards the others on this journey with her, had become a part of her. Yet now, the stillness stretched out, removing a previously-unnoticed background hum within that chamber.

She didn't know what to think of it.

Crysdal blinked, staring up at the wooden ceiling of a room, and took a tentative breath, her gaze trailing to strip of open sky. Releasing her breath, she followed the sky, rolling over to prop herself up on her bare elbow, taking in the view of the gardens and the palace wall and sites of the city beyond without all of the oppressive smoke or the patrolling chaotic creatures. For a moment she didn't really comprehend what she was looking at; she just enjoyed looking.

She was alive. 

The thought felt curious - of course she was alive - but as she furrowed her brow at it, she heard the soft breathing from the others around her and the realization suddenly hit her and struck home with an entirely new weight. 

They were alive. 

She sat up, frantically glancing at each in turn, just to make sure, and as that acute fear was put to rest, the weight lifted. They survived. Against all odds, they had lived. On second glance she was struck by their odd outfits, the different fashions and styles standing out drastically against the pretty uniform skirt-and-collar uniforms she had gotten so accustomed to seeing on them, even if at the end they were probably a terrible sight for poor Shen with how disheveled they had become. Glancing down, she ran her hands over the soft fabric of her short pants - pants, no longer a skirt with tights caked with mud and blood and who knew what, and ended up letting out a short bark of laughter, startling herself with the sudden noise, which made her laugh again. The sensation, the sudden relief of stress, was enough to keep her going despite the tears that sprang up as more emotions let loose. Hugging herself, she laughed and cried at the same time.

They were alive. 

Crysdal Detransformed:

"Mom, I don't want to practice magic anymore..."

Ari had been having a strange dream. One where she had been forced to practice magic spells over and over until she felt completely drained. Everyone was there. Her mother, father, Bas, Hadley, Crysdal, Nyx and Hemera, Sam, Hex, the Crone and the Hermit...everyone. Watching her, forcing her to give it her all.

Then she was awake. Confused, but awake. She looked around from where she lay, seeing a few of the others were there with her. They looked different. Ari looked to her right. Hadley lay next to her, in a different outfit, making Ari realize she too had de-transformed. Her hair back in its normal brown braid and she in her school robes. The ones she had been wearing the day Sailor Jin arrived on Bastet. As she moved to sit up, she found Bas had curled up against her left, sleeping. He must be as tired as she felt. They were, after all, connected in a way.

She noticed others began to awaken as well. Looking out of the room they were in, she could see the gardens, once a chaotic maze, now beautiful again and notably a lot less bunnies as well as horrid chaos beings. In fact, despite the destruction beyond in the city, it was rather peaceful. Ari could even make out Sailor Nix and Sailor Panzer waking up in the gardens.

Had they really done it?

A laugh startled her from her stunned silence. It was Crysdal, laughing and crying, the sight causing a smile to form on her face. Tears bubbled up as well.  They really had done it and survived. After all the horrible and awful things they experienced, all the deaths, they did it.

Ari cried in happiness.

Ari Detransformed:

The last thing she remembered was being hit by the chaos general, before everything turned to endless white. And now she opened her eyes to the expanse of blue sky, with beautiful white clouds parading past. Probably the Galaxy Cauldron, though it wasn’t quite as she imagined it. Then again, how had she imagined it? Something more otherworldly, she supposed. She just lay there for a while, enjoying the peaceful feeling. Noises from elsewhere soon caught her attention, however, so she glanced to the side.

The palace from earlier was still there. A bunch of strangers in various clothing lay in a heap inside. And then, when she sat up, she saw Sailor Panzer. Oh, no. Had she died too? Nix had promised to come back for her…

A mix of laughter and crying came from the group of strangers, and Nix wondered if they were being reunited in the afterlife. But this was… the planet she’d landed on earlier, wasn’t it? Or was it? The bunnies had been an illusion, however briefly. She didn’t know what to believe anymore. Maybe this was an illusion, too. The Cauldron showing them the last place they’d known just to make it more familiar or comfortable.

Nix looked at Panzer, questioning.

She was glad to see Nix move, at least. The blonde regarded the area and then turned towards her. Sailor Panzer attempted to move further, but found that even the action to sit up had been exhausting. Her injuries were severe; she doubted she'd be able to stand. Although this world looked peaceful enough at the moment, she couldn't shake the concern that they might be attacked once more. She couldn't do anything about that threat either, unfortunately.

"I think they won," she managed, her voice sounding weaker than she had expected. She hoped Nix would be able to hear her.

"...I was out for how long...?"

Three days... They knew they were putting their entire energy in this joint attack, but still...

"...What about her? Is she alright?"

She glanced at the bed at the opposing well. It seemed like she was just stirring up as well. Heh... Perfectly in sync, even in unconsciouness.

She grinned at her. "We did it..."

~~~

The sensation was all too familiar. How long was she out this once? Minutes? Hours? Days? She couldn't tell.

But she wasn't here this time, right?

Revenge was finally hers... Now what?

She glanced around. It looked like everyone was alright. Well, probably everyone. She didn't immediately jump into counting. The entire place too, despite the still evident destruction, was no longer a chaotic mess. No more fires everywhere. No more of those dark creatures flying around.

Everyone's transformations had come undone, which caused her to become slightly self-conscious. Compared to most of the others, it felt a little awkward to be in her long princess gown at this place. She hadn't really thought that she had to change clothes right before transforming into different clothes, after all.

Well... That was the least that mattered.

Everything felt calm and warm. Like being next to a warm fire as grandmother told her stories long into the night.

The image shifted and dissolved as, slowly, her eyes opened to the sounds of crying and laughter. Frowning a little, Hadley rose up, feeling something cool and soft shift about her legs, which only caused her frown to deepen.

She glanced down and the sight of green silk and embroidered chiffon that once had been so familiar now looked out of place.

Furrowing her brows, Hadley looked over to her side and saw Ari crying. Or was that Ari? The face was the same, and the purple-furred ears were still there, but her hair was different... She wanted to ask if everything was alright, but Hadley couldn't find her voice.

Her mind was vastly blank, like a puzzle with too many missing pieces, and she couldn't quite parse what was going on around her. She spotted Crysdal both laughing and crying, and that did nothing to help the confusion.

Taking in a deep breath, Hadley tried to remember what had happened. Memories came to her, distant and fuzzy, as if she were watching them happen to a different person altogether. And then, whiteness, encompassing all.

Had they all died?

She looked around once more, noticing the faces of her comrades and friends, and then properly taking in her surroundings as well. She saw gardens, now no longer tinged with the evil of Chaos, and a new, somewhat even stranger, thought occurred to her.

Had they won?

OOC:

Alive. The odd giddiness wore off as her mind connected dots between what she was seeing and what she was feeling, her steady gaze on Panzer and the other Nyx finally penetrating her tired mind. They were hurt. Collecting herself, she stood, exhausted but able, and stepped down into the garden, the manicured grass tracing soft lines across her ankles and the tops of her feet, the sensation suddenly noticeable after so long in the boots of her transformation. Odd thoughts worked their way though - the color of the sky, the sudden quiet of their surroundings, the similarities and differences between this garden and that of her family; walking lightly across a decorative bridge spanning a small brook, she wondered if Elysande would've liked it here. Or Gabriel. The pair of foreign senshi were just ahead; she opened her mouth to offer to help. Or Sam. 

Her mouth hung open as dread drowned her, guilt and fear at once holding her back as she realized she hadn't seen Sam - not since before - she couldn't be - "Sam?!" The high, desperate call tore from her throat as she turned immediately back towards where the entrance of the maze should have been. "Sam?!" 

Was she hurt?! She had just fallen, right?!

She took off, angling away from the senshi on the ground before her, wanting to run, to search, to check everywhere that the maze had been for her missing friend, but her steps were halting: first a burst of speed then a shuddering halt as optimism fought realism, her body jerkily doubling over at random to check under tall shrubbery or around bends, her eyes searching the gardens as her heart desperately tried to believe that there was still hope even as it knew Sam was gone. 

And she had left her. 

She tripped, landing on outstretched hands, and just stayed down.

---

Shen stirred, the child's hands raising to rub at her eyes as she sat up and looked around, her expression closing as she realized she wasn't where she thought she had been and wasn't surrounded by who she thought she would have been. Her movements hesitant at first, she reached towards the Tapestry Crystal on the floor beside her, eyeing the girls anxiously as she snatched it up and held it close to her chest. "Y-You can't have it -" she stated quietly, visibly flinching when Crysdal's call from the gardens, softer here, reached them. She kicked against the floor, one sock catching on her green kimono as she tried to put distance between herself and the strangers. 

A single rabbit popped into existence beside her, red eyes glowing as it sniffed the air warily.

The child jerked suddenly, her hands jumping apart as though burned, her eyes wide and confused. A red glow emanated from her green robes, the Tapestry Crystal activating, and Shen clapped her hands together to catch it, whimpering as it touched her skin. More rabbits appeared out of nowhere, surrounding her, staring, their bodies twitching in agitation. The girl's eyes shut tight as the crystal fought her, trying to break free. "You can't!" the child cried, "You can't! You have to stay with me! I have to hide you!" 

Still the crystal pulled, forcing her hands above her head, pulling her farther, making her stand, "Please!" she begged, tears streaming down her young face, "Please! Mama said I have to hide you! You can't go!"

Sensing Hadley stir beside to her, Ari wiped her tears and turned towards her. She smiled, seeing her look of confusion, then nodded. She knew what the girl was thinking. Crysdal took away her attention from Hadley for a moment. She watched as she ran off, shouting Sam's name. Sam wasn't with them? Ari's heart dropped as she looked around to see if she was amongst the group and possibly Crysdal hadn't recognized her?

But she wasn't there. However, the little girl was and she was talking to the glowing Tapestry Crystal and rabbits, those awful awful rabbits, were appearing again.

Her whole body feeling sore, Ari rose to her feet, taking a few gentle steps towards her. Ari put on the best comforting smile she could muster.

"It's okay. We're you're friends remember? We beat that bad man, together."

She watched as the child struggled to hold on to the Tapestry Crystal, it's strength forcing the small child to stand. What was the crystal trying to do? Was it trying to return to its original owner, Queen Zhi?

"I think...it wants to lead you somewhere. Maybe the crystal is trying to get back to your mother?"

Shen's mouth closed tightly as Ari spoke, her garnet-colored eyes looking away, every muscle of her exposed arms tensing to keep the crystal in her hands. It jerked, throwing her off balance, and Shen cried out against it, one leg barely able to escape the fabric of her dress to steady her. "Mama isn't here anymore," she said quietly, her breath catching in a small sob, "Shui said I can't let it follow her there."

DM wrote:

Overhead, two streaks of tangible light, purple and blue, shot from the heavens like shooting stars, heading directly towards the Zhi Palace. Their trajectories were lost as they arced overhead, the ceiling blocking them from view, but the immediate explosions following shook the structure around them, sending dust through the cracks around the closed door that lead to the rest of the house.

Shen jumped at the sudden noise, but, to her credit, she did not release the Tapestry Crystal.

DM wrote:

The door to Shen's room burst inwards, revealing an older Sailor Senshi with an outfit identical to Sailor Jin's in all but color scheme; where Jin's had been yellows and oranges, this senshi's was various shades of purple and magenta. Dark locks curled around her expressive face, her brows drawn together and lips frowning in a look that could be nothing but concerned as she looked over them all, relief relaxing her every facial muscle as her gaze alighted on Shen. Without hesitation, she stepped forward, fell into a kneel, turned Shen to face her and gathered the little girl up in an enormous hug, one hand reaching up to reinforce her hold on the Tapestry Crystal. "It's okay," she murmured softly, and Shen let go, her hands wrapping themselves around the senshi's neck as she openly cried. 

The Senshi closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, holding the girl tighter with her free arm, and seemed to just take a moment to breath her in before opening her amethyst eyes and looking to the detransformed girls before her. "Thank you," she said, her words heavy with meaning.

---

DM wrote:

Not long after the blue and purple laser-like lights descended onto Zhi, an orange colored streak followed, landing in the gardens near Crysdal; the energy of the impact created a small crater around a small orange crystal that was there for only a split second before being replaced by the body of Sailor Chalybs.

Sailor Chalybs returns to the field.

The Galaxy Cauldron

All she remembered was falling to the ground in front of the monster that had killed Sailor Venus, and then there was a bright light. SAM woke up in a void, surrounded by hundreds of voices she didn't recognize. her side no longer burned from the stab wound, and when she got to her feet, her injury was gone. "Where... where am I?" Was this really what death looked like? A few senshi turned around and saw her, and began to explain what was going on. It had only been a few minutes- or maybe hours- of being trapped in what she now knew was the Galaxy Cauldron, but what SAM heard about the rest of the galaxy was terrifying. The Crone had been right about the massive war, and the senshi were losing.

Two new voices from high above the Cauldron grabbed her attention, along with the many other souls beside her. One of them was familiar, and she realized it was the Crone. Had she come to help them somehow? The second voice was new, but as they spoke about striking a deal, she recognized the name Achelois from what she'd heard from Panzer and Nix. She couldn't quite understand all the things they were saying, but it definitely involved everyone in here. 

“I choose both.”

At those words, everyone in the Galaxy Cauldron shifted until they were nothing but shining Crystals, and SAM had only a few seconds to watch them streak off into the sky before the same happened to her. 


Planet Zhi



The strange sensation of flying without any sense of control over it disappeared as she impacted something hard. She was fully conscious again moments later, her Sailor Crystal reforming her body in the crater she had made. On instinct, she called for her armor to reform as well, and the hard light system complied, covering her senshi uniform and face in protective metal again. Was the man still here? Had they won or lost without her? She scanned the now maze-less garden with her Star-Cannon up, and that's when SAM saw Crysdal on the ground.

"C-crysdal?"  Her voice was back to it's altered, deeper tone, the filter in her helmet activating. She knelt down and tried to help her back up. "What happened? Is everyone alright!?" Crysdal didn't look hurt to her.

Back with Sailor Nix and Panzer, the wrist watch device started beeping rapidly again.

The rumble and shaking of the ground beneath her initiated a second wave of denial. She wasn't ready for more. None of them were - detransformed, tired, hurt; this could be the end, and there was little that they could do about it. She decided she wouldn't react yet. She'd let whatever it was state its intent, wait for the others to respond, and then move on from Sam, but, for now, she'd revel in the defiance she felt in that moment. Let the world wait. She would mourn her friend, and if they wanted her to stop they'd have to force her. 

She was bracing for an attack when an odd deep voice called her name, the familiar tone so unexpected it felt like she was going into shock. A metal covered knee set down on the grass beside her and cold hard gloves tried to help her up, Sam's worried questions making Crysdal's heart tremble in astonished disbelief. Like a compressed spring, Crysdal sprung, turning and throwing her arms around Sam's neck before the taller girl could rise, hugging her as close as she could around the huge metal armor. She was real. "You're alive!" she breathed, her smile finally breaking through the overall confusion of her emotions. A small laugh escaped her as she stepped back, her hands still on Sam's shoulders, and grinned at the closed helmet, "I didn't see - - I thought you were -" she stopped, shaking her head instead of finishing, another airy laugh ending her sentence. Filled with relief, she quickly leaned forward and kissed the glass of the Sam's helmet happily, "I was really worried!"

Still smiling, she stepped back so the other could stand, "I'm betting everyone else is a little worried about you now, too; I may have... freaked out a little when I couldn't find you," she blushed, embarrassed about her earlier conclusions, and tucked her hair behind her ear. As though just remembering her questions, she quickly continued, "Everyone else is fi--" she paused, remembering the two foreigners she had... just... left there... and grimaced. "The two Senshi that appeared at the mouth of the maze are hurt, but everyone else is fine - they should be back with Shen in the wooden palace. I'm going to go see to the two of them..." she looked back towards the palace but hesitated, turning back to her friend. "I'm glad you're here, Sam."

SAM didn't fight Crysdal's hug at all this time, hugging her back the best she could without crushing her on accident. She couldn't bring herself to care about allergic reactions or infections at the moment, not after everything they'd been through in such a short time. 

"I was more worried about you than me!" SAM said, before Crysdal kissed her on the helmet. For just a moment, she wished she hadn't had the helmet on at all, like when she'd been standing on the bridge with her.

As she stood up, she began to process what Aegle had just said. Did Crysdal...not know that she had died? SAM was about to correct her, and then decided to keep that information to herself. If just thinking that she might have died was enough to stress her out this much, she didn't want to make it worse. SAM would explain it all later, once they settled whatever was going on here. The Maze was gone, and she didn't quite feel the presence of Chaos looming over them, so everything must have worked out somehow.

"That's...that's good." No one else had died after her then. Something about how Crysdal looked back at her made her nervous, but not in a bad way, and she cleared her throat to refocus herself. "I'm just glad everyone else is okay too. Let's go meet up with them." Who was this Shen person though? Once Sailor Nix and Sailor Panzer were healed, she'd bring up what she saw and heard from the Galaxy Cauldron.

Voices echoed all around her, but Hadley was having trouble properly listening to any of them. She was just so tired, it would have been nice to lay down and sleep forever.

A panicked cry and strangely bright colors danced around her and Hadley took in a deep breath and forced herself to concentrate. She reached for the seed pouch about her neck and held on tightly. The little seeds comforted her with their vibrant life and eagerness, and she allowed herself a small smile.

Looking around she saw Sam and Crysdal having a conversation, whilst Ari was next to the little girl who was hugging a purple-clad woman.

She didn't want to intrude on the private conversation between Sam and Crysdal, so Hadley got to her feet and approached Ari. She remained quiet, uncertain as to what she should say -- not even entirely certain what was going on -- but just simply being near Ari gave her an extra amount of comfort. It warmed her heart to see how tightly the little girl and the senshi hugged one another.

She heard the purple senshi give her thanks and although there were no specifications, the meaning was still clear.

Hadley didn't know what to say to that, so instead she ignored the small blush reddening her cheeks and asked, "Is it.. okay now?" Her voice was hesitant. "Is the evil truly defeated?"

Another question went unvoiced: Will the death and destruction end?

Nyx glanced at the little girl as it tried to keep hold of the crystal. More and more rabbits started appearing out of nowhere. That was just great. She had no energy left to deal with them again.

Something like a shooting star headed straight for the planet, followed by a loud crash. Nyx slowly got up, fully expecting more enemies to come barging in, and took a more defensive stance, even though she knew fighting more right now would be hopeless. But instead, it was only a woman who headed straight for the child. She rather looked like Sailor Jin... Hadn't all of the senshi from this planet died?

Well, evidently not. Apparently, this one escaped somehow. Good for her.

She walked around for a moment, observing everyone. The little girl with the other senshi woman over there. The newcomers, Panzer and Nix - they looked rather more hurt, but it seemed like they'd be okay... Valdis with Bastet. Aegle with Sam in the distance - why was she yelling her name anyway?

And then there was her, all by herself. She stood still, looking far in the distance, at nothing in particular. It didn't quite bother her. There was only one person she wanted to see right now, and if she couldn't... Nothing else really mattered at the moment.

It would have been easy to overlook that Xtal-Diamante still stood nearby, although her current state might have caused the others to be taken aback for a moment. It was easy to overlook her nudity with the other ongoing activities and her copious coverage of cloud-like hair. Unfortunately, it was unlikely that any assembled would have known "Lady Godiva" to make that sort of reference. The rusty sand-skinned teenager didn't think there was anything odd about this. This was just how she was, after all.

She watched, unmoving, as the events transpired: Crysdal running and crying and spending time on the ground until SAM mysteriously arrived. The mysterious little girl and her even-more-mysterious crystal, with more of those fluffy creatures, but then another sailor soldier wearing attire like that strange Sailor Jin arrived to comfort her. Xtal-Diamante didn't know what to make of any of that. Maybe, eventually, someone would explain.

Crysdal nodded, smiling companionably, and lead the way back to where Nix and Panzer were spread out, offering them an apologetic look and a half-bow before turning back to Sam, "The other are in there if you wanted to see what was going on," she lightly suggested, tilting her head towards the room with the wide-open side before turning back towards the injured women and kneeling down before them, her toes curling under her. "I apologize for leaving so abruptly; it was rude of me," she said by way of greeting, her demeanor towards the pair more formal than with the others. "If it's okay with you, I can try to heal you," she offered, waiting with her hands in her lap for their response.

 
Still hugging Shen tightly, the purple senshi shook her head solemnly. "No," she replied to Hadley's question, "but there is hope." Gently she released the Tapestry Crystal, and the gem, magenta and green and glowing with life, rose above their heads, pulsed twice, and seemed to blossom, a woman's form shaping itself from the light, surrounding the crystal and darkening with mass, becoming more and more opaque until, with a sudden burst of energy, a woman materialized, fully formed, her long dark curls bouncing and dress ruffling. Eyes still closed, she extended her arms and with a pop, the Tapestry Crystal appeared before her, and she sunk elegantly to the ground. 

Without knowing her, the senshi gathered knew her. Not her name nor her history, but her presence was as familiar to them as sunshine, and the feeling then was light the bright warmth after a terrible storm. The unease they had felt since Destore was washed away the moment she alighted on the wooden floor beneath their feet and opened her eyes. 

The two had barely left the room before a third of Zhi's senshi landed, this one in red and taller, her expression fierce and businesslike as her wings disappeared and she approached the open room with confidence, eyed the girls, and nodded once before turning her attention to the Tu.

"Status?" Tu asked, the purple ribbons that hung from her wrists sticking to Shen's attire as the little girl moved closer to her, looking at the former conscripts warily.

"They fled, the cowards," the new arrival replied, "Whatever destroyed Zhao scared them and they ran. Jin and Mu are rallying the Senshi with them and pushing back to regain our system and the three surrounding; with luck, we'll get our defenses up and running before they can gather the forces to strike back. The nebula will be a problem, but we've sent someone to watch and attempt to tally how many they see enter or exit - they shouldn't be able to last in there any longer than we can - " she held up a hand as Tu opened her mouth and answered a question before it could be asked, "She can turn invisible, she'll be safe." Tu nodded as the other smiled with fierce pride, "She volunteered to go this time - I pity the scum that tries to take her on." She paused, "Is Zhi all set?"

"All set," Tu repeated as confirmation. 

With another curious gaze at the girls scattered about the room, she replied, "I'll get back at it then," and summoned her wings as she turned to leave.

"Huo -" Tu called and the other paused, turning back quizzically. "Shui may need help with communications."

Tu's words were oddly heavy, as though passing a message without saying it aloud. The brunette froze for a second, her expression falling before she clenched her jaw and set it again. She nodded curtly, "Understood." She cleared her throat and turned abruptly, "I'll see if anyone has any experience with electronics - "


"Huo," Tu repeated, the insistence in her tone colored with concern.


Shui reentered the room quietly, listening without comment, obvious in not knowing what to say. 

"I'll be okay," Huo replied with finality, "And I'll figure out the electronics thing, Shui," she called back, "It might take some shifting - we can't really stand to lose people right now, but we need those computers up and running. Think you can work up a map in the meantime?"

Shui nodded, then realized Huo hadn't seen and answered, "I'll get something going. I-if you need volunteers..." she trailed of awkwardly, glancing once towards Amaya, Ari, Hadley and Xtal-Diamante - the last getting a double take. In the beat that followed, Huo turned around to look back at her expectantly, one hand on her hip and a warning look about her. "I said "volunteers," jeez," Shui fumed, throwing her hands up then folding them tightly across her chest before looking the girls dead-on. "Look, we need you, okay? Obviously you guys know what you're doing - you saved our sector, safeguarded the Tapestry Crystal and the Crowned Princess, and killed off Zhao to boot. I get that you may want to rest and whatever, but every senshi in the Galaxy just came back from the dead and we're still short-staffed. We need you, plain and simple. I could use help here with computers - manual labor, even - and Huo, Jin, and Mu could always use more fighters and support in reclaiming and securing territory so another Chaos General doesn't just waltz in and catch us with our pants down. You helped give us this breathing space, and I respect that, but if you're willing," she shot a glance at Huo, "there's more work to be done."

Thinking that it was best to leave Crysdal with Nix and Panzer for now, she entered the open room without her. SAM joined up with four people she barely recognized as Nyx, Bastet, Valdis, and... was Xtal-Diamante naked? SAM carefully averted her eyes and looked at the new senshi instead, catching most of what the one in the blue uniform was saying. 

"Can...can I help with the computers?" she asked. She hadn't seen any technology even close to her home planets in days, and she was a little desperate to get back to something she was actually comfortable with, but she also did genuinely want to assist. If something was broken, she was confident enough that she could do something to fix it. "I can move things around too, I-I'm pretty strong..." 

Shui's brows raised expressively, looking Sam in her high-tech exo-suit up and down appreciatively. "I bet you are. Sure, kid, you're with me." She nodded, inviting Sam to join her near the door on the other side of the little bed in Shen's room.

More sailor soldiers arrived, all clearly recognized by the small child, who emitted noise and moisture at new and undulating intervals. Apparently this signaled a variety of emotions, judging by the reactions of those in uniforms like Sailor Jin. Xtal-Diamante judged this only from their reciprocal reactions, although she had difficulty following along. These soft creatures were so different and yet so alike. It made her crystal core, temporarily dimmed from overexertion, echo softly with the longing for the rocky planet she bore the name of.

Perhaps it was that same sense of exhaustion that made their vibrations more difficult to interpret. She felt so much passing through her, tingling against her skin. The one in blue made many waves, but the cloud-haired one caught only hints of it. At least she knew that they wanted work, but now there was something jumbled in the need. The change from demand to request failed to translate well.

Work.

Work was familiar. Work was something she could do. Her mysterious power seemed temporarily lessened, but her rocky body had no muscles to fatigue.

"ȋ çåñ 姧ȋ§ț."

Thankfully, this time, she remembered to speak.

Panzer nodded at Crysdal, barely able to do more than that simple motion.

The faint glimmer of hope that she had felt, that perhaps the battle here had been won, seemed more and morel likely. From her prone position, the only one she could maintain at the moment, she watched and listened to what she could of the reunion nearby. The child and the crystal were now safely surrounded by those who they belonged among—a true team of sailor soldiers in matching uniforms, united around the returned queen of their sector. The unfolding events gave Sailor Panzer pause, as she could not imagine that defeating the man they had fought here would be enough to...

"...every senshi in the Galaxy just came back from the dead..."

What? What by Panzer's teeth could that possibly mean?

Whatever was happening here, it was greater than the outcome of a single battle.

"No, but there is hope."

Hadley stared at the woman for a moment, feeling both disappointed and yet calm at the same time. Of course it wasn't over. She chided herself for thinking that it could be so simple. Of everything she'd seen in these past adventures, simplicity had never shown its face.

The arrival of Queen Zhi was as warm as a sunny day, bright and comforting and Hadley subconsciously took a step closer to the feeling. The woman was beautiful, her eyes so kind. Hadley knew nothing about her, and yet Queen Zhi felt as familiar as her grandmother. There was a connection here she couldn't explain.

Queen Zhi didn't stay for long, however, and her remaining senshi seemed to be assessing the situation and asking for help. Hadley hesitated, even as she heard a couple of her friends speak up with offers of help.

This time, she had a choice. Did she truly want to keep fighting? To keep herself amongst the death and destruction? To accept the potential that she may lose more friends?

Hadley frowned, uncertain. It would be easy to decline. To go home. To see her grandmother.

But...

"I'm not very strong," Hadley spoke up, "and I don't know anything about electronics, but if I can help in any way, please just tell me what to do."

She couldn't walk away from this fight. As frightened as it left her, as terrible as it could be, she was still a part of it. She had to see it through, to help in any way possible. She was needed here.

Grandmother would understand.

The scene that played out before Ari was warming and felt like an overdue homecoming. Seeing the little girl's happy tears when the purple guardian embraced her was enough cause to make Ari cry again. When she felt Hadley's presence by her side, she instinctively reached for the girls hand. Though for once it wasn't out of desperation and fear, it just felt right to hold the girl's hand, gently and softly. She watched in awe as the Tapestry Crystal pulsed in front of them, Queen Zhi appearing from seemingly within the crystal. What on Bastet had happened? They had assumed Queen Zhi and her court to be dead and yet they appeared before their very eyes.

She flinched when the one named Shui gestured towards her and Hadley, beginning to demand they transform, but the Queen's kind and warm interference relaxed her. Ari wondered how she should react to the Queen. Her warmth reminded her more of her own mother and all she could manage was a small bow of the head as Queen Zhi thanked them.

So the fight wasn't over yet? Just how big were the forces of Chaos? Even though the Queen said they were free to leave when it was safe, Ari knew she could not leave. Not with the current state of things. Not after she knew how Queen Zhi had been protecting Bastet, protecting everyone's homes, for who knows how many years, all this time Bastet being ignorant of their efforts and what lay beyond the stars. The Queen excused herself and soon other guardians from her court entered, talking among themselves. When the one in blue, Shui, bluntly explained the desperate situation, Ari affirmed her decision, although she found it a bit ironic Shui believed that their group knew what they were doing. Throughout this whole ordeal, it felt like they had been barely stumbling along, barely scraping by.

But now, as one had said, there was hope. Ari thought of their friends that had died: Hemera, Cosima, Aldrin, Elysande. If Queen Zhi's court had returned, what of them?  With the that thought, Ari felt even more confident. She quickly glanced at Hadley, hoping she had come to the same decision as her. At that moment, Hadley offered her help and Ari felt her heart swell. They would be together, further solidifying her choice.

"I too will stay and help with whatever I can, wherever you want me."

Even though Bas remained silent, having hidden himself back in his small form, she knew he was proud of her. Proud that she was living up to the guardian of Bastet she was meant to be, something that for a long time, she never believed she could do. For some reason, she felt pride in herself as well and ready to face whatever forces Chaos decided to throw at them.

Won. Nix wanted to feel something, anything, but the fatigue and the little energy left in her was making it hard. It was probably just as well that it was over - she found it difficult to even move. That parting attack the Chaos General had given her had taken a lot from her. So she was content to just lay there, listening to the distant sounds of conversation yet not really tuning in. For once, she didn't care about observing everything. She was just so tired.

A small commotion formed nearby as what sounded like something hard landing grab her attention. She struggled to sit up, and looked in disbelief as she saw Sailor Chalybs' unmistakable orange outfit. The watch that she still held began to beep rapidly, and then one of the strangers that looked like one of the senshi she was with earlier came.

The healer? "Right... that would be nice, thank you," she said softly, still confused and exhausted. She let the magic wash upon her, her mind sharpening again slowly as she watched everything that unfolded. It seemed the queen of this system had been restored along with her crystal. There was talk of fixing and rebuilding things, but Nix suspected she needed to go back to her own system if things here were fine. They needed her back there too, and she wanted to check on her home.

"Wait, Sailor Chalybs," she called out as the orange-clad senshi began to follow one of the queen's guardians. She stood up and walked over, offering the wristwatch. "I believe this belongs to you." She thought she heard something about senshi coming back to life. How on earth was that possible? And yet...

"It's good to see you again, by the way," she said quietly, never one for overt display of emotions, but she reached out and squeezed the other senshi's arm warmly. "But how...?" Her question went unfinished, too odd to voice out loud.

"Hm?" SAM stopped when Nix called her, and then saw the device she was holding out. Her eyes lit up behind her visor. "Ferrum!" she said, gently taking her wristwatch back. The miniature computer beeped a few more times before it stopped. She placed it on her arm, and it seemed to integrate directly into her suit again.

"User has regained vital signs!" It said in the same cheerful tone it always spoke in. There was a pause. "...Welcome back, Captain Chalybs." Mood significantly lifted, SAM looked back up at Nix again. 

"Thank you for taking care of Ferrum while I was gone, I'm not sure what I'd do without it..." She lowered her voice slightly. "I-I'm not really sure what was going on after I...you know. But I remember hearing someone called Sailor Achelois make a deal with the Crone, and then I ended up back here. Uh, do you mind telling Crysdal that I'm going to help get the palace running again?" SAM hurried to meet up with Sailor Shui.

Even more of the planet's senshi arrived, before the Queen herself materialized in front of them. She didn't really know her, yet somehow, she could tell it was her. So had they all escaped? She thought they were all dead - was that a rumor? Or they pretended to be dead to confuse the enemy? It worked either way.

She watched the interaction among the senshi with limited interest. As one of them called of her, she almost instinctively followed - she wasn't even sure what she was supposed to do next, after all. Better than standing here doing nothing. But the Queen interrupted her, saying they were no longer conscripted. Only volunteers. Even though, after some point, it truly was that either way.

They continued talking, Nyx's attention only half there, thinking about what was next. What was the situation back on her planet? She had to go back, even if just to make sure everything was alright... But then her mind nearly just froze.

"...every Senshi in the Galaxy just came back from the dead..."

What?

What was that?

That sounded like something that just... It couldn't. Right?

But Queen Zhi and her court... Maybe they were, after all?

"Are they..."

She wanted to believe it, but couldn't really. But if they are back...

"What are you talking about?! Where are they?!!" She frantically looked around. Where is she? Why did she not crash land with the others? "Aegle!!" she dashed to the blonde girl, grabbing her from the shoulders and shaking her violently. "They-- are they back? Inara! Alshain! Where are they?!"

"No... No I can't stay... I have to go back! I must find her!"

Shui's eyebrow raised at the... rock... person... that was naked... volunteered, but she shrugged and nodded her head to call her over in a fashion that seemed to parrot beggars can't be choosers. When the other pair volunteered to help, Shui glanced at Huo; the senshi in red shook her head slightly, and Shui motioned them over as well. "I'll get you up to speed on what I need you to do; you know what a computer looks like, don't you?" she asked, trailing off as she started to lead Chalybs, Xtal-Diamante, Hadley and Ari back into the palace.


It hadn't taken her long at all to transform, the spark of energy rushing back and enveloping her in the uniform that had become her second skin; that it was clean was a relief - she had dreaded the thought of having to work the mud and dirt out of the white fabric, and with the cloth supple again rather than the crusty material it had become it was ridiculously more comfortable to work in. Nervous about healing the pair of foreigners, Crysdal blocked out most of what was happening back in the castle to better concentrate on things she liked about them before leaning down to deliver a healing kiss; by the time both were healed there was a senshi in red with a uniform like Jin's not too far away from her; she listened closely, wondering how she had misremembered that Venus had said that they had all died while trying to piece things together, wandering closer unobtrusively, taking in not just the red one, but the purple and blue with little Shen tucked in all familiarly; Ari and Hadley looked alright, Hex was -- ?Naked? -- Sam had just volunteered for something and ---

Suddenly Amaya was shaking her?! Eyes wide with confusion, Crysdal nevertheless went with it. Inara? Alshain? Back?! "What do you --?" Amaya had to find her? 

Crysdal understood.

She hadn't misremembered what Venus had said about Zhi's senshi. Adjusting her stance to ground herself better, she reached up and took Amaya's arms reassuringly, nodding seriously once but unable to help her smile after that. Elysande. "I'll go with you. We'll find them!" Remembering another, she glanced back towards the city and softly recalled "Gabriel, too." Relief started to ease the knot of guilt she had been carrying; if this was right... Cosima and Aldrin would be back, too. The Cawthians would take care of them - Inara and Elysande, too - but they could give them answers and explain what they could. And see them again. Apologize... 


The Senshi in red stepped forward cautiously, "It's dangerous out there - if you two intend to find those that were left behind you'll need backup that I can't give right now. If you help us we'll work towards the planet you were on - we'll probably get there within a few weeks, if not a handful of days."


Crysdal looked back to Amara, her expression almost daring. "We've been through dangerous before," she invited quietly. If Amaya wanted to test their luck and go now, she'd go with her. She'd try to talk her into bringing Gabriel along for his shield, but in the end, she'd follow her whatever she chose to do, be it go now or help this Zhi senshi with what she needed first.