Drops of Starlight

Chapter 33: Did You Make it to the Milky Way?

💫 Drops of Starlight 💫
By Strawberry Moon Rose
🍓🌙🌹

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Chapter 33: Did You Make it to the Milky Way?
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Whenever Usagi would stub her toe, there would be a few seconds of lagging, as the pain traveled up her limbs to her brain. And being a notorious klutz, she was too familiar with those moments. Similarly, as "Kinmoku" left Ami's lips, a palpable delay filled the room, and the weight of that single word and its implications registered in everyone's minds.

And then, all hell broke loose.

Echoes of "How can this be?" and "What does it mean?" ricocheted around like pinballs in an arcade game. Over the commotion, Usagi desperately tried to get everybody's attention, but her words were lost in the cacophony of emotions.

"How do you explain this?" Haruka stepped right up in Seiya's face, practically shouting.

"The hell if I know!" Seiya yelled back.

"Likely story!" Haruka gestured to the Starlights. "Don't you all see? They're not to be trusted!"

"Always so quick to point fingers, aren't you?" Seiya snapped.

"And for good reason!"

"Enough!" Usagi cried out, attempting to wedge herself between the two. But at a mere four foot eleven, she seemed almost invisible.

Michiru's perfectly made-up face was firm. "The monsters are from Kinmoku," she declared. "Or they are at least being summoned by someone or something from your planet."

"We didn't do anything!" Yaten made big gestures with her arms.

Minako clung to her side.  "I believe you!"

"I don't," Haruka growled.

"The Starlights are good people!" Usagi protested. "This has nothing to do with them!"

Michiru pursed her glossy lips. "That simply isn't true.  This villain is tied to their home planet. You cannot argue with the facts."

"We aren't involved with the enemy or these attacks!" Seiya's fury rolled off her body in waves, her voice a tempest.

"Nephrite's the enemy," Usagi added. "That's what we know!"

"Seiya got hurt," said Taiki tersely. "You truly think that was some part of our plan?"

Haruka didn't respond, holding her ground, almost nose-to-nose with Seiya.

Luna's voice emerged in an attempt to defuse the situation, "Why don't we all just sit down and discuss things calmly? We don't want to wake Chibi-Usa."

"Yes," Ami pleaded, clearly upset with the reactions her discovery brought forth. "There could be many reasons the monsters have Kinmokian origins. It doesn't mean the Starlights are responsible."

Seiya raised an eyebrow as if to ask Haruka the same thing. But the taller woman shook her head.

Michiru stepped forward and took her lover's hand. "We should go," she said quietly.

Seiya, begrudgingly, muttered, "Good idea."

Haruka raked her gaze over Usagi. "You really think you know them so well?"

"Please, just listen-" Usagi stopped when Haruka and Michiru turned away, speaking volumes of how they didn't want to hear her response.

Hotaru looked torn before standing too, casting Usagi a regretful glance before following her teammates out the door. The inner guardians watched them go with solemn expressions. No one made an effort to stop them.