starlight's destiny | HIMEKO

act nineteen | the gush of water has been tamed

"I'm sorry for shouting at you, as if you were guilty, yesterday. I was just really upset that my friend had to keep you safe while also protecting you. I hope you don't feel offended at the way I was yelling." Usagi finally admitted with a bowed head. Softly kicking the dirt as she felt her sister's stare grow harder, the blonde slowly looked up for a response. 

"Okay . . . I accept it. I know how annoying and dumb you can act at times, but I'll spare you this once."

A suave voice let the kid's mouth, not only insulting her but barely accepting the apology. A tick mark of heavy anger and annoyance sat itself on Usagi's forehead as she almost raised a fist to the kid. 

"How in the world could a kid like you speak like someone who's lived for hundreds of years . . . and you don't even know me, so how can you say I'm annoying and dumb . . . " Her voice grumbled lowly as her fingers tucked loose hair strands. Though quiet, the mumbled words were still picked up by the boy. 

"Maybe if you weren't so dumb, you wouldn't be--"

"Alright, how about let's get ready for the pool, huh? Ami and Naru are going to meet us there, so why don't you two get ready, huh?" Himeko loudly piped up, feeling the tension thicken in the air. At once, the scowl on Tetsue's face was pulled away to reveal a smile. Silently apologizing to her sister as the boy pulled Chibiusa with him, the light-haired teen pressed her lips together. 

"Koko-chan, you can't let a child like him talk to me like that!" Usagi balled herself up next to her sister. 

"I know, Usagi, but maybe there's a reason . . . ? 

"That boy is a kid! There shouldn't be a reason for him to be so rude--"

"Now, settle down, Usagi." Alora lifted a paw in the air as she and Luna convened in the center of teenagers, "Yes, those kids have made life harder than the past week, but there's something you should all know."

After long sessions of studying and looking over ancient text, obviously with help from Artemis, Luna and Alora were certain their next words were fact. The black cat cleared her throat before speaking. 

"We strongly believe Tetsue has the Legendary Silver Crystal in the brooch of his necklace." No word or warning would have made the words less shocking. 

"But how? That's impossible. I have it right here." Himeko's hands unconsciously held her Brooch. 

"And that's not all." A projective of the two brooches shone from Alora's birthmark as Luna explained, "Chibiusa seems to hold the Space-Time Key -- a magical item that allows the user to travel through different timelines, in a sense, time travel. It has always been guarded by the same Guardian for all of time, but we infer that the kids are from the future and managed to sneak past the Sailor Guardian and travel to the past."

Silent as they registered the surprising information, no one was sure what to say at first before Eisuke spoke up with a head scratch. 

"How do you know they're from the future?"

"There's no way someone other than Himeko can have the Crystal in this time. We've never seen them in the past, so the only place possible is the future."

"So, what do we do now?" Himeko asked, not understanding how someone other than her has the Crystal, but open to the idea of figuring out a solution. 

"Nothing yet, I'm afraid. We don't know their exact agenda coming to the past, so I would recommend not telling them we know of their items. We also don't know how far from the future they came from, but we can only make hypothetical guesses."

Staring at one another for a logical guess or a better understanding, the group of four were left more confused than before, but much better enlightened on their situation. Thankfully taken out her deep focus, Himeko's name was called from her room.