the celestial one | YUMIKO

act sixteen \ a good intention turned bad

"It's taking them a long time to get back . I hope everything is alright. Ugh, I should have followed them."

"Oh, don't worry, Miko. I'm sure everything is perfectly fine. You shouldn't worry about a thing, but instead, come sit here and relax."

Watching the young Princess turn to stare into her eyes as Chibiusa sat next to her, her own efforts unable to calm the young girl, Sailor Venus softly smiled as she saw Yumiko through the Princess- their panicking mannerisms exactly the same as both of them wouldn't be able to stay calm in a situation like this.

Taking in a breath to calm herself, the lilac-haired girl nodded as she verbally cheered up, "Don't worry, Yumiko. Sailor Celeste promised me that she wouldn't look into the red light, that she'll be safe and that she will come back to me. Yeah, she will come."

"See?" Chibiusa jumped up to wrap her arms around her cousin, who was struggling in the tight hold, "There's nothing to worry or panic about, Yumiko--"

"Don't call me that, Usagi--"

Interrupting the female's words, the door to the Command Room suddenly opened before a blonde blur rushed inside. Quickly wrapping her arms around her fellow blonde as her head dug itself into Venus' shoulder, Sailor Moon's cry rang throughout the room, silencing every word and freezing every move.

"W-What's going on?" The pink-haired girl asked as she jumped off the couch, "K-King Endymion, Mamoru-kun, what's happened? Is everything all right?"

With his top hat in-hand as he walked in with the King behind him, the male's black bangs covered his eyes as he slammed the hat to the ground, its material crumping before Miko as she walked up to him.

"I-I-I--"

"There's nothing you could have done, brother." Daisuke slipped off his own hat as he squeezed the older male's shoulder, his gloved hand slowly moving off before he moved to the two Senshi.

"Mamo-chan . . . ." His watery cerulean eyes looked down into the young girl's just as a tear fell, his arms moving quickly to wrap themselves around her smaller figure, "Mamo-chan . . . what's wrong? Why are you crying? If you cry, you're going to make me cry." Her own eyes began to water as she felt him shake.

Dragging his feet behind him as his body weighed even more the further he moved, the sight of Sailor Moon crying and Tuxedo Mask's crouched in front of his daughter with shaking shoulders, a small, silent cry tumbled out of his lips as a young girl stepped before him.

"Are you okay, King Endymion?"

Staring down at Chibiusa with her ruby-eyes, the man's lips opened to speak, but instead of his voice, a high-pitched and cracked cry silenced the room.

"She's gone, Sailor Venus! Sailor Celeste is gone! Everything happened so fast, I didn't know what to do!"

Sailor Moon's body shook in the blonde's arms. Feeling every fiber in her body freeze at the haunting words, Miko's hands tightened themselves on Tuxedo Mask's coat, her knuckles turning white as they too, began to shake.

"S-She's gone?" Mamoru slowly lifted his head so they could stare at each other, "No, she can't be gone. Right, Mamo-chan? Right, Mamo-chan?!"

Biting his lip as the girl began to cry, all the male could do was wipe her tears as the grip on his coat tightened in the girl's hands, "S-Sailor Celeste promised me that she wouldn't look into the red light and that she would come back to me. She promised, Mamo-chan, she promised. B-Bu-But now she's gone . . . ."

All unable to say anything as the Princess' mournful words were the only thing audible in the room, Miko shook her head in protest before removing herself from the teenager's grip.