Chapter 27

"So, can all of you stay here for the night?" Hotaru asked.

"Yup!"

"Good, because we can't waste any more time. We have to defeat that witch!"

"Um, should I be involved in this at all?" Motoki asked tentatively.

"I don't know. Can you keep a secret?" Usagi asked.

"A very dangerous secret," Mamoru added.

"If you can't, we will just call for Sailor Lethe to help you erase your memories," Setsuna concluded.

"I think I can keep this secret. After all, I want to know my friends are okay and I want to know the reason to why they're hurt if it comes to that," Motoki said bravely.

"Aww, thanks," Mamoru said, nudging Motoki.

"Okay, so you four have been working for Beryl for a thousand years. What do you think is the best way to defeat her?" Ami asked the generals.

"A final confrontation? She'd be expecting it, so she'd be prepared. But since we were her most powerful warriors, I think we can defeat her," Zoicite said helpfully.

"But what if she finds the Seven Shadows again? They were strong enough to kill Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. And we all know that they were the strongest ones after Saturn," Kunzite said worriedly.

"That's true. But how do you know the Seven Shadows are here? In this time?" Haruka asked.

"Queen Serenity trapped them into the Silver Crystal and sent them to Earth with all of us," Hotaru explained.

"Wait, where is the Silver Crystal?" Mamoru asked.

"It has shattered into the Seven Rainbow Crystals and until we find all seven carriers, we will not have the Silver Crystal. We have to beat Beryl to finding them," Jadeite said seriously (OMG! He can be serious!).

"Oh, that reminds me. Usagi, take this Moon Wand. It beeps whenever it's near a Rainbow Crystal Carrier because the Silver Crystal was supposed to sit in its center. It reacts to the Silver Crystal, or in this case, pieces of it," Luna said taking out the Moon Wand from her sub space pocket and handing to Usagi.

"We should be able to find the Crystal Carriers more easily with it," Artemis added.

"As long as we find the Silver Crystal, we will be able to defeat Beryl," Nephrite declared.

"Are you absolutely sure of that?" Makoto asked.

"Definitely. We will all just work together to find the Rainbow Crystals. And we'll join the girls' Senshi meetings. Everyone here needs to come," Kunzite decided.

"Should I come?" Motoki asked.

"Doesn't hurt to have an extra brain, since Odango doesn't have one," Rei joked.

"Rei!" Usagi threw a cushion on the couch at the priestess. And therefore, a pillow fight much like the one the girls had in the Silver Millennium after their engagements started. Only this time, it was much more fun because the guys were there to fight with them, too. It was girls against boys, and the girls were winning. Artemis and Luna just rolled their eyes and found a quiet corner to sleep.

The next morning…

"Good morning!" Usagi and Minako cried cheerfully.

"Good morning," everyone else grumbled.

"Mama, mama!" a little girl's voice called to Setsuna.

"Who's calling me?" Setsuna asked sleepily.

"What are you talking about, Setsuna?" Michiru asked her friend.

"I heard a little girl calling me…" Setsuna explained.

There was a flash of pink light and a little girl resembling Setsuna landed gently in front of Setsuna.

"Mama, don't tell me you already forgot about me!" the little girl whined.

"You have a daughter?" almost everyone said in surprise.

"I have a daughter?" Setsuna asked incredulously. Obviously, yesterday was way too tiring and she still must be in her dream world.

"Yes, mother. Shiori? Remember? I was watching the Time Gate for you because you needed to come save the others. Neo Queen Serenity is getting worried, so she told me to look for you," Shiori explained.

"Oh! Right! Shiori, I'm so sorry. Wait! Who's watching the Time Gate now?" Setsuna panicked.

"Diana and Akari have it all under control," Shiori laughed. It was rare to see her mother like this. Her mother was the type who was calm at all times.

"Diana? Oh, Princess Chibiusa's kitten. Wait, who's Akari?"

"Mama, I would tell you now, but we'd be revealing too much of the future to everyone here," Shiori whispered.

"Who's Princess Chibiusa?" Usagi asked.

"You'll know in the future!" Shiori and Setsuna smiled.

"Auntie Hotaru!" Shiori ran over and gave Hotaru a hug.

"Okay, I swear I am only twelve and too young to be an aunt," Hotaru said sarcastically.

"Oh, that's just what I call you in the future when you're all grown up because you and mama and Michiru and Haruka are all like sisters!" Shiori smiled.

"Okay, you really scared me there," Hotaru smiled at the adorable little girl.

Shiori giggled, then realized that she hadn't given her papa a hug. "Papa!" she ran over and hugged Takeshi.

"Wait, I'm your father?" he asked incredulously.

"Of course you are! Silly!" Shiori laughed.

"Aww, a happy little family," everyone sighed.

"You'll all have a happy little family of your own in the future, too," Shiori smiled.

"So, Shiori. Can you tell Neo Queen Serenity that I must stay to help the others defeat Beryl? And can you help me watch the Time Gate for a little longer?" Setsuna asked her cheerful daughter.

"Okay. I wish I could stay with you guys and get some training for battles. Like you, I don't get to join battles much," Shiori said sadly.

"I wish you could stay, too, honey," Setsuna said sadly.

"Maybe I can bribe Akari-chan to watch the Time Gate with Diana for a while longer?"

"Are you sure? I mean, I know Akari must be very powerful if she's, you know who's, daughter. But wouldn't we be extremely irresponsible to leave her there?"

"Nah, she owes me a big favour anyway."

"Okay. But you have to ask Neo Queen Serenity if it's okay first, okay?"

"Okay mama! I'll go now! Bye everyone! Hope to see you later!" And with that, the cheerful little girl disappeared in a cloud of pink mist.

"So… who's Princess Chibiusa? Akari? Diana? You can start explaining now," everyone started bombarding poor Setsuna with a billion questions.