Forced Affection: Asteroid's Knight

Yukiko moped around the Room Behind the Waterfall.

“Aw, come on, baby,” Solai meowed, trying to cheer her up. “What’s got you so down, beautiful?” He rolled over on his tummy, being cute.

Even the impish tabby couldn’t cheer up the lonely Senshi. “I’m sorry, Solai.”

“He wasn’t the only bird in the forest, you know,” Mori told her blue friend. “There are more guys out there.”

Walking in with a plate of cookies, Mara looked at the girls in the room. “You are so lucky, you know. I mean, my husband’s somewhere off in the future, and I don’t know how I’m ever going to see him again.”

“But the Jedi here are pretty nice!” Zyta exclaimed. “I saw a blonde one with the most gorgeous green eyes...”

Priire tuned out the boy-crazy Sailor and leaned against a wall, just watching them. She felt like she was twice as old as they were... not in years, but in experience. Thinking hard, she realized she couldn’t remember ever talking about guys with anyone. A sigh escaped her mouth and the other Sailors’ notice as a tall and dark man walked in.

“You know what really has me wondering?” Zyta didn’t pause. “I wonder who Kousotsu’s going to marry!”

Silence and stunned look were all the response the Jedi gave for a moment. Then he stuttered, “Er, uh...”

Zyta kept talking right through the blushes. “I bet it’s Kyoko. Or maybe Nom. Or even Kirin!” The blonde giggled at the looks she was getting. “But really!”

“None of the Chibi Sailors even look like him!” Boshi exclaimed.

Kousotsu buried his head on the table. Oh great. Boy-crazy Sailor Jedi.

“Look, guys!” Kairiku protested. “It’s his life. He can do whatever he wants!”

“Yeah, but would you say that if he were your father?”

“Ummmm..."

Zyta slammed her fist down on the table. “Exactly! It’s Kyoko!”

The aforementioned girl looked surprised. “But...”

Zyta would take no arguments. “You two were made for each other. See? You’re the head of our little groups, and he’s the only guy... just like in Sailor Moon!”

Kousotsu and Kyoko traded looks.

“So...” the dark-haired man said after all the other Sailor girls had left the room. “What do you think of this?”

Kyoko shrugged. “I really have no idea. It’s not that you’re not handsome and all... something just doesn’t feel right. Know what I mean?”

Kousotsu ran his fingers through his hair and nodded. “Exactly.” The two were quite for a moment, wondering if perhaps the Force would just tell them. The silence dragged on for a while, then the man spoke. “Let’s just keep it like this until we figure it out.”

Nodding, Kyoko agreed.

There was quiet in the Room Behind the Waterfall. Absolute, stunned, and shocked silence.

“That’s... that’s interesting, Zyta. Really, really... interesting,” Kairiku said, giving the table a skeptical look.

The other girl smiled. “I made it!”

“All by yourself?” Mara, Kyoko, Kirin, and Kumoko exclaimed together.

Zyta grinned. “Nope. Xarae and Nom helped me.”

Laughing lightly, Xarae fingered dough out of her hair. “Zyta did all the work. Really. Why don’t you taste it?”

No one moved.

“It is not as bad as it could have been,” Nom said. “Why do you not try some?”

With a shrug, Priire reached toward the cake-like matter on the table with the intent to cut herself a slice. She never made it because the cake imploded.

“Uh, Zyta? Was that supposed to happen?” Kyoko asked as the group watched the cake dwindle in size until it disappeared.

Zyta was more stunned than anyone else was. “Darn!”

“Things to do today,” Geri read and giggled. “Hehe! Clean the hideout, water the plants, make dinner, call Sidious, kill the Sailor Jedi...”

Emi snatched the list from her. “You’re making that last part up, stupid!”

“Soooooooo? It sounds good to me!”

The Alpha Sith, Ariel, glared at them as she walked in. The scowl was her usual expression, and no one cared to meet her deadly eyes. “What are you bums up to?” she snarled.

“We were going to go attack the Sailor Jedi,” Emi supplied.

“Jedi,” Ariel scoffed. “Little punks.”

Geri’s eyes were crossed as she hung from the ceiling like a bat. “Actually...” she giggled. “Actually, some of them are really, really, really TALL!” She made herself grow huge and then collapsed as Ariel’s eyes turned toward her. “Party pooper,” the other girl sulked.

Shaking her head, Emi proposed an idea. “Let’s finish the list.”

Geri looked around, but somehow the list had disappeared.

“Oh well. Let’s get the Sailors instead.”

There was a line of Sailor Senshi on the plain. “I am Sailor Iridonia! I protect destiny, death, and children!”

“My name is Sailor Tatoonie! I keep away from the kitchen!”

“I’m Sailor Yavin! I guard Time!”

I’m Sailor Kessel! I fight for silence!

All of the Sailors stepped forward to confront the Sailor Sith with their name and challenge. It got down the last Senshi, and she stepped forward. "I’m Sailor Asteroid! I shoot things!"

Sailor Yavin buried her face in her hands. “This is why we never take you anywhere, Aster!”

The impish Sailor made a grand bow, and Yavin waved her Time Staff at her. “Ummm... let’s get the Sith first.”

“Right!”

Kessel Spice Surround! Sailor Kessel said, attacking Eimin.

“Hey!” the Sailor Sith yelped. “Not fair! I didn’t hear anything! Oooo… Black Death Lightning!”

Kessel and a few of the Sailors around her were knocked over and had to dash to get away from Ayameru’s follow-up attack.

A few minutes passed, and Sailor Naboo called for all the Sailors to regroup. “Come on, we can beat them. We just need to have some kind of plan!”

The Dark Sailor looked over her shoulder. “Go on, I’ll hold down the fort.”

“Thanks, Asteroid!” Naboo said. She added a yelp on the end as the aftermath from an attack knocked her over.

Tuxedo Jedi reached out a hand and pulled her to her feet. “What next?”

Meanwhile, Sailor Asteroid was taking a stand. “I’m the Guardian of the Stars, and you’re blackening their purity with your evilness. Scram!”

“You took the words right out of my mouth,” Ayameru snarled. “Black Fire Surround!”

Her breath knocked out of her, Asteroid fell back and landed on her backside. She braced herself up and growled at the Sailor Sith. “Asteroid Shower Power! Take that!”

“Oh, we shall,” Ayameru laughed. “Eimin?”

The other Sailor grinned. “It would be a pleasure. Black Death Lightning!”

The arcs of black energy rushed toward the girl faster than she could move.

“No, Aster!” more than one of the Sailor Senshi yelled. “Asteroid!”

Sailor Asteroid had her eyes open and was looking right at the Sailor Sith. She was ready to die if the cause was sufficient. And saving her friends was the best thing she could think of to die for. Before the lightning could reach its intended destination, there was a flash of brown. Protecting her was Tuxedo Jedi and his lightsaber rose. “Tux...” she started to thank him, but the words fell away as she looked up into his eyes.

Time seemed to stop for the rest of the plain. The Sailor Sith were frozen, their attacks useless. The Sailor Jedi were unmoving, their thoughts stopped. It seemed that there were only two beings that time didn’t touch... Tuxedo Jedi and Sailor Asteroid.

He reached down and grasped her hand, their fingers intertwined between them. They looked at each other, almost surprised, but somehow knowing that everything was right. Touching softly, they kissed.

Seeming to restart, time flowed around them. The Sailor Sith disappeared in a huff of indignation and the other Sailors gathered around the two.

So close that noses touched, Asteroid smiled at Tuxedo Jedi and spoke softly. “I love you.”