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Normally their Captain would have ventured an, are you sure? Even a, you're not mistaken? There had never been any identifiable cases of resurrection except -- well, Jude Lawson had used up all of his chances, and there had been one particular person present each time. That person merely said, "But why come back as a toddler?"

Hero's roomie was looking more than a little discomfited by the head that had buried itself at her knees. It was a big head. Sailor -- Nova? -- looked like a cute bobblehead of a little girl, big pigtails and bigger eyes.

"I don't know."

It was the same monotone. Hero had expected Miriam to bristle more anxiously at the fact that she had a little girl undignifiedly wrapped around her legs, but she still looked as though her body was a rock and her stomach had lead in it. Stiff. Unresponsive. "All right. You did call Luna, didn't you?" Still not a lot of response, but a minute nod. Elke was twisting her fingers into themselves. "If it's Nova, Jacobs, then it's Nova. She was before my time."

Sailor Nova had been dead? That's right--Elke remembered now, the senshi list. Jude had been on the board, too. So the little senshi could entirely be Sailor Nova--but she was also right there.

It was taking a little more effort than it should have. Elke took this as a sign that either more people than just Zodiacs were lucky enough to have someone throw themselves into the Cauldron for them, or... Or, something. The world was a magical place. Her Captain posed a good question, though: Why a toddler?

"What should be done with her, then?" She watched Miriam hug the tiny senshi, her hands untangling enough to wrap around her knees. It was the kind of adorable that melted hearts, and that was kind of weird, because it was Miriam Jacobs.

Maybe Luna would know what to do with little Sailor Nova. Luna seemed to know everything, sometimes.

The grey-furred, silver-starred cat melted into Astraea as she crossed the floor. It was Astraea she turned into, not the earmarks of yellow-dressed blue-netted Luna, her cobweb-stuff silver nightgown rustling as she knelt down on the floor.

Whatever Miriam Jacobs had drank, the Lunar guardian cat had shared it. The look on her face was that of terrible, overwhelming tenderness as the tiny senshi buried her face one last time in the Shitennou's legs and then turned around to go to the barefooted catgirl: she tottered into her embrace and Astraea put her arms around her, rocking a little bit back on her heels as she closed her eyes and squeezed her into her hold. She was clamorous, undignified. Elke's weird-to-heartmelt ratio went up skyhigh on both sides.

Although tiny Nova hadn't set off any power alarms, a transformed guardian cat did. Hero's brow was furrowing a little, though she felt a twinge when she said, "You shouldn't -- "

"A moment," said Astraea. Not even gritted teeth. "Give me a moment."

Thankfully the catgirl was true to her word, and it was only a moment. She looked into the little senshi's eyes as though searching for something, and when she found it said: "I see. I can fix that."

Smiling and mindless, Sailor Nova said nothing when Astraea slipped her fingers into her chest and clutched her hands around her starseed. They were all four silent witnesses when it happened.



She stood with her as her form flickered like an interrupted movie projector and grew, shaded in, fluttered around the edges. Eternal Sailor Nova stood before them as solemn-mouthed as tiny Sailor Nova had been cheerful, and Astraea put her arms around her -- they were about the same height, and weren't tall -- as she said something to her that was for none of their consumption. Hero did not strain to catch it. She had, however, moved a little more to Kunzite's side, as though two captains standing together would allay the obvious awkwardness.

Astraea stood back. She was composed. "I'll take her with me," she said, a bit unnecessarily.

Elke watched solemnly, of course, not exactly knowing what else to do. It wasn't often you saw Astraea hugging a little girl, even if it was entirely adorable and if it had been any less of a solemn moment she fully would have photographed it just to have proof that it happened. No one would ever believe her--but then, why should she tell anyone?

It felt like an intrusion, watching Astraea slip her hand into Nova's chest, watched the little sailor--grow up? No, that wasn't the right word. Elke didn't know the words for what happened, not in any of her five languages, and she didn't think she ever would.

She might have been crying a little, quietly, when Nova began to talk. The implications of this--that maybe, maybe it wasn't really over for those they'd lost--weren't lost on her then. "Of course," she said, and turning to the Captains, she repeated it: "Of course she can." They would let Nova, of course they would. It wasn't anyone's place to stop her.

Nova was sniffling but no one made any mention of it. She was extremely grateful of that, since she was about to full on ugly cry in to Elke's pillows and she knew once she started it was going to take awhile to stop. She just wanted to get home before making herself red and puffy in front of her peers. People that she was assuming to be her peers, but Astraea wouldn't be all human-ey if they weren't people that she could trust.

And then the girl with the ice-blue eyes spoke, and Nova listened, and realized the same thing that she had when she was Little Star, back when people were friends or enemies. Back when things were uncomplicated.

"I don't have any change," Nova said, the hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, "so please don't leave. That would be very nice. It is very nice of you."

Without hesitation at the ice-blue eyes Nova folded her arm into Kunzite's, who took it with grace: Astraea moved to take her other, curling her fingers around her forearm instead. The moment was thick with solemn silence. It was like being in church.

For her part Hero had rested her hand on Elke's shoulder as silent tears rolled down Virgo's cheeks, her own dry but uncharacteristically wide. Aurelia bracketed her, glasses clutched in her hands. Nova glanced back at them and they just beheld her like she was -- like she was a Jesus-shaped stain on a bagel, said an old memory.

Aries just nodded. It was a salute.

"If you could, Captain." Astraea. At least that meant she wouldn't have to channel so much into the teleportation. Nova was wedged between them like a princess with an honour guard, a bookended treasure. "It's time to take her back."

They blinked out of the room with a tiny pop! and the strong smell of ozone.

For the Zodiacs, it was an old miracle. It was an old miracle and hard to bear, considering that it was one they had experienced fruitlessly time and time again. It was because of that that when they were gone Hero moved to enfold both Aurelia and Elke in a close, three-strong hold, all of them empty and tearful at both the inherent promise and the inherent rejection of Nova's rebirth. Jude. Alistair. Barren Pines in full. Their captain pressed her face into Elke's shoulder and cried like a child, and they were still three holding each other when Serenade came in --

(Nova went home.)