Welcome to Gaia! ::

The evening had started off rather bitterly, Dia once again finding herself in a losing battle against one of the pesky Order senshi. No matter where she went or what she did, there always seemed to be one of those frilly dressed meddlesome twerps that insisted on getting in the way. She'd patrol during the daytime - someone was there. She'd sneak around in the middle of the night, another one would be there. There was just no winning, it seemed.

One hand sunk into the bag of candy she carried, a small consolation she'd snatched up from a passing store to ease the pain of her recent loss. Popping a handful of sugar stars into her mouth, she slowly scuffled her way down the street, eyes wandering as the neighborhood she'd escaped into was beginning to look oddly familiar. Had she been here before?

Her downcast expression lit up as she finally recognized one of the houses near the end of the street - this had been the spot Lace had asked for a drop off, the cold snowy evening that the two had met. Lace, the adorable, precious little ball of fluff!

Surely spending some time with a kitten could make a terrible evening more tolerable, right?

Heels clicked as teeth crunched, her mouth working away at the candy up until the point she arrived directly in front of the house. The windows were lit up, shining into the darkness of the evening and rose colored eyes peered from a distance, hoping to see any sign of the friendly feline.

After all... it wasn't as if she could knock on the door and ask to hang out with the owner's cat.

"Lace!"

It took her several moments for her to locate the voice's owner, the tiny dark kitten hidden in the shadows of the evening. Soon, though, she spotted the light colored fluff encircling the feline's neck as it bounced from the carport and onto the sidewalk.

The smile that appeared at the corners of her mouth was genuine, the kitten possessing a cuteness that was simply too irresistible. She waited until the kitten had finished her nuzzling and brushing, mindful of her location as she stepped forward. With the way the evening was going, she could use a pleasant conversation and a friend to share her sugar with.

Taking a seat on the sidewalk, she settled the plastic bag next to her, widening the mouth of the plastic to allow easier access to her pawed companion. "I'm okay now that I've seen a friendly face."

Her free hand moved to rest on her knee, the muscles worn and aching. Just when she felt she'd gotten used to all this Negaverse stuff, someone had to go and test her strength, had to challenge her to yet another violent run-in. It was growing more and more disheartening, knowing she had nothing of substance to defend herself with, aside from what...high heels and candy globs?

"How are you doing this evening, cutie? I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

One hand rose to gently pet the kitten, first rubbing behind her ears before stroking down the soft fur of her back, like silk beneath her fingertips. A small giggle bubbled up at the thought of the kitten romping around in Easter goodies. She herself had taken advantage of the after-holiday sales, but something just seemed cuter about a tiny kitten getting enjoyment out of chocolates and peeps than a grown woman.

Lace's question made her pause, the smile on her face faltering as she was immediately reminded of the night's earlier failure.

"I don't know if I'm cut out for this Negaverse stuff."

Her voice had grown quiet, eyes averting their gaze away from the Guardian's. It was something she was ashamed to confess - it was as if she was giving up, admitting defeat. "I can't keep up with the others. I'm not strong enough."

The hand on the kitten's back stilled, fingers still buried within the comforting, soft fur. "Maybe I should stop powering up for a while, you think? I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

"Well sure, I mean, of course I would... I don't want anyone getting hurt on my account."

Thoughts of Tourmaline, Sylvite, Labyrinthite and the others getting injured - or worse - made her flinch. No, she didn't want to think of any of her friends getting hurt, but how could she be the one to help prevent it from happening? She was supposed to be magical, but the magic she possessed fell short of what was needed, what was required of her now.

"Help?"

The comment pulled her from her brooding, a look of surprise lighting up her face. The Guardian was precious in her own way, but could a tiny kitten really help her? Did she know a secret that Dia wasn't aware of? Was there something she was doing wrong, maybe something she had forgotten?

"You can help me?"

She watched as her henshin pen fell to the ground with a clatter. Well, it looked like her pen, at least, but instead of the simple design on the top it now sparkled like a star with five pointed, silver edges. The kitten was quick to pick it up and bring it to her, setting it down beside her.

Lace's words were far more inspirational than the kitten probably knew and Dia could feel the power yearning to break free as she picked up the transformation device. Maybe this was it. Maybe this was what she was missing?

The power felt incredible, a sudden urge within her demanding to be released, to break free and unleash itself upon the world. A small voice was calling to her, beckoning her to rise and transcend - to embrace the power she deserved, that belonged to her.

Clutching the pen, she stood up from her seat on the sidewalk and raised the star-tipped wand up high above her head. In retrospect, it probably looked rather silly, but it simply felt right to Dia.

The words were on her tongue before she even realized it, an ancient force encouraging her - "Dia Star Power - Make-Up!"

Warm energy embraced her, much as it did when she normally powered up. But this time, it was different - it was stronger. And when black heels returned to the asphalt of the street, she knew she had changed.



The weight pulling on the back of her scalp had increased, flickers of pearls bouncing in and out of her vision as she turned to glance at the pink locks that brushed the ground. Her dress had lengthened - no - she'd grown an addition to it and a belt to cinch it in place.

But most of all, she felt it - the power.

"What...Lace, this is..."

Words were struggling to come to the girl, still too stunned as her mind fought to register the changes. "This is incredible. What have you done to me?"

She let out a small laugh at that, turning around to admire the upgrade of her attire. The pearls were a wonderful addition, as were the other accessories. In truth, she felt like flexing her powers, to experiment with this new extension of strength that the kitten had just unlocked for her.

Her legs spread apart, feeling the fabric of the new skirt pressing gently against her as she struck a pose that professed just how impressed she was with her new appearance.

"I feel amazing, my sweet little friend."

Leaning down, she opened up her hands towards the kitten.

"Want to hop on and test things out with me?"

Gently lifting the small kitten up into her arms, she paused for a moment to debate the best place to set her. Her hands rose even further up, allowing the kitten a resting place atop her waves of cotton candy pink, where Lace soon nestled herself between both hair and bow, securing her spot.

"Alright little one, you ready?"

A happy mew came as a response, confirming permission for take-off.

Crouching down, Dia knelt as though she were taking a runner's mark and preparing for a race. Moments later, she was off - long strands of pink whipping behind her as she dashed off, a quick jump and she was sailing into the sky and onto the nearest rooftop. She'd been able to rooftop hop before, but never with this much energy, never with this much speed.

And just like that, the duo disappeared into the night, the happy event heralding in a new chapter in the sailor senshi's life.