1114/Key of Hope

Key of Hope
Date of Scene:	13 February 2024
Location:	Radiant Heart Academy
Synopsis:	Sailor Moon calls Yellow Pearl Voice to hand over the Sealing Key given to her by Sunbreaker, and gets some reassurance from her friend.
Cast of Characters:	Usagi Tsukino, Coco Kiumi

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Usagi Tsukino has posed:
A text message is sent to Coco, from Usagi.

    TXT: hey coco-chan are you free
    TXT: i've got something important to share with you.
    TXT: it's kinda about that gaito guy?
    TXT: I'm on campus if you are! We could meet on the roofs.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco was finishing polishing the gems she had gathered from the seafloor when her floor beeped. Setting the activity aside, she unlocks her phone and whatever she expected, Gaito's name wasn't on the list. Frowning as she considers what kind of worry is required for the situation and how Usagi got involved, she text the soldier of the moon back.

<PHONE> A text from Coco Kiumi: Yes, I am.
<PHONE> A text from Coco Kiumi: Please tell me you are ok.
<PHONE> A text from Coco Kiumi: Anyway, I will meet right there.

Not a few seconds after she has replied, Yellow Pearl Voice sneaks out of her window, levitating to the roofs with the help of her Live Stage, waiting for Usagi to show up.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
    TXT: I'm okay! Promise.

Within a few moments, Sailor Moon has arrived on the rooftops. She's got the key that Sunbreaker offered her in hand, though the Moon Stick is not in hand.

"Coco-chan, thanks for meeting me - I hope you weren't waiting too long -"

She stumbles a little - then yawns, and comes closer.

"I - okay, so, a while ago.... I had a nightmare, with that, guy - Gaito." She scowls. "You know, for someone really handsome, he's an awful jerk. I should have mentioned it to you sooner, but - he told me I'd have nightmares, for like, ever, unless I handed you over, and I obviously wasn't going to do that, so, whatever, right? It's just a few nightmares, right?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco sighs with relief when she reads the text that says Usagi is ok. If Gaito in involved, there is no telling what...

Why does Usagi look like she is severely sleep deprived? It's Gaito's doing, isn't it? And then comes Usagi's explanation, leaving Coco to bite her lips at the news this is just another one of their schemes to abduct her again. That explains why they weren't trying as hard recently, Coco realises as she approaches Usagi for a hug, which she will stop if given sign to.

"I am sorry you had go through that. Gaito is a monumental jerk, really", she agrees, having experienced his hospitality herself. "Did you happen to lose anything recently? He is probably using it to give the nightmares he is sending a direction to follow."

But she smiles when she notices what Usagi is holding, the Sealing Key that Aqua Regina made. "Where did you get that key!?" she says excitedly. "That's actually what we need! With it, we can get locate the castle and get past the seal on it. Can you give it to me?" It is quite frustrating that their own enchantment is turning against them without it.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Apparently I did? He teamed up with Beryl," he makes a face, "She was Hematite's boss, and she's - evil. A real jerk. I'm not surprised they teamed up, she's exactly into the kind of things that creep is about..."

At the question about losing things, she shrugs sheepishly, "Probably? Honestly, I'm really bad about losing things - if stealing is all that guy needs to cause trouble, I'm the perfect target because I lose things all the time... I'm doing okay though, really! What's a few nightmares? With everything that's been happening lately, I just didn't want to be a bother-"

It had been stupid, honestly. Usagi just - didn't want to deal, though. She didn't want to have to have a big boss battle or something...

"It's for you! I uh, promised I wouldn't tell anyone how I got ahold of it, but my source said that you would know exactly what to do with this thing, to make it stop. But... if we can locate the castle, is that where your friend is? The one in the fish bowl?"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"It's ok, Moon", Coco declares determinedly. "It doesn't matter how many team ups they manage to do, we will still defend the peace, and stop them from making any more victims."

Coco shakes her head when Usagi admits to losing things frequently, and insisting to being ok despite her state. "No, offense, Usagi, but you don't look good at all. When is the last time you slept well? This has to be affecting your life somehow, and I worry your health is taking hits too. Please don't say things like you are a bother, you are worth so much more than that! What kind of friend would I be if I said 'Thanks for the key, and who knows, maybe the nightmares will stop sooner or later?'" Not a good one, of course, especially with all the times they have been in fights together. You would have to trap Coco somewhere to stop her from helping a friend in need, and even that wouldn't stop her from trying the impossible.

Coco takes the key from Usagi has come here to give her. "Yes, that's right. Both of my friends, actually. One I have to save from Gaito's clutch, and one I have to save from herself." She sighs. "Sara isn't really in a good state of mind at the moment, and despite being her best friend, I have utterly failed at mending her pain", she mentions, obvious feelings of guilt radiating off her.

She then focuses on the energies of the key, and it expands before their eyes, turning into a long scepter. "This key was initially made by Aqua Regina to hold the Panthalassa in, it wasn't really meant to keep us out. But now that it is back in our hands, I can use it to get all of us there with no issues like breathing, and even use its magic to make our powers work there. Normally only dark energy or incredibly strong powers works in Gaito's palace."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"That's right. No matter what the bad guys of the world do - we'll always be standing by, ready to stop them! We'd send them back to the creeping corners of the world, where they can clutch their roots in despair!"

And -

"Um, slept? Last night. Slept well?" She pauses. "It's been a few weeks," she admits. "I haven't been able to really - sleep with the nightmares. I get snatches here and there but - it's not - I know!"

She didn't mean to raise her voice, and immedately apologizes, "Sorry, sorry, I knew you'd all want to help me out. I was the one who - didn't want to deal with it. We had so much chaos, with the Midnight Tokyo Project, and all the youkai in Juuban, and then Mamochan nearly died and all of his jerk friends got purified and have to learn how to people, and - I was kind of just sticking my head in the sand, like it'd go away if I ignored it."

She pauses. Closes her eyes.

"That did not work. Naru-chan already scolded me about it, too."

But Coco's guilt reaches her, and she comes closer, clearly itching to hug the other girl. "You know I'll help, right? I want to help rescue your friends - even if from themselves. Whatever choices Sara made, they aren't your fault, but, I know it can hurt to watch people suffer. Mamochan was really - frustrated, all the time, watching his friends struggle with the things happening to them..."

And then the key becomes a scepter, and Sailor Moon jumps back in surprise, looking at it in awe. "That? Is? So? Cool?! This key will let us get underwater, and fight there? Man, I really owe -"

She just barely catches herself short. "Well, I really owe someone a huge thanks."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco jumps a bit when Usagi shouts - a bit more than most, it sucks being a musical mermaid with sensitive ears - but otherwise, she doesn't really mind it. She can at least guess how hard it is for her, being plagued by nightmares night after night.

"Moon, I want you to listen to me. We are now going to gather as many people as possible and start an assault on Gaito's castle to get back whatever Beryl and him stole from you. I am sure there are many that would gather to help you, and I can confidently say all of them would agree with me that you aren't a bother. So we are going to storm the castle and we are going to do it together", Coco says looking at Usagi straight in the eyes, hints of a flaming aura surrounding the mermaid.

Coco nods thankfully at Usagi's offer. "I really appreciate that you get it, in fact I do think often about Sara, but that's all the more reason I am not allowing Gaito to do as he pleases with your dreams 1 second longer than necessary. We are in this together, and you are worth it."

"Please give the person that got this my thanks too."