Between there illusions, Tim and Rei remembered there first ever meeting.
Tim had been 10 - cheerful, curious, and full of energy.
Rei was 7 - quiet, distant, and wary of others.
On Earth(16 years ago)...
A small scene played out in in there minds:-
Tim was sitting up slowly, brushing dirt off his shirt. "I never needed to follow anyone before," he said honestly. "I just talk to people. Laugh. Play. It's easy."
He looked at Rei beside him then, something more serious flickering in his usual cheerful eyes.
"But you're different. You don't talk. You don't laugh. And you're always alone. I guess... I had to stalk you, because you never let anyone near."
Rei turned away, her voice cold. "None of your business."
She sat down hard on a park bench, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the sky turning shades of violet.
"I'm better alone."
Tim stayed quiet for a moment, then got to his feet and walked over, standing beside the bench but not sitting.
"Maybe you are," he said softly. "But even the moon looks lonely sometimes. Doesn't mean it wants to be."
Rei didn't reply.
But after a while, she didn't tell him to leave either.
From that moment, something unspoken had connected them. Despite their differences - his loudness and her quietness - they found comfort in each other's presence.
Tim, even as a child, felt drawn to Rei in a way he couldn't explain. She wasn't just another warrior-in-training. She was someone who saw the world differently - and for some reason, he wanted to understand her.
Rei, for the first time, felt like someone actually wanted to understand her - not as Moonsalt's student, not as a future warrior, neither as a cold serious girl- but just as Rei.
Back in their chambers, the illusions roared louder, but now - something changed.
Tim clenched his Saber. "Rei..."
Rei gripped her hatchets. "Tim..."
Though separated, their hearts pulsed in unison.
And at that moment - both of them realized something undeniable:
They completed each other.
The fear, the pain - none of it mattered as long as they were together.
And even though they were apart now... they weren't alone.
Their bond was too strong for Blooma's illusions to break.
The air in both chambers thickened as the illusions twisted and turned - distorting into even crueler versions of their worst fears.
Tim watched helplessly as the illusion of Rei stood before him, but every time he tried to reach out, she faded into a dark mist. Her voice echoed painfully.
"Tim... why didn't you save me...?"
"No... you're not real!" Tim roared, his Solar Saber crackling with fiery energy as he slashed at the illusions, but they reformed instantly - stronger, louder. The walls seemed to pulse with his despair.
In her chamber, Rei clutched her hatchets, her knees wobbling. Tim's broken voice echoed in her mind, and the sight of him - sacrificing himself for her, alone, fading into darkness - was unbearable.
"Tim... please..." she whispered, her heart pounding like a drum.
But no matter how much she called his name, there was no answer.
Their separation was more painful than any physical wound - a gaping emptiness tearing at their souls.
And through the swirling mist, Blooma's projection appeared again - a twisted grin on her face as she watched their suffering.
"Oh, how delightful..." Blooma mused, her voice a sickly sweet taunt. "You both are so strong when you're together - but apart?"
She chuckled, her eyes glowing a deep crimson. "You're nothing but broken little children."
Tim gritted his teeth, his breathing ragged. "We're... not... broken..." he growled.
Rei, trembling but furious, muttered, "You... don't... know us..."
But Blooma only laughed louder. "I know everything about you."
Her misty form floated between their chambers, and with a flick of her wrist, the illusions intensified - the Rei in Tim's illusion now falling to her knees, crying out in pain, while the Tim in Rei's vision was dragged into the darkness, his screams echoing through the void.
"Rei!" Tim yelled, slamming his fist into the wall.
"Tim!" Rei screamed back, scratching at the walls with her hatchets.
But the illusions kept twisting the knife - drowning their hearts in hopelessness.
Blooma's smile widened as their pain deepened. "Yes... sink into despair... let it consume you... just like Sheila..."
Suddenly, Tim's heart thudded at the mention of Sheila - the reminder of Dr. Aron's resolve to save Sheila.
And Rei's mind snapped to the image of Jim and others battling monsters.
Tim clenched his fists, a flicker of Solar energy igniting around him. "No... I won't let this... break me."
Rei's grip tightened on her hatchets as a blue Lunar glow pulsed from her palms. "We're not alone... we never were."
Blooma's eyes narrowed, sensing the shift in their energy. "What...?"
Despite the illusions clawing at their minds, both Tim and Rei, from their separate chambers, stood their ground - their shared bond burning brighter than the despair surrounding them.
Even apart... their hearts beat as one.
The dark chambers trembled - cracks spreading across the walls as Tim's Solar energy and Rei's Lunar glow flared brighter than ever.
The intense power of their Celestic Resonance surged through their bodies, a radiant mix of blazing yellow and shimmering blue.
Blooma's misty projection flickered, her once confident smirk twisting into a shocked snarl. "What... this can't be-"
The ground rumbled.
Tim's Solar Saber roared with fiery brilliance, and Rei's Lunar Crescent hatchets shimmered like twin moons.
With a synchronized involuntary cry, "Celestic Resonance!" they unleashed a combined blast of light and shadow - a radiant beam that shattered the chambers like fragile glass.
The ground beneath them cracked open, glowing with streaks of gold and deep blue energy. The very essence of their bond seemed to reject Yamark's dark magic, sending ripples of light through the wasteland.
Blooma's mist projection sputtered, dark tendrils swirling chaotically. "No! How-this power-it's-"
Before she could finish, the shockwave from their Celestic Resonance exploded outward, and her misty form evaporated into thin air - her echoing voice fading with a sharp hiss.
And then... silence.
The oppressive darkness of Yamark seemed a little lighter - just for a moment.
Tim, breathing heavily, staggered forward - his eyes wild, searching, desperate. "Rei!"
"Tim!"
And there she was - standing a few feet away, her aura glowing softly.
For a heartbeat, they simply stared at each other - both battered, exhausted, and overwhelmed.
But then, as if pulled by some invisible force, they rushed toward each other - and embraced.
A tight, desperate hug - the kind that said everything they couldn't put into words.
Tim clung to Rei like his life depended on it, his heart racing. "I thought-I thought I lost you..."
Rei buried her face in his shoulder, her voice trembling. "I couldn't stand being away from you... I needed you, Tim..."
Their emotions spilled out - raw, unfiltered, and undeniable.
Without realizing it, they both admitted what they felt.
Tim, his voice a soft whisper, said, "Rei... you complete me... I'm nothing without you..."
And Rei, with tears she couldn't stop, murmured, "Tim... I feel confident with you... I don't want to be alone again..."
The words hung in the air - a truth neither of them expected to reveal.
Yet, at that moment, it was the most natural thing in the world.
Tim and Rei previously tried to master Celestic Resonance while training under Sheila for taking down Deadbeat but it was too much for them that time so they stuck to there Celestic Blast which was a result of the Resonance they were able to master that time.
Even after beating Deadbeat, when they were healed, they continued to spar together not only for practice but also perfect there Celestic Resonance further. But it still didn't made that much progress. Though now, for the first time, it worked in the form of a trial when they least expected it.
After a few tense moments...
Tim and Rei remained in their tight embrace, the silence of Yamark's wastelands broken only by their unsteady breaths.
The air still crackled faintly with the remnants of their Celestic Resonance, but the real storm was the one raging within their hearts.
That's when it hit them.
Tim's cheeks flushed red, and Rei's face practically burned with embarrassment as the weight of what they had just confessed settled between them.
Tim broke the silence first, a nervous chuckle escaping him. "Damn... it's all out in the open now, huh?"
Rei, still holding onto him but turning her face away slightly, muttered, "T-There's no way I'm falling for a fool like you..." Her voice trembled, failing to match her usual confidence.
Tim smiled - not his usual cocky grin, but something softer. "You can keep saying that, but no matter how much you deny it... we've always understood each other, haven't we?"
Rei didn't answer.
Tim took a small step back, his hand still lingering on hers. "You're probably too stubborn to admit it... but I can't lie to myself anymore. I... I slowly started to feel something for you."
His voice cracked slightly - a rare moment of vulnerability.
Rei's heart pounded. She thought the same, but the words felt too heavy to leave her lips. She was Rei - the tough, sharp, and distant one. Could she really let him see this side of her?
"I don't deserve that," she whispered, her eyes lowering.
Tim tilted his head, a teasing but affectionate smirk forming. "Well, too bad. I'm reckless, remember? I do whatever I want."
Before Rei could respond, Tim took a bold step closer, their faces now just inches apart.
His voice dropped to a whisper. "And right now... I want to do something bold."
Rei's heart raced. "Tim... what are you-"
He leaned in.
"Stop me if you want," he added, "Blast me away with your Lunar powers if you have to."
Rei froze - her usual sharpness lost in a flood of emotions.
And then... their lips touched.
A soft, tentative kiss - not perfect, not planned - but theirs.
For a moment, Yamark's darkness seemed a little less suffocating. The ghostly figures in the distance, the echoes of Blooma's cruelty - none of it mattered.
Rei's face burned with embarrassment, but she didn't pull away. She didn't want to pull away.
When they finally separated, Rei turned her head sharply, trying to mask her flustered expression. "You didn't have to do that."
Tim chuckled softly. "I told you - you could've blasted me. Guess you didn't mind that much."
Rei gritted her teeth, her cheeks still glowing red. "Idiot.
Tim playfully stretched his arms behind his head. "Well... if you've got a problem with it, I guess I'll just head off alone."
He turned to walk away, a small smile tugging at his lips - but before he could take a step-
"You fool. Don't you dare try to abandon me here!"
Rei's arms wrapped around him from behind, pulling him into a sudden embrace.
Tim's heart nearly leaped out of his chest.
Her voice, quiet but firm, followed.
"I... I love you too."
For a moment, Tim didn't move - stunned by the confession he thought he'd never hear.
Then a wide grin spread across his face. "So I wasn't rejected, huh?"
Rei muttered, "Shut up."
Tim, still smiling, gently placed a hand over hers. "Let's catch up with the others. We've got a long way to go."
Rei nodded, her hand slipping into his as they stepped forward - not just as Celestic Warriors, but something much more.
As they moved through Yamark's wastelands, there was an unspoken promise between them - one that even Blooma's dark magic couldn't break.