Kakyuu's Incense Burner

A little censer brought from Kinmoku, this incense burner is where Princess Kakyuu takes refuge shortly after arriving on Earth. It figures in the manga, the 90s anime, and Crystal. The Sailor Starlights know the object on sight, and it releases the fragrance of Sweet Olive, the flower Osmanthus fragrans. Once Kakyuu reaches Earth, the burner passes into the keeping of Chibi Chibi.

Beyond scenting the air with incense, the burner doubles as a resting place. Kakyuu withdraws inside it to heal and regain her strength, concealed from those who might do her harm while she waits to fully awaken. In the anime its perfume is pictured as drifting butterflies of light throughout the Sailor Stars season.

In the manga and Crystal, Chibi Chibi discovers Kakyuu in distress the moment she arrives and carries the burner, with the princess hidden within, to Usagi's home. Usagi catches its scent and senses it matches the Starlights, though she cannot place the memory. As Kakyuu recuperates over the following month, Chibi Chibi tells her about Sailor Moon and the Starlights. Seiya eventually recognizes the burner and its smell, and when the Starlights come to reclaim it, Kakyuu steps out to greet her guardians and head off a fight.

The anime follows a similar path. Chibi Chibi comes upon the burner in episode 191, the Starlights realize she holds it in episode 193 and try to seize it by force outside Juban High School, clashing with Makoto in the process. It is later revealed that Kakyuu had been sheltering inside all along, biding her time until she could awaken.