(Neptune Shuttle, The Bridge)
Sometime later, Haruka had requested for all of the planet leaders to meet in the bridge of Neptune’s head transport ship. However, after everyone had shown up, only four of the six available seats were occupied. The representatives of Venus and Mars were absent. No one had expected the Venusian diplomat to show up, but they couldn’t very well start the briefing without Mars. It was this awkward wait that was making them all anxious. Secretly, although no one would openly admit it, Minako’s ordeal had dragged up a few unpleasant memories from their own pasts.
In the outside hallway, Taya and Sapphro approached the lift to the bridge.
“Are you sure?” Sapphro whispered to her.
“We’ve already been through this. I’m sure,” Taya said firmly. “Someone has to act as Venus’s representative while our Lady is recuperating.”
“That...won’t be necessary.”
Both guardians looked up at the pair across from them.
Minutes later, the bridge doors parted. Everyone turned to look to see two familiar figures step inside. For a moment, they were all taken aback.
Haruka shot Rei an annoyed look. “It’s about time you got here. You’re late, you know? And you, I thought you were going to stay home and rest.”
Minako smiled back. “Sorry to disappoint... but I changed my mind. I hope you don’t mind.”
Haruka stared at the smaller woman for a moment. Although her physical appearance hadn’t changed, the difference in Minako’s power from before was profound. Undoubtedly, she was a Goddess.
“What about those two watchdogs of yours? Don’t you think they’d be a little upset if you suddenly disappeared on them?”
“It’s already taken care of. We ran into them on the way here,” she explained. “They’re going to stay behind and make sure everything runs smoothly while I’m away.”
“Is that so...?” Haruka said thoughtfully. “Well then, I guess that’s that. Take a seat. We’ll begin immediately.”
Minako felt almost giddy as she took a seat beside Michiru. Everyone was smiling at her, and whispering how good it was to have her back. This was much better than lying in that room, doing nothing.
“Ahem.” Haruka cleared her throat. “I really hate to be a party pooper, so! Instead, I’ll let Ami tell you all what’s happening.”
The addressed party sighed. As she shuffled the stack of papers in front of her, she muttered under her breath ‘you know I was going to do it anyway’. “Umm...so yes, as Haruka has just mentioned, we’re actually in a bit of a sticky situation.” The woman opened up a computer screen on the desk and brought up a few images onto the overhead projector. “As most of you are already aware of, we barely escaped a dangerous, but unpredictable near miss earlier today.”
“Wait a minute. Is that...Hotaru?” Minako squinted at the screen. One of the windows opened up to the side with a zoomed up photo of the figure surrounded by the ball of light.
“...Yeah.” Haruka reluctantly admitted. “It is.”
“But, what happened to her? When did all of this happen?”
“You were unconscious when it happened.” Rei said in a low voice. The comment drew a puzzled look from the blonde, but Ami interrupted before she could pursue it.
“Anyway, the cause as to why she suddenly reacted is unknown. To be honest, I never knew she had that kind of power lying dormant within her.”
The comment drew a few curious gazes towards Haruka and Michiru, who both seemed somewhat tense at the implication.
“None of us did.” Michiru finally replied. “But as half of the key, we now know why it is especially important that she should not fall into the wrong hands.”
“Which is precisely why we have to get her back,” Haruka said firmly.
“No one is disagreeing with you, Haruka,” Makoto said. “The question is...how? You saw what happened. Hotaru was taken away by someone even more powerful than herself. How are we supposed to fight against something like that?”
“We’ll find a way...” The wind ruler vowed. “By the way, Michiru, did you have any luck with finding the Witch’s location?”
The Witch... The title sounded familiar to Minako. Wait a second. Wasn’t that what they were talking about back on Neptune? Is this Witch person the same person who stole Hotaru away?
“Surprisingly...yes.”
“Really?!”
“I wouldn’t get carried away just yet,” the calm woman warned. “As you know, Haruka, I’ve tried to locate her once before and failed. Not only that, but as we can see from Ami’s video, she was strong enough to overpower Hotaru. Given that, I think we cannot attribute my success to skill or mere coincidence.”
“She wants us to find her.” Minako spoke up.
“...Precisely.”
There was another awkward silence.
“So what...?” Haruka finally said. “If she wants a fight, then she’ll get one. We aren’t going to let Hotaru go without a fight! Right?!” She looked to her friends.
“Heh. You’re being an over-confident, hot-head as usual,” Rei retorted. “Why don’t you try thinking up of a plan first before you get us all killed.”
“What?! Jeez, that’s so mean...” Her reaction brought everyone to laugh, breaking the tense atmosphere. “But fine. I’ll definitely work on it. Where are we heading anyways?”
“Pluto.” Michiru calmly said.
Pluto...? Everyone seemed to ponder on that for a moment.
“Hey, I don’t want to be the one to ask a stupid question but... what is Pluto? Is that even a planet?” Makoto asked.
“Hmm...Actually, now that you mention it, I think I heard that its planet classification was up to debate.” Ami quipped.
“...Really? That sounds kinda strange. Well, are there any people on it?”
“I’m not sure. It’s pretty far out, so if there are any, it must be pretty isolated.”
“Like... how far out?” Rei raised an eyebrow.
“Let’s just say... it’s a ways past Neptune.” Michiru could almost smirk at the shocked looks she was receiving.
“Wow.” Minako breathed. That’s pretty far...
“So basically, it’s a long trip.” Haruka smiled. “Enough time to come up with a plan, right?” She nodded to Rei.
“If you say so,” The Martian shrugged. “In any case, if it’s that far away, then shouldn’t we get started? The longer we sit around, the longer it’ll take us to get to Hotaru.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Okay group! I would recommend that everyone check up with their soldiers and make sure everything is in order before we leave. I would like us all to depart within the hour.”
“Right!!”
Everyone gathered their things and made their way out of the bridge, until only Rei, Minako and Haruka were left. The moment the three were alone, Haruka dropped the smiley facade.
“So, umm, Minako... you’re really, really sure about this? Even after hearing all of that?” She asked her again.
“...Yeah.” She nodded. “Hotaru is my friend too. I want to help out in any way I can.”
“It’ll be dangerous.”
“I know. I did think about it before I agreed to coming.”
“Well, all right,” Haruka patted her shoulder. “But make sure to let your babysitters know about it first! Haha!”
“Hey! They aren’t like that!” Minako indignantly huffed as she watched the taller blonde leave the room. “Really!” She said to Rei.
“...They’re just worried about you.”
“Ah. Yeah, I know. But still...”
“Minako.”
“Hm?”
About yesterday... “...Never mind.”
“Eh?! Oh come on! What were you about to say?” She reached out and grabbed Rei’s arm. “You don’t think I should stay here too, do you?”
For once, Rei had to think about that. Minako had said it so casually, but she somehow felt like it was a very serious question.
“Hmm...After all of the trouble we went through to find you, it would be a waste if you did.” She felt Minako let go of her arm and tilt her head at her quizzically. “What’s with that face? You can take care of yourself. It’s your choice.”
The Martian almost had a heart attack when Minako suddenly tackle hugged her, laughing. “AWWW~!! Did I ever tell you how much I love you, Rei-bear?”
“D-Don’t call me that! What if someone hears?”
Minako’s perked up at that. “Is that what you’re worried about? Soooo...does that mean I can call you that if no one is around?”
“...Whatever. It’s just a name.” The Martian huffed. Noticing that she was letting Minako hug her a little too long, she stepped away and began to make her way towards the steps up to the door. “Anyway, you heard Haruka. If you’re coming along, you better get ready and quick. We’ll be leaving within the hour.” She stopped in front of the door, noticing that Minako had suddenly gone silent. The Venusian hadn’t moved from that spot since she pulled out of the hug; did she do something wrong. “Umm...Minako?”
“Right! Yeah, I heard...Umm... But, I was wondering...” She saw Rei arched an eyebrow. “Could I catch a ride with you?”
(Martian Shuttle, Rei’s room)
Despite some minor setbacks, everyone had departed on schedule. The fleet had set a direct course for Pluto.
Rei found herself sitting her in room and was quickly becoming restless. She sighed to herself. Being on standby was terribly boring; while everyone was off doing who knows what, she had nothing to do. Normally she would sleep during these long trips, but her bunk was currently being occupied by someone else. She found herself staring at the reflection off of the glass. Off to the side she could see that Minako was peacefully snuggled into her bed.
Hmph. So much for not being tired... Rei absent-mindedly thought. But I guess I can’t blame her. She did just lose her entire family after all. She allowed her gaze to linger for a moment longer. Minako’s back was turned towards her. What had happened during their last private encounter still bothered her.
She really doesn’t remembering anything, does she?
“Wow, just look at you. You’re all beaten up. What happened?”
“Oh. I see... Well, you know, these things just happen sometimes, I guess...”
“You know...You really suck at pretending to be asleep.”
There was a pause.
“Well, now I do.” Rei could imagine the Venusian pouting as she said that. “And you know, you sigh a lot.” She shot back.
“Is that so?”
“Mhmm...” Knowing that she had been found out, the blonde stretched languidly under the sheets and made a noise of contentment as she readjusted into a more comfortable position. “So...? A penny for your thoughts...?”
“...It’s nothing important.”
“Uh huh... Sure. No, really. What were you thinking about?”
“Stuff.”
“...Like?”
“Just stuff.”
Minako rolled her eyes and shifted on the bed to get a better look at the Martian. For a minute she stared at her in silence. “...I just don’t understand you.” This sudden confession caught Rei’s immediate attention. “Why did you come all this way to save me if you were only going to ignore me? And don’t even try to deny it. I know you were the one who saved me.”
“W-What are you talking about?” Rei was beginning to panic. Oh no, don’t tell me she actually remembers that!
“Taya told me. She said you found me unconscious, and that you brought me back.”
“Oh.” Somehow, that was more disappointing than Rei had expected it to be. “I see...”
“So...? Why did you do it? Honestly.”
Rei opened her mouth and then closed it again. She had considered telling the blonde that it was a part of their contract that they made back on Mars, that it was her duty to protect her, but that was until she had used ‘that’ word.
“...Honestly? It’s because we’re friends...and it’s what friends do, right?”
Minako was stunned by what she heard. Friends...? You mean, she did it because she... It wasn’t quite the answer she had hoped to hear, but it did bring a smile to her face nevertheless.
“Is that so? You know... I haven’t told anyone else about this yet, but there’s this gap in my memory.”
“A gap? What do you mean?”
“Well, one minute, I remember seeing my mother dying...and then the next there was this bright flash of light. After that, it’s all a blank. I just remember coming to in that room and you were all there.” She waited to see if Rei would say anything, but when she didn’t she decided to try and be a little more direct. “You found me, didn’t you? Did you...see what happened to me?”
“I...” Rei realized her mistake and bit her lip.
“What did you see?”
“...Nothing.”
“But--”
“Look. The important thing is that you’re safe now, right?”
Minako couldn’t understand why Rei was dodging the subject, but it did make her feel a little better to hear that she had been concerned about her well being.
“Oh. I almost forgot.” Rei said suddenly.
“Hm?”
“You mentioned that you had a brother, right...?”
“Yeah. Eros.”
“Is that... a nickname or something?”
“...Yeah. Why?”
“Because...I think I met him on the battlefield.” She saw the woman suddenly sit up. “By the time I got there though, it was already too late. He was almost gone when I found him. But...I just remembered. There was something that he wanted me to tell you.”
“...I’m listening...”
Rei took a breath. “He said that he already knew about what happened on Uranus...but, that it didn’t matter.”
“Please save her.”
“He thought about you till the very end.” She finished.
Eros... Minako felt her heart ache. Even when you were dying, you were...
“I-I see... Yeah. That’s just like him,” Minako laughed and sniffed. She thought she had gotten over it by now, but it still stung. “He...He didn’t die alone, right?”
“No. He didn’t die alone...”
“Thank Goddess...” Minako quickly wiped the away tears and shook her head at Rei’s inquiring gaze. “It’s okay. I’m all right. It’s just... thanks, Rei. I’m really glad that you told me that.”
Rei awkwardly looked away. She didn’t mean to make the woman cry again, but there was still something weighing heavily on her mind.
“Hey. There was also something else that I was thinking about. Do you remember what happened on Neptune?” She heard Minako quiet down. The atmosphere between them was very awkward again. “I--I didn’t mean to slap you. You just surprised me, that’s all.” Rei’s face was bright red now. “So I, I was just wondering... what was that all about? Is it some kind of weird Venusian custom or something?”
Minako blinked several times at her, before her eyes finally softened in understanding. Rei was surprised when the blonde stepped off of the bed and walked up to her. She turned around to see what was going on when she suddenly felt two hands resting lightly on her shoulders. Minako only hesitated for a second; before Rei could do anything, she bent down and gave her a peck on the cheek.
“Yup, you’re right. It is a Venusian custom,” Minako tapped her nose and beamed. “It’s a Venusian custom just... for... you.”
The Martian stared back at her with an ‘I don’t get it’ look that brought the Venusian to giggle.
“I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Anyway, I think I really will get some sleep. We still have a ways to go, right?”
Minako didn’t even bother waiting for an answer before she jumped back into the bed and snuggled into the sheets. This time, she really did go to sleep and left Rei even more confused than ever before.
...I don’t get it. Rei thought to herself. If it’s a custom, then why did she do it differently this time?
(Martian Shuttle, Rei’s room. Sometime later)
Sometime later, Rei had fallen asleep by the window. But her rest wasn’t as peaceful as her companion’s-- in her dreams, she found herself back on Mars. It was in her younger days while she had been living on the streets. She was sitting at the table in the same shady hideout they had found Nozomi. It was strangely quiet.
“They’re really not coming back, are they...?”
The scene then changed, and suddenly she was looking into flames. Neptunalia; the moment she witnessed the Goddess of Neptune’s demise. She felt an old wound from back then rip back open.
“...It’s a shame, isn’t it?”
Huh?! She glimpsed the silhouette of a woman with long hair hidden in the shadows.
Ping!
Rei awoke on the alert. But as tempting as it was, she resisted opening her physical eyes and instead peered through her spiritual sight. She whipped her sight around the room and, to her bewilderment, she found no unusual signatures.
They’re not in here? Then--!! Are they outside?!
The Martian expanded her range and began to search outside the ship when she was suddenly rebuffed by a powerful force.
Ping!
“I thought I sensed an unusual presence.”
Wha----Wait!
PING—BOOF!
A strong force collided with Rei’s mind, catapulting her consciousness into space. Rei was seeing stars, literally. She was helplessly being pulled through as small specks of light streaked past at an amazing speed.
…ping…
“… I see…You’re Sir Ares’s heir.”
Who’s there?! Her consciousness painfully jerked to a stop when a small object came into her view. As if giving her head a shake, she slowly came to the realization that she was staring at a small, circular object. Why was she stopping here?
Huh? Is that a planet…? She scanned for the second presence and warily noted that they were still there, watching her. However, Rei wasn’t about to let this opportunity go to waste; before anything else could interrupt her, she attempted to zoom-in onto its surface. All she saw was ice and rock.
There’s...nothing there. She scanned the planet’s terrain and found it absent of any signs of civilization.
PING!
Again she was yanked forward—this time, towards the heavenly body itself. Woah! Rei felt her mind unconsciously trying to brace herself for the inevitable collision, but it turned out to be a waste of effort because she fell harmlessly through the rock. A chill swept through her transparent self, but there was no pain.
When the Martian finally came to a stop again, the first thing she realized was that it was dark. Rei blinked and was partially taken aback by what she saw. She was surrounded by rock. It comprised the floor, the walls and the ceiling.
Is this an underground chamber? Rei wondered. It greatly reminded the woman of the underground chamber underneath Neptunalia. It was cold and dark, but there was a different kind of energy flowing through the walls. This energy...it’s alive. Then that means--
Ping!
“…”
Rei went instinctively on guard. Someone was here.
Hotaru--? No, that isn’t her. There’s someone else here, someone much stronger. She didn’t like the feeling she was getting from them. Whoever this ‘Witch’ individual was, there was a chilling air to them. She couldn’t even be sure that they were human; their aura was unmoving and unwavering, as though one solely existed for duty alone.
Tup…tup…tup…
Up ahead, a tall, slender figure came into light.
Is that... the ‘Witch’?
The raven-haired woman flinched when she felt an intense gaze rest on them. It was a woman, a beautiful woman with long green hair and crimson eyes--she couldn’t have been that much older than Haruka or Michiru at a first glance. Despite her young appearance though, Rei was apprehensive; there was an ancient, sad air to her that hinted the being was far older than she was letting on.
Who are you?! And what did you do to Hotaru? Rei threw her thoughts at her.
“…” The mysterious stranger held up her garnet staff in response, and the crimson jewel at its end began to emit a red light. Its intensity steadily grew brighter and as it did, Rei felt her consciousness beginning to recede.
I-I’m going back?
Wait!
PING—BOOF!
(Pluto)
The green-haired stranger stood motionless, even after she felt the other presence fade away. It had been mildly amusing to the woman that another’s spirit had reached her despite the distance that separated them. There were only three others that she knew who possessed such a potential.
With that, the stranger raised her staff into the air once more and the jewel at its end began to glow again. A thin ray of crimson light shot out to the space directly in front of her, forming a small viewing sphere. The contents of the space were momentarily warped and cloudy until the haze dissipated and confirmed her suspicions. She unblinkingly watched the fleet of shuttles closing in onto her hideout. Judging by their velocities, rough estimate of mass, incoming angles and remaining distance, they would arrive according to her expectations.
“They are coming for you,” Green hair whipped around as the mysterious person turned to gaze at her young charge. “Perhaps, this will be the time…”
… To reveal the truth.
(After some time…)
The green haired woman waited patiently as the sound of footsteps closed in. She locked on and traced all of their signatures since their landing. There were six of them. Her senses were so well tuned that she could sense their auras invading into her sanctuary, and hear each individual’s heart beat. They were on the surface, now at the entranceway. At the lead she saw the Martian and a short-blonde haired woman speaking to one another at the doorway of the cavern. They were strategizing—hoping to catch her off guard. Then one of them did something that she hadn’t expected; the taller of the two women appeared to have lost her patience and was going to barge right in.
How reckless.
Her crimson eyes narrowed and a slight frown creased her lips. She rarely let her thoughts wander—this time shouldn’t be an exception.
Tup! Tup! Tup!
Time slowly ticked by as she waited for the expected confrontation. She knew that there would be many questions and that she would be the target of many accusations, but she knew this was her fate. She gripped the handle of her staff a little. When was the last time that she felt anxious?
Tup! Tup! Tup!
Finally, she heard a voice.
“YOU!” The tall, furious, ruler of the wind came barrelling into the room and didn’t look like she was about to stop. Without so much as flinching, the green-haired woman calmly held out her hand and threw out a bolt of her power. Haruka yelped in surprise and was knocked right off of her feet.
Crackle!
“AHHHH!!!”
The Witch analyzed the blonde as she picked herself up off of the ground. There was a deep seated hatred gleaming in her dark green eyes and the way her adversary clenched her jaw, she knew that this being was on the verge of strangling the life from her very body on the spot. The only reason that she hadn’t was likely because she just noticed the barrier behind her.
“What are you doing to Hotaru?! Let her go right now!” Haruka demanded.
Haruka’s green eyes flickered to a spot behind her opponent to where Hotaru was being held. The girl’s appearance was still that of a young woman. She was hanging suspended a few inches above the cold, rocky floor of the tunnel, and encased within the same sphere of light that had spirited her away. The vacant, distant expression in her normally bright eyes almost broke the blonde’s heart.
“Didn’t you hear me?!” She demanded more angrily this time. “I said let her GO!”
When the other woman continued to ignore her demands, Haruka wasted no time in transforming. If this stranger wasn’t going to release Hotaru, then SHE WAS!
“World…”
The rest of group ran into the room as the attack was unleashed.
“Haruka…?!” Michiru cried, startled.
“SHAKING!”
Bam- Wrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiir----KABLAM!
Did I get it?
There was a stunned silence as the dust particles began to clear. Everyone was surprised that Haruka lost her temper like that, but, more importantly, her attack had no effect on Hotaru’s container.
“N-No way! That’s impossible!” There isn’t even a scratch?! The wind ruler was also shocked at her apparent failure.
Just what is she? They all wondered of the green-haired stranger.
A loud thud echoed throughout the chamber when the stranger before them abruptly lowered her garnet rod to the floor. Was she requesting for silence? But who did she think she was to think that she could simply command a group as powerful as they were with a stick?
Rei narrowed her eyes warily as the red jewel on her rod reflected in her dark eyes. Her earlier encounter with the woman still disturbed her— the memory was an important testament to their adversary’s capabilities.
“Finally, you are all here.” The crimson-eyed woman stated slowly. There was a hint of distance in her whispery words. It was as if she hadn’t spoken in a very long time and was trying to awaken the skill. “I have been waiting for your arrival for some time now.”
Haruka continued to openly glare at the stranger, feeling her anger on the verge of flaring up again. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end as trace amounts of her golden aura sparked up dangerously around her.
“Yeah, but if you had extended the invite earlier, we could’ve been here faster!” She retorted.
“Haruka, please calm down.” Michiru advised. She leaned in to whisper into her ear, “I understand how you feel, but it would be best not to do anything rash. Think of the position that we’re in… that Hotaru COULD be in.”
Her partner frowned, but reluctantly nodded. “Yeah, you’re right... we still don’t know what we’re up against,” she whispered back.
Everyone is so tense. Minako felt the air currents with her powers. All of her friends had the same turbulent air pressure around them. It was very similar to hers right before she gained the power to materialize it. They were all on guard.
Is there going to be a fight?
The stranger was the first to break the silence, and what she said was about to catch them all off guard.
“I am sure that you are all aware...that the former King, Apollo, is gaining strength.”
Haruka’s stance faltered. “So… you know about that bastard, huh?”
“Interesting. Then does that make you a friend or foe?” Ami stepped up. Everyone had noticed that the blue-haired woman hadn’t dared to take out her computer and do an analysis on the stranger. “I don’t mean to be rude, but if you would like us to trust you, then the least you can do is introduce yourself.”
Their host closed her eyes momentarily, thoughtfully, before slowly opening them again. A tired expression lingered there.
“Very well… My name is Pluto Setsuna. However, in the past I was known as Meioh Setsuna. I was the head advisor to Sun King Apollo.”
“Y-You mean you knew him PERSONALLY?!” Haruka exclaimed, expressing the shock that everyone was feeling. “Just how old ARE YOU?”
“Haruka!” Michiru exclaimed, although she was equally as shocked as her companion.
“I-I--” The blonde tried to say something else, but nothing reasonable would leave her mouth. Luckily for Haruka, Rei came to her rescue.
“So, you were his personal advisor. Then let’s get to the point, shall we? Do you intend to cooperate with us, or are you the enemy?”
All talk ceased.
“You are jumping to conclusions.” Setsuna replied monotonously. “I am no longer in Apollo’s service but rather, the former Queen, his sister Serenity.”
“Queen Serenity?” Minako questioned. She frowned before realizing why the statement had sounded so strange. “Wait. You mean, the guy married his own sister?”
Again, Setsuna closed her eyes in thought. There was a slight frown on her face. Then, as if having come to a decision, she tapped her staff on the floor. Instantly the entire room was engulfed in a bright light.
“Ah!”
“What’s going on?!”
“I-I can’t see!”
“…I will show you what you have sought, heirs and successors of the former court of Apollo.”
FLAAAAAAAASH!
The gloomy landscape melted away and was replaced by a vibrant, orange sky. Tall gold buildings rose up to meet their vision and glimmered with a radiant light like none of them had ever witnessed before. There was nothing that could parallel the artistic patterns carved within the gold, or the dome roofs of several of the more prominent structures. Everywhere and everything within this God-like paradise demanded respect, especially the breath-taking view of the castle that emitted the greatest source of light like a beacon amongst the city.
“The Sun was where King Apollo ruled.” They heard Setsuna’s voice rang out. “We, the servants and followers of his court had all once resided here. Each of your predecessors reigned as high Lords and Ladies who ruled their planets as representatives our King.”
The scene warped and changed to reveal a large courtroom. Sitting on a majestic throne, in its center, was an orange eyed, golden haired man. His purity was apparent in the air that he carried about him—and his smile and the kindness in his eyes, everything else seemed to dull in comparison. There was no denying that this was King Apollo. As he was, there was also no doubt that this God’s existence deserved to be worshipped. It was as if it were a law decreed by nature itself. However, none of them could understand how someone such as this could also be the ruthless murderer that was out to kill them now.
As for those that were gathered around him, the group perceived to be his subjects.
There were two rows of people that especially drew Haruka, Michiru, Makoto, Ami, Minako and Rei’s attention. Standing in front of the lower ranked subjects was the former rulers. Uranus, Neptune, Jupiter, Mercury, Venus and Mars-- all of them were healthy and well again, and they were dressed in royal garbs that boldly displayed their nobility statuses. It tugged at all of the heirs’ hearts, making them ache, as the desire to reach out to embrace and converse—to be acknowledged—grew stronger, despite knowing that it was merely an illusion. They were all so preoccupied with their thoughts that they barely noticed that Setsuna’s past self was standing beside the throne at Apollo’s right hand side.
“We all had sworn loyalty to our King… We pledged to stay by his side for all of eternity. We were convinced it would be so, yet, one day, a peculiar change came over Apollo... one that none of us realized until it was too late. He had fallen in love with his twin sister, Artemis.”
A long, silver-haired woman approached the throne. All watched as Apollo warmly greeted his twin, affection shining in his orange eyes. Without hesitation the man invited the woman to stand by his side, where she gracefully accepted and took the opposite side to where his royal advisor stood. Any who had witnessed this ritual-like greeting concluded it was merely to honour the bond between the siblings, as one would to any close family member.
“However, when Apollo identified that his own feelings went beyond simple affection he began to lose his mind. He knew in his heart that he was supposed to be pure, to be a role model for all of his subjects…
Although he may have tried to hide this terrible secret for the sake of others, we all suffered the consequences. Soon after, the ‘battles’ began.”
Clash! Tinz!
Again the scenery warped, this time to a large battlefield within an arena. Below in the dirt filled ring was Ares and Aphrodite. The God and Goddess fought each other with all that they had, with each of them becoming increasingly exhausted as the seconds dragged on. Ares would repeatedly charge with his sword, surprisingly, aimed to not kill (as Rei, alone, would realize) but to injure. His opponent, Aphrodite behaved very similarly—the Goddess letting lose small bolts of her power to put distance between when it was required. Eventually their King would be satisfied. Eventually, he would tell them to stop. Once one of them was on death’s door or he grew bored of the game…
The sight of the two fighting shed a new light on Rei and Minako’s perspectives of their people. Although their predecessors may have not gotten along during their existence, it was apparent that they had no desire to finish the other off even when they were given the chance to. This was entirely different than the background that they were both raised in.
But that still left the greater question of ‘why’ unanswered. How could Apollo force his subjects to fight one another? They all wondered.
Slash!
Crackle!
“As time grew on, the kind light that Apollo ruled with faded.” Setsuna went on to explain. “His eyes became listless and his hair--gray, leaving behind only a shadow of his former glory. Many times I had tried to convince him to confide his troubles in me, yet each and every time he refused. He would laugh and ignore my counselling. The rare instance where he seemed to regain a sense of himself appeared to be when he caught a glimpse of his sister.
However… eventually, even in the presence of Lady Artemis he would remain in this state.
His sister was the first to learn of Apollo’s sinful feelings for her and at first, the kind Lady believed that she could convince her brother to return to the peaceful ruler that he once was…
…Unfortunately, her efforts were in vain.
As time passed, Apollo became more violent, demanding, bitter, and scornful. Once Lady Artemis realized how deeply rooted her brother’s obsessions had become, she fled with a group of followers. They went to the Moon, a single, small, heavenly object orbiting about the Planet Earth.
…I knew of my Lady’s plan… She came to me the night of their departure in hopes that I would leave with her.
I declined.”
“No, I’m sorry…” Setsuna shook her head. Disappointed was apparent in her Lady’s light colored eyes.
“Why?” She whispered. “Why won’t you come with us? It is too dangerous to stay here!”
“I am well aware of that. However, I believe that one of us should stay behind for precaution’s sake.”
“But there are others.”
“If you are referring to the planetary rulers, I’m afraid that is not possible. They spend the majority of their time governing their planets, and are rarely summoned to court. What I meant was... Someone is needed to stay here to keep a close watch over His Majesty.”
“But is this what you really want, Setsuna?!”
“...I’m sorry. But it is my final decision.” Setsuna bowed her head. “Good-bye, my Lady.”
There was a noticeable pause before Setsuna spoke up again.
“I soon heard rumours that Lady Artemis had cast aside her name and began to rule as Queen Serenity of the Moon. She and her people cut all ties to our King, and began to live prosperous, peaceful lives once again. However, Apollo appeared unperturbed by this; one day, during a stadium battle, he confided to me that he believed his sister would come back to him once she was finished with her ‘temper tantrum’.
Lady Artemis… no, Queen Serenity never came back. Centuries later, the Sun Palace was in an uproar once again with news that Queen Serenity had finally given birth. She had given her people what they had asked… heirs, two twin girls. Lady Hotaru was one of them.
Apollo’s Lords and Ladies went to show their respect for this new life. Our King, however, was seething with rage.”
The throne room came into view once again. King Apollo was hunched over his chair, breathing heavily as if he had received a life-threatening injury; beads of perspiration formed on his brow. Occasionally, a few of the drops would slide down the sides of his face. He never knew that his sister had found someone else, someone other than HIM.
Who was it?! And why did she just give birth?
“These girls…” He whispered under his breath, his words dripping with loathing. “If Artemis really did give birth to them, then that would make those brats, my nieces, isn’t that right?” He hesitated to call them his own flesh and blood for they were not entirely his. No… They were made from another, someone far inferior and unworthy of his sister’s affections-- someone dirty. His nieces…
“Setsuna!” He summoned for his chief advisor. The other woman shortly appeared in the room with her garnet rod in hand.
“Yes Your Majesty? Is there something you require of me?”
Apollo readjusted his stance and sat upright. The anger in his dim eyes was replaced by a sudden, suspicious openness.
“Yes, I do. I heard a ‘rumour’ that my sister has given birth.” He studied his advisor’s calm face for any sign of surprise.
“I see.” Setsuna simply replied. Seeing hardly any reaction, the man continued on with his request.
“I would like you to go to the Moon in my place and see whether these rumours are true. If they are, come back and inform me so that I shall go give them my blessings myself.”
“… As you wish, Your Highness….”
“As he had ordered, I departed the next day.
As soon as I arrived at my destination, I was immediately escorted to the throne room where Queen Serenity and her newborns resided.”
Setsuna stepped into the white marble throne room and was secretly amazed at how many guests and subjects that resided here in this ‘new world’. There were many strange faces, yet the green-haired woman noticed that all of her former companions and planet rulers were present as well.
“Setsuna!” Setsuna looked up in time to see Serenity descending the steps towards her with a smile. The chief advisor hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to react as the distance was closed, so instinctively she bowed her head in respect to her Lady, who, in turn, ignored this action and instead proceeded to hug the other woman-- startling her!
“Come now Setsuna, there is no need for that. We’re friends, are we not?”
Setsuna blinked back in surprise. Already she felt the beginning of a rare smile coming on, but she immediately squashed the reaction upon reminding herself of their audience. She knew she would be under suspicion since she was, in technical terms, visiting on behalf of Apollo. The man’s popularity had declined greatly over the recent centuries, heading in the opposite direction to his sister’s. If all continued along this path, in due time the royal advisor was certain that there would be appeals that her Lady should become the official ruler of Gods.
But that was only a hypothesis. She must deal with what was presented to her now. Setsuna wordlessly nodded in agreement.
“Come, you must see them. They are absolutely adorable!” Serenity insisted.
Setsuna was taken by the hand and led up to the throne where a nurse held the two newborns. Swaddled in cloth, the child in the woman’s right arm was a beautiful golden-haired child; while in the left, there was a raven-haired baby girl. Both of them were sleeping soundly.
“The children were indeed an unusual sight…but it was not solely due to their physical aspects; their powers had already started to manifest. I had never thought that a newborn could be born with such powers at that age, yet these two baby girls were able to materialize energy right before my very eyes. It boggled the mind to think of what they may become…”
“Setsuna...?” Queen Serenity questioned the silent woman.
“…”Setsuna felt a hand rest lightly upon her elbow.
“Please stay…”
“I never returned to Apollo.”
FLAAAAAAAASH!
The red light receded, leaving everyone to find themselves once again within the cold, damp room.
“The key…” Haruka was the first to speak. “The other half of the key, could it be that other girl? Setsuna was it? Where is she now?! Is she still on the moon orbiting Earth?” Her patience nearly slipped when the woman held her silence. “Oh, come on! You’ve already told us this much so why stop now?”
“Haruka… if she won’t talk about it, then don’t push it.” Neptune advised.
“Huh?”
“What’s wrong? Do you know something that we don’t?” Rei asked. Her senses had already caught on to the uncertainty in the aquamarine-haired woman’s aura.
“Did something bad happen?” Minako questioned.
Everyone looked at her, suddenly very conscious of what they were speaking of: What if something in the past had gone terribly wrong? Minako had only gone through a tragedy of her own. Was it fair to dig into another while the wound was still fresh?
However, none of them could ignore the fact that she had spoken the very question that weighed heavily on all of their minds. What did Michiru and Setsuna know that they didn’t?
“I’m sorry…” Michiru quietly apologized to Setsuna.
Setsuna was silent for a moment, but she shook her head in return to this display of sympathy.
“What’s done, is done...No one can change the past.”
The crimson-eyed woman then addressed the others, quite ready now to let them all in on their inside secret.
“Apollo never showed any reaction to my sudden disappearance, so I lived as the new advisor of Queen Serenity, in peace, on the Moon Kingdom.
Her children soon grew… opening their curious eyes with understanding to what this world of peace had to offer. Their mother often taught the both of them within the palace gardens. The three of them spent countless hours together in meditation and aura lessons.
One particular day… I happened upon a certain lesson, and noticed something peculiar. As I had suspected, since the first day that I had laid eyes on them, the children were developing into amazing beings. It was not long before the people heard of their future rulers’ abilities. Some rejoiced, while others feared. The dark-haired girl, Lady Hotaru... her powers bent towards channelling darkness and destruction, unlike her sister, whose special talents were focused towards the healing and defence arts.
I should have taken these rumours into account… or perhaps, we should have watched them both more closely…”
“What happened?” Ami whispered. They were all anxiously waiting for the revelation that was about to be revealed to them.
“While they were still in their teens, a select few of the staff felt very threatened by Hotaru’s power. So they aided Apollo in her kidnapping.”
Everyone was shocked.
“No way! You mean they got rid of her because they were afraid of her? How cruel can you get?!” Makoto clenched her fists by her sides.
“That’s terrible...” Minako whispered.
The fools… Rei and Michiru agreed.
Haruka crossed her arms in a thoughtful pose. She knew what it was like without a family to go home to… But if they could return Hotaru to her family, would that make her happy? Could that be what she was reacting to?
“If that’s the case then why don’t we just take her home?” The tall blonde suggested. It seemed like the right thing to do.
However, Michiru thought differently.
“Haruka...Why do you think we found her on Saturn?” Her voice was barley higher than a whisper.
Lubb Dubb
“I-- Well, I don’t know…”
“I’m afraid... we cannot take her home...” The shorter Goddess continued. “...because...there is no home for her to go back to.”
Momentarily everyone was rendered speechless. What did Michiru mean by that? No, it couldn’t be could it?
“The Moon Kingdom was destroyed shortly before the Battle against the Sun.” Setsuna calmly stated. “Lady Hotaru… destroyed it.”
“Hotaru…? But you can’t really mean that.” Minako choked out. “Hotaru would never do such a thing!”
Setsuna ignored the comment. As she continued, the images flashed through her mind’s eye.
“It’s true. Brought about by Hotaru’s hand, buildings were destroyed, and people were killed… No one survived… Nothing did. It was all brought to ruin.”
A scream resounded deep within her soul, making her heart skipped a beat.
“Nothing survived? If everything was destroyed, then how can you be here talking to us like this? You aren’t dead.” Rei pointed out. Setsuna kept eye contact with the Martian, yet she chose not to elaborate this tiny detail.
She’s not telling us everything. Rei noted suspiciously.
“I had wished to discuss with you about another issue on hand,” The guardian continued on. “One that may be essential to our survival...”
This time no one interrupted. They all waited for what this strange person was about to propose to them; she knew more than they did, what they had wanted to know and perhaps even more. Unspoken consensus agreed that this Setsuna person was very serious about her matters.
“We need to retrieve Lady Hotaru’s heart.” She finally said.
“Huh?” The group exchanged surprised looks.
“I will only say this once more. It was Lady Hotaru who brought ruin to the Moon Kingdom. However... she did not do it without feeling guilt. After she had seen what she had done, the guilt that she felt, like Apollo, threatened to consume her spirit with sorrow. She wished to repent…but she did not know how. In the end, the young Lady chose to seal away her heart and was reborn.”
Minako turned her head and peered at Hotaru. It was as if she was seeing the girl in a different light now.
So...You lost everything too… The frustration that she felt when she first stumbled upon the truth was still very vivid in her mind. I guess we’re both more alike that I thought.
Shhhsssss…
Hotaru twitched.
Wait---did she just? Minako wondered if the others had seen it too, but they were all intently watching her instead.
“W-Why are you all looking at me like that?”
“It was you who awakened Lady Hotaru.” Setsuna answered.
“Me?”
“Yes. Until now, she has lived without any memory of the incident from long ago. However…on Venus, her feelings resonated strongly with yours, and it is because of that, that her spirit has awoken. This is what brings us to our current dilemma. While her body has reverted back to its true form, without her heart, she is still incomplete. Her current self has become unstable; this means that as long she is in this state, she will unconsciously try to repeat the past tragedy once more… instead, this time, she may bring ruin to us all. That is why it is imperative that we retrieve her heart as soon as possible.” Setsuna stressed. “Even as I speak, she is slowly eroding away my barrier. I cannot hold Lady Hotaru with my own power for very long.”
“I get it.” Haruka spoke up. “So basically, you’re the only thing that’s standing between her and destruction. If you go down, we all do.”
“...”
“But that’s also why you can’t go and retrieve her heart yourself. You might seem really powerful, but it’s taking a huge toll on your strength to maintain this barrier, isn’t it? How long have you been holding it again...? That’s why... you told Michiru where you were. You wanted us to retrieve her heart for you. You need our help.” She stared Setsuna straight in the eye and caught a glimpse of something behind her calm demeanour. “Heh. Fine. We’ll cooperate with you for now, but on two conditions. First, you’ll have to tell us where her heart is. And second, once this is all over, I want answers. No more secrets...Got that?”
The protective gleam in Haruka’s green eyes calmed Setsuna’s own wavering spirit a little. She still didn’t trust the woman entirely, but in the case of her young charge there was nothing to be concerned about. They were both after the same thing: To protect her; it was that sentiment that stirred emotions that she thought were long dead.
I must protect the children. The green-haired woman reminded herself.
“Her heart is on Saturn.” Setsuna finally said. “Although you may have found Hotaru’s body there, you have missed her heart. Go there and find it.”
Haruka didn’t need to wait any longer. She didn’t need to think twice about this; her instincts were telling her to go. There was no other explanation of why the young girl went berserk when she did, or why her powers were suddenly so great.
Haruka turned around and past everyone else when she paused at the entranceway.
“Just for the record... I still don’t trust you completely. But if Hotaru is missing something, then I’ll find it!”
She left the room.
Michiru followed shortly and in turn was followed by Makoto and Ami. But when Rei turned to leave after Minako, Setsuna called to her.
“Heir of Ares. You cannot go with them.”
“Stop calling me that! I have a name!” Rei snapped back. “And why can’t I go?”
Rei can’t come? Minako wondered, worriedly. She didn’t like the sounds of this.
“The atmosphere of Saturn is unfit for humans.” Setsuna explained.
She knows that I’m not a-- Rei realized.
“It is difficult as it is for a God or Goddess to tread upon that land; the poisonous gas that guards the young Lady’s heart will undoubtedly kill you if you should persist.”
“I’m stronger than you think I am. A little bit of poisonous gas won’t stop me.” She retorted.
Setsuna watched the Martian quietly for a moment. “This is not a question about power. It is simply because you are human. Your structure is different from theirs. From the moment you step onto Saturn, you will succumb to its atmosphere before you even reach the poisonous gas. Do you wish to burden your friends with the guilt of your death?”
That really got to Rei.
“Tch!” The Martian growled with a look of extreme annoyance. She knew she was being played, very well, but she couldn’t snap back because she knew that her death would be the last thing Minako needed.
Taking this into account, Rei spun on her heel and stared Minako in the eye. She wasn’t about to do nothing about this either.
“Rei… I can stay too,” Minako offered.
“Don’t be silly,” Rei scolded and shook her head. It took the raven-haired woman everything she had to disagree with Minako and hide the disappointment inching into her voice. After finally finding each other again, she honestly didn’t want to let the other woman out of her sight—especially to go to a dangerous planet with poisonous gases of all things.
“Think about who you are. What if something happens on Saturn and they need you? You can help them when I can’t.”
“But--” Minako held her breath when a red strand sparked in Rei’s palm. Why did it look so familiar?
“Here, take this.” Without waiting for the blonde to reply, Rei grabbed Minako’s hand and there was a spark of power between them. The red strand briefly wrapped around their hands before slipping beneath the delicate skin that held it.
Foom…foom…foom..
Minako could hardly believe it. It’s so warm…! It’s almost like it’s…mixing with my own?
“I can’t go,” Rei repeated. “But with this, I’ll still be right there with you; anything that you see, I’ll see. Anything that you hear, I’ll hear too. If I can’t go, then I might as well do something useful and act as a form of communication between our parties.”
Minako searched her eyes for a moment. “...All right. I understand.” She could understand the situation, but it didn’t mean that she had to like it. They were finally beginning to understand each other and now they were going to be planets apart (literally). “Well...I guess I should be going now...”
“Yeah...”
The both of them stood there awkwardly. It felt kind of silly.
“I--”
“Actually!”
The two women stared at one another for a second, realizing that they were about to say something at the very same time.
“Umm... sorry, what were you about to say?” Minako asked. Behind the Martian, she could see Setsuna turn her attention away to reinforce her barrier around Hotaru. That was when she noticed Rei’s face. “Rei...? Is everything all right? Your face is so red.”
“Umm…well, about earlier. I-It was different.” She stuttered out.
“Different?” Minako tilted her head.
“Your tradition,” She muttered.
It took a minute before it clicked for the Venusian. “Oh! Right, well...you know, I thought you weren’t...ready...? Yeah, ready! Soooo... I had to modify it. You know how it is!”
It’s really too bad. She thought to herself. It would have been nice to passionately kiss the woman again.
“...You really think so? A-Actually...I think, I can handle it now...”
“Huh?” Minako tilted her head to the side and studied Rei’s averted gaze. It then hit her, stunning her like a wayward meteorite had struck her. She had nearly forgotten about their new link.
Wait. She can read my thoughts?! The blonde woman saw Rei cringe at the mental screech. Apparently it was true.
But another thought entered the picture. If Rei had just read her thoughts, then she knew what she was thinking and was in fact responding to what she was contemplating at the time…
Did she just say that she didn’t mind if I…? She was sure that her eyes couldn’t go any wider, but she was wrong.
Rei nervously glanced up as Minako approached her. The blonde wasn’t thinking about anything now. There was only silence and the thick tension within the air that separated them.
Her amethyst eyes briefly met Minako’s blues ones before falling down from that gaze. Her own gaze began to wander as she found a sudden interest in the woman’s other facial features: The curve of her nose, how pink and soft those lips looked. Thoughts of that subject brought her cheeks to burn even more; what in the name of Mars am I thinking? What was she going to think next? That Minako’s ears were cute? She would ponder on it, but what if Minako read her mind?
Minako giggled. “Hmm...I don’t know.”
Stupid!
“No, you aren’t.” When she heard Rei’s thoughts go silent, she reached out and cupped the Martian’s cheek. Rei went rigid. She kept thinking about the way it was on Neptune, and the anticipation was driving her crazy. As Minako started to lean in, her stomach was starting to do flip-flops. She wasn’t going to do it like that again, was she?
When their lips were barely inches apart, Rei couldn’t stop herself. She flinched. Minako, upon feeling this, let loose a small smile and quickly gave the other woman a peck on the cheek instead.
“Silly Rei-bear...” She sighed a little. It’s still the modified program for you. Rei wasn’t quite ready after all, but at least she hadn’t entirely rejected her. “Well! I guess we’ll just have to work on it later after I get back. So try not to cause too much trouble while I’m away!” She laughed, fully enjoying the shocked expression on the woman’s face as she ran off.
“Y-You…! What are you talking about?!” Rei snapped back. Her face was flush with embarrassment now. Was she actually feeling disappointed? “You’re the one who has to stay out of trouble!”
Argh! I shouldn’t have flinched! Rei suddenly scowled and shook her head. She could still hear Minako laughing even though she had already disappeared out of sight. You! Get out of my head! Next time, I’ll show you who’s on a modified program!
As the uptight woman growled at an invisible person, Setsuna’s gaze fell onto her for a moment. In her mind she was calculating.
That one… has potential.
Back to Heartfelt Desires Index - Back to Sailor Moon Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction