“Luna. Artemis. It has been awhile.”
“Yes, it has. It’s good to see that you are doing well, Setsuna.” Artemis greeted in a cheerful manner. Luna, on the other hand, appeared to look somewhat grumpy. “Oh, and don’t mind Luna. She’s always like that when she first gets up in the morning.”
Whack!
“Ow!”
“I can speak for myself.” The woman huffed. Little did she know, but the familiar action almost brought Setsuna to smile.
Even after a few centuries, they’re still very much the same. “It’s good to see that the two of you are doing well as well. However, there are a few pressing matters that we must attend to. Now that Lady Usagi and Lady Hotaru are both awake--”
“Wait. Did you just say...Hotaru?” Luna interrupted.
“Yes. I did.”
“But I thought...”
“Due to the circumstances, she has regained her senses and is no longer a threat to us.” The former advisor assured them both. With a simple gesture, she indicated where the two twins were sitting together. The sight brought a smile to Artemis’s face, but his partner still appeared somewhat apprehensive.
“I see.”
“Are you kidding me? This is great! I’m going to go and say hi right now!” Artemis was about to dash off, but Luna caught him by the collar of his suit.
“Work first, play later.” She remarked.
“Wha? Oh. Right...”
“Ahem,” Setsuna cleared her throat. “As I was saying... Now that Lady Usagi and Lady Hotaru are both awake, it is imperative that we re-establish the Kingdom’s Planetary Core Defence System before Apollo notices their presences. Do you think the two of you can handle it?”
“Of course.” Luna replied confidently.
“Leave it to us.”
“All right. After you have completed the task, I will fill you in on the rest of the situation. We should also be expecting visitors shortly.”
“Visitors...?” She heard the pair question behind her back.
Setsuna then shifted her attention toward the Moon heirs. The elder woman approached the two girls, and stopped a short distance away before she saw two pairs of contrasting eyes peer up at her in curiosity.
“Lady Usagi, Lady Hotaru,” She nodded to the newly returned Moon heir. However the dark-haired girl did not reply to the greeting and instead averted her gaze away guiltily. If the action had bothered her guardian, the woman didn’t show it. “It is good to see that you both have returned home safely. However, I am afraid that I must cut this reunion short. As I speak, Luna and Artemis are going to re-activate the Moon’s defence system.”
“Luna and Artemis? You mean they’re both all right?!” Usagi cried out. The girl must have sensed Setsuna’s foul mood because she immediately shut her mouth. “I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”
“It’s fine... And yes, they are both in good health.” Setsuna replied, wearily. “As I was saying, they are both going to re-establish the shields. Until this is done, it is too dangerous for you to remain outside. That is why the both of you should return to the palace and take shelter for the time being.”
“But Setsuna--” Usagi protested.
“There will be time to discuss matters later.” She noted the crestfallen look and felt a twinge of guilt. “Forgive me if my requests are a burden to you, but there are certain criteria that take priority. The young woman over there, for instance, is one of them. As your guardian, may I request that bring the Martian, Lady Rei, into the palace with you? I will need to tend to her wounds at a later time.”
“Martian?” Blue eyes blinked back. Usagi followed Setsuna’s indicated direction until she spotted the motionless body of a raven-haired woman across the garden. She had nearly forgotten all about the stranger amidst the crisis they faced at the time. “Oh right. I remember her. She was the one who was holding up Hotaru’s barrier.”
The sudden absence of warmth from her side brought Usagi to look up to see Hotaru standing up to comply with their guardian’s wishes.
“I understand.” Hotaru replied in a soft, monotone-like voice. The woman kept her back turned to the green-haired woman’s watchful gaze as she made her way over to Rei.
“Hotaru...?” Usagi questioned her sister’s peculiar behaviour. Usagi’s eyes flew back when their guardian also turned her back and retreated towards the palace. “Setsuna...?”
What’s going on…? Is it just me, or do they seem a little cold to one another? Hmm...
“Usagi! Would you please come over here?” Hotaru called over to her.
“Oh! Yes, just a moment.” She stood up and ran over to where the girl was standing. “What is it?”
“I know this may sound strange, but will you please help me carry her? I believe it will take the both of us to bring her inside.” Hotaru requested.
“Ah, yes, of course. It’s not a problem at all, silly.” Usagi caught on. “Goddess forbid that I would allow you to carry her alone. She looks like she weighs a ton with all of that armor on. Do you think we should take it off first?”
Hotaru tilted her head thoughtfully. “I think... it would be better if we saved that for later. It could complicate things if we have to keep track of all of the pieces and I’m sure she would be upset if we lost something. From what I remember, she has quite the temper when she’s angry.”
Usagi bent down to pick up Rei’s legs. “Really...? So does that mean that you know her, Hotaru?”
“Well, I’m not quite sure if you can call it that. But I’ll explain it to you later, all right? In the meantime, where are we going to put her?”
“You know, I haven’t even thought of that. That’s a good question.”
Hmm...
(Minako, Space shuttle)
Rei… I hope she’s all right. When Hotaru suddenly vanished I thought I was going to a heart attack.
. . .
Minako stood alongside with Ami on the upper floor of the bridge, holding Hotaru’s heart crystal close to her chest protectively. The Venusian was lost within her own world while her companions tended to one another’s wounds on the lower deck below. It hadn’t been an easy battle, but they all had made it out in relatively one piece. Now if only they could say the same for their two other comrades. Rei’s last thought transmission before the link was terminated worried Minako terribly, especially when Michiru informed them that the pair was no longer on Pluto. It wasn’t until Hotaru had graciously lent Michiru her spiritual signature that they were able to determine where their missing friends had disappeared to.
The blonde was about to let out a frustrated sigh when a warm light exploded between her arms.
“Hm? Woah! W-What?!”
Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen…
“The circumstances have changed. I must go on ahead.” A voice rang in the air.
“Hotaru?” The crystal shone a purple light and lit up the surrounding area. “Wait! Where are you going? HOTARU!!”
FLAAAAAAAAAASH!
. . .
She just disappeared, and none of us have heard from her since. Now instead of missing two people, we’re missing two and a half! What’s going on here?!
Bleep! Bleep! Bleep!
Everyone on deck halted in their actions once they registered the sound. Up where Ami was situated a screen on the computer monitor flashed yellow, indicating an incoming transmission.
“It’s an incoming message? But from who?” Haruka mouthed.
“I can’t identify the code.” Ami reported back.
“Open it anyway.”
“I’m already on it.” The blue-haired genius immediately hit a series of buttons on the main control panel and opened the line.
…Channel secured…
...opening transmission…
Bleep!
Everyone was shocked when Setsuna’s face appeared on the overhead projector. Although the woman stubbornly upheld her mask of indifference, it appeared that she had run into her own share of troubles.
Haruka was fazed for only a few seconds. “It’s you! About time! Where have you been? What’s happened? And where’s Rei?! Is Hotaru with you?”
“We are all here, safe and sound. The threat has subsided and the injured are being treated as I speak.” The former advisor calmly stated.
“And...?”
Setsuna momentarily closed her eyes in thought.
“There is much that I wish to discuss with you all. However, I would recommend that you take some concern for your own well being and concentrate on reaching here safely. I will provide a map for you. Please hurry.”
“What? Can’t you just tell us over the—Oh for!!” Haruka cursed as Setsuna abruptly terminated the link. “That damn woman thinks she can do whatever she wants! She wants a talk? Oh, then she’ll get a talk! Everyone, if you need me I’ll be in my room. Tell me when we reach wherever she wants us to be.”
Minako observed from a distance as the wind ruler stormed out of the bridge. She couldn’t comment much on the other blonde’s attitude, but she secretly felt relieved knowing that there weren’t any casualties.
She said that everyone was safe and sound. Then that mean, that Rei must be all right. But knowing her, she’s probably all bruised and battered again. I can almost see it right now. She’s just so reckless sometimes...
Minako allowed herself a small smile at the thought. She couldn’t wait to get to the Moon now; not only would it be her first time visiting there but she was also going to see her friend again.
Heh. You know, I can’t stop thinking about it...but that battle on Saturn was really something else. It felt like she was right there with me the entire way... watching my back, watching out for me in general. It felt like she was really concerned about me. She couldn’t deny that she had liked the comfort that she felt. It had been nice. But...I can’t keep leaning on her forever. Honestly, it scares me a little. Lately, when I’m with her...it’s like, I forget about everything that worries me. Even after I lost my family, it didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would. If this keeps up, then I just might...
No. Rei is just a friend and nothing more. The war is all that matters now. The young woman continued to repeat the mantra despite the painful tug on her heart. All that matters… is winning.
(Usagi, Moon Kingdom)
Click.
Usagi closed the bedroom door behind her and sighed in relief.
“Whew. I never expected her to be so heavy... It’s a good thing that we had one of these spare rooms handy, huh, Hotaru?”
“...”
When her sibling didn’t reply, Usagi realized that her sister was in no mood to joke. Past the bed where they had laid the Martian down, Hotaru was leaning against a wall beside the terrace and was staring outside the balcony. She seemed to be preoccupied about something.
“Did you find something interesting to look at?” Usagi gently asked as she approached the balcony. “You’ve been staring out of this window for some time now.”
Hotaru’s dark eyes flickered back to her twin long enough to understand that the woman had stopped right beside her. Although Usagi acted casually, she knew that she was only pretending to be interested in the view.
The dark-haired girl shrugged, but offered no reply.
“Glad to be home?” The question seemed to have caught Hotaru off-guard. Usagi watched her reaction intently, but decided not to push it. “You know, if you’re tired, you can go back to our room and rest. I can stay here and watch our patient until she wakes up.”
“...Usagi.”
“It’s not a problem, really!” She grinned. “Besides, I’ve been asleep for awhile. I think I’d like to stay awake for a little while longer.”
“Well, if you’re sure...All right. I’ll leave it to you then. Please take good care of her.”
“I will.”
“Good night.”
“G’nite.”
But as soon as Hotaru left the room, the smile on Usagi’s face faded and was replaced by a sad expression.
Oh Hotaru...
A blast of light from outside caught drew her attention. Usagi whipped her head towards the window and squinted against the bright light.
In the outside hallway, Hotaru felt the energy surge as well. So, they’ve succeeded in re-establishing the planet’s shield. She will summon us again soon...
When the light faded, Usagi saw a glint of light in the sky.
What is that? Is that...a falling star?
(Setsuna, Moon Palace, Audience Chamber)
Whup.
After dismissing everyone, Setsuna staggered into the Audience Chamber of the palace by her lonesome. Despite appearances her injuries hadn’t been quite as simple as she had hoped. Her muscles were so tense and sore that the woman was left hobbling and groping along the wall in the dark until she could go no further.
With a pained gasp, Setsuna threw herself against one of the pillars and allowed herself to rest.
Now that the planet shield has been activated, we should be safe for now… even if it’s only a little while longer. The woman’s pupils constricted and she let out a string of coughs. With her eyes tearing a little she thought: This isn’t good. It appears that I have expended too much energy. She peered through the darkness at the familiar surroundings and felt herself become strangely reminiscent. The loneliness that had accumulated throughout the years suddenly came crashing down on her, amplifying the burden she had carried through the centuries.
...Serenity... She could still see her smiling face. The memory rekindled a vow that she had made long ago.
No. I cannot rest yet. This battle is still far from over. There is much that I still need to do if we expect to stand any chance against him.
Leaning her weight against her staff, the woman began to concentrate on taking slower and deeper breaths. It helped a bit, since her energy began to replenish itself. A faint crimson light lit up around her body and began to heal her injuries.
Before she could stop herself, she thought: It’s a good thing that the others cannot see me now. The thought shocked woman.
“What am I thinking?” When did it ever matter what others thought of me?
Between back then... When she was under constant suspicion of being a traitor, and now... When she was under the assault of everyone’s accusations, especially Haruka’s and Luna’s,
...there is no difference.
Tup…
tup…
Tup… tup…
The sound of approaching footsteps reached Setsuna’s ears. From the two auras in the lead the woman realized that Luna and Artemis were escorting their guests her way.
It seems that Luna and Artemis have found them. They have all improved to a degree, but it is still not enough.
To stand a chance against Apollo, they will all need to undergo strenuous training. The children still lack many important qualities that their former predecessors had possessed, and yet their mentors have all fallen. Keeping this in mind, and the uncertainty in the amount of time that we will have to prepare, a greater emphasis should be placed on our strategy if we ever hope to defeat him once and for all.
Come to think about it... when we defeated him all of those years ago, could it truly be considered a victory? Perhaps it was merely another prelude in this twisted maze of life. I wonder...This new path... will end in our destruction, or our salvation? It is strange, but as old and powerful that I am, even I cannot foretell this future.
The footsteps stopped outside the doorway, and Setsuna stood up and straightened her back. She then walked to the center of the floor and waited in anticipation as the doors began to open and light streamed into the dark room.
However...the new generation has an advantage that we did not have in the past. Now that Lady Usagi and Lady Hotaru have re-joined our ranks, perhaps...
As the Audience Chambers doors opened and a group of familiar faces walked inside, Setsuna could do nothing more but hope.
Now is it the time.
Creeeeeeak.
“I bid thee welcome. Please come in, there is much to be discussed.”
(Usagi, Upper Floor Bedroom)
After Hotaru had left the room, Usagi had pulled over a chair and sat down at her guest’s bedside. The Moon Princess was currently tending to the woman as promised; Usagi’s arms were stretched out over the unconscious woman’s body, palms down. A white light was being emitted from her hands. Everything the light touched was being completely healed at an unusually quick rate. It wouldn’t be long before she had finished the task.
“Whew. Done...” Usagi breathed a sigh of relief and sat back into her chair. She had to admire her handy-work. I’ve got to admit, I still got it. She smiled in satisfaction to herself. However, without anything to preoccupy her mind she soon found herself staring at the other woman in wonder.
“Well, how do you feel? Are you feeling any better?”
“...”
“Are you, having a good sleep?” Unconsciously, she reached out and stroked the woman’s cheek. Her blue eyes were filled with emotion. “It’s strange... I’m talking to you, but I don’t even know your name. My name is Usagi. What’s yours?”
When Rei didn’t reply, Usagi’s hand fell down into her long, silky strands and started playing with them.
“You know...I think this is the first time that I’ve met anyone my look at all the armor you were wearing,” she referred to the pile of metal on the floor. There were still a few pieces on Rei’s upper chest remaining. “Setsuna said that you are a Martian. So, that must mean that you’re from Mars, right? It’s kind of funny, because you remind me of someone else that I met from Mars. His name is Ares. Have you ever heard of him? They say that he’s the God of War, and one the strongest fighters amongst the Gods. I was just thinking... that you almost look like him. Oh! B-But I mean, you’re not as big of course, and you’re female... You’re also... a lot prettier,” she quickly added and was met by silence once more.
What am I doing, talking to her? It’s not like she can hear me. Still, even if she isn’t talking back, I do feel a little better. I wonder why that is...
“It’s really strange...” She wondered aloud. The woman absent-minded removed the last piece of Rei’s armor and was surprised when something dropped out. “Huh? Oh, what’s this?” Usagi picked up the pouch.
It’s light. I wonder what’s inside of it. A thoughtful look crossed her expression. No, I shouldn’t open it. It’s none of my business.
“Mm...”
Usagi blinked when the figure in the bed groaned and began to stir. She quickly stuffed the pouch into a nearby drawer. Wait a second! Is she waking up already?! But her wounds—
Rei tried to sit up, but she felt a hand gently pushing down on her shoulder.
“Hey, you shouldn’t move around too much. You may re-open your wounds if you do.”
“What...?” The Martian opened her eyes and blinked back at the bleary face. “Why is the ground so soft?” She was surprised by the giggle that followed the comment. Rei immediately tried to bolt upright, but she yelped when there was a painful tug on her hair. “Ow! What the--?! What do you think you’re doing--” She whipped her head in Usagi’s directly, ready to shout out a string of curse words when she was stunned into silence.
Usagi was looking back at her with an uneasy expression, but Rei thought she was seeing double.
No way. It can’t be, can it? “...M-Minako?” She didn’t dare to breath.
The blonde woman tilted her head and peered at the Martian with piqued interest.
“No. I’m afraid not. You must have mistaken me for someone else. But I’m guessing that I look like this Minako person?”
That’s right, she isn’t Minako. Rei tried to grasp the situation and calm down a little. In her confusion she had made a silly mistake. Her hair and her aura are different.
“If you aren’t Minako, then who are you?” She shot back suspiciously. Usagi was momentarily taken aback.
“...My name is Usagi.”
“Well then, Usagi... would you please let go of my hair?”
“Oh? Oh! I-I’m so sorry! I- I umm…” Usagi let go of the strands, thoroughly embarrassed. Her face turned beat red. She couldn’t quite believe that she had been scolded by another person who ‘looked’ her age and wasn’t family.
“Anyway, what happened after I passed out? Where are Hotaru and Setsuna?”
“I-I... well... that is...” Ahhh...why am I stuttering? “Hotaru is resting, and I don’t know where Setsuna is.”
“She’s... resting.” Rei arched an eyebrow. “So what are you saying? Did she receive her heart crystal back or something? The last thing I remember, the two of you were fighting. And the ruins...!” She gasped. “I need to talk to Setsuna!” She suddenly declared.
“Wait! You can’t!”
“Get--out of my way!”
Clatter-!
“Eeek!!!”
Ping!
Creeeeeeeak.
Without warning, the door opened to reveal a pair of troubled blue eyes staring back.
Minako stood in the doorway with her face flush and her mouth slightly agape at what she saw. She had no idea that Rei was such a player in her absence. The way her raven-haired friend was pressed up tightly against another woman on the floor was… no, wait. No, the coldness that was beginning to make her see red was definitely NOT from amusement. Behind her, Hotaru stepped forward and saw the scene with an ‘oh my’ face.
Rei had hit her head fairly hard, so she was a little slow on the uptake. But Usagi noticed Minako right away.
That girl…looks like me. Usagi realized. “Is that Minako?” She questioned.
“Minako?!” Rei instinctively scrambled to get back on her feet, resulting in some near trips before she finally found her balance. She nearly ran into Minako in her hurry. “Umm...H-Hey. I didn’t expect to see you so soon.” She tried to greet with a straight face.
“You look like you were doing well.” Minako replied coolly.
“Huh? What do you mean by ‘doing well’? If you haven’t noticed, Minako, I’m covered with cuts and bru—wait a minute! Where did they go…? Well, I was anyway!”
“Uh huh, sure.” The Venusian ignored the comment and turned her back to the bewildered Martian, waving her hand nonchalantly. “Well, it looks like I was worried for nothing.”
Wait, she was worried about me?
“Umm...where are you going? You’re just going to leave?”
“Well, I only came up here because Setsuna asked me to bring you all down for our meeting,” Minako lied. “She said she had something to tell us. So? Are you coming or not?”
“We shouldn’t keep Setsuna waiting…” Hotaru muttered in agreement.
“Hotaru?” Rei was apprehensive at first, but the dark-haired heir past her to help her sister back up.
“Rei, can you walk on your own?”
Rei felt Minako’s piercing gaze on her back, and her face blushed at the humiliating implication.
“O-Of course I can!”
“Then... shall we go?”
Hotaru and Usagi walked out into the corridor together, leaving Minako and Rei trailing in an awkward silence behind them.
The walk was like torture for the Martian. Umm... Rei persisted on trying to establish eye contact most of the way, but her blonde companion was refusing to meet her gaze. It was down-right obvious that there was something on the Venusian’s mind; Minako’s brow was furrowed in concentration and she only stared straight ahead at their two guides.
As much as Rei would have loved to interrupt the daydreamer and ask her bluntly what her problem was, her instincts warned her that the situation that earned her Minako’s the ice queen demeanour could become considerably worse.
Somehow... I get the feeling that she’s mad at me. I don’t get it. What did I do? Rei wondered.
(Audience Chamber)
The twins led the other two back to a set of large, double doors.
“They should be in here.” Usagi informed them.
Hotaru lifted a shaky hand up and pressed against the doors. They both opened easily, revealing the rest of the group expectantly waiting inside. Everyone turned to look as the four women joined them at the center of the floor.
The atmosphere... it’s so tense. Rei thought. Her dark eyes noted the two other strangers standing beside Setsuna, but said nothing of it. There was also a brief exchange of glances between Setsuna and Hotaru.
Hotaru... No one could quite believe that the girl was a young woman now. She was the spitting image of the spirit on Saturn but in the flesh.
“So, are we all here now?” Setsuna asked.
Haruka whipped her head back towards at the woman. “It’s obvious that we’re all here, so quit stalling. Now... are you going to talk, or are you going to keep wasting our time?”
“Impatient as ever I see.”
“Well maybe you’re just too patient,” She countered.
“Would you be quiet already?!” Luna snapped at Uranus, who was completely taken aback by this. “Try to show some respect. You have done nothing but argue endlessly with Setsuna even though she has already clearly indicated that we would not answer your questions until all of us were present. Or, perhaps, are you implying that you think you’re more important than the rest of us?”
“No!”
“Then I would suggest ceasing this child-like behaviour Sir Uranus.”
Haruka’s green eyes darkened in anger. Who does she think she is?! If anyone here has an over-inflated ego, it’d be her!
“Luna, Uranus, please, that is enough,” Setsuna stepped in to quell the tension between her comrades. “I understand that you are all tired from your journey, but now is not the time to be quarrelling with one another.”
“But--”
“Now that we are all here, we will begin the meeting.” The room quieted down and all attention was now intently fixed upon the tall, green-haired woman. “First off, I believe that introductions are in order. As all of you have already seen, we have a few new faces in our group. The woman to my right is Luna. She was the Moon Kingdom’s scheduling coordinator and was the vice advisor to her former Majesty, Lady Serenity. The man to my left is Artemis. He was the highest authority in the Kingdom when it came to combat expertise.”
Both Artemis and Luna made small gestures of respect as they were addressed. Of course, some members of the group were not as impressed.
“Also, you may have noticed that two others have also recently joined your group. One of whom you’ve already met, is Lady Hotaru,” The Goddesses all nodded in unison. “Then... may I formally introduce you to Lady Usagi, the twin sister of Lady Hotaru.”
Usagi.
So that’s who she is.
Both Rei and Minako mentally noted of the blonde-haired stranger that they had recently met.
“They are both the rightful heirs to the Moon Kingdom’s throne.” Setsuna finished.
Michiru narrowed her eyes thoughtfully at the statement, but she didn’t say anything.
“Is it a pleasure to make all of your acquaintances,” Usagi smiled and curtsied.
Rei nearly face-palmed at the expressions Usagi was receiving.
Just look at them all. They have no clue how powerful she is. Rei sighed. But, that battle...When the two of them fought, that was some serious power they were using. Could they...possibly become even stronger than that?
“As you all already know who I am, I will not ‘waste’ your time any longer. Thus this brings us to the true objective of our discussion now.”
She paused. The others were left unaware of her need for a brief rest.
Just a little longer… Setsuna assured herself. She was starting to feel dizzy.
“Many of you, if not all, have witnessed the destruction of our Kingdom. Even fewer have recently seen its rebirth. However… none of you have witnessed The Battle Against the Sun, the war in which Apollo’s Court, his once most trusted, loyal subjects, rebelled against him and overthrew him. These people... were your predecessors.”
‘The Battle Against the Sun?’ The mention had stirred something within Haruka’s memory. Oh, that’s right! The old man mentioned something about this before…
“If you still intend to defy him as they did many centuries ago, then it is imperative that you understand what you are going up against. For this time, your battle will be far more difficult than theirs was.”
The green-haired woman raised her garnet staff into the air. Both Luna and Artemis watched on in apprehension at what they were about to see. Hotaru turned her face away.
“It started shortly after the fall of the Moon Kingdom…”
The staff fell and its tip touched the floor, unleashing the familiar crimson light.
FLAAAAAAAASH!
. . .
The Sun King’s throne room appeared before their eyes to reveal an image of Apollo sitting upon his throne with an amused smile. Before the God was a young, palace servant. He was down on his knees with his head pressed against the floor as he trembled in sheer terror. The subject had been summoned to report to His Majesty with news of the Moon Kingdom, the worst task that a subject of his rank could be given. He knew that he was disposable to His Highness. He could very well be killed without a second thought, especially of late, given the God’s progressive cruelty towards his subjects; even the noble Lords and Ladies of his court were not spared of his tyranny. Thus, where did that leave him?
“So... you say that the Moon Kingdom has fallen?” Apollo questioned again.
The servant gulped and stuttered, “Y-Yes Your Highness. It also appeared that Her… Her Majesty... Lady Artemis has also p-perished.”
‘Now he’s going to kill me, he’s going to kill me!’ The servant fearfully fretted. Please make it fast!
“So my sister is dead...?” Apollo leaned over his seat and interlocked his hands in a thoughtful pose.
“Y-Yes…”
“I see. And what of my ‘beloved nieces’?”
“Dead! They’re all dead!” He wailed in despair. “I’m so sorry Your Highness! Please forgive me for delivering such terrible news! None of us thought a tragedy like this would ever happen! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”
Apollo inwardly chuckled.
‘Terrible news...?’ He thought to himself. ‘On the contrary—this is perfect! They’re all dead at last! It looks like my niece, Hotaru, did a good job. But to think that she also perished…Hmph. I expected as much.’
The God hid his twisted smile behind the back of one hand, and with the other he dismissed the apologetic servant. He was in a good mood, so he’d let the boy live.
“You are dismissed.”
“I-I am?!” The youth’s head shot up in disbelief.
“Yes, you may go.”
“T-Thank you Your Highness! Thank you!”
As the servant rushed out of the Audience Chamber, another figure entered. A black haired man with dark eyes strode up to where the Sun God sat, stopping short only to bend himself to one knee. His red armor gleamed in the light with Mars’s insignia on the shoulder guards.
“Ares! How good of you to come.” Apollo greeted the God. In the past Apollo would have done away with this formal display of respect and insisted that the man would stand with him-- the two would have shook hands-- however, this time the Sun King made no inclination.
Ares remained kneeled as he addressed his Lord.
“My Lord, I presume that you have heard the news?”
“If you are referring to Moon Kingdom, then yes, I have.”
“What shall we do about it?”
“What do you mean?”
“… I have spoken to Uranus of late. He believes that we should attempt to find the perpetrator of this heinous deed and bring them to justice.”
Apollo’s blood ran cold and his dim, gray eyes coolly stared down at his subject. Ares noticed the shift in the King’s aura, but said nothing of it.
“Nothing needs to be done. Nothing can be done!” Apollo stated clearly and slowly as if the other man were dumb. “They are all dead. Why should we be wasting our resources trying to find this ‘perpetrator’? Or are you implying that there exists someone with the power to destroy an entire civilization in one night? A Lord or Lady of my court perhaps...? Are you saying… that there is a traitor amongst us?”
“...”
“What is the problem now?” He snapped.
Ares was largely unaffected by the hate in his voice, and continued to peer around the room as if he were looking for something.
“I have not seen Lady Hotaru for some time now my Lord.”
“Are you worried about the girl? How very unlike you, Ares-- to be worrying about another! Sometimes it is hard to imagine that you are the most ruthless of my court.”
“The child usually sits next to you, Your Highness.” The War God merely stated. For a moment, Apollo thought he saw something else in those usually emotionless eyes.
“Are you... hiding something from me?”
They both steadily met the other’s gaze, none of them breaking contact. But to Apollo’s frustration, he could find nothing in the blank gaze.
“No, my Lord.” Ares finally replied.
The Sun King fell back into his seat, not quite satisfied. He was sure that he had felt another presence… but then again, perhaps it was his imagination playing tricks on him?
‘No matter… If need be, I will do away with him.’ Apollo assured himself.
“Then you are dismissed.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Ares rose to his feet and left the room. As soon as the man was out of the palace and beyond the range of detection, he suppressed his aura and quietly thought,
“Did you hear that Neptune?”
“Unknown to Apollo, I had already met with the Lords and Ladies of his court prior to Sir Ares’s visit.” Setsuna’s voice rang out. “As it turned out, I was not the only one who shared the same suspicion regarding the incident. However, it would be irresponsible to declare war over speculations. Thus, we developed a plan to gather information. It was decided that Ares would infiltrate the palace under the pretence of a visit. Lady Neptune, due to her highly developed sixth sense, would connect through the War God once he was within the throne room. After reading Apollo’s aura, and hearing his lack of explanation for Lady Hotaru’s abrupt disappearance, we made our decision.”
The scene warped, flashing to the dark depths of space. There was a fleet of ships hovering just beyond the Sun’s gravitational pull. It could be seen that each planetary ruler was within his or her own silent thoughts, or consorting with their tacticians. Setsuna, in particular, had accompanied Lady Neptune and was keeping busy by confirming the last of their battle plans with the other tacticians.
The surroundings shifted once more to show Helios, the capital city of the Sun, as the main battlefield.
Two particular individuals within the City Square were zoomed in upon. Both Ares and Uranus stood back to back, each of them with their swords raised. Surrounding them was a crowd of children. Each child was armed with a small dagger and possessed red, glowing eyes. Neither party gave a second thought to the corpses of defeated soldiers that littered the ground around them.
The War God gave a disdainful shake of his head towards their new opponents.
“So, is that all Apollo’s got?” The crimson aura around Ares flared up dangerously.
“Ares, don’t do it! They’re only children!” Uranus protested.
“Just children?! They aren’t children anymore Uranus! You can see that just as plainly as I can.”
Uranus averted his gaze.
“You know, I never would’ve given Apollo this much credit. How long do you think has this been going on? When did he come up with this ingenious plan to train children to become soldiers? They’re practically perfect. I almost didn’t sense them!”
“… Most likely, they were orphans.” The wind ruler quietly replied.
“...Yeah.” Mars paused. He watched as the enemy slowly closed in on them from all sides. “Yeah, you’re probably right. They probably have no one to care for them. No family, and in this state, no friends either. Poor little bastards.”
“...”
“Uranus... I know how you feel, but it’s impossible to take them down gently. Apollo must have planned for this to happen even before he found out that we’ve betrayed him. They are his tools now, his pawns. They won’t stop fighting until they take their last breath. You can see it in their eyes.”
“I know. You don’t have to say it.” The blonde man had known the rules of War for a long time now. He knew the risks that were involved. “It’s best to just put them out of their misery.”
Both men raised their swords and bolstered their powers.
SssssssssssSSSSSSSH--
In the decisive moment that their enemy attacked, the swords fell and two massive energies of gold and crimson were unleashed.
“Rest in peace.”
KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Even as the light faded, the two Gods were already walking away from the area; neither was eager to stay and admire the results of their work. It was also at that moment when Uranus and Ares heard Neptune’s voice call out to them.
“Hurry to the palace! We have located Apollo’s whereabouts!”
Both Gods exchanged knowing glances. Their plan must have worked; their decoy had allowed the others to infiltrate inside the stronghold.
“By this time, Apollo had attempted to seal himself off within a secret, underground chamber below the palace. With his forces becoming effectively depleted, he came to realize that he was cornered…”
The images blurred, and came back into focus within a dark and dank chamber. On the center of the marble platform there was an intricate, golden pattern that spun outwards within the outer marked circle. The outer perimeters of the chamber were rounded as well and were supported by a ring of evenly spaced-out columns. The spaces between the pillars were like pockets of darkness in the already abysmally dim room.
A loud sound resounded throughout the chamber when Apollo punched the marble ground and dented it.
“Blast it! When did they become so strong?!” The God panted for breath. “But… huff, huff… they’ll never find me here. I’m the only one left who knows that this place exists.”
Ping!
“Who’s there?!” He demanded. When a slim figure in the shadows stepped forward, the Sun God’s gray eyes grew feverish.
“N-No... it… it can’t be! You’re supposed to be dead!”
Setsuna regarded her former Lord with a calm stare, but underneath it she was barely restraining her impulses to lash out. As she took another step forward, the man took another back. He was too shocked to do anything.
“Perhaps you would have been the only one to know of this place… IF I had died,” She corrected him.
Apollo felt his throat constrict and his mouth go dry. Once glance at those crimson eyes told the man everything he needed to know and more. Stunned, he watched his former advisor lifted her garnet staff into the air.
“W-Wait a minute Setsuna! Can’t we talk this out? It was all a simple mistake!”
“...You’re right. It was a mistake, but on your part.”
As if on cue, all of Apollo’s former court emerged from the shadows. Each God and Goddess took their respective places in the spaces between the pillars, completely surrounding their corrupted Lord who stood at the center of their formed circle.
“W-What?!” The Sun God whipped his head around, fearfully. His eyes came to stop on Setsuna as the red jewel of her staff began to glow. It suddenly dawned on him of who the mastermind of this trap was.
“You’re the one! You organized this! It’s was all you, wasn’t it?! Ares!” He turned towards the War God. “Are you really going to betray me? You’ve always been my most loyal subject!”
Cold, dark eyes stared back at the grovelling man. The images of the possessed children were still very vivid in his mind.
“That is enough Apollo.” He growled.
Apollo’s eyes widened as the rest of his ‘loyal’ subjects agreed.
“Though you may not realize it, you have already fallen…”
“… You are no longer the ruler you once were, but rather, a shadow of your former self.”
“Once we all were proud to serve under you as our Lord…”
“… But no longer.”
“In light of your cruelty and crimes, we of your former court will pass judgement.”
“No!” Apollo cried out. Now entirely cornered, the man’s survival instincts kicked in; his powers surged up and radiated throughout the room. “I will not... be defeated by the likes of you! Who do you think you are to pass judgement on ME?!”
In stride, the Gods and Goddesses also called upon their powers. The ground began to quake…
RMM! RMM! RMM!
“Mercury Planet Power!”
Mercury’s insignia lit up on the blue-haired man’s forehead, and his aura flared up. Just as Apollo braced himself for the inevitable attack, he quickly found himself both astonished and confused as the blue light flew to the jewel on Setsuna’s staff instead.
‘It can’t be!’ He realized. ‘They’re using her as a conductor?!’
“Jupiter Planet Power!”
“Mars Planet Power!”
“Uranus Planet Power!”
“Neptune Planet Power!”
“Venus Planet Power!”
Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping!
Ping!
Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen---
“This ends now!” Setsuna cried. The energy gathered within her jewel exploded into a white beam of light and charged the Sun God.
FwooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOSH!!!
“NOOOOOOOOOOO!! I won’t forget this! I won’t forgive any of yooooou! I-I- GAAAAH-AH!”
FLAAAAAAAASH!
. . .
The crimson light receded, leaving the young group of women strangely silent. All that could be heard was the soft panting for breaths; the vision’s intensity had been far greater than the destruction of the Moon Kingdom. Each and every individual felt as though they had been actually witnessing the event personally through the ghosts of their mentors. Every uncertainty, every sense of regret, of relief, had been engrained into their souls.
Both Luna and Artemis had been equally affected as well. None of them knew of what to expect when Setsuna had informed them of the aftermath of the war. None of them knew of the crucial role their comrade had played either-- especially Haruka, who was now starting to see quiet woman in a different light.
I guess... she’s got some guts after all. I almost feel bad for yelling at her earlier.
Setsuna was the first to break the silence.
“That is how the war ended...” She spoke softly at first. “However, as I’ve said before, if you choose to follow the same path as they did, then it will not be as simple for you. Apollo is no longer trapped within a physical body. And although he is far too weak at this time to extend his influence to us directly, he has amassed his old allies to do his bidding.”
“The shadow creatures,” Makoto muttered. “So, they really were those children that we saw…”
Both Rei and Haruka’s gazes fell to the floor.
“Yes.” Setsuna affirmed. “It appears that their spirits have yet to find rest.”
“Then we will just have to defeat Apollo, won’t we?” Another soft voice spoke out.
The former advisor found it greatly ironic that it was Hotaru who had made the suggestion.
“I’ve made my decision. Even if no one else will do it, I will fight.” The dark-haired Moon Princess clarified. “I’ve… I’ve caused so much trouble for all of you, but I also need to do this for myself. Apollo uses people, and he’ll keep doing it to get whatever he wants. I know what it’s like to be used... So…”
Usagi gently held Hotaru’s shoulder, smiling a little at her sister’s decision.
“Not alone,” Usagi promised. “I’ll be right here at your side. After finally finding each other, there’s no way I’m going to let you do this by yourself.”
“Usagi…”
“I’m in too.” Minako stepped forward. “I know this is probably going to be the most dangerous thing I’ve ever done in my life... but... it’s still my life! Apollo has taken away too many precious people from me.”
I can’t forgive him…
“I’m in as well.” Makoto agreed. “I just want there to be peace again. I don’t think it’s right that we should be forced to fight against one another.”
Ami peered up at her friend, pausing for a brief moment. The battle where she and Makoto were forced to fight was still a blur to her, but she vividly remembered almost losing the other woman afterwards.
“Then I volunteer as well. I may not be as useful as a fighter, but I can help with strategy and back-up support.”
“Ami, are you sure?” Jupiter asked.
“Yes.” She nodded.
“Hell! Can you guys get anymore mushy?!”Haruka shut up when she noticed that her outburst had earned her many stares-- it was more than she could hope for. “Ahem. I think I can safely say that we’ve all lost something important because of this Apollo bastard. And considering everything that we’ve gone through together, why would any of us stop now? Why does Setsuna even have to ask us? I know I’m in.”
“That’s right.” Michiru nodded.
Unknown to the group of friends, there was an awkward air between Minako and Rei as their eyes met for the briefest of moments. The Martian had definitely noticed the uncertainty in those blue eyes.
Before the raven-haired soldier knew it, the others had come to set their gazes upon her as well.
Rei knew what was on their minds. The majority of them, if not all, knew by now that she was merely a human with uncanny heightened abilities. In a battle of Gods against Gods, did she really stand a chance? Or would she be the first one to die on the battlefield? The possibility was never wasted on her.
“What?” Rei stared back indignantly. “Do you think I’m going to back out now?” The Martian crossed her arms and twitched. “You people are impossible! Of course I’m going! Gaaa-ah!”
She cried out in surprise when Haruka ambushed her from behind with a rough hug.
“Yes! That’s the spirit Rei! Now we’ll just have to toughen you up with some more training!”
“G—aah! Get off of me Haruka!”
Whack!
“Ow…”
“Ahem.” Setsuna gave a little cough. “Then I take it that you are all committing to this path?”
“Yes!” Everyone cried out in unison.
Setsuna had to admit she was impressed by this display. So, even after hearing everything I had to say, they’re still going to fight? Whether it was due to foolishness or bravery, it was unknown to the woman, but she was certain about one thing—their hearts were in the right place.
Now, the rest is up to us. She affirmed to herself.
“Luna.” The former advisor requested.
“Yes?”
“If you will?”
“… I understand.” She curtly nodded back. “If you will all please follow me, I will show you to your rooms. You will be allowed to rest for the remainder of today, but starting tomorrow we will begin your training.”
As everyone turned to follow the woman, Rei hung back for a moment.
“Umm, Minako?”
The blue-eyed Goddess briefly considered stopping to talk to her friend until the image of seeing Rei in that other blonde’s arms came back to mind.
“...Not now Rei.” Minako sighed and then followed after the group, leaving the Martian the last one to follow.
As the distance between them increased, all she could think was,
What the hell?!
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