The Calling of a Star
Prologue: Desert
By: Silent Knight
Hotaru was having a dream; something that had evaded the privacy of her mind for years, yet still seemed unfamiliar and new. In this particular dream, she was standing in the middle of a desert, the high sun scorching mercilessly, raining down its rays if fire upon her head of ebony.
The desert had no end; it stretched out as far as her eyes allowed her see, covered with layers and layers of golden sand that burned underneath her bare feet. Hotaru's feet were walking on their own, she had no idea where she was going; her legs just placed themselves slowly in front of one another and resumed a slow, steady walk through the isolated desert.
She walked on, silently and without complaint, even though her feet burned and sweat drenched her body and clothes. Her short tresses of black hair clung to her face and neck like strips of black ribbons. Hotaru reached up and pressed a palm against her cheeks. It was warm. Her usually pale, white, china-like face was hot, and red under the pressure of the sun.
This can't be a dream…Hotaru thought, as she looked around the desert of pure gold. It's too real…it's too hot…it hurts…dreams don't hurt.
"That depends."
Hotaru's feet stopped as an unfamiliar voice echoed around her. The frail girl turned, her deep violet eyes searching for the owner of the voice. The desert, however, was bare, and stared back at her as if nothing had happened and as if the voice she had heard was just the cause of the sun's violent rays, causing her hallucinate and have illusions. Hotaru shook her head, furrowing her brows gently as she lifted a hand to dull the blinding light of the star above her. Where was that person?
"You can't see me," the voice said after a while, it was as though the person was reading her mind. "But I can see you."
Hotaru squinted her eyes, wiping the sweat from her forehead and wiping it on her white nightgown. "Where are you?" Hotaru questioned softly.
"Very close," answered the gentle voice, it echoed through the desert like a soft wind. Hotaru started to reply, but sighed, and fanned herself desperately. She wanted to talk, but the sun was much to hot, and as she moved her lips she felt as if her strength was draining away.
"Are you hot?" the voice questioned, and Hotaru nodded. "Very well, then," chimed the voice.
Suddenly the giant, bright sun soaked back its brilliant rays of fire. The desert's heat cooled quickly, the bright orange and yellow sunk back into the sun, leaving the desert and replaced by the blood red of a half-risen sun. The golden sand beneath her feet cooled, and the hot sweat covering her body melted away, leaving her standing dry and clean in the middle of an evening desert. Hotaru hid her surprise very well, for being the Soldier of Death, she was used to keeping her emotions hidden behind a mask.
"Is that better?" asked the voice. Nodding again, Hotaru turned her head to look at the red run, sitting over the horizon and rippling in front of her like an illusion.
"Amaterasu Oomikami?" Hotaru murmured, as she raised her arm to dull the sun's bright light.
The voice laughed, it was clear and genuine, like the shattering of glass.
"Perhaps," Hotaru heard the voice say in an amused tone of voice. "In this world, however, I am not called by the name of your Sun Goddess."
"Anata wa Kami desu ka?" she asked, tilting her head to the side like a curious little bird.
"God?" asked the voice, and then paused, considering this for a moment. "Also perhaps."
Hotaru looked to the sky, turning her head up to her wave of short black hair brushed against her back. The sky was very red and orange near the sun, and darker where the sun did not reach out its arms of light. Hotaru felt a shiver run down her skin was she watched the red clouds swivel around and dissolve into crimson blanket high above her head. The sky was like a pool of freshly spilled blood, it was frightening, and at the same time, wondrous, and beautiful in her wide violet eyes.
"The sky's red…" Hotaru whispered, lowering her head and looking back to the red sun. "Like blood…" She shivered, clutching her arms tightly and bowing her head.
"That is because it is blood," whispered the voice. "Much blood has been spilled over the past centuries. The sky, who is the watcher of all, took it into its own body, to prevent it from tainting the precious land you call Earth."
The girl lowered her head further, staring down at her bare feet. Yes, she knew of the blood that had spilled since the creation of this universe. Even before this life and this time, she had seen the blood that had spilled, from the bodies of humans and non-humans alike. Even from a place that was not on this earth, even from a place that was lost so long ago that it was now a memory and remained only in legend and myth; The Silver Millennium. This place was where her memories began, and where the shedding of blood—for her—had started and without end.
"You know this, for that is why I have chosen You."
She lifted her head, looking at the sun with furrowed brows. "Chosen?"
"Sailor Saturn," chorused the voice. It no longer carried its light, and pleasant tone; it was full of maturity, seriousness, and grave darkness that set the mood to her thoughts.
Startled at being called by her true identity and senshi name, Hotaru took a slow step away from the distant sun.
The voice continued. "As a Soldier of Saturn, the senshi of death, you, and the weapon you bear, carry with you the power of death and resurrection."
"The Silence Glaive," said Hotaru. The familiar image of her weapon she carried as Saturn, the soldier of death, rose inside her mind.
"Yes. The sky as you know it, is dying," said the voice gravely. "It has taken in too much blood for the sake of the Earth. The hope and light the sky once gave to people is quickly being replaced by shadow and sorrow. I see darkness ahead."
Hotaru drew in a sharp breath. "But—"
"There must be a future," interrupted the voice. "There must come a future and it must be carried out. The future you have foreseen with your fellow soldiers must come at all costs, and nothing must stop it from happening."
"How do you know this?"
The voice was silent for a short moment, before it continued sadly. "I am not sure. There are some thins in which you just do, and if I had a choice of this knowledge, I would choose not to know of it. However," the voice returned to its serious tone. "The future of your loved ones is being threatened, and the lives of your future queen, king, and unborn princess is hanging by a thread."
"Selenity-sama…Endymion-sama," then in a more quiet voice; "Chibi Usa-chan…"
"There is no time for grieving, especially not when it can be prevented," scolded the voice. Hotaru agreed and changed her voice to a serious tone much like the one the voice carried.
"What can we do?"
"Not we," corrected the voice. "You."
Hotaru lifted a hand to her chest. "I?"
"Sailor Saturn," the voice repeated in the same tone. "You are the soldier of death. You carry one of the last hopes of Promised Future. You must bring out your weapon, and unleash your power of destruction for one last time."
Hotaru clutched her arms tightly, her nails digging into her skin. The voice was asking her to use the power of death, the power of destruction, and the power to destroy the world at a single wronged whisper. Hotaru shook her head, black hair swaying around her cheeks. She couldn't, she couldn't destroy the world for a second time…for a third time…
"Do not be distraught. Always with the end, comes hope and rebirth…"
The familiar words rang inside Hotaru's head, and she gripped her arms tighter. She remembered those words, the very same ones she had told to Super Sailormoon when she had awakened as Saturn and dropped the Silence Glaive to defeat Pharaoh 90. But that was…so long ago. Something she did not feel comfortable with remembering…
"You forget your own words too quickly," chided the voice gently. "Always with the end, comes hope and rebirth. I must admit, that was one of the most noble things I have ever heard."
"When did you hear these words?" Hotaru questioned softly. "How is it that you know? Who are you? You are not Amaterasu Oomikami-sama, and yet you are not God, who are you?"
"I will choose not to answer that question," said the voice, politely refusing her question. "Because it is better that you remain shrouded."
"I can't do it," said the young girl, shaking her head. "I won't."
"Not even for the future of your Queen?" urged the voice. "For your friend?"
At the word 'friend,' Hotaru was once again forced to decide. Friend, that was something she knew nothing of, and yet Chibiusa, while everyone else had refused her, had boldly stepped foreword and reached out a hand. Chibiusa was her friend. Hotaru could not bear seeing her die—not again.
"I will try," Hotaru told the voice, then decided; "I will save the future. For Chibiusa-chan."
"You have great loyalty within you, I admire that. Loyalty is something I cannot quite understand even though I experience and witness it time and time again," said the voice in a sympathetic tone. "Thank you," it added.
"There is nothing to thank," said Hotaru quietly. "Death is always a part of me."
"You must not look at it with such sadness," the voice soothed gently. "Death is something so great and beautiful, that it seems terrible, when in truth it is not."
A fleeting smile crossed Hotaru's face. Whoever this person was, she could feel their presence wrapping around her. It was strangely comforting, and something about the person related to her so well, so much, that she felt as if the invisible person was a broken part of her that was trying to lead her in the right way. "You know so much about it…you must be a messiah," she determined.
The voice laughed, but it was different from the laugh Hotaru had heard before. It was much more hollow, and very fake. "Messiah is not quite the word."
A shimmer of violet ripped in front of Hotaru, and the dark violet rod of her henshin stick appeared floating in the air before her.
"Take it," commanded the voice softly. "You must do this, and if not for yourself, for your friends."
Hotaru hesitated, but then reached out a hand. Her fingers wrapped slowly around the henshin stick, and the moment she did, a flood of violet light radiated throughout her. Ribbons extended from the light violet light, and she felt them wrap around her body. They tightened against her cold skin, and formed into a short skirt, a sailor collar, and then traveled down to form knee-high boots, along with long gloves and a golden tiara at her forehead with an amethyst jewel glittering proudly in its center.
Turning her hands over, Hotaru clenched her fingers tightly, then released them, only to clench them again and repeat the same motion a couple of times. It had been a while since she was clothed in the familiar clothing of a sailor fuku, two years, to be exact. After the battle with Galaxia and Chaos, they had all rested in peace, leading normal lives and not having to worry about any sudden youma attacks or anything of the sort. They had actually enjoyed life, which was something they had not done for a very long while.
"Now is the time, Soldier of Death, for you to release the power of your guardian planet, and end the darkness before it can taint the Promised Future." The voice rang loud and clear, echoing through the desert like a loud bell to announce the closing of a long, hard day.
At the voice's command, Saturn silently called forth the weapon of destruction from the Valley of the Dead. In a flash of silver and purple, the Silence Glaive rested calmly in her hand. The long, curved silver blade of the glaive reflected back the sun, turning its blade a shade of deep, chilling red.
Taking the glaive in both hands, Sailor Saturn hesitantly stared down at its silver violet staff. She was not sure, should she really do it? Even if this was her dream, her dreams were known to have powerful effects upon the real world around her. Could she really do this? Could she really risk it?
And once again, the voice seemed to somehow have read her mind, for it spoke in a reassuring voice: "This world is a parallel dimension from yours. I have projected out all of my power to bring you here through your dream. Although you may experience a few pains after, destroying this world will have no effects upon your world apart from stopping the darkness that has began to spread," said the voice, then paused. "At least, not unless she steps in."
Saturn looked to the setting sun. "She?" she asked slowly.
The voice dismissed her question hastily. "Never mind, she has no possible way of entering this place, at least not yet. Go on, unleash your power, save the future that as been promised to you since the day of your birth and awakening," urged, the voice. Then, more demandingly, "Do it."
Saturn took in a deep breath and tightened her grip upon the Silence Glaive. Lifting it high into the air, she allowed the sky to gaze down at it's silent, and deadly shadow cast by the great red ball of fire. She took in a deep breath, twisting her hands around it. She had to do it, for her family, friends, for Chibiusa.
"Death Reborn…"
The glaive glowed with haunting violet light, the purple filled the glaive, fighting the red back and forcing it out of the silver blade. Purple ribbons began to spring up from the ground at her feet and surround her, dancing flimsily in the wind of death that was beginning to stir inside the hot desert.
Suddenly the area around them began to shake, the ground itself ripping away and showing the tumbling depths of the hell below them. The sand, the dirt, and the sky began to swivel around her, and gather above her glaive. The sun was the only thing that remained unaffected by the middle of this great attack. It alone stood over a blank and empty horizon, sadly watching as its world was finally brought to a close.
Saturn was now floating among the mists of destruction, watching silently as the ground crumbled and the heavens began to yield to the great power she possessed. Taking one last look at this strange and unfamiliar place, Saturn closed her eyes and brought her glaive sliding down to the ground in a graceful arch.
"…Revolution."
At the last whispered word, a flood of deadly violet light washed over the desert. The red faded away, the sky and the earth that was blended into one above the glaive hit what used to be the ground under Saturn's boots. The rumbling as the glaive hit Hell was loud, and filled the dark-haired Senshi's ears like a tidal wave. Saturn allowed herself to be carried back along with the wave of light, floating among the sky and the earth that clashed against hell and brought up the familiar destruction she had seen far too much. Sealing her violet eyes more tightly, Saturn listened as death whispered to her its secrets and its meanings.
"Thank you…" the voice whispered softly, her voice alone able to win the roaring of destruction. "Protect the Promised Future…May God be with You…"
The glaive was light in Saturn's grip, and it floated with her as though it were nothing more than just a child's toy. As the final stage of death began to start, Saturn heard a new voice whisper faintly over the destruction.
"Destiny…Revolution…"
A rushing aura washed over Saturn's body, and suddenly she felt her power of death being overcome by another, equally great and powerful force. Startled, she gripped her glaive and fought to keep her power stronger than the other's. The power was unlike anything she had ever been through before; it was very persistent, and Saturn felt its branches break through her power of destruction and eventually reach her body.
A new, refreshing sensation clouded her senses, the new power that countered her own washed through her veins like whitewater. It was clear and intense, running through her like blood, it paralyzed all of her senses and took control of her mind. Saturn had no other choice but to fall to its power and let it overcome the Hell she had unleashed. Saturn felt the power relax her tension, making her body feel weak and helpless. The strands of her dark hair danced inside the wave of this strange power, and by invading a secret part inside her mind, she felt the power release her of her form as Sailor Saturn and she was back to her civilian form as Tomoe Hotaru.
"I'm sorry," the unfamiliar voice whispered, it was silky and flowed like the wind. Hotaru suddenly felt someone come close to her and wrap icy hands delicately around her face.
"What—" Hotaru started, but suddenly, cold lips sealed her mouth. The girl's eyes shot open and she met a pair of deep cerulean eyes. Looking back at her with a hidden sorrow.
The lips of the unknown being left her pale ones, and Hotaru brushed a thin finger across her pink, frozen lips. Looking up at the pair of cerulean eyes, Hotaru narrowed hers in great confusion.
"Who are you? Are you the one she was talking about?" demanded Hotaru.
The being, however, did not answer her question. "You must leave," it said.
Hotaru shook her head, her black hair flinging about in the navy light. "No, I have a job to do."
The pair of eyes lowered themselves to below hers sadly, full of grief and pity at the young girl's words. "I am sorry, but there are some things that must not be, and sacrifices will be made."
"No!" Hotaru yelled in panic, which was very unlike herself. "The future must come! Selenity-sama! Endymion-sama! Chibiusa-chan must live! Setsuna-mama said so! Haruka-papa said so! Michiru-mama said—"
"The befall of this future will bring another," it said. "I am sorry, but you must learn to release this future you have seen."
"NO!" said Hotaru, then, desperate, she began to reach out a hand to touch the person's face. "No, no! Please, please—!"
"There will be sacrifices, so prepare yourself," it said coldly, and Hotaru knew that whatever she said or did would not change its mind.
"Just one more chance," Hotaru pleaded. "Just one more chance, Please! We're worked so hard; we've fought so hard to gain all this! We can't—I can't—let it slip away! Please!"
"You do not know how many others had to be sacrificed over the years in order for you and your people to gain what you have now. What you are giving up is nothing compared to the loss others have suffered," retorted the voice sharply. Hotaru was startled by these words.
"Wha-what? What's that mean?"
"You never know, you never will."
Hotaru shook her head away, reaching her arms out to touch the person. "No! Tell me!"
"Goodbye," it said, the haunting voice unwavering and as hard as ice.
"No! Wait!" Hotaru started to run foreword, gripping at her nightgown in search of her henshin pen in hopes that it might be there. But before she could find it, another wave of powerful light overwhelmed her, and she was knocked back, swept away with the current, her senses and body numb, while her mind was lost among the whispering voices of sorrow.
Japanese Terms:
Amaterasu Oomikami-sama: The name of a Japanese Sun Goddess
Anata wa Kami desu ka?: Are you God?
Kami : God
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Ah yes, and so begins the legend.
…Er, whatever.
O_o 'Silent Knight' proudly welcomes you to the object of my long-time devotion and obsession; Sailormoon. It's been…hm…two years (maybe?) since I first started writing a story of my Celestial Stars, and now that I look back, I think I have come quite the long way. After many, many failures of fanfics of them, I, silent knight, have finally settled on the perfect one to write and present to you. Personally, I am quite in love with this fic. Even though I thought my long-time obsession with BSSM(Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon), was over, when I dug out my files about my Celestial Stars and my old fanfic, I feel right back in love with it all over again.
After going through my fanfics I wrote over and over again, I began thinking and eventually came to a conclusion; to rewrite the story of the Celestial Stars. I spent quite a few days thinking over and over about it, rewriting the story line and thinking up better plots. I also tried(;;;) to give the characters more depth, more personally, more passion, more flaws, in hopes that I can make them more beautiful that way. I also tried to give more meaning to the story, other than just wanting to write about my own new characters, I tried to put in a meaning into this fanfic.
As I started writing this fic the thought of 'What if' crossed my mind very very much, and taking all these 'What if's I made it into a story of my own. I plan on making this one The Calling of a Star only the first part of a three-part story, all revolving around my Celestial Stars. It might get boring after a while, as some things do, but, bear with me. ;_; I'm really trying here.
Ah, other that, I have no idea what to say. It's been quite a while since I've posted a BSSM fic on ff.net, but I really hope I can get at least…three reviews. +_+; It would be nice if you did, greatly appreciated as well. :3 I shall love you all forever and ever if you do. I hope I'll find the will to keep posting even if people do not review ;_; I really wanna pressure you all by saying; "If I don't get at least five reviews saying it's good, I shall not continue this," but, writing depends on what like, and er, O_o; I shall try my best not to let the suckiness of my story get to my head and deflate my ego o_o; Um, that's about it. Hope you enjoyed the prologue so far, Hotaru has quite the role in the story, she being my favorite out of my favorites. The next chapter shall come quite soon, support me! O_o! Thanks!
…Wow, that was long. I hope I didn't sound too stick-up-the-arse right there o_o;;;; hmm….Pshaw, jaa!
+ Silent Knight