Soluna – Volume One
Prologue
By Saarth'ir
Based on the "Sailor Ranko" series, started by Duncan Zillman, and continued by Kevin D. Hammel, Arthur Hansen, and Rebecca Heineman. "Sailor Ranko is, in turn based on the series "Sailor Moon" by Naoko Takeuchi and "Ranma 1/2" by Rumiko Takahashi. Therefore, many of these characters are owned and copyrighted by their respective owners. So, with that out of the way, enjoy!
As the twin orbs which acted as the plane's suns began to peak over the horizon, the dull, dark landscape was engulfed by the warm light which they emitted. This did nothing to liven the atmosphere of the desolate realm however. For as long as any denizen of the dark world could remember, it had always been a scarred and desolate land, devoid of the lively essence that so many other planes possessed. There were no trees. At least, nothing that resembled trees. All there were was rocks and dirt. That did not matter though, this plane suited its inhabitants just fine. At least for the time being.
The glowing orbs continued to rise, their light stretching across the ground, illuminating everything in their celestial gaze. Eventually, the light reached an unnatural structure and began to brighten it, revealing its form fully. A monstrous fortress, made of dark and unearthly metals and other materials. Four massive spires, towering from the cold earth, served as the backbones for the rest of the structure. The windows, crevices, and ledges which adorned the walls of the building gave it an appearance very similar to a castle one might see in a fantasy movie. The sharp metal barbs and blades which protruded from the building served to even further propose the idea that this structure belonged to some evil warlord from some film.
As the light nearly reached the top of the massive structure, a being emerged onto one of the balconies near the top of the building. She raised her hand to her brow to shade her maroon eyes from the invading luminescence, her dark brown robe shifting to accommodate her movements. The suns' light beat down on her shoulder-length auburn hair and navy skin. As her eyes adjusted to the harsh light, she peered down to the fields below.
Dozens of beings of all shapes and sizes scurried along the ground, appearing to serve no purpose from the towering viewpoint. That is, until one noticed the large object which they were all congregating around. It consisted of two large, curved, talon-shaped structures which protruded from a flat slab of black stone. The two structures were positioned so that their tips were nearly touching each other. This gave the object the appearance of a half ring emerging from the ground below.
The woman upon the balcony watched as the tiny figures moved to and from the semi-circular object, hard at work. The shiny, black stone which the structure was situated upon glowed fiercely in the suns' light. It produced a sharp contrast in comparison to the dull earth surrounding it. The dark, barren, desolate, dull earth. That did not matter though, this plane suited its inhabitants just fine. At least for the time being. A grin appeared on the woman's face, revealing an array of sharp inhuman fangs. The plane would not have to suit its inhabitants for much longer.