Chapter One: New Beginnings
The Wind Leader Elite gently breezed through the massive archways of the temple, her cloak flowing behind her. Unlike the other three Leaders Elite, she enjoyed roaming carelessly through the halls and gardens of the giant building. Today, however, her usual meandering had a purpose. Her gray eyes darted here and there, searching for the Guardians. Nearing the practice field, she could hear the clanking of metal on metal as sword met sword again and again. A smile touched the Wind goddess' face. My sister will be pleased, she thought as an image of the Fire Leader crossed her mind. She had thought our warriors would have laid down their weapons after returning to the Temple. Quietly she landed near the entrance of the field and surveyed the Guardian Elite through the branches of the leafy trees as two of the warriors went at each other in a mock duel. One warrior the Wind goddess was more familiar with, Sailor Phoenix, dressed in flaming colors of red and gold befitting her name. The second warrior was much younger in comparison to Phoenix though an outsider would have never guessed by just looking. She wore the soft brown color of her animal counterpart, the lynx, and as the Wind Leader studied her youthful countenance she could see the resemblance she had to her elder, the senshi whose place she now took. The Wind Leader had to smile as the younger Guardian finally gained the upper hand on Phoenix and knocked the sword up and away from her hand. The rather huge weapon flew as though with a mind of its own, heading for another Guardian whose back was turned. "Katsuko!," called out Phoenix, watching the flying sword. "Katsuko! Watch out your back!"
Katsuko, Sailor Monarch, spun around to see the point of the sword aiming straight for her. No emotion ran across her lovely cinnamon complexioned face as she spread her monarch butterfly wings and took to the air. She gracefully dodged the deadly weapon and quick as lighting, grabbed the hilt, twirling it masterfully in her hand as slender fingers curved around the handle. She looked down from where she floated, wings softly beating the air.
"Don't worry, Chou. I have it."
Her fellow Guardian breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank the Goddess. You could have been skewered."
Katsuko laughed. "Oh, Chou." Her ebony eyes lighted upon the Guardian in brown who stood still as stone, slowly recovering from what almost happened. She only began breathing again when Katsuko's arms went around her in a tight squeeze.
"Breathe, my friend. Breathe, Kami."
The young girl's lips trembled as her grip on sword and shield loosened and they clattered to the ground. Her skinny arms wrapped her sister in training, clinging to her for dear life, tears streaming down her face.
The Wind Leader felt her heart constrict at the sight. Monarch was under her ruling, she was the one who gave Monarch and two others the powers of the Wind so to see one of them in pain caused her pain as well and Monarch's grief ran deep. She hated to step in when her young charge was making steps towards healing, but she had to. With the ever-watchful eye of the Mother Goddess upon her, Monarch would heal wonderfully on this mission as well.
"Guardians."
Twelve knees immediately bent to the ground in respect as the Leader Elite stepped out from behind her watching post and approached them on a gust of spring air. She bowed slightly from the waist in greeting.
"Guardians," she repeated softly. "Hawk, Falcon," she greeted her other two Sailors.
"My Leader," they responded in unison.
The Wind Leader smiled as she stopped in front of Katsuko. "Monarch, I need to speak with you. Please come to my waiting room."
"Yes, of course, my Leader."
Katsuko could feel her Leader's fingers through the hairs of her bowed head and gave thanks to Mother Goddess for having such a gentle Leader. Chou's Leader, the Fire Goddess, couldn't very well run her fiery fingers through her three Guardians' hair. Once the Wind Leader had left the practice field, the Guardians rose from the ground and while many went back to training, Sailors Hawk and Falcon rushed to their friend's side.
"Is everything all right?," asked Falcon, one hand upon Katsuko's shoulder. Hawk looked concerned as well.
Katsuko turned to her companions. "Tori...," she smiled at Falcon, "Taka.." She turned the smile to Hawk. "Everything is fine. Believe me on this."
They nodded without speaking. If Katsuko said everything was fine, then it was as she claimed. She left them on the field, flying through the air quickly. She couldn't imagine what it was her Leader wanted to talk about, but just as she had told Tori and Taka, everything WAS fine. It was in the Wind Goddess's touch. Arriving at her Leader's waiting room doors, she rang for the page. No sooner had the sweet twinkling of the wind chimes ceased did a young girl dressed in a flowing white gown appear. She looked no older than sixteen, but Katsuko knew better. Not even Kami had seen as many years yet.
"Good to see you, Guardian Monarch," the girl greeted, dipping low.
"Good to see you as well, Midori. You're looking well for someone who just celebrated her 70th birthday."
Midori covered her mouth, chuckling. "Thank you for remembering. My Lady is ready for you."
Midori led the way into the huge candlelit room. Now that the afternoon sun was setting, the Temple was ablaze with candles. The Wind Leader was seated upon her dais elegantly, her viewing globe ever present beside her. She had been watching a far away part of the universe when Midori ushered Katsuko in, but looked up with a smile. She thanked Midori and sent her away. Katsuko knelt to the ground, head bowed.
"My Leader has requested my presence?"
"Yes, Katsuko, I have. I have a mission for you."
Katsuko's head shot up. "A mission?"
"That's right, my lovely. Look here." With a single touch, the viewing globe began to expand and grow so that soon Katsuko could gaze into it as well. A quiet smile touched her face as she saw what her Leader had been watching and her head bent down again.
"The Senshi look happy."
"They do. After Galaxia was restored to sanity and now undoing the damage she inflicted, they have all reason to be happy." The Wind Leader looked lost in thought for a moment. "Sailor Moon and her guardians defended Earth well, didn't they, Katsuko?," she asked quietly.
"Yes, my Leader." Katsuko wondered what the mission could possibly be. With Galaxia gone and no new enemies in sight, what else was there? Watching Sailor Moon and her friends again, a nagging thought began in the back of her mind. Someone is missing. Her eyes narrowed in thought, then realization struck. No! Not one! Three! Katsuko bowed her head as she asked,
"My Leader, where are the StarLights?"
"That, my lovely, is part of your mission."
Head still down, Katsuko kept her confused look away from her Leader's eyes. "I...I am sorry, my Leader. I do not understand."
"Kinmoku is destroyed, Katsuko."
Katsuko gasped at the statement, staring at her Leader, eyes brimming with tears. "Destroyed?," she repeated in a distraught voice. "But, my Leader, if the princess Kakyuu and the StarLights are no longer on Earth....?" She trailed off, now understanding. Banishing her tears, her eyes went down to the floor. "My Leader wants me to find them and take them back?"
"That is only the beginning, my lovely, but time will not be on our side for very long. You must leave immediately, find them, resettle them on Earth, and I will contact you when things are quiet. Hurry, my lovely. May Mother Goddess keep you."
"The Mother watches over us." Katsuko bowed low and departed, heart racing. StarLights! I am coming to you! She had no time to say goodbye to Tori and Taka, but had Midori give them a message from her. Flying to the highest hill Elite Temple boasted, she chanted a simple spell, turning her butterfly wings to angel, the only way to fly through space and all its vastness. Stretching them wide, her body took flight and, spear in hand, set off to find friends and loved ones from centuries before.
The Wind Leader Elite gently breezed through the massive archways of the temple, her cloak flowing behind her. Unlike the other three Leaders Elite, she enjoyed roaming carelessly through the halls and gardens of the giant building. Today, however, her usual meandering had a purpose. Her gray eyes darted here and there, searching for the Guardians. Nearing the practice field, she could hear the clanking of metal on metal as sword met sword again and again. A smile touched the Wind goddess' face. My sister will be pleased, she thought as an image of the Fire Leader crossed her mind. She had thought our warriors would have laid down their weapons after returning to the Temple. Quietly she landed near the entrance of the field and surveyed the Guardian Elite through the branches of the leafy trees as two of the warriors went at each other in a mock duel. One warrior the Wind goddess was more familiar with, Sailor Phoenix, dressed in flaming colors of red and gold befitting her name. The second warrior was much younger in comparison to Phoenix though an outsider would have never guessed by just looking. She wore the soft brown color of her animal counterpart, the lynx, and as the Wind Leader studied her youthful countenance she could see the resemblance she had to her elder, the senshi whose place she now took. The Wind Leader had to smile as the younger Guardian finally gained the upper hand on Phoenix and knocked the sword up and away from her hand. The rather huge weapon flew as though with a mind of its own, heading for another Guardian whose back was turned. "Katsuko!," called out Phoenix, watching the flying sword. "Katsuko! Watch out your back!"
Katsuko, Sailor Monarch, spun around to see the point of the sword aiming straight for her. No emotion ran across her lovely cinnamon complexioned face as she spread her monarch butterfly wings and took to the air. She gracefully dodged the deadly weapon and quick as lighting, grabbed the hilt, twirling it masterfully in her hand as slender fingers curved around the handle. She looked down from where she floated, wings softly beating the air.
"Don't worry, Chou. I have it."
Her fellow Guardian breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank the Goddess. You could have been skewered."
Katsuko laughed. "Oh, Chou." Her ebony eyes lighted upon the Guardian in brown who stood still as stone, slowly recovering from what almost happened. She only began breathing again when Katsuko's arms went around her in a tight squeeze.
"Breathe, my friend. Breathe, Kami."
The young girl's lips trembled as her grip on sword and shield loosened and they clattered to the ground. Her skinny arms wrapped her sister in training, clinging to her for dear life, tears streaming down her face.
The Wind Leader felt her heart constrict at the sight. Monarch was under her ruling, she was the one who gave Monarch and two others the powers of the Wind so to see one of them in pain caused her pain as well and Monarch's grief ran deep. She hated to step in when her young charge was making steps towards healing, but she had to. With the ever-watchful eye of the Mother Goddess upon her, Monarch would heal wonderfully on this mission as well.
"Guardians."
Twelve knees immediately bent to the ground in respect as the Leader Elite stepped out from behind her watching post and approached them on a gust of spring air. She bowed slightly from the waist in greeting.
"Guardians," she repeated softly. "Hawk, Falcon," she greeted her other two Sailors.
"My Leader," they responded in unison.
The Wind Leader smiled as she stopped in front of Katsuko. "Monarch, I need to speak with you. Please come to my waiting room."
"Yes, of course, my Leader."
Katsuko could feel her Leader's fingers through the hairs of her bowed head and gave thanks to Mother Goddess for having such a gentle Leader. Chou's Leader, the Fire Goddess, couldn't very well run her fiery fingers through her three Guardians' hair. Once the Wind Leader had left the practice field, the Guardians rose from the ground and while many went back to training, Sailors Hawk and Falcon rushed to their friend's side.
"Is everything all right?," asked Falcon, one hand upon Katsuko's shoulder. Hawk looked concerned as well.
Katsuko turned to her companions. "Tori...," she smiled at Falcon, "Taka.." She turned the smile to Hawk. "Everything is fine. Believe me on this."
They nodded without speaking. If Katsuko said everything was fine, then it was as she claimed. She left them on the field, flying through the air quickly. She couldn't imagine what it was her Leader wanted to talk about, but just as she had told Tori and Taka, everything WAS fine. It was in the Wind Goddess's touch. Arriving at her Leader's waiting room doors, she rang for the page. No sooner had the sweet twinkling of the wind chimes ceased did a young girl dressed in a flowing white gown appear. She looked no older than sixteen, but Katsuko knew better. Not even Kami had seen as many years yet.
"Good to see you, Guardian Monarch," the girl greeted, dipping low.
"Good to see you as well, Midori. You're looking well for someone who just celebrated her 70th birthday."
Midori covered her mouth, chuckling. "Thank you for remembering. My Lady is ready for you."
Midori led the way into the huge candlelit room. Now that the afternoon sun was setting, the Temple was ablaze with candles. The Wind Leader was seated upon her dais elegantly, her viewing globe ever present beside her. She had been watching a far away part of the universe when Midori ushered Katsuko in, but looked up with a smile. She thanked Midori and sent her away. Katsuko knelt to the ground, head bowed.
"My Leader has requested my presence?"
"Yes, Katsuko, I have. I have a mission for you."
Katsuko's head shot up. "A mission?"
"That's right, my lovely. Look here." With a single touch, the viewing globe began to expand and grow so that soon Katsuko could gaze into it as well. A quiet smile touched her face as she saw what her Leader had been watching and her head bent down again.
"The Senshi look happy."
"They do. After Galaxia was restored to sanity and now undoing the damage she inflicted, they have all reason to be happy." The Wind Leader looked lost in thought for a moment. "Sailor Moon and her guardians defended Earth well, didn't they, Katsuko?," she asked quietly.
"Yes, my Leader." Katsuko wondered what the mission could possibly be. With Galaxia gone and no new enemies in sight, what else was there? Watching Sailor Moon and her friends again, a nagging thought began in the back of her mind. Someone is missing. Her eyes narrowed in thought, then realization struck. No! Not one! Three! Katsuko bowed her head as she asked,
"My Leader, where are the StarLights?"
"That, my lovely, is part of your mission."
Head still down, Katsuko kept her confused look away from her Leader's eyes. "I...I am sorry, my Leader. I do not understand."
"Kinmoku is destroyed, Katsuko."
Katsuko gasped at the statement, staring at her Leader, eyes brimming with tears. "Destroyed?," she repeated in a distraught voice. "But, my Leader, if the princess Kakyuu and the StarLights are no longer on Earth....?" She trailed off, now understanding. Banishing her tears, her eyes went down to the floor. "My Leader wants me to find them and take them back?"
"That is only the beginning, my lovely, but time will not be on our side for very long. You must leave immediately, find them, resettle them on Earth, and I will contact you when things are quiet. Hurry, my lovely. May Mother Goddess keep you."
"The Mother watches over us." Katsuko bowed low and departed, heart racing. StarLights! I am coming to you! She had no time to say goodbye to Tori and Taka, but had Midori give them a message from her. Flying to the highest hill Elite Temple boasted, she chanted a simple spell, turning her butterfly wings to angel, the only way to fly through space and all its vastness. Stretching them wide, her body took flight and, spear in hand, set off to find friends and loved ones from centuries before.
