Earth will soon become the seat of a new empire at the hands of the most unexpected people. Can the senshi stop them or will they find themselves helpless against their new 'enemy'.

Empire of Gods

Chapter 1: Fundamental Dreams

Hotaru rolled in her bed, her sheets binding her so she wouldn't fall. Her face contorted as her dream became vivid with the sounds of screams and the feeling of cold. "I did this for you…," said the soft voice. The soft heat of his breath made Hotaru realize that this was no simply a dream. This was a memory. She felt herself pull away, staring up into blue eyes. "All of this is for you." Fear gripped her tightly, almost suffocating her. She pushed at him, fighting to be released from his grasp. She wasn't quite sure what had occurred but she knew that whatever he had done, her past self did not want.

"Let me go." Instead his arms pulled her flush against his body. She shivered as a hoarse chuckle emanated from his body.

"Let you go?" He paused, his lips pressed against her throat. She felt him nod. The sound of fluttering caught her eye as she realized that this man had wings; large, white feathered wings. They were spread out, arched back slightly. Her eyes were transfixed on the pair as they tips slowly turned black. The black colouring seemed like ink, spreading across the expanse until both wings held no hint of their once pure colour. His cold fingers cupped her face as his lips drew closer to her own. "I'll let you go then." His lips brushed hers as he spoke. His mouth met hers in what could have been a heated kiss except that it seemed he was taking the heat out of her. Her body trembled as she felt needles from the cold stab at her feet and work its way upward.

Hotaru shot upward. Her hands held herself, happy to find that her body was warm. Her previous memories had never been as vivid as that one. She stood from her bed, observing the rays of sunlight that filtered in the room. She had the distinct feeling that something would happen today-whether good or bad she was unsure. She found herself walking down the hall of her home towards Setsuna's room. She knocked lightly. "Come in," answered a voice. Hotaru poked her head in to find Setsuna sitting at her desk, her eyes focused on her computer screen.

"I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment Setsuna."

"Of course, what is it?" Setsuna pushed her hair over her shoulder before turning to face Hotaru. "Is it those dreams again?" Hotaru nodded.

"Last night I had a very vivid one, of my death. I saw a man there this time. I couldn't quite see his face, but…."

"And you are sure this was a memory?"

"Yes! I'm positive. The man, he had wings. In my memory his wings changed from white to black." A stifled gasp caught Hotaru's attention. She turned to Setsuna, her eyes wary. "You know something about that, don't you?"



Setsuna sighed. She supposed it wouldn't hurt to tell the girl. Her mind obviously wanted to retrieve the memories. "In your past, you were having a… relationship… with a young man. It caused such an uproar seeing as your parents had been keen on an arranged marriage to a noble man of Saturn. The relationship wasn't looked upon well, many people felt you were overstepping boundaries." Brief memories flashed in Hotaru's mind. Her mother was so upset. "What would he want with you? What would he want with the princess of a planet outside of the AIE? You can't see him Hotaru!"

"But Mother!

"No! He is using you Hotaru! You have to see that…"

"Why not? I was a princess, how was I the one overstepping my boundaries?" she asked. The memory had only confused her more.

"Because he was a fundamentalist. The most powerful one at that." A fundamentalist? "He was practically a god. He was known mostly as the God of Life, though in actuality he was both life and death. His wings usually told you which mood he was in." So that was what it was. When he wings had turned black in was to signal a change in his role. "There were nine fundamentalist. Five dealt with elements while four dealt with time. They were a balanced group. One group provided the things to live while another group providing time to live. There was life and death, water, earth, fire, light, spring, summer, winter, and fall. And each one held a sort of virtue, a sign of heroism that all aspired to. Many people focused on a single one, giving praise to him and earning protection. There was wisdom, trust, courtesy, obedience, endurance, piety, loyalty, purity, and justice."

It all sounded like a fairy tale to Hotaru. Though discovering that you were once a protector of the solar system and was a princess of a now dead planet sounded a bit like a fairy tale as well. Setsuna's words jarred her from her thoughts. "I don't know why your mind is forcing these memories though." Setsuna leaned against her chair. "After Beryl, Queen Serenity had been sure to separate them from us. To ensure such a tragedy would not occur again. That is probably why using the crystal had taken so much of her power, she had to open a gateway into a separate space." Hotaru wasn't aware that the queen could open dimensions. "There is no chance of ever meeting them."

"Maybe she needs closure." She said before thinking. "In my memory she seemed so confused and scared."

"I suppose that your past hasn't bonded with you enough has it? You know, eventually it will be just you; not you and her. I wonder though if you know your name."

"My name was Persephone." Setsuna smiled at her.

"You know, long ago when I first heard the story of Persephone and Hades it made me think of you. It sounded so much like that had happened. I still wonder if that man, who first told it was actually seeing vague memories of his past. He probably was. Come on, we should get breakfast."

Setsuna was right. She shouldn't really worry about these dreams. There wasn't a chance she would ever meet his present self. He was living his life somewhere in another dimension.

R&R please. My first SM/RW crossover. Be kind.