A/N
This is the second arc of my five-part ongoing series Celestial Warriors. You can read it independently of Ordinary World because that arc takes place in an alternate universe whereas this one follows in the wake of Sailor Moon canon, albeit in the future. Astral World is very OC centric although there are a few cameos in certain chapters. As of June 2018 it is revised and complete. Let me know what you think with a review, comment, critique, or PM. Thanks for visiting!
Chapter One: Alive
"Oh Romeo, Romeo… Wherefore art thou, Romeo? Deny thy father, and refuse thy name! Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love. And I'll no longer be a Capulet."
"Naota, you were never a Capulet." The girl waved it off as her friend spied a familiar figure walking toward them. "Look yonder, thine Romeo I spy!"
Naota followed Izumi's gaze to the third member of their inseparable trio and willed herself not to stare at him. Her attention remained on the linoleum floor as Izumi's twin brother made his way through the mass of students to their cozy spot in the stairwell. "Here early again, Sis?" he greeted. He then leaned sideways to peer at Naota. "Good morning, Nao-chan."
"Morning, Kei…" she muttered, embarrassed that his freshly-showered scent made her heady.
"How was rehearsal?"
She looked up with a grin. "It's going well. The play is going to be a huge success, I can feel it!"
The twins smiled at her exuberance. "That's because you're the star! I can't think of any other girl at Haruki more perfect for the role than you."
Lifting her head to give them a wink, Naota tittered haughtily and posed like a diva. "Ah ha ha… That's because I'm the best actress in all of Hokkaido!"
"Oh no, Izumi…" Kei chuckled, "Look what you've done to her ego!"
Fellow students tossed them funny looks but they took no notice as they headed to class. Their second year of high school had just begun and Naota could already tell it was going to be amazing. They were each embroiled in personal projects; Naota was preparing for the Drama Club's summer presentation of Romeo and Juliet. Her role as the titular maiden was well-deserved because she had devoted a lot of time and energy to the Club last year.
Her jovial state abruptly vanished when someone bumped into her. "Oops, I didn't see you down there, Saiga," said a girl with an obnoxious voice.
"Kumada…" Izumi bristled, "If you kept your nose out of the air you would be able to see where you're going." She crossed her arms and stared the other girl down. It was easy since Izumi towered over most of the female student population.
Kumada rolled her eyes but backed off slightly. "For god's sake Saiga, can't you do anything on your own? The only reason you're in the spotlight this year is because the Saitous keep filling your head with the idea that you can act."
Kei stepped in to defend his petite friend. "Give it a rest already, Atsuko. You didn't earn the lead role, Naota did, so stow your jealousy and get over it." He paused to give her a critical once-over and lowered his voice so his sister wouldn't hear. "Or get on her level, if you even can."
Atsuko visibly inflated with rage until a hand appeared on her shoulder, her own twin come to take her away. The dyed redhead flashed an apologetic look as they left, and Izumi released an irritated breath. "I'm glad at least one of those entitled brats possesses some dignity."
"I still wouldn't trust Haruko as far as I could throw her," Kei glowered.
"Hey, I bet that's really far!" Naota poked his bicep snug within the sleeve of his uniform shirt. "Look at these rippling muscles!"
"Quit it…" Kei weakly batted her hand away as Izumi regarded them in mild amusement. "What?" he demanded.
"Nothing…" she smiled, and they continued on to the second-year wing. There they parted ways since she was in class 2-C while Kei and Naota shared class 2-A. Izumi took her seat beside a window that gave her a great view of the garden below, a popular lunch spot throughout most of the year. 'Speaking of lunch, I forgot to pack mine.' Her stomach rumbled in protest and she sighed despondently.
"Your attention, everyone," their first teacher, Nobuto, dictated. His pupils quickly ordered themselves. "We have a new student joining our class. He is currently residing in our city with his father, a member of the United States Navy. Please give Chase Anderson a warm welcome." The girls collectively released an appreciative sound when the new boy walked in, understandable since he had the physique of a Canadian hockey player. "Have a seat behind Saitou if you would, Anderson."
Izumi gave a small wave as Chase's bright green eyes surveyed the room, then she received dirty looks while he waded through the sea of inquisitive faces. She flinched when a finger gently tapped her shoulder a few minutes into class. "Hi there," the new boy whispered in English as she rotated to face him. "I'm Chase. What's your name?"
"Saitou," she simply replied.
He shook his head. "I mean, what's your given name?"
Gosh, what a charming smile. "…Izumi. I'm Saitou Izumi."
"Hajimemashite," Chase said.
"It's nice to meet you as well."
"Did I say that right?"
Izumi nodded. "Yes, and your pronunciation was good."
"I should hope so. I've been practicing Japanese for six months!"
Their teacher snapped his fingers. "I know transfer students are interesting but I need your eyes up here, Saitou."
"Gomen nasai, Nobuto-sensei." Izumi tossed one more remark over her shoulder. "If you keep talking you're going to get us both in trouble, New Boy."
"I definitely wouldn't want to get into trouble with you," Chase suggestively whispered back. Thankfully he couldn't see her face turn bright pink.
Around noon Izumi grabbed something from the cafeteria before meeting her friends near a large lilac bush in the garden. Naota had her sketchbook open to capture the likenesses of myriad butterflies flitting about and Kei was combining the rice and vegetables in his bento into one compartment. He closed the box and shook it vigorously, making Izumi wrinkle her nose as she sat down beside them. "Does our mother know how you corrupt her leftover ingredients every day with your weird concoctions?"
He only shrugged and dug into his lunch, popping one of the large grilled shrimp from last night's dinner into his mouth. Kei made a sound of surprise and proffered his obento toward Naota. "Hey, try this."
She eyed it suspiciously. "No thanks."
"Come on, our dad makes the best garlic lime shrimp. You have to try it."
As Kei persisted and Naota scooted farther away from him, Izumi spied a catalogue sticking out of her art bag and flipped through it, gasping. "You didn't tell us that your house was featured in Northern Lights this season!"
Kei immediately leaned over to examine the photo spread while Naota beamed. "Oh yeah, I totally forgot. The photographers were there on Friday. It's totally different since the last time you guys were over– well, most of the house at least. My room is still the same." Naota resumed her sketches while her friends lauded the pictures. Her Aunt Noyuri was one of the most popular interior designers in the city, even more so since she had given their home the semblance of a luxurious seaside resort full of cool-hued nautical décor and low-maintenance foliage. It was the style everyone wanted for spring.
"Is this your painting?" Izumi suddenly inquired.
Naota snatched the catalogue from her hands to gawk at the page. "Oh my god, she hung it up right there on the wall?!" It was one of her failed attempts with watercolors. "I can't believe she dragged it out of the garage! My crappy art has been published for the whole world to see!"
Kei laughed at her dramatic wailing. "Obviously Noyuri didn't think it was bad," he reassured, squinting. "I can't tell what it is on such a small scale, though."
"Water lily," Naota despondently explained, a veritable cloud hanging over her head. A flash of yellow hair appeared in her peripheral vision and she glanced up, frowning as someone unknown to her approached their trio. "Hey, who's that hunky blond guy?"
The twins' heads whipped around, then Izumi waved at the transfer student and stood up to introduce him. "This is Chase Anderson, he just joined my class today. His father is in the US Navy."
"Hi there," Chase greeted, projecting the sort of false confidence all new students wore like armor. "I wasn't trying to disrupt your lunch, it's just that Izumi is the only person I recognize. It's hard to differentiate when everyone's wearing the same uniform."
Naota hummed. "Ooh right, they don't do that in America. Well, have a seat Anderson-kun!" He did so. "Where are you from? What was your old school like? Do you have hobbies? Are you going to join a club? What do you think of Japan so far?"
"Naota…" Izumi chastised as Chase wavered beneath the barrage of questions, "Let's start with introductions, okay?"
"Right!" She stuck out her hand. "I'm Suisaigaka Naota, but everyone calls me Saiga. You can, too!" Chase chuckled slightly as they shook, thinking this girl was a total spaz, but he was grateful for the shortened name. Next he faced Izumi's presumed brother.
"Saitou Kei," he said, giving Chase a firm handshake.
"Nice to meet you both." His eyes darted between the twins a few times. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, why do you look…" He gestured around his face and they deduced the nature of his inquiry, which would have been rather insensitive had they not grown up receiving it.
"Our dad is half English," Kei explained. "Our grandparents are English and Polish. That's why we have Caucasian features."
"I see…" Chase said, his fidgeting hands betraying his composure. "I only wondered 'cause when they were briefing my dad and I about coming here they said Japan has one of the most homogeneous populations in the world, but I keep seeing more… diverse people."
Izumi elaborated further. "There's a huge community of European expats in Hokkaido– they're especially concentrated here in Sapporo. Some resorts even use meeting foreigners as a selling point."
"Enough about us!" Naota cut in. "We want to know about you, Chase! Do you play sports?"
He nodded, feeling more at ease since they spoke to him in perfect English. "I play football whenever I'm in the States. When my dad got stationed in Spain I tried rugby, and then regular soccer in Rio. That's where we've been the last two years."
"Wow, you've traveled all over the world!" Naota then leaned forward conspiratorially. "Do you have a car? I heard that American teenagers can drive their own cars."
"I have an SUV," Chase answered, eliciting some sounds of awe. "In most states you need a permit if you're under eighteen, and you're not allowed to drive at night or with other under-aged kids. I've only been here for a week so I haven't driven anywhere yet."
Izumi considered it. "I'm not sure you'll need to. Our public transportation system is very good."
"It seemed pretty confusing when I was trying to figure out how to take the train here."
"I could go with you after school to show you how everything works," she said, prompting Kei and Naota to shoot each other a look. Was this Izumi's version of flirting with the transfer student? The remark was so casual they couldn't quite tell. Among their trio Izumi spoke the best English, and also Mandarin, and while both twins were renowned for their academic brilliance Izumi tended to eke out a lead over her brother by the second trimester. She didn't get those top scores by shirking her homework. She had even started a study group last year to assist the many students who idolized her, so when she offered to hang out with someone she had literally just met, Kei and Naota considered it a bit out-of-character.
Chase mulled it over for a moment. "That would be really helpful, thanks. I'll buy you a drink or something on the way to my place."
Kei jumped in. "What about study group?"
"You can handle it on your own, right?" Izumi returned, her innocent expression conveying how much faith she had in her brother.
All Kei wanted to do upon getting home was work on his motorcycle, not tutor slackers. He withheld the urge to say he didn't like the idea of his sister going off to the navy base with a random guy. Chase probably didn't have ill intentions, but still… He cleared his throat to banish the worry in his tone. "Just don't forget to be home before dinner. Mom's making her special paella."
"Oh, I wouldn't miss that for the world!" Izumi beamed, putting him greatly at ease.
Naota left Haruki in a rather jovial mood; the first week of her second year was over! Izumi and Kei had already gone home but their house was only a couple blocks from hers in the neighborhood of Soen, where they met as kids. Naota had come from Aomori to live with her aunt following her mother's death in a car accident. Even though she never planned on becoming one, Noyuri made a good parent. She granted Naota a reasonable amount of independence yet was stern when she needed to be, so Naota had the utmost respect for her. The Saitous also helped raise her, and Noyuri considered Seth and Kaede her best friends.
Life had gone pretty well for the two of them. Naota displayed creative tendencies early on and Noyuri gladly fostered them, lavishing her with art supplies for every holiday involving presents. Artistic expression was the hallmark of the Suisaigaka name, after all. It went global when Kagaya burst onto the fine art scene in college. She was an absolute master with watercolors, the very embodiment of her surname, and Naota had a long way to go in achieving her mother's level of expertise with the medium. Crayons, pens, pencils, charcoal, acrylics and pastels all served her well, but there was just something about the brush that escaped her grasp.
Naota slid a loose plank in the fence aside to enter her backyard, only taking a few steps before she halted. A cat sat at the edge of the koi pond, flicking its tail in anticipation of a feast. "Hey, cat! Get away from Auntie's fish!" She marched up to the lean animal but it just stared at her with big yellow eyes. "Shoo!" she tried again, stamping her foot as a threat. Still it ignored her. "Fine, you mangy feline…" She snatched it up, eliciting a loud meow of protest, then released it into the lane with a "hmph".
Just as she started for the house a melodious male voice made her pause. "Well that was not very nice. Can you not see that I am famished?"
"What?" Naota gasped, spinning around. But there was no one for the voice to belong to. She blinked several times and surveyed her surroundings. "Um, hello?"
The cat leaped up to precariously perch upon the fence. "Hello, Azure Guardian."
Naota could not believe her eyes. Surely it had just moved its jaw to make human speech. "What… what did you call me?" she breathed.
"Azure Guardian. That is who you are." He sounded very matter-of-fact. "I have been searching for you for quite some time now, and it is nice to finally meet you." The cat contemplated the koi behind her. "Unfortunately this encounter took longer than expected, and I am very hungry. Do you have sustenance?"
Naota furrowed her brow and leaned forward until she almost touched noses with the animal. Air emanated from his nostrils and he certainly smelled like an alley cat, but the eyes possessed an almost sapient intelligence. Naota reached out to stroke his dense red fur; it felt real, too. "But real cats can't talk…" she uttered, shaking her head. Was this a dream? "I guess if you don't really exist you can come in and I'll give you some fish." In a slight daze Naota entered her home with the feline at her heels. She opened a can of albacore tuna and placed it on the floor, the cat's eyes glittering with gratitude. His tail swished contentedly until he polished it off, pushing it across the tile with a soft scraping sound that was very realistic to Naota's ears. "Who or what are you?" she asked. "Why were you searching for me?"
The cat resumed his dignified sitting stance. "I am a being from a distant planet called Umbris. An extraterrestrial, as you humans say." Naota was dubious; aliens never looked like regular cats in sci-fi media. "As to who I am… unfortunately you cannot pronounce my name in your language." He paused to lick his paw. "I sought you, Azure Guardian, because I was instructed to by someone very dear to me– the Ethereal Guardian. She tasked me with locating others like her because the time will soon be upon us when they must awaken. If none of the guardians embrace their power, this planet will die. We do not wish to see that happen. We want to help you."
Naota nodded slowly, frowning. This all seemed very… very like a video game quest. She was a guardian? She had to awaken and use her power to save the world? Definitely a dream. "Who's this 'we' you mentioned? Other aliens?"
"Fellow Umbrans, yes," the cat replied. "I came here with two others, the Ethereal Guardian and…" He turned to disdain. "And one who is also dear to her."
"And none of you have names?"
"Not that mean anything to you."
"Hmm." Naota picked up her two school bags and headed for the stairs. "I have to do some homework. You can come up to my room if you want." The cat followed, and as long as she continued dreaming Naota thought she should give it a name. "I'm calling you Aki-chan because you have red fur," she announced once seated at her desk.
"That is acceptable," the cat returned, peering around. "Are all these things necessary for human survival?"
Naota spun in her chair and examined her own room. It wasn't messy or anything, just cluttered. She tended to hoard visually-intriguing things. "Not really, but they keep me sane," she answered.
Aki-chan leaped onto her bed and stared at a framed photograph on the wall. After a long minute he spoke softly, almost reverently. "This is a picture of your world? This frozen water?"
"That's Godafoss in Iceland. The photographer is Erez Marom."
Aki-chan considered a photo on the opposite wall. "And that is also a place on this planet you could go to?"
"Yeah, it's somewhere in California." Why was the cat so interested in nature shots?
"The colors…" he said, and Naota could almost picture a frown making his whiskers droop. "I have never seen the color of those clouds before. What is it called?"
"Magenta, I guess? It's just a picture of a sunset."
His tone lightened. "Oh, that explains it. On Umbris there is no sun, so we do not have colors like 'magenta'."
"…What do you have?" she inquired after a moment.
"Nothing so vivid as this." Aki-chan scanned the room again. "Our world is one of grays, whites, blacks. Perhaps blue at times."
"Monochrome," Naota sadly stated. "I feel sorry for you. I could never live in a world like that."
The cat fixated her with his bright yellow gaze. "If none of the guardians awaken, you will have no choice. This world will be plunged into shadow."
Aki-chan was gone when Naota awoke Monday morning, confirming her belief that encountering him had been nothing more than an elaborate dream. She debated telling Kei and Izumi about it; they might think it funny her mind had conjured a talking alien cat who thought she had special powers. She waited at the intersection of the road the Saitous lived down and squinted into the rising sun, discerning their silhouettes. "Good morning, Nao-chan!" Kei bellowed.
"Good morning, Kei-kun!" she shouted back. Izumi, the modest one, simply waved. Once together they walked in a line, taking a shortcut through Soen Park. "I can't believe we had so much homework our first week. Did you guys manage to do anything interesting this weekend?"
"Not really," Kei shrugged. "After being forced to take over study group–" He shot his sister a pointed look. "–I spent Sunday working on my bike and got it to run and shift smoothly. Now it just needs new fenders and exhaust. They're supposed to arrive Thursday."
"Ooh, I can't wait to see it! You worked on that thing all winter!" Naota nudged the boy with her elbow. "When it's finished are you going to pick me up so we can race around town scaring old ladies?"
"You know it," Kei smirked. "I'll even get us matching helmets."
Izumi pursed her lips. "If you two start causing trouble our neighbors are going to call you delinquents. Is that how you want to be perceived?" She received simultaneous eye-rolls. They weren't serious, and they'd never do anything that reflected badly on their parents.
As Haruki came into view the trio noticed a large group of students gathered on the front steps making a subdued commotion. "What's going on?" Naota whined since she was too short to see anything.
Kei stood on his tiptoes to check out the center of the crowd. "It's just a cat," he said dismissively, skirting everyone on his way to the entrance. His peers sounded ridiculous as they all cooed at the feline.
Naota's heart skipped a beat. "A cat? What does it look like?" She had the strangest sense of déjà vu.
"Oh, it's an Abyssinian!" Izumi fawned. "The animal shelter had one when I volunteered over winter break."
"Does it belong to anyone?" a third-year boy asked. "Did it follow someone to school?" Everyone denied it but Naota already knew the cat was a stray. 'From a different planet,' she added, walking into the main hall with Izumi.
The first half of the day passed without incident, then the lunch bell tolled. Naota headed to the garden to meet her friends at their lilac bush with her bento in hand. Much to her surprise Chase was already there, seated on the rock edging as he dug his shoe into the dirt. He glanced up when Naota approached. "Hey…" he greeted shyly, "Is it okay if I hang with you guys again? I hope I'm not bothering you or anything."
"Not at all!" Naota grinned. "What do you have in your American lunch?"
He let her poke around until the twins arrived and sat down on the grass. "I heard that you spoke to the baseball captain last week," Izumi remarked. "Are you not eating with them?"
"I didn't join the team," Chase answered. His gaze kept traveling up and down her long legs.
Kei noticed the look after a few minutes and glowered. Before he could tell Chase to stop ogling his sister something red and furry came flying out of the foliage, barreling into the middle of their circle. "You again?! I guess this cat didn't get enough attention for one day!" It proceeded to rub its head all over Naota's arm as she regarded it in bewilderment.
"Looks like he likes you," Chase commented. "I'm more of a dog person." Once the scent-marking was finished it sat regally, observing them all in turn. He didn't budge when Izumi shifted forward to examine him.
"He seems too healthy to be a stray, although he is on the scrawny side." Naota attributed that to a lack of tuna. "His coat is in good shape aside from not being groomed, so he hasn't been fighting. I don't see any evidence of fleas or ticks, either."
"Maybe his owner moved away or something," Kei mused. "Maybe he's looking for a new home."
The notion tugged at Naota's heartstrings. "I'll keep him," she declared, surprising her friends. "He's so cute, I can't just let him go back to wandering the streets! Auntie works all the time and I'm always home alone…" She trailed off as logic caught up with her emotions. Was she really trying to justify bringing an alien into her home? Wait, that had been a dream. This was just a regular stray cat that happened to look exactly the same. Right?
Izumi reached for her hand. "Naota, your aunt is extremely allergic to dander. It might not be feasible for you to keep him."
"She'll be fine if I clean often, that way there won't be any dust building up. He can get in and out of my room using the plum tree that's right outside. He doesn't need much besides food, just a litter box and some toys."
"And a collar with his name tag," Chase suggested. "If he's been wandering around for a while there are probably other people who'd like to claim him as a pet."
Naota nodded in agreement, looking to Izumi for approval of her plan. The blue-eyed girl sighed and donned a little smile. "Great! Now I just need to think of a name." Everyone fell silent as they studied the statuesque feline. Aki-chan was too simple; he looked noble, important, a god among cats. But she still wanted something associated with his red fur. "What about Apollo?" Naota proposed. "That's the Greek god of the sun, and he kind of has sunset colors."
"That's just what I was thinking!" Izumi exclaimed. It was like her best friend had read her mind. "Apollo sounds perfect to me. What about you two?" Kei grunted his approval as Chase nodded.
After playing with Apollo for the duration of lunch Naota instructed him to stick around the garden, the glimmer in his eye assuring her that he understood. That was another thing triggering her déjà vu, the awareness on his feline visage. She half expected the cat to greet her with a "hello" as she went to collect him after school. Apollo only trotted out of the bushes, chirruping and winding around her ankles. "There's plenty of time for that later," Naota said kindly as she situated him in her larger book bag. He stuck his head out for air but was otherwise steady during the walk to the pet store. Since she hadn't spent her allowance over the weekend she was able to purchase all the necessary supplies. Once home she set up Apollo's necessities in the space between her door and media cabinet. Even if Noyuri opened it to talk to her it was unlikely she would look back there and see everything. She hadn't actually stepped foot in Naota's room in years.
Once the excitement of bringing home a new pet subsided a bit, Naota decided it might be beneficial to get some studying done and gathered her bag, not even bothering to change out of her uniform. She shot Izumi a quick text to let her know she was coming over. "All right, Apollo." He faced her instantly. "I'm leaving the window open so you can go in and out. Whatever you do, don't scare Auntie. I won't be gone long."
"Myaa" was all he said, winking as Naota shut her door, dashed down the stairs, and reentered the warm April sunshine. The Saitou residence was easily distinguished by a trellis adorned with the flowering vine of their namesake. Kei answered the door, welcoming her inside with one of his crooked smiles. There were about twenty other students ranging from first to third-years situated in the living room and at the kitchen counter divided into groups of three or four. Izumi drifted between them all to ensure everyone understood their subjects, but she often lingered among the trios needing help with math. The twins had already conquered Geometry, Algebra II and Trigonometry so backtracking to the material was easy. Naota focused on her English homework while Kei helped some third-years with Physics and Izumi broke down quadratic equations for a big group that included Chase, who Naota only noticed after a double-take.
They were sitting close enough to rub shoulders. Izumi gestured a lot between his textbook and notebook, occasionally using his pencil to write something down. Naota noticed the way Chase's attention kept drifting between the formulae and Izumi. Whenever she looked up he stared right at the paper, expression neutral despite the blush spreading up his neck. 'He must really like her, but he's too scared to say anything in front of everyone,' Naota thought. Chase was rather sweet so she hoped he wasn't one of those kiss-and-tell types that were so commonplace. Izumi gave off a sort of "untouchable" vibe that ensured her admirers did only that: admire her from afar. She had never dated or received gifts on White Day, a real travesty. Chase probably regarded her as a smart, pretty girl he could connect with during his stay in Sapporo. There was nothing wrong with a whirlwind relationship like that, right? Having a boyfriend now would prepare Izumi for all the attention she'd doubtlessly receive when she went off to fashion college after graduating.
Not that Naota really had room to talk. She'd never dated either but at least she had kissed a boy. Granted it was back in sixth grade, but the point was she had more experience in the romance department than Izumi and she thought Chase was a nice, handsome guy who'd make an ideal starter boyfriend. So even if Kei didn't approve of him, and Naota knew he'd never approve of anyone dating his sister, she was Izumi's best friend and a girl so that meant her opinion on the matter trumped his. If neither of them did anything about their developing feelings, Naota determined to be the one who pushed them together.
Naota had Drama Club practice after school on Wednesday, and by the time they finished there were no members from any other clubs remaining at Haruki. It felt a little eerie to navigate the deserted halls and gather her things from the abandoned locker room. At least the sun hadn't set yet; she didn't like walking by herself since delinquents tended to loiter in Soen Park after dusk. When she got home she found a note from her aunt that she was working late with a high-profile client. "Dinner for one tonight…" Naota sighed, but she wasn't really disappointed, she just didn't like cooking. Upon returning to her room Apollo jumped off the bed and meowed excitedly, lifting her mood somewhat. The notion of letting him have free reign of the house was tempting but there was no telling where he might end up. Simply going into Noyuri's room would probably elicit an allergic reaction.
Naota sat in her desk chair and spun around. "I'm all alone," she sang, "there's no one here beside me…" Apollo tilted his head before sticking out a leg to groom. "I wish you could talk," she groaned, "then I wouldn't be so bored!" She flopped onto the bed and commanded her TV to turn on. Apollo butted her arm while she kept saying "next" to change stations, but just as the cat rolled over to have his belly scratched she startled him by lurching forward.
"The dense fog is beginning to cover areas west of Tokeidai Hospital where we believe this experimental chemical was undergoing testing as an arrangement with the Hokkaido University chemistry department. It is advised to stay in your homes with doors and windows closed, and face masks are mandatory for those who must be outside."
Naota shuddered at the peculiar russet mist rapidly enveloping Chuo ward. Once it overtook an area it was impossible for the cameraman in the helicopter to see the world below, a fact that put her greatly on edge. "It's drifting right toward Soen…" she murmured. Apollo got up at that; she turned toward the window in time to see his tail disappear into the violet leaves of the plum tree. "Hey, where are you going?" she called, leaning over the sill. Apollo only looked back at her. She couldn't shake the feeling that she had to follow him.
"Apollo, come back! Where the heck are you going?" Of course he couldn't answer, so Naota continued jogging after the cat. As they headed southeast she finally noticed the ugly miasma climbing above the rooftops, slowing her pace. Farther into the metro they went, passing Odori Park where the concentration of the fog seemed thicker than cotton. She guessed they were a block away from the Hokkaido Prefectural Office when she finally lost sight of the cat. "Apollo!" she called in desperation, noting how empty the city sounded. Squinting revealed slight object formations in the murk, vehicles with open doors and running lights still on. As Naota's vision adjusted she saw people lying in the streets and an immense feeling of dread filled her stomach. If this was a chemical outbreak why wasn't it affecting her? She didn't feel lightheaded or nauseous at all. If the fumes were deadly… Naota knelt beside a body and sought a pulse, breathing a sigh of relief when the man's artery weakly pushed against her fingers. 'They're not dead, just unconscious. Apollo led me right to this area. Does he think I can help them?' She recalled the words he had spoken in her dream only five days ago.
"If none of the guardians embrace their power, this planet will die."
Did the alien cat expect her to do something about this toxic fog? Had Apollo known she'd be immune? 'Is it because I'm the Azure Guardian?'
"Mmm…" The deep tone made Naota whirl around with a gasp, finding no one. "Who disrupts my feast?"
"Who's there?!" she demanded while her head darted in every direction. "Show yourself!"
Her answer was a brief laugh. "So you are one of the beings I sensed. My master will be most pleased when I have given him the star energy you possess."
"S-star energy?" the girl parroted nervously, spying a manhole cover responsible for spewing the red-brown smog. Naota edged toward it, her eyes watering at the increased concentration of fumes. "What star energy?" The disc flew into the air, landing behind her with a clatter. The thing that appeared made her mouth drop open in disbelief.
"I am Bromos," the malevolent mass spoke. "My master demands your star energy!" A pair of vaporous tendrils surged forth, forming ethereal claws seeking to snatch her up. Naota spun on her heel and fled the intersection as fast as her legs could carry her, eventually ducking behind a box truck. "I sense you!" the creature declared. "There is no escape!"
She screamed as the vehicle was torn away from the sidewalk, Bromos releasing a victorious laugh. Naota scrambled to her feet and ran around the corner of a building, stopping dead in her tracks when she saw Apollo sitting on the sidewalk with a shiny stick in his mouth. She knelt and held out a hand, frowning as he placed it in her upturned palm. "What is this, some kind of costume accessory?"
His golden eyes rolled in consternation. "It is a transformation wand. This will allow you to unlock the powers of the Azure Guardian and destroy that youkai. If you do nothing it will spread even farther and drain the entire city of energy. I would like that not to happen, but ultimately the decision is yours."
Naota swallowed her nerves, once again feeling like she'd entered a dream that wasn't quite lucid. "You mean I can save these people if I use this?"
Apollo nodded. "Them and the world beyond."
She looked at the rod again. At the top of the handle was an amethyst orb with a little gold star above. As she stared into the orb images began to appear, hazy at first, but then they became sharper, closer, pulling her in. Naota gazed out across a barren wasteland, the sky above a deep violet. The sun had almost been fully eclipsed; descending from the shaded portion was a column of inky, whirling darkness. Malformed soldiers emerged from the column and marched toward the people gathered below, warriors judging by their attire and weapons, but no two looked the same. Naota focused on a young woman wearing a light blue hanfu with a straight sword in hand, cutting down the twisted soldiers with one graceful slash after another. 'That's her…' she inexplicably knew, 'that's the Azure Guardian. That's me.' The woman smiled tiredly as her countenance faded from view.
Naota returned to reality, clutching the wand emitting bright blue light. She inherently knew the strength of that warrior woman now resided within her, asking to be unleashed upon the creature called Bromos. He was an abomination like those dark soldiers who didn't belong on Earth. 'But it's not the same as before,' she thought, recalling the ancient battle. 'This is a different enemy, but it doesn't matter. I'll defend this world from all who threaten it.' She raised the wand skyward and drew in a breath.
"Aquarii Star Power, Make Up!"
Wind from the four corners of the globe answered her summon, wrapping her whole body in a protective auric layer before dying down to reveal a most curious transformation. Naota's seifuku had changed; she now wore a cropped indigo top with a light blue collar and cerulean bow, a matching short skirt, and white gloves and boots with light blue trim. She felt something on her forehead and reached up to discover a tiara with a gem in the center. Bromos halted his advance and seemed to gape at her, making her smirk.
Naota ran and jumped off the hood of a low-riding sports car, propelling herself into the air so she was level with the region she deemed Bromos' head. She kicked out and was disappointed that her foot went right through him, barely disrupting the mist comprising his body. He chortled and held out a claw, blasting her with a concentrated dose of gases. Naota felt it in every orifice on her face, a cloying burn inhibiting the majority of her senses, but a sixth one became known when she felt Bromos encroach, an unwanted pressure against her aura. Naota lashed out and the youkai drew back with a hiss. She'd actually hurt him.
Wind swirled around her dominant left hand, a maelstrom of conflicting currents forming an epicenter in her palm. Naota managed to open her stinging eyes and ascend another vehicle, a bigger one so she could come down on top of Bromos. "Aerial Assault!" she intoned, forcing the currents out of her grasp as she punched the youkai. The attack struck dead center, spectral blue wings blasting him beyond recognition. Naota landed in a crouch and watched, satisfied, as Bromos released a high-pitched cry and dwindled into nothingness, sucking in the russet fog like a miniature tornado and winking out of existence the next instant.
She breathed a sigh of relief before she experienced a tugging sensation, then she fell to the ground with her legs splayed as her power reshaped itself into the Azure Wand. Exhaustion struck and she hung her head until orange paws entered her line of vision. "That was very impressive," Apollo said proudly. "I had not expected this planet's guardians to wield such formidable abilities. Your celestial soul is strong, Naota."
"My… what?" the girl panted. "Celestial soul?" He kept throwing out terms she didn't understand, kept changing her perception of the game's rules. A game within a dream, that's all this was.
"Come, let us return to your residence. I can answer your questions when you are rested." Apollo looked around as the unconscious civilians began stirring. "We must go before someone hears me. Talking animals do not exist on this planet, you know."
