Word from Omega was…strange, to say the least. Theta, who relayed a brief synopsis of Omega's findings to Sigma, also seemed to find his report lacking as the trip bore no real description of what Omega had seen. The report was simple. At landing, there were a grove of trees and within the trees he met with an anonymous informant who would in time reveal the history that had long been forgotten.

Powerless and unable to pry for more, Sigma had to accept what was given, gruffly shaking his head in the privacy of his concealed position. As he tried to assert caution, both Theta and Omega were resistant, insisting that this new source was reliable and potentially profitable though they couldn't state a clear and substantial reason why they believed this to be so. Skepticism well intact, he cut off the connection with Theta and resumed his usual cautionary action to prevent being found out.

As he convened in the streets, blending perfectly with those around him, he found his mind drifting to the message he had received about Omega's encounter. So he would learn a history that had long been forgotten huh? It was an interesting statement. One of which the sinewy male had perceived to be filled with great promise, if the source was indeed reliable.

At the rise of the black tower, historical documents, records, books and any other type of potentially harmful information were ordered to be destroyed. The internet had been a commodity of the Dark Crystal palace, information available being that of which the King had approved. Media, advertising, everything was at the mercy of the Dark Kingdom, the public growing dumber and more dependent as the years progressed.

It was a disgusting sight to see, especially for the proud Chinese-man who could hardly bare to watch the degradation of intellect continue. However, from a strategist point of view, he knew that the King was smart in doing this. Without intelligence, the public was just an open canvas waiting to be crafted in whatever mold he saw fit. The few that were actually still intellectually adept were either dead, working for the king, or well hidden within the maze of a nearly mindless society.

With every day that passed, it truly did seem like their chances of a successful rebellion were dwindling and it was always the reigning thought that would nestle in his brain whenever he stopped to realize just how infinite the power of the King had grown to be despite his ongoing efforts to thwart it.

In disapproval of his weak-minded doubts, he forced his mind to cease its train, an image of an empty room showcasing itself in his attempt to clear his thoughts. Though he never openly embraced the optimistic view, he still understood its importance and would remember to keep it close when his realist-trained mindset would try to rear him back into the popularly accepted feeling of defeat. No matter how invincible the darkness would tower to be, he would always be right there fighting it because cowardice and submission were worse than death to him.


Sultry laughs sounded from a particular table, a familiar chestnut haired man sitting with a grin on his face in his usual fashion as expensive wine swirled haughtily in his glass. The woman across from him was adorned in a flashy silver dress, the shining fabric clinging suggestively to her breast as a lofty amount of cleavage peered in over the top. The bottom of the dress, or lack thereof, hugged just a small inch below her well-curved rear, legs extending smoothly outward, often purposely finding their way sensually rubbing against the male's own limbs beneath the table.

Any onlooker who frequented the restaurant would know from experience that the table would soon be vacant, as the man in his charming visage would always manage to entice a hunger from any woman sitting at his table that could no longer be sated by luxurious wine or finely prepared meals.

Cobalt blue eyes shimmered devilishly as they watched the once shy doctor brim with unsuspecting heat. She had been a project for him, her attire hard to influence but well worthwhile as he found her body to be as alluring as he expected beneath the frumpy scrubs she used to cling to. Later, he would see just how accurate he was with the clear expulsion of the little offending articles left to conceal her, but of course that would take place elsewhere. The unraveling would be rewarding as she had broken his record for women who could withstand him the longest. Two weeks was a long time…time that he would enjoy gaining compensation for, he was certain.

"I really have to be careful around you," she purred. "You're much smarter than people expect."

A melting laugh escaped, the braided-haired male's eyes changing to a deep indigo as they burned into his date's weakened orbs.

"I appreciate the compliment," he replied. "But I assure you, there's nothing harmful about me that you would have to take caution of. I'm really quite gentle…when needs be…"

He looked back to his drink, knowing full well that she caught the suggestive tone in his voice, and smiled to himself. The tension in her body was much more painfully evident to her as she found herself craving more than this disjoint table date had to offer. The night of scarcely engaged contact from him drove her mad as if he meticulously planned to deprave her of his warming touch throughout their meal so that it would be the only thought on her mind. The brief moments that she was fortunate to feel his skin was in the small indistinguishable events where he would "accidentally" reach for something at the same time as she and she nearly hated him for it.

Applications of warning flashed minutely in her hazed state of mind, a gulp roughly intruding her throat. She blinked away a bit of lusting fog and tried to derail her animal instincts by means of less provocative discussion.

"I couldn't help but notice a photo in your apartment the other day," she started in wavering attention, glancing hesitantly across the table.

"Really?" He smirked. "And which picture managed to captivate your highly esteemed mind?"

The female doctor shrugged with a little smile, blushing in regret as she now recounted the numerous sensual images marring his apartment walls. It seemed her attempt at derailing her self-acknowledged sexual depravity wasn't as successful as she had hoped.

"Surprisingly, they all seem to be equally captivating" she admitted anxiously. "But one particular photograph seemed a bit…misplaced."

An abrupt stop was put to the entertained sips the male strategist was taking, his eyes suddenly devoid of that lusty gaze. He hadn't known what picture she was referring to but somehow, he had already imagined the image as it plastered itself into his mind. Within his dimly lit abode was a small, barely noticeable, corner that he often found himself concealing and within that corner was a single frame that he knew was misplaced amongst the interior of the rest of the apartment. A heavy weight dropped in his chest, unseen memories colliding in his skull. Sensing that his behavior was gaining concern, he frigidly forced himself to a hasty recovery despite the unsuspecting crash.

"My sister," he responded, wiping the unwanted imagery from his mind quickly. "If not for the blood relation, her picture would not have disheveled the theme of my apartment."

He grabbed a napkin and dabbed the corners of his mouth, feigning a smile in his date's direction.

"Oh," The woman seemed intrigued, the brief moment of hesitation now disintegrated at the revelation that the woman was a blood relative. "Well then," she grinned. "What, may I ask, is the theme of your apartment exactly?"

The charming glint had suddenly returned, his tempting indigo hues getting closer as he leaned forward.

"I'm afraid it's not something that can be explained…" he smiled mischievously. "Its more of something you have to…experience…"

If there were ever a moment of doubt present amongst onlookers that the man would not be accompanied in his return home, it was clearly refuted in the sudden change amongst the once reserved doctor's stature. In yearning, she was constantly biting on her bottom lip, heart rate intensifying as her whole body seemed to be leering towards him. Still, he remained cool and devastatingly unaware as he continued to speak casually.

Impatience welled steadily, until she could no longer stand it.

"Mr. Stanton," she cut in, placing a discrete hand on his knee in a type of urgency. "I would really love if we could go back to your apartment and piece together the connection amongst your somewhat confusing interior decoration."

She squeezed his knee in clue of what she desired and Mr. Stanton couldn't help but smile back at her as an unsurprised scoff silently passed through his lungs.

"If you insist," he responded, earning an excited upheaval from his date, who quickly drew her belongings to her arm and nearly dashed for the door.

A glint passed in the patient Mr. Stanton's eyes as he left his usual tip upon the table for the envious waiter to collect, staring from the table at his craved companion.

Mission accomplished.


The night was a restless one.

The words from the regal creature echoed continuously within the anxious prince's mind, his reflection perturbed by the fact that he could not find rest. When he would lie to sleep, his mind would be in too much resistance as countless trains of thoughts paraded in his conscience.

With a deep exhale he fell to his bed and found his head turn to the side, heartbreak resonating as the image of a familiar woman stay planted atop a nightstand. His mesmerizing crystal blue hues glistened slightly in desolation, the memory of her a painful one as the event would again replay in the back of his mind.

An uneasy gulp passed through his throat, the rasped and drying consistency itching at his insides in corrosion. His heart trembled to a low rate, the blood in his system curdling in diminishing warmth. Vacant, his eyes turned to gaze upward, the ceiling being its soul root as Milliardo suddenly found his onslaught of thoughts barricaded by the pain.

Vulnerable and void, he lay with tousled silver-lit hair caressing the experienced muscles of his un-shirted chest whispered with scars. The moonlight somehow found its way through the slivers uncovered by fabric and cast eerie lines across his unmoving frame. He had always believed her to be one of the greatest soldiers, harboring a nearly invincible conception of her whenever he would see her. He never had to worry about if she would return in an event that they were separated during a battle. Somehow, she would just always be there, even when he had an inkling to start fretting about her safety. However, that consistency she had provided for him was challenged and what was worse, he had witnessed it in plain sight.

A tear seamlessly sailed the porcelain rifts of his skin, his eyes faintly encompassing the frailty of his soul. It would seem even in his deepest agony, he refused to let show his sorrow even in the privacy of his cold bedroom.

Moments after, a mystic stir in his periphery jilted him to shoot up from his bed, a curious lean man standing in a soft white glow before him.

"Who are you?" Milliardo could not resist the urge to ask, as his subdued physical skill was ready on demand if needed.

The intruder humbly took himself to a knee, bowing respectfully as Milliardo noticed the gold horn protruding from the man's forehead.

"I am Helios, the one you met in the forest," he stated, "I believe you were expecting me."

"Helios," Milliardo repeated, tension easing as his curiosity sprung.

The man nodded, standing in full height now, as his eyes drifted to the picture on the night stand.

Skeptically, Milliardo looked him up and down, uncertain of how he could take the form of a man and still be that same magical creature he witnessed days before. Furthermore, he wasn't even sure how he had gotten inside his bedroom without detection.

"This is your dream," Helios answered, startling Milliardo once more by the response to an unspoken question. As if detecting his confusion, Helios continued on. "In dreams I can read your thoughts."

"But I haven't even fallen asleep," Milliardo remarked, subconsciously pulling a hand to his head.

"Sleep sometimes takes us by surprise," Helios wisely stated, age suddenly washing over him in a way that Milliardo failed to notice before.

It was clear to him now, that this…man or creature was in existence long before he could have expected.

"Then you've come to tell me something," Milliardo awkwardly asserted. It seemed strange to demand something of a creature that appeared so much more magnificent than any mere man, especially Milliardo himself. The ethereal glow constantly surrounding Helios was pure, an energy that surely demanded dominion over any mere mortal. And yet, here Helios stood, meek and submissive as though he were the lesser being.

A simple nod was given, Helios gliding closer in his majestic way.

"Men have always faced a constant struggle between themselves and their drive for power," Helios started, looking fixedly at Milliardo. "To aspire for more strength is natural and countless reasons exist for why each man chooses to seek after these things. And of course, power alone is innocent. It is the person in possession of that power that is to question."

Helios then outstretched a hand, a glimmer of gold shimmering as the loosely fitted outline slowly started to weave in closer for a more distinctive object. Milliardo simply watched, his ears attentively in tune with what Helios had to say all the while his interest remained securely with the object forming within the man's palm.

"In the beginning of life, there existed many kingdoms," he said, "Infinitely many royal families lived in this universe, inhabiting planets, stars and even the Moon. But magnificence seemed to settle upon the core nine planets which still exist in this solar system as well as the Moon. These ten kingdoms reigned peacefully in coexistence, the Moon becoming the pinnacle of the planets with the exception of Earth. As a stubborn race, Earth dwellers always tended to thrive for independence, their laws and government segregated from what was known as The Silver Moon Alliance of the Silver Millennium. Still, the two groups were fair with each other and never detracted from the fact that both their goals were one in the same…peace."

A small bubble of light appeared, descending gracefully into the center of the still undefined threads of gold.

"There existed only one law, a law that would later be broken and ultimately lead to a disastrous end of a great era. A young prince of Earth and a beautiful princess of the Moon would find interest in each other, secretly seeking for each other's attention though it was in conflict with Earth's most regarded regulation. At a point, the parentage of each family could have found a more peaceful accommodation for the star-crossed lovers but their secrecy remained so for too long, a mistake that has often loomed amongst my conscience. An admirer of the prince caught glimpse of the pair's unspoken meetings and thus was sparked the first return of the dark crystal that would challenge the power of the Moon's brightest power."

By now, Milliardo felt as though he were listening to a fairytale, the validity of the story questionable as it seemed unreasonable and without logic. Still, Helios continued, his eyes filled with knowledge and pain as though he were physically reliving the past.

"In result of that devastating battle, the Queen of the Moon had sealed away her life in the Crystal she used to temporarily conceal the dark energy that lay in rambles, the Moon and the eight planets. With Earth as the only surviving terrain, she used her last ounce of energy to send the princesses of the Silver Alliance as well as the prince of Earth to be reborn in a new life."

Helios paused, the object in his hand finally forming as golden lace wove to connect a soft chain to a star-shaped trinket. A soft melody then produced and hauntingly slid through the room in a chilling effect, Milliardo feeling Goosebumps ripple across his skin.

"Is that—"

"No," Helios answered with an apologetic smile. "This was a token of love given to the prince of Earth by the Moon princess before the war had started."

Milliardo frowned, unenthused about the object despite his initial reaction towards it. How this could be of use was unbeknownst to him, and Helios was well aware of this.

"Though it may not make sense now," he began, "in time you will see of its use for yourself."

He extended his arm further, nodding for Milliardo to take it from him. In hesitation, Milliardo reached for it, shivering slightly at the touch as an unseen wave of perplexing proportions washed over him. He stared searchingly at the center as a crescent moon rotated around the circular pit, nearly forgetting Helios' presence completely. With a hasty shake of his head, he shut the device and returned his attention to the white-haired informant.

"What else have you to tell me?"

Helios grinned slightly, his head lowering in response.

"Learning to defeat the darkness requires more time than is present in just one night," he informed. "The process is gradual. Move too quickly and your efforts may be thwarted before you even realize it."

Disappointment was evident in Milliardo's features, but he respectfully nodded in understanding.

"Then should I expect you in my next dream?"

Helios exhaled, looking thoughtfully for a moment before shaking his head in disconfirmation.

"I must give you time to absorb what I've already told you," he said, "history is important, especially this one."

"Besides," Helios smiled politely, "there is still much for me to do elsewhere."

Before Milliardo could even ask what other business the supernatural creature could have, Helios was out of sight. The suggestive tone in his last statement was intriguing, to say the least, and Milliardo found himself reeling in possibilities of what that meant exactly. Yet, in an unexpected reminder, a cold surface upon his skin grasped his attention, his hand again raising the golden locket. With a careful flick, he opened the locket and studied the meaning as the melody eerily drifted through his room.


Thank you for reading! I was considering giving a cameo for all pilots, but then I decided against it. Hopefully this chapter was enjoyable and that "Mr. Stanton" was familiar to you ^^. I'm still sticking to the original constructs of this story but trying to do it more tactfully XD. Alas, I appreciate the reviews, as always, and will continue to gradually build on this. P.S. I usually mainly stick to the anime timeline since I did not often get to read the manga. Anyhow, if anything is too ridiculously out of place, let me know! Ciao!

AquaTonic : Thanks for your review! ^^ Hope it continues to be exciteable!

Zangai : lol I too am guilty of falling off the radar XD But I will try to stay focused! I am so glad you've found interest in this story. Lately its been the only one that has been interesting for me to write lol. I will say though this is the first time I've had to focus mainly on the guys and its very difficult for me XD hopefully it still comes out decent though ^^

Makoto A. Yakushi : XD I am so embarrassed! haha I could have sworn I reviewed that update but no worries! I have righted that wrong lol. Of course, I'm always happy to hook people to the GW/SM genre so perhaps you'll be writing one soon? yes? :P lol