Chapter 2
Five-year-old Hestia, of House Kharis, stood out in the hall, next to the arched doorway that led into the ballroom, feeling nervous and sad. Every now and again she would peer around the wall, to look at the partygoers in the ballroom, perchance to spy her parents. They were disappointed in her for being such a shy girl, and it didn't help that the looming size of the adults made her scared as well. She only felt comfortable around people that she had spent a lot of time with, and — unfortunately — her parents were not among them.
Suddenly, she felt something cold and wet falling down the back of her dress. She jumped in surprise and squealed, which seemed to inspire a host of laughter from behind her. She tried to adjust her dress so the ice would get past her waist, but her efforts against the unyielding waistline of her dress only seemed to increase the laughter. With tears in her eyes, she turned around to see who was responsible for her mistreatment.
What she found were four girls that were around her own age, in formal dress like herself. The girl in the front of the group, who had long, free-falling, dark blue hair, was Juno, of House Menoetius. Behind her, on her right, with her long, brown hair held up by a white ribbon, was Minerva, of House Atlas. On her left, with her raven locks in a ponytail that brushed the top of her left shoulder, was Dysnomia, of House Pallas. Between them was the purple-haired Eos, of House Hyperion.
Seeing that girls of her own age group and social status had done such a thing to her, she felt betrayed in addition to being upset. She began to cry, and her wailing was loud enough for the other girls to run away, fearing that they would be caught and punished if they stuck around long enough for someone to see them.
Seven-year-old Hestia sniffled from where she sat on her bed, as an old and kindly healer put together a remedy that would dispel the curse that had been placed upon her. She gazed down at her forearms, where she clearly saw enough hair for several grown men — thick and black — sprouting from them. The sight of it inspired more tears.
"There, there," the healer soothed, as she sat beside her. She held a bowl in her lap, which had some kind of viscous and smelly substance in it. "We'll have this curse removed in no time."
Hestia sniffled and wiped at her nose before she plaintively asked, "Why do they do these things?"
"Because they don't know any better," the healer replied. She placed a hand on top of Hestia's head and stroked the girl's hair. "They hear the opinions of their family — in regard to your own — and act accordingly. It is no fault of your own that they do so."
Hestia bowed her head. "I don't understand."
"You will, in time," the healer said, as she scooped up a dollop of the bowl's contents with her fingers. "Now, be a dear and hold out your arms, so we can dispel this unsightly curse."
Hestia leaned against the wall and tried to catch her breath, hoping that she wouldn't be found. Lord and Lady Pallas had come to visit her parents, and with them they had brought their daughter, Dysnomia. Said daughter wanted to test her magical herbs on her, and had given chase when she had run away.
"Miss Hestia?"
Startled, she took a good look at her surroundings for the first time, and realized that she was in the kitchen. She saw a half dozen or so servants — both young and old — at work, tending to the pig that was roasting on a spit in the fireplace, preparing a platter for said pig, kneading dough, filling bowls with various fruits, taste-testing soup from a cauldron, and removing pies from the oven. She wondered if it was always so busy when they made dinner, or if it was only when they had guests.
Nervously, she turned her attention to the servant that had addressed her. She was an older woman who looked authoritative yet concerned. "Y-yes?"
The servant knelt before her and spoke in a kindly voice. "What are you doing here? Is there something wrong?"
Hestia couldn't tell her the reason for her being there, or else it would likely get back to Dysnomia's parents. While it was unlikely that they would punish their daughter, there was no doubt in her mind that it would spur Dysnomia to do something more to her, as if in response to an actual threat. However, she didn't think that she should lie, either...
Considering what she was surrounded by, an obvious answer came to her. "Can I help?"
The servant blinked her eyes in bemusement. "I don't think the Lord and Lady would—"
"Please?" She interjected, and gave what she hoped was a very good impression of a lost and saddened puppy.
It was obvious by the expression on the servant's face, and the wringing of her hands, that her decision had not come about without a significant wrestling match in her mind. "...If the young miss wishes."
Hestia was all smiles when the servant found an apron small enough for her to use, one that was usually reserved for the scullery maids. The other servants gave each other looks of uncertainty, but eventually found some simple and safe tasks for her to do.
Eight-year-old Hestia stood beside the caretaker of the garden, taking in the sight of the widespread destruction within his domain. It was the result of a disagreement between Eos and Minerva, who — like Juno and Dysnomia (who had, only a few weeks prior, burned down half of the stables as they fought over a pony) — were beginning to unravel their ties of friendship with each other. There would be monetary compensation, to be sure, but it would never make up for the time that it would take for the place to regain its natural splendor.
She looked up at the caretaker and took in the sad and weary expression on his face, which made his finely-wrinkled visage seem much older than it really was. He was such a gentle and kind man, one of the many servants with which she had friendly relations, and it upset her to see him in his current state. Even though her parents had gotten on her case regarding her recent dalliances in the kitchen, she had no doubt about what she wanted to do.
She tugged on the caretaker's trousers and got his attention. "I'm going to help you."
He looked into her determined gaze and a smile tugged at his lips. "Is there anything that I could do to discourage you?"
Hestia answered with a fierce shake of her head.
"Then I guess it can't be helped," the caretaker replied, before he turned away and began to walk back into the castle. "We'd best find something more appropriate for you to wear."
Hestia smiled brightly and followed after him. She didn't like seeing the people that she cared about being hurt or sad. Nor did she want to be like the princesses that had caused her so much trouble over the years, so she was proud of what she was doing.
Hestia found herself in the library. It was brightly lit by chandeliers, sconces and table lamps, which was at odds with the silence that permeated the place. In particular, it was at odds with how she currently felt: because she was depressed.
She had been accustomed to how distant her parents behaved, in relation to herself. Beyond breakfast and dinner, as well as the times that they held court at the palace, she was unlikely to encounter them at any other time or occasion. Typically, if they had anything to say to her, it was usually conveyed by a messenger, or one of the other servants. It had become normal and expected, so she hadn't really felt the need to complain.
Once her younger brother had become old enough to be tutored and groomed for his future, and received some doting and encouragement from their parents for his progress, she had begun to realize a greater part of how her world worked. A conversation with her nanny, as well as a few other servants, had only confirmed what she had come up with: she was a thing to her parents, who were obligated to make use of her existence as best as they could. Her brother wasn't better off, being treated like a show horse, but at least he was seen as living property, instead of the inanimate variety.
The only difference between them, as far as she could tell, was their gender. She didn't understand why that would make a difference, but that seemed to be the case. Even the male servants were given better wages, for some reason. Being told that that was just the way that things were had only made her more confused, because it wasn't really an answer to what she wanted to understand.
Since her tutor was unwilling to teach her what she wanted to know, she had come to the library so she could find out for herself. Her limited vocabulary would certainly cause her some difficulty but, unlike many of the servants under their family's employ, at least she could read.
Eleven-year-old Hestia used a trowel to pat down the soil around a newly-transplanted flower. She looked over at a nearby cart, which carried many more pots that contained the same type of flower, and wiped the sweat from her brow with the sleeve of her blouse. She still had a long way to go before the path that circled around the new gazebo would be lined by flowers.
She knew that she should have saved her ongoing efforts in the garden for another time, in order to be more presentable for her soon-to-be-introduced lady-in-waiting, but what better impression was there to be made when you're being yourself? Besides which, she had heard that the girl belonged to the nomadic tribe of female warriors that spent time within their borders during the warmer portions of the year, so maybe she would appreciate a princess who got her hands dirty. (Well, figuratively speaking, since she was wearing gloves.)
Normally a relative would have been chosen to serve such a role, but her parents seemed to think that she required a close bodyguard in addition to having someone that could "save" her from being a recluse. While the latter reason was understandable, the former made her think that her parents were up to something, aside from the fact that they were willing to protect whatever they had invested in her. Hopefully it was also being done to expand social relations with the tribe, since trade relations and other services were already doing well.
When she heard the footfalls of hard-soled footwear drawing near, she looked up and saw a manservant escorting a girl who wore a formal dress, and it was obvious that she was their goal. The girl appeared to be a few years older than herself, and had her long, plaited, brown hair draped over a shoulder. She seemed a bit nervous, and her gait was a bit unsteady, but her eyes shone with determination.
After removing her gloves and placing them on the cart, she stood up to meet them a moment before they arrived. The manservant, who held himself stiffly, gave a deep bow before he said, "My lady, as by your request, I have brought before you Hippolyta, princess of the Amazons."
"Thank you," she acknowledged. "You may go."
She returned her full attention to Hippolyta, who stood before her awkwardly. She didn't seem all that comfortable wearing fluff and finery, and probably didn't know what to do or say seeing as their cultures no doubt followed different customs. It was likely a very tense moment for her.
Once she was sure that the manservant was out of earshot, she smiled at her companion. "You may relax. In time you shall learn how to act like everyone else expects, but you may be yourself around me."
Hippolyta lost some of the stiffness in her posture. "Really?"
"Truly," Hestia assured. "We are stuck together, you and I. There's no telling what our parents are plotting (especially mine), so we should make the best of it."
With a sigh of relief, Hippolyta dropped her shoulders and smiled. "I'm glad to hear that." She picked at the material that hung from her sleeve as a flag would from a poll. "These clothes are so impractical... Especially the shoes. I would rather be dressed as you are now."
Hestia waved her hand toward the flower pots. "You're welcome to, if you'd like to help me with this."
Hippolyta gave an eager nod of the head, and with that they set off toward the castle for a change of raiments. While they were on their way, Hestia noticed that her companion had an expression that bespoke of wanting to say something. However, it seemed like she needed help in getting the words out.
She tilted her head in an inquiring manner. "Is there something on your mind?"
Hippolyta hesitated before she spoke. "If I may be so bold..." When she received non-verbal consent from Hestia in response, she went on to say, "When I was told of your age, I had not expected myself to meet someone who was more mature than they appeared to be."
"Do not allow appearances to fool you," Hestia replied evenly, "for you will no doubt encounter many who act younger than they appear to be."
The two girls shared a look for a moment, and once they couldn't contain themselves any longer they began to laugh.
While Phoebe continued to work on releasing the memories of Ranma's past life, Kasumi observed with no small amount of concern. While their plan was to make the best out of the inevitable, Hestia's memories were likely to have a much greater impact on Ranma than Hippolyta's had on her.
How would Ranma react toward Hestia's dislike for violence? Hestia had been a very kind soul, and had also been reputed as being the best healer on Earth at the time. For that matter, how would he feel about her love for gardening and cooking? And she had been such an accomplished dancer, as well; her movements so graceful and full of life.
More importantly, how would it affect his relationships with the other girls? While she and Phoebe could prevent the initial discovery of Ranma's memories being awakened, so the girls wouldn't act foolishly, he wouldn't have the benefit of being unaware, like them. She had been there to protect Hestia, as Hippolyta, so she knew very well of how little she had appreciated their behavior. And it didn't help that they didn't behave all that differently at the present time.
Hestia had been mature beyond her years, so she hoped that it would help Ranma cope. She also hoped that it would stop him from doing something rash, such as making the situation more difficult for himself, or for anyone else that was involved. The last thing that they needed was to draw attention to themselves and have people asking questions, then investigate what was going on when the answers didn't satisfy them. In that regard she was worried about Nabiki, in particular: for being such a smart girl, she could be so thoughtless sometimes...
And then, of course, there was her own relationship with Ranma. As Hippolyta, she had never been so close to someone as she had been with Hestia — in either life. Once she had finished high school, most of her friends had gone off to schools of higher learning, and — despite her workload at home now being halved by Ranma's mother — the times that she could go out and see them were few and far between.
While Ranma had been receptive to her friendly behavior, she couldn't be sure that it would continue once he remembered his past life. After all, if he didn't like his past life, then their deep bond — in association with that past life — might also be left out in the cold, rather than accepted. While it would break her heart if that were to happen, she would understand.
In the end, she could only wait for Phoebe to finish and hope for the best.
Twelve-year-old Hestia took Hippolyta's hand and drew it closer to herself, which evoked a wince from the person who she now considered to be her big sister (which was an affectionate term that Amazons used when addressing someone that they cared about deeply). She looked over the burns that covered her forearm before she held her other hand over them and cast a healing spell. Her hand glowed white, and began to bathe the burns with its warm and gentle light.
Hippolyta shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "It itches."
"That means it's working," Hestia replied, and smiled with amusement. "Just be patient; it'll be over before you know it."
Hippolyta sighed. "I don't understand. Why is this allowed to happen? Should princesses be allowed to attack one another in this way?"
"There are many reasons," Hestia responded, who released a sigh of her own. "One of them is that the kingdoms of Earth fear the power of the Moon Kingdom and its many sailor senshi, so they have all agreed to be unified and marshal their strength, in order to discourage any hostile action. No matter what the contention, they must appear to be friendly. As far as anyone is concerned, what my peers and I are doing is nothing more than children acting like children. Our parents will stand by and hope that what's in their best interests will come about, but will neither openly encourage nor discourage their behavior."
Hippolyta took a moment to digest that information. "Do you think there's anything to justify their fear, concerning the Moon Kingdom?"
Hestia snorted. "I doubt it. From what I understand, the queen of the Moon Kingdom had — some centuries ago — helped to seal away a great evil called Titan, who had caused an untold amount of death and destruction. Unless something was left out of the account, I assume that they fear the Moon Kingdom for the same reason they do anything else that could potentially threaten the security of their comfy lifestyles."
When Hestia finished healing the burns on Hippolyta's arm, she asked to see the other arm and proceeded to take care of the burns on that one, too. A companionable silence fell upon them, until Hestia had finished healing her friend.
"At least prince Endymion appears to be a likeable fellow," Hippolyta offered.
Hestia nodded her head in agreement, though reluctantly. "I suppose. I might have been more interested if being engaged to him wasn't so troublesome. Unfortunately, he's the most desirable prince among the kingdoms, being that he's both handsome and from the Golden Kingdom, whose domain lies in Elysium."
"At least that explains why your parents arranged for me to be your lady-in-waiting," Hippolyta reasoned. "If the other princesses are willing to go so far as to attempt assassination, then your parents must be very ambitious."
"My parents will jump at any good opportunity, if they happen to see one," Hestia replied, her head bowed. "Unfortunately for me, while working like a common domestic worker had made me an embarrassment to them, it had endeared me to the people. Word eventually reached Kronos, who thought that I would be a good match for his son. The rest, as they say, is history."
Then she closed her eyes and clenched her fists. "Of course, considering the fact that Endymion is three years my senior, and that all eligible princesses had been born within a year of one another, I wouldn't be surprised if every one of our parents had intentionally given birth to daughters, with the hope that we would be married to prince Endymion one day."
"After all," she continued, her voice becoming strained, "it would be a very unlikely coincidence for all of us to be born female so close together without the aid of magic. And if magic had been involved, then there must have been a reason; especially the three of the five couples who had no heirs or a single male heir at the time. To not prioritize a male heir is simply unheard of, so what other reason could there be...?"
That earned her a hug from Hippolyta, and she reciprocated. However, what Hippolyta could not have known was how much she envied her and her tribe at that moment, as she imagined a life where she moved from one place to another, in the pursuit of training one's body and mind in the martial way. She wouldn't have to worry about politics, having so much of her life dictated, nor having so many gender-derived restraints. She wished...
Thirteen-year-old Hestia took her time in reaching her parents, who awaited her on their thrones. She could hear her heels reverberate throughout the great hall like thunder, which she wouldn't have noticed had they been holding court. Instead, save for her parents and a guest, the great hall was devoid of persons both great and small.
When she drew close enough, she noticed a small figure sitting before the dais. It appeared to be a cat, though she wondered why her parents would invite one to this affair, seeing as they were kept by the servants as mousers. When she saw the crescent moon symbol on the cat's forehead, however, she realized — with some foreboding — that she wasn't going to like this meeting. While the cat's presence could potentially lead to something good, the taint of her parents' involvement made her doubtful of such an outcome.
When she was at a proper distance from her parents, she stopped and curtsied. "Father, mother."
"Daughter," her father intoned, serious as always, "visiting us today is an emissary from the Moon Kingdom, Phoebe. She speaks on the behalf of her queen, concerning a matter that is relevant to our interests."
She gave a curtsy for their small guest. "It is a pleasure to meet you."
Phoebe bowed her head respectfully. "Likewise, princess Hestia."
Hestia returned her attention to her parents. "May I ask what matter this is about?"
Her father nodded his head toward Phoebe, who turned to regard her once more before saying, "My queen desires peace between the moon and the Earth. As a gesture toward that end, she has instructed me to show your people what is required to give birth to your own sailor senshi. The four guardian sailor senshi will be a part of the process that determines who becomes the sailor senshi of the Earth, to demonstrate a collaborative effort between our peoples. However, the decision will ultimately be made by the Earth itself, and whoever the people of Earth choose to undergo the process by which the sailor senshi of the Earth will be determined."
She had a sinking feeling in her stomach. The prospect of having more power in the family, such as it could be attained, would not be something that her parents would pass up. It probably never even occurred to them that they could have been satisfied with their daughter marrying the prince of the Golden Kingdom, something that already caused her enough problems with the other royal and noble families throughout the world — and with four princesses, in particular. To take part in this new development between the kingdoms was akin to making a death wish, as far as she was concerned.
She did her best to suppress her anger as she addressed her father. "Am I to assume that you are arranging for me to become a candidate?"
"Naturally," came her father's unconcerned reply.
"I refuse," she stated, which drew a curious look from the Moon Kingdom's emissary.
Her father looked at her angrily, and raised his voice as he said, "Who said anything about there being a choice?"
She glared at her father with contempt. "Yes; how silly of me to think otherwise."
Hestia knew that, with the notable exception of five young princesses (which included herself), everyone on Earth was forbidden from having contact with the Moon Kingdom. However, she was sure that the exception would only lead to more tension between the two worlds, rather than peace. In fact, it could even undo the peaceful relations between the kingdoms of Earth, too.
That was why she was out in the garden, in the middle of the night, to make sure that prince Endymion and princess Serenity weren't disturbed or — more importantly — discovered by the wrong people. She believed that love would be the most likely path that would lead to peace between the Earth and the moon, not the power of a sailor senshi who would no doubt be used to try and conquer the other kingdoms.
The arrangement had been an easy one to make. One day princess Serenity had confided in her about her feelings for the prince, so she had offered her a way to meet with him clandestinely. The princess had been unsure, at first, since she was engaged to him. However, after explaining her lack of interest for said engagement, the princess had jumped at the chance to meet him. The prince, being the nice guy that he was, had accepted her feelings on the matter, and had been willing to see the smitten princess of the Moon Kingdom.
She was glad that she had done it, because they seemed so compatible as to be destined for each other. One day she hoped to find someone special to call her own, too. However, as things stood, that seemed impossible. One might think a princess' life a fantasy, but — from personal experience — she knew that princesses and servants had a lot more in common than anyone would care to admit, whether or not they were the princess or the servant.
Her musings were cut short when a sphere of light appeared in front of her, only a short distance away. When the light winked away, the moon princess' four guardian sailor senshi were revealed amidst the sparkling motes of light that had been left behind by their mode of transportation; and they didn't appear to be all that pleased about something. She could easily guess what their problem was, without even considering how their gazes were leveled upon her.
"Hestia," said their leader, Venus, "this has to stop."
Hestia arched an eyebrow. "You would stand in the way of love?"
Venus didn't know how to reply to that, so Mercury responded in her stead. "It isn't that. Haven't you thought about the repercussions if this were to get out?"
"Yeah," Jupiter added. "What you're doing is foolish, and could jeopardize our efforts for achieving peace."
"Then you should help me keep it a secret until the time is right to reveal their relationship," Hestia replied, who crossed her arms in defiance. "It's a lot better than leaving your princess to pine away for a guy who has to marry another girl, whom — I might add — isn't even interested in him."
Mars glared at her. "If this has anything to do with convincing us to find you unfavorable..."
"Of course not," came Hestia's soft reply, her expression turning sad. She turned her back on the four guardian sailor senshi. "It's not something that you are likely to understand. It's true that I do not wish to become the sailor senshi of the Earth, but I have no desire to play such games with people. If you find what I'm doing to be unfavorable in your eyes, then that would simply be a fortuitous byproduct."
Silence followed her words, so she quietly added, "Leave them their love. Don't take it away from them."
Fourteen-year-old Hestia knelt over the body of the battered and bloody Hippolyta, feeling strangely serene. A part of her absently suspected that what she felt was shock, but she didn't have the wherewithal to care. Her mind was having enough trouble trying to comprehend the fact that the most important person in her life had been taken away from her.
And if that hadn't been bad enough, the world around her had fallen into chaos. She didn't quite understand how it had come about, except that it might have had something to do with the dark clouds that had been gathering on the horizon in the past few days, and the many large, black monoliths that had been spotted growing out of the ground in their wake. All that she knew for sure was that anyone with a weak mind, or a wavering heart, had succumbed to bloodlust and a desire to destroy the Moon Kingdom or each other. And the person who seemed to be behind it...
When she had heard the commotion, of what sounded like a great throng of people on the move, she had been on the lookout for another of Endymion's and Serenity's secret rendezvous. Before she could reach them, she had heard Endymion shout, "Stop it! Hate and war will get us nowhere!"
What she saw, when she had arrived on the scene, had been shocking: her own cousin, Beryl, had slain Endymion. Then Serenity's guardian sailor senshi had appeared, and Venus had moved quickly to cut down Beryl with her sword. Serenity, by then, had taken Endymion's sword and had used it to commit suicide. It had all happened so fast, and seemed so absurd, that she'd had trouble rationalizing what she had witnessed. She had almost missed the appearance of something dark and evil above her cousin, which had proceeded to attack the moon princess' guardian sailor senshi. And behind it, either in thrall or support, had been Endymion's own guardians.
Hippolyta had reached her, by then, since she had always been nearby when she needed her. She had led her away, back to the castle, but seeing parts of it up in flames made it apparent that it wouldn't be a safe place to retreat to. Not knowing where else to go, Hippolyta had suggested going to her tribe, whose current settlement was about four days away on foot — if they hurried, that is. Fortunately, they had been able to shave a day away from that estimate by teleporting to an Amazon training ground that Hippolyta had known would be within the range of her ability to reach.
Unfortunately, among the people who had been following Beryl were the four princesses that had always found the time to make life more difficult for her, and they had seen and followed them. They had been able to follow the trail of her teleportation spell with their own, and had attacked with a savagery and intensity that they had never shown before.
She hadn't been able to do much to fight back or protect herself, since teleporting required a lot of energy. The one thing that she and Hippolyta had going for them was that their attackers had attacked themselves when they saw the opportunity to do so, though it hadn't been enough of a boon after all had been said and done. She and Juno had been the only ones left standing, though Juno had collapsed before she could reach her, from a fatal wound that had been delivered by one of the other princesses.
And now she was alone; well and truly alone. Her own injuries would probably be fatal, if they weren't tended to, but she couldn't motivate herself to do it. All that she could do was gather Hippolyta into her lap and hold onto her tightly, as if her life depended on it. Of course, as things were, her life depended on letting go and taking care of herself.
She didn't know how much time had passed by the time she had come to a decision. She gently placed Hippolyta's body back on the ground and stood up, then proceeded to stumble around due to a bout of dizziness. She struggled to stay upright as she made her way to a nearby spring, and imagined Serenity's final act as she did so, to give her the strength to make it.
Once she was standing over it, she couldn't help recalling what Hippolyta had told her about the training ground. Whenever the springs were in use, they would use the magic in the water to place a curse on them, so that those who fell into them during training would become something embarrassing, in order to give them an incentive to improve themselves. When the Amazons were finished using the training ground, they would clear the established curses on the springs, so that the likelihood of someone getting cursed while they weren't in use would be small. And if the teachers were satisfied with a student's progress, they would remove their curse before they left. If not...
She felt tears running down her cheeks. Soon she would join her big sister, instead of merely being reminded of her. Falling into the water would ensure that her bleeding wounds would continue to bleed until she died. Failing that, she would be too weak to keep her head above water, and she would drown.
Once she closed her eyes, she allowed herself to fall forward. The cool water soon enveloped her, and she welcomed its embrace. Idly, she noticed that the magic in the spring was reacting to her presence. She opened her eyes and peered into the water, even as her vision began to dim, and she hoped that someone else would have better luck at being a princess.
