Chapter Six: The Deal
Three weeks had passed since her miserable play at teleporting to this star and now that she was here, the task seemed to daunt her. The oppressive energy was pushing against her soul trying to expel her from its presence. How am I supposed to even enter this star if even from this far away it seems to be pushing me away? Her blue eyes glanced at the open space that surrounded her; it is not too late to make a run for it, going home to face my punishment like a dutiful Senshi. I can't do that though, how can I think that I could go back, I'd only be leaving Usagi in Chiba's incapable hands? I can't let her suffer for her duty, she must know the truth and the only thing I can do is go back and try to convince her that the fate of the world doesn't rest on her shoulders and that there is no need for her to sacrifice everything. With me, she could just be a normal woman. With that thought, she forced herself to hurl through the atmosphere of the dragon star and she saw the desolation that such an evil creature had on what could have been a beautiful star planet.
Star Fighter pressed on unsure of how she would precede she had heard that there was a way to wake this Dragon but she was unsure of the how. What could she possibly do to wake it? Were there some magic words that must be said or an action that had to be taken? It was impossible not to see the dragon from where she was and she flew towards it. Her heels clicked against the scorched earth that the Dragon had mutilated with its fire.
It opened its maw to release a torrent of fire at her as she jumped away. "What are you doing here? Leave now!"
Star Fighter was astounded the dragon was supposed to be asleep however; it was unleashing its fury against her. "Wait…"
"No leave." It roared and released another jet of fire, "I refuse to take another master, all of you are the same, your disgusting wishes are…"
"You don't understand…"
"I don't need to!" It charged her and Star Fighter had no option but to run.
Although the dragon was bulky and she had assumed it would be slow, it was extremely agile and fast its broad wings allowing it to maneuver itself quickly. She knew she would have to talk the dragon out of its rage or she would not last much longer, her energy reserves had been depleted on her journey here.
"Listen to me please. I do not seek you for myself. I seek to save another."
The dragon refused to listen it continued to chase her.
Finally, Star Fighter pleaded, "I will help you in anything you desire." She expected to be burnt to a crisp anyway but instead she heard complete silence as the dragon hovered in the air one foot from her its talon claws ready to rend her to pieces.
"Anything?"
"So long as my wish is granted, I will do anything."
The dragon folded its wings and landed on the ground with a loud thump. "I will grant your wish but the price for it shall be steep."
Star Fighter agreed after all what harm could that be after all once she was at full strength she would be able to kill the dragon and free herself from this bargain.
The dragon's fangs gleamed as he grinned maliciously, he could pretty much guess what was running through the woman's mind. Keep believing that you can free yourself from me, it will never happen, the price shall be paid it doesn't matter what you believe.
"What shall the price be?"
"Even I do not know, the price that is paid is not determined by me but by those faithless worms known as gods."
"So I do not owe you anything."
The chuckle that rumbled from the dragon's gut was grating and evil, "I never said that, you pay a price to me and one to the gods."
"Twice now I don't think that is any fair."
"I never said wishes were fair, woman. You still have a chance to walk away from this, what will you choose."
"I cannot walk away I am already in too deep. What price must I pay to you."
"You must help me in a task that I have yet to fulfill."
"Why?"
"There is a certain pesky goddess I need your help destroying."
"A goddess? I cannot."
"Yes you can and you will unless you wish to walk away from this empty handed." The dragon turned his orange eyes to face Star Fighter. "Three choices you have, you can run and never return, you can perish by my hand or you can take the deal help me in my task." The dragon's stare hardened, "Either way I could care less about you mortals and your pathetic wishes." No need to remind the pesky mortal that I would be bound to her regardless. If I can have my desire what does it matter what I omit.
"I am not mortal. I cannot age." Star Fighter said petulantly.
"You can die, and do not try to deny it. I have heard the rumors of you Senshi; chosen children of the Gods and protectors of their powerless brethren, and believed to be immortal but if you can perish from your wound, which means you are no immortal. You are but the illusion of an immortal for they cannot pass into the next realm of existence,"
Star Fighter was not happy that this dragon knew so much about her form of existence. "I will take your deal then. I cannot allow her to stay in the place she is."
Foolish mortal. The dragon roared its victory to the heavens above elated to have an accomplice regardless of how unwilling.
The foundations of the buildings on the celestial plane joggled from the force of the dragon's roar. "So it has commenced." A booming voice declared as his eyes opened to look at the gods and goddesses assembled before him.
"Janus?" A goddess asked as she stepped forward from her brethren of divinities.
"The future is shrouded." The female voice of Janus declared softly, the softness of her voice echoed after the booming of her counterpart.
"No." The voice of the War God, Ares, declared loudly. "Let us fight."
"Full of bravery and not a lick of sense to go with it." Athena declared as she stepped forward from the crowd and quirked a slender brow at her brother. "What has happened, Master of Gates and Time?"
"One has dared to defy the will of the Gods. She intends to travel into the past to undo the union of our greatest children." Both voices declared in unison.
"The union of our children?" Another god questioned as he turned to look at the god beside him.
"We speak of the union of a daughter of the Moon and the son of the Earth."
"Serenity." Selene's voice broke through the hum of voices that surrounded her.
"Endymion." Gaea looked to Selene for confirmation and grimaced when she saw the goddess nod.
"What the gods have united no mortal may tear asunder." The Moirae said as they continued to play with the strings of Fate on their loom.
"We are children of the Creator, no mortal has ever tried to defy our will." Hera said as she looked to her husband for confirmation
"This has been expected." Selene said as she stepped forward.
"Yes it has." Morrigan declared as she appeared with Dagda beside her.
"This mortal woman has been roped into destroying you Goddess of War." Janus said as they turned to face the newcomer.
"They can try." Dagda declared as he pulled his wife closer.
"Are we having another Trojan War?" Bacchus asked as he glanced up from his wine cup, disinterest clearly written all over his face.
"Goodness no." Venus said as she looked at her Grecian counterpart. "Let us all be on the same side for once in our long lives."
"This is not our test." Janus said as they looked upon the brethren of Gods assembled around them. "Serenity and Endymion must pass this test with no help of ours."
"However, the gates of Time are closed and the Past and Future shrouded, so long as we weave the cloth none shall mess with Fate." Clotho, the youngest of the three, smooth voice rolled over them all as she spun a golden and silver thread entwined with red into a brilliant cloth.
Lachesis measured the threads her sister used as Atropos looked on her shears never to be used on this particular cloth. The three sisters looked to the gods that stood apart from them. "This cloth shall not be cut, nor shall we change what we weave. Fate's unyielding hand has measured out their destinies and though the pattern changes, we must not intervene. Only one of you shall interact with them, Morrigan, it is time." Atropos declared as her steely eyes took in the brethren.
"So the weavers of Fates have spoken and so shall it be done." The voice of Zeus rumbled throughout the celestial plane for all the gods to hear.