Chapter 10
It took them several hours to reach Phoebe, one of Saturn's many moons. Once they landed, very carefully, they all disembarked, except for Bouncing Boy and Triplicate Girl. Bouncing Boy said he'd keep an eye out for any enemies, and Triplicate Girl said she'd watch Saturn Girl.
"She'll be fine", she assured the anxious Lightning Lad. "Go."
Reluctantly, the young hothead pulled away and flew after his teammates, who were already in the air, most using either their Legion rings or inborn ability, Beast Boy as a hawk, and Raven carrying Batgirl on a platform of black energy.
"This feels weird", Batgirl muttered.
"Brainy, which direction is the heart of Thebe?" Cosmic Boy asked.
"Turn west", Brainy answered.
Brainy directed them to an area of the moon where deep craters covered the surface, and they landed there.
"I've never been on a moon before", Cornelia remarked a bit distantly. "It feels different."
"So where's this Phoebe we're supposed to find?" Bumblebee asked, looking around and eyeing the dark stone cave ahead of them.
Brainy shrugged helplessly. "Like I said, we don't know much about Greek mythology."
"Maybe I should have brought Cyborg instead", Bumblebee muttered.
"I studied Greek mythology in junior high", Batgirl interjected. "According to the textbook, Phoebe lives in a hidden place on this moon, and we have to call her out. They haven't discovered that cave yet in my time, but I'm guessing that's the entrance."
"How are we going to find her?" Phantom Girl asked.
"We could always do this." Beast Boy cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Hey, Phoebe!!"
Cosmic Boy grabbed him and demanded, "What do you think you're doing, you idiot?" while Raven glared daggers at him. But before the empath could do anything permanent, a soft, strange feminine voice resonated over the crater field.
"Who calls me?"
Raven glanced all around and back at Beast Boy, who gulped.
"What do you know?" he said feebly, "It worked." Raven sighed and rolled her eyes.
"We're a delegation", Cosmic Boy called out in his usual pompous, I'm-the-leader manner.
"Be more specific."
Lightning Lad snorted a bit. "I think you're ticking her off, Cos." He raised his voice. "We're representatives of several teams. We need your help."
"I desire that the one who called me answer."
Beast Boy swallowed. "Ah…"
"Speak, whoever you are. I would hear what you have to say."
"Hi…er…goddess…ma'am…miss…" Beast Boy stammered.
"Beast Boy", Raven said threateningly. "Do us all a favor and shut up. Phoebe!" she called in a loud voice. "I am the daughter of Trigon, one of those who were under your brother's rule in the Underworld."
There was a pause.
"Daughter of Trigon, approach the cave."
Raven complied, walking toward the dark cave directly ahead of them.
There were a few tense seconds as Raven stepped into the shadow of the cave, seemingly without fear. Then, very slowly, a bright light emerged from the cave.
The light was blue with white stars and speckles moving about in it. The speckles kept changing color, from blue to mauve, pink, yellow, and then finally back to blue. Then the light faded, revealing the lithe figure of a woman.
She appeared to be about thirty, with pale, golden-brown hair that was piled on top of her head, and her eyes were deep and soulful, and they too, kept changing color – from blue to green to brown to black and then blue again. Her skin was smooth and lovely, and she was barefoot. The neckline of her soft pale blue silk dress was a deep V, the seams meeting in the middle of her chest, below which was a sash and a trailing skirt. But the objects that drew the most attention were the gleaming golden circlet on her brow and the sparkling, twelve-pointed star she wore on a fine chain around her neck.
Phoebe looked around at the assembled heroes. "Why have you come here?" she asked.
"We're here about the Protector of the Universe", Phantom Girl said before anyone else.
"The Daughter of Titan?" Phoebe inquired questioningly. "What about her?"
"Well, she's…she's…" Phantom Girl faltered.
Phoebe sighed. "So, it has happened."
"Er – yeah", Beast Boy said. He paused. "Define 'it.'"
Phoebe looked at him. "Green one, I am a Titan, one of the first races of gods. We read the skies and deduce the future."
"Yes, it's happened", Lightning Lad interrupted, glaring at Beast Boy. "And we need the Star of Phoebe."
"Lightning Lad!" Phantom Girl scolded.
Phoebe fingered the flashing pendant on her chest. "Has she fulfilled the prophecies?"
"Yes", Phantom Girl replied, giving the others a shut-up-and-let-me-do-the-talking-I'm-the-one-who-studied-the-prophecies look. They took the hint.
"All of them?"
"Yes."
"The Mechanical One?"
"Dead and gone."
"The Queen of Rubies?"
"In custody of the Legion."
Phoebe considered. "Is she worthy?"
"Definitely", Phantom Girl answered, although the others had no idea what Phoebe meant by 'worthy.'
The goddess thought for a while. "Let me see her", she said finally.
"Um…we left her with two others", Phantom Girl said. "They're this way."
"Show me."
"Er…" Phantom Girl looked flustered. "We kind of flew here, Your Eminence."
"So we will walk." Phoebe started strolling. "Are you going to lead me to her or not?"
"Yes", Phantom Girl said, hurrying to the front.
The heroes walked along at the agonizingly slow pace that Phoebe set. She did not seem concerned about how long it took to get there. Lightning Lad and the others chafed at the delay, but none dared to confront the Titan goddess.
Finally, after an hour of walking, they reached the cruiser. But when they were a few feet away, Phoebe stopped.
"Bring her here", she commanded.
"She's inside", Lightning Lad said, confused.
Phoebe fixed him with a stare. "I am aware of that. Bring her here, where I can observe her under the light of my home."
Grumbling slightly, Lightning Lad went inside the cruiser.
"Without any inorganic materials", Phoebe added.
Soon, Lightning Lad carried Saturn Girl out in his arms and gently laid her on the ground. Phoebe approached the Legionnaire and touched her left temple.
To the others assembled around, it seemed as though Phoebe was doing nothing except staring intently at Saturn Girl's pale face. It was almost completely dark on the moon, and the heroes couldn't imagine what Phoebe could see by the dim sunlight that her moon reflected. But Phoebe seemed satisfied, because she rose after a few minutes and exhaled deeply.
"So it has been done", the goddess said to no one in particular. "The terms of the prophecies have been met, and now the Daughter of Titan lies at my feet with the tiniest spark of life still present within her. She has done her duty; now I must do mine." She reached to her neck and lifted the long gold chain of her necklace over her head and offered it to Raven. The pale, silvery blue jewel in the middle of the pendant flashed brightly and then dulled as it left the goddess' hands.
"A word of advice, Legion", Phoebe said then, "Though you have little time, you must rest. My brother's wife will not be easily persuaded, and Persephone's contribution will take you longer than you think. If you are to have any hope of succeeding in your quest, you must retain your strength. This is but the first day; stay here for the night. You may leave in the morning. But I can only offer you a place. I have no food or water; I do not need it. Good luck, Legion." She began walking away. "Oh", she added as she stopped, "there is no need for you to see me before you depart." And then she disappeared into the distance.
**********
The next morning, Bouncing Boy awoke early and had a sandwich for breakfast before gently taking off. Most of the other heroes were still sleeping, but he knew they would wake up before they reached Rhea.
Sure enough, well before they reached Rhea's moon, Cosmic Boy strode into the control room. "How long, Bouncing Boy?" he asked.
"76 minutes", Bouncing Boy replied as he maneuvered Saturn's rings. They neared a big moon.
"That's Titan", Cosmic Boy said, looking up. "Saturn Girl's home."
"Would being this close to it evoke any sort of reaction?"
"Not likely", Brainy said, walking in and overhearing Bouncing Boy's question. "In all technicality, she's dead."
"Thanks, Brainy", Bouncing Boy said sourly. "Thanks for reminding us of what we don't want to be reminded of. I'd have thought becoming human would make you more sensitive."
Brainy looked at him. "It's only been a year, Bouncing Boy", he said, slightly defensively. "I'm still getting used to it."
They arrived at Rhea, the second-largest moon of Saturn, not too long after. Bouncing Boy again volunteered to stay behind, but Will put her foot down.
"I get the feeling we're all supposed to go this time. This is when the real action begins", she said. Bouncing Boy shrugged and put the cruiser on stealth mode before following the rest of them, Lightning Lad carrying Saturn Girl.
"What did the poem say, Brainy?" Batgirl asked.
"'Go ye then to the place of Rhea/She shall show Kronos the way/But only if she believes in you/Will she…'"
"All right, all right!" Batgirl said hastily. "You don't have to recite the whole thing. Does it say anything of where to find her?"
"No", came the reply.
After another 30 minutes of searching, Cosmic Boy grew tired of it. "All right, this isn't working", he said. "We should split up and…"
"No way, Cos", Lightning Lad disagreed. "Not a good idea at all. What if one of us finds her and then she doesn't want to wait around for the rest of the group?"
"Besides", Raven said, "I don't think you'll have to." She pointed at a figure moving in the distance, coming toward them.
They waited for Rhea to approach them. When she did, she immediately asked, "What are you doing here?"
Her dress and countenance were similar to Phoebe's, but her hair was fair and let down so that it fell to her feet. She also wore no circlet on her head, but on her chest rested a golden, twelve-pointed star just like Phoebe's."We've come to ask your help", Phantom Girl said, nudging Lightning Lad with her elbow. "Phoebe sent us."
Rhea examined them with her brown eyes. "And why", she said, "should I believe you?"
"We have her necklace", Will said. "She gave it to us."
"You could have stolen it."
"I am the daughter of Trigon", Raven said. Even though Rhea looked slightly surprised by that, she was not convinced.
"And you could be following in your father's footsteps", she pointed out.
"No way!" Beast Boy cried. "In fact, she totally kicked his butt last year."
"Ahem", Cosmic Boy coughed meaningfully. Raven understood.
"Beast Boy", she hinted ominously, the tone of her voice quite clearly ordering him to shut up before he got into serious trouble.
"Forgive me if I seem distrustful, daughter of Trigon", Rhea said, with a hint of apology, "but your father gave my husband a great deal of trouble. If indeed you did destroy him, I am grateful. But I do not know for certain if you are telling the truth."
"Would you believe if you saw the Daughter of Titan?" Cosmic Boy asked.
"I already see her. She lies in your comrade's arms."
"I mean if you observed her, like Phoebe did."
"And how did Phoebe observe her?"
"Er...ah...well..." Cosmic Boy floundered. "She sort of...ah...looked at her...um...on the ground...and...well...."
Rhea's eyebrows rose higher and higher.
"Will you consent to examine her?" Phantom Girl put in as Cosmic Boy fell into silence.
Rhea said nothing, but she pointed to the ground.
Lightning Lad hesitantly approached the Titan mother goddess and deposited his precious bundle on the ground in front of her. Rhea lowered herself gracefully to the ground and placed delicate fingers on the Legionnaire's face.
Again, the gathered heroes couldn't even begin to comprehend what Rhea was doing, but after some time she, as Phoebe had done, rose.
"So you do speak the truth", Rhea commented. "And the Daughter of Titan has far exceeded expectations." She lifted her head and began chanting in an ancient, obscure language of the gods. None of them could understand what she was saying, but there was one word that kept being repeated: "Kronos."
There was a strange howling noise that was not a little eerie, causing the Trips to huddle near Bouncing Boy, who looked a little scared himself, and expressions of apprehension were visible on the others' faces.
Then there appeared in the air a black hole that seemed to grow bigger and bigger until it was a large, dark void. Will shuddered as she looked into the gaping emptiness.
Then a figure appeared in the inky blackness. As he moved closer to them, his form became clearer and clearer. Rhea's face was a mystery.
Kronos had the air of a powerful, venerable being. His face was lined, though not from age. His square jaw was set firmly and his features were strong. He wore a long, flowing white robe trimmed with gold that was girdled at the waist and showed off a sliver of his muscular chest. His shoulder-length hair and beard were snow white, and he looked very wise. Around his neck was a gold chain, from which hung his star.
"Rhea", he acknowledged his Titan wife. His voice was deep and rumbling. "Why have you summoned me?"
Rhea squared her shoulders. "The Daughter of Titan has been struck down, as it was written in the heavens", she said flatly. "And as predicted, her comrades have come to seek a way to resurrect her."
Kronos smiled ruefully. "Ah, Rhea, even after all these long centuries?"
"That has nothing to do with the task at hand", Rhea said stiffly. "It is in the past, and I would take it kindly if you would not dwell on it and do your part in reviving the Daughter of Titan."
Kronos said nothing, but he turned to the waiting heroes. "I believe you were to give me something?"
Raven silently retrieved Phoebe's necklace from her cloak and handed it to Kronos. As he took it, he suddenly peered intently into her eyes.
"I recognize in you my old nemesis Trigon", he said to her. "Art thou perchance his relative?"
Raven met the god's gaze steadily, without flinching or stepping back. Her face betrayed no fear or anxiety. "His daughter, my Lord."
If Raven was expecting an attack, it didn't come. Instead, Kronos asked curiously, "How is it you are among those of good?"
Raven met him squarely in the eye. "I am not like my father, my Lord. He was evil, an evil I detested and destroyed. I have chosen my path, and that is why you see me here."
"Indeed." Kronos gave her one last look, then removed his chain from his neck and laid Phoebe's pendant beside his own on his palm, carefully matching up the points. When it came in contact with its brother pendant, the Star of Phoebe shone brightly, as did Kronos' star. Phoebe's silver-blue gem glowed with incandescent light of the same colour, and Kronos' dark, emerald green stone did the same. Rays of bright golden light shot from the points that were not touching each other, extending in all directions. One ray touched a point of Rhea's star, which also began emitting beams of light from its other eleven points, its milky green gem also glowing.
The brilliant golden light caused the heroes to shield their eyes, although they could see that the golden rays extended far past the moon's atmosphere, blazing across the sky like a radiant sun.
Kronos seemed to be generating light himself. His form glowed, bathed in pure golden beams, and his dark eyes shone as he seemed to see things none else could see. The same thing was happening to Rhea.
When the golden light finally faded, Kronos and Rhea did not look any different, but Kronos seemed to know more than he previously had.
"So", he said. "So."
"So what?" Bumblebee asked, a bit hesitantly.
Kronos shook his head rather sadly. "I cannot do what you ask, Legion", he said. Cornelia was starting to get a bit annoyed at the way the Titan gods and goddesses were saying "Legion" as if the rest of them weren't there, but she didn't dare say so. Instead, she listened as Kronos continued, "But I know someone who may."
Replacing his chain around his neck, he lifted the Star of Phoebe and declaimed loudly, "Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, daughter of my son and wife of another, come forth, I summon thee!"
Phoebe's pendant began to glow again, but this time its golden light was accompanied by a faint silver beam that grew brighter and brighter. Then, when the silver light was so intense it outshone the radiance of Phoebe's star, It suddenly vanished, and in its place stood a young, beautiful woman.
The Queen of the Underworld had arrived.
A/N: Tan-tan-tara! Here comes Hades' wife! Just so you know, I'll be updating every four days, so you can expect the next update on...let me see...ah, yes - Thursday! Sorry if that seems like a long time, but I do need time to write, you know.
Disclaimer: I'm not even going to grumble. I'm just going to say it. Deep breath...I don't own Legion of Superheroes, Teen Titans, W-Let's just cut it short, shall we? I don't own anything.