Chapter 9: Return

"Light laughs the breeze in her castle of sunshine;
Babbles the bee in a stolid ear;
Pipe the sweet birds in an ignorant cadence,—
Ah, what sweet sagacity perished here!"
-Emily Dickinson

Beatrice stared at Andromeda, eyes narrowed. She didn't seem to have anything else different about her...but a different way of carrying herself, a certain power that required no words, no weapons, no direction. Just pure, raw power.

Andromeda hissed. "The Guide." She brought her chain up.

A warm feeling spread through the four senshi, curing their pain and freeing them. Beatrice gestured them to move back, whispering "Protect Perseus. Don't let her see him," to Auriga. In accordance, the four surrounded their spectator protectively, who had been the one to cry out.

Beatrice faced Andromeda steadily. "You aren't going to win here today."

There was no hesitation. The two began moving, quicker than seemed believable, attacking each other wordlessly, flashes of light flickering across the scene. This battle was much, much more intense than any that Lyra, Auriga, Cygnus, or Lupus had fought.

Perseus spoke softly from behind them. "What's going to happen?"

"I don't know,"Lupus responded. "Just stay quiet. You're not supposed to be seen."

The Guide was overpowering Andromeda. Beatrice guided her back with a beam of light.

But she was guiding Andromeda towards where they were standing.

"Beatrice! No!" Auriga cried, but the woman didn't seem to hear.

Andromeda tripped over her own feet and fell back, knocking right into the group.

And the first person her eyes fell upon was—

Perseus.

She gasped, eyes growing wide and her mouth working like a fish's as Perseus stared down at her in equal shock. Then, he whispered, "I know you from somewhere..."

The senshi pushed herself up, so confused and flustered. "Perseus..."

Beatrice watched, silently, along with the others, as the enemy who had once been vicious reached out, pleadingly, for the man in front of her.

"Perseus...it's me...Andromeda..."

Then something broke in her. She scrambled to her feet, and shrieked. "You brought him here to trick me!" she screamed, whirling around to face them wildly. "You knew he was my weakness, you woman!"

In a blur, Andromeda launched herself at Beatrice, screaming inhumanly as Perseus stepped backwards.

"I know her," he whispered in shock. "I know her."

Beatrice forced Andromeda off of her. "Andromeda!" she cried, voice cracking through the air like a whip.

Again, the senshi's mood changed. She turned to face Perseus again. "Perseus, please, save me...let me be with you..." she pleaded again, reaching out.

Lyra could see now that Andromeda was confused, torn between her love and defeating her enemy. Sympathy stirred in her heart. But she had to remember what Beatrice had said. Do not let her defeat you, at all costs.

Perseus shook his head, still moving back. "How can I...?"

"Girls! Focus your power on Andromeda!" Beatrice cried. Lyra took that and ran with it, focusing on Andromeda, who was now lashing out angrily again.

The other did the same too. A warmth began to rise from the ground, also coming in from the sides and dropping down from the sky. A pale light began to shimmer in the air. They could feel their own power being augmented by Beatrice's.

They were freeing her.

Andromeda staggered back, trying to fight them off while Perseus continued to stare at her. But all of the girl's thrashing was to no avail. In this state, she couldn't win.

So instead, she surrendered.

A pain wracked her body and Andromeda screamed, feeling as though something was being torn away from her.

Then, the scene splintered to pieces and fell away.

The form of Sailor Andromeda crashed to the ground.

She was buoyed by a light feeling, a voice speaking softly.

"My beautiful girl..."

She reached out blindly. "Girl?"

"Andromeda...I'm so sorry..."

Andromeda. That was her name.

She could feel something that felt warm and firm against her back, and Andromeda craned into it, snuggling into the space. It felt good, as though someone was hugging her tightly, refusing to ever let go.

"Who are you..."

"Shush. Not now. Just stay quiet here with me...please..."

Memories flared bright as fireworks behind Andromeda's eyes at the voice, stirring them like charred paper after a fire.

The scene melted away, into something new. Andromeda was now lying on cold, unforgiving stone, slick with rain.

Opening her eyes, Andromeda stood. She surveyed herself, first—her clothes were different. No longer was she in her senshi outfit. Instead, Andromeda wore what she recognized as the gown she'd worn as a princess: It was long, flowing, and orange, with a scooped bodice and gathered skirt. Two of the three straps hung loosely on her arms. On her feet were strappy sandals and a necklace hung around her neck, small earrings sparkling.

Now for the scenery.

The princess stood in the remains of what must have been a bright kingdom at some point. Now, it was simply in ruin, ghosts wandering the streets. The buildings were fallen and collapsed, glass shattered. Andromeda didn't see and bodies or bones, but she didn't want to think of the horrors that might lurk in the shadows. A light drizzle was falling.

Andromeda didn't recognize this place. But she felts as though she should, eyes sliding over the grayed and peeling gold enamel of what had once been a roof.

Part of her didn't want to remember.

Moving silently along the ruined streets, Andromeda looked around warily. Why am I here?

Andromeda paused to look in a building, then noticed that something was seeping away from where she stood, a strange, colored light. A warmth rose, and a breeze blew as the light bled into the room, filling it with color, relieving it of the grayness. Things righted themselves, the building seemed to be repaired...

With a shock, Andromeda found herself staring at...herself. But younger. In a past life.

This Andromeda was sitting at a rich banquet table, surrounded by laughing figures. She recognized them, even—there was Lyra, Auriga, Lupus and Cygnus. There, also, was Perseus, and...her mother and father.

Perseus leaned over to whisper something in Andromeda's ear, who blushed and smiled, and whispered something in return.

The real Andromeda could feel herself longing to be with this bright throng, this happy group.

She knew where she was now, too.

She was in her old kingdom on Alpheratz. Why didn't I recognize it before?

Then Perseus looked up, looked directly at the real Andromeda. He excused himself and walked towards her. Andromeda took a step back, her heart thumping wildly in her chest.

He stood before her, real and solid. Then, he spoke. "Andromeda. It's time you know exactly what happened."

"What happened about what?"

"Why you weren't saved."

Andromeda's breath was sharp. So she would finally get an explanation? Her breath rose in a ghostly way before her in the chill of the air as she waited for Perseus to speak.

"When we were living here, there was a monster that was terrorizing people, turning them to stone. And I decided to go kill it. I promised I would be back soon, because we were going to be married. Do you remember?"

"Yes," Andromeda breathed, closing her eyes. Her memory was piecing itself together.

"Unfortunately...I was killed. News of my death did not arrive, because the galaxy was beginning to fall apart. And then, of course, came your mother's boast. And you know what happened there..." Perseus paused. "And I know you wanted your friends to help you, but they couldn't, they would have but they weren't alive either."

Andromeda stared at him. "What happened to them?"

Perseus took a deep breath. "Lyra and Cygnus disappeared when they went to Earth. We...we think that a certain Queen Beryl had something to do with that. You know about the Silver Millennium, right?" Andromeda nodded, and he continued. "Good. And Auriga was killed when a noble of the court poisoned her drink. And Lupus and her kingdom fell victim to famine. All around the same time." He shook his head. "Isn't that ridiculous? How whole kingdoms fell within a matter of days?"

However, Andromeda could summon no reply. She felt miserable.

They wanted to help me. But they had no choice.

"I'm such a horrible person," she said, breaking out into a sob. "I was cruel to them, I wanted them to die, but they just couldn't come."

In response, Perseus simply folded his arms around her. Held in his embrace, Andromeda swore to herself that she would never be like she had been again.

Then, the kingdom faded away.