Chapter Eleven:
Originally Written: 2013
Typed up/Revised: September 2013
A loose swear escaped from his lips as his sea-green eyes slowly opened, his entire body aching. A hand went to his forehead as he pulled himself into a sitting position.
His mind took a few minutes to try and process what had happened and what was occurring now. They had left the house and headed to the city, past the police barricades and the magical barriers. Entering what could constitute hell at this point, as decay and destruction had overtaken what they'd left behind.
Cye tried vainly to place everything as quickly as he could, fearful that loitering about would be too costly. Riynd had not been there to greet them, but the minions had been. Pluto had discerned that the being had made way more progress than any of them realized.
Morana commented not really as Elayne had pointed out they would have to set up the talismanic shield. That meant the Secondary Guardian had already been aware Riynd had successfully started to merge time. The Seasonal and Elemental Senshi hadn't stalled any longer, quickly and effectively setting up the barrier.
Their counterparts had been able to pass through without incident, and then…
"Shit," Cye swore again and immediately leapt to his feet.
Riynd had pounced on the chance to fight with the Ronin, and they had summoned Inferno. It had taken him too long to figure out what was going on: the heated fighting ample distraction to keep him or any of the others from realizing that Riynd wanted to fight that particular armor.
The question still rang in his head now: why?
"Simple, so this could happen," the female voice had a slight lilt to the tone, but overall she sounded displeased.
Cye was quick to whirl around, defensive stance faltering at seeing the chestnut haired woman with bright green eyes standing next to his armor. He looked down and noticed that he was wearing only subarmor.
"Damn, we're in the armors' realm," he spoke his understanding aloud, eyeing her curiously. That voice had sounded vaguely familiar, and she even looked like someone he'd-
He tilted his head and asked: "So, you're Simoria then?"
The woman gave a nod of her head, "Nice to see you Shin, it's been quite some time."
"Bloody hell woman! All the screwing with our heads you people have done, it's a wonder we aren't permanently scarred."
He was scowling now, arms crossed in front of his chest to further show his displeasure. He and the other eight had talked about it on the walk to the city: the fact that they remembered the very beginning and that they had dismissed it because of outside influence.
Simoria gave a snort at this, "You were a wreck long before the armors and I dealt with you, spare me."
Cye opened his mouth but shut it with a snap, no he didn't have time to bicker with her right now, he vied for getting back on point, "What exactly is she trying to do?"
"Merge our realm with yours," Suiko interjected, the armor sounded irritated. "In the future she comes from, this place is no longer connected to Nigenkai, but she needs this place."
"Why?"
"From what Korin has said," Sage smoothly brought in to the conversation, as he and his armor both emerged from the thick white fog surrounding the area, "It has something to do with the fighting she was carrying on elsewhere. She realized the armors' realm was imbued with that kind of energy, the warring kind, and she could utilize it."
"Good to see you," the Warrior of Trust was relieved, clapping a hand on the blond swordsman's shoulder.
"Likewise, these three have not been fun company."
"Save it, Seiji," Simoria reprimanded as she waved him off. The being started to walk forward, the mist dissipating and allowing her a path to walk through. "You are lucky you are related to An, I'd have no tolerance for your impetuousness otherwise."
Cye snorted down a laugh at the dour look Sage gave the woman's back, "You're handing out the wrong description there."
"Oh no, he's impetuous all right. Ryou is merely an idiot, vast difference."
Both men chuckled; well at least she had said it and not them.
"So what?" Kento eyed the two armors with more than just a little apprehension, Rowen stood next to him mirroring the look. "She needs you guys and not us?"
"More likely she wants Shiroi," Kongo remarked.
Tenku gave a scoff, "Wish her luck with that has little use for anyone or anything."
Rowen and Kento exchanged brief glances with each other, and then the archer took a stab at speaking, "I don't understand."
"Of all the yoroi," Simoria butted in, "That one can make the most use of the power of this realm. The others are quite limited, though they won't readily admit to it."
The two Ronin dutifully ignored the woman, eyes on their comrades-in-arms relief at seeing they were all right.
"No broken bones to speak of?" Kento queried with a wry grin, chortling and quickly ducking Cye's fist. The Water Ronin knew what that was in reference to, and was not at all amused by Hardrock bringing it up.
"Just a little taken aback, by them," Sage nodded his head in the direction of the armors.
Rowen snorted, "Don't feel bad, us too."
"Technically? You're dead," Simoria's offhanded comment stopped all four in their tracks. She uncrossed her arms from in front of her chest when they stared at her. "Ah, have your attention now, don't I?"
"What do you mean?" Cye was frowning at her; there was no demand in his tone realizing that irritating her would do them little good.
"Riynd has, more or less, cast this realm into Limbo and you along with it. If you hadn't summoned Shiroi it wouldn't have put you here, but you did and neither she nor the armor have much use for you."
The Warrior of Justice was scowling, "So is there a plan of action to rectify this? Or what?"
"Right now I'm simply trying to collect all of you. This place is anything but safe. You're Conduits and strong ones at that. However, that cannot protect you from the things that are here. Oh, there are the Seasons now."
The Oni armor emerged from the thick fog with the other Seasonal armors, and their respective bearers, "Yes, and you are most welcome for us finding them for you."
"Please, be snippy about this later, we have not the time for it now," she waved off the comment with her hand. "They are your bearers you ought to be able to locate them and handle them accordingly without my overseeing it."
"Are you implying we need to be baby-sat?" Cale was scowling at the true meaning behind those words.
"Seeing as how hime has done it for millennia, I doubt that warrants an answer," his armor responded. This cut off Simoria's would-be retort before the woman could get a sound out let alone an actual word.
"Okay, so the eight of us are here, where the hell is pyro at?" Sekhmet queried, eyes looking around but the fog had not lifted.
"That, we're all having a problem with," the woman sheepishly admitted running a hand through her short chestnut hair.
"What?!"
"Cannot sense brother," Gen admitted, shifting as though it were uncomfortable.
Doku gave a nod, "Never a good sign."
"What if we're still in the Present and he's merely slipped the threshold into the Future? Would that not explain it?" Dais offered in query.
"It would, but if Riynd has already encompassed that much? This is going to be far harder to fix. If it's even fixable-" she fell silent as the earth beneath their feet violently shook and they all lost their balance.
"Inferno?" Anubis was frowning as he asked this and picked himself back up.
"Yes, damn troublemaker. Keeps this up? Will completely destabilize sector not just galaxy," Korin said in complaint.
Simoria saw the questioning looks on their faces, "It's what the universe is divided into. Every sector is comprised of multiple galaxies and dimensions. It was designed this way to ensure no one being good, evil, or indifferent could ever gain the power to control all of it."
"So the power of the universe is a ruse?" Rowen arched a fine blue eyebrow at hearing this.
"Mhm," she gave a nod, eyes scanning the fog as she tried to look past what she could see and into what she could sense. "Every sector is contained so that when things happen that cause overlaps only that one sector is affected. But you are talking multiple galaxies and an amount of lives you cannot even begin to fathom. Akemliek has caused at least one sector to collapse that I know of, and it would seem Riynd is trying to get in on that family tradition."
"Hold on. What the hell is the purpose of the Cimmerian Crystal, then?" Sekhmet was frowning. The lore had always said it had the potential to control the universe.
"Has power to control this sector, but that is all," Yami commented. "Mainly meant to keep hime on a leash."
"As well as acting as fail-safe should anything happen to other crystals," Tenku reminded.
"Balance, right?" the Water Ronin looked to Simoria, "It's meant to maintain it should there be a need for it."
"Right," Simoria acknowledged with a nod. She sighed through her nose, rubbing at her wrist guards, "We need to hurry and get this figured out and fixed. If one of the others catches wind of it, it's goodbye sector."
"Huh?" Kento blinked at her comment, "Why do I have this feeling that comment ties into mei mei, somehow?"
"Because it does; if you remember, An has status as Ambassador. It had nothing to do with her Senshi responsibilities and everything to do with the Mogami clan's duties. Even without anyone knowing her actual lineage, the fact she was the last clan member meant the responsibility of Sector Guard fell on her."
"Of course she is not the only one of these. There are others with such power though they do not always use same title. Have same ability to traverse time, worlds, and galaxies. Duties are to prevent these types of situations, and if they find they have occurred-" Doku did not finish the sentence, but the armor didn't have to.
"Great so if Riynd doesn't wipe us out, somebody else will, perfect," Cye rolled his sea-green eyes. Yeah, their day could not get any better.
"Not if we fix it. Also, I am uncertain as to how many Guards are actually around right now. An has not left here in an exceedingly long time, and the last time we were out, well there were only four. She may be the only one right now."
"Simoria, we don't happen to get that lucky," Rowen pointed out to the being with a frown. "But we have got to worry about one thing at a time. Right now, how do we find Ryo?"
"Trying to figure that one out, just keep walking. Staying idle in this place is a poor idea. Typically, no one is interested in pestering me as I put the matter to rest a while ago; however, I do not think that will hold up now. You all happen to be quite a large lure."
"You are not the only things that exist here?" Anubis sharply demanded of the armors. The yoroi were silent, uncomfortable will the question he had posed.
"Shit," Simoria swore as the fog lifted enough for them to see.
"Apparently not," Sage dryly responded; they were surrounded.
She bolted upright in the bed struggling to breathe as the clutches of the nightmare, or memory, slowly ebbed away. Elayne shakily ran a hand through her hair doing what she could to try and get a handle on skewed nerves.
"You wake up this way, far too often," Hotaru's distaste was all too clear. A grimace soon forming as Elayne jumped startled at her presence, "Moi oi, nee-san. What's wrong?"
"I don't know," she held her head in her hands a moment; "I swore I felt distress from the armors. But what I saw, I don't even know if it's past, or present. I can't tell anymore, it all just feels the same."
"Present," the Senshi of Saturn answered with a calm ease. "You've been out for three days, well it might be-"
"A week. Tokyo is still disconnected from time itself, and if the others left, which I take it they have, it's been that long."
"Tch, then why ask questions you are going to answer yourself in no more than two minutes?" Hotaru took a playful swipe at her arm.
Elayne gave her a dirty look and rubbed at the spot, "Staid here to babysit me, huh?" As the younger gave a nod in answer, the Secondary Guardian took in a sharp breath the crystal around her neck chiming in warning. "Shit, they are in trouble."
"What are you going to do?"
Elayne opened her mouth and then closed it, as she dipped her head down. Her breathing was still erratic, whatever had stirred her from her dreams had not completely faded yet. She rubbed slightly at her arms, mind searching for something, anything as way of an answer but there was nothing.
"I don't know," the voice that answered didn't sound like hers at all, and that scared her. What was going on? She took in a shaky breath, her mind and emotions were everywhere. The mental walls that had always kept her safe were gone, as was the façade she had spent her whole life hiding behind. What was she supposed to do?
'Have we shattered her confidence that much?' Hotaru quickly scowled at that thought, but it may have been the correct one. Elayne had not been like this in a long time: this uncertainty and hesitance had been there just briefly when she met the Scouts as a group, but it had faded.
'The guys were right to worry, and so was Simoria-sama,' the Senshi let out a sigh, and then calmly reached up and smacked Elayne in the back of the head.
"Oi!" came the startled yelp.
"I asked you a question," the Senshi of Saturn crossed her arms in front of her chest, "The least you could do is come up with an actual answer and not a cop-out. Geez, you've been spending too much time with Simoria-sama. The whole totally-ignoring-my-questions-and-existence thing really starts to grate after a while."
"Don't compare me to that bitch," Elayne flatly responded, eyes closing as she tried to shake off the emotions now eating at her.
"Didn't do that, but I can start," Hotaru easily retorted, smirking at the scowl she got. Well, there was a little bit of progress anyway. But then:
"What else is there for me to do?"
Hotaru's amethyst eyes widened, before her irritation came right back through, "Oi! Don't you dare just cave in like this: that is not you. I don't give a damn what the Great Council said, this is their fault to begin with! After all this time, you are going to give them what they want? They wanted you shattered to begin with, aneeue!"
Elayne looked at her, sharply, trying to mask her surprise as best she could in her voice but failing to do so, "What?"
"You know I'm right," the Senshi of Saturn protested, throwing her hands up in the air in frustration. "This whole thing was about destroying you from the inside when they figured out they couldn't do it the other way."
"No," she was on her feet now, somewhat unsteady but she shook herself of the weakness. "What did you call me?"
Hotaru gave a wry grin, the realization dawning on her: she'd used the high form of speech without intending to. All the slighter girl offered was: "Whoops?"
"There's no way, you can't possibly remember!"
"But I do," the younger girl was quick to grasp Elayne's hand in her own. The more physical contact she initiated the better she could settle the ripped nerves, it would give the Secondary Guardian a chance to rebuild some of her mental walls. Get some form of stability back. As Elayne tried to take her hand back, Hotaru's grip tightened as she chastised, "Before you let yourself get all flustered Angerona-aneeue, I figured it out practically eons ago. Mainly because I thought it odd I could never remember my parents being my parents."
"I told the King and Queen of Saturn you'd be too small to remember," Elayne's voice was shaky. "The wound you received wasn't deep enough to kill you outright, but it was enough that the Council believed you were dead. By the time I found you, your ability to heal had already manifested I merely smuggled you off to them. They had always been unable to have children. When the Queen miscarried the last time, she and the King had not been seen out in public for many a year. So it was easy for them to pass you off as their own."
Suddenly annoyance flickered in Elayne's violet eyes, a good indicator that what Saturn was doing was working, "Why didn't you say anything?!"
Hotaru burst into giggles letting go of the hand to pock her sister in the shoulder, "We've always been sisters, what difference would it have made? You simply would've denied it anyway."
"Ya," she muttered, running a hand through her hair again. "For your own protection and nothing more, certainly wouldn't have been for mine."
"Oh yeah," the girl rolled her amethyst eyes, sarcasm dripping from every word: "Cause like my being Saturn wasn't at all enough to warrant the Outer Senshi trying to kill me, or anything like that."
"Hey! I didn't get you demon possessed. You can blame that on your powers and the clan protection going temporarily MIA."
"Wasn't trying to say it was your fault," Hotaru gave an eye roll, and inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. It had worked, Elayne was back to being Elayne. "So, back to my original question: what are you going to do?"
The young woman mulled it over in her head a moment, flexing her arm muscles, finally she answered in a calm tone, "I have no idea, Lativia, but I'm not going to sit here. I'll think of something along the way, let's go."
Hotaru let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, "Sounds like a plan to me. Good to have you back. You had me worried for a minute."
"Thanks for the repair work."
"No problem. I learned from the best there is."
The young woman chuckled and shook her head. A thought dawning on her as the two hastily exited the house making their way to where the others were.
"You're going to tell Setsuna-tachi aren't you?"
"Mhm. Only because they are going to flip!"
Elayne let out an embarrassed sigh and hung her head; yeah, that figured.