Mars sighed as soon as she opened the door, confirming what she already knew. The princess had escaped. Again.
"How many times is this now?" she grumbled irritably. This was getting ridiculous. Didn't Serenity understand that they had better things to do than chase her down to Terra every night? What would it take to keep her away? Would they have to literally chain her to them?
She shut the door with more force than necessary, catching the attention of two of her sisters just beyond the hall.
"Let me guess," Venus huffed, stretching her limbs in a rather feline manner that she had no doubt picked up from Artemis. "Serenity's gone again."
"Well I can't go, I've got a meeting with a Centauri guard in ten minutes." Jupiter rolled her eyes, "He questions the capability of our security."
And I've got a meeting with Samir," Venus sighed and shot Mars an apologetic smile, "I guess that means you're up."
Mars frowned, "You're meeting with Samir again?"
"Afraid so. Can't let the Centauri think we're lax in our duties afterall."
Mars arched a single brow. "Wouldn't that make fetching Serenity all the more urgent?"
"And that's what you," Venus hopped over to where she stood and wrapped her arms around Mars, "my second-in-command," She kissed the scowling woman's cheek, "shall go in my stead while I cover Serenity's tracks and make sure her disappearance goes unnoticed."
"Alright, alright already. Get off," Mars growled, shoving the blonde idiot away from her before heading for the door. "I'll get her." And then she'd give her a piece of her mind.
Mars had gotten her alright, along with the notice of the most obnoxious male she had ever met. If she didn't think it could potentially cause an interplanetary war, she would have burned the creep to a crisp. Sadly her desires went unfulfilled but that didn't mean she wasn't satisfied in other ways. She had noticed Jadeite's growing impatience the second time she journeyed to Terra, when she refused to react lest she do something Serenity might regret. He would say and do increasingly annoying things, all the while growing more frustrated at her calm facade. It may not be as hands on she liked, but the petty side of her revelled in punishing him in such a way and usually found it enough to keep her temper at bay.
Still, Mars could only stay patient for so long, especially when it looked as if Venus was somehow avoiding retrieval duty herself. Of course Venus also had more of a way with words than Mars and thus was easily able to deflect Mars' attempts at interrogation. Frustrated after one said attempt, Mars left for Terra to retrieve Serenity once again, her patience only a thin thread just waiting to be snapped.
...
She was in some kind of...forest. Mars knew this because she had seen one once, when she and her sisters had toured the planetary kingdoms. Jupiter was lush with vegetation that seemed as alive as its people and each moon was overrun with trees. This though...these woods were something darker, alien in a way that left her on edge.
She sniffed, not wanting to show weakness to whatever lurked in the shadows but startled when she detected smoke in the air. Something was burning but what?
Mars turned toward the source and began striding in its direction but it wasn't long before the smoke began to overwhelm her and she lifted a gloved hand to filter the air as best she could. She coughed roughly, her eyes watering, and looked around for anything that could aid her but even in the growing light, nothing seemed to stand out.
Damn it all. Was there nothing she could use?
A crackle snapped behind her and she half turned hoping that she had missed a stream or another person nearby, instead she was met with a fire that had grown out of control and was now consuming the wildlife around her. Her eyes widened in apprehension but the flame had always been hers to control and she would not flee in fear from one even as unruly as this.
Muscle memory took over, twisting her hands this way and that as she chanted the words that would connect her to the fire that surrounded her. She finished the phrase with a grunt, emphasising her will as she surged her power forward. The fire however, would not yield and Mars stared in confusion at the lack of response before trying again. She ignored the sweat blurring her vision, repeating the mantra as she'd done all her life. When at last she came to the end, she shoved as much power as she could outward but once again the fire refused to yield.
Mars took an involuntary step back, a real fear beginning to grow just as something snapped.
Mars shot up to a sitting position, her brow slick with sweat and chest heaving, desperate for air. She swallowed and quickly glanced at her hand, snapping it and sparking a small flame that held steady just over her fingers. She waved it away and clutched the front of her nightgown, relief washing through her.
It was just a dream.
Her mind whispered that it could be something more but before she could continue down that line of thought her princess burst through her bedroom doors.
"There you are!" Serenity beamed, flopping down next to Mars on the bed. "Someone didn't get in until early this morning."
Mars frowned in confusion and then flushed when she realized Serenity was talking about her.
"Don't get any ideas," she huffed, shoving her princess away from her. "I merely went to apologize."
"And stayed for several hours?" Serenity giggled, while Mars silently groaned. Had the brat watched her room all night?
Mars rolled her eyes but knew she'd have to concede something if she hoped to get Serenity off her back. "It wasn't like that. We were merely getting to know one another better since we started off on the wrong foot."
"If you say so," Serenity shrugged, although she didn't look like she believed that at all. "But you have to admit, Lord Jadeite is quite handsome."
"I don't have to admit anything because isn't true, now scat. Don't you have breakfast with your mother this morning?"
"Oh that's right!" Serenity gasped, hopping up from the bed.
The princess blew a kiss in Mars' direction and then hurried off to get ready leaving Mars annoyed but relieved. The last thing she needed was her princess playing matchmaker. She'd probably think it would give her more time to consort with Endymion. Mars could admit that she'd been wrong about the Shitennou, Jadeite in particular, but that didn't mean she was about to start courting the man!
Even if he was handsome.
…
She was in the forest again, the dark and sinister tones just as she remembered, only this time the woods looked less alien and more familiar, more like Terra. Was this a sign then? A premonition of what was to come? Mars went through the motions as the fire surrounded her once more, prepared this time for her failure but still refusing to back down. She was seeing this for a reason and she wouldn't let the flames intimidate her until she had seen all she was meant to see.
Mars focused her power, letting the flames lick over her skin without fear as they ravaged her surroundings until nothing but ashes and ruin remained. Hours seemed to pass until the flames' light died away and only darkness remained.
Still she waited.
Now the dawn appeared to flicker in and out, time racing forward to show a passage of days and weeks in an instant, and still she waited until first one sprout burst out of the soil, standing tall, and then another and another and soon the forest was carpeted once more and the forest that had stood so hollow and bone white began to regain its color and slowly returned to its previous state of inviting lushness that called back the creatures that had once fled from it's embrace.
Mars woke to the sound of a chambermaid bustling about in her anteroom. With a sigh, she rose and readied herself for the coming day while thoughts of her dream nagged her throughout the morning.
She didn't understand.
Did it mean things would turn out alright in the end? But how many would have to suffer in the meantime and was that really acceptable? Venus wouldn't think so. Mars wished she had something more to go on. The fire could mean anything and she had never been one to sit back and wait for answers to come to her.
Would Jadeite know?
Surely there were things unknown to her that only one who hailed from Terra would know and if Mars was sure on anything, it was that Terra was involved. Jadeite would know if there was something to be weary of, political or otherwise, and if not, at least he'd be able to keep an eye out for what trouble may come their way while touring his lands.
Yes, she would talk to Jadeite tonight when she saw him at the masquerade.
Warmth flooded her at the thought of dancing with him, despite her struggles to keep her feelings under control. Could he dance as well as he played? She recalled how well his fingers had flittered over one of the many instruments he liked to fiddle with in his room. What would it feel like to have his fingers play along her body she wondered…
Mars smacked her cheek with annoyance, trying to knock away all her fanciful imaginations. She was a warrior for goddess sake! What in all that was holy was wrong with her?
She didn't bother answering that question because she was well aware of her failings. Somehow, someway, she had grown to fall for that infuriating man despite her best efforts to keep her distance. Mars smiled, picturing his face, before her thoughts drifted back to her dream. Such destruction couldn't signify anything good but she had to hope the buds of life that had sprung up afterwards meant all would be well.
Distracted as she was, her mind wasn't so filled with prophecies of doom that she wasn't able to give her full attention to dressing for that night's ball. And if she happened to borrow her friend's Venetian perfume or a had a bit more of a sway to her hips, well no one was brave enough to call her out for it.
Still, business came before pleasure and Mars was more than a little relieved when she managed to find a chance to speak with Jadeite in private. She warned him of the dark times to come and in return he had comforted her fears and whispered declarations of love. She couldn't stifle the flutter of happiness she felt whenever she thought back on it. If only he hadn't had to go away so soon after but he had his duties and she had hers. However, that didn't mean she couldn't do a quick reading to insure he'd make it back to her safely.
She knelt in front of the fire and chanted words she had uttered a thousand times, willing her sight to show her Jadeite and his travels. However the fire merely changed from a deep red to a bright, yellow—nearing on white—flame. At first she thought nothing had happened but soon she realized that what she was seeing was actually a fire from a different origin.
"Show me the source," she murmured, willing the image before her to shrink back. Again, it appeared to do nothing but eventually it pulled back enough for Mars to realize what she was actually seeing was the sun. The image changed again, this time before she could direct it, and where once she saw a warm burning sun, she now saw a cold, lightless void. A dark chuckle echoed out of its depth and Mars shivered as phantom limbs slithered up her legs and arms and around her throat…
Mars slammed the connection shut and tumbled backward to the ground where she stayed, gasping for air. She ran her hands along her throat and then down to her crystal where it rested on her chest. For a moment, she had thought...but no, it was just a vision. It would take more than a phantom wind to rip her crystal from her being.
She sat up, ignoring her shaking hands to straighten herself up. It wouldn't do to let others see that she'd been unsettled. After a quick glimpse in her mirror indicated everything was back in order, Mars made her way to the door, intent on speaking with Venus.
Something was coming and they needed to be ready for it.
…
"We need to take care of this!" Mars hissed, itching to hurt something, to burn something. Jupiter had already stormed off to do that very thing on the training grounds. "I don't care that they didn't explicitly ask for help!"
Venus, who was currently staring out the window up at Terra, sighed but remained where she was.
"You know why we can't. Even if we were to go, our powers would freeze up the second we tried to do anything, putting us in pointless danger."
"We're already in danger!"
Venus pursed her lips but remained silent, signaling to Mars that a change of tactics was in order. She hung her head back, willing herself to calm down.
"What if my visions were about this?"
Venus slowly closed her eyes and then turned around to face her, a resigned smile on her lips.
"Mars, you know I would act if we could but restricted as we are now, there's nothing I can do. I won't risk our lives over this."
"You could go to the Queen again, try to convince her of the dangers to Serenity," Mars urged, stepping closer and taking her friends hands in hers.
Venus stared at their joined hands as she slowly shook her head. "I've tried, Mars. She doesn't care! She's willing to watch an entire planet burn just because they're not part of the Alliance!" Venus squeezed Mars' hands tight. "I just don't understand why. Never before would I have expected this of her."
Neither had she. There was nothing in her history with the Queen to suggest that she could be as heartless to the plight of another planet, particularly one so close. Of course, most everyone was also firmly under her rule and it was rare that anyone disobeyed her…
A thought struck her.
"Does the Queen know?"
"What?"
Mars didn't elaborate further but there was no need. There was only one thing they had been trying to hide from her after all.
Venus gasped, her eyes widening in horror and Mars felt something inside of her sink at the sound.
It was as she feared. The Queen knew about Serenity.
No doubt she had also learned of the others girls' affairs as well; and this was the punishment she had chosen to carry out. The death of thousands for the greed of a few. If something wasn't done, they would all have blood on their hands.
"I think I should return to the fire," Mars whispered, her voice hitching as she fought back the emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. She couldn't afford to lose control, not right now.
Venus nodded, glancing up at Terra one last time before heading for the door.
"You do that…in the meantime I'll inform the others and keep trying to reason with the Queen. You'll let me know if you see anything new?"
Mars nodded, even though Venus wasn't looking at her, "Of course."
…
She was in the forest again, only this time she was running and had been for some time if the raggedness of her breath was any indication. She was running from something...the fire? No, it was something darker...something sinister. She wanted to turn, to glance over her shoulder and see what was chasing her but whatever it was, it was close on her heels, its power power snapping at her feet. Perhaps in another dream, she would indulge the desire, expend the precious energy and potential seconds it would take to get a glimpse of what was chasing her, but the darkness felt all too real and Mars had heard stories of seers who had dismissed the dangers of the spiritual world. She would not make the same mistake.
And yet it was gaining on her.
Desperate, she began to zigzag, feeling the need to throw it off her path but she was tired, oh so tired. How long had she been running already? And what had happened to the fire?
She didn't think she could go on much longer.
She moved to take another step but suddenly she fell, her feet lurched out from under her by a cold coil of energy wrapped tight around her ankles.
Mars screamed as the darkness came crashing down on her.
Mars gasped, clutching her sheets to her chest as she willed her heart to calm down. It was the same, that creature was the same. The thing that had reached for her from the fire last time. It had to be.
But something was different.
She hadn't noticed it at the time but her body hadn't been her own. Her hands had been thicker, rougher and underneath the dirt and grime her arms had been clad in white. Her legs had been muscular, long and powerful, able to cover distance faster than she'd ever been able to, even though in the end it hadn't made a difference.
Mars allowed herself another minute to gather her composure and then threw off her sheets to alert the others.
Nephrite was in danger.
…
Venus found her in front of the fire, pale and shaky, and Mars knew the other woman was calculating how many nights it had been since she'd last seen her bed. From her peripheral, she could see Venus leaning against the nearby pillar as she eyed her closely.
"You can't keep doing this you know, Mercury's worried about you."
Mars nodded, blank eyes barely taking in anything.
"I'm worried about you. It wasn't your fault you know. You warned us as soon as you learned he was in trouble."
Mars' gaze dropped to her hands. Her nails were torn in places and there were scratches all over her palms. She hadn't had time to tend to them in the aftermath.
"Mars talk to me, please. It's bad enough that Jupiter's locked herself in her room, I can't lose you too."
There was a gentle touch on her shoulder and soon Mars' felt Venus' soothing energy rolling through her, easing her anxious thoughts. She closed her eyes and leaned into her friend's side.
"He's not coming back," Mars whispered after a moment, "None of them are coming back."
She could feel Venus stiffen beside her but the calming energy kept pulsing through her.
"Only Nephrite is gone Mars, the others are still at the castle planning."
Mars gave her friend a small, weary smile. There was no point denying the truth.
Venus saw this and turned away.
"Is there really nothing we can do?"
"We could try to stop them but you've seen how far we've gotten with that."
"Right...well," Venus stood, dragging Mars up with her. "In the meantime, you need sleep. You'll never convince a man of anything looking like that!" she said, eyeing Mars' hair with a grimace.
Mars rolled her eyes but allowed Venus to pull her away from the comforts of her fire towards the comforts of her bedroom. There would be many more sleepless nights, of that she was sure, but she would be grateful for what aid Venus could give her that night.
...
Mars sighed as she dropped into a kneeling position before the fire. It felt like she had been at this for years instead of the months that had passed since Nephrite's disappearance. Jadeite had been gone nearly as long, having never returned from his reconnaissance mission. She had known it was coming...but it hadn't made it any easier nor did it stop her from searching the fire every second for something to prevent this madness.
Now Zoicite and Kunzite were gone as well.
She had searched for clues to where they'd gone, if they were even still alive, and how to save them if they were; but nothing she saw gave her any clarification. It was just the same thing after another. Her standing in a forest on Terra, watching the world burn around her until everything died out and then new life bloomed.
It was getting old.
But she didn't know how to get anything else and so she continued going through the hand motions without thought, her hope at seeing something useful having diminished long ago. She had learned better than to have expectations.
She chanted the words by rote and then shoved a little of her power towards the flame, willing it to show her something, anything that could prove useful to the threat lurking in the shadows and was not surprised when she saw herself standing in a forest once more. She turned, searching for the fire but frowned when she noted the smoke seemed to be farther away than normal.
Mars whispered a few more words and the scene changed.
She was closer to the fire now. But she was no longer in the forest, instead she stood just on the outskirts, with the forest at her back and a castle and its city burning before her eyes. Several of the spiralling towers had collapsed and there was a large hole where the gates had stood as heavy smoke billowed out turning the bright sky black.
And then she heard the screams.
Desperate, frightened shrieks for mercy that would never come while others shouted for their loved ones to run before they too cried out in pain.
Mars' heart seized at the sound and then she raced to the gaping hole in the wall, coming to a stop just beyond its breach.
The screams were louder here, but now she could hear deep, low gutteral sounds when the screams cut off followed by a wet, slurping noise that sent a chill through her spine.
She spotted two shadows lit up against a nearby wall and snuck closer to investigate, ducking behind an overturned melon cart for cover.
The shadows belonged to two figures, one human and one a twisted version that barely resembled what it once was. At first she thought they were struggling, with the human clearly losing as the monster pinned him to the ground. Then the monster tore a chunk from the man's arms and tilted his head back, dropping the flesh into its waiting mouth, finishing with a sick crunch.
Mars had seen enough. She chanted a few more words, willing the vision to show her what it thought she needed to see already and grew frustrated when nothing seemed to change. Clearly she was missing something but what?
She wandered around the chaos and through the streets, reduced to a ghostly spector as she searched for anything that might prove useful. But nothing seemed to stand out. With a shudder, she turned and headed in the direction of the screams, knowing that whatever she needed to see laid with them. A few twists and turns later and she was in the town's square where more monsters were swarming over a large golden statue of a wealthy couple, most likely the local rulers. It was strange though...the monsters and humans no longer looked to be fighting. Instead they were all screaming until the things climbing the statute succeeded in knocking it down and then they all cheered as it shattered into pieces. The woman's head rolled to a stop at her feet, granting Mars the ability to study her features up close.
She swallowed, ending the connection, and rose shakily to her feet.
She needed to find Venus.
Mars laughed bitterly to herself as she made her way down the hall. How often had she thought those words of late? And never was it for anything good.
She hastened her step and threw open the door to Venus' study, growing frustrated when she noted the room was empty. She turned sharply on her heel to find Mercury, knowing the diligent woman would most likely be in her labs doing research.
Instead she found all three of her sister senshi, with Jupiter sitting on an examination bed while Venus and Mercury stood nearby.
"Endymion's parents are dead or will be soon," Mars said bluntly, preferring to get straight to the point.
Three sets of eyes widened and then turned to look at each other before turning back towards her.
"And Endymion?" Venus asked, her thoughts most likely on the princess.
Mars sighed but admitted she didn't know.
"He's in danger at the very least."
"Endymion's in danger?"
The women snapped to attention, their gazes landing on the door where their princess stood half hidden. Her bottom lip seemed to tremble but she kept her tears at bay, instead shutting—and locking—the door behind her before racing over to take Mars' hands in her own.
"Tell me everything at once."
Mars shot a quick, panicked glance at Venus but the blonde merely nodded for her to answer.
Frowning, Mars looked to her princess and tried to break the news as gently as she could. "My vision showed the castle on fire and a statue of the Queen and King being torn down. I saw nothing of Endymion."
"But Endymion lives in the castle!" Serenity exclaimed. She turned towards the others who looked equally torn. "We have to do something!"
"Serenity," Venus sighed, catching her princess' attention, "There's nothing we can do."
"Are you saying it's too late?"
"I'm saying that we were ordered to stay away unless they requested help."
"I would never!" Serenity cried.
The senshi shared a look but Venus gave a subtle shake of her head while Serenity began to break down into tears.
"Please," she begged, "You must help them! You must save Endymion!"
"Are you ordering us, princess?"
Four sets of eyes blinked and turned towards Mercury where she stood quietly typing away at her computer. She shut it closed with a quiet snap and turned tired blue eyes their way, clearly waiting for an answer. Serenity seemed to realize this as well because suddenly she was wiping her tears away and straightening her stance.
She nodded and in a shaky, but regal, tone said, "I order you to go to their aid and do what you can for Endymion and his people."
"As you command, Serenity," bowed Venus before calling her sword to her hand.
Jupiter whooped, shouting,"Finally!" while looking more alive than she had in months. Mars caught her eye and grinned, knowing her smile probably looked as feral as she felt. They had been itching for action and now they were finally going to get it. Even Mercury looked pleased.
"Let me grab a few things first," The quiet woman murmured, rushing about the room, "We don't know what state Endymion or his parents will be in when we get there."
"Good point. Mars, Jupiter, do you need to grab anything before we go?" Venus asked them.
Both girls shook their heads no while Serenity fretted in the background, trying to convince Venus to let her go with.
"Please Venus. He needs me!"
"I said no. It will only make him more vulnerable if I'm worried about you being attacked as well."
"But I can help!"
"Darkness is drawn to your purity, Serenity, you'll be like a beacon to them and we need to maintain as much stealth as we can until we know what we're up against."
Mercury rejoined them as Serenity's shoulders dropped.
"I understand."
"Don't worry Sere, we'll get him here safe," Jupiter smiled, albeit halfheartedly. She had never been good at masking her emotions and Mars knew that she still cried for Nephrite throughout the nights.
Mars gave her own form of comfort, a quick squeeze of Serenity's shoulder, and then they were off, teleporting into the gardens like they had done hundreds of times before, only this time chaos rang out around them and the smoke that she had seen in her vision was denser and smelled of burning flesh.
"Is it toxic?" Venus whispered, covering her mouth and nose with a gloved hand.
Mars kept her eyes on their surroundings while Mercury tapped away on her computer and then answered in the negative.
"Although it can't be good for one's health," Mercury added, scrunching her nose.
"Do you have a layout of the castle and can you get a reading on Endymion's signature?"
"Give me a second…" A few more clacks of Mercury's keys rang out. "I already had a layout of the castle schematics previously but based off the size and locations of those fires, certain routes may now be impassable. As for Endymion, it's hard to get a reading…something's distorting all the life force...but I think I've managed to locate him in the library...that way." Mercury pointed, indicating they should go towards the right.
Venus nodded and had them line up in stealth formation with her as lead and Mars following as second. Jupiter, who was the strongest of them all, was relegated to the rear.
They made their way quickly through the garden and into the castle only to hear several screams coming somewhere from their left. A signal from Venus and Mars was veering off in that direction, peeking into several rooms before coming a cross two young women being attacked by three creatures while a fourth munched on dismembered hand.
"Mars Flame Sniper!"
Fire flamed out from her hands, slamming into the creatures seconds before they could hurt the young women.
"RUN!" she ordered, praying that they would meet with any more trouble until they got someplace safe.
She sent another wave a fire, just in case, and then rushed to rejoin her sisters.
Mars veered off course several more times before they got anywhere close to the library and even then Mercury couldn't be sure that they were headed in the right direction. Endymion's energy kept surging outward at times, as if searching for something, and with all the distortion in the air it was making it difficult to find him.
Another scream rang out but this time Venus gave a single shake of her head, signalling for them to stay put. Mars agreed with the decision—at the rate they were going, they would never find the prince—but it didn't make ignoring the desperate screams any easier.
"Mercury," Venus whispered, peeking around a corner, "How much further?"
"Not much, he should be straight ahead."
"Finally. Any monsters?"
"A few but it looks like they're keeping their distance from him."
"Good, is there another entrance?"
"On the other end. Two of those creatures are near it."
"Got it. Mars and Mercury, you two go through the front and make some noise but stay out of sight. Jupiter," Venus signaled for the other woman to join her and the two slipped out around the hall while Mars and Mercury moved into position.
Before Mercury could open the door though, the building shook and a wave of pure energy burst through the exterior walls and out into the garden and off into the distance. The sight filled the window but then was gone just as quickly, replaced with the sight of Endymion stumbling out of the castle and out towards the gardens chased by several of those creatures.
Mars could hear curses in the distance and she knew Venus and Jupiter had seen the same thing they had.
"Damn it."
She raced to the window and flung herself from the sill, landing just shy of the lush green grass and instead on dirt and pebbles, scuffing her shoes.
Cursing some more, she sprung into a sprint, the soft footfalls of Mercury close behind her.
Snarls gave it away before she could see it and she leapt to her right on instinct, dodging the crushing blow that had been aimed for her.
"Careful Mars, this one seems stronger," Mercury called from nearby.
The monster before Mars did indeed seem stronger, standing well over eight feet and less twisted than its comrades...more human like despite its mottled coloring. That disturbed her more than any of the grotesque creatures from earlier had.
She could hear fighting in the background, Venus and Jupiter somewhere in the woods with her, but kept her focus on the thing before in front, dodging as it launched another attack and then another. She jumped left and right, until the creature had crushed enough trees to make a small clearing, and then with a flip back towards Mercury she unleashed as much fire as she dared, enveloping the monster in her purifying flame.
They waited until the creature's body collapsed, it's putrid smell filling the air, before taking off again in search of the others. Two more similar sized creatures attacked them but Mars and Mercury made quick work of them before spotting Venus and Jupiter up ahead. The two nodded in greeting and then Venus pointed to the sky.
All four jumped into the treetops, hopping from one branch to another until they spotted the prince at last, a golden flickering shield all that stood between him and twenty of those creatures.
Mercury moved first, throwing up a shield of ice in front of the prince while Venus whipped her chain around his stomach and yanked him to safety. Space clear, Mars and Jupiter unleashed their full fury, a torrent of fiery lightning that left nothing unmarred and the soil blackened beneath the creatures feet.
The smell was too much.
Mars gagged as she scrambled to cover her nose and could barely make out Venus signalling for them to move elsewhere past her watery eyes. She followed on instinct until they were out of the forests and back on castle grounds, in the gardens where they took a few minutes to recover, coughing out the taint that had surely coated their lungs.
Once she was satisfied that could resume course, Venus began ordering them to teleport as Endymion pleaded with her not to.
"Please," he begged and Mars flinched at the pain in his voice and the brokenness of his appearance.
In the end, Venus agreed to fetch the bodies of his parents and shoved the prince in her arms, ordering them to return but before she could do so, an image flickered in her peripheral, in the corner of the gardens. She turned, eyeing the spot closer and stiffened when the image flickered into sight again.
It was him...but how?
She shoved the prince towards Mercury and took off.
"Mars wait! Where are you going?"
"There's something I need to investigate," Mars yelled over her shoulder, "Go ahead without me!"
She didn't bother checking to see if Mercury did as she said, the tactician would undoubtedly deem it best to get Endymion to safety before taking any further action.
Mars raced around the corner and paused until she spotted him in the shade of the tree where they had first kissed. She swallowed, body tense for the slightest noise or movement, as she hastily made her way over to where Jadeite stood.
"So it's true," she stated once she was closer, her voice taking a hollow tone. "You really are dead."
The shade that was Jadeite gave a half smile and shrugged.
"I certainly appear to be, whether my spirit remains I do not know, but beware my love, that witch has my body and filled it with such darkness that I fear even if I do live, I may be forever altered."
"I don't understand," Mars murmured, scrutinizing him closer. He certainly seemed like a spirit but his words implied otherwise. "If you're not a spirit, how are you here?"
"I'm not entirely sure," Jadeite admitted, looking annoyed at this. "But I've heard stories of people before their death, imprinting enough energy to leave some of their essence upon the mortal plain. Perhaps that means I did die then." If possible, his face seemed to grow paler at the thought, "Not everyone is sensitive enough to see me but I knew that you would be."
Jadeite smiled, radiating such pride and love, that it made her feel more alive and secure than she had in months. She reached out to touch him but snapped her hand back when it passed right through him. Jadeite had no such qualms though and reached out to place a ghostly hand upon her cheek.
"I'm sorry my love, I should have warned you."
Mars sniffed, glaring out over the gardens to keep her tears at bay and wrapped her arms tight around herself.
"You mentioned a witch, who is she?"
"She's a vile woman," Jadeite spat, teeth grinding as he turned to gaze far away, his fists clenched at his side.
"She was a minor sorceress and an even less significant noblewoman, an entertainer and favorite of the court that their Highnesses doted on." Jadeite rolled his eyes. "She's been manipulating the dark energy of that thing that crashed down on our planet, using it to twist and bend the people to her will."
"But why? If she was a favorite, her life couldn't have been bad. Why turn on the people who had cared for her so?"
"For the affections of one who looked more towards the moon than he did to the ground."
"Endymion?" Mars gasped, unable to help herself. Was everything truly so connected that they were doomed no matter what they did?
Jadeite placed two ghostly hands on her shoulders, lowering his fierce gaze to hers.
"You must stop her Mars, by any means necessary. Even if it means losing any chance at saving me and my brothers. She'll destroy both our worlds if you don't."
Mars' lip trembled but she nodded, covering his hand with her own.
"I understand."
"Good girl." He placed a whispered kiss upon her forehead, and Mars swore she could almost feel it, and then he took a step back, eyes on the castle. "Be quick now, your friends need you."
She stiffened at this news, automatically turning towards the castle, but when she looked back to question him he was already gone.
"Goodbye my love," Mars whispered, and then turned and raced away.
~~~
Her home was burning.
There was destruction all around her. Vases and tapestries laid in ruins across the floor while rubble buried furniture and people alike, and everything was burning.
The moon, with its artificial atmosphere had only ever looked dark when one stepped outside but now the sky was lit a flame, bright as the dawn on Terra, but there was no peace at the sight. Not when there were screams and snarls instead of songbirds filling the air.
Mars stood atop the palace's walkway, studying the bodies below her, spotting her friends lying lifeless on the ground. Mercury was closest. The last defense for the princess who laid several feet behind her, now broken and tossed aside almost casually. Serenity...her hair and skin so pale she was barely distinguishable from the castle itself...aside for the shocking harsh red that now soaked through her dress.
Venus was further out, her golden hair still shining amidst the filth of those creatures...but Jupiter Mars couldn't see at all. The only sign of where she once stood was a large circular area scorched clear of the enemy in every direction.
It was over. They had lost.
Mars turned away, unable to bare looking any longer, noticed a part of the palace that looked untouched. Pristine crystal glittering out and upward before her. She looked back over her shoulder where more crystals stood, giant sparkling gems rising out of the earth, the light reflecting off them with a myriad of colors that sunk into lush trees and foliage.
And just below...so far now she had almost missed them, stood a man with hair dark as night and a woman with long pale hair trailing to her feet, standing hand in hand.
Mars opened her eyes to the sound of alarms and racing footsteps with a sense of calm that had eluded her most of her life. There was no need to be afraid. Her princess would live, that Mars was sure, and she would bring about a new age on Terra with her prince.
She closed her eyes and gave a quick prayer to the goddess for granting her that vision and then another for the lives she would take today, because she would take many. As many as the fates deemed necessary to bring about that world.
Her eyes snapped open once she was done, no longer filled with a lack of urgency. Now only determination remained. She willed her transformation, grabbing a sword she rarely used and some small rations and strips of cloth for any bloody quick fixes, and shoved them all into her subspace pocket. Finally prepared, she threw open her chamber doors and marched into her future.