Chapter 4: Evan
Five days later...
Upon first glimpsing the royal palace, Evan was stunned silent with the power of the moment and the awesome beauty of the construct. It glimmered in the mid-day sunlight, and looked indeed like a giant silver crystal sprouting up out of the ground and reaching upwards to the sky. Barely discernable were the myriad of well-placed windows and balconies that dotted the surface; at a distance, it was impossible to tell them apart from the silver coloring of the castle. But as the vehicle he was riding in approached the main gates, those distant windows and terraces began to become visible against the main shape of the crystal palace, but only barely and only to an attentive eye. The vehicle was allowed by the guards to pass, and it came to a stop just in front of the main gate.
"You're on your own from here." Dr. Matthews, who had asked special permission to drop Evan off, stated from the driver's seat. "Remember what I taught you,... and if you don't know where to go just ask someone, although the guards will probably show you where to go. They're all expecting you, so there shouldn't be any problems."
Evan nodded. Dr. Matthews had been coaching him on proper palace etiquette, so he knew what was expected of him. Additionally, the good doctor had gone through the trouble of getting Evan a proper outfit for the occasion. The attire that had ended up fitting his appearance best had included a short white cape, with a regal dark gray shirt that bordered only slightly on the style worn during the reign of the early British dynasties, and midnight-black pants with likewise black boots, fit to match each other almost perfectly in color and fit. Deciding gloves or any adornments might be overdoing it a bit, the doctor had left the outfit at that, deciding that a touch of simplicity would suit the encounter well. Evan exited the vehicle, thanked Dr. Matthews for all his kindness, and as the vehicle drove off Evan turned to the building in front of him, and ascended the steps to the main door, where two guards stepped to one side and opened the double doors for him. Making sure to thank the guards as well, Evan entered the flora-filled courtyard, where two other guards stood near the door, apparently having been sent there to wait for him. It seemed he had no need to identify himself, either that or his hair and appearance revealed his identity well enough, because the guards quickly walked up to him.
"Please follow us. Neo Queen Serenity awaits your arrival."
Evan nodded, and followed the guards in silence, mentally rehearsing what Dr. Matthews had taught him. The two royal soldiers led him down a long series of hallways, all beautifully crafted and incorporating both crystal and various materials like polished white quartz and gorgeous stone into the design and architecture. Various windows placed at semi-regular intervals in the hallways looked out onto small gardens, beautiful vistas of Crystal Tokyo, the courtyard now far below, and other locales in the palace vicinity worthy of an observer's eye. Evan passed only a handful of banners, paintings, and statues, most of which seemed to deal with themes of the past of the Sailor Scouts or the Sailors themselves. These caught his attention, but he had no time to view them more closely and was forced to keep pace with the guards. Eventually, they reached a large silver door, a monolith might be a more accurate description, beautifully designed and with two guards on each side, each guard in full military array and displaying all the nobility of their prestige and position. Two of the guards, one on each side, quickly reached for the respective handle and pulled open the double doors, revealing the throne room beyond. Evan nodded and thanked them, and the two guards that had accompanied him quickly went with him inside. The throne room was much like the rest of the castle, only far larger and grander. Neo Queen Serenity and King Darien's thrones sat upon a raised platform with four or five steps linking it with the rest of the chamber. The Sailors all stood on the far side of the room on either side of the raised platform, and Rini was at her mother's side on the throne platform. All eyes were locked on Evan.
"Announcing sir Evan, favored guest of the queen!" One of the guards who had accompanied him trumpeted. Both guards took respective positions on either side of the still-open doorway, and Evan walked forward on his own towards the center of the room, where he effected a dignified, but somewhat unpracticed, bow, then straightened himself as he prepared to speak.
"Thank you for inviting me here, Neo Queen Serenity." His voice showed the sincerity of his statement of thanks. Needless to say, Neo Queen Serenity was tickled pink by Evan's entrance, considering she had seen him just days earlier in a hospital bed and everything that had transpired there. Rini suppressed a good-natured giggle, and Evan smiled in return.
The Sailor Scouts seemed to eye him with a strange half-curiosity, except for Saturn and Pluto. After all, this strange boy with amnesia would be a guest at the palace from this day until some unknown epoch in the future. It was only natural, then, that they would take an interest in this first encounter.
"It's good to see you again, Evan. How do you feel?" Serena asked.
"Much better; thank you, your highness." He paused for a moment. "You have a beautiful palace. I'd like to see more of it, if that's possible."
Neo Queen Serenity smiled gently.
"You're a guest here from this day forth, Evan. There will be plenty of time for a tour of the castle, that I promise you." She then gestured to the Sailors. "Allow me to introduce Sailors Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus, Neptune, Ceres, Palus, Vesta, and Juno. They are my friends and closest allies. Saturn and Pluto you already know, and of course my daughter Rini, Sailor ChibiMoon and future Sailor Moon, heiress to the Silver Crystal."
He made another, this time slightly better calculated, bow directed towards the Sailors, apparently starting to get the hang of it. Each Sailor nodded and smiled warmly, even Uranus, although she was slightly more reserved in doing so.
"We've prepared a room for you to here, with a balcony overlooking the grand garden." Neo Queen Serenity turned her glance towards Uranus. "Uranus will be acting as your supervisor; she can answer any questions you may have about adjusting to life here and will be keeping watch on you. Uranus, would you take Evan to his room?"
"Certainly, majesty." Uranus nodded, then walked over towards Evan and led him out of the chamber. The doors were shut behind them, and Uranus led him off down the left hall. More than once he caught her eyeing him strangely, but her gaze always darted back to straight ahead when she realized he was looking at her.
"Is something wrong? Did I do something I shouldn't have?" Evan inquired sincerely. Uranus looked to the side for a moment, then responded without turning to look at him.
"It's nothing really." She paused for a moment, not faltering in her step, and her eyes momentarily looked at his face. "And no, it's not because I think your hair is strange. I've seen far stranger." She added, apparently having read his question in his eyes. She kept her pace and turned left along a wide hallway with many doors on both sides.
"... Is it my energy?"
Uranus stopped in mid step, and looked directly at him, hiding her surprise.
"What do you mean?" She asked, trying to keep her voice sounding neutral.
"I've heard people talking about how I have some kind of energy in me, and that there was a big energy burst the day before I woke up in the hospital. They said that they think I caused it." He paused for a moment, looked off to the side, then his eyes turned and looked into Uranus' face. "Is that true? What does it mean?"
For a moment, Uranus stood there, dumbstruck as to how to respond. Taking a deep breath in, she folded her arms and answered him.
"Yes, it's true. As for what it means, we don't know yet."
"Did I cause the energy burst?"
"... We're pretty sure. Don't worry, hopefully soon we'll be able to explain some of these things to you." She began walking again, and Evan kept pace next to her. "Until then, I don't want you to think too much about energy and such. There's a time and a place for everything, and we'll tell you as soon as we know more about your powers."
She came to a stop outside a polished white door, like the rest of the castle somewhat Romanesque in style and design, with Evan's name inscribed in embossed black letters just above the doorhandle. She pushed open the door and gestured for Evan to go inside first.
The room was spacious, everything in much the same beautiful colors and style as the rest of the castle. The first room they entered showcased a plush white couch, a polished wooden table of a deep vibrant color, two small sitting chairs no less elegant and cushioned than the couch, a patterned rug that stretched most of the length of the room, and an open-air balcony with long silver curtains presently tied up to the sides of the balcony so that this sitting room and the balcony were almost one room. A painting of a starscape hung on one wall, and there was another white door, unlabeled, on the far right.
"The bedroom is in there, with the bathroom door in the far left of the bedroom. Feel free to look around. There's a page of information you'll need to know, like when breakfast is and such, on the bed, and a full wardrobe on the bedroom far right wall." Uranus turned to go. "If you need anything, use the built-in computer in the bedroom to contact me, but if possible try to figure things out for yourself. Make yourself at home."
Evan nodded, and Uranus, with one last look to make sure everything was ok, she left the room and closed the door. Evan immediately went to the balcony and looked out. It was an awe-inspiring view: the grand garden Neo Queen Serenity had talked about was filled with rare and beautiful plants and flowers, ponds and waterfalls, walkways made of transparent crystal, and likewise crystal benches and tables, scattered in sparse numbers. Beyond the captivating grand garden, the city skyline rose high in the distance, building windows reflecting the light of the midday sun so that the city almost seemed to sparkle. He looked upwards to see a clear sky, a perfect hue of rich blue that seemed to have a feeling of depth to it, almost as if Evan could perceive and distinguish the subtle blending of the layers of stratosphere.
So peaceful...
Uranus' newest bit of information regarding Evan startled and slightly worried Neo Queen Serenity. She paced back and forth in the throne room as she considered what had transpired.
"I was hoping we could go without addressing his powers for at least a few weeks, perhaps longer... but it seems fate has made that impossible." She stated, thinking aloud as she paced.
"My queen, perhaps we don't have to change plans just yet." Uranus proposed. "He told me only that other people have been talking about his energy, about the energy burst. I personally believe he still has no idea how to even tap into his own powers."
"That's part of what I'm worried about." The queen responded, resting her chin on one curled hand as she continued to pace back and forth. "Suppose he somehow accidentally taps into his powers somehow, perhaps to the injury of himself or others?" She paused in her steps, and quickly looked over towards Pluto, who was standing by one of the corners. "How fast did the medical reports say he was regaining his natural energy? How long until it reaches the point where it could endanger someone's life if some sort of accidental burst occurred?"
"Based on my research and estimations, perhaps a week, highness." Pluto stated straightforward. "And if his energy continues to recuperate at it's present rate, it will be roughly six weeks before he reaches the level of power we witnessed in the energy burst. If, that is, his energy continues to build as it has sofar,... and it's possible that even the energy burst was not an accurate demonstration of his actual maximum, but if so, his power would have to be incredible... perhaps even nearing or equaling your own, majesty."
She nodded; she'd been aware when she undertook this project that Evan's power was potentially incredible. The implications of such a power were no doubt important: if indeed Evan was a Sailor Soldier, as she personally believed was the only logical explanation, then not only were there Sailor Scouts that could rival her own power, but also, by Chaos and Sailor Galaxia's own admission there was no brighter star, no more powerful Sailor Crystal, than the Silver Crystal. If Evan was a Sailor Soldier, if his power was as awesome and weighty as Pluto estimated,... then didn't the boy's very existence fly in the face of the facts of the Silver Crystal?
There was no doubt in her mind now; this was a mystery that she had to search out until answers could be revealed.
She took a deep breath and turned so she was able to look at both Uranus and Pluto.
"At the end of one week, do a discrete energy scan on him. If his power has reached the estimated level... then we'll implement a change in plans. Uranus will begin training him to properly use his powers, as well as the skills of combat in due measure, and Pluto will begin teaching him of the many struggles that the Sailor Soldiers of this solar system underwent in order to bring about the present peace." She looked directly into Pluto's eyes. "We must make him understand the responsibility and purpose of his, of any, power. It's imperative that we show him that we don't use our powers to fight for ourselves,... that we do not battle for a future of battles, but a future of peace."
Those words, which had echoed in her mind so long ago, now came back to her, and the very act of saying them aloud nearly caused her to go pale. For a split-second, she almost felt as if she were standing there again, on the long narrow walkway overlooking the Galaxy Cauldron..., but she quickly pushed those thoughts out of her head. As her focus returned to reality, she looked up to see Pluto and Uranus with concerned, confused expressions on their faces.
"... I'm fine, really... I just had a flashback of the Galaxy Cauldron, but I'm ok." She paused for a moment, taking several deep breaths. "And yes,... perhaps even about the Galaxy Cauldron, but not immediately for certain. For now, we go ahead with the first plan,... and hope that I have not made a mistake in my judgement."