The scouts hovered outside the portal. They had to enter it. But, what was awaiting them on the other side? Makoto looked at Seiya. He seemed just as nervous as everyone else. Maybe even more so since he had no powers. Makoto squeezed Seiya's hand and then let go. Everyone else was hesitating. She had to make the first move. She flung herself at the vortex and disappeared. The others screamed after her, and one by one charged through the portal.
Makoto hit the ground hard. Solid ground. She knew she was no longer in the vortex. But then again, where exactly was she now? Makoto stood up and brushed the dust off of her. The landscape was rocky and barren, just like in her dream. All of a sudden, the other scouts and Seiya appeared out of the vortex in the sky.
"Wow, what IS this place." Rei asked as she stood up and dusted off her fuku.
"Mako-kun, is this the place you see in your dreams?" Seiya asked.
"Yes, the fortress should be just over those mountains." Makoto said as she pointed straight ahead of her.
"Seiya, you know this place, don't you." Setsuna stated as she saw the expression on Seiya's face.
"This...is my home planet." Seiya said as the other scouts gasped.
Makoto looked at Seiya. She could see the pain in his eyes. But, why had she dreamed of his planet? Were the people that destroyed his planet still there? Makoto had to know, now with even more determination. She set out to find the fortress. The others followed her.
It seemed like they had been walking forever when Seiya stopped. He could not go any further. The pain was too much for him to bear. He had left the planet to escape from the fact that he could not save those he loved. How could he save Makoto if it came down to that? He had no power to do so. The thought was overwhelming.
Makoto put her hand on Seiya's shoulder for support. She could see the pain in his eyes. Maybe he should not have come on this trip. Makoto did not want to see Seiya more hurt then he already was. With her other hand, Makoto grasped Seiya's hand. He looked up at her.
"Seiya-kun...Oh, Seiya-kun..." Makoto whispered as a tear fell from his eye.
"I...I don't want to be a burden to anyone." Seiya said softly.
"You aren't a burden. You know more about this planet than any of us do. Without you, we may never make it out of here alive." Makoto stated as she wiped away Seiya's tears.
All of a sudden, a glowing beam of green light appeared in the sky. The fortress was close by-just over the next mountain. Makoto and Seiya took off toward the light, followed by the others. As they neared the mountain, they saw the entrance to a cave. Makoto looked at Seiya with a worried look on her face.
"Seiya, was that cave always there?" Haruka asked.
"No, that cave is new." Seiya responded.
"It just might be the entrance to the enemy's headquarters." Setsuna insisted.
"Let's split up so we can cover more ground. It may be a trap." Michiru suggested.
"That sounds like a good idea. Seiya, Hotaru, and Rei will go with me. The rest of you try to get over that mountain and into the fortress." Makoto said as she made her way towards the cave entrance.
The four entered the darkness of the cave. The feeling of dampness and decay filled Makoto. She continued to push ahead as Rei lit a torch to light the way. The cave looked newly formed. The walls were smooth. After walking for a few minutes, the group found themselves at a junction. There were two paths ahead of them. They had to split up again. Hotaru and Rei took the path on the left. Makoto and Seiya took the path on the right. They continued through the cave.
Now that they were finally alone again, Seiya felt more at ease with his lack of power. Makoto made him feel strong. She made him feel whole. Seiya grabbed Makoto's hand as they continued walking through the dark tunnel. Were they traveling upwards or downwards, Seiya wondered.
Makoto squeezed Seiya's hand. She could feel his love flow through her veins. Shinozaki did not matter to her as much as before Seiya re-entered her life. Makoto sensed that Seiya felt as if he shouldn't really be there because he could no longer henshin. Now he was just a normal person. But, Makoto did not mind. She loved him as he was.
Seiya stopped in his tracks. Makoto looked at him with a worried look. Why had he stopped all of a sudden? She squeezed his hand again.
"Listen. Do you hear that?" Seiya asked.
"Hear what?" Makoto replied worriedly.
"The wind." Seiya said.
Makoto listened for a moment. Then she heard it. From ahead of her, she could hear the faint whisper of the wind. The end of the tunnel was close. Makoto looked up at Seiya happily and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek. Seiya felt a warmth flow through him. Even without his powers, he was able to be helpful. He felt needed. Seiya gently caressed Makoto's cheek as he leaned down to his her lips. Just as his lips touched hers, a scream rang out through the corridors of the cave.
"Hotaru!" Makoto screamed.
"We must keep going!" Seiya ordered as he tried to pull Makoto forward.
"But, we gotta..." Makoto tried to plea.
"There is nothing we can do right now, Mako-kun." Seiya exclaimed.
In tears, Makoto trudged on. She could feel the anger growing inside of her now. Everyone dear to her was being ripped from her. She would find the people behind this and revenge their deaths. Nothing could hold her back from achieving her goal.
Seiya and Makoto reached the exit of the cave. Ahead of them stood the fortress. A green light beam emulated from the tower. No one seemed to be around. Makoto started to walk towards the fortress, her fists clenched. Seiya grabbed a hold of Makoto's arm. He could not let her go in there with so much anger consuming her. Seiya had to make her think logically.
"Let go of me. I can defeat them." Makoto yelled at Seiya.
"Mako-kun, listen to me...please! You can't just go in there like that. We need a plan of attack. Us alone won't be enough to defeat them!"
Makoto stood a moment where she was. Seiya was right. She needed to calm down before she got them both killed. Makoto looked up at the fortress. The only way in seemed to be through the main gate, but there had to be another way.
"Seiya, is there another way into the fortress?" Makoto asked as she turned to look at Seiya.
"Yes, but it will most likely be guarded as well. But, it may be less guarded than the front. Follow me." Seiya said.
Makoto hit the ground hard. Solid ground. She knew she was no longer in the vortex. But then again, where exactly was she now? Makoto stood up and brushed the dust off of her. The landscape was rocky and barren, just like in her dream. All of a sudden, the other scouts and Seiya appeared out of the vortex in the sky.
"Wow, what IS this place." Rei asked as she stood up and dusted off her fuku.
"Mako-kun, is this the place you see in your dreams?" Seiya asked.
"Yes, the fortress should be just over those mountains." Makoto said as she pointed straight ahead of her.
"Seiya, you know this place, don't you." Setsuna stated as she saw the expression on Seiya's face.
"This...is my home planet." Seiya said as the other scouts gasped.
Makoto looked at Seiya. She could see the pain in his eyes. But, why had she dreamed of his planet? Were the people that destroyed his planet still there? Makoto had to know, now with even more determination. She set out to find the fortress. The others followed her.
It seemed like they had been walking forever when Seiya stopped. He could not go any further. The pain was too much for him to bear. He had left the planet to escape from the fact that he could not save those he loved. How could he save Makoto if it came down to that? He had no power to do so. The thought was overwhelming.
Makoto put her hand on Seiya's shoulder for support. She could see the pain in his eyes. Maybe he should not have come on this trip. Makoto did not want to see Seiya more hurt then he already was. With her other hand, Makoto grasped Seiya's hand. He looked up at her.
"Seiya-kun...Oh, Seiya-kun..." Makoto whispered as a tear fell from his eye.
"I...I don't want to be a burden to anyone." Seiya said softly.
"You aren't a burden. You know more about this planet than any of us do. Without you, we may never make it out of here alive." Makoto stated as she wiped away Seiya's tears.
All of a sudden, a glowing beam of green light appeared in the sky. The fortress was close by-just over the next mountain. Makoto and Seiya took off toward the light, followed by the others. As they neared the mountain, they saw the entrance to a cave. Makoto looked at Seiya with a worried look on her face.
"Seiya, was that cave always there?" Haruka asked.
"No, that cave is new." Seiya responded.
"It just might be the entrance to the enemy's headquarters." Setsuna insisted.
"Let's split up so we can cover more ground. It may be a trap." Michiru suggested.
"That sounds like a good idea. Seiya, Hotaru, and Rei will go with me. The rest of you try to get over that mountain and into the fortress." Makoto said as she made her way towards the cave entrance.
The four entered the darkness of the cave. The feeling of dampness and decay filled Makoto. She continued to push ahead as Rei lit a torch to light the way. The cave looked newly formed. The walls were smooth. After walking for a few minutes, the group found themselves at a junction. There were two paths ahead of them. They had to split up again. Hotaru and Rei took the path on the left. Makoto and Seiya took the path on the right. They continued through the cave.
Now that they were finally alone again, Seiya felt more at ease with his lack of power. Makoto made him feel strong. She made him feel whole. Seiya grabbed Makoto's hand as they continued walking through the dark tunnel. Were they traveling upwards or downwards, Seiya wondered.
Makoto squeezed Seiya's hand. She could feel his love flow through her veins. Shinozaki did not matter to her as much as before Seiya re-entered her life. Makoto sensed that Seiya felt as if he shouldn't really be there because he could no longer henshin. Now he was just a normal person. But, Makoto did not mind. She loved him as he was.
Seiya stopped in his tracks. Makoto looked at him with a worried look. Why had he stopped all of a sudden? She squeezed his hand again.
"Listen. Do you hear that?" Seiya asked.
"Hear what?" Makoto replied worriedly.
"The wind." Seiya said.
Makoto listened for a moment. Then she heard it. From ahead of her, she could hear the faint whisper of the wind. The end of the tunnel was close. Makoto looked up at Seiya happily and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek. Seiya felt a warmth flow through him. Even without his powers, he was able to be helpful. He felt needed. Seiya gently caressed Makoto's cheek as he leaned down to his her lips. Just as his lips touched hers, a scream rang out through the corridors of the cave.
"Hotaru!" Makoto screamed.
"We must keep going!" Seiya ordered as he tried to pull Makoto forward.
"But, we gotta..." Makoto tried to plea.
"There is nothing we can do right now, Mako-kun." Seiya exclaimed.
In tears, Makoto trudged on. She could feel the anger growing inside of her now. Everyone dear to her was being ripped from her. She would find the people behind this and revenge their deaths. Nothing could hold her back from achieving her goal.
Seiya and Makoto reached the exit of the cave. Ahead of them stood the fortress. A green light beam emulated from the tower. No one seemed to be around. Makoto started to walk towards the fortress, her fists clenched. Seiya grabbed a hold of Makoto's arm. He could not let her go in there with so much anger consuming her. Seiya had to make her think logically.
"Let go of me. I can defeat them." Makoto yelled at Seiya.
"Mako-kun, listen to me...please! You can't just go in there like that. We need a plan of attack. Us alone won't be enough to defeat them!"
Makoto stood a moment where she was. Seiya was right. She needed to calm down before she got them both killed. Makoto looked up at the fortress. The only way in seemed to be through the main gate, but there had to be another way.
"Seiya, is there another way into the fortress?" Makoto asked as she turned to look at Seiya.
"Yes, but it will most likely be guarded as well. But, it may be less guarded than the front. Follow me." Seiya said.