Elegy for the Heavens
by Asura
Faded_Seraph@yahoo.com
The third chapter of this fanfic, we finally make it
to the moon in this chapter. Plenty of things going on now,
but it's only the beginning. I had originally planned for
only 13 chapters for this, but after considering the
lengths of what I've already done and what's planned for
the story, I've had to expand that to 26 chapters. This
generally means that I have no life, and will continue to
have my soul sucked away by this work. Still, if people
read it and like it, all is well. I'm particularly pleased
that my girlfriend is getting as much enjoyment out of it
as she is. I'd also like to thank my editor for his help,
though he shall remain anonymous for now. And, on a final
note before we get started, the characters herein belong to
Naoko Takeuchi, a wonderful Japanese TV production company,
and, despite repeated attempts by several MS Teams equipped
with Gelgoogs, DiC and Cloverway own the American
distribution rights.
Chapter 3: E Arashi: Koushin no Hono'o – Jadeite's Rebirth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In space there was no sound, contrary to what popular
videos and the like would have had one believe. It was an
eerily quiet tapestry of stars and planets against a black
backdrop, with shadowed asteroids and blazing comets
cutting across it like the paintbrushes of some great
artist. Immeasurable beauty that was without a doubt lethal
to those who dared venture into it without protection,
space was much like a rose: beautiful, but demanding of
respect and caution from its admirers.
In the course of his life, Jadeite had been in space
several times, though, like of his many experiences, that
had been back in the time of the Silver Millennium.
Escorting Prince Endymion had been an important duty, and
his frequent trips to the Moon had necessitated that the
Four Guardians travel with him. Looking back, it probably
hadn't been necessary. The real threat had always been on
the Earth in the form of Queen Beryl. He was thankful for
those times, though, as it freed him of any anxiety due to
traveling in space.
Soon, the Moon came into view, and though they could
not see the city that surrounded the Moon Palace from the
shuttle the surface of the orbiting planetoid was
occasionally marked by grass and lakes. In the time since
their trials against the various enemies of Earth the
Senshi had helped efforts to reach out and terraform
several nearby worlds including the Moon, since it was to
be the site from which the King and Queen would rule. Mars
and Venus were the first worlds to once again receive human
life in the system as well, with projects on Mercury in the
initial stages.
"Once we land, I'm going to go and arrange for the
meeting with King Endymion tomorrow morning. The Knight's
Rest Inn is about halfway into the city, and is probably
the best place to stay, so, if you go ahead and get a room
there I'll meet you after the arrangements have been
made." The two had been silent most of the way to the Moon,
but finally Hotaru Tomoe had spoken, bringing the necessary
plans to light. Appointments were required to meet with the
King and Queen, but it was another meeting of importance
that had to be managed more carefully.
"From what I've seen in looking at this map, it's
located down the main road a few miles. I should have no
problem finding it. After I've gotten a room I'll wait for
you to let me know what the times will be." As much as he
did not want to, Jadeite found himself a bit nervous at the
approaching meeting with King Endymion. Could he even be
forgiven for the things that he had done? They were among
the most evil acts a man could commit, after all, and he
certainly had not shown any mercy to Endymion when they met
at the beginning of the Senshi's reawakening.
"Just so you know, we're going to have to meet with
Sailor Pluto before we see the King and Queen. There are
some important things you need to be told, and she has a
better grasp of them than I do." Another of the most rare
of Sailor Senshi, it somewhat surprised Jadeite that he'd
be taken to meet with Pluto. Particularly surprising, in
fact, was that it would take place before he even met with
the King and Queen, since they were always the unquestioned
rulers of the Shin-Muun Kingdom.
"Sailor Pluto. I met her only once before in my life,
and I remember it with perfect clarity even to this day."
Jadeite fought the urge to shudder just slightly as he
thought of the ninth Sailor Senshi, the Guardian of Time.
Her presence was a unique feeling in itself, but it was her
gaze that he found lingering in his mind. "If that is how
it needs to be, however, I will not question it." It was
his second chance, and he would not jeopardize it under any
circumstances, after coming as far as he already had.
"I didn't know that you'd met her before. You'll have
to tell me about it tonight once we've got taken care of
everything." Hotaru didn't seem to notice the slight
discomfort Jadeite felt at the prospect of meeting Pluto
again. Despite her knowledge of the power wielded by Pluto,
Hotaru's relationship with her had been more familial than
anything else, which had taken the edge off of her
commanding presence. She had considered asking him, but she
noticed a small indicator above go off to warn the
passengers of the nearing end of the journey. "Buckle
yourself in. We're preparing to land."
Secured firmly in their seats, Jadeite and Hotaru sat
tight as the ship shuddered slightly upon entering the
atmosphere of the Moon before it began to level off and
prepare for landing at the long runway that lay in front of
the Moon Palace. "Moon Palace" was a term with two
functions. When simply spoken as "the Moon Palace," it
referred to the royal structure that housed the King,
Queen, and their daughter as well as many of the
dignitaries of Earth when they visited, including the
Sailor Senshi. When referred to in the vein of "Moon Palace
City," the term meant the capital of the Shin-Muun Kingdom,
a large metropolitan area that was second only to Crystal
Tokyo in size. As the ship was oriented for the final
approach, the window finally allowed a view of the city.
Crystal Tokyo was a city built in a stunning hybrid
of crystal, steel, and concrete that made it a mixture of
both old and futuristic styles. Moon Palace City was the
evolution of cities taken to the next step. Magnificent,
glittering crystal spires rose from the surface of the
Moon, many with multicolored banners waving at their
apexes. Some of the buildings were dark crystal, seemingly
built to provide artistic contrast to the more brilliant
structures that refracted the light in a variety of
prismatic ways, which sprayed a spectrum of colors across
the cityscape. The effect became more dramatic when it
became apparent that even that light struck more buildings
and continuously shifted, creating in the end a city of
quartz, topaz, and diamond bound together by rainbows.
Among the crystal and light, there were numerous areas of
paved, silvery roads bordered by sidewalks that were, of
all things, simple grass. Trees ascended along every road,
casting their color into the heart of the city and seeming
to almost glow themselves, as though the growth was the
lifeblood of the city.
Jadeite could hear a few gasps and intonations of
excitement and wonder as the other passengers on the
shuttle observed the city from their windows. The people
who were visiting for the first time were the most obvious,
echoing sometimes shouts of excitement or simple hushed
admiration. Jadeite found himself at least equally moved by
the sight, though he made no sound at all. It was
magnificent, and truly seemed to surpass even the capital
of the White Moon Kingdom of long ago, but it also reminded
him that he had participated in the destruction of such
things in the past. It was not simply a city, a work of art
that coexisted with the population of the Moon. Had he
succeeded in the past, and indeed had any of those who had
fought the Sailor Senshi succeeded, the city would never
have existed.
Soon, the magnificent, panoramic view was replaced by
a much closer and more personal view as the shuttle's
wheels lowered and touched the runway at the spaceport and
they finally taxied to the concourse. The end of the trip
put to rest Jadeite's wanderings in his mind, since there
were more immediate concerns to take their place. Removing
the seat belt, an action mirrored by Hotaru next to him, he
rose up, and pulled their bags from the luggage
compartments underneath the seats. Dividing the bags
between themselves, they joined the crowd of passengers
shuffling their way towards the doors of the shuttle. A
short time later, they were standing on the marble floors
inside the concourse.
"Are you sure you'll be all right getting there,
Jadeite?" asked Hotaru as they stood near the exits of the
spaceport, overlooking the streets of Moon Palace City. Up
close, the city was no less impressive than it had been
from a distance, and if anything, it was more magnificent
from up close. It could be seen that all the plant life --
the trees, the grass, and even flowers -- were in perfect
health and always well maintained. The crystal of the
buildings was polished and kept impeccably neat, varying
between cloudy spots which functioned almost like mirrors
and areas of near transparency.
"I don't expect to encounter much trouble. If the
Moon is anything like it was in the past, I should have
nothing to worry me," said Jadeite as he rested the strap
of his bag on his shoulder. "Time to get going, at any
rate. Good luck getting everything set up." With a slight
wave towards Hotaru, Jadeite then began to make his way
through the doors, and onto the streets of Moon Palace
City.
"I'm sure that it'll go well. See you tonight,
Jadeite." Hotaru mirrored the wave, and went off in a
different direction, weaving her way down the streets. She
knew exactly where she was going, her first stop meant to
be the Moon Palace itself so that she could speak to the
King and Queen. Then, it would be off to the Crystal
Watcher's Spire to meet with Sailor Pluto and discuss any
new developments that might have occurred in the last few
months. It was also going to be difficult to try and
determine what they should tell Jadeite about his revival.
She had faith that Pluto would come up with a way to tell
him, though. Perhaps things would turn out well, and they'd
even discover that there hadn't been as much of a threat as
previously believed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The walk to the Knight's Rest Inn had been rather
pleasant, and had actually exceeded Jadeite's expectations
of the city. Walking through the city had made even more
evident the loving care its citizens put into its care. No
litter cluttered the streets, and even the few outdoor
restaurants he passed were notably devoid of trash. It had
been even simpler to navigate than he had thought it would
be at first, and there had been no trouble securing a room
when he finally had gotten there.
The room itself was a very nice setting, with a
sizable bed covered by high quality sheets, a unique desk
and chair that seemed to be made from crystal, like the
buildings, and an extra seat. There weren't any windows in
the traditional sense, but the crystal of the outside wall
was transparent. A small panel rested on it, and apparently
controlled the ability to have the crystal cloud up and
become opaque. There were other subtle touches as well,
including a nightstand and several clocks placed throughout
the room.
Jadeite didn't stay in the room long before simply
setting down his bag and heading out again. The conditions
outside had caught his attention, and he decided that he
would pass the time waiting for Hotaru by taking a short
walk around the area. Not only were the grounds beautiful,
and frequently paced by artwork from various sculptors and
artists of the city, but the weather was warm, and the sun
was beginning its descent in time to the Earth's ascent
into the sky. The path of the sun was different than it was
on Earth, but it fortunately coincided with the evening's
approach that day, leaving the Earth to fill the position
in the night sky as the Moon did from there.
Jadeite didn't go more than a block before he could
tell that something was wrong. His perceptions were honed
as they had always been, though, and it only took a moment
for him to realize that there were no other people on the
street nearby. He could make out forms several blocks away
in different directions, but no one was close by. He found
himself coming to a halt at the corner of an intersection,
searching for what had caused the people to vacate the
area.
"Are you Jadeite?" came a voice from the opposite
corner of the street. Turning, Jadeite saw the source
standing between a pair of tall trees that he guessed were
oaks. A youthful girl was there, dressed in a white and
orange sailor fuku with a long gossamer bow at the back and
matching shoulder cups. Her hair was a brilliant blond,
flowing out at a length that had to be at least to her
waist when settled. She was clearly a Sailor Senshi, and,
when her blue eyes locked on his from across the way, he
recognized her.
"Sailor Venus. It's been ages since I last saw you."
Jadeite's response was of the cool, noble manner that came
to him naturally. With his gray eyes matching her blue
eyes, he seemed, at that moment, to possess a steely
determination. "Yes, I am he. Why have you sought me ought
and cleared the streets?" He could only think of one
probable explanation, but he didn't understand why she
would be there already to oppose him. No one was supposed
to know he was even alive.
"You were one of the Four Kings of the Dark Kingdom.
You can't blame me for being suspicious when you suddenly
show up after hundreds of years with no explanation or
reason. As one of the Queen's bodyguards and friends, it's
my duty to make sure that you can't do anything to harm her
or the people of this city." She was far more mature than
she had been in the Silver Millennium, and indeed even more
so than she had been when she had become a Sailor Senshi,
an event that had occurred well before the rebirth of
Sailor Moon.
"I don't know why I'm here myself," he responded, his
hands clenching tightly into fists at his sides. He allowed
himself a bit of his pride in that moment, not wanting to
say yet that he was there to apologize to Endymion. Still,
it was the truth in a certain sense. "You're not going to
leave me be peacefully, are you?" he added, noting the
determined look in her eyes that matched his own as the
corners of his lips turned down in a slight frown. Things
had gone remarkably well up until that point, but trouble
seemed inevitable. The posture she held, the look in her
eyes, and the way her voice was level and calm created a
grim picture of the situation.
"I can't stand by and let an evil person simply go
about their business. Given your past, I have no reason to
believe that you're here for any good reasons. I apologize,
but this has to be done." Her hands flew up quickly, and an
orange halo of light rose up from the ground around her,
accompanied by a wild wind that whipped about her hair and
fuku. Golden, heart shaped links snaked upwards in a large
spiral towards the point above her hands, and, for a
moment, she stood still before calling out her attack and
letting it fly.
"Venus Love Me Chain!" she shouted, shifting forward
as if throwing the chain towards him with her right arm so
that it lanced across the intersection towards him. The
golden light from the chain reflected off the silver
pavement and the crystal buildings around them, causing the
entire area to suddenly glow in response. It was a stunning
sight that made it appear as though the city itself was
coming to life to lend its aid to Venus.
"Why apologize for what you believe?" murmured
Jadeite as he took a moment to dive behind a nearby tree so
that the chain of energy could pass by, its radiance
casting itself against his simple white T-shirt and jeans.
The Sailor Senshi were strong. They had grown greatly from
the girls he'd fought as a King of the Dark Kingdom, and he
was fairly sure he wasn't going to be a match for even one
when he lacked all but the most basic of his powers.
Jadeite didn't have long to think about what to do,
though. The chain, moving much like a whip, snapped towards
him with the apparent intent of tightly binding him to the
tree. Ducking his head down, he let the energy chain lash
itself around the trunk before he rose up to step out from
behind his cover. She couldn't get him with that attack
anymore, at least, leaving him the winner of their first
round.
"Please, just surrender. I don't want anyone to be
hurt, and it'll be less taxing on us both," said Venus,
beginning to cautiously move out into the intersection. Her
hand tightly held the end of her chain as if it were still
a valid weapon, which concerned Jadeite. He was agile, to
his credit, though not to the extreme of many of the Sailor
Senshi, and, without his powers he felt particularly clumsy
in a battle.
"I've done nothing here that warrants my surrender,
and I can't give up until I've accomplished my mission,"
Jadeite responded, clenching his fists tightly as he tried
to remain light on his feet. Regardless of what she
thought, though, he couldn't let down his guard there and
just be beaten before he'd even gotten to look on the Moon
Palace, much less speak to the King. He considered a moment
as he watched her if, perhaps, he could have been more
lenient in his response, as it would probably make her leap
to the wrong conclusion, but it couldn't be helped anymore.
If he surrendered, he might have a chance to explain things
as he wished. He shook the though away after a moment
though, realizing that his credibility would be greatly
enhanced by the presence of Sailor Saturn with him.
Venus' chain of energy suddenly unfurled from the
tree at the use of a strong, subtle snap of her arm that
loosened and freed it. A similar motion of her arm sent it
flying towards Jadeite once again, the end's aim true as it
flowed towards his waist so that it could be wrapped around
him and put an end to the fight. However, Jadeite couldn't
let it end so easily. As the chain drew near, he reached
out with his left hand, forcing it to open. When Hotaru had
granted him power for that brief moment a week ago, it had
awoken some of his lingering knowledge, and the time had
come to call upon it.
A soft azure glow wrapped itself around his hand as
the chain reached him, and he deftly shifted it to the
side. A soft, electrical hiss permeated the air,
accompanied by the faint, acrid odor of ozone as the weak
energy field deflected the chain to the side, sending it
limply to the ground a few feet away. The trick had worked,
but Jadeite suspected that it would only manage to escalate
the conflict. Unfortunately, that was nearly the extent of
his power at the present time, and it concerned him
greatly. He wished dearly that he could call up a full
barrier to put the matter to rest.
Venus widened her eyes for a moment as she watched
her attack be deflected by the blond man. Still, she knew
it shouldn't have surprised her, since he was once one of
the Four Kings of the Dark Kingdom, and a Guardian of the
Earth before that. She couldn't help but respect the power
they had wielded, and they had once been good men. However,
all they were to her were enemies, and there was no choice
for her but to continue fighting. There was no reason to
waste time, either. She lifted one hand above her head,
yellow light gleaming about it as the energy chain faded
away.
"Crescent Beam!" she called out, bringing her hands
down. With her right arm forward, she pointed at Jadeite
with her index finger. A beam of yellow light, gleaming
much brighter than the chain before had, lanced out towards
him. Unlike before, the light was warped in color as it
reflected off of the buildings, thanks to its more normal
nature. A rainbow of myriad hues was cast out along the
street as Jadeite twisted his body sharply to let the beam
pass by and strike the wall some distance behind him.
There, the light was shifted and cast out through the
entire section in non-damaging but beautiful beams.
The initial beam, though, had possessed energy that
was quite damaging, or would have been had it struck
Jadeite. He could still feel the lingering warmth from the
attack that had nearly stricken him, and it gave him pause
as he looked back towards Venus. It certainly did not make
the situation any better. Still, if he could just gather
enough of his own energy, he might be able to make one
counter attack. It would only be one, though, and he wasn't
sure if he could really affect her in any significant
manner even then.
Jadeite's considerations of a counterattack were
interrupted when he was forced to duck a second beam of
energy from Venus. It also gave him the motivation to stop
standing still. Feet pounding against the silver street, he
took off in an attempt to cross it as quickly as possible
so that he could throw off a follow-up attack. It turned
out to be a wise idea, because another beam shot by behind
him. Rather than striking a building, the shot simply
trailed down the street to vanish in the distance.
It occurred to Jadeite that some people might
consider themselves too old for the sort of ordeal he was
experiencing. He was ancient if it was figured up
chronologically, his age nearing some twenty-six hundred
years. He had lived nearly fifty years in the Silver
Millennium, and then a thousand in the Dark Kingdom, though
that was only half of it. The world had spent a thousand
years in the Silence, and it was still being thawed even
during the current time in some places. Five hundred years
after it had begun, the Shin-Muun Kingdom had been forced
to deal with Wiseman. Finally, it had been fifty years
following that incident when Jadeite finally was set free.
While he hadn't aged greatly over any of the time thanks to
the powers that had been part of him, he still felt old
from time to time. Being in the middle of a fight which was
not necessary, and one that he was plainly able to tell was
not necessary, made him realize that he had acquired at
least some wisdom over the years, and that, in turn, made
him feel even older.
Jadeite was forced to bring himself to a sudden stop
as he reached the other side of the street as another of
Sailor Venus' crescent beams shot by a few steps in front
of him. Once again he felt the heat from the attack as it
nearly struck him, causing him to kneel from the exertion
of nearly clotheslining himself to avoid the attack. As he
worked to catch his breath, he finally allowed himself a
moment to sigh quietly. He was going to have to fight back,
or he was going to end up getting killed. He just needed to
find an opportunity to end the battle with minimal harm.
There was only one option that came to mind, though. He
dove to take cover in the doorway of the building at the
base of which he stood. He knew that she must have seen
him, but with her distance from him, the angle was too
extreme for her to hit him, and it'd take her a moment to
get to a position where she could attack.
Jadeite hoped that he'd have enough time as he lifted
his fist up before his chest, his other hand clamping on
his wrist as he began to try and use his abilities to
gather energy from the world around him. He couldn't gather
energy nearly as swiftly from the world as he'd been able
to before, but Moon Palace City was abundant with what he
needed, letting him call it to him more swiftly than he
expected. Electricity began to jump around his fist, its
flickering glow casting a blue hue through the shadowed
entryway of the building in which he stood. He was
thankful, for a moment, for the cloudy nature of the
crystal that composed that particular building. If he could
gather energy for just a few more moments, then he'd be
able to make a counterattack.
Sailor Venus could feel the odd static electricity in
the air as she ran down the street in an attempt to get to
a point from which she could attack Jadeite. Her lesser
attacks had all been avoided, and, to her, it looked as
though he'd done so easily despite the fact that it had
actually been more of a case of effort and luck on his
part. She was going to have to utilize her most powerful
attack to bring him under control, since the others hadn't
succeeded, and that meant that she couldn't hold back
against him any more. Just a little bit further, and she
could get him.
The glow from within the entryway caught Venus' eye
as she ran, and she managed to skid to a stop. She already
knew Jadeite was there, but she wasn't sure if he was going
to fire back. She knew the answer at that moment, though,
and she could see him with the energy burning around his
hand. It looked like he wasn't ready with his attack yet,
as well, and that meant that she had to take advantage of
the situation at that moment.
Turning to face him, she took a solid stance and ran
her hand up through her blond hair. Orange light flashed up
from beneath her, and, in front of her the symbol of Venus
appeared, formed from intense energy. Turning her body into
a pose befitting a model, with one leg slightly raised and
a hand on her hip, with the other near her face, she gave a
wink, and then made a kiss into midair.
"Venus, Love and Beauty Shock!" she said in a loud,
but gentle, call as orange light formed a giant heart where
she'd kissed the air. It launched forth, spinning in the
air and glowing on its way towards Jadeite, who had no
choice but to meet it head on. There was no doubt that
there was significant power in her attack, and the only way
for him to stop the large strike was to meet it, if he
could.
Jadeite lowered his hand to his side, and then simply
reached forward in a motion akin to punching. He knew, even
as he let the bolt of electricity free, that it wasn't
sufficient to take down Venus. He didn't have the time, or
the capacity, to call on the energy that he'd have needed
to defeat her, and it was about to be proven beyond a
doubt. Crackling, blazing electricity, its hum filling the
air in tune with the chime of Venus' attack, met the orange
energy in the form of a heart. He had gathered as much
power as he was capable of collecting, and it packed a
solid punch, tearing a chunk of the heart away as it shot
through and then faded, its energy spent. It did not,
however, fully stop the attack, and the remnants of Venus'
energy headed straight towards him.
"Damn," Jadeite uttered quietly just before the
energy struck him, pushing him forcefully against the
unyielding crystal wall of the entryway in which he'd taken
cover. Pain exploded through his nerves, burning through
him from his entire right side and his forehead. He dropped
down to one knee, supporting himself with his arm against
the wall to keep from falling all the way down. It occurred
to him that the Senshi were as powerful as they had been in
the distant past of the Silver Millennium. Perhaps even
more so, in fact, as they had faced much more difficult
battles than they ever had then. He, on the other hand, had
very little with which to fight. However, he knew he
couldn't give up. Through the haze of pain, he tried to
focus enough to gather some more energy to launch at Venus.
"Haven't you had enough yet?" asked Venus in a
rhetorical manner. It was obvious he was still going to try
and fend her off, despite the fact that he knew he had no
chance of winning. "All right, then. We'll finish this
now." Venus raised her hands up above her head, golden
energy once more collecting there. Jadeite, wounded and
somewhat incoherent due to the fact he was trying to gather
enough energy to stop her, was just as oblivious as she was
to the sound of footsteps rushing towards them.
"Venus, Crescent Beam Sho--" Venus found herself
interrupted as she spoke the name of her attack and took
aim by the gleaming U-shaped blade of the Silence Glaive as
it poised itself no more than an inch from her neck. So
masterfully crafted and beautiful was that weapon that, as
Venus looked over to connect the only possible user of the
weapon to its haft, she could see the reflection of purple
eyes and black hair on the steel.
"Enough, Venus," said Sailor Saturn quietly, her
purple eyes slightly narrowed as she focused on the blond
Sailor Senshi. "What in the world are you doing? Since when
are we supposed to attack people for no reason?" Her voice
was deathly calm, but there was a rising hint of veiled
anger behind it that Venus couldn't quite understand.
"What do you mean?" asked Venus, remaining totally
still. The power of that weapon so near her was undeniable,
and to be near the receiving end of its might was not a
situation in which she wished to be. "That's Jadeite, isn't
it, a King of the Dark Kingdom?" It didn't make sense to
her that another Senshi should be defending one of their
darkest enemies.
"He is here because we decided to bring him here,
Venus. Please don't interfere. You'll find out soon enough
as it is," said Saturn. The Silence Glaive remained
motionless at Venus' neck as she spoke, her white-gloved
hands holding the weapon firmly. "Now, please step away so
I can see if he's all right."
"All right, then," said Venus quietly, taking a few
steps away. She didn't outwardly show it, but she was quite
thankful to be away from Saturn's deadly weapon. She could
almost feel where it had been aimed, and it wasn't until
Saturn had moved towards Jadeite and lowered the weapon
that she reached up to tentatively rub her neck here. It
was faintly sore when she touched it, and to her surprise
there were a few small smears of blood when she pulled her
gloved hand away. The weapon had cut her without even
touching her, and she was reminded in that instant why
Saturn was one of the most powerful of all the Sailor
Senshi.
Watching the exchange, Jadeite had waited several
long moments to let the energy he was gathering disperse.
He was glad that he'd been able to call on it at all, but
it was painfully obvious, yet again, just how weak he
really was at present. After taking a few moments to catch
his breath, he let out a soft sigh, and let himself slide
all the way down the wall to sit with his back against it
on the ground. The soft touch of blood could be felt as it
ran down the side of his face from his hit on the wall, and
he could feel the dull soreness in his right arm, which had
struck the solid crystal first.
"Jadeite, are you well?" asked Saturn as she kneeled
next to him, holding the Silence Glaive in her left hand
lightly. She knew that he wasn't in the best shape simply
by looking at him. His hair was quickly matting from blood
slowly seeping from his hairline, and his arm was already
bruising darkly. It was easily possible he'd broken his it.
"You might say that it stings a little," responded
Jadeite quietly, fixing his steel gray eyes on Saturn. "I
hate to say it, but I've had much worse in the past." That,
at least, was very true. From the fight with the youma a
week ago, and reaching all the way back to the time he'd
been run over by an airplane, it was quite true that he'd
experienced his share of injuries.
"I'll try and heal you," said Saturn, resting her
hand softly upon his forehead as she did so. It'd take her
a few moments to get him to feel better, but she could
repair the damage that had been done. Unfortunately, she
lacked those few moments, as another voice, belonging to
another Senshi, interrupted her.
"What's going on? Why is she helping him?" The
normally cool, but distinctly angry, voice of Sailor Mars
broke through the temporary quiet that had settled on the
streets. Her violet eyes focused on the scene of Venus
standing and watching as Sailor Saturn tended to Jadeite.
It made no sense, as far as she could tell.
"I'm not sure myself, yet," replied Venus, turning
towards the newly arrived Mars with a slightly confused
look on her face. "He refused to give in when I told him to
surrender, and so I tried to capture him as best I could.
If it weren't for your warning, we'd never have known he
was here on the Moon." She seemed to be fairly composed,
particularly for someone who had just had an awesomely
powerful weapon pointed at her.
"So long as he was stopped. Give me a minute to try
and contact the King and Queen, so we can figure out what
to do." Mars went over towards the building, her eyes
focusing on Jadeite as she passed by him so that she could
use a telephone inside. Violet met gray, and, for a moment,
time seemed to freeze. They were no more than a couple of
feet away, an occurrence that hadn't taken place since the
Silver Millennium. For a split second, her resolve weakened
as she looked at him and remembered him as he was. There
was something about the look in his eyes that hadn't been
there when she'd fought him as a King of the Dark Kingdom.
She couldn't quite identify it, but she knew it was there,
and it troubled her more than she wanted to admit. Tearing
her gaze away, she finished her trip inside, and moved to
call the King and Queen.
"Mars told you he was coming here?" asked Saturn,
turning to look at Venus. She had remained silent as
Jadeite and Mars had exchanged glances, trying to determine
exactly what there was that was being communicated, or not
communicated, between them. She felt a vague flash of heat
within her as she remembered what they had been in the
Silver Millennium, and tried to identify the feeling with
which she was suddenly assaulted. Was it jealousy of a
single glance? She shook her head slightly to dismiss the
idea. After all, Jadeite was just a friend to her, not to
mention that he and Mars were practically the worst of
enemies.
"She let me know, yes," replied Venus, looking back
at the pair as Saturn tried to help Jadeite. "Why is he
here? I thought he was supposed to have been hurt or killed
back before I even showed up to help the rest of the
Senshi. Even if he wasn't, he wasn't accounted for. It
really didn't make sense that he'd have died that easily,
but how could he have just disappeared for so long?"
"Queen Beryl had imprisoned him in crystal for his
failure to defeat the other Senshi. He only recently
managed to finally escape from that torturous existence."
Saturn didn't mention that she was the reason he'd been
able to get free, and she saw no reason to mention such at
present. It'd be known soon enough as it was, and it wasn't
necessary to mention something that might have caused a
rift among the Senshi. She didn't want any more of a rift
than there was already going to be.
"Is he, you know, safe?" asked Venus, peering at the
slowly healing Jadeite. Saturn must have been protecting
him for a reason, so she didn't seem to regard him as so
much of an enemy any more. Rather, she was treating him
more like a curiosity than anything else.
"I wouldn't have brought him here if it weren't safe,
Venus," replied Hotaru a bit more coldly than she meant to.
She caught herself, though, and uttered an apology. "Sorry,
I didn't mean to be so harsh." She really couldn't place
why she'd been so quick to defend him. It was true that he
wasn't dangerous, since, if he were planning on having done
anything, he would have gone through with it long ago.
"It's all right," said Venus slowly. She didn't know
quite what to make of Saturn's somewhat odd behavior in the
past few minutes. If she was trying to protect Jadeite, it
made sense that she'd have defended him with her weapon as
she did, since he could have possibly been killed, but her
defense of his character didn't quite figure in; not unless
she had some other sort of connection to him beyond just
that of escorting him here. "So why did you bring him here,
then?"
"I need to take him to discuss some important matters
with Pluto, and he wanted to meet with King Endymion and
apologize to him." Saturn simply stated the business
plainly, not needing to accent the fact that Jadeite was
here to apologize. Her manner of speech made it readily
apparent that it was his purpose in being there. When in
the form of Sailor Saturn, Hotaru was much more to the
point and calm, never over emphasizing things.
"Apologize to him? Oh, right, didn't he get in a
fight with him before Mars messed up his control of the
planes? He almost killed King Endymion." Venus took a
moment to collect all the facts in her mind, but they were
accurate. It surprised her, too, that apology was his
reason for being there. It was not a characteristic that
she associated with Kings of the Dark Kingdom in the least,
and yet, if he were there, he couldn't really be one of
them any more, since the Dark Kingdom no longer existed.
"The King and Queen want him brought to the Moon
Palace immediately so that they can speak with him," said
Mars as she reappeared in the doorway of the building.
"We're to escort him there, and they want to know why
you're protecting him, Saturn."
"We can't go immediately," responded Saturn calmly.
"Go and tell them that we'll be there soon."
"What? You can't just deny what they request!" Mars
found herself angered by the belligerence of Saturn's
response. No one ever refused requests of the King and
Queen, and those were orders, not requests, making it even
more astonishing.
"Can you stand up, Jadeite?" Saturn asked him
quietly, turning her attention back where she believed it
belonged.
"I'll be fine," Jadeite responded, beginning to pull
himself up to his feet slowly. His legs hadn't been hurt,
fortunately, and that made it a lot easier for him to
stand, though the head wound made him slightly dizzy.
"Where are we going?"
"We have to meet with Pluto. That way we can be ready
to go before the King and Queen." Saturn put her free arm
around his shoulders to help him keep his balance, then
began to lead him off.
"You can't just go, Saturn. His presence was ordered
by Serenity!" said Mars. She didn't want to have to try and
stop them, but the King and Queen were the law of the
entire Shin-Muun Kingdom. It wasn't something people
defied. Still, if she had to, she would do her best.
"Go and tell them, along with Venus, that we'll be
there in an hour. Please don't get in my way. These matters
are very important, and I don't want to waste any more
time." Perhaps the most disturbing thing about the way she
was acting was the fact that she was still as calm and
collected as she had been for the majority of the
encounter, though to prove that she was serious, she hefted
up the Silence Glaive slightly, pausing to point it warily
in the direction of Mars and Venus.
"Fine, then," said Mars, her voice betraying her
obvious awe at, and irritation with, the situation. "Come
on, Venus. Let's get over there quickly." Mars took off in
a run, crossing the street quickly as she headed off for
the Moon Palace. Venus followed suit, simply giving an
apologetic smile to Saturn and Jadeite on her way. She was
much more easily able to feel empathy for them than Mars,
and even if they didn't realize it, she could tell that
there might be something between them someday.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Crystal Watcher's Spire was a single, smooth
point that rose up even above the top of the Moon Palace,
its peak capped by glittering white that shone like
diamond. If one were to step outside of Moon Palace City,
the majestic point would become visible almost immediately
thanks to the way it towered above the skyline. The
structure almost appeared to be made of pure white light
when the sun struck it correctly, making it hard to
approach from the outside. No one ever gained access to the
structure unless they were invited or were one of the four
who belonged there, for the outside had no visible doorways
or even windows.
The building itself rested amidst a small park filled
with ivy that seemed to almost writhe as if it were an
animal, when the breeze touched it. Tendrils of the plants
seemed to slither across the walk as if to ward off any
whom were foolish enough to approach the Spire, the base of
which was larger than those who saw it from outside of the
town ever expected. The generally accepted measurement was
sixty meters, and those who inquired at the city's depot of
building blueprints would find that that was the listed
size. However, when one stood near to it, it seemed to be
almost half again that size. Few ever gave it much thought,
though.
At the base of the gleaming Spire, which had begun to
glow as the last fading rays of sunlight caught its very
tip, there stood the figures of Sailor Saturn and Jadeite.
Let through the vines by Saturn, Jadeite found that the ivy
seemed rather docile and natural up close, remaining
unmoving as his feet crossed over it beside Saturn's boots.
Still, he couldn't escape the feeling that something wasn't
quite natural about it. He pondered it as they advanced for
a few moments until they stood no more than a few feet from
the smooth, crystalline exterior of the Spire.
"This is where Pluto is waiting for us. The building
is called the Crystal Watcher's Spire, and all of the Outer
Senshi use this as the main base of operations for
protecting the Solar System from threats that come from
outside," spoke Saturn, looking over to Jadeite as she did
so. "Go ahead and keep walking. It'll be fine, don't
worry."
"An illusion, is it?" asked Jadeite quietly. One of
his greatest fortes was the art of illusion magic, and,
though he found himself unable to call upon it in any
capacity, he found it remarkably easy to recognize even
when he was in his present condition. Even so, the simple
disregarding of the most powerful of all defense mechanisms
the place possessed shocked Saturn slightly.
"How can you tell?" she asked, turning her purple
eyes back to the almost arrow-like building. It had taken
all four of the Outer Senshi's powers to generate the image
of the Spire being wider than it truly was, and so she was
right in her unpreparedness for Jadeite seeing through it
so casually.
"There's a slight aura that I always have seen about
illusions, that I can not seem to shake. Well, rather I
should say that during the Dark Kingdom time, I lost the
ability." He found it hard to say that he believed it had
been from the youma parts of his body that he had possessed
then, for he no longer could readily accept the fact that
he'd allowed such a thing to happen to him. Since he was
human again, such things were not there to spoil his senses
and it made him appreciate the rebirth that he'd
experienced.
"Is there any way we could avoid it being
detectable?" asked Hotaru of the former Guardian. If he
could see through it, maybe there were others who also were
able to do so. However, no one had ever noticed it before,
so it might have been that he was unique in that ability.
Her speculation on the topic was answered even without it
being vocalized when he spoke again, however.
"I do not believe so. It's something ingrained in the
very fact that it's magic that lets me see it. I only ever
knew one other person in the entire time I've existed that
was able to do the same thing, and he is long since dead."
There was a momentary, wistful sigh that escaped from
Jadeite as he finished his statement. So many people had
met fates that seemed cruel in his lifetime, and many of
them were centered around him. It was a large part of why
he sought to become a Guardian of the Earth once again. The
chance to atone for the hurt that others had suffered
through their relations to him was one over which he
couldn't pass.
"I guess it's not that major a concern then, if
you're the only one who can tell. Anyway, shall we go in?"
It took Saturn a few minutes to respond to Jadeite's words
as she considered them carefully. As she had lived near
him, she had become more and more sensitive to the subtle
characteristics of his outward expressions in relation to
his moods and thoughts. They truly were well masked, and
she doubted that many other people would ever have been
able to determine those slight changes in the way his eyes
were narrowed or the shift of mere hairsbreadths of his
lips.
"I do not wish to keep anyone waiting longer than
necessary," replied Jadeite, taking a soft breath to steel
himself before he stepped forward and disappeared through
the building's illusionary outer wall. The crystal didn't
appear to ripple, or indeed, even change its hue as he
entered it, instead remaining perfectly motionless and
solid in appearance. What he saw on the other side gave him
reason to pause.
"We have to make sure the Spire is well defended.
It's a peaceful time, but, after the come of the Death
Phantom, we decided that we needed to be certain that no
one could get in here, be they friend or foe, unless we let
them," Saturn said as Jadeite looked slowly over the
perimeter of the tower's real base. Almost like the thorns
of a rose, a series of spikes made of the same crystal as
the building jutted out, slowly performing a dance. They
all seemed to be organized into a pair of rather random
rows that revolved opposite one another. Their edges
appeared to be much like serrated glass, and he had no
doubt that they would easily shred a person who got caught
in their slow waltz.
"So, how does one who is invited get in, then?"
Jadeite asked after a few moments of watching the deadly
thorns. "I assume that there is a door."
"They have a cycle. The thorns appear random in their
movements, but every few minutes their pattern forms an
opening that you have about thirty seconds pass. If we're
expecting trouble, we can make the rotation much faster,
though," replied Saturn, standing next to Jadeite after
having stepped through a moment after he had. "Once it's
clear, we'll go in and meet with Pluto."
"It seems like we arrived just in time," said Jadeite
when Saturn finished. The thorns had drifted apart, and
there he could see a very simple arch-shaped section that
glowed with the telltale blue of illusion magic. He didn't
have time to say anything else, though, thanks to a push on
his back from Saturn that sent him through the doorway.
"Remember, there's not long to go through, so we
can't hang around out there if we don't want to waste more
time waiting for another cycle to complete," said Saturn as
she stepped into the interior of the Spire behind him. The
structure's insides were much as he'd imagined they might
have been, made entirely of partially transparent blue,
white, and green crystal. However, what surprised him was
the dimness of the area, as only a faint glow provided
illumination that highlighted the ascending spiral stairs
in the center of the large entryway. Its size was
impressive, and Jadeite guessed that it took up the entire
ground floor of the Spire.
"I didn't think I hesitated that much," Jadeite said,
smiling faintly. He wasn't irritated by Saturn's action,
and he could tell from the soft rise in her voice that she
had meant it as a joke of sorts. He suspected that she
wouldn't have done that aggressively, mild as it was, to
anyone else, and it almost gave him reason to pause and
consider it. However, he had not forgotten that they were
there for a reason. "Up the stairs, then."
"Yes, all the way to the top. Pluto should be
there," said Saturn, falling in behind Jadeite as he made
his way to the stairs and began the ascent. The stairway
was long, though he believed that it was not the full
height of the Spire itself thanks to some magic of a
spacial nature. There were plenty of different levels to
the structure, but they did not stop at any of the doors
until, finally, the stairs came to a halt before a single
wooden door. It was the only thing he'd seen in the entire
building not made of crystal, which puzzled him slightly.
Jadeite stood to the side of the door, looking back
at Saturn as she crested the steps. She stood there for a
moment, lightly leaning on the Silence Glaive before she
nodded to him slightly and went to open the door, pulling
it outward by a silver ring that took the place of a
doorknob. It swung silently open to reveal a room that, to
Jadeite's surprise, was even more dimly lit than the rest
of the Spire. He did not allow himself to hold any
reservations, though, when Saturn stepped in, his feet
carrying him through the doorway in her wake.
"You're already having trouble, and you've not been
here even half a day," said a mature, enunciated voice. Its
source drew Jadeite's attention almost instantly, and
immediately he found himself meeting her gaze, despite the
fact that he had resolved not to do so previously. Within
those cerise eyes he could see something similar to what he
had so long ago in the Silver Millennium and it began to
tug at something deep within him. Apprehension threatened
to grip him, but then, it suddenly faded away.
"Sailor Pluto," Jadeite said quietly, "such a long
time since we last met, hasn't it been?" It almost
surprised him that he could sound so calm when she had
unnerved him so much only a moment ago. Perhaps it was the
relief of finally understanding what had been in her eyes?
It had been as if she were watching a tragedy that only she
could see, and it dawned on him that with her powers, she
had probably been able to glean some hint of what was to
come for both him and others of the Silver Millennium.
"It has been many years. You've aged well, Jadeite,"
Pluto said in response, shifting so that she was beneath a
soft shaft of dim light that seemed to follow her once she
had entered its area. "You are a lot stronger than I
remember, though." Her voice pierced the quiet room once
again, and finally he could plainly see her dark green and
white sailor fuku, complete with pink ribbons at the back
of the waist. Still, his attention was mainly caught by her
eyes, as well as the long, dark hair that held a green
sheen to its long black locks which brushed at her thighs.
"I wouldn't say that I'm stronger than I was then,
but it is a compliment that I will accept," responded the
blond former Guardian. "Being frozen helped my appearance,
as well. There was no capacity for aging." Those born in
the Silver Millennium had been prone to much greater life
spans than the people of the modern Shin-Muun Kingdom,
though that was gradually changing. Not long before, the
power had been discovered to use the ginzuishou, the Silver
Crystal, to grant longer life to many of the common people
of the kingdom. Even with that boon to his life, had he not
been frozen, he would probably have died many years ago.
"You were not quite as strong in your convictions
back then as you are now. Despite your loss of power, you
have more of a sense of loyalty. Hence, you have become
stronger. However, this is not the time to discuss such
matters as that." Pluto allowed Jadeite and Saturn a moment
to situate themselves under spotlights similar to the one
beneath which she stood before continuing.
"I must confer with Saturn, but I suspect that I
already know what she is going to tell me. Jadeite, you
must be absolutely certain that King Endymion bestows your
former title and position on you once more, along with the
powers it entails. Since we don't have much time, thanks to
the rather hasty judgments made by some of the other
Senshi, though they were doing what they thought best, I
cannot go into detail as to why it is so imperative."
"It has become necessary?" asked Saturn softly,
speaking for the first time since she'd entered the room.
"You must have learned something while I've been away." Her
sudden entrance into the conversation wasn't totally
unexpected by Jadeite, but it did make it obvious that
there were things he was not yet aware of. In time, though,
he imagined that he'd learn what was going on.
"I haven't any intention of failing, regardless of
how important it may or may not be," said Jadeite, taking
his turn to speak. "If it's needed, though, I won't back
down from it. I would like to know why the situation is so
grim, though, if it's possible." It would be different to
fight in defense of the Moon, rather than against it, when
he considered the possibility. Defending the Earth was
familiar, but, because the two had practically become one
with regards to government and rulership he found that he
had no trouble with the idea of his loyalty lying in both.
"The foundation of this world is in danger of
cracking. That is all I can say for the moment. Now, go
ahead, and hurry to the Moon Palace. The King and Queen are
no doubt waiting for you very anxiously." Pluto smiled
faintly as she finished speaking. "Good luck to the both of
you."
"Both of us?" asked Saturn quietly, looking away from
Jadeite, towards whom she'd found her eyes unconsciously
drifting to eye Sailor Pluto in a bit of confusion.
"You'll understand very soon, Hotaru-chan," responded
Pluto. "As I said, though, get yourselves going. I'll have
time to talk to you before Jadeite is available for me to
speak to again. We'll go over things then."
"Very well, then," said Saturn, turning to step back
towards the door, which appeared much the same as it did
from outside the room. Oddly enough, it even seemed to be
as well lit as it was outside, as though to make it easy to
find.
"Until the next time we meet," said Jadeite, who
bowed deeply before following Saturn on his way out of the
room. Together they made their way back down to the base of
the Spire, and from there they began the trek over to the
Moon Palace. It was not far off, and soon, they found
themselves standing outside the front gate of the massive
home of the Shin-Muun Kingdom's royalty. Soon, Jadeite
would see King Endymion once more, and he would be able to
apologize. Just as important, it would be his chance to
reclaim the title that he had lost. Not out of pride did he
seek the title, though, instead wanting it so that he could
redeem himself. Only time would tell if he would be granted
that chance.
by Asura
Faded_Seraph@yahoo.com
The third chapter of this fanfic, we finally make it
to the moon in this chapter. Plenty of things going on now,
but it's only the beginning. I had originally planned for
only 13 chapters for this, but after considering the
lengths of what I've already done and what's planned for
the story, I've had to expand that to 26 chapters. This
generally means that I have no life, and will continue to
have my soul sucked away by this work. Still, if people
read it and like it, all is well. I'm particularly pleased
that my girlfriend is getting as much enjoyment out of it
as she is. I'd also like to thank my editor for his help,
though he shall remain anonymous for now. And, on a final
note before we get started, the characters herein belong to
Naoko Takeuchi, a wonderful Japanese TV production company,
and, despite repeated attempts by several MS Teams equipped
with Gelgoogs, DiC and Cloverway own the American
distribution rights.
Chapter 3: E Arashi: Koushin no Hono'o – Jadeite's Rebirth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In space there was no sound, contrary to what popular
videos and the like would have had one believe. It was an
eerily quiet tapestry of stars and planets against a black
backdrop, with shadowed asteroids and blazing comets
cutting across it like the paintbrushes of some great
artist. Immeasurable beauty that was without a doubt lethal
to those who dared venture into it without protection,
space was much like a rose: beautiful, but demanding of
respect and caution from its admirers.
In the course of his life, Jadeite had been in space
several times, though, like of his many experiences, that
had been back in the time of the Silver Millennium.
Escorting Prince Endymion had been an important duty, and
his frequent trips to the Moon had necessitated that the
Four Guardians travel with him. Looking back, it probably
hadn't been necessary. The real threat had always been on
the Earth in the form of Queen Beryl. He was thankful for
those times, though, as it freed him of any anxiety due to
traveling in space.
Soon, the Moon came into view, and though they could
not see the city that surrounded the Moon Palace from the
shuttle the surface of the orbiting planetoid was
occasionally marked by grass and lakes. In the time since
their trials against the various enemies of Earth the
Senshi had helped efforts to reach out and terraform
several nearby worlds including the Moon, since it was to
be the site from which the King and Queen would rule. Mars
and Venus were the first worlds to once again receive human
life in the system as well, with projects on Mercury in the
initial stages.
"Once we land, I'm going to go and arrange for the
meeting with King Endymion tomorrow morning. The Knight's
Rest Inn is about halfway into the city, and is probably
the best place to stay, so, if you go ahead and get a room
there I'll meet you after the arrangements have been
made." The two had been silent most of the way to the Moon,
but finally Hotaru Tomoe had spoken, bringing the necessary
plans to light. Appointments were required to meet with the
King and Queen, but it was another meeting of importance
that had to be managed more carefully.
"From what I've seen in looking at this map, it's
located down the main road a few miles. I should have no
problem finding it. After I've gotten a room I'll wait for
you to let me know what the times will be." As much as he
did not want to, Jadeite found himself a bit nervous at the
approaching meeting with King Endymion. Could he even be
forgiven for the things that he had done? They were among
the most evil acts a man could commit, after all, and he
certainly had not shown any mercy to Endymion when they met
at the beginning of the Senshi's reawakening.
"Just so you know, we're going to have to meet with
Sailor Pluto before we see the King and Queen. There are
some important things you need to be told, and she has a
better grasp of them than I do." Another of the most rare
of Sailor Senshi, it somewhat surprised Jadeite that he'd
be taken to meet with Pluto. Particularly surprising, in
fact, was that it would take place before he even met with
the King and Queen, since they were always the unquestioned
rulers of the Shin-Muun Kingdom.
"Sailor Pluto. I met her only once before in my life,
and I remember it with perfect clarity even to this day."
Jadeite fought the urge to shudder just slightly as he
thought of the ninth Sailor Senshi, the Guardian of Time.
Her presence was a unique feeling in itself, but it was her
gaze that he found lingering in his mind. "If that is how
it needs to be, however, I will not question it." It was
his second chance, and he would not jeopardize it under any
circumstances, after coming as far as he already had.
"I didn't know that you'd met her before. You'll have
to tell me about it tonight once we've got taken care of
everything." Hotaru didn't seem to notice the slight
discomfort Jadeite felt at the prospect of meeting Pluto
again. Despite her knowledge of the power wielded by Pluto,
Hotaru's relationship with her had been more familial than
anything else, which had taken the edge off of her
commanding presence. She had considered asking him, but she
noticed a small indicator above go off to warn the
passengers of the nearing end of the journey. "Buckle
yourself in. We're preparing to land."
Secured firmly in their seats, Jadeite and Hotaru sat
tight as the ship shuddered slightly upon entering the
atmosphere of the Moon before it began to level off and
prepare for landing at the long runway that lay in front of
the Moon Palace. "Moon Palace" was a term with two
functions. When simply spoken as "the Moon Palace," it
referred to the royal structure that housed the King,
Queen, and their daughter as well as many of the
dignitaries of Earth when they visited, including the
Sailor Senshi. When referred to in the vein of "Moon Palace
City," the term meant the capital of the Shin-Muun Kingdom,
a large metropolitan area that was second only to Crystal
Tokyo in size. As the ship was oriented for the final
approach, the window finally allowed a view of the city.
Crystal Tokyo was a city built in a stunning hybrid
of crystal, steel, and concrete that made it a mixture of
both old and futuristic styles. Moon Palace City was the
evolution of cities taken to the next step. Magnificent,
glittering crystal spires rose from the surface of the
Moon, many with multicolored banners waving at their
apexes. Some of the buildings were dark crystal, seemingly
built to provide artistic contrast to the more brilliant
structures that refracted the light in a variety of
prismatic ways, which sprayed a spectrum of colors across
the cityscape. The effect became more dramatic when it
became apparent that even that light struck more buildings
and continuously shifted, creating in the end a city of
quartz, topaz, and diamond bound together by rainbows.
Among the crystal and light, there were numerous areas of
paved, silvery roads bordered by sidewalks that were, of
all things, simple grass. Trees ascended along every road,
casting their color into the heart of the city and seeming
to almost glow themselves, as though the growth was the
lifeblood of the city.
Jadeite could hear a few gasps and intonations of
excitement and wonder as the other passengers on the
shuttle observed the city from their windows. The people
who were visiting for the first time were the most obvious,
echoing sometimes shouts of excitement or simple hushed
admiration. Jadeite found himself at least equally moved by
the sight, though he made no sound at all. It was
magnificent, and truly seemed to surpass even the capital
of the White Moon Kingdom of long ago, but it also reminded
him that he had participated in the destruction of such
things in the past. It was not simply a city, a work of art
that coexisted with the population of the Moon. Had he
succeeded in the past, and indeed had any of those who had
fought the Sailor Senshi succeeded, the city would never
have existed.
Soon, the magnificent, panoramic view was replaced by
a much closer and more personal view as the shuttle's
wheels lowered and touched the runway at the spaceport and
they finally taxied to the concourse. The end of the trip
put to rest Jadeite's wanderings in his mind, since there
were more immediate concerns to take their place. Removing
the seat belt, an action mirrored by Hotaru next to him, he
rose up, and pulled their bags from the luggage
compartments underneath the seats. Dividing the bags
between themselves, they joined the crowd of passengers
shuffling their way towards the doors of the shuttle. A
short time later, they were standing on the marble floors
inside the concourse.
"Are you sure you'll be all right getting there,
Jadeite?" asked Hotaru as they stood near the exits of the
spaceport, overlooking the streets of Moon Palace City. Up
close, the city was no less impressive than it had been
from a distance, and if anything, it was more magnificent
from up close. It could be seen that all the plant life --
the trees, the grass, and even flowers -- were in perfect
health and always well maintained. The crystal of the
buildings was polished and kept impeccably neat, varying
between cloudy spots which functioned almost like mirrors
and areas of near transparency.
"I don't expect to encounter much trouble. If the
Moon is anything like it was in the past, I should have
nothing to worry me," said Jadeite as he rested the strap
of his bag on his shoulder. "Time to get going, at any
rate. Good luck getting everything set up." With a slight
wave towards Hotaru, Jadeite then began to make his way
through the doors, and onto the streets of Moon Palace
City.
"I'm sure that it'll go well. See you tonight,
Jadeite." Hotaru mirrored the wave, and went off in a
different direction, weaving her way down the streets. She
knew exactly where she was going, her first stop meant to
be the Moon Palace itself so that she could speak to the
King and Queen. Then, it would be off to the Crystal
Watcher's Spire to meet with Sailor Pluto and discuss any
new developments that might have occurred in the last few
months. It was also going to be difficult to try and
determine what they should tell Jadeite about his revival.
She had faith that Pluto would come up with a way to tell
him, though. Perhaps things would turn out well, and they'd
even discover that there hadn't been as much of a threat as
previously believed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The walk to the Knight's Rest Inn had been rather
pleasant, and had actually exceeded Jadeite's expectations
of the city. Walking through the city had made even more
evident the loving care its citizens put into its care. No
litter cluttered the streets, and even the few outdoor
restaurants he passed were notably devoid of trash. It had
been even simpler to navigate than he had thought it would
be at first, and there had been no trouble securing a room
when he finally had gotten there.
The room itself was a very nice setting, with a
sizable bed covered by high quality sheets, a unique desk
and chair that seemed to be made from crystal, like the
buildings, and an extra seat. There weren't any windows in
the traditional sense, but the crystal of the outside wall
was transparent. A small panel rested on it, and apparently
controlled the ability to have the crystal cloud up and
become opaque. There were other subtle touches as well,
including a nightstand and several clocks placed throughout
the room.
Jadeite didn't stay in the room long before simply
setting down his bag and heading out again. The conditions
outside had caught his attention, and he decided that he
would pass the time waiting for Hotaru by taking a short
walk around the area. Not only were the grounds beautiful,
and frequently paced by artwork from various sculptors and
artists of the city, but the weather was warm, and the sun
was beginning its descent in time to the Earth's ascent
into the sky. The path of the sun was different than it was
on Earth, but it fortunately coincided with the evening's
approach that day, leaving the Earth to fill the position
in the night sky as the Moon did from there.
Jadeite didn't go more than a block before he could
tell that something was wrong. His perceptions were honed
as they had always been, though, and it only took a moment
for him to realize that there were no other people on the
street nearby. He could make out forms several blocks away
in different directions, but no one was close by. He found
himself coming to a halt at the corner of an intersection,
searching for what had caused the people to vacate the
area.
"Are you Jadeite?" came a voice from the opposite
corner of the street. Turning, Jadeite saw the source
standing between a pair of tall trees that he guessed were
oaks. A youthful girl was there, dressed in a white and
orange sailor fuku with a long gossamer bow at the back and
matching shoulder cups. Her hair was a brilliant blond,
flowing out at a length that had to be at least to her
waist when settled. She was clearly a Sailor Senshi, and,
when her blue eyes locked on his from across the way, he
recognized her.
"Sailor Venus. It's been ages since I last saw you."
Jadeite's response was of the cool, noble manner that came
to him naturally. With his gray eyes matching her blue
eyes, he seemed, at that moment, to possess a steely
determination. "Yes, I am he. Why have you sought me ought
and cleared the streets?" He could only think of one
probable explanation, but he didn't understand why she
would be there already to oppose him. No one was supposed
to know he was even alive.
"You were one of the Four Kings of the Dark Kingdom.
You can't blame me for being suspicious when you suddenly
show up after hundreds of years with no explanation or
reason. As one of the Queen's bodyguards and friends, it's
my duty to make sure that you can't do anything to harm her
or the people of this city." She was far more mature than
she had been in the Silver Millennium, and indeed even more
so than she had been when she had become a Sailor Senshi,
an event that had occurred well before the rebirth of
Sailor Moon.
"I don't know why I'm here myself," he responded, his
hands clenching tightly into fists at his sides. He allowed
himself a bit of his pride in that moment, not wanting to
say yet that he was there to apologize to Endymion. Still,
it was the truth in a certain sense. "You're not going to
leave me be peacefully, are you?" he added, noting the
determined look in her eyes that matched his own as the
corners of his lips turned down in a slight frown. Things
had gone remarkably well up until that point, but trouble
seemed inevitable. The posture she held, the look in her
eyes, and the way her voice was level and calm created a
grim picture of the situation.
"I can't stand by and let an evil person simply go
about their business. Given your past, I have no reason to
believe that you're here for any good reasons. I apologize,
but this has to be done." Her hands flew up quickly, and an
orange halo of light rose up from the ground around her,
accompanied by a wild wind that whipped about her hair and
fuku. Golden, heart shaped links snaked upwards in a large
spiral towards the point above her hands, and, for a
moment, she stood still before calling out her attack and
letting it fly.
"Venus Love Me Chain!" she shouted, shifting forward
as if throwing the chain towards him with her right arm so
that it lanced across the intersection towards him. The
golden light from the chain reflected off the silver
pavement and the crystal buildings around them, causing the
entire area to suddenly glow in response. It was a stunning
sight that made it appear as though the city itself was
coming to life to lend its aid to Venus.
"Why apologize for what you believe?" murmured
Jadeite as he took a moment to dive behind a nearby tree so
that the chain of energy could pass by, its radiance
casting itself against his simple white T-shirt and jeans.
The Sailor Senshi were strong. They had grown greatly from
the girls he'd fought as a King of the Dark Kingdom, and he
was fairly sure he wasn't going to be a match for even one
when he lacked all but the most basic of his powers.
Jadeite didn't have long to think about what to do,
though. The chain, moving much like a whip, snapped towards
him with the apparent intent of tightly binding him to the
tree. Ducking his head down, he let the energy chain lash
itself around the trunk before he rose up to step out from
behind his cover. She couldn't get him with that attack
anymore, at least, leaving him the winner of their first
round.
"Please, just surrender. I don't want anyone to be
hurt, and it'll be less taxing on us both," said Venus,
beginning to cautiously move out into the intersection. Her
hand tightly held the end of her chain as if it were still
a valid weapon, which concerned Jadeite. He was agile, to
his credit, though not to the extreme of many of the Sailor
Senshi, and, without his powers he felt particularly clumsy
in a battle.
"I've done nothing here that warrants my surrender,
and I can't give up until I've accomplished my mission,"
Jadeite responded, clenching his fists tightly as he tried
to remain light on his feet. Regardless of what she
thought, though, he couldn't let down his guard there and
just be beaten before he'd even gotten to look on the Moon
Palace, much less speak to the King. He considered a moment
as he watched her if, perhaps, he could have been more
lenient in his response, as it would probably make her leap
to the wrong conclusion, but it couldn't be helped anymore.
If he surrendered, he might have a chance to explain things
as he wished. He shook the though away after a moment
though, realizing that his credibility would be greatly
enhanced by the presence of Sailor Saturn with him.
Venus' chain of energy suddenly unfurled from the
tree at the use of a strong, subtle snap of her arm that
loosened and freed it. A similar motion of her arm sent it
flying towards Jadeite once again, the end's aim true as it
flowed towards his waist so that it could be wrapped around
him and put an end to the fight. However, Jadeite couldn't
let it end so easily. As the chain drew near, he reached
out with his left hand, forcing it to open. When Hotaru had
granted him power for that brief moment a week ago, it had
awoken some of his lingering knowledge, and the time had
come to call upon it.
A soft azure glow wrapped itself around his hand as
the chain reached him, and he deftly shifted it to the
side. A soft, electrical hiss permeated the air,
accompanied by the faint, acrid odor of ozone as the weak
energy field deflected the chain to the side, sending it
limply to the ground a few feet away. The trick had worked,
but Jadeite suspected that it would only manage to escalate
the conflict. Unfortunately, that was nearly the extent of
his power at the present time, and it concerned him
greatly. He wished dearly that he could call up a full
barrier to put the matter to rest.
Venus widened her eyes for a moment as she watched
her attack be deflected by the blond man. Still, she knew
it shouldn't have surprised her, since he was once one of
the Four Kings of the Dark Kingdom, and a Guardian of the
Earth before that. She couldn't help but respect the power
they had wielded, and they had once been good men. However,
all they were to her were enemies, and there was no choice
for her but to continue fighting. There was no reason to
waste time, either. She lifted one hand above her head,
yellow light gleaming about it as the energy chain faded
away.
"Crescent Beam!" she called out, bringing her hands
down. With her right arm forward, she pointed at Jadeite
with her index finger. A beam of yellow light, gleaming
much brighter than the chain before had, lanced out towards
him. Unlike before, the light was warped in color as it
reflected off of the buildings, thanks to its more normal
nature. A rainbow of myriad hues was cast out along the
street as Jadeite twisted his body sharply to let the beam
pass by and strike the wall some distance behind him.
There, the light was shifted and cast out through the
entire section in non-damaging but beautiful beams.
The initial beam, though, had possessed energy that
was quite damaging, or would have been had it struck
Jadeite. He could still feel the lingering warmth from the
attack that had nearly stricken him, and it gave him pause
as he looked back towards Venus. It certainly did not make
the situation any better. Still, if he could just gather
enough of his own energy, he might be able to make one
counter attack. It would only be one, though, and he wasn't
sure if he could really affect her in any significant
manner even then.
Jadeite's considerations of a counterattack were
interrupted when he was forced to duck a second beam of
energy from Venus. It also gave him the motivation to stop
standing still. Feet pounding against the silver street, he
took off in an attempt to cross it as quickly as possible
so that he could throw off a follow-up attack. It turned
out to be a wise idea, because another beam shot by behind
him. Rather than striking a building, the shot simply
trailed down the street to vanish in the distance.
It occurred to Jadeite that some people might
consider themselves too old for the sort of ordeal he was
experiencing. He was ancient if it was figured up
chronologically, his age nearing some twenty-six hundred
years. He had lived nearly fifty years in the Silver
Millennium, and then a thousand in the Dark Kingdom, though
that was only half of it. The world had spent a thousand
years in the Silence, and it was still being thawed even
during the current time in some places. Five hundred years
after it had begun, the Shin-Muun Kingdom had been forced
to deal with Wiseman. Finally, it had been fifty years
following that incident when Jadeite finally was set free.
While he hadn't aged greatly over any of the time thanks to
the powers that had been part of him, he still felt old
from time to time. Being in the middle of a fight which was
not necessary, and one that he was plainly able to tell was
not necessary, made him realize that he had acquired at
least some wisdom over the years, and that, in turn, made
him feel even older.
Jadeite was forced to bring himself to a sudden stop
as he reached the other side of the street as another of
Sailor Venus' crescent beams shot by a few steps in front
of him. Once again he felt the heat from the attack as it
nearly struck him, causing him to kneel from the exertion
of nearly clotheslining himself to avoid the attack. As he
worked to catch his breath, he finally allowed himself a
moment to sigh quietly. He was going to have to fight back,
or he was going to end up getting killed. He just needed to
find an opportunity to end the battle with minimal harm.
There was only one option that came to mind, though. He
dove to take cover in the doorway of the building at the
base of which he stood. He knew that she must have seen
him, but with her distance from him, the angle was too
extreme for her to hit him, and it'd take her a moment to
get to a position where she could attack.
Jadeite hoped that he'd have enough time as he lifted
his fist up before his chest, his other hand clamping on
his wrist as he began to try and use his abilities to
gather energy from the world around him. He couldn't gather
energy nearly as swiftly from the world as he'd been able
to before, but Moon Palace City was abundant with what he
needed, letting him call it to him more swiftly than he
expected. Electricity began to jump around his fist, its
flickering glow casting a blue hue through the shadowed
entryway of the building in which he stood. He was
thankful, for a moment, for the cloudy nature of the
crystal that composed that particular building. If he could
gather energy for just a few more moments, then he'd be
able to make a counterattack.
Sailor Venus could feel the odd static electricity in
the air as she ran down the street in an attempt to get to
a point from which she could attack Jadeite. Her lesser
attacks had all been avoided, and, to her, it looked as
though he'd done so easily despite the fact that it had
actually been more of a case of effort and luck on his
part. She was going to have to utilize her most powerful
attack to bring him under control, since the others hadn't
succeeded, and that meant that she couldn't hold back
against him any more. Just a little bit further, and she
could get him.
The glow from within the entryway caught Venus' eye
as she ran, and she managed to skid to a stop. She already
knew Jadeite was there, but she wasn't sure if he was going
to fire back. She knew the answer at that moment, though,
and she could see him with the energy burning around his
hand. It looked like he wasn't ready with his attack yet,
as well, and that meant that she had to take advantage of
the situation at that moment.
Turning to face him, she took a solid stance and ran
her hand up through her blond hair. Orange light flashed up
from beneath her, and, in front of her the symbol of Venus
appeared, formed from intense energy. Turning her body into
a pose befitting a model, with one leg slightly raised and
a hand on her hip, with the other near her face, she gave a
wink, and then made a kiss into midair.
"Venus, Love and Beauty Shock!" she said in a loud,
but gentle, call as orange light formed a giant heart where
she'd kissed the air. It launched forth, spinning in the
air and glowing on its way towards Jadeite, who had no
choice but to meet it head on. There was no doubt that
there was significant power in her attack, and the only way
for him to stop the large strike was to meet it, if he
could.
Jadeite lowered his hand to his side, and then simply
reached forward in a motion akin to punching. He knew, even
as he let the bolt of electricity free, that it wasn't
sufficient to take down Venus. He didn't have the time, or
the capacity, to call on the energy that he'd have needed
to defeat her, and it was about to be proven beyond a
doubt. Crackling, blazing electricity, its hum filling the
air in tune with the chime of Venus' attack, met the orange
energy in the form of a heart. He had gathered as much
power as he was capable of collecting, and it packed a
solid punch, tearing a chunk of the heart away as it shot
through and then faded, its energy spent. It did not,
however, fully stop the attack, and the remnants of Venus'
energy headed straight towards him.
"Damn," Jadeite uttered quietly just before the
energy struck him, pushing him forcefully against the
unyielding crystal wall of the entryway in which he'd taken
cover. Pain exploded through his nerves, burning through
him from his entire right side and his forehead. He dropped
down to one knee, supporting himself with his arm against
the wall to keep from falling all the way down. It occurred
to him that the Senshi were as powerful as they had been in
the distant past of the Silver Millennium. Perhaps even
more so, in fact, as they had faced much more difficult
battles than they ever had then. He, on the other hand, had
very little with which to fight. However, he knew he
couldn't give up. Through the haze of pain, he tried to
focus enough to gather some more energy to launch at Venus.
"Haven't you had enough yet?" asked Venus in a
rhetorical manner. It was obvious he was still going to try
and fend her off, despite the fact that he knew he had no
chance of winning. "All right, then. We'll finish this
now." Venus raised her hands up above her head, golden
energy once more collecting there. Jadeite, wounded and
somewhat incoherent due to the fact he was trying to gather
enough energy to stop her, was just as oblivious as she was
to the sound of footsteps rushing towards them.
"Venus, Crescent Beam Sho--" Venus found herself
interrupted as she spoke the name of her attack and took
aim by the gleaming U-shaped blade of the Silence Glaive as
it poised itself no more than an inch from her neck. So
masterfully crafted and beautiful was that weapon that, as
Venus looked over to connect the only possible user of the
weapon to its haft, she could see the reflection of purple
eyes and black hair on the steel.
"Enough, Venus," said Sailor Saturn quietly, her
purple eyes slightly narrowed as she focused on the blond
Sailor Senshi. "What in the world are you doing? Since when
are we supposed to attack people for no reason?" Her voice
was deathly calm, but there was a rising hint of veiled
anger behind it that Venus couldn't quite understand.
"What do you mean?" asked Venus, remaining totally
still. The power of that weapon so near her was undeniable,
and to be near the receiving end of its might was not a
situation in which she wished to be. "That's Jadeite, isn't
it, a King of the Dark Kingdom?" It didn't make sense to
her that another Senshi should be defending one of their
darkest enemies.
"He is here because we decided to bring him here,
Venus. Please don't interfere. You'll find out soon enough
as it is," said Saturn. The Silence Glaive remained
motionless at Venus' neck as she spoke, her white-gloved
hands holding the weapon firmly. "Now, please step away so
I can see if he's all right."
"All right, then," said Venus quietly, taking a few
steps away. She didn't outwardly show it, but she was quite
thankful to be away from Saturn's deadly weapon. She could
almost feel where it had been aimed, and it wasn't until
Saturn had moved towards Jadeite and lowered the weapon
that she reached up to tentatively rub her neck here. It
was faintly sore when she touched it, and to her surprise
there were a few small smears of blood when she pulled her
gloved hand away. The weapon had cut her without even
touching her, and she was reminded in that instant why
Saturn was one of the most powerful of all the Sailor
Senshi.
Watching the exchange, Jadeite had waited several
long moments to let the energy he was gathering disperse.
He was glad that he'd been able to call on it at all, but
it was painfully obvious, yet again, just how weak he
really was at present. After taking a few moments to catch
his breath, he let out a soft sigh, and let himself slide
all the way down the wall to sit with his back against it
on the ground. The soft touch of blood could be felt as it
ran down the side of his face from his hit on the wall, and
he could feel the dull soreness in his right arm, which had
struck the solid crystal first.
"Jadeite, are you well?" asked Saturn as she kneeled
next to him, holding the Silence Glaive in her left hand
lightly. She knew that he wasn't in the best shape simply
by looking at him. His hair was quickly matting from blood
slowly seeping from his hairline, and his arm was already
bruising darkly. It was easily possible he'd broken his it.
"You might say that it stings a little," responded
Jadeite quietly, fixing his steel gray eyes on Saturn. "I
hate to say it, but I've had much worse in the past." That,
at least, was very true. From the fight with the youma a
week ago, and reaching all the way back to the time he'd
been run over by an airplane, it was quite true that he'd
experienced his share of injuries.
"I'll try and heal you," said Saturn, resting her
hand softly upon his forehead as she did so. It'd take her
a few moments to get him to feel better, but she could
repair the damage that had been done. Unfortunately, she
lacked those few moments, as another voice, belonging to
another Senshi, interrupted her.
"What's going on? Why is she helping him?" The
normally cool, but distinctly angry, voice of Sailor Mars
broke through the temporary quiet that had settled on the
streets. Her violet eyes focused on the scene of Venus
standing and watching as Sailor Saturn tended to Jadeite.
It made no sense, as far as she could tell.
"I'm not sure myself, yet," replied Venus, turning
towards the newly arrived Mars with a slightly confused
look on her face. "He refused to give in when I told him to
surrender, and so I tried to capture him as best I could.
If it weren't for your warning, we'd never have known he
was here on the Moon." She seemed to be fairly composed,
particularly for someone who had just had an awesomely
powerful weapon pointed at her.
"So long as he was stopped. Give me a minute to try
and contact the King and Queen, so we can figure out what
to do." Mars went over towards the building, her eyes
focusing on Jadeite as she passed by him so that she could
use a telephone inside. Violet met gray, and, for a moment,
time seemed to freeze. They were no more than a couple of
feet away, an occurrence that hadn't taken place since the
Silver Millennium. For a split second, her resolve weakened
as she looked at him and remembered him as he was. There
was something about the look in his eyes that hadn't been
there when she'd fought him as a King of the Dark Kingdom.
She couldn't quite identify it, but she knew it was there,
and it troubled her more than she wanted to admit. Tearing
her gaze away, she finished her trip inside, and moved to
call the King and Queen.
"Mars told you he was coming here?" asked Saturn,
turning to look at Venus. She had remained silent as
Jadeite and Mars had exchanged glances, trying to determine
exactly what there was that was being communicated, or not
communicated, between them. She felt a vague flash of heat
within her as she remembered what they had been in the
Silver Millennium, and tried to identify the feeling with
which she was suddenly assaulted. Was it jealousy of a
single glance? She shook her head slightly to dismiss the
idea. After all, Jadeite was just a friend to her, not to
mention that he and Mars were practically the worst of
enemies.
"She let me know, yes," replied Venus, looking back
at the pair as Saturn tried to help Jadeite. "Why is he
here? I thought he was supposed to have been hurt or killed
back before I even showed up to help the rest of the
Senshi. Even if he wasn't, he wasn't accounted for. It
really didn't make sense that he'd have died that easily,
but how could he have just disappeared for so long?"
"Queen Beryl had imprisoned him in crystal for his
failure to defeat the other Senshi. He only recently
managed to finally escape from that torturous existence."
Saturn didn't mention that she was the reason he'd been
able to get free, and she saw no reason to mention such at
present. It'd be known soon enough as it was, and it wasn't
necessary to mention something that might have caused a
rift among the Senshi. She didn't want any more of a rift
than there was already going to be.
"Is he, you know, safe?" asked Venus, peering at the
slowly healing Jadeite. Saturn must have been protecting
him for a reason, so she didn't seem to regard him as so
much of an enemy any more. Rather, she was treating him
more like a curiosity than anything else.
"I wouldn't have brought him here if it weren't safe,
Venus," replied Hotaru a bit more coldly than she meant to.
She caught herself, though, and uttered an apology. "Sorry,
I didn't mean to be so harsh." She really couldn't place
why she'd been so quick to defend him. It was true that he
wasn't dangerous, since, if he were planning on having done
anything, he would have gone through with it long ago.
"It's all right," said Venus slowly. She didn't know
quite what to make of Saturn's somewhat odd behavior in the
past few minutes. If she was trying to protect Jadeite, it
made sense that she'd have defended him with her weapon as
she did, since he could have possibly been killed, but her
defense of his character didn't quite figure in; not unless
she had some other sort of connection to him beyond just
that of escorting him here. "So why did you bring him here,
then?"
"I need to take him to discuss some important matters
with Pluto, and he wanted to meet with King Endymion and
apologize to him." Saturn simply stated the business
plainly, not needing to accent the fact that Jadeite was
here to apologize. Her manner of speech made it readily
apparent that it was his purpose in being there. When in
the form of Sailor Saturn, Hotaru was much more to the
point and calm, never over emphasizing things.
"Apologize to him? Oh, right, didn't he get in a
fight with him before Mars messed up his control of the
planes? He almost killed King Endymion." Venus took a
moment to collect all the facts in her mind, but they were
accurate. It surprised her, too, that apology was his
reason for being there. It was not a characteristic that
she associated with Kings of the Dark Kingdom in the least,
and yet, if he were there, he couldn't really be one of
them any more, since the Dark Kingdom no longer existed.
"The King and Queen want him brought to the Moon
Palace immediately so that they can speak with him," said
Mars as she reappeared in the doorway of the building.
"We're to escort him there, and they want to know why
you're protecting him, Saturn."
"We can't go immediately," responded Saturn calmly.
"Go and tell them that we'll be there soon."
"What? You can't just deny what they request!" Mars
found herself angered by the belligerence of Saturn's
response. No one ever refused requests of the King and
Queen, and those were orders, not requests, making it even
more astonishing.
"Can you stand up, Jadeite?" Saturn asked him
quietly, turning her attention back where she believed it
belonged.
"I'll be fine," Jadeite responded, beginning to pull
himself up to his feet slowly. His legs hadn't been hurt,
fortunately, and that made it a lot easier for him to
stand, though the head wound made him slightly dizzy.
"Where are we going?"
"We have to meet with Pluto. That way we can be ready
to go before the King and Queen." Saturn put her free arm
around his shoulders to help him keep his balance, then
began to lead him off.
"You can't just go, Saturn. His presence was ordered
by Serenity!" said Mars. She didn't want to have to try and
stop them, but the King and Queen were the law of the
entire Shin-Muun Kingdom. It wasn't something people
defied. Still, if she had to, she would do her best.
"Go and tell them, along with Venus, that we'll be
there in an hour. Please don't get in my way. These matters
are very important, and I don't want to waste any more
time." Perhaps the most disturbing thing about the way she
was acting was the fact that she was still as calm and
collected as she had been for the majority of the
encounter, though to prove that she was serious, she hefted
up the Silence Glaive slightly, pausing to point it warily
in the direction of Mars and Venus.
"Fine, then," said Mars, her voice betraying her
obvious awe at, and irritation with, the situation. "Come
on, Venus. Let's get over there quickly." Mars took off in
a run, crossing the street quickly as she headed off for
the Moon Palace. Venus followed suit, simply giving an
apologetic smile to Saturn and Jadeite on her way. She was
much more easily able to feel empathy for them than Mars,
and even if they didn't realize it, she could tell that
there might be something between them someday.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Crystal Watcher's Spire was a single, smooth
point that rose up even above the top of the Moon Palace,
its peak capped by glittering white that shone like
diamond. If one were to step outside of Moon Palace City,
the majestic point would become visible almost immediately
thanks to the way it towered above the skyline. The
structure almost appeared to be made of pure white light
when the sun struck it correctly, making it hard to
approach from the outside. No one ever gained access to the
structure unless they were invited or were one of the four
who belonged there, for the outside had no visible doorways
or even windows.
The building itself rested amidst a small park filled
with ivy that seemed to almost writhe as if it were an
animal, when the breeze touched it. Tendrils of the plants
seemed to slither across the walk as if to ward off any
whom were foolish enough to approach the Spire, the base of
which was larger than those who saw it from outside of the
town ever expected. The generally accepted measurement was
sixty meters, and those who inquired at the city's depot of
building blueprints would find that that was the listed
size. However, when one stood near to it, it seemed to be
almost half again that size. Few ever gave it much thought,
though.
At the base of the gleaming Spire, which had begun to
glow as the last fading rays of sunlight caught its very
tip, there stood the figures of Sailor Saturn and Jadeite.
Let through the vines by Saturn, Jadeite found that the ivy
seemed rather docile and natural up close, remaining
unmoving as his feet crossed over it beside Saturn's boots.
Still, he couldn't escape the feeling that something wasn't
quite natural about it. He pondered it as they advanced for
a few moments until they stood no more than a few feet from
the smooth, crystalline exterior of the Spire.
"This is where Pluto is waiting for us. The building
is called the Crystal Watcher's Spire, and all of the Outer
Senshi use this as the main base of operations for
protecting the Solar System from threats that come from
outside," spoke Saturn, looking over to Jadeite as she did
so. "Go ahead and keep walking. It'll be fine, don't
worry."
"An illusion, is it?" asked Jadeite quietly. One of
his greatest fortes was the art of illusion magic, and,
though he found himself unable to call upon it in any
capacity, he found it remarkably easy to recognize even
when he was in his present condition. Even so, the simple
disregarding of the most powerful of all defense mechanisms
the place possessed shocked Saturn slightly.
"How can you tell?" she asked, turning her purple
eyes back to the almost arrow-like building. It had taken
all four of the Outer Senshi's powers to generate the image
of the Spire being wider than it truly was, and so she was
right in her unpreparedness for Jadeite seeing through it
so casually.
"There's a slight aura that I always have seen about
illusions, that I can not seem to shake. Well, rather I
should say that during the Dark Kingdom time, I lost the
ability." He found it hard to say that he believed it had
been from the youma parts of his body that he had possessed
then, for he no longer could readily accept the fact that
he'd allowed such a thing to happen to him. Since he was
human again, such things were not there to spoil his senses
and it made him appreciate the rebirth that he'd
experienced.
"Is there any way we could avoid it being
detectable?" asked Hotaru of the former Guardian. If he
could see through it, maybe there were others who also were
able to do so. However, no one had ever noticed it before,
so it might have been that he was unique in that ability.
Her speculation on the topic was answered even without it
being vocalized when he spoke again, however.
"I do not believe so. It's something ingrained in the
very fact that it's magic that lets me see it. I only ever
knew one other person in the entire time I've existed that
was able to do the same thing, and he is long since dead."
There was a momentary, wistful sigh that escaped from
Jadeite as he finished his statement. So many people had
met fates that seemed cruel in his lifetime, and many of
them were centered around him. It was a large part of why
he sought to become a Guardian of the Earth once again. The
chance to atone for the hurt that others had suffered
through their relations to him was one over which he
couldn't pass.
"I guess it's not that major a concern then, if
you're the only one who can tell. Anyway, shall we go in?"
It took Saturn a few minutes to respond to Jadeite's words
as she considered them carefully. As she had lived near
him, she had become more and more sensitive to the subtle
characteristics of his outward expressions in relation to
his moods and thoughts. They truly were well masked, and
she doubted that many other people would ever have been
able to determine those slight changes in the way his eyes
were narrowed or the shift of mere hairsbreadths of his
lips.
"I do not wish to keep anyone waiting longer than
necessary," replied Jadeite, taking a soft breath to steel
himself before he stepped forward and disappeared through
the building's illusionary outer wall. The crystal didn't
appear to ripple, or indeed, even change its hue as he
entered it, instead remaining perfectly motionless and
solid in appearance. What he saw on the other side gave him
reason to pause.
"We have to make sure the Spire is well defended.
It's a peaceful time, but, after the come of the Death
Phantom, we decided that we needed to be certain that no
one could get in here, be they friend or foe, unless we let
them," Saturn said as Jadeite looked slowly over the
perimeter of the tower's real base. Almost like the thorns
of a rose, a series of spikes made of the same crystal as
the building jutted out, slowly performing a dance. They
all seemed to be organized into a pair of rather random
rows that revolved opposite one another. Their edges
appeared to be much like serrated glass, and he had no
doubt that they would easily shred a person who got caught
in their slow waltz.
"So, how does one who is invited get in, then?"
Jadeite asked after a few moments of watching the deadly
thorns. "I assume that there is a door."
"They have a cycle. The thorns appear random in their
movements, but every few minutes their pattern forms an
opening that you have about thirty seconds pass. If we're
expecting trouble, we can make the rotation much faster,
though," replied Saturn, standing next to Jadeite after
having stepped through a moment after he had. "Once it's
clear, we'll go in and meet with Pluto."
"It seems like we arrived just in time," said Jadeite
when Saturn finished. The thorns had drifted apart, and
there he could see a very simple arch-shaped section that
glowed with the telltale blue of illusion magic. He didn't
have time to say anything else, though, thanks to a push on
his back from Saturn that sent him through the doorway.
"Remember, there's not long to go through, so we
can't hang around out there if we don't want to waste more
time waiting for another cycle to complete," said Saturn as
she stepped into the interior of the Spire behind him. The
structure's insides were much as he'd imagined they might
have been, made entirely of partially transparent blue,
white, and green crystal. However, what surprised him was
the dimness of the area, as only a faint glow provided
illumination that highlighted the ascending spiral stairs
in the center of the large entryway. Its size was
impressive, and Jadeite guessed that it took up the entire
ground floor of the Spire.
"I didn't think I hesitated that much," Jadeite said,
smiling faintly. He wasn't irritated by Saturn's action,
and he could tell from the soft rise in her voice that she
had meant it as a joke of sorts. He suspected that she
wouldn't have done that aggressively, mild as it was, to
anyone else, and it almost gave him reason to pause and
consider it. However, he had not forgotten that they were
there for a reason. "Up the stairs, then."
"Yes, all the way to the top. Pluto should be
there," said Saturn, falling in behind Jadeite as he made
his way to the stairs and began the ascent. The stairway
was long, though he believed that it was not the full
height of the Spire itself thanks to some magic of a
spacial nature. There were plenty of different levels to
the structure, but they did not stop at any of the doors
until, finally, the stairs came to a halt before a single
wooden door. It was the only thing he'd seen in the entire
building not made of crystal, which puzzled him slightly.
Jadeite stood to the side of the door, looking back
at Saturn as she crested the steps. She stood there for a
moment, lightly leaning on the Silence Glaive before she
nodded to him slightly and went to open the door, pulling
it outward by a silver ring that took the place of a
doorknob. It swung silently open to reveal a room that, to
Jadeite's surprise, was even more dimly lit than the rest
of the Spire. He did not allow himself to hold any
reservations, though, when Saturn stepped in, his feet
carrying him through the doorway in her wake.
"You're already having trouble, and you've not been
here even half a day," said a mature, enunciated voice. Its
source drew Jadeite's attention almost instantly, and
immediately he found himself meeting her gaze, despite the
fact that he had resolved not to do so previously. Within
those cerise eyes he could see something similar to what he
had so long ago in the Silver Millennium and it began to
tug at something deep within him. Apprehension threatened
to grip him, but then, it suddenly faded away.
"Sailor Pluto," Jadeite said quietly, "such a long
time since we last met, hasn't it been?" It almost
surprised him that he could sound so calm when she had
unnerved him so much only a moment ago. Perhaps it was the
relief of finally understanding what had been in her eyes?
It had been as if she were watching a tragedy that only she
could see, and it dawned on him that with her powers, she
had probably been able to glean some hint of what was to
come for both him and others of the Silver Millennium.
"It has been many years. You've aged well, Jadeite,"
Pluto said in response, shifting so that she was beneath a
soft shaft of dim light that seemed to follow her once she
had entered its area. "You are a lot stronger than I
remember, though." Her voice pierced the quiet room once
again, and finally he could plainly see her dark green and
white sailor fuku, complete with pink ribbons at the back
of the waist. Still, his attention was mainly caught by her
eyes, as well as the long, dark hair that held a green
sheen to its long black locks which brushed at her thighs.
"I wouldn't say that I'm stronger than I was then,
but it is a compliment that I will accept," responded the
blond former Guardian. "Being frozen helped my appearance,
as well. There was no capacity for aging." Those born in
the Silver Millennium had been prone to much greater life
spans than the people of the modern Shin-Muun Kingdom,
though that was gradually changing. Not long before, the
power had been discovered to use the ginzuishou, the Silver
Crystal, to grant longer life to many of the common people
of the kingdom. Even with that boon to his life, had he not
been frozen, he would probably have died many years ago.
"You were not quite as strong in your convictions
back then as you are now. Despite your loss of power, you
have more of a sense of loyalty. Hence, you have become
stronger. However, this is not the time to discuss such
matters as that." Pluto allowed Jadeite and Saturn a moment
to situate themselves under spotlights similar to the one
beneath which she stood before continuing.
"I must confer with Saturn, but I suspect that I
already know what she is going to tell me. Jadeite, you
must be absolutely certain that King Endymion bestows your
former title and position on you once more, along with the
powers it entails. Since we don't have much time, thanks to
the rather hasty judgments made by some of the other
Senshi, though they were doing what they thought best, I
cannot go into detail as to why it is so imperative."
"It has become necessary?" asked Saturn softly,
speaking for the first time since she'd entered the room.
"You must have learned something while I've been away." Her
sudden entrance into the conversation wasn't totally
unexpected by Jadeite, but it did make it obvious that
there were things he was not yet aware of. In time, though,
he imagined that he'd learn what was going on.
"I haven't any intention of failing, regardless of
how important it may or may not be," said Jadeite, taking
his turn to speak. "If it's needed, though, I won't back
down from it. I would like to know why the situation is so
grim, though, if it's possible." It would be different to
fight in defense of the Moon, rather than against it, when
he considered the possibility. Defending the Earth was
familiar, but, because the two had practically become one
with regards to government and rulership he found that he
had no trouble with the idea of his loyalty lying in both.
"The foundation of this world is in danger of
cracking. That is all I can say for the moment. Now, go
ahead, and hurry to the Moon Palace. The King and Queen are
no doubt waiting for you very anxiously." Pluto smiled
faintly as she finished speaking. "Good luck to the both of
you."
"Both of us?" asked Saturn quietly, looking away from
Jadeite, towards whom she'd found her eyes unconsciously
drifting to eye Sailor Pluto in a bit of confusion.
"You'll understand very soon, Hotaru-chan," responded
Pluto. "As I said, though, get yourselves going. I'll have
time to talk to you before Jadeite is available for me to
speak to again. We'll go over things then."
"Very well, then," said Saturn, turning to step back
towards the door, which appeared much the same as it did
from outside the room. Oddly enough, it even seemed to be
as well lit as it was outside, as though to make it easy to
find.
"Until the next time we meet," said Jadeite, who
bowed deeply before following Saturn on his way out of the
room. Together they made their way back down to the base of
the Spire, and from there they began the trek over to the
Moon Palace. It was not far off, and soon, they found
themselves standing outside the front gate of the massive
home of the Shin-Muun Kingdom's royalty. Soon, Jadeite
would see King Endymion once more, and he would be able to
apologize. Just as important, it would be his chance to
reclaim the title that he had lost. Not out of pride did he
seek the title, though, instead wanting it so that he could
redeem himself. Only time would tell if he would be granted
that chance.
