Chapter Two
Borealis ran through the jungle as quickly as she could. The injured foreleg slowed her some, but she easily caught up with the ambling search party. She slowed to a quiet walk as she approached, trying to make it look as though she had come upon them unexpectedly. Glancing at the group of cats, the princess decided to turn off the path and come out ahead of them. The guards would then have nothing to be suspicious of.
She found this difficult to do as the undergrowth closed in on her. Silence was necessary, but nearly impossible. The patrol could be heard as she passed by in the cover of the trees.
" She always disappears when there is an embassy coming," a black panther remarked, " I wonder if that has something to do with it?"
Reshlor rolled his amber eyes, " You are an idiot, Farlem; you know that?"
Farlem grinned stupidly at his Siberian officer. The tiger turned away exasperatedly and continued sweeping the sides of the path.
" Captain! Look! There she is!" a small leopard exclaimed.
" Good work, Sabra," he called over his shoulder as he caught up to the female tiger.
Borealis ignored him and kept walking towards the palace. He stayed silently beside her for a time and then spoke.
" You are injured," he said, concerned, " let me clean that cut for you."
She pulled away from Reshlor and glared angrily at him.
" Why do you pursue me into the jungle, may I not walk outside the walls?"
" Yes, you may," he responded, " but not alone."
With a fury she didn't know she possessed, Borealis turned on the Captain with a snarl. The patrol shrank back as she roared at them.
" I am not a criminal! Why must I be treated as one?" she demanded, " I was only enjoying the morning, why were you sent to find me?"
All patrols were sent to look for you because ambassadors from the Kinmoku System wish to speak with you. Your guardianship will be chosen within the year and you must be prepared by meeting your possible charges."
The two walked in silence through the gates and Reshlor dispatched his patrol to return to the queen. His amber eyes gazed into her sky blue ones and the gold flecks floating in the blue widened in surprise.
" Reshlor, leave me," she pleaded, " Do not tug at me so. As you said, my soul will choose senshi to guard by the passing of this year. What good will it do you to love someone light years away?"
She turned and ran into the palace, tears streaming from her eyes. Reshlor was left alone in the rose garden until he slowly left and returned to his post.
~~~~~~~
Borealis collapsed on her bed in tears. Curling up into a little ball she sobbed quietly and dug her claws into her blankets. The click of the door opening startled her and she turned angrily around.
A woman with long auburn hair cascading down her back glided into her room in an emerald gown. Her jade eyes looked sternly at the tigress, but softened at the sight of her tears.
" Mother!" she exclaimed, " What are you doing in your human form?"
The queen sat next to her daughter and rubbed her ears lovingly. Borealis purred and she smiled.
" Daughter," she sighed, " very important dignitaries are here from the Kinmoku System. They wish to speak with you about their senshi and your possible guardianship with them. Now, get washed up and dressed and come to the Negotiation Room as soon as possible. We are just making small talk now, so you have time to get ready."
Borealis looked at her mother, " Must I? What does it matter if I talk with them, I will become the guardian of whomever my soul chooses. If it is they, then I will go, but I will not transform to meet them. They can see me in my natural form."
The queen stiffened and rose, " You need to accept your responsibilities as your sister has hers. The safety of our existence depends on our kind, without us, the Dark would conquer."
The door again clicked shut behind the woman and the princess was left alone. Shuddering, she dropped to the floor and closed her eyes. Her form shimmered and a sparking silhouette was all that was left. She opened her eyes and they were the only things visible as the bright shadow melted and reshaped. A short woman with chin-length strawberry blonde hair was left standing where the tigress had been before. Her eyes were the same, but she hated her human form still.
With stumbling steps the now-human princess made her way to the bathroom and inspected her injuries. The large cut on her nose had been reduced to a small angry-looking scratch, easily covered by makeup. Without fur, the bruise on her right arm was painfully visible and she whistled at that blackened skin.
" Oh, well, I'll just wear my long-sleeved gown today," she said miserably to herself.
At last, the girl was ready to meet her tormentors. She was dressed in her jungle green lace-up corset with sheer quarter-length sleeves. The green silk skirt wrapped around her and white lace peeked out of the opening in the front. Checking her scratch one last time, Borealis shut her door behind her. She nodded to the nearby guard who was normally a young ocelot, but was now a tall blonde teenager. She was led to the door of the Negotiation Room where he bowed and opened the door for her, remaining outside.
As she entered, the assembled company stood and she fell into a deep curtsey. Her head bowed she looked up at her mother, who nodded silently, and rose, taking a seat across from an exotic looking woman and next to her older sister. The blonde smiled sympathetically at her as the queen began to speak.
" People of Kinmoku, may I present my daughters, Hippolyta Felinae, the Right Fang; and Borealis Felinae, the Left Fang."
The two sisters rose and curtsied then returned to their seats. Borealis pinched her sister hard on the arm, but her face did not change in expression. Borealis cursed silently and pretended to listen as the ambassadors were introduced.
" ... Queen Kinmoku, her daughter Princess Kakyuu, and their protectors the Sailor Starlights: Sailor StarFighter, Sailor StarMaker, Sailor StarHealer, and Sailor StarSeer."
The princesses nodded at each name and smiled at the guests. Borealis boredly drummed her fingers on her knee. This was going to be a long discussion and she hated using the Common Tongue.
" Queen Kinmoku, Princess Kakyuu, Sailor Starlights," the younger princess smiled, " I am pleased to meet you and am eager to learn about your system."
The Queen of Julamanad smiled and said, " My eldest and I will adjourn to another room to continue with her training; we will leave you to your business."
The two disappeared into another room, leaving the visitors and their hostess alone.
Borealis ran through the jungle as quickly as she could. The injured foreleg slowed her some, but she easily caught up with the ambling search party. She slowed to a quiet walk as she approached, trying to make it look as though she had come upon them unexpectedly. Glancing at the group of cats, the princess decided to turn off the path and come out ahead of them. The guards would then have nothing to be suspicious of.
She found this difficult to do as the undergrowth closed in on her. Silence was necessary, but nearly impossible. The patrol could be heard as she passed by in the cover of the trees.
" She always disappears when there is an embassy coming," a black panther remarked, " I wonder if that has something to do with it?"
Reshlor rolled his amber eyes, " You are an idiot, Farlem; you know that?"
Farlem grinned stupidly at his Siberian officer. The tiger turned away exasperatedly and continued sweeping the sides of the path.
" Captain! Look! There she is!" a small leopard exclaimed.
" Good work, Sabra," he called over his shoulder as he caught up to the female tiger.
Borealis ignored him and kept walking towards the palace. He stayed silently beside her for a time and then spoke.
" You are injured," he said, concerned, " let me clean that cut for you."
She pulled away from Reshlor and glared angrily at him.
" Why do you pursue me into the jungle, may I not walk outside the walls?"
" Yes, you may," he responded, " but not alone."
With a fury she didn't know she possessed, Borealis turned on the Captain with a snarl. The patrol shrank back as she roared at them.
" I am not a criminal! Why must I be treated as one?" she demanded, " I was only enjoying the morning, why were you sent to find me?"
All patrols were sent to look for you because ambassadors from the Kinmoku System wish to speak with you. Your guardianship will be chosen within the year and you must be prepared by meeting your possible charges."
The two walked in silence through the gates and Reshlor dispatched his patrol to return to the queen. His amber eyes gazed into her sky blue ones and the gold flecks floating in the blue widened in surprise.
" Reshlor, leave me," she pleaded, " Do not tug at me so. As you said, my soul will choose senshi to guard by the passing of this year. What good will it do you to love someone light years away?"
She turned and ran into the palace, tears streaming from her eyes. Reshlor was left alone in the rose garden until he slowly left and returned to his post.
~~~~~~~
Borealis collapsed on her bed in tears. Curling up into a little ball she sobbed quietly and dug her claws into her blankets. The click of the door opening startled her and she turned angrily around.
A woman with long auburn hair cascading down her back glided into her room in an emerald gown. Her jade eyes looked sternly at the tigress, but softened at the sight of her tears.
" Mother!" she exclaimed, " What are you doing in your human form?"
The queen sat next to her daughter and rubbed her ears lovingly. Borealis purred and she smiled.
" Daughter," she sighed, " very important dignitaries are here from the Kinmoku System. They wish to speak with you about their senshi and your possible guardianship with them. Now, get washed up and dressed and come to the Negotiation Room as soon as possible. We are just making small talk now, so you have time to get ready."
Borealis looked at her mother, " Must I? What does it matter if I talk with them, I will become the guardian of whomever my soul chooses. If it is they, then I will go, but I will not transform to meet them. They can see me in my natural form."
The queen stiffened and rose, " You need to accept your responsibilities as your sister has hers. The safety of our existence depends on our kind, without us, the Dark would conquer."
The door again clicked shut behind the woman and the princess was left alone. Shuddering, she dropped to the floor and closed her eyes. Her form shimmered and a sparking silhouette was all that was left. She opened her eyes and they were the only things visible as the bright shadow melted and reshaped. A short woman with chin-length strawberry blonde hair was left standing where the tigress had been before. Her eyes were the same, but she hated her human form still.
With stumbling steps the now-human princess made her way to the bathroom and inspected her injuries. The large cut on her nose had been reduced to a small angry-looking scratch, easily covered by makeup. Without fur, the bruise on her right arm was painfully visible and she whistled at that blackened skin.
" Oh, well, I'll just wear my long-sleeved gown today," she said miserably to herself.
At last, the girl was ready to meet her tormentors. She was dressed in her jungle green lace-up corset with sheer quarter-length sleeves. The green silk skirt wrapped around her and white lace peeked out of the opening in the front. Checking her scratch one last time, Borealis shut her door behind her. She nodded to the nearby guard who was normally a young ocelot, but was now a tall blonde teenager. She was led to the door of the Negotiation Room where he bowed and opened the door for her, remaining outside.
As she entered, the assembled company stood and she fell into a deep curtsey. Her head bowed she looked up at her mother, who nodded silently, and rose, taking a seat across from an exotic looking woman and next to her older sister. The blonde smiled sympathetically at her as the queen began to speak.
" People of Kinmoku, may I present my daughters, Hippolyta Felinae, the Right Fang; and Borealis Felinae, the Left Fang."
The two sisters rose and curtsied then returned to their seats. Borealis pinched her sister hard on the arm, but her face did not change in expression. Borealis cursed silently and pretended to listen as the ambassadors were introduced.
" ... Queen Kinmoku, her daughter Princess Kakyuu, and their protectors the Sailor Starlights: Sailor StarFighter, Sailor StarMaker, Sailor StarHealer, and Sailor StarSeer."
The princesses nodded at each name and smiled at the guests. Borealis boredly drummed her fingers on her knee. This was going to be a long discussion and she hated using the Common Tongue.
" Queen Kinmoku, Princess Kakyuu, Sailor Starlights," the younger princess smiled, " I am pleased to meet you and am eager to learn about your system."
The Queen of Julamanad smiled and said, " My eldest and I will adjourn to another room to continue with her training; we will leave you to your business."
The two disappeared into another room, leaving the visitors and their hostess alone.