Nope, I'm still not Naoko and I don't own Sailor Moon, so quit asking!
Chapter Four
" Of all the times to get a holo-message," Borealis muttered to herself.
She was leaping up the marble steps hoping to take the message quickly and then find Reshlor still off duty. The guards, in human form, snapped to attention as she sprinted down the hall, paying them no heed. Her door with the elegantly carved "B" slid softly open at her approach and the tigress landed silently on the plush carpeting.
The holo-viewer was turned off, but the message light was blinking furiously at her. With a push of the black button, the glass glowed with life and the form of a human was projected into the center of the room.
" Pardon my intrusion Princess Borealis, I have an urgent message for you."
" StarSeer? But you are blind, how can you see me?"
" I can feel your presence, but there are more important things at hand."
Borealis nervously nodded her head for the senshi to continue.
" I received a vision concerning you on returning to Kinmoku. The soil of my home seems to project these images more clearly. I have foreseen that you will not be our guardian, nor anyone else's for a long time—"
Borealis cut her off, " But my soul is to choose a charge at the end of this year. I am of royal blood, but not the heir. I was born to be a guardian; what else would I do?"
StarSeer shook her head, " Things are soon to come that will change the natural course of things and shake your planet to its core. As to what you will do, a hidden power sleeps within you, you may be a guardian for a time, but that is not your true self. Your Star Seed knows this too and will assign you to a proper senshi. I see a blinding light within you that will someday burst forth, maybe tomorrow, maybe in your next lifetime, but it will surely come. I must go now; my queen is calling me. I am glad to have met you, your highness, and may the Great Queen watch over you..."
" Wait! What do you mean..." but it was too late, the transmission had already been cut and she had no way to contact the mysterious senshi.
In frustration, she pounded her paw on the ground, forgetting that it was sore, and growled loudly in rage. She felt a boiling hotness within her and a strange brightness behind her eyes that clouded her vision. Borealis fiercely shook her head and that hot feeling subsided as she crouched panting in front of the holo-viewer.
The white tigress shook her head again, attempting to clear the cobwebs. Dazedly, she made her way to the bathroom as her doorbell rang. At first she decided to ignore it, but it rang again and again. She turned savagely to the door.
" Who is it now?" she growled impatiently.
" It's me, Reshlor," a deep voice greeted her.
~~~~~~
In a misty storm drain hundreds of miles from the green rainforest, two shadowy figures met. One was very large, unusually so, and the other hardly bigger than an overgrown stuffed-animal. The larger shadow bowed respectfully to the smaller one, which didn't move in response. The silence from the small shadow caused its companion to clear its throat nervously.
" My lady," a deep, throaty voice echoed into the tunnel, " why must we meet in such a deserted place?"
The " lady" hissed, " Because this is a secretive meeting that nobeast is to know about."
He ducked his head, and seemingly satisfied, the feminine shadow continued, " I am about to ascend the throne. Pitiful position though it might now be, the Queen of Mau once held supreme power over this land. I wish to get back that which we once had before we joined this horrid Millennium and we sent our own blood to fight the wars of the Moon Kingdom."
The electric lights in the drain hummed on, signaling the approach of dusk. A small, maroon house cat was revealed but the larger figure still lay shrouded in the darkness between the lights.
" We do not have much time," the cat continued, " All I ask is this: eliminate the House of Felinae. They are my only obstacles to the complete power I so desire. The other pitiful nations will fall in line once they see the great Julamanad bend to my supreme will. I know you harbor no love for that house, except a certain someone. Kill the queen and her first heir and I promise you, you will have the Princess Borealis for your own."
The large figure looked up at this and two glowing purple eyes were seen, " How do you know I will not turn on you once I take control of Jula? I have many thousands under my command and they are all undoubtedly loyal; they will be even more so if such a tragedy were to occur."
The princess sneered, " You know you are no match for me you mangy dog-cat. You will be lucky if I let you live after an act of defiance like that. Now go, and obey as your soon-to-be queen commands. Do not fail me."
The maroon cat stalked off down the sewer and faded into the mist. The huge cat's glittering purple eyes watched after her with malice. With a final sneer of annoyance, the feline seemed to shudder in on himself and disappear.
~~~~~~
1 " Reshlor, please, now is not the time."
The Siberian shouldered the door more ajar and strode into the room. He sat and glared at the tigress as she shut the door.
"Lis, why have you been avoiding me?"
She glared back at him, " Don't call me that, and please leave. You are overstepping your bounds."
Borealis turned away and he stared open-mouthed at her, " Overstepping my bounds? Lis, what are you talking about?"
She hung her head, " There is no need for a guard to be in my room."
" I'm off duty today, you know that. What is going on? Why have you been so cold? Is there someone else...?"
" No! There never has been and there never will be. Don't you understand? We can't be together, ever. Your pursuit of me just makes this worse."
Reshlor came up beside her, " Of course we can be together. Who's stopping us? Your mother has approved of the marriage."
She turned to him her eyes filled with tears, " At the end of this year I am to leave my home and become a senshi guardian. What if I was to be given to a planet a million light years from here? Some wife I'd be; we'd never see each other!"
" I wouldn't mind, and besides, what if I go with you?"
" Go with me?" Borealis' eyes were shinning, " I hadn't thought of that, could you?"
" I think so, Sabra is about ready to take over my post anyway. He shows great promise and is a dedicated fighter. I shall speak to the queen about it."
She smiled, " You know, I'm beginning to dread leaving less and less."
Reshlor smiled back, " All better now? Good. Now come on, let's get out and do something.
~~~~~~
A large black tiger watched the pair leave. He smiled at her presence even as he cursed the one she walked beside. With a nod to a nearby guard, the gilded gate clicked shut, keeping the pair from the palace. With his main opposition out of the way, his plan could go through without fail. Those who would be against him were out on patrol, and in the dark on the plan anyway. All was ready; they waited only for the return of the Ivory Fang.
~~~~~~
" Callara! Callara, where are you? It's me, Borealis!"
" Yes, I know it's you!" the said bird landed, almost crashed, on the tigress' back. " What do you want now? Are you running away again?" he turned noticing Reshlor bowing.
" Mysterious Tolerj, please excuse our intrusion into you domains, I–"
Borealis cut him off, " Lor, there's no need for that. Callara and I are friends. If you must know, he really hates all the bowing and " mysterious Tolerjing".
The bird nodded gravely at this and turned his beady eyes on her, " What do you want? I can see you are not seeking hiding."
" We need you to guide us to the Forbidden Before."
Reshlor looked astonished," We cannot go there, it's a forbidden and dangerous place, as the name states."
" Oh, don't be such a wet blanket, I go there all the time. I just get lost if Callara's not with me; it is like a maze in there!"
The Siberian looked from one to the other and gave in, " All right, let's go."
Chapter Four
" Of all the times to get a holo-message," Borealis muttered to herself.
She was leaping up the marble steps hoping to take the message quickly and then find Reshlor still off duty. The guards, in human form, snapped to attention as she sprinted down the hall, paying them no heed. Her door with the elegantly carved "B" slid softly open at her approach and the tigress landed silently on the plush carpeting.
The holo-viewer was turned off, but the message light was blinking furiously at her. With a push of the black button, the glass glowed with life and the form of a human was projected into the center of the room.
" Pardon my intrusion Princess Borealis, I have an urgent message for you."
" StarSeer? But you are blind, how can you see me?"
" I can feel your presence, but there are more important things at hand."
Borealis nervously nodded her head for the senshi to continue.
" I received a vision concerning you on returning to Kinmoku. The soil of my home seems to project these images more clearly. I have foreseen that you will not be our guardian, nor anyone else's for a long time—"
Borealis cut her off, " But my soul is to choose a charge at the end of this year. I am of royal blood, but not the heir. I was born to be a guardian; what else would I do?"
StarSeer shook her head, " Things are soon to come that will change the natural course of things and shake your planet to its core. As to what you will do, a hidden power sleeps within you, you may be a guardian for a time, but that is not your true self. Your Star Seed knows this too and will assign you to a proper senshi. I see a blinding light within you that will someday burst forth, maybe tomorrow, maybe in your next lifetime, but it will surely come. I must go now; my queen is calling me. I am glad to have met you, your highness, and may the Great Queen watch over you..."
" Wait! What do you mean..." but it was too late, the transmission had already been cut and she had no way to contact the mysterious senshi.
In frustration, she pounded her paw on the ground, forgetting that it was sore, and growled loudly in rage. She felt a boiling hotness within her and a strange brightness behind her eyes that clouded her vision. Borealis fiercely shook her head and that hot feeling subsided as she crouched panting in front of the holo-viewer.
The white tigress shook her head again, attempting to clear the cobwebs. Dazedly, she made her way to the bathroom as her doorbell rang. At first she decided to ignore it, but it rang again and again. She turned savagely to the door.
" Who is it now?" she growled impatiently.
" It's me, Reshlor," a deep voice greeted her.
~~~~~~
In a misty storm drain hundreds of miles from the green rainforest, two shadowy figures met. One was very large, unusually so, and the other hardly bigger than an overgrown stuffed-animal. The larger shadow bowed respectfully to the smaller one, which didn't move in response. The silence from the small shadow caused its companion to clear its throat nervously.
" My lady," a deep, throaty voice echoed into the tunnel, " why must we meet in such a deserted place?"
The " lady" hissed, " Because this is a secretive meeting that nobeast is to know about."
He ducked his head, and seemingly satisfied, the feminine shadow continued, " I am about to ascend the throne. Pitiful position though it might now be, the Queen of Mau once held supreme power over this land. I wish to get back that which we once had before we joined this horrid Millennium and we sent our own blood to fight the wars of the Moon Kingdom."
The electric lights in the drain hummed on, signaling the approach of dusk. A small, maroon house cat was revealed but the larger figure still lay shrouded in the darkness between the lights.
" We do not have much time," the cat continued, " All I ask is this: eliminate the House of Felinae. They are my only obstacles to the complete power I so desire. The other pitiful nations will fall in line once they see the great Julamanad bend to my supreme will. I know you harbor no love for that house, except a certain someone. Kill the queen and her first heir and I promise you, you will have the Princess Borealis for your own."
The large figure looked up at this and two glowing purple eyes were seen, " How do you know I will not turn on you once I take control of Jula? I have many thousands under my command and they are all undoubtedly loyal; they will be even more so if such a tragedy were to occur."
The princess sneered, " You know you are no match for me you mangy dog-cat. You will be lucky if I let you live after an act of defiance like that. Now go, and obey as your soon-to-be queen commands. Do not fail me."
The maroon cat stalked off down the sewer and faded into the mist. The huge cat's glittering purple eyes watched after her with malice. With a final sneer of annoyance, the feline seemed to shudder in on himself and disappear.
~~~~~~
1 " Reshlor, please, now is not the time."
The Siberian shouldered the door more ajar and strode into the room. He sat and glared at the tigress as she shut the door.
"Lis, why have you been avoiding me?"
She glared back at him, " Don't call me that, and please leave. You are overstepping your bounds."
Borealis turned away and he stared open-mouthed at her, " Overstepping my bounds? Lis, what are you talking about?"
She hung her head, " There is no need for a guard to be in my room."
" I'm off duty today, you know that. What is going on? Why have you been so cold? Is there someone else...?"
" No! There never has been and there never will be. Don't you understand? We can't be together, ever. Your pursuit of me just makes this worse."
Reshlor came up beside her, " Of course we can be together. Who's stopping us? Your mother has approved of the marriage."
She turned to him her eyes filled with tears, " At the end of this year I am to leave my home and become a senshi guardian. What if I was to be given to a planet a million light years from here? Some wife I'd be; we'd never see each other!"
" I wouldn't mind, and besides, what if I go with you?"
" Go with me?" Borealis' eyes were shinning, " I hadn't thought of that, could you?"
" I think so, Sabra is about ready to take over my post anyway. He shows great promise and is a dedicated fighter. I shall speak to the queen about it."
She smiled, " You know, I'm beginning to dread leaving less and less."
Reshlor smiled back, " All better now? Good. Now come on, let's get out and do something.
~~~~~~
A large black tiger watched the pair leave. He smiled at her presence even as he cursed the one she walked beside. With a nod to a nearby guard, the gilded gate clicked shut, keeping the pair from the palace. With his main opposition out of the way, his plan could go through without fail. Those who would be against him were out on patrol, and in the dark on the plan anyway. All was ready; they waited only for the return of the Ivory Fang.
~~~~~~
" Callara! Callara, where are you? It's me, Borealis!"
" Yes, I know it's you!" the said bird landed, almost crashed, on the tigress' back. " What do you want now? Are you running away again?" he turned noticing Reshlor bowing.
" Mysterious Tolerj, please excuse our intrusion into you domains, I–"
Borealis cut him off, " Lor, there's no need for that. Callara and I are friends. If you must know, he really hates all the bowing and " mysterious Tolerjing".
The bird nodded gravely at this and turned his beady eyes on her, " What do you want? I can see you are not seeking hiding."
" We need you to guide us to the Forbidden Before."
Reshlor looked astonished," We cannot go there, it's a forbidden and dangerous place, as the name states."
" Oh, don't be such a wet blanket, I go there all the time. I just get lost if Callara's not with me; it is like a maze in there!"
The Siberian looked from one to the other and gave in, " All right, let's go."