"Hello, I'm Callara, the Mysterious Tolerj. I hold psychic powers and I can see the very thoughts you are thinking right now. No, Hollie does not own Sailor Moon, but she does own me, Borealis, and any other of her creations in this story. I see now you wish to steal her creations. Do not, for Gerhash, the Vengeful Heralm is deadly with his lightning bolts."
Chapter Eight
The convoy of Queen Jula and Princess Hippolyta was streaming through the rolling desert sands. The two bengals talked in hushed tones as they lay side by side on the hover-litter; the growing darkness worried them. The sun should not set on Cartooth for hours yet, but it seemed oblivious to this ordinary fact of nature; the stars did not appear in this inky blackness, and Hippolyta looked nervously up into the darkness, looking for her favorite constellation. The Tigress always comforted her, but, tonight, it was not there.
"I don't like this mama," she eyed her mother's stony countenance, "Something is not right. It must have something to do with the Queen's death, but why would that affect the sun?"
The stately monarch slowly shook her head, "It can only mean one thing: Civis has learned to control Bast."
"What? Control Bast? No one can control the Great Goddess!"
"Yes. One can. But usually, it is only the queen who can do so. In very rare occasions, an unusually pure Sailor Mau can summon Bast to her aid, but Civis is in no way a pure soul. The only thing I can think is that the evilness of her soul allowed her to trap Bast to her will."
"But how can that be possible? Why would Bast allow such a thing?" the young tigress was beginning to panic.
"In the beginning, it was a boon granted to the Ancient Queens for our protection as we Speaking Cats forged a world for ourselves. The Ancient Queens were fair and just rulers and after the building had ended, they broke down the Empire into the Confederation it is today."
"Yes, mama, I know all that, but why would she let someone control her? Shouldn't she be able to leave the person's control?"
"Bast never felt the need to do so, and we Queens were always instructed by our mothers before us to watch Queen Mau and keep the power from corrupting her. It seems Civis has already been consumed."
"Then we shall have to call the Feline Senshi," Hippolyta looked out through the gloom at the soldiers on hover bikes gliding along the edge of the litter.
Xylia shook her head, "I'm afraid that won't be enough. Sailor Mau is the strongest of the Felinae Senshi excepting Sailor Felinus herself. You would need both teams to defeat her." Here, she looked at the face of her daughter, "How long ago was the last time you saw Sailor Felinae?"
"A little over a month ago; she usually comes to visit the first of every month, though. I wondered that she did not come this time. After visiting me, she meets with the Queen and Pricess."
The jade-eyed queen nodded solemnly, "Then I fear that she is dead. Civis it seems has been plotting a take-over, and I sense her hand in the Queen's death. Now that the biggest threat is out of her way, she will be unstoppable, and only a senshi not of this system will be able to defeat her."
"We must call in our allies then."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Civis composed her face into one of despair as the holo-messager searched for a signal. Her eyes were puffy and red and her normally immaculate maroon hair was wild and unkempt. At last, the confirmation beep sounded and the Moon operator picked up.
A black-haired woman appeared "Hello, Silver Palace. Who is speaking and how may I direct your call?"
"Hello. I am Princess Civis of Mau, older sister to Guardian Luna. May I speak with my sister?"
"Please hold as I transfer you to her room."
"Thank you," the princess' voice was honeyed.
After a while, the blank static was replaced by the image of her younger sister in human form. She was clad in her usual yellow satin and black tulle tea-length gown and her wavy black hair was pulled up into four half-buns. Luna smiled at her older sister, the two had not seen each other for a long time and the teen felt very close to her even though they were three years apart.
"Hiya, Civis! It's good to see you, but what's wrong? You don't look so good," her blue eyes mirrored the concern her voice carried.
"Luna," the older teen began, her voice choked with false tears, "Luna, I think you should sit down for this." She waited as the young girl did so, a look of trepidation on her face, "Luna, our mother is dead. She--she died this afternoon! All she had was a cold and then today she was gone!"
Luna's young face froze with shock. Her mother was dead. No, she wasn't hearing Civis right, "Civis, you're joking, right? I mean, mama can't possibly be dead?"
"I'm sorry, Luna, but I'm not joking. Oh, I wish I could hug you right now! I feel so alone!" tears poured down the face of the two sisters as they shared their grief together over a satillite signal.
Luna tried to remember her mother as she had last seen her: healthy and vivacious, her hair white with the dignity of age with traces of its youthful gold, her sapphire blue eyes smiling kindly down at her. Those eyes that had captivated her father with a single glance . . . She shook her head, to clear it of the painful memories, and looked out the window at the beautiful eternal night that blanketed the moon.
"I'm coming home, Civis. For mother's funeral and your coronation. Maybe forever, I don't think I ever want to come back."
"Thank you, Luna, but you will have to go back; it is your duty," the heir to the throne of Mau looked mockingly at her younger sister, but Luna wasn't paying attention, "Don't come alone, dearest. I want you to bring someone for company, so you don't get depressed."
"I will speak to Queen Serenity about this. Goodbye, Civis, I'll see you soon, hopefully."
The maroon-haired royal tittered darkly as the transmission ended, "Oh, I'll be seeing you all right, and then you'll be seeing the god of death!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Princess?" a dark-haired man with intense silver eyes saluted as he entered the room, unsure what to think of the summons he had received.
Borealis took her eyes off the darkened sky, visible from the expansive throne room window. It was morning, and the sun seemed to be only at half its usual strength. She turned briskly towards the soldier and seemed to measure him up with her eyes. The lieutenant swallowed nervously as the princess walked slowly towards him, heels clicking on the jade marble.
She nodded with a sense of formality and seated herself in the throne, "Captain Salvas has spoken highly of you and I have agreed to promote you to his position as he is retiring."
"Uh, promote? Retiring? Your highness, I--"
Borealis waved a hand impatiently, "He is stepping down and has named you as his replacement. It is a great honor to be the Captain of the Ivory Fang patrol, don't be so quick to dismiss yourself from it." Her smile changed to a look of purpose, "I am also aware that the traitor Narnen ordered your patrol to go out on a reconaissance mission last night. Am I correct?"
"Yes, princess."
"Are you now aware that also the Left Fang and Right Fang Patrols went out as well?"
"Yes, but last night, I was told only ours would be out."
"This is what the other Captains have informed me. Did any of the Black Fang Generals go out on patrol?"
"No, they were all here, except the three who went with the Queen and your sister."
"Hmmm . . . It was Valance, Marens, and Theodom. They I know are loyal to Jula and had nothing to do with the plot, probably why they were assigned as escorts, usually something for the Ivory Fang Patrol." She looked down at the newly-appointed Captain with such sadness that he was taken aback, "Do you know that you will be in charge of the executions?"
He nodded, shifting his feet uncomfortably. The demeanor of the princess was getting to him. If she had simply barked her orders and told him to leave he would have been fine. But she seemed as if she was asking for his okay on this. Asking for his forgiveness almost.
"The traitors will be dispatched this evening. Prepare your men and the Leeches."
"I understand, princess."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reshlor had sat at the foot of the gargantuan tree all through the unnatural dark of the night. The Manargle's tree stood in the center of the clearing and twelve other trees surrounded it, each one different from the one before it. He watched as the Twelve Birds of Legend took their places in their corresponding trees. Callara sat in the boughs of a silver-leaved willow-like tree, the gleaming spears forming a curtain around him.
One by one, they arrived, but the tiger only recognized a few. The Vengeful Heralm flew in on his electric yellow wings and sat in a tree dead and charred from an encounter with lightning; the feline found this oddly fitting for the bird's powers. The Graceful Plema, the only female of the Legend Birds, had settled herself delicately in a stately larch, amber wings folded just so. She was the most powerful of the birds, Reshlor knew, second only to the Manargle, and had control over spirit energy; it was said that the soul took on the appearance of the Plema on its way to the Last Haven.
At last, the trees were filled and the silver Manargle cleared his throat, "I think you all know why you've been called here. Long have the Birds of Legend and the Speaking Cats been allied together, our ancestors and the Elder Cats of the each of the Houses met on this very spot many, many years ago. But now, Adelanta, Queen of Mau, is dead, poisoned by her own daughter who, in three days time, will ascend the throne."
Reshlor's mind whirled at the bird's last statement. Queen Mau dead? How could it be possible? And poisoned by Civis, the next in line for the throne? Was that why Borealis had been so adamant about returning to Larynshe? But he forced his mind back to the gathering that was taking place in the branches above him.
"But what can we do?" the musical voice of the Plema floated out of her nest, "We cannot interfere with the full power of Bast."
"I have been in communication with Bast since the Darkening began and she has informed me that the One has been found."
An acid green bird made a sound of disbelief, "The One with the Light of Felinae? So, the Lonely Seed has found a host . . ."
The majestic silver bird nodded gravely, "Yes, and it is good as Sailor Felinae is dead and none strong enough to match against Sailor Mau infused with Bast abides within this system."
"Sailor Felinae is dead?" Reshlor yelled before he could stop himself.
The bird nodded and continued speaking.
Reshlor had only met the lovely Queen of the Felinae system once. He had been set to guard the princesses as they had a picnic in the Rose Garden and the Queen had come to pay a visit. Hippolyta and Borealis had been long time friends of Faline before her mother had died and passed the crown to her. She had spoken to him with such friendliness and familiarity that he had been speechless with awe. He had never met Queen Serenity nor her daughter, but he believed that Queen Faline was as beautiful and gracious as they were rumored to be.
"Your love," she had said to him, mist-blue eyes smiling, "for the Princess Borealis is a destined match. Where her soul goes, yours will follow no matter the time or place."
The Siberian tiger turned his attention back to the council of birds, for it seemed they were finally deciding upon something.
"So it's agreed. The four neccessary birds will merge and come to the aid of Sailor Aurora when she is in battle. Alight on the ground as I call you." The manarge stretched his silver wings to the dark sky, "Callara, the Tolerj, holder of psychic powers; Freyas, the Plema, holder of spiritual powers; Kepheb, the Sernak, bringer of death; and myself, Oland, the Manargle, bringer of life."
The four birds had assembled on the grassy floor of the clearing, the Sernak, it seemed was the acid green bird. Almost as if on cue, the four birds set up their calls into the ominous sky, four beams of color soaring into the sky: silver, fuschia, amber, and acid green. A flash of light so intense all the remaining birds and the tiger had to close their eyes against its brillance exploded from the four avians and dimmed just as suddenly. Reshlor opened his eyes and was astonished at what he saw.
A huge silver bird with and amber breast, acid green wings, and a fuschia tail and plume flew down from the vacant sky and alighted on the lawn. The creature blinked its jewel-like eyes and spoke in a voice that seemed like four speaking at once.
"We are the Ultimate Yelstat, Champion of the Senshi of Joy!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ack! Sorry it took me so long this time guys! I've just been seriously time-deprived since Pluto took a vacation and stopped pausing time for me. ::shakes fist at senshi of time:: Ah well, I promise I will be more punctual next time! Well, tell me what you think!
~Jinjur
Chapter Eight
The convoy of Queen Jula and Princess Hippolyta was streaming through the rolling desert sands. The two bengals talked in hushed tones as they lay side by side on the hover-litter; the growing darkness worried them. The sun should not set on Cartooth for hours yet, but it seemed oblivious to this ordinary fact of nature; the stars did not appear in this inky blackness, and Hippolyta looked nervously up into the darkness, looking for her favorite constellation. The Tigress always comforted her, but, tonight, it was not there.
"I don't like this mama," she eyed her mother's stony countenance, "Something is not right. It must have something to do with the Queen's death, but why would that affect the sun?"
The stately monarch slowly shook her head, "It can only mean one thing: Civis has learned to control Bast."
"What? Control Bast? No one can control the Great Goddess!"
"Yes. One can. But usually, it is only the queen who can do so. In very rare occasions, an unusually pure Sailor Mau can summon Bast to her aid, but Civis is in no way a pure soul. The only thing I can think is that the evilness of her soul allowed her to trap Bast to her will."
"But how can that be possible? Why would Bast allow such a thing?" the young tigress was beginning to panic.
"In the beginning, it was a boon granted to the Ancient Queens for our protection as we Speaking Cats forged a world for ourselves. The Ancient Queens were fair and just rulers and after the building had ended, they broke down the Empire into the Confederation it is today."
"Yes, mama, I know all that, but why would she let someone control her? Shouldn't she be able to leave the person's control?"
"Bast never felt the need to do so, and we Queens were always instructed by our mothers before us to watch Queen Mau and keep the power from corrupting her. It seems Civis has already been consumed."
"Then we shall have to call the Feline Senshi," Hippolyta looked out through the gloom at the soldiers on hover bikes gliding along the edge of the litter.
Xylia shook her head, "I'm afraid that won't be enough. Sailor Mau is the strongest of the Felinae Senshi excepting Sailor Felinus herself. You would need both teams to defeat her." Here, she looked at the face of her daughter, "How long ago was the last time you saw Sailor Felinae?"
"A little over a month ago; she usually comes to visit the first of every month, though. I wondered that she did not come this time. After visiting me, she meets with the Queen and Pricess."
The jade-eyed queen nodded solemnly, "Then I fear that she is dead. Civis it seems has been plotting a take-over, and I sense her hand in the Queen's death. Now that the biggest threat is out of her way, she will be unstoppable, and only a senshi not of this system will be able to defeat her."
"We must call in our allies then."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Civis composed her face into one of despair as the holo-messager searched for a signal. Her eyes were puffy and red and her normally immaculate maroon hair was wild and unkempt. At last, the confirmation beep sounded and the Moon operator picked up.
A black-haired woman appeared "Hello, Silver Palace. Who is speaking and how may I direct your call?"
"Hello. I am Princess Civis of Mau, older sister to Guardian Luna. May I speak with my sister?"
"Please hold as I transfer you to her room."
"Thank you," the princess' voice was honeyed.
After a while, the blank static was replaced by the image of her younger sister in human form. She was clad in her usual yellow satin and black tulle tea-length gown and her wavy black hair was pulled up into four half-buns. Luna smiled at her older sister, the two had not seen each other for a long time and the teen felt very close to her even though they were three years apart.
"Hiya, Civis! It's good to see you, but what's wrong? You don't look so good," her blue eyes mirrored the concern her voice carried.
"Luna," the older teen began, her voice choked with false tears, "Luna, I think you should sit down for this." She waited as the young girl did so, a look of trepidation on her face, "Luna, our mother is dead. She--she died this afternoon! All she had was a cold and then today she was gone!"
Luna's young face froze with shock. Her mother was dead. No, she wasn't hearing Civis right, "Civis, you're joking, right? I mean, mama can't possibly be dead?"
"I'm sorry, Luna, but I'm not joking. Oh, I wish I could hug you right now! I feel so alone!" tears poured down the face of the two sisters as they shared their grief together over a satillite signal.
Luna tried to remember her mother as she had last seen her: healthy and vivacious, her hair white with the dignity of age with traces of its youthful gold, her sapphire blue eyes smiling kindly down at her. Those eyes that had captivated her father with a single glance . . . She shook her head, to clear it of the painful memories, and looked out the window at the beautiful eternal night that blanketed the moon.
"I'm coming home, Civis. For mother's funeral and your coronation. Maybe forever, I don't think I ever want to come back."
"Thank you, Luna, but you will have to go back; it is your duty," the heir to the throne of Mau looked mockingly at her younger sister, but Luna wasn't paying attention, "Don't come alone, dearest. I want you to bring someone for company, so you don't get depressed."
"I will speak to Queen Serenity about this. Goodbye, Civis, I'll see you soon, hopefully."
The maroon-haired royal tittered darkly as the transmission ended, "Oh, I'll be seeing you all right, and then you'll be seeing the god of death!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Princess?" a dark-haired man with intense silver eyes saluted as he entered the room, unsure what to think of the summons he had received.
Borealis took her eyes off the darkened sky, visible from the expansive throne room window. It was morning, and the sun seemed to be only at half its usual strength. She turned briskly towards the soldier and seemed to measure him up with her eyes. The lieutenant swallowed nervously as the princess walked slowly towards him, heels clicking on the jade marble.
She nodded with a sense of formality and seated herself in the throne, "Captain Salvas has spoken highly of you and I have agreed to promote you to his position as he is retiring."
"Uh, promote? Retiring? Your highness, I--"
Borealis waved a hand impatiently, "He is stepping down and has named you as his replacement. It is a great honor to be the Captain of the Ivory Fang patrol, don't be so quick to dismiss yourself from it." Her smile changed to a look of purpose, "I am also aware that the traitor Narnen ordered your patrol to go out on a reconaissance mission last night. Am I correct?"
"Yes, princess."
"Are you now aware that also the Left Fang and Right Fang Patrols went out as well?"
"Yes, but last night, I was told only ours would be out."
"This is what the other Captains have informed me. Did any of the Black Fang Generals go out on patrol?"
"No, they were all here, except the three who went with the Queen and your sister."
"Hmmm . . . It was Valance, Marens, and Theodom. They I know are loyal to Jula and had nothing to do with the plot, probably why they were assigned as escorts, usually something for the Ivory Fang Patrol." She looked down at the newly-appointed Captain with such sadness that he was taken aback, "Do you know that you will be in charge of the executions?"
He nodded, shifting his feet uncomfortably. The demeanor of the princess was getting to him. If she had simply barked her orders and told him to leave he would have been fine. But she seemed as if she was asking for his okay on this. Asking for his forgiveness almost.
"The traitors will be dispatched this evening. Prepare your men and the Leeches."
"I understand, princess."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reshlor had sat at the foot of the gargantuan tree all through the unnatural dark of the night. The Manargle's tree stood in the center of the clearing and twelve other trees surrounded it, each one different from the one before it. He watched as the Twelve Birds of Legend took their places in their corresponding trees. Callara sat in the boughs of a silver-leaved willow-like tree, the gleaming spears forming a curtain around him.
One by one, they arrived, but the tiger only recognized a few. The Vengeful Heralm flew in on his electric yellow wings and sat in a tree dead and charred from an encounter with lightning; the feline found this oddly fitting for the bird's powers. The Graceful Plema, the only female of the Legend Birds, had settled herself delicately in a stately larch, amber wings folded just so. She was the most powerful of the birds, Reshlor knew, second only to the Manargle, and had control over spirit energy; it was said that the soul took on the appearance of the Plema on its way to the Last Haven.
At last, the trees were filled and the silver Manargle cleared his throat, "I think you all know why you've been called here. Long have the Birds of Legend and the Speaking Cats been allied together, our ancestors and the Elder Cats of the each of the Houses met on this very spot many, many years ago. But now, Adelanta, Queen of Mau, is dead, poisoned by her own daughter who, in three days time, will ascend the throne."
Reshlor's mind whirled at the bird's last statement. Queen Mau dead? How could it be possible? And poisoned by Civis, the next in line for the throne? Was that why Borealis had been so adamant about returning to Larynshe? But he forced his mind back to the gathering that was taking place in the branches above him.
"But what can we do?" the musical voice of the Plema floated out of her nest, "We cannot interfere with the full power of Bast."
"I have been in communication with Bast since the Darkening began and she has informed me that the One has been found."
An acid green bird made a sound of disbelief, "The One with the Light of Felinae? So, the Lonely Seed has found a host . . ."
The majestic silver bird nodded gravely, "Yes, and it is good as Sailor Felinae is dead and none strong enough to match against Sailor Mau infused with Bast abides within this system."
"Sailor Felinae is dead?" Reshlor yelled before he could stop himself.
The bird nodded and continued speaking.
Reshlor had only met the lovely Queen of the Felinae system once. He had been set to guard the princesses as they had a picnic in the Rose Garden and the Queen had come to pay a visit. Hippolyta and Borealis had been long time friends of Faline before her mother had died and passed the crown to her. She had spoken to him with such friendliness and familiarity that he had been speechless with awe. He had never met Queen Serenity nor her daughter, but he believed that Queen Faline was as beautiful and gracious as they were rumored to be.
"Your love," she had said to him, mist-blue eyes smiling, "for the Princess Borealis is a destined match. Where her soul goes, yours will follow no matter the time or place."
The Siberian tiger turned his attention back to the council of birds, for it seemed they were finally deciding upon something.
"So it's agreed. The four neccessary birds will merge and come to the aid of Sailor Aurora when she is in battle. Alight on the ground as I call you." The manarge stretched his silver wings to the dark sky, "Callara, the Tolerj, holder of psychic powers; Freyas, the Plema, holder of spiritual powers; Kepheb, the Sernak, bringer of death; and myself, Oland, the Manargle, bringer of life."
The four birds had assembled on the grassy floor of the clearing, the Sernak, it seemed was the acid green bird. Almost as if on cue, the four birds set up their calls into the ominous sky, four beams of color soaring into the sky: silver, fuschia, amber, and acid green. A flash of light so intense all the remaining birds and the tiger had to close their eyes against its brillance exploded from the four avians and dimmed just as suddenly. Reshlor opened his eyes and was astonished at what he saw.
A huge silver bird with and amber breast, acid green wings, and a fuschia tail and plume flew down from the vacant sky and alighted on the lawn. The creature blinked its jewel-like eyes and spoke in a voice that seemed like four speaking at once.
"We are the Ultimate Yelstat, Champion of the Senshi of Joy!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ack! Sorry it took me so long this time guys! I've just been seriously time-deprived since Pluto took a vacation and stopped pausing time for me. ::shakes fist at senshi of time:: Ah well, I promise I will be more punctual next time! Well, tell me what you think!
~Jinjur