Author's Note:
This story, while called 'Return of the Valkyries' is NOT related to 'Walk of Valkyries'. That's more of a short story that ended where it began: one part. My email address has changed to Guardian4@atlantic.net. Please put Fanfiction or something similar in the subject line so I know what the email is about.
Standard disclaimers apply. I don't own Sailor Moon, etc.
Minako's husband – Kyle (Kunzite)
Makoto's husband – Matt (Nephrite)
Ami's husband – Zale (Zoisite)
Rei's husband – Jared (Jadeite)
Haruka's husband – Aren (Adamite)
Setsuna's husband – Cirocco (Cordylite)
Michiru's husband – Ian (Iolite)
Hotaru's husband – Raine (Rhonite)
For convenience, I named all the new Kings with the same first letter of their name. The Shitennou names I think are pretty able to figure out.
Return of the Valkyries
Chapter 10
"Are you sure we should be doing this?" he hissed to the soldier next to him. "Marching on Crystal Tokyo? With its defenses? And what about…" He trailed off, suddenly unsure of himself.
"What about what?" demanded the man. "What are you mumbling about?"
"Well…" He hesitated to say it, in case he might sound as if he was loony. "Me Granny said there were…special defenders of the palace and the city when she was young. Warriors that could call destructive powers with just their will. They could destroy entire armies with their magic and that their strength and endurance outmatched mortals by a hundred-fold. Female warriors, guarding the queen and mated to the males, guarding the king."
The man beside him gave him a withering look, hardened by battle as he was. Disdainful, the only word that could possibly describe his attitude to the younger one. "Those are just fairy stories, told to children at bed. Besides, we have the king with us. Where are these male warriors, then?"
"Not warriors for King Trion, for King Endymion," another said, on his right. "There were eight female warriors, called the Sailor Senshi, and eight male warriors, called the Heavenly Kings. My Grandmother told me the story as well." His dry voice didn't make the young man feel better, but at least someone else knew the story. "That was at least two generations ago, a couple centuries perhaps. They would have died of old age a long time ago, if they ever existed in the first place."
"If that's true, then what are we marching the city for?"
The two men shrugged. "Why would King Trion pick up a bunch of loose-footed warriors from other countries to charge his own city? I don't know; Kings are queer that way."
The man on his left clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it. In a few years of fighting, you'll come to see between the legends and stories and what's real. You're just a tad green around the edges right now."
He frowned, but said nothing more. He still wasn't entirely sure that what his comrades said was true, but he read between the lines. It wasn't his place, a lowly foot soldier, to question the whys of what they were doing.
"To attention!"
All three of them straightened, as they watched their superior officer ahead of them. "What's going on?"
"Some ambassador or something, probably."
Then he saw it, or rather, them.
"I don't believe it," muttered the one on the right. "They actually exist?"
A woman in an orange and blue outfit strode out of the gates with a tall man in a cloak beside her. Her hair was pale gold with a red bow tying it back. She was gorgeous beyond all reckoning, though her light blue eyes were cold. Her stride was sure and purposeful and she had an earpiece over her ear, with an attached microphone hovering near her mouth.
The man next to her had shock silver hair, but not looking a day over his twenties. His armor was gold at the edges, shining in the sunlight with a scabbard at his side. He looked like someone had plucked him from the dark ages, except for the same kind of earpiece like the woman had. His eyes were a few shades darker than his hair, having a tad hint of green in them.
"Where is your leader?" he demanded, not at all concerned with the state of the army surrounding his city.
"You may speak to me," their superior said, anger lacing his voice ever so slightly.
"We will speak only to the one that heads this army," responded the female. "You may tell him or her that the leader of the Sailor Senshi for Neo Queen Serenity I, Sailor Venus, and leader of the Earthen Kings for King Endymion, Heavenly King Kunzite, are here to negotiate your leave of our city."
His superior bristled. "Who are you to make demands? It is your city that is under siege, I might remind you."
"We do not want to hurt you," the man said, "so we might remind you that we could decimate your army with only a wave of our hand. Bring your leader to us."
"Come with me and I'll take you to him."
"No, you bring him here. We are not so foolish as to follow you into your camp of soldiers with no assurance of safety," she said steadfastly. "And I resent the implication that you think we are. You will bring him here."
He wheeled around and strode back into the camp. The two of them looked like they were willing to wait all day, but they said nothing, not to the soldiers in front of them, nor among themselves. After a few minutes, another pair, a woman in red and a man in blue joined them.
The new female had raven black hair that seemed to have a sheen of purple in it. Her outfit was predominantly light and dark reds, with a purple bow in front. Like the other woman, named Sailor Venus, she had white boots that came up to her knees. She turned and seemed to look straight at him, her violet eyes having a mixture of emotion in them. After a moment, she turned away.
Oddly enough, the man whose color was blue, didn't contrast that much against her. His eyes were blue as well, but were just a shade darker than the sky. His hair, a few shades lighter than the orange female, looked to have always been in a breeze, such was the careless yet stylish waves he had.
He leaned toward the man on his right, since the man on his left seem to have trouble seeing, so shocked was he that the stories had come true. "Who are they, do you think?"
The man on his right shook his head, to gather his wits probably. He licked his dry lips and spoke thoughtfully, though low so as not to overhear from anyone. "If my Grandmother was right and I remember correctly, the one in red is Sailor Mars and the man with her is Heavenly King Jadeite. She had all the roles and stuff memorized, but I can't remember them."
"Why did she have all the roles memorized?"
"Well, according to her, she had an grandmother that lived in Crystal Tokyo, but she died when Gran turned sixteen. My Grandmother was only five when the city rose and all, but it fascinated her so that she remembered it all her life. It had never really interested me that much, but now I wish I had paid more attention."
"Is she still alive? Can you contact her?" asked the man on his left, seemingly able to shake himself out of his stupor finally.
"I could, I think. She's still alive, yes. I'll try tonight, but tell no one else. Only you two come to my tent and I'll try to call her."
It was as well that the conversation ended there, for their superior came back, followed by the leader of the army, King Trion. They obviously knew, and just as obviously didn't like him, nor expect him.
"Good gods, Trion what do you think you're doing?" demanded the one in red.
"I've come to take back my city."
The man in blue groaned. "I believe that Neo Queen Serenity I told you that her occupation of the throne would be temporary! In case you didn't know what that meant, temporary's definition means that it isn't permanent! As soon as the situation is resolved, you can have the throne and the Golden Crystal back."
"Don't try to dupe me! I know that once this situation is resolved she'll stay on the throne! She's wanted it back since she stepped down to her daughter!"
"You're a fool, Trion!" the one in red retorted harshly. "Serenity I never wanted to take the throne again, once she stepped down. She was happy where she was, but she knew she had to take it back until this was resolved."
"Why march on your own city?" asked the silver man. "It would not get it back, even if it succeeded."
"Listen to me Trion," Sailor Venus said slowly, "If you march on the city and try to take it from Serenity I and King Endymion, then you won't have a city left. I won't allow you to obliterate the safety of Crystal Tokyo just to get the throne. I would rather have it destroyed than to see our people recover from a war brought on them by their own king."
"You can't destroy the city."
"Believe me, we can. There are things in the computer system that only we have access to that we put in when Neo Queen Serenity I was on the throne. It can only be activated by us, but I gladly would if you continue with this farce!" Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and her expression was not welcoming.
"Get out of my way!"
She touched the earpiece and spoke something low into it. The gates behind her slammed shut.
"They can be only opened by the computer, from the inside. You will never get in this way, Trion."
The King stared at the city before him, a hungry expression on his face. "You would destroy the city?" he murmured.
"Only if you continue with this insane march," the silver man said.
He frowned and turned away. "Come here tomorrow at noon and I will give you my answer then. I must think this through."
As soon as he was gone followed by his general, he heard the red one mutter, "Thinking? I didn't know he could. He certainly isn't acting like it."
"At ease," someone yelled as the four of them disappeared into the city, the gates closing behind them.
The man on his right beckoned them to follow him and they slipped down to his tent.
"You actually saw them?" asked the old woman on the other end of the visual call. "Which ones?"
"The red and orange one, accompanied by a man with silver hair and a man in blue."
"Have you forgotten everything I told you about them?"
"Sorry Grandma. Please tell us."
"Well, the orange female is the leader of the Sailor Senshi, Sailor Venus. She's the Soldier of Love and Beauty."
"Soldier? She's only a measly soldier?" demanded the burly man whose name he learned was Brett.
"No, no, no. The word Senshi translates to Soldier, capital 'S' on both words."
"Please go on, Grandma."
"The woman in red is her second-in-command of the Inner Senshi, Sailor Mars. She's the Soldier of Fire and War. The man in blue is her husband, Heavenly King Jadeite. The man in silver is the leader of the Earthen Kings, Heavenly King Kunzite. Now you must remember something: the Sailor Senshi are the main guardians for Neo Queen Serenity I, while the Earthen Kings are the main guardians of King Endymion."
"Somehow I don't think all the information on these warriors is public knowledge. How did your grandmother know?" asked Brett.
"Well, grandmother Naru, on my father's side of course before he moved, said she knew them before."
"Before what?"
"That's the one thing I don't know. You see, every time I got a chance to ask 'before what', something would happen and I never got an answer. So I don't know. This is much easier to tell if you give me a specific question."
"Okay," he said, next to Brett and slightly behind Jackson, who was predominantly in his grandmother's vision. "How many of them are there? My grandmother didn't know that much."
"There are eight of each. From what I was told, there are two divisions, more prominent in the Sailor Senshi. The Inner Senshi, which guard the palace and the Royal Family, and the Outer Senshi, who guard the city itself."
"You said, 'second-in-command of the Inner Senshi'?" asked Brett.
"Yes, the second-in-command to Venus of the Outer Senshi would be Sailor Uranus, Soldier of the Heavens."
"Do they each have a special name or something?"
"Yes. I already told you Venus', Mars', and Uranus'. Sailor Jupiter is the Soldier of Lightning and Protection and Sailor Mercury is the Soldier of Ice and Wisdom. Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Mercury compose the Inner Senshi. Sailor Neptune is the Soldier of the Depths, Sailor Pluto is the Soldier of Time, and Sailor Saturn is the Soldier of Death."
"What about these Earthen Kings?"
"I don't know that much about them because grandmother Naru didn't know them that well. All I know are their names: Heavenly King Kunzite, Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite, Adamite, Cordylite, Iolite, and Rhonite. I know nothing else about them except who they're married to."
"Who would that be?" Jackson asked, his brow furrowing in thought.
"Kunzite is married to Venus, Jadeite is married to Mars, Nephrite is married to Jupiter, and Zoisite is married to Mercury. Of the Outer Senshi, Adamite is married to Uranus, Cordylite is married to Pluto, Iolite is married to Neptune, and Rhonite is married to Saturn."
He tried to think of more questions, but nothing came out. The silence stretched.
"I did hear once, and only once, from grandmother Naru about a Sailor Moon, Soldier of Purity, but she wouldn't tell me more."
"You mean you never got to ask?" Brett questioned, sitting back on his haunches.
"No, I asked, but she wouldn't tell me anything. I know a whole lot of stories about Crystal Tokyo, but I don't have the time to tell you. They're coming with my medicines now. Call me again, Jackson."
The line shut off.
"What was that about medicines, Jackson?" he asked, concerned.
"She lives in a nursing home, since mother and father died. I've been doing odd jobs and signing up in every army and stuff to try to raise the money to put her in a nice house. I've even got a friend who's a real estate agent saving this house for me to buy."
"I didn't think they could do that," Brett commented.
"They can't normally, but the house once belonged to him so he's just not putting it up for market."
"I really hope we can have the time to hear the stories," he murmured, falling on his back and staring at the flap of the tent.
"Don't get your hopes up, Baird. I don't know when this'll end and by then Grandmother might be dead," Jackson told him.
"Dead?"
"Damn, Brett, she's nearly a hundred years old!"
"How'd she live that long? Is she like a Mother Theresa?"
"No, but she did visit Crystal Tokyo once, when her father went to visit grandmother Naru before she died. I guess that might account for it. I've heard rumors that the aging process skews when you go in there. You outlive a lot of normal people."
"Lights out, people!" a call sounded.
Brett and Baird slipped out the tent and to their separate ones that they shared with a few other soldiers.
End Part 10