Chapter 5
Phobos Deimos Castle, Mars
Taila stood in front of her parents with a blank face. She had no idea what lay in store for her. The King and Queen smiled at her and she felt herself relax. Mars and the Moon had always been on good terms, as well as Venus and Jupiter. However, with the new Queen of Mercury, Dalit's mother, relations were estranged between the Moon and Mercury.
"Welcome home, Taila," said her father and hugged her. He then clapped her cousin on the shoulder. "Let's go get you settled." With a backward glance at his cousin, Ares let himself be led away.
The Senshi of Mars sighed. Things never changed. Her mother smiled gently at her daughter and put her arm around her shoulders. They both knew the King had hoped for a son, not a daughter.
"Do not worry," her mother told her. "He is still proud of you."
"Oh, I don't worry," she assured her. They shared a secret smile and wandered into the gardens.
"What do you do on the Moon? We hardly ever hear from you."
Taila winced. She knew she didn't keep in contact like she should and it was her own fault. She just never found the time. "I'm sorry, I know I should call more." And without another word on that subject, she felt herself telling her mother everything. All that happened on the Moon for the past two years.
When she came to her fire reading, she hesitated. "When I read the fire, I saw something terrible. I don't want to tell Serene because I'm not sure and it would hurt her either way, but I don't think Ares will survive the war," she said quietly.
Her mother was silent as they sat on a stone bench. She knew there was nothing she could say to her daughter to help her. She had no idea where her daughter got her 'reading' abilities from since she was about as psychic as a loaf of bread. She changed the subject instead.
"Would you like to change out of your fuku? We still have some of your dresses. Red, of course."
Taila cocked her head and thought. "Not really. I'm so used to my fuku that I don't feel comfortable in other things."
Her mother got a mischievous look on her face. "We built a new training ground and we have a new general over the guards. He's quite good, you know. He beat every other fighter we have here."
As expected, Taila jumped up from the bench. Giving her mother a quick peck on the cheek, she ran to the training grounds. Her mother just laughed quietly. She knew her daughter too well.
When she got there, a tall man was already there. She stood silent, sure he hadn't seen or heard her yet. She took the time to study him. He wore silver armor with a wine red jumpsuit under it. A sword was in his hand as he did some practice moves. His eyes were closed and his face a mask of concentration. His hair was light brown that went down to his broad shoulders.
She cleared her throat and he whirled around to face her. Their eyes locked and her red almost clashed with his purple. Purple? Where'd he get eyes like that?
"I'm Sailor Mars, Senshi of this planet. Who are you?"
He looked her over, straightened his shoulders, and answered, "Cirocco, General and commander of this planet's military."
Taila felt a smile curve her lips. "Where did you get your purple eyes from?"
"My mother was from Saturn. She doesn't know who her parents are. It was rumored she was a descendant from a Senshi, but that's all speculation." He shrugged.
"I also heard that there is no one here to best you. Care to try your hand against a Senshi?" she asked slyly.
Cirocco cocked his head. "All right."
He pulled up his sword. Taila smiled. "Mars Fire Inferno!" She held out her hands above the ground, one small stream of fire flowing from her palms.
With wide eyes, he jumped to the side as an entire wall of fire burst from the ground where he was standing previously. He glared at her. "No elemental attacks like that!"
Mars faked innocence. "You should have said something before or I wouldn't do this: Fire Lava Flow!"
What black hair that wasn't constrained against her head waved as if in a strong wind. Her face snapped up to the sky as red light shined up from the ground. She looked down and pointed at him.
With wide eyes, he looked above him. Lava fell from the sky straight towards him. He threw himself a few feet away and landed on his back. The lava scorched the earth, but left no lasting marks. He stood up and glared at her again. "I said no elemental attacks!"
Taila shrugged. "Fine. You obviously cannot best a Senshi in power combat. Let's see if you can't do better in physical combat."
They locked arms and locked eyes, trying to read the other's next move. Kicking him in the stomach, Mars backed away. He threw a punch and it connected with her jaw. She used the momentum of her head toss back and twirled around, punching him in the stomach and jaw.
He picked her up and threw her across the training field and she landed on her shoulder and rolled up onto her feet. This continued for some hours.
When both were tired and hurting, Mars did something that was both brave and stupid. She dodged his kick and tackled him to the ground. They slammed against the earth and rolled, each trying to pin the other.
Taila summoned the last dregs of her strength and flipped him onto his back. She straddled him to make sure he didn't move, assuming he could after the hours of fighting.
"I…win," she gasped.
He glared at her and a smile formed on his lips. "I see. You're very good."
"I know. I'm the Senshi of Mars. We're notoriously good fighters. Your name means wind, huh? It suits you."
"What do you mean?"
"You moved almost as fast as the wind. I congratulate you." She stood up and held out to her hand to him. He took it and she pulled him to his feet.
"Would you care to visit me later to discuss your training?"
Mars cocked her head. If she didn't know better, he was asking to court her. She almost frowned. Did she really have time for a lover? Could she afford one, with the war coming up? "All right."
He bowed to her and left the training grounds. Taila watched him go, her thoughts in a frenzy of activity. The war was coming soon. Was he a part of the enemies? Her mother had said he was a new general. New at this point in time? When the war was going to break out in a year? She had once thought that a year was a long time, but now she realized just how short it really was.
She sighed at her thoughts and went to her room. Things were going to be rough in the year ahead. And how did Cirocco fit into all of it? Mars almost laughed at her thoughts. How did he always get into her head? Was she really concerned about the fact that he could be a spy or was it the fact that he was incredibly handsome?
Taila stared into the mirror and took down her hair to brush it. It fell down to her calves. She hadn't realized it had grown so long in such a short time. Sitting down at a chair in front of the vanity, she picked up the brush. It was very ornate with rubies set on the back and golden all over.
She looked around her room. So many memories that she had forgotten. Yet she felt sad. The room held all her old memories, but none of the new ones. The memories of her princess and friends, the memories of the Senshi.
Mars felt a tear creep to her eye. She would miss them. Sometimes a year could seem so short and yet so long. It would seem short with the upcoming war she had seen, but it would seem interminable without her friends and she didn't think the others' families would like a surprise call from another Senshi, just what they wanted their children away from.
She brushed her hair, thinking all the time. As she tied it all into a large bun and ponytail, she couldn't help staring at her reflection. Had she always looked so tired and pale? Had she always had that deep sadness and anxiety in her eyes?
Impulsively, she put in a holographic call back to the Moon, hoping to see a familiar face. Not that her family's faces weren't familiar, but they weren't the faces she wanted to see.
Luna's form appeared. "Yes, Senshi Mars? Is there something wrong? Did you have another vision of the war? Is it coming closer?"
Taila could recognize the signs of stress and worry in Luna that she recognized in herself. She smiled reassuringly. "No, Luna, I didn't read the fire and you may call me Taila. I was hoping to talk to Serene."
Luna looked surprised for a moment. "No, Taila, I'm sorry, but the Princess Serenity is with the King and Queen. I don't think it means good news," she added softly.
Taila sat back in her chair. "Do you know what the meeting is about?"
"No I don't and it worries me. From what I could gather from tones and facial expressions, I think it's about the Ginzuishou."
"The Ginzuishou?!" she gasped, leaning forward again. "Did something happen?!"
"Well Taila, when all the Senshi were teleported away to their homes, King Dari upped the guard. A day after there was an attack on Princess Serenity."
"Serene! But why?" Mars spluttered. "She's only the princess right now. She doesn't have access to the Ginzuishou at this time! Why her?"
Luna could only shrug and shake her head. "I don't know. I think this upcoming war that you said will happen is deeper than anything we can understand. I can't explain why I feel this way, I just do. Maybe this war is just the calm before the storm."
Taila stared off into space and said a moment later, "I'll do a fire-reading tonight. Mars out," she added and shut off the call. She leaned back into her chair. She had no choice, but to do a fire reading. If Luna was right, then everyone's lives could depend on it. If she found anything or even if she didn't, she would call Luna back and let her know her findings.
"Oh, damn," she muttered as she remembered her promise to Cirocco. "I'm supposed to meet him tonight." Taila sat in silence and indecision. She really wanted to talk to him, perhaps see if he worked for the enemy, but she had her duty as a Senshi. What did she do? Her fire reading or talk to the new general?
A thought surfaced. Both could be classified as Senshi business. If she went to talk with him to see if he was a spy, it didn't matter if she enjoyed it. That would have to be a plus. And after she talked with him, she could down to the fire room made for her so she could read the fire then.
But she couldn't help the small thread of guilt. She should do the fire-reading first. But what about Cirocco? Maybe if I blow him off this time, then I won't get another chance to talk to him. He could not be as open later if I don't talk to him now. I shouldn't arouse his suspicions if he is a spy. Her reasoning worked and she didn't acknowledge the thrill of meeting with him that ran through her body.
A knock on her door drew her from her contemplation. Standing up, she opened it. Cirocco stood there, resplendent in his armor. He smiled wryly. "I see we both don't let pleasure interrupt our duty."
Taila looked down at herself and realized he was talking about her fuku. She blushed slightly, but didn't answer him. "Where shall we go to talk?"
His smile grew. "Why don't we go down to the gardens?"
She raised an eyebrow. That was where lovers often went at night and, with a quick look out her window, she verified that it was night. "All right."
As they walked, they made small talk, asking about each other's pasts. He was very free with his. His mother had moved off Saturn to Mars because she couldn't stand the thought of staying in one place all her life and she'd always heard about Mars. The Queen of Saturn at that time had been from Mars and she never stopped talking about her home.
When the opportunity to go to Mars came, she had taken it. She had stayed in a few places, but soon had nowhere to go. That was how she had met Cirocco's father. They had met walking down the street. She did not have the Mars look about her and that drew him to her. They hit it off right away and within a few months, were married.
Cirocco was a simple peasant baby. At an early age, he enlisted in the Mars army. Because of his prowess in battle and his wits in the classroom, he had risen fast. When the previous general before him died in a skirmish, he had been chosen as the next leading commander. His parents had died about a year ago.
"I told you my life story. What's yours?"
Taila looked away from him and into the sky. "I was born on Mars as well, as Princess Taila. When I was about two, I showed remarkable abilities with fire. It didn't hurt me at all. Well, at least not much. When I was five, I began to have visions that were completely confusing. I didn't get much sleep at that age because that's when I began to get them. At six, I began to sit in front of the fireplace after I woke up or when I had had a vision or even when I was mixed up about things. My father and mother say I went into a trance, sitting in front of the fire. They would always put me to bed. Then one day, in mid-day, I sat in front of the main fireplace in my parent's room with Ares visiting. They were sitting in chairs and talking.
"My father got up and went to the door. Someone had knocked. I pulled out of the trance in time to say 'look out!'. The man had a knife in his hand and without my warning, he would have killed my father. When the assassin was taken away, all my family stared at me and asked how I had known. I told them that the fire had told me. They immediately called the current Senshi of Mars back on the Moon and asked her to come without delay. When she tested me, she said I had the ability to communicate with fire. It would tell me important things."
"Was the Senshi of Mars your aunt?"
"No. I wasn't related to her. She was the bastard daughter of a Noble. The reason they called her immediately is that the Senshi of any planet is highly respected by the Royal Family and most of the time, can be their chief advisors. When I was eight, the Senshi of Mars called me as one of the candidates for the next Soldier. My parents initially protested, but they let me go to the Moon with my nanny. I was among four other girls to be tested. Queen Serenity called on the god Ares and he chose me. So from then on, I became Princess Taila, Soldier of Mars."
"Sounds like a much more interesting past than mine," he said lightly.
Taila glared at him. "A past is not supposed to be interesting or exciting! It defines who and what we are." She pulled her arm from his.
"Forgive me, I did not mean to offend."
Mars looked at him and saw that he was indeed serious about his apology. "I accept your apology."
They walked in silence for a while. As they reached a fountain, Cirocco pulled Taila into his arms. She looked at him in surprise and suspicion.
"Princess Taila, Soldier of Mars, would you accept my attentions as well as my apology?"
Mars looked away for a moment. Now was the moment of truth. Did she really want a relationship with this man? He could be the enemy. Even if he weren't, the thought would haunt her for the rest of her life.
She turned back to him, intending to tell him no, when his lips descended on hers. Her head swam and her eyes instinctively closed. She moved closer to him and his tongue parted her lips. The moonlight shown down on them.
When Taila awoke, she was in her room, lying on her side. She was not wearing her Senshi uniform and there was a strange warmth at her back. She turned around and her suspicions were confirmed. Cirocco, sleeping peacefully.
Mars slipped from the bed and pulled on a silk, red robe. She headed down to the fire room. The room was still lovingly cared for. Mother. She must have taken care of it herself. No servants would ever enter the room, their suspicious natures always aroused whenever it was mentioned. Taila felt warmth in her chest and she smiled. How she loved her mother.
Kneeling in front of the fire, she cast her essence into the blaze. Images surfaced, Cirocco prominent in most. Finally she narrowed down one image.
Cirocco was standing alone, light shining on one half of him and the rest in darkness. He held a cruel and sad expression on his face. His sword dripped with blood and the Moon was red behind him.
Taila pulled from the fire, disturbed. Did this vision mean that he fought for the Moon and was sad that he couldn't save it or did it mean that he fought against the Moon and was sad because…
Mars knew she couldn't go back to bed without calling Luna. It was still deep night. But she couldn't place the call in her room; it would wake Cirocco. Slipping into the war room next to her fire room, she called the Moon on a holographic message.
No one answered at first and she studied her reflection in the glass, technological maps on the walls. (A.N. Like the base on Hoth in Star Wars, the Empire Returns). She looked awake and grim-faced.
Luna appeared, looking tired and grumpy. When she saw the Soldier, she straightened. She hissed at someone behind her to be quiet. Taila assumed it was Artemis.
"Yes, Taila?"
"I did a fire reading, Luna." She quietly explained about Cirocco's presence and past. Then she described her vision.
"There's something more here, isn't there?" asked Luna shrewdly.
"Well, I think I'm in love with Cirocco and I don't know what to do. If he's the enemy, I know I'll have to kill him and I don't want to do that."
"Don't jump to conclusions," Luna soothed. "He may not be with the enemy. Just be on guard slightly whenever you're around him okay?"
"All right. Mars out."
Taila switched off the call and leaned against the wall. Luna was right; she shouldn't jump to conclusions. It would do no good. All she had to do was remain on her guard slightly and everything would be all right. Wouldn't it?