Hearts in Time Beginnings
part four: Trials, near kisses and a Quest's beginning
By Lance the Flamesniper
Raven yawned. "This is Booooooooooorrrrrrriiiiinnnngggg!"
"Perhaps a little dry," Amelia commented. "But not boring."
"Maybe for you," Kaen replied "but if things don't get interesting
soon, Yamhead is likely to fall asleep!"
"Hey!" Growled Rini.
"Come now children. I told you that this story was not all about
action did I not?" The Bard replied.
"Yeah," Rene` replied. "But you never said it was about a guy who
was a coward. I mean if he loves Princess Setsuna so much why couldn't
he just 'fess up?"
"Are you really that dense Rene`?" Sonia asked. "Clearly, if anything,
this guy Prince Lance is more afraid of being rejected or being somehow
unworthy than anything else. What it sounds like is that he needs to find his
courage."
Under his hood Bard smirked. "Sonia has guessed correctly. He needs
to find his courage..."
*******
It had been a long week for Prince Lance on the starliner, but now it was
over as the massive ship made it into a port in the Moon Kingdom's capital. He,
like all people in the Millenium, knew how to speak Lunarian, the trade language
Celestine and his own native tongue of Plutonian, so there was not going to be
any problem with a language gap. However, his first duty upon arriving had him
sweating bullets.
Lance was clad in the traditional Black of a Plutonian prince. The shirt
was silk and embroidered into the area over his heart was the symbol of his clan,
the golden unicorn. "It'll be alright Lance," He muttered to himself. "All you gotta
do is escourt Setsuna down the ramp and into a waiting coach. She's your friend,
you can do this!" He once more looked at his friend. Like him she was dressed in
black, the only difference being she was wearing a velvet dress that, while simple,
showed off her body nicely.
Setsuna stood at the hatchway staring at Lance. 'Why is he so nervous?
Gods he looks so dashing in that costume,' She thought as she took his offered
arm. "Something wrong?"
"Nothing I can't handle," Lance replied in a mock calmness.
The two walked out the hatch and waved nervously to the cheering
on-lookers, each sure the other could hear their heart pounding with every step.
********
Setsuna saw Lance again several days later. She knew he knew she
was there. He'd spotted her in the gathered crowd and waved nervously to her.
She knew what this day meant to her longtime friend. There was no way she
was going to miss it, despite what the rest of the royal court seemed to have
planned. Unlike when he'd escourted her off the starliner, he was clad in a
pair of black breeches and tall buckskin boots. Around his waist was woven
leather belt with a cutlass sheathed on his hip. For the first time in her life
she noticed her best friend's physique as what it was, that of a young man.
His body was lithe and trim. His muscles were toned but not overdone, she
delighted in the way they seemed to ripple and flow as he went through a
warm up kata. She also wondered why it was so hot in the training hall all
of a sudden. Her warmth however was cooled quickly when she saw who
was on the other side of the hall.
Across the way stood a mountain of a man. They called him Thorn.
He was Jupitari, easily seven feet tall with coal black eyes and hair the color
of tarnished silver. He too was clad in breeches, only his were light green.
Around his waist was wide black leather belt with a wide buckle made of
brass. Across his massive chest was a large bandolier that held a massive
war axe to his back. Clenched in his teeth was a large beer root that he was
gnawing on ferociously. Setsuna could tell that if he had his way, Thorn would
chew Lance up just as he was the root.
The weaponmaster trials were a fairly violent affair, as Setsuna had
rapidly learned when she arrived that morning. It was three part test. The first
part dealt with the mind, the battlefield was a class room and the opponent was
a written test on diplomacy and philosophy. Out the two hundred applicants for
weaponmaster status only eighty had passed, Lance being one of the highest
in this reguard. That brought forth the next parts of the trials done one after
the other. This was the martial part of the weaponmaster trials. Part one was
hand to hand combat immediately followed by the weapon form test. Essentially
each of the adepts would face off against a weaponmaster, if they lasted long
enough the weaponmaster would then draw his weapon and battle the adept.
The only restriction being that the adept must use his or her hand designed
fighting style.
The last part worried Setsuna more than anything. When Lance had
shown her his "Shadow Storm" style she noticed that it wasn't suitable to the
longsword he was using originally. Her suggestion was to use a blade with a
curve to it so that his attacks would flow better. This coming from a girl who
before becoming his friend had never even really used a weapon aside from for
in the basics of martial defense astounded Lance. While the cutless was
indeed better for what he was going for it still wasn't perfect. He'd need a
weapon that was designed specifically for slashing. Having seen his design for
if he passed, she suspected he'd come to the same conclusion.
However, Setsuna had every reason to be nervous about the whole deal.
Lance was the twentieth adept to be tested and so far none of the other nineteen
ahead of him had made it out of the first part of the two trials. One poor fool, after
seeing the person directly ahead of him getting carted out on a stretcher, dropped
his weapon and ran screaming from the training area.
The signal was given and the two warriors stalked forward. Thorn had Lance
in height by a foot and three inches and had to weigh in at at least three hundred
ninety pounds, all of it muscle. Lance however, seemed to take that in stride. Maybe
it was inspired by his fighting style, maybe he was just nuts. Whichever was the
case the young warrior prince charged in releasing a jumping roundhouse kick then
dropping into a crouch to sweep at his oppents legs. The massive man blocked the
high shot only to get hit with the low one. As the big man staggered back, Lance
came up with a viscious uppercut with the heel of his palm followed by a rapid fire
spinning back fist. His goal was clear, he was going to keep the big man on the
defensive, though if he did that he would use up all his strength right away, especially
going full throttle as he was.
Thorn however, had other plans. No young upstart was going to best him! As
Lance landed from his backfist Thorn struck his square in the ribs with a kneelift. As
Lance staggered back the giant closed up his massive hand punching Lance in the
solar plexus. The would be warrior wheezed in pain but stayed on his feet. A round
house kick put the boy to his knees but instead of surrendering, the boy began to
get back up.
Lance could feel his body begging to surrender. His will however was
another matter... and so was his pride. 'Setsuna's watching me. Cheering me on. I
WILL not lose. I will not be humiliated in front of her!' With that thought firmly
inbedded he did a handstand, introducing Thorn's jaw to the heels of his buckskin
boots. Lance got to his feet just in time to see Thorn draw his war axe.
"Now things get interesting," Lance mumbled as he drew his cutlass,
reversed his grip and got into a low stance.
******
In the bleachers Setsuna was in awe. "He made it through the first part," she
exclaimed. But then she frowned recalled that that meant that now came the more
dangerous part. She watched as the two warriors charged. Only to blink in shock at
the battle cry she heard as the the two collided.
"Setsuna!"
*******
Once again Lance was was a blur of motion. He didn't know why he'd just called
out for his best friend. He didn't have time to think about it. He had to keep his mind on
the form and the fight. If he started to think about her, he'd lose. Lose and prove his
unworthiness.
He'd been taught about the axe. It was a weapon that relied on kinetic energy.
Once one started swinging the weight of the weapon didn't allow the user to stop it
easily. The best solution then was to keep the user on the defensive. To that end Lance
slashed and twirled using his momentum to increase the force of his strikes. He could
hear the oak handle of the axe groan under each stroke but he also heard his
opponent call out for a mana attack.
"Jupiter chain Lightning Strike!" He roared as the blast knocked Lance back.
Lance rolled three times coming to a rest in a crouching postion. "So that's how
you want to play?" Lance asked as he switched his blade to a low swordsman's stance.
"Time to use the shadow storm special attack," he mumbled. He'd never used the special
attack successfully before. The first time he ever tried it the blade he was using exploded,
making it more dangerous to himself than to any opponent. Still he didn't really see that
he'd have a choice.
Thorn watched the boy stand up. What was it going to take to make this pup give
up? Thorn knew the Boy was hurting. He'd FELT at least two ribs break when he'd kneed
the boy. The chain lightning strike should have shelved him with a severe neural trauma
yet the boy kept coming. And now he had switched to a different grip, though he stayed
in stance for the form he'd been using, keeping him well within the rules. It was then that
Thorn noticed the blade was glowing.
"Celestial Blade....Slash!" Lance roared as he sent an arc of power from his
blade charging at the mountain of a man.
Thorn tried to deflect the strike with is weapon, only to have the already fatigued
wood of it's shaft shear in half. The mana attack collided with his midsection and sent
him flying into the nearest wall of the training area.
"Stay down you bastard," Lance half panted, half prayed as he tossed aside the
ruined cutlass. He ached everywhere and could feel at least one deep gash in his shoulder
and upper arm from his sword's explosion. "I put everything I had left into that shot. Stay
the hell down."
As if answering a prayer, Thorn stayed down. There was for the briefest moment
silence in the trial area, then as if on cue everyone watching began to cheer. No one
cheered louder than Setsuna. Lance for his part smiled briefly in her direction, before
passing out.
********
When Lance awoke several hours had passed. The first thing he noticed was
that someone had set and bandaged his ribs, which he was sure were broken. He
also noticed that someone had taken the time to pull the metal shards from his skin.
From the way the woulds were stinging he'd guess they'd used melted iodine salts
on the gashes before bandaging them. Know what he knew about Iodine salts and
first aid in general, he was glad to have been passed out while his wounds were
tended.
"Finally awake I see," Setsuna replied as she entered the room with what
looked to be a large bag in her arms. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I got ran over by the Plutonian Cavalry," Lance relpied. "Still that better
than how I felt before I passed out."
"You caused quite a stir today," Setsuna stated with a giggle. "All the
weaponmasters think that you were calling out for a god, or should I say goddess,
for strength when you attacked Thorn."
Setsuna was rewarded by Lance turning beet red. "Please tell me I didn't
make a complete and total fool out of myself."
"Actually," Setsuna began as she sat next to him on the bed. "You did
wonderfully. I'm very proud of you. When you called out my name, it felt as though
you were dedicating the match to me. It was strange and exciting at the same time."
"I'm having a hard time remembering what happened before I passed out. Did
I pass?" Lance asked sheepishly.
"Yes you did. Though if you EVER do something as stupid as what you did
to pass again, you're going to get it! Got it!?"
Lance gulped. "Got it."
"Good!" Setsuna replied as she began to lean in close to Lance.
"Uhm Setsuna? What are you doing?" Lance asked as his heart began to
pound.
"Isn't it obvious. I'm a princess. You by dedicating your fight to me, are my
champion. For winning you get a reward."
"Oh," came Lance's nervous reply. Suddenly, it seemed to Lance as if the
universe was shrinking. It had shrunk down to just the Moon, then to just the building
they were in and kept shrinking until there was just the two of them sitting on the bed
alone. Her lips were mere inches from his....when the entire moment was ruined by a
knock at the door. The two jumped back both blushing.
"Come in," Lance replied hastily.
The man who entered was about Lance's height with greying black hair. He
was dressed in Ceremonial black robes and an air of authority to him. In his hand
was a was a Starsteel handbo that he was using as a walking stick. "Forgve me.
I came to see if you were ready for your meeting."
"Meeting?" Lance asked confusedly.
"Yes as the only person to pass Weaponmaster traning. You must now go
before the Queen and be presented," The man responded. "My name by the way is
Weaponlord Birch."
"I see," Lance began. "I'll have to go to my quarters to get something
suitable to wear then."
"Actually. Weaponmasters have a specific uniform they must wear," Setsuna
replied as she pointed to the bag she'd brought in. "Yours is in there."
"Okay," Lance sighed. "You two wait outside while I get ready."
*********
Lance looked over the dress uniform of a weaponmaster casually. The first
thing he noticed was that pants of this ensemble were black and made of a material
that was both soft as silk and as durable as denim and yet was neither material. The
top of this ensemble was dark green shirt with a high collar. It had black trim along the
edges of the fabric as well as the cuffs. The shoudlers of this shirt were graced with
silver epaulets that matched the buttons. Included in this costume were a pair of black
halfboots that were three sizes too small. That being the case he opted for his
buckskin boots instead. When he was done dressing he looked in the mirror.
"I look like a Neptunian admiral and feel totally rediculous. Glad this is only
for formal events," he mumbled as he fiddled with the collar. The dang thing felt like it
had been starched, pressed and starched again until it could cut diamonds.With
another sigh he stepped out of the room.
In Setsuna's mind there came a strang image when her friend exited the room.
He was sudden surrounded by sparkling lights as cherry blossoms breezed past him.
she shook her head. 'That's it! No more Romance scrolls for me for at least a year.'
However, it was also then that he noticed what Setsuna was wearing. The main
part of the costume was a white leotard. Around her waist was a short pleated black
skirt that was boarderline indecent. In the center of her chest there was a reddish brown
bow with a round garnet in the center. This bow was matched with a similar bow at the
small of her back, though it lacked the garnet stone. Her hands were cloaked in elbow
length white gloves while her feet resided in dark colored boots that matched her skirt.
It was all Lance could do to keep from getting a nosebleed from the amount of
Setsuna her costume allowed him to see. "I take it that is a Senshi's uniform?"
"Either that or some kind of kinky underwear someone gave me as a joke. It's
so....short," Setsuna replied as she tugged out the skirt of her fuku.
"You look fine Setsuna," Lance replied. "I just wonder if this outfit comes with
a navy commission."
Setsuna laughed at that. "You don't look bad in that."
"Says the girl in the figure skater's outfit," Lance shot back.
Birch, from his spot in the lead of this prosession merely rolled his eyes. It was
clear to him that the two were at the very least good friends, though if that was where it
ended, he doubted it would stay at that point for long. He'd made a name for himself by
reading people and being able to predict their next move. During the trialshe couldn't read
the young weaponmaster behind him. However, now the boy's aura was practically
screaming how he felt. He cared for this woman but felt unworthy of her. Nothing could be
done about it though. It was a choice that would have to be made by the young weapon
master when the time came.
********
She sat in her throne in the main hall deeply in thought. The Earth Kingdom was
being plagued by people being drained of their life energy and there was a movement
against her rule starting on Earth. Normally she would not let such things bother her,
unfortunately this movement was spreading out over the last few days. Reports were
starting to filter in that this "Negaverse Movement" was starting to appear everywhere from
Mercury to Jupiter. Even more alarming was the report that was requiring immediate
attention. It was a matter that would require a special approach.
She looked around her court. She was surrounded by guards, courtiers and public
officials. all of them gathered to welcome the first newly minted weaponmaster in close to
fifty years. It was strange though. The boy claimed to hail from Pluto, but there'd not been
but one male birth on Pluto in the year the boy was born. That meant either that the boy
was a prince, that he'd lied about his age, or lied about his place of birth. As queen of the
Silver Millenium, she planned to find out which was the case.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the large doors at the end of the Main Hall opening.
Through the door walked Weaponlord Birch and two starstruck young people. Serenity looked
at the two appraisingly.
She recognized the young woman as the Senshi of Pluto. Through conversations with
the young princess, Queen Serenity knew her to be kind, wise, honest and loyal. There would
be no deception or lies from her.
That brought Serenity to the young man entering the room. He wasn't much taller than
the senshi of Pluto though Serenity suspected that by the time he stopped growing he'd be just
a little taller than her. Serenity could tell that despite how he was walking he was still in pain
from the battle earlier. His bearing also had a curious amount of regal formality to it. The three
stopped three feet from her throne and bowed formally. The newly minted weaponmaster, she
noticed kept his eye averted from her the entire time. It was a specifically Plutonian thing to do.
"You may rise," she intoned. "Tell me Weaponmaster Lance. Where are you from?"
"I was born on Pluto my queen," Lance replied.
"The same year as Princess Setsuna?" the Queen asked.
"Not only was it the same year, it was a few months before her, as part of a set of
twins," Lance answered.
"You are aware that the year that Princess Setsuna was born in there was only one
male birth on Pluto?"
"Indeed I do my Queen. I am he. Prince Lance of Pluto," Lance responded as a
murmur echoed around throughout the gathered people. A prince becoming a weaponmaster
was unheard of.
Serenity looked in Lance's eyes as he was now looking directly at her. She sensed
that he was telling the truth. "You strive to become a warrior prince?"
"I do, but I do so for reasons that are my own and are not something I would discuss
in the court," Lance replied. However, Lance's eyes briefly drifted over to the dark haired
princess.
'Ah so that's the secret. He's in love with the her!' Serenity thought. She picked up a
sheathed sword. Slowly she pulled the blade revealing the long curve of the starsteel katana.
"Do you know what this is Warrior-prince?"
"I do not my queen," Lance stated honestly.
"This is your weapon. Several days ago you turned in the design for it. This, like all
weaponmaster weapons, was made with the hope of someday serving a master. On this day,
you and you alone Prince Lance has shown yourself to be worthy," Serenity said as she
walked toward the now kneeling Prince. "Do you swear to use this blade in the name of
Justice?"
"I do."
"Do you swear to live a life of honor persuing only the cause of peace? Do you swear
to offer your life to secure the causes of justice and peace for others?"
"I do my queen," Lance responded solemnly.
Serenity tapped the blade to Lance's shoulders then to the top of his head gently.
"Rise now, Weaponmaster Lance. May you serve the kingdom well."
"Thank you My Queen," Lance responded as he stood up. It had finally happened. He'd made it!
"Princess Setsuna," The queen intoned. "I give you the honor of presenting this man his blade."
Setsuna's face blushed a vibrant red as she stepped forward, thus confirming to Serenity that
whatever feelings the young prince had might very well be shared. The now bright red princess carefully
picked up sword and Black belt with a silver buckle. She kneeled and put the belt around his waist then
slid the sheathed Katana under the belt. Setsuna then asked Lance to kneel. When he was on one
knee she kissed his brow. "I make you both the champion of Pluto and a champion of the Silver
Millenium. Serve both with honor."
Serenity couldn't hide her smile at the way Lance's cheeks flushed bright red. "Weaponmaster
Lance. This day I have received word of a dire event. The princess of Venus, Mina, has been kidnapped.
I charge you, Weaponmaster Lance to retrieve her. Do you accept this charge?"
"I do my Queen."
"Then go forth. You will leave for Venus immediately."
Lance Bowed deeply. "It shall be done, Your Majesty."
TBC
part four: Trials, near kisses and a Quest's beginning
By Lance the Flamesniper
Raven yawned. "This is Booooooooooorrrrrrriiiiinnnngggg!"
"Perhaps a little dry," Amelia commented. "But not boring."
"Maybe for you," Kaen replied "but if things don't get interesting
soon, Yamhead is likely to fall asleep!"
"Hey!" Growled Rini.
"Come now children. I told you that this story was not all about
action did I not?" The Bard replied.
"Yeah," Rene` replied. "But you never said it was about a guy who
was a coward. I mean if he loves Princess Setsuna so much why couldn't
he just 'fess up?"
"Are you really that dense Rene`?" Sonia asked. "Clearly, if anything,
this guy Prince Lance is more afraid of being rejected or being somehow
unworthy than anything else. What it sounds like is that he needs to find his
courage."
Under his hood Bard smirked. "Sonia has guessed correctly. He needs
to find his courage..."
*******
It had been a long week for Prince Lance on the starliner, but now it was
over as the massive ship made it into a port in the Moon Kingdom's capital. He,
like all people in the Millenium, knew how to speak Lunarian, the trade language
Celestine and his own native tongue of Plutonian, so there was not going to be
any problem with a language gap. However, his first duty upon arriving had him
sweating bullets.
Lance was clad in the traditional Black of a Plutonian prince. The shirt
was silk and embroidered into the area over his heart was the symbol of his clan,
the golden unicorn. "It'll be alright Lance," He muttered to himself. "All you gotta
do is escourt Setsuna down the ramp and into a waiting coach. She's your friend,
you can do this!" He once more looked at his friend. Like him she was dressed in
black, the only difference being she was wearing a velvet dress that, while simple,
showed off her body nicely.
Setsuna stood at the hatchway staring at Lance. 'Why is he so nervous?
Gods he looks so dashing in that costume,' She thought as she took his offered
arm. "Something wrong?"
"Nothing I can't handle," Lance replied in a mock calmness.
The two walked out the hatch and waved nervously to the cheering
on-lookers, each sure the other could hear their heart pounding with every step.
********
Setsuna saw Lance again several days later. She knew he knew she
was there. He'd spotted her in the gathered crowd and waved nervously to her.
She knew what this day meant to her longtime friend. There was no way she
was going to miss it, despite what the rest of the royal court seemed to have
planned. Unlike when he'd escourted her off the starliner, he was clad in a
pair of black breeches and tall buckskin boots. Around his waist was woven
leather belt with a cutlass sheathed on his hip. For the first time in her life
she noticed her best friend's physique as what it was, that of a young man.
His body was lithe and trim. His muscles were toned but not overdone, she
delighted in the way they seemed to ripple and flow as he went through a
warm up kata. She also wondered why it was so hot in the training hall all
of a sudden. Her warmth however was cooled quickly when she saw who
was on the other side of the hall.
Across the way stood a mountain of a man. They called him Thorn.
He was Jupitari, easily seven feet tall with coal black eyes and hair the color
of tarnished silver. He too was clad in breeches, only his were light green.
Around his waist was wide black leather belt with a wide buckle made of
brass. Across his massive chest was a large bandolier that held a massive
war axe to his back. Clenched in his teeth was a large beer root that he was
gnawing on ferociously. Setsuna could tell that if he had his way, Thorn would
chew Lance up just as he was the root.
The weaponmaster trials were a fairly violent affair, as Setsuna had
rapidly learned when she arrived that morning. It was three part test. The first
part dealt with the mind, the battlefield was a class room and the opponent was
a written test on diplomacy and philosophy. Out the two hundred applicants for
weaponmaster status only eighty had passed, Lance being one of the highest
in this reguard. That brought forth the next parts of the trials done one after
the other. This was the martial part of the weaponmaster trials. Part one was
hand to hand combat immediately followed by the weapon form test. Essentially
each of the adepts would face off against a weaponmaster, if they lasted long
enough the weaponmaster would then draw his weapon and battle the adept.
The only restriction being that the adept must use his or her hand designed
fighting style.
The last part worried Setsuna more than anything. When Lance had
shown her his "Shadow Storm" style she noticed that it wasn't suitable to the
longsword he was using originally. Her suggestion was to use a blade with a
curve to it so that his attacks would flow better. This coming from a girl who
before becoming his friend had never even really used a weapon aside from for
in the basics of martial defense astounded Lance. While the cutless was
indeed better for what he was going for it still wasn't perfect. He'd need a
weapon that was designed specifically for slashing. Having seen his design for
if he passed, she suspected he'd come to the same conclusion.
However, Setsuna had every reason to be nervous about the whole deal.
Lance was the twentieth adept to be tested and so far none of the other nineteen
ahead of him had made it out of the first part of the two trials. One poor fool, after
seeing the person directly ahead of him getting carted out on a stretcher, dropped
his weapon and ran screaming from the training area.
The signal was given and the two warriors stalked forward. Thorn had Lance
in height by a foot and three inches and had to weigh in at at least three hundred
ninety pounds, all of it muscle. Lance however, seemed to take that in stride. Maybe
it was inspired by his fighting style, maybe he was just nuts. Whichever was the
case the young warrior prince charged in releasing a jumping roundhouse kick then
dropping into a crouch to sweep at his oppents legs. The massive man blocked the
high shot only to get hit with the low one. As the big man staggered back, Lance
came up with a viscious uppercut with the heel of his palm followed by a rapid fire
spinning back fist. His goal was clear, he was going to keep the big man on the
defensive, though if he did that he would use up all his strength right away, especially
going full throttle as he was.
Thorn however, had other plans. No young upstart was going to best him! As
Lance landed from his backfist Thorn struck his square in the ribs with a kneelift. As
Lance staggered back the giant closed up his massive hand punching Lance in the
solar plexus. The would be warrior wheezed in pain but stayed on his feet. A round
house kick put the boy to his knees but instead of surrendering, the boy began to
get back up.
Lance could feel his body begging to surrender. His will however was
another matter... and so was his pride. 'Setsuna's watching me. Cheering me on. I
WILL not lose. I will not be humiliated in front of her!' With that thought firmly
inbedded he did a handstand, introducing Thorn's jaw to the heels of his buckskin
boots. Lance got to his feet just in time to see Thorn draw his war axe.
"Now things get interesting," Lance mumbled as he drew his cutlass,
reversed his grip and got into a low stance.
******
In the bleachers Setsuna was in awe. "He made it through the first part," she
exclaimed. But then she frowned recalled that that meant that now came the more
dangerous part. She watched as the two warriors charged. Only to blink in shock at
the battle cry she heard as the the two collided.
"Setsuna!"
*******
Once again Lance was was a blur of motion. He didn't know why he'd just called
out for his best friend. He didn't have time to think about it. He had to keep his mind on
the form and the fight. If he started to think about her, he'd lose. Lose and prove his
unworthiness.
He'd been taught about the axe. It was a weapon that relied on kinetic energy.
Once one started swinging the weight of the weapon didn't allow the user to stop it
easily. The best solution then was to keep the user on the defensive. To that end Lance
slashed and twirled using his momentum to increase the force of his strikes. He could
hear the oak handle of the axe groan under each stroke but he also heard his
opponent call out for a mana attack.
"Jupiter chain Lightning Strike!" He roared as the blast knocked Lance back.
Lance rolled three times coming to a rest in a crouching postion. "So that's how
you want to play?" Lance asked as he switched his blade to a low swordsman's stance.
"Time to use the shadow storm special attack," he mumbled. He'd never used the special
attack successfully before. The first time he ever tried it the blade he was using exploded,
making it more dangerous to himself than to any opponent. Still he didn't really see that
he'd have a choice.
Thorn watched the boy stand up. What was it going to take to make this pup give
up? Thorn knew the Boy was hurting. He'd FELT at least two ribs break when he'd kneed
the boy. The chain lightning strike should have shelved him with a severe neural trauma
yet the boy kept coming. And now he had switched to a different grip, though he stayed
in stance for the form he'd been using, keeping him well within the rules. It was then that
Thorn noticed the blade was glowing.
"Celestial Blade....Slash!" Lance roared as he sent an arc of power from his
blade charging at the mountain of a man.
Thorn tried to deflect the strike with is weapon, only to have the already fatigued
wood of it's shaft shear in half. The mana attack collided with his midsection and sent
him flying into the nearest wall of the training area.
"Stay down you bastard," Lance half panted, half prayed as he tossed aside the
ruined cutlass. He ached everywhere and could feel at least one deep gash in his shoulder
and upper arm from his sword's explosion. "I put everything I had left into that shot. Stay
the hell down."
As if answering a prayer, Thorn stayed down. There was for the briefest moment
silence in the trial area, then as if on cue everyone watching began to cheer. No one
cheered louder than Setsuna. Lance for his part smiled briefly in her direction, before
passing out.
********
When Lance awoke several hours had passed. The first thing he noticed was
that someone had set and bandaged his ribs, which he was sure were broken. He
also noticed that someone had taken the time to pull the metal shards from his skin.
From the way the woulds were stinging he'd guess they'd used melted iodine salts
on the gashes before bandaging them. Know what he knew about Iodine salts and
first aid in general, he was glad to have been passed out while his wounds were
tended.
"Finally awake I see," Setsuna replied as she entered the room with what
looked to be a large bag in her arms. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I got ran over by the Plutonian Cavalry," Lance relpied. "Still that better
than how I felt before I passed out."
"You caused quite a stir today," Setsuna stated with a giggle. "All the
weaponmasters think that you were calling out for a god, or should I say goddess,
for strength when you attacked Thorn."
Setsuna was rewarded by Lance turning beet red. "Please tell me I didn't
make a complete and total fool out of myself."
"Actually," Setsuna began as she sat next to him on the bed. "You did
wonderfully. I'm very proud of you. When you called out my name, it felt as though
you were dedicating the match to me. It was strange and exciting at the same time."
"I'm having a hard time remembering what happened before I passed out. Did
I pass?" Lance asked sheepishly.
"Yes you did. Though if you EVER do something as stupid as what you did
to pass again, you're going to get it! Got it!?"
Lance gulped. "Got it."
"Good!" Setsuna replied as she began to lean in close to Lance.
"Uhm Setsuna? What are you doing?" Lance asked as his heart began to
pound.
"Isn't it obvious. I'm a princess. You by dedicating your fight to me, are my
champion. For winning you get a reward."
"Oh," came Lance's nervous reply. Suddenly, it seemed to Lance as if the
universe was shrinking. It had shrunk down to just the Moon, then to just the building
they were in and kept shrinking until there was just the two of them sitting on the bed
alone. Her lips were mere inches from his....when the entire moment was ruined by a
knock at the door. The two jumped back both blushing.
"Come in," Lance replied hastily.
The man who entered was about Lance's height with greying black hair. He
was dressed in Ceremonial black robes and an air of authority to him. In his hand
was a was a Starsteel handbo that he was using as a walking stick. "Forgve me.
I came to see if you were ready for your meeting."
"Meeting?" Lance asked confusedly.
"Yes as the only person to pass Weaponmaster traning. You must now go
before the Queen and be presented," The man responded. "My name by the way is
Weaponlord Birch."
"I see," Lance began. "I'll have to go to my quarters to get something
suitable to wear then."
"Actually. Weaponmasters have a specific uniform they must wear," Setsuna
replied as she pointed to the bag she'd brought in. "Yours is in there."
"Okay," Lance sighed. "You two wait outside while I get ready."
*********
Lance looked over the dress uniform of a weaponmaster casually. The first
thing he noticed was that pants of this ensemble were black and made of a material
that was both soft as silk and as durable as denim and yet was neither material. The
top of this ensemble was dark green shirt with a high collar. It had black trim along the
edges of the fabric as well as the cuffs. The shoudlers of this shirt were graced with
silver epaulets that matched the buttons. Included in this costume were a pair of black
halfboots that were three sizes too small. That being the case he opted for his
buckskin boots instead. When he was done dressing he looked in the mirror.
"I look like a Neptunian admiral and feel totally rediculous. Glad this is only
for formal events," he mumbled as he fiddled with the collar. The dang thing felt like it
had been starched, pressed and starched again until it could cut diamonds.With
another sigh he stepped out of the room.
In Setsuna's mind there came a strang image when her friend exited the room.
He was sudden surrounded by sparkling lights as cherry blossoms breezed past him.
she shook her head. 'That's it! No more Romance scrolls for me for at least a year.'
However, it was also then that he noticed what Setsuna was wearing. The main
part of the costume was a white leotard. Around her waist was a short pleated black
skirt that was boarderline indecent. In the center of her chest there was a reddish brown
bow with a round garnet in the center. This bow was matched with a similar bow at the
small of her back, though it lacked the garnet stone. Her hands were cloaked in elbow
length white gloves while her feet resided in dark colored boots that matched her skirt.
It was all Lance could do to keep from getting a nosebleed from the amount of
Setsuna her costume allowed him to see. "I take it that is a Senshi's uniform?"
"Either that or some kind of kinky underwear someone gave me as a joke. It's
so....short," Setsuna replied as she tugged out the skirt of her fuku.
"You look fine Setsuna," Lance replied. "I just wonder if this outfit comes with
a navy commission."
Setsuna laughed at that. "You don't look bad in that."
"Says the girl in the figure skater's outfit," Lance shot back.
Birch, from his spot in the lead of this prosession merely rolled his eyes. It was
clear to him that the two were at the very least good friends, though if that was where it
ended, he doubted it would stay at that point for long. He'd made a name for himself by
reading people and being able to predict their next move. During the trialshe couldn't read
the young weaponmaster behind him. However, now the boy's aura was practically
screaming how he felt. He cared for this woman but felt unworthy of her. Nothing could be
done about it though. It was a choice that would have to be made by the young weapon
master when the time came.
********
She sat in her throne in the main hall deeply in thought. The Earth Kingdom was
being plagued by people being drained of their life energy and there was a movement
against her rule starting on Earth. Normally she would not let such things bother her,
unfortunately this movement was spreading out over the last few days. Reports were
starting to filter in that this "Negaverse Movement" was starting to appear everywhere from
Mercury to Jupiter. Even more alarming was the report that was requiring immediate
attention. It was a matter that would require a special approach.
She looked around her court. She was surrounded by guards, courtiers and public
officials. all of them gathered to welcome the first newly minted weaponmaster in close to
fifty years. It was strange though. The boy claimed to hail from Pluto, but there'd not been
but one male birth on Pluto in the year the boy was born. That meant either that the boy
was a prince, that he'd lied about his age, or lied about his place of birth. As queen of the
Silver Millenium, she planned to find out which was the case.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the large doors at the end of the Main Hall opening.
Through the door walked Weaponlord Birch and two starstruck young people. Serenity looked
at the two appraisingly.
She recognized the young woman as the Senshi of Pluto. Through conversations with
the young princess, Queen Serenity knew her to be kind, wise, honest and loyal. There would
be no deception or lies from her.
That brought Serenity to the young man entering the room. He wasn't much taller than
the senshi of Pluto though Serenity suspected that by the time he stopped growing he'd be just
a little taller than her. Serenity could tell that despite how he was walking he was still in pain
from the battle earlier. His bearing also had a curious amount of regal formality to it. The three
stopped three feet from her throne and bowed formally. The newly minted weaponmaster, she
noticed kept his eye averted from her the entire time. It was a specifically Plutonian thing to do.
"You may rise," she intoned. "Tell me Weaponmaster Lance. Where are you from?"
"I was born on Pluto my queen," Lance replied.
"The same year as Princess Setsuna?" the Queen asked.
"Not only was it the same year, it was a few months before her, as part of a set of
twins," Lance answered.
"You are aware that the year that Princess Setsuna was born in there was only one
male birth on Pluto?"
"Indeed I do my Queen. I am he. Prince Lance of Pluto," Lance responded as a
murmur echoed around throughout the gathered people. A prince becoming a weaponmaster
was unheard of.
Serenity looked in Lance's eyes as he was now looking directly at her. She sensed
that he was telling the truth. "You strive to become a warrior prince?"
"I do, but I do so for reasons that are my own and are not something I would discuss
in the court," Lance replied. However, Lance's eyes briefly drifted over to the dark haired
princess.
'Ah so that's the secret. He's in love with the her!' Serenity thought. She picked up a
sheathed sword. Slowly she pulled the blade revealing the long curve of the starsteel katana.
"Do you know what this is Warrior-prince?"
"I do not my queen," Lance stated honestly.
"This is your weapon. Several days ago you turned in the design for it. This, like all
weaponmaster weapons, was made with the hope of someday serving a master. On this day,
you and you alone Prince Lance has shown yourself to be worthy," Serenity said as she
walked toward the now kneeling Prince. "Do you swear to use this blade in the name of
Justice?"
"I do."
"Do you swear to live a life of honor persuing only the cause of peace? Do you swear
to offer your life to secure the causes of justice and peace for others?"
"I do my queen," Lance responded solemnly.
Serenity tapped the blade to Lance's shoulders then to the top of his head gently.
"Rise now, Weaponmaster Lance. May you serve the kingdom well."
"Thank you My Queen," Lance responded as he stood up. It had finally happened. He'd made it!
"Princess Setsuna," The queen intoned. "I give you the honor of presenting this man his blade."
Setsuna's face blushed a vibrant red as she stepped forward, thus confirming to Serenity that
whatever feelings the young prince had might very well be shared. The now bright red princess carefully
picked up sword and Black belt with a silver buckle. She kneeled and put the belt around his waist then
slid the sheathed Katana under the belt. Setsuna then asked Lance to kneel. When he was on one
knee she kissed his brow. "I make you both the champion of Pluto and a champion of the Silver
Millenium. Serve both with honor."
Serenity couldn't hide her smile at the way Lance's cheeks flushed bright red. "Weaponmaster
Lance. This day I have received word of a dire event. The princess of Venus, Mina, has been kidnapped.
I charge you, Weaponmaster Lance to retrieve her. Do you accept this charge?"
"I do my Queen."
"Then go forth. You will leave for Venus immediately."
Lance Bowed deeply. "It shall be done, Your Majesty."
TBC