Love Among Slavery
Chapter Fourteen: He Is Back
& & &
Milliardo paced around the room, his heart choking his throat. He held his hands behind his back as he walked back and forth, ignoring the thick woven tapestries decorating his room, hoping all this movement would calm his painful nerves.
But no... nothing can anymore.
Before, he held onto his life because of an image engraved into his head. Now, he didn't need to rely on an image for life anymore... the real thing was back.
Her thin frail body, her pale moonlit skin tone, her small red lips, her beautiful thick ebony hair, her graceful body and... her glorious deep violet eyes were waiting on the blue-hued planet for him to sweep her off her feet... again.
Of course, if nothing would come between them again... like that stupid bet so long ago.
He could hear the goddess of love repeating those dreadful words from her lips... the words that led to that dare... the dare that turned his world upside down... forever...
It had begun as an all right day. The weather was fine, he was fine and, most importantly, his younger sister, the fair-haired goddess, was fine... more than fine actually.
He did not suspect that anything would go wrong. He did not suspect that that day would be the day he'll always remember. He did not suspect that that day would be the turning point of his entire life...
It was at noon hour when his sister's friends came over to amuse themselves. Though he paid no heed to them, he found their noise disturbing and decided to go out to the garden to tell them so. And before he knew it, he was playing a card game with them... with high stakes too.
And when he lost to the goddess of love, she had told him to be her boyfriend for an entire month. He told her that he would never agree to those ridiculous terms... until, that is, when his sister came into the picture.
All six of them argued. He told them he already had a girlfriend, his sister replied that she would understand. He told them that his girlfriend would feel bad; his sister replied that she wouldn't feel such a thing. He told them that his girlfriend would be mad at them; his sister replied that she would never hate her friends.
And when he did not answer, his sister bullied him into it with her teary eyes and lips in a pout. No matter what happened, he knew he couldn't help but surrender to his younger sister. They have grown up together, hurt together and cried together. And now, that hard journey of life led to this... he had to choose between his sister and his love.
And worst of all... he had believed every word she had said. Besides, after a month he could always win her over again... right?
He was wrong.
Following that day was the ball. His girlfriend... ex-girlfriend came into the room cast in a halo of lavender. He could remember himself frozen to his spot, staring up at her as she was slowly descending the marbled stairs. Her ebony hair framed her lovely face. Her pink lips curled into a smile. And her violet eyes sparkling with love... with the love she held for him.
He let his own smile greet hers and made to walk towards her- when he was suddenly stopped! He looked to his right and saw the goddess of love holding his arm, anchoring him to her.
It was then he remembered the agreement and he let himself to be kissed by the blonde. When she let his lips go, he straightened his back and turned his head to look at the ebony goddess.
He soon realized that that was a mistake... that the whole day was a mistake... and regret soon swallowed him up.
She stood there with her hands over her chest to keep her heart in. Her eyes shone with delicate tears. Her mouth was drawn to a frown. Her eyebrows creased together. And the worst part was... her trembling form as she pushed a sob down her throat.
He felt his heart throb in his chest. He felt his breathing become one of panic. He felt his stomach lurch to and fro.
How desperately he wanted to wipe the coming tears away from her pale cheeks. How desperately he wanted to kiss her shuddering mouth. How desperately he wanted to run up to her, explain everything was a simple misunderstanding to her and to hold her all night long.
However, before he got to do that... he remembered his sister's unshed tears and her shaking lower mouth and stopped in mid-step.
Soon... he had told himself... soon we'd be together again...
He was wrong.
Nothing had prepared him for what was to come. Nothing prepared him for the earth-shattering experience that was to occur... Nothing prepared him for the loss of his beautiful love... Nothing.
It began with his sister falling in love with the knight. During that period, she began to grow into a sophisticated woman from the spoiled teenager in order to try to impress him. And Milliardo paid no attention to them as his heart ached for a reason that was unknown to him.
Even after all the times he wanted to comfort the ebony goddess. Even after all the times he wanted to confess to her. Even after all the times he wanted to hold, kiss and make endless love to her. He still did not know what had ailed him.
He did not know why... I mean; ignoring her for a month can't be that bad... can it?
Then, with his sister worrying herself to death about the knight's health, she decided to send the broken ebony goddess to protect him, without knowing that the knight was the only medicine that could heal her.
When the month was over, he felt himself being lifted from bonds he did not know existed. And then suddenly, he remembered the ebony goddess... and that his love, that was trapped in his heart by the goddess of love's power, was reawakened.
The pain that had consumed his heart, the nausea that was in his stomach and the aches that was in his mind was calmed when he realized that he missed his ebony goddess. And he found himself hoping that her return to the palace was to be soon.
His wish came true... but not everything was like before...
She entered the room, reborn with all her glow and shine. She had the same pale completion, the same small lips, the same graceful body and the same adoring eyes... but in his eyes, she was more beautiful than before.
But something was wrong... very wrong...
Although she was unscathed, he somehow knew that she wasn't the same ebony goddess as before. And when he tried to make his way to her, she turned around, her back facing him, and walked away... sending an alarming chill down his spine.
He had hoped that she was playing games with him...
Until...
They were standing on the balcony and he was looking up from the gardens. The ground was alit with a heavenly glow that enhanced her beauty a thousand fold. The stars that were flaming up in the sky, cast their reflection into her eyes, making them irresistible. The soft flush on her cheeks enhanced from the chandelier lights from inside made him throb for her. The picture she formed was perfect in each and every way... she was perfect in each and every way...
But the knight was there. His blonde hair ran down his shoulders in a smooth current, his blue eyes intense with fire as he stared at her, his even motion towards her caught her off guard...
It was then he knew... that his world was to an end.
He had prayed to all that was mighty that his ebony goddess would not move closer to the knight, but she did. He had begged to all that was mighty that her lips would not draw closer to the knight's, but it did. He had offered his soul to all that was mighty that she wouldn't fall in love with the knight... but she did...
His whole life was turned inside out. His heart stopped beating. His lungs stopped breathing. His mind refused to answer him... and his body failed to walk away from his nightmare before him...
And he knew... he knew that it was all his fault... he knew that he was over confident that no one would see the beautiful being behind the ebony curtains... and he knew that he was a fool to believe what his sister had said...
He collapsed onto his bed... feeling hot tears searing his eyelids. His heart beating against his chest as the images of his beloved kissing the knight ran though his head over and over again like a film.
It hurt... and it'll never stop hurting...
But that was all going to change.
His sister had told him that they were going to go to Earth to "claim" what was hers all along. They were going to see... Shit! It angered him so much just to even TRY to think of his name. He just hated him so much.
But soon... very soon, he'll be all right again.
Soon...
Hotaru opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling up above. She was lying still on her four-posted bed with a velvet blanket drawn to her chest. She closed her eyes again, and then opened them. There was something wrong and she knew it.
The back of her head ached and images of a dream from last night kept flashing in her head. At least, it was a dream... wasn't it?
She closed her eyes and saw her dream vividly. Him lowering his lips onto hers. Him wrapping his steady arms around her body. And just the fact that it was HIM, made her shiver in some unknown pleasure. It had been so real... perhaps it wasn't a dream after all?
The Firefly shook her head and mentally scolded herself on thinking of such an impossible event... especially with her King- who, she reminded herself, was going to marry the Moon Princess.
Marry... marry the... marry the Moon... marry the Moon Princess... Serenity...
Her heart clenched together tightly at the thought.
She vaguely wondered where Death was. Surely the little voice should be scolding her on such thoughts right now. Hotaru drew her eyebrows together for a second before forgetting about her friend and snuggled deeper into her bed, hoping for her dream to vanish.
Death floated around.
She had seen- no, FELT what Hotaru had did. His eyes, his hair, his body, his hands, his arms, his lips and much more were sinking into her mind. Everything was coming back to her, no matter how hard she resisted him... no matter how hard she insisted Hotaru to resist him. She was going to fall for him again.
"This can not be happening!" she yelled in frustration.
"Not again..." she finished in a whisper, feeling herself give into him.
Then something hit her mind like a sharp arrow. She quickly forgot about the issue of her lost love and became alert.
"It can't be..." she whispered and shuddered under his power.
HE WAS BACK!
His dark emerald eyes stared down at Heero and Duo. His light brown hair swayed in the wind as he smirked in triumph. He was wearing an onyx, metal armour trimmed with gold, a black cape floated ominously behind him and a long, sharp sword was strapped threateningly around his waist.
Heero and Duo stood side by side in front of their "Master", their eyes dimmed by his hypnotic powers. They were mere puppets to him, and with the power he stored within them, the two threw off the seal that had held him captive and released him unto the unsuspecting world.
Everything was according to plan.
He could feel her. He could feel her even breathing, her beating heart, and her warmth somewhere living peacefully in this world. His heart rejoiced on the fact that he had made it on time.
He closed his eyes and could picture her smile saved just for him, her delicate arms wounding around his neck and her soft lips on his own. He would draw her close to him and she would whisper his name in pleasure, sending shivers to run up and down his spine.
Yes... she was very close.
And that jackass of a Knight will kneel down to him, begging for his pathetic life... and he would laugh. He would laugh in his face, waving the Ebony Goddess in front of him, teasing him. And then he would take her in his arms and kiss her, claiming the Ebony Goddess as his own.
And that foolish fair-haired Goddess will look at the shattered Knight in desperation, crying out to him that she loved him. And he would laugh again and sit down on his throne with the Ebony Goddess curled up on his lap comfortably.
Yes... all will go well.
He sucked in the air through clenched teeth as he surveyed his surrounding area... all forest, no civilization to speak of. He soon decided that instead of civilization coming to him, HE would go to it.
"I am Trowa Barton... and I am to prevail. I will destroy the World of Light and consume it in darkness. I will torture and slay the fair-haired Goddess and that damned knight of hers. And as my last goal, I will the take the Ebony Goddess for my beloved bride..."
The Time Gate gave a lurch of power, threatening to collapse upon itself. The liquid substance moving inside the gate was withering and dancing in warning, and then settled to a flat plane, a mirror reflecting the universe inside itself. The image of the universe was moving quickly to the planet Saturn until the ringed planet covered the whole mirror.
Setsuna, Goddess of Time, held her key-like staff close to her body, hoping for a comfort as to why the Gate was acting this way. She had been with Souichi at the time when she felt a disturbance in the Time Stream and decided to check her Realm of Time. When she got here, the Gate opened automatically and flashed images of Saturn in different forms.
The Goddess of Death, Revolution and Rebirth, the Princess of Saturn, the senshi of Saturn, the Planet Saturn...
It kept going through the images, spinning them into each other until eventually Setsuna knew that something huge was going to happen... and it involved her dearest daughter in every possible way and form.
"He is back..."
Setsuna turned around in alert, her staff drawn vertically in front of her person, ready to defend and fight. But when she saw who it was, she slowly withdrew her stance warily and stared at the figure in worry. She could feel tears gathering in her eyes.
"Saturn..." the Goddess of Time shuddered in a whisper.
The transparent, ghostly form of Eternal Sailor Saturn floated in mid-air, just above the foggy floor. Her glaive, though not harmful in its ghostly state, still stood dangerously in the senshi's comfortable, almost limp gloved hand.
"Setsuna-mama... he is back," Saturn said.
Setsuna's eyebrows drew in together in confusion, "Who?"
"Trowa," she replied, her face full of worry and dread.
The Time Goddess inhaled a shaky breath, not believing what she just heard. It was impossible. She had been there when the Knight sealed the Evil, and she was certain that the seal was too powerful for even the Evil to break.
Setsuna trembled when she remembered the dying, pale form in the Knight's arms. She looked at the Saturn senshi and imagined a thin streak of blood trailing down the corners of her mouth. The Goddess swayed when the image settled so clearly in her mind. She would not allow it to happen to her baby again.
"He will not get through Serenity-hime's defences... it is impossible," Setsuna said confidently.
"That's what we all thought last time," Saturn countered with an impassive expression.
King Legolas was pacing in his room. He was not nervous for the Princess's arrival, but he was nervous with the dream he had had last night. Just thinking of it made him sweat and become dizzy.
Her hands, her eyes, her lips, her body and her hair were like drugs to him. It was hard enough to deal with these uncomfortable emotions in the day, but now he was having dreams about her. Sinful dreams, he might add.
He sat down on his bed and placed his head in his hands.
The Princess was coming this very morning and instead of thinking of the maybe future along side her, he was thinking of another whom was untouchable and unthinkable for him. She was...
He refused to think of her as... a commoner. No... she was too valuable to think of in such way.
Legolas was confounded. The dream seemed so real... her kisses, her touch, and her body- He blushed when he caught himself thinking sinful thoughts about her.
"This can not be happening to me right now," he moaned in frustration.
Then, totally catching him off-guard, a horn blew in the distance, signalling the soon arrival of the Moon Princess.
Legolas got up, smoothed his outfit out and, trying not to think of the dream again, walked out into the hallway.
"This time it is for certain," Setsuna said, trying to convince herself with her own words.
It had been true. The defences last time did not stand a chance against the Evil and especially the most powerful senshi in the universe. It was terrifying to say the least how they crumbled the might of the Moon Kingdom in a mere hour or so. It was memory not forgotten even now.
"He comes for me," Saturn said, her eyes full of forlorn.
Setsuna eyes flashed.
"Not me in my not-awaken state... but you know who, don't you?" the senshi asked.
"Hotaru..." Setsuna dared to whisper her daughter's name in dread, only to have her companion nod her head in agreement.
"I can take her away for awhile," Saturn said, though it sounded like an offer.
"You need to train her," Setsuna stated.
"Yes," was her only reply.
Setsuna swallowed and asked, "When?"
"Now."
Hotaru opened her eyes again and was shaken.
This was not her room...
She pulled the silk, lavender blanket away and sat up, her ebony hair falling around her face like a darken curtain. Her violet eyes widened at what she saw. She was in a large, circular, purpled marbled room that was held up by columns. Swaying gracefully from each large opening between two columns were transparent, lilac curtains. She could see, through the silken curtains, that it was nighttime and that the stars were out. She guessed where she was and was confirmed by the large purple streak running across the sky.
She was on Saturn.
She was lost...
& & &
Silver Author
Chapter Fourteen: He Is Back
& & &
Milliardo paced around the room, his heart choking his throat. He held his hands behind his back as he walked back and forth, ignoring the thick woven tapestries decorating his room, hoping all this movement would calm his painful nerves.
But no... nothing can anymore.
Before, he held onto his life because of an image engraved into his head. Now, he didn't need to rely on an image for life anymore... the real thing was back.
Her thin frail body, her pale moonlit skin tone, her small red lips, her beautiful thick ebony hair, her graceful body and... her glorious deep violet eyes were waiting on the blue-hued planet for him to sweep her off her feet... again.
Of course, if nothing would come between them again... like that stupid bet so long ago.
He could hear the goddess of love repeating those dreadful words from her lips... the words that led to that dare... the dare that turned his world upside down... forever...
It had begun as an all right day. The weather was fine, he was fine and, most importantly, his younger sister, the fair-haired goddess, was fine... more than fine actually.
He did not suspect that anything would go wrong. He did not suspect that that day would be the day he'll always remember. He did not suspect that that day would be the turning point of his entire life...
It was at noon hour when his sister's friends came over to amuse themselves. Though he paid no heed to them, he found their noise disturbing and decided to go out to the garden to tell them so. And before he knew it, he was playing a card game with them... with high stakes too.
And when he lost to the goddess of love, she had told him to be her boyfriend for an entire month. He told her that he would never agree to those ridiculous terms... until, that is, when his sister came into the picture.
All six of them argued. He told them he already had a girlfriend, his sister replied that she would understand. He told them that his girlfriend would feel bad; his sister replied that she wouldn't feel such a thing. He told them that his girlfriend would be mad at them; his sister replied that she would never hate her friends.
And when he did not answer, his sister bullied him into it with her teary eyes and lips in a pout. No matter what happened, he knew he couldn't help but surrender to his younger sister. They have grown up together, hurt together and cried together. And now, that hard journey of life led to this... he had to choose between his sister and his love.
And worst of all... he had believed every word she had said. Besides, after a month he could always win her over again... right?
He was wrong.
Following that day was the ball. His girlfriend... ex-girlfriend came into the room cast in a halo of lavender. He could remember himself frozen to his spot, staring up at her as she was slowly descending the marbled stairs. Her ebony hair framed her lovely face. Her pink lips curled into a smile. And her violet eyes sparkling with love... with the love she held for him.
He let his own smile greet hers and made to walk towards her- when he was suddenly stopped! He looked to his right and saw the goddess of love holding his arm, anchoring him to her.
It was then he remembered the agreement and he let himself to be kissed by the blonde. When she let his lips go, he straightened his back and turned his head to look at the ebony goddess.
He soon realized that that was a mistake... that the whole day was a mistake... and regret soon swallowed him up.
She stood there with her hands over her chest to keep her heart in. Her eyes shone with delicate tears. Her mouth was drawn to a frown. Her eyebrows creased together. And the worst part was... her trembling form as she pushed a sob down her throat.
He felt his heart throb in his chest. He felt his breathing become one of panic. He felt his stomach lurch to and fro.
How desperately he wanted to wipe the coming tears away from her pale cheeks. How desperately he wanted to kiss her shuddering mouth. How desperately he wanted to run up to her, explain everything was a simple misunderstanding to her and to hold her all night long.
However, before he got to do that... he remembered his sister's unshed tears and her shaking lower mouth and stopped in mid-step.
Soon... he had told himself... soon we'd be together again...
He was wrong.
Nothing had prepared him for what was to come. Nothing prepared him for the earth-shattering experience that was to occur... Nothing prepared him for the loss of his beautiful love... Nothing.
It began with his sister falling in love with the knight. During that period, she began to grow into a sophisticated woman from the spoiled teenager in order to try to impress him. And Milliardo paid no attention to them as his heart ached for a reason that was unknown to him.
Even after all the times he wanted to comfort the ebony goddess. Even after all the times he wanted to confess to her. Even after all the times he wanted to hold, kiss and make endless love to her. He still did not know what had ailed him.
He did not know why... I mean; ignoring her for a month can't be that bad... can it?
Then, with his sister worrying herself to death about the knight's health, she decided to send the broken ebony goddess to protect him, without knowing that the knight was the only medicine that could heal her.
When the month was over, he felt himself being lifted from bonds he did not know existed. And then suddenly, he remembered the ebony goddess... and that his love, that was trapped in his heart by the goddess of love's power, was reawakened.
The pain that had consumed his heart, the nausea that was in his stomach and the aches that was in his mind was calmed when he realized that he missed his ebony goddess. And he found himself hoping that her return to the palace was to be soon.
His wish came true... but not everything was like before...
She entered the room, reborn with all her glow and shine. She had the same pale completion, the same small lips, the same graceful body and the same adoring eyes... but in his eyes, she was more beautiful than before.
But something was wrong... very wrong...
Although she was unscathed, he somehow knew that she wasn't the same ebony goddess as before. And when he tried to make his way to her, she turned around, her back facing him, and walked away... sending an alarming chill down his spine.
He had hoped that she was playing games with him...
Until...
They were standing on the balcony and he was looking up from the gardens. The ground was alit with a heavenly glow that enhanced her beauty a thousand fold. The stars that were flaming up in the sky, cast their reflection into her eyes, making them irresistible. The soft flush on her cheeks enhanced from the chandelier lights from inside made him throb for her. The picture she formed was perfect in each and every way... she was perfect in each and every way...
But the knight was there. His blonde hair ran down his shoulders in a smooth current, his blue eyes intense with fire as he stared at her, his even motion towards her caught her off guard...
It was then he knew... that his world was to an end.
He had prayed to all that was mighty that his ebony goddess would not move closer to the knight, but she did. He had begged to all that was mighty that her lips would not draw closer to the knight's, but it did. He had offered his soul to all that was mighty that she wouldn't fall in love with the knight... but she did...
His whole life was turned inside out. His heart stopped beating. His lungs stopped breathing. His mind refused to answer him... and his body failed to walk away from his nightmare before him...
And he knew... he knew that it was all his fault... he knew that he was over confident that no one would see the beautiful being behind the ebony curtains... and he knew that he was a fool to believe what his sister had said...
He collapsed onto his bed... feeling hot tears searing his eyelids. His heart beating against his chest as the images of his beloved kissing the knight ran though his head over and over again like a film.
It hurt... and it'll never stop hurting...
But that was all going to change.
His sister had told him that they were going to go to Earth to "claim" what was hers all along. They were going to see... Shit! It angered him so much just to even TRY to think of his name. He just hated him so much.
But soon... very soon, he'll be all right again.
Soon...
Hotaru opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling up above. She was lying still on her four-posted bed with a velvet blanket drawn to her chest. She closed her eyes again, and then opened them. There was something wrong and she knew it.
The back of her head ached and images of a dream from last night kept flashing in her head. At least, it was a dream... wasn't it?
She closed her eyes and saw her dream vividly. Him lowering his lips onto hers. Him wrapping his steady arms around her body. And just the fact that it was HIM, made her shiver in some unknown pleasure. It had been so real... perhaps it wasn't a dream after all?
The Firefly shook her head and mentally scolded herself on thinking of such an impossible event... especially with her King- who, she reminded herself, was going to marry the Moon Princess.
Marry... marry the... marry the Moon... marry the Moon Princess... Serenity...
Her heart clenched together tightly at the thought.
She vaguely wondered where Death was. Surely the little voice should be scolding her on such thoughts right now. Hotaru drew her eyebrows together for a second before forgetting about her friend and snuggled deeper into her bed, hoping for her dream to vanish.
Death floated around.
She had seen- no, FELT what Hotaru had did. His eyes, his hair, his body, his hands, his arms, his lips and much more were sinking into her mind. Everything was coming back to her, no matter how hard she resisted him... no matter how hard she insisted Hotaru to resist him. She was going to fall for him again.
"This can not be happening!" she yelled in frustration.
"Not again..." she finished in a whisper, feeling herself give into him.
Then something hit her mind like a sharp arrow. She quickly forgot about the issue of her lost love and became alert.
"It can't be..." she whispered and shuddered under his power.
HE WAS BACK!
His dark emerald eyes stared down at Heero and Duo. His light brown hair swayed in the wind as he smirked in triumph. He was wearing an onyx, metal armour trimmed with gold, a black cape floated ominously behind him and a long, sharp sword was strapped threateningly around his waist.
Heero and Duo stood side by side in front of their "Master", their eyes dimmed by his hypnotic powers. They were mere puppets to him, and with the power he stored within them, the two threw off the seal that had held him captive and released him unto the unsuspecting world.
Everything was according to plan.
He could feel her. He could feel her even breathing, her beating heart, and her warmth somewhere living peacefully in this world. His heart rejoiced on the fact that he had made it on time.
He closed his eyes and could picture her smile saved just for him, her delicate arms wounding around his neck and her soft lips on his own. He would draw her close to him and she would whisper his name in pleasure, sending shivers to run up and down his spine.
Yes... she was very close.
And that jackass of a Knight will kneel down to him, begging for his pathetic life... and he would laugh. He would laugh in his face, waving the Ebony Goddess in front of him, teasing him. And then he would take her in his arms and kiss her, claiming the Ebony Goddess as his own.
And that foolish fair-haired Goddess will look at the shattered Knight in desperation, crying out to him that she loved him. And he would laugh again and sit down on his throne with the Ebony Goddess curled up on his lap comfortably.
Yes... all will go well.
He sucked in the air through clenched teeth as he surveyed his surrounding area... all forest, no civilization to speak of. He soon decided that instead of civilization coming to him, HE would go to it.
"I am Trowa Barton... and I am to prevail. I will destroy the World of Light and consume it in darkness. I will torture and slay the fair-haired Goddess and that damned knight of hers. And as my last goal, I will the take the Ebony Goddess for my beloved bride..."
The Time Gate gave a lurch of power, threatening to collapse upon itself. The liquid substance moving inside the gate was withering and dancing in warning, and then settled to a flat plane, a mirror reflecting the universe inside itself. The image of the universe was moving quickly to the planet Saturn until the ringed planet covered the whole mirror.
Setsuna, Goddess of Time, held her key-like staff close to her body, hoping for a comfort as to why the Gate was acting this way. She had been with Souichi at the time when she felt a disturbance in the Time Stream and decided to check her Realm of Time. When she got here, the Gate opened automatically and flashed images of Saturn in different forms.
The Goddess of Death, Revolution and Rebirth, the Princess of Saturn, the senshi of Saturn, the Planet Saturn...
It kept going through the images, spinning them into each other until eventually Setsuna knew that something huge was going to happen... and it involved her dearest daughter in every possible way and form.
"He is back..."
Setsuna turned around in alert, her staff drawn vertically in front of her person, ready to defend and fight. But when she saw who it was, she slowly withdrew her stance warily and stared at the figure in worry. She could feel tears gathering in her eyes.
"Saturn..." the Goddess of Time shuddered in a whisper.
The transparent, ghostly form of Eternal Sailor Saturn floated in mid-air, just above the foggy floor. Her glaive, though not harmful in its ghostly state, still stood dangerously in the senshi's comfortable, almost limp gloved hand.
"Setsuna-mama... he is back," Saturn said.
Setsuna's eyebrows drew in together in confusion, "Who?"
"Trowa," she replied, her face full of worry and dread.
The Time Goddess inhaled a shaky breath, not believing what she just heard. It was impossible. She had been there when the Knight sealed the Evil, and she was certain that the seal was too powerful for even the Evil to break.
Setsuna trembled when she remembered the dying, pale form in the Knight's arms. She looked at the Saturn senshi and imagined a thin streak of blood trailing down the corners of her mouth. The Goddess swayed when the image settled so clearly in her mind. She would not allow it to happen to her baby again.
"He will not get through Serenity-hime's defences... it is impossible," Setsuna said confidently.
"That's what we all thought last time," Saturn countered with an impassive expression.
King Legolas was pacing in his room. He was not nervous for the Princess's arrival, but he was nervous with the dream he had had last night. Just thinking of it made him sweat and become dizzy.
Her hands, her eyes, her lips, her body and her hair were like drugs to him. It was hard enough to deal with these uncomfortable emotions in the day, but now he was having dreams about her. Sinful dreams, he might add.
He sat down on his bed and placed his head in his hands.
The Princess was coming this very morning and instead of thinking of the maybe future along side her, he was thinking of another whom was untouchable and unthinkable for him. She was...
He refused to think of her as... a commoner. No... she was too valuable to think of in such way.
Legolas was confounded. The dream seemed so real... her kisses, her touch, and her body- He blushed when he caught himself thinking sinful thoughts about her.
"This can not be happening to me right now," he moaned in frustration.
Then, totally catching him off-guard, a horn blew in the distance, signalling the soon arrival of the Moon Princess.
Legolas got up, smoothed his outfit out and, trying not to think of the dream again, walked out into the hallway.
"This time it is for certain," Setsuna said, trying to convince herself with her own words.
It had been true. The defences last time did not stand a chance against the Evil and especially the most powerful senshi in the universe. It was terrifying to say the least how they crumbled the might of the Moon Kingdom in a mere hour or so. It was memory not forgotten even now.
"He comes for me," Saturn said, her eyes full of forlorn.
Setsuna eyes flashed.
"Not me in my not-awaken state... but you know who, don't you?" the senshi asked.
"Hotaru..." Setsuna dared to whisper her daughter's name in dread, only to have her companion nod her head in agreement.
"I can take her away for awhile," Saturn said, though it sounded like an offer.
"You need to train her," Setsuna stated.
"Yes," was her only reply.
Setsuna swallowed and asked, "When?"
"Now."
Hotaru opened her eyes again and was shaken.
This was not her room...
She pulled the silk, lavender blanket away and sat up, her ebony hair falling around her face like a darken curtain. Her violet eyes widened at what she saw. She was in a large, circular, purpled marbled room that was held up by columns. Swaying gracefully from each large opening between two columns were transparent, lilac curtains. She could see, through the silken curtains, that it was nighttime and that the stars were out. She guessed where she was and was confirmed by the large purple streak running across the sky.
She was on Saturn.
She was lost...
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Silver Author