Fake Awake

"Wow, it's three in the morning," Makoto remarked upon glancing at the clock on the mantle. "Can we just call it quits?"

"No way, I'm totally winning!" Usagi considered the Upwords board for a minute. She only had four tiles left and had given up consulting the dictionary as their words evolved to take up the entire ten-by-ten grid. At the beginning of the last round, Makoto had turned "macro" into "hydro", which Nicholas made into "hydraulic", which Mamoru changed into "xylophone". Usagi now placed her remaining tiles atop his to spell…

"Cellophane?!" Nicholas wailed. He banged a fist on the rug and slumped forward in defeat. "I'm done."

Mamoru quickly calculated her score. "Good job, Usako. You really did win. I'm second, Nicholas is third. Sorry, Makoto-chan."

She waved off her loss. "I'm tired– I wasn't expecting to do well at this game. Oyasumi." She crawled over to the same couch she'd slept on last time and dragged herself up onto the cushions, sighing contentedly.

Usagi settled onto the other couch as Mamoru put the game away and Nicholas threw a few more logs on the fire; since the house was now insulated with aerogel, a little heat went a long way. They all bid each other goodnight, Usagi focusing on the boys' footsteps. Mamoru's almost faded to nothing as he went to his room at the very end of the hall and she heard Nicholas shuffling around for a few minutes before the mansion became still. She felt wide awake despite having been up since 7:00 for her midterms. She had then spent most of the day at a seminar on textile innovations that were going to be implemented into the fashion design curriculum. After that, she attended a workshop and created a doll-sized outfit from the many fabric samples available, then finally went home to prepare for the star party. Usagi should have fallen asleep by now, but her thoughts were unusually rampant.

The nacre compact assuaged her. She held it in her dominant left hand and rubbed the smooth ridges with her thumb, like a worry stone. The cool exterior seeped into her fingertips, clearing her mind with the sensation of standing beneath a waterfall. Firelight danced across the opaque stone when Usagi opened the compact, mesmerizing her for a moment, and then something fell out. Her free hand flew to the pendant on her chest, finding it still in place, and she picked up the new one in confusion. It was a marquise-cut topaz on a silvery chain.

Makoto suddenly stirred. "Hm? What'd you say, Usa-chan?"

"I didn't say anything," she whispered.

"You didn't? I thought I heard… something about a storm."

Usagi glanced between her friend and the necklace a few times, inexplicably knowing it was meant for her. She poked Makoto awake. "Hey, there's something you should have."

Makoto sat up blearily. "What is it?"

"An early present, since I might still be gone during your birthday."

"Oh wow, Usa-chan…" Makoto fastened it around her neck and smiled at the yellow gem. "When did you get this? We always shop together."

"I got it… a long time ago," Usagi answered. "I forgot I had it until recently." Even though she pulled the lie out of thin air it sounded true enough. She felt oddly nostalgic as she examined her moonstone pendant again. Did it resemble costume jewelry she used to play with? Had she seen similar pieces in Tokyo boutiques or Nordstrom's fine jewelry department? No, it seemed more familiar than that. The weight of her necklace was ingrained upon her skin as if she had always worn it. The clarity provided by the compact was something she had often sought after a disagreement with her parents.

In frustration she let the compact fall to the floor, where it rattled. Usagi's first thought was that the stone had come loose but popping it open revealed yet another necklace, a square ruby on a gold chain. She hastily closed and opened it several more times, astounded when she ended up with exactly nine more precious gemstone pendants in her hands. Where had they come from… and who were they for? She couldn't remember what some of the gems were called, but Mamoru mentioned that Joe had knowledge of minerals. Usagi gathered the necklaces and went in search of him.

Rei brushed the petals of an enormous flower before turning to face Joe. "I love lilies, especially these white ones. Lilium casa blanca."

"Do you want me to cut some for you?" he offered. He stepped closer as that section's sprinkler system turned on, misting the aisle in addition to his clothes.

"No, you should let them keep growing." Rei moved on to tiger and calla lilies, touching all the waxy petals with two fingers. The veins of plants were just like the energy channels within humans, one reason why she didn't believe that Chaos was the primary force of the universe. There was too much symmetry between humans, nature, and the cosmos for it not to be the grand design of some omniscient force.

Joe fiddled with the training stakes of a sapling. "We've been inside for quite a while. I'm sure we missed the rest of the meteor shower."

"It was a bit too cold for me out there," Rei admitted. "I like it in here."

"You don't think it's too humid? This is a tropical greenhouse."

"Japan gets very humid during the summer."

"So it reminds you of home?" he deduced, smiling. "It seems like all of us are missing our families lately."

"Except for those who don't have any…" Rei sighed. "Mamoru and Makoto are orphans."

"Then I guess it'd be better for them to stay where their friends are." Joe felt a wave of relief when she nodded in agreement. He still didn't know Rei that well so he didn't want to offend her by making more ignorant comments. Earlier that night she had asked if he was going home for the holidays, and judging by the way she sighed just now he thought family might be a sensitive issue for her. Plants were a safe subject for the time being. "So… why do you like Casablanca lilies so much?" he inquired.

Rei removed her glasses but didn't look at him, examining some orchids instead. "They're beautiful in a simple way. As a girl, I wanted to walk down the aisle on my wedding day in a red kimono with a bouquet of pure white lilies."

"Ah, wedding fantasies…" Joe chuckled lightly. "Where I'm from, it isn't only little girls who dream them up."

She gave him a sidelong look. "Do you have one?"

"It's not too elaborate, but I'm determined to get married outside. Maybe the bride and I will stand beneath a nice arbor. Maybe it will be at night, near a river, with lanterns floating downstream and hanging from trees. I think I want to wear a white tuxedo instead of black. I want our first newlywed dance to be to Antonin Dvorak's 'Silent Woods'."

The girl raised one of her slim eyebrows at him. "That's many more details than I have planned for my wedding."

Joe grinned sheepishly. "Well, I only started thinking about it so much because my parents kept bothering me about finding the 'right girl'. If they really forced me to marry for money, the least they could do is indulge the setting I want."

Rei went "hmm" and returned to the flowers before her, but she didn't see any of them through a veil of tears. Her parents had married for social standing. What if her mother's loveless union had aggravated her sickness? She always had to appear a certain way for the media and was constantly stressing about what people would think. If she had married someone she really loved, she would have been happy. She could have fought harder to live because her life would have been worth it. Rei wasn't so selfish as to believe she was a reason worth living for. She was an accident, after all; she hadn't been born of love despite what her father claimed. She was nothing more than an inconvenience to him, but now she could take care of herself. As soon as she earned her degree she would be completely cut off from her old life and everyone in it. She could fill it with new people who really cared about her, people like Makoto and Ami and Joe…

Her tears were abruptly blinked away as something soft and warm landed on her forehead. Rei looked up into Joe's face as he stood right in front of her, arms loosely wrapped around her shoulders in a hug. "Did you just kiss me?" she questioned.

His fair complexion reddened. "Ah, yeah. That was all I could think to do to help…" He trailed off upon noticing that Rei's russet eyes stared right through his chest. She didn't seem particularly upset, but it was so hard to tell with her.

"Hey, Joe! Are you in here?"

They separated and turned toward the door to see Usagi waving. She approached with a smile on her face and a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Jou-kun, I'm trying to figure out which of these necklaces to give to each of the girls. Can you tell me what these gems are?"

He leaned down for a closer look, noting the flawless faceting and precious metal chains. "Where did you get these, Usagi? They must have cost you a fortune."

"They're early presents!" she answered, avoiding both topics. "I forgot I brought them until going through my bag. I wanted to make sure my gal pals all got one before I left for Christmas break."

Joe regarded her narrowly. There was still a month and a half until Christmas vacation and he was suspicious as to how she'd been able to afford such fine jewelry on Nordstrom cashier's pay. Still, he accepted the necklaces dangling off her wrist and named each gemstone while handing them back. "These four are ruby, emerald, diamond, and sapphire. These three are amethyst, aquamarine, and peridot, they're pretty common. This is sunstone from Oregon." He almost didn't want to surrender the last one. "I'm not an expert on opals but I think this is an Indonesian black. I've never seen color streaks like this, though. It looks rare." Joe also noted that Usagi was wearing a conical moonstone pendant on the same style of chain as all the other necklaces. Had she bought them as a set or something?

"Thanks a lot, Jou-kun." She selected the ruby necklace and proffered it. "This would look good on you, Rei-chan."

"Are you sure?" she asked, wide-eyed. Usagi nodded and smiled. "Thank you very much, Usagi. It's beautiful."

"Just like you!" the blonde praised. "Do you know where I can find Ami?"

"I don't, but it's so late she's likely asleep already." Usagi considered this for a moment, thanked Joe again, and ran off.

He dragged a hand down his face with a groan. "I don't understand how she has so much energy."

"If you were tired then you should have gone to bed earlier," Rei chastised as they left the conservatory.

"You needed someone to stop those tears from falling," he returned. "I hope I didn't cause them, and I'm sorry if I did."

She shook her head. "I started thinking about things better left forgotten."

Joe's gait faltered. "Rei… If you ever want someone to talk to, I'll listen." An expression of surprised relief greeted this apprehensive statement. She was so stoic it was difficult for him to determine her boundaries. If physical touch wasn't her love language, maybe she preferred quality time.

"I appreciate that," was all she said. They climbed the stairs and paused simultaneously at the landing. She should just talk to him right now and get everything that had been tormenting her for years off her chest, but it was late and they were both so tired. Rei also feared being judged. If she told Joe about her family and childhood he'd realize they shared few of the same values. And if he realized who her father was, he'd probably hate her. "Good night, Josef. Thank you for showing me the flowers… and for everything else."

"Oh, you're welcome. You can call me Joe, you know." He winced at the rhyme.

"I like Josef better." She smiled, bowed her head, and made her way to the guest room on the third floor. Joe stood there for a minute, trying and failing to repress a genuinely happy smile. His full name had an attractive ring to it coming from Rei.

Mina opened her eyes to find Kaelan's grey gaze directed at the brocade canopy above. His brow was creased slightly but the hand on her shoulder wasn't tense at all; he appeared to be lost in thought. After staring at him for a moment, he turned onto his side and smiled. "You didn't sleep?" she asked.

"No. Ever since I was a kid I haven't been able to sleep through celestial events. Meteor showers, auroras, weird full moons… Eclipses are the worst. During those I get really anxious and can't focus on anything."

"That's kind of strange," Mina remarked.

"What's strange is that you were talking in your sleep," Kaelan returned. "You said you had to save a princess but you weren't strong enough because you lost the heart."

Mina gave a short laugh. "I don't think I've ever spoken a dream out loud before. Ami would've let me know." She rolled over and pressed her back against Kaelan's chest, smiling as his arm automatically circled her waist. His bare, toned body felt nice and he smelled like fresh evergreen. His breath on her neck was warm and his steady heartbeat soon lulled her back to sleep, allowing her to experience her dream with absolute clarity this time.

Mina looked down to see pale yellow fabric billowing in a gentle breeze. At her feet was a carpet of small white flowers stretching several miles in every direction. Off to her left was a domed white building glistening in the light of the dying sun. She craned her neck to examine the sky, but instead of familiar clouds dotting a blue canvas she saw a dark grey veil with winking stars beyond, seemingly close enough to touch. Upon facing forward she drew in a breath of awe. She had presumed the sun was setting on Earth, but Earth loomed at the edge of the flower field, rising from the horizon like a giant blue marble covered in nebulous whorls.

"Cordie…" someone spoke from behind. Mina rotated to find a woman she instinctively recognized as Ami despite her different appearance. "Are you still leading your forces to Terra?"

"That is the only way to save Selene, Pronoia," she answered. "Do your people still refuse to stand us?"

The blue-eyed woman nodded. "We are not fighters. We do not belong in battle." Pronoia looked down at an opaque orb hanging off her belt. "This does not mean I have turned my back on the Inner Alliance. I hope you will see things clearly from Terra, for Luna is covered in nothing but shadows of late."

Everything went black like Mina had fallen asleep within her own dream, and when she opened her eyes she was descending through the atmosphere, vertigo striking in waves. Something heavy weighed her down, a round shield strapped to her right arm. There was also a sword in her left hand, a helmet on her head, and a breastplate over the same yellow dress from before. She stood among other men and women in armor, their bronze, silver, and gold armaments glittering in the dim lighting of the capsule carrying them into battle with the planet called Terra.

A single blink placed her in the middle of the fight. Metallic clangs, battle orders, and death cries surrounded her. Her sword and dress were dyed crimson. Wooden shafts stuck out of her shield where a few steel arrowheads had pierced it. Mina paused for a moment to survey the area; her allies in red, green, and white appeared to be driving back the enemy in dark blue. She led her unit toward the high ground in hopes of finding an enemy commander and was not disappointed. A heavily-armored man came forward to meet her, ordering his guards to stand down. Mina told her unit to do the same before striding right up to him, nearly touching his nose with her own. "Verticordia," he greeted, omitting her title, "I am honored to see you here. I was under the assumption that Venerians considered themselves above such base actions."

"I will gladly soil my own hands in order to rescue a dear friend," she replied.

"Oh? Who have you come here to recover?"

"Selene!" she shouted, nearly slapping the indolent look off his face. "Selene has been taken hostage by your abominable rulers! Did you expect the Inner Alliance to let them get away with it?!" She drew in a breath to quell her anger. "Your armor informs me that you are a general of the army. Take me to wherever Selene is being held and this bloodshed will cease. Terra cannot win against the might of four kingdoms."

The man hummed thoughtfully. "And what if she does not wish to go with you?"

"Your question is asinine," she spat. "Captives do not willingly remain with their abductors. Take me to her or I will cut you down where you stand."

"As you wish, Princess." The man spun on his heel and led her through a sea of Terran soldiers, rows upon rows of them awaiting their turn to fall before the forces of Venus, Mars, Luna, and Jupiter. None of these men and women had to die if King Aitolos simply surrendered Selene to her parents, but evidently he thought he could use her as some kind of bargaining chip. He would realize the folly of his arrogance when the Grand Council put him to death.

The general named Kunz led Verticordia to a platform in the middle of a field, an area of lush green grass that hadn't yet been trampled by boots or stained with blood. "Your retinue cannot come where we are going," he said. She looked back at her commander and nodded, then stepped onto the transport device. If Kunz betrayed her, their orders were to return to Venus and inform the monarchs of her death. Hopefully that would prompt Mercury into action since the kingdoms had close ties. "Take hold of my hand and do not let go." She did so warily, his gauntleted fingers enveloping her own. All of a sudden the platform plunged straight down, making Verticordia gasp and cling to the general, but the vertigo only lasted a few seconds before they came to a stop.

"Where… What is this place?" It was the most beautiful location she'd ever seen, an obvious sanctuary of some sort. The colors were brighter, the air cleaner, and the animals paid them no mind as they walked forward. The plain of grass was broken by trees here and there, nothing large enough to be considered a forest, and small temples became visible the farther they went. There were no paths of dirt or gravel but Kunz knew exactly how to get where he was going, leading the princess through flower patches and over babbling streams until a gazebo came into view. Clusters of wisteria flowers formed a cloak encompassing a couple on the daybed. Kunz approached them as Verticordia halted in her tracks. "Selene?"

"C-Cordie!" the Lunar princess exclaimed, blushing at the fact that she'd been caught in the midst of receiving passionate kisses from the shirtless young man above her. They hastily made themselves presentable.

"What is the meaning of this?" Verticordia demanded. "You and Endymion are involved?" She recalled Pronoia's words, beginning to see a different image than the one King Hyperion painted.

"I've been coming to see him for a long time now," Selene explained, twining a strand of snow-white hair around her finger. The action reminded Mina of Usagi. "I love him with all my heart and soul. We're going to be unified today."

"Unified?!" Verticordia gasped. "Selene, are you aware of what transpires above us?!" The pale princess frowned slightly. "Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Luna– all of their armies are fighting to bring you home! Fighting and dying for you!"

Selene covered her mouth with one hand and fell to the floor weeping, Endymion kneeling beside her. "Cordie, forgive me, I didn't know… Gods, my father has finally started the war he always wanted." She dried her eyes, got up, and firmly gripped Verticordia's hands. "My father wants to claim Terra for himself. He knows I am here, with Endymion, as does my mother. She sanctioned our union– she believes Endymion and I can usher in an era of peace with Terra."

"Then Hyperion lied about you being taken by the Terrans. All of this is a ploy. Aitolos has done nothing wrong." Selene nodded and Verticordia's gaze slid to Prince Endymion, a handsome young man with compelling eyes not unlike Mamoru's. "What is this place? Is there a way to contact my forces on the surface?"

Endymion shook his head. "There is no way to enter or leave Elysium on your own, that is why General Kunz brought you. Think of it as the spiritual heart of Terra, our most holy center. If you wish to return to the world above, Kunz must escort you." Verticordia nodded and held out her hand imploringly, then the two of them ran back to the transport pad and reentered the battlefield. She quickly removed a flare from her belt, lit it, and hurled it into the sky. It went off a moment later, streaks of golden light telling her forces to cease their assault. Red, green, and white flares also appeared, the din of battle fading.

She met with the allied commanders: Princess Enyo of Mars, Princess Nemesis of Jupiter, and General Mani of Luna. "We have been deceived," Verticordia informed them. "Selene is here willingly and is in fact the lover of Prince Endymion. Hyperion opposes their union. He wants us to devastate the Terran army so they will be unable to withstand him when he moves to invade."

"That bastard…" Enyo hissed, punching the wooden table and leaving a scorch mark upon it. She had the same long raven hair as Rei. "He thinks he can use my people to do his dirty work?! I will turn my armies upon Luna right now and leave nothing but ashes for him to rule!" General Mani gulped at this proclamation.

Nemesis raised a hand for peace; she was tall and dignified just like Makoto. "He will be judged by the Grand Council, which we must convene immediately."

Verticordia reached for the departing woman. "Wait, Nemesis. If Selene and Endymion are unified, Endymion can become a representative on the Grand Council– surely there will be no way for Hyperion to escape judgment then. With the three of us overseeing the unification ceremony, plus Pronoia, we can induct Terra into the Inner Alliance right away. What say you?"

So it was that the princesses of Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter gathered in Elysium alongside Selene, escorting her to a beautiful arbor beneath which stood Endymion. His cortege consisted of two generals, Kunz and Jaden, a spiritual advisor named Nephriticus, and a young royal artificer named Zois. Besides Endymion there were many priestesses residing in Elysium, women whose duty it was to gather the spiritual essence of flora and fauna. Some of it went directly to the prince, the source of his power, and the rest went to the surface world in an endless cycle of renewal and rebirth. "Such a beautiful place," Pronoia remarked. "I feel blessed to see it with my own eyes."

"Elysium is certainly a wonder to behold," said Zois, "as is the sight of you all gathered here. Thank you for supporting this union."

"I will do whatever it takes to ensure Hyperion is dethroned and punished for his treachery," Enyo said harshly. "I will even ask the Grand Council for the pleasure of removing his head myself."

General Jaden examined her up and down. "You are a truly savage goddess, Enyo. Is it possible to tame your bloodlust?"

"Not by the likes of you," she snapped, earning a laugh from the man. "And you are a hypocrite, Jaden." He raised an eyebrow at that. "You became the ruler of your domain the same way I did– by slaughtering all who opposed you, all who believed they had the strength to conquer you."

"Yes, you are right," he replied, and gave her a look both enraging and thrilling. "If you were to stand at my side, I feel we would have the strength to conquer the solar system." All of their allies exchanged nervous glances, awaiting the Martian's response.

Enyo scoffed. "I do not stand behind or beside any man. He would only get in the way of my bow." A collective breath of relief filled the air, but Enyo was impressed the general even had the audacity to make such a proposition.

A priestess named Khamyne arrived to officiate the ceremony. She had deep brown skin and eyes bluer than the clearest sky, a color that artists could spend their whole lives attempting to emulate and never get quite right. She filled a golden chalice with water from a nearby fountain, holding it up between Selene and Endymion. "For so long have the kingdoms of Terra and Luna been separated by trivial distance. Now, finally, love will bridge our ancient kingdoms." She lowered the chalice so the couple could grasp it together. "This water provides life to everything residing on Terra's surface, her people, plants, and creatures. Luna presides over the movements of her tides, her oceans that are the source of this blessing. As these two celestial bodies work together in harmony to support existence, so must you two maintain harmony in your union. Selene, drink the life water of Terra. Endymion, drink the watery life from Luna." They did so, repressing laughter while trying not to empty the chalice onto one another. "And so, with this blessing shared between you two, the unification ceremony is complete." Khamyne regarded them kindly. "Are there any vows you wish to exchange?"

Endymion nodded and drew in a breath, but a shout rang out before he could speak. It was nothing more than an inarticulate call from another priestess who ran right up and threw herself upon him. "I love you, my Lord!" the redheaded woman proclaimed. Before anyone could move or say a word, she whirled around while drawing a dagger from her sleeve and plunged it into Selene's throat.

"Nooo!" Pronoia shrieked, catching Selene as she collapsed with wide-open eyes. A split second later Enyo bellowed a war cry and summoned her bow to her hands, a wicked weapon burning so hot that all the plant life around her simply disintegrated. She aimed an arrow at Endymion, missing her mark as Khamyne jumped in the way and landed on the ground as a cremated corpse. Before Enyo could ready another shot, one of Jaden's crossbow bolts punched through her shoulder. She snarled and pulled twin short blades from sheaths around her thighs, leaping on him while he nocked another bolt. Enyo buried her blades up to their hilts in his eye sockets, both of them screaming rage and hate as he squeezed the trigger, piercing her heart.

The two of them had perished in the short time it took Verticordia to draw her sword and cut down the deranged priestess. Advisor Nephriticus assumed she was attacking Endymion and removed a giant two-handed sword from his back, swinging to slice her in two. Verticordia was saved by Nemesis' staff intersecting the strike, sparks shooting out as the metals clashed. Nephriticus and Nemesis were both dedicated warriors who traded blows of equal force, neither able to gain the upper hand, and in their short duel they developed a mutual respect for one another. Resorting to violence was something they wanted to avoid whenever possible, but once engaged in combat they would keep fighting until victory was achieved or they died trying. In order to uphold this ideal Nemesis drew on every ounce of elemental power she inherently possessed as a daughter of Jupiter, the planet of storms, and channeled it into Nephriticus. A lightning bolt vaporized them in the blink of an eye, charred armor and weapons clattering to the ground.

Pronoia surrendered Selene's corpse to Verticordia and shakily made her way into Zois' arms. "All has gone as was foreseen," she murmured, "but I am in such pain to have witnessed it."

"As am I, Princess…" Zois said, trying and failing to withhold tears of despair. "I can only hope they find happiness with each other in their next life." He placed a hand on her cheek, smiling. "We must follow them into the Void. When we are reborn, we will have forgotten this heartache." Pronoia nodded, steeling her visage as her fingers splayed across his chest. Zois felt a tiny lance of pain in his lungs, then his breath came short, then he couldn't breathe at all as ice spread throughout his veins. Pronoia passed in the same manner, the pair of them freezing to death in a shared embrace.

Verticordia stood there with her ilmenite sword in hand. It had been gifted to her by Luna when Venus joined the Inner Alliance… but now Selene was dead, as were the rest of her allies. Only she, Endymion, and General Kunz remained beneath the arbor, their tranquil surroundings utterly contrasted by the tragedy that just took place. Birds still sang, the fountain still burbled, and the breeze carried a sweet floral perfume. Kunz sank to his knees. "It is hopeless…" he said, voice devoid of emotion. "All is undone now. There will be no peace for Terra."

"No, that cannot be." Verticordia tried pulling him up by his spaulders but the man was too heavy. "We are still alive. We can explain this!"

Kunz shook his head. "Two priestesses are dead– their loss will be felt across the entire planet. Endymion and I will be killed by the Inner Alliance armies as soon as we show our faces on the surface. No, it is better I die at your hands, surrounded by my brethren. This place that was once a sanctuary has become our grave."

"What are you talking about? I am not going to kill you!"

"Then I shall do it myself." He snatched the sword from Verticordia's grasp and transfixed himself before she could move to stop him. She watched in horror as his lifeblood spread across the ground, a dark stain defacing the beauty of Elysium.

Her attention snapped to Endymion when he drew in a shuddering sob, anguish etched on every feature. "My men are dead, the woman I love is gone, your allies fallen, priestesses murdered…" He reached for the knife embedded in Selene's neck and yanked it out, bright red droplets falling upon her silver gown. "I have nothing left to live for."

Verticordia wanted to yell at him to stop despite knowing her words would be just as futile to his ears as they were to Kunz. So she said nothing, turning away as the noble prince shoved the dagger into his chest.