Now that the Monitors have lost a number of people due to Negaverse activity, they will have to talk more with the Sailor Scouts now present in the Peruvian Empire, and try to figure out better how to deal with the invaders from the Negaverse, in hopes that they can find some ways to protect those who they can, for as long as possible. Among other things they will now have to do as well, for sure.
They will all have to deal with this as they also deal with the loss of several of their closest friends and comrades in arms, and it may not be so easy for several of them to do here, in truth. Some may take the fact that they lost certain people close to them harder than others might, of course, but not everyone is the same, when it comes to how they might and often do deal with things of certain natures, folks.
Much more trouble is yet to come, and not just for the Scouts, but also for the Peruvian Empire, at the very least, on Earth and in other areas of the Solar System, for sure. Just what kinds of trouble may come in the future is yet to be seen or determined, if not yet written and/or posted, folks.
Well, that's enough to talk about here for now, at least, I think. So let's get on with the story again, of course, everyone. Until later, then, I'll close this. TUS out.
Hall of Memories In The Imperial Palace
Cuzco, Peru, Earth
February 17, 987
Some length of time later, Amilaram and all the available Monitors met each other in the Hall of Memories as the situation required. Of course, all the Monitors were in their usual Monitor uniforms at the meeting. Amilaram was also keeping an open channel to Monitors Ica, Santiago, and Montevideo, so that if either Monitor Callao or Monitor Guayaquil, if not both of them, took a sudden turn for the worse, she could be immediately notified.
Monitors Amilaram and Sierra soon briefed all their companions on the current situation with their comrades and their new enemies. And they did so as thoroughly as they could then do that. After doing so, and after fielding and answering as many of the questions they were asked by their fellow Monitors as they could now answer, they let their fellow Monitors leave them for a little while. But before they did so, they told them all that a memorial service was planned for their fallen comrades in the next two or three days. God willing, of course.
Then almost everyone else with them at that time left the palace's Hall of Memories behind. And those other Monitors left them behind for at least a little while. The only Monitors that still stayed in the Hall of Memories after Amilaram dismissed everyone from there, besides Sierra, were Paquasim and Onziza. They stayed behind there for at least a little while, wanting to check up on Callao and Guayaquil with their cousins, at the same time that their cousins did so.
Onziza asked Amilaram, once she was alone with Sierra, Paquasim, and Amilaram in the Hall of Memories, "Do you think that Callao and Guayaquil will somehow survive, Amilaram?"
"It's still too early to tell, I think, Onziza. I believe God only knows for sure right now, if nobody else does either. If either of them, if not both of them, leave us, you can be sure, though, that I'll miss them very much. True, I'm not very close to them in my life like I am with you three cousins of mine, but I'd still miss them very much. I don't like losing my Monitors to things or people like we've now obviously done here. But some things just can't be kept from happening in a person's life, no matter how much they, or anyone else in their lives, might ever prefer in those lives of theirs. We've lost people before, as you very well know by now. But not often to things or people like it now seems we're going to have to deal with in our lives, if we're somehow able to survive for a long enough time in each of them. At least that's my opinion here on this matter, both as Monitor Amilaram and as Mara Zimak."
Paquasim asked Amilaram, "Do you think that we could visit with Callao and Guayaquil now?"
"Let me check with Ica and the others with them first, Paquasim. Or, at least, let me try to do that, before we all try to visit them. I'm sure that you can understand why by now. Or at least I hope you do, of course."
"As you wish."
"Sierra, right now, I want you to take Paquasim and Onziza to the South Courtyard. Stay there, and you're all to say nothing at all about this matter to the Scouts until I say otherwise. When you all go there, I want you each to transform yourselves into your current Scout states. You know how by now, I'm sure, Sierra. I'll join you later, after I check on our hurt comrades."
"When you're in your Scout state, in your Monitor state, or your normal state?"
"Probably my Scout state, Sierra. If not that, then probably my Monitor state, I think."
No more than a few moments later, then, Sierra, Paquasim, and Onziza left the area for the South Courtyard. And they all stayed there for at least a little while, if not a long time, as they all waited for Amilaram to join them there as well. Of course, they said nothing at all to the Scouts about the aforementioned matter, as they waited for her to join them there later on.
About two or three hours later, Amilaram came there, and only for a brief time. When she came there, she soon called her fellow Monitors to one corner of the South Courtyard. And she told them that Callao had just fallen asleep, most likely for a very long time, if not forever. It seemed to Amilaram that Callao's heart couldn't continue beating strongly enough to keep Callao from falling asleep rather suddenly, so Callao had then left them behind. Guayaquil, on the other hand, however, had just as suddenly started to take a turn for the better, for reasons nobody yet knew, if they'd ever know them well enough in their own mortal lives. Guayaquil was still unconscious at the current time. But it seemed to Amilaram that she'd somehow survive. Though she didn't yet know if Guayaquil would ever be able to fight again, it seemed to her that Guayaquil would somehow survive for at least a while, whether or not she'd ever be able to fight again in the future.
Onziza asked her, "Amilaram, how long ago did we lose Callao?"
"About ten to twenty minutes ago, I believe. Her heart just gave out rather unexpectedly, Onziza. And she couldn't be revived at all, at least not by our medical personnel. Or at least not as of this time, anyway."
"Where is she now, Amilaram?" asked Paquasim.
"In her chambers. Her locket and her Crystal are sitting on the table nearest her bed. Her closest relatives that could make it here are sitting near her on a few chairs near her bed. Or at least they were, when I left them alone with her for a while. I don't know if God will allow her to live again, before the time of the end has come and gone. But I believe that we'll just have to wait and see if He will, of course, Paquasim. I'll miss Raquel very much, for she was about our age, if not at least a little bit younger than any or all of us, girls. Fortunately, she's not the last daughter of her parents, it seems. I believe that her locket and her Crystal will pass to Juliana soon enough, if she somehow survives long enough to receive it. It may be a while before she does, but I think that she'll receive it, just the same, Paquasim. She may now be with Juanita and the others we've just lost, at least in spirit. But I think that she'll always be with us in our hearts and minds, if we remember her for a long enough time. Let us all try to never forget the sacrifices that Raquel and our other comrades have just made for us of themselves. And let us show our enemies that even if they kill our bodies, they'll never kill our spirit, and we'll somehow survive in this Universe of God's, if God sees fit to allow us to do that somehow in His very own Universe. And at least, we do actually have her body with us right now, so we can try to give her the kind of memorial service that she wanted for herself, if and when her time to die ever came for her in God's very own Universe, Paquasim."
"And bury it with full military and civilian honors, Amilaram?"
"Yes, Paquasim. I do mean that, of course. It'll certainly not be the same, I know, without her around here anymore. Or at least not for a while, but I'm sure that death must eventually come to us all. Unless, of course, God sees fit to translate anybody so that they'll not see death come directly to themselves, instead of it coming to them in just an indirect manner."
"What'll you miss most about Raquel, Amilaram?"
"Her laugh and her talent for basket-weaving, I think, Paquasim."
"Can we see her yet, Amilaram?" asked Onziza.
"No, I'm afraid not, Onziza. Her parents don't want anybody else to enter her chambers if they don't have to, at least until tomorrow morning, if not longer than that. When they think it'll be all right for us to visit her chambers again to pay our respects to her and to her family, they'll let me know somehow. When they do, maybe you can see her as well. I was with her when she left us. She was only conscious for a brief time while I was still with her, and then no more than about fifty or so minutes later, I think, she left us. She left us about an hour or so after I came to her chambers to check on her, if I'm not too mistaken about such things here. She knew that the chances of her surviving for a long enough time weren't very good when I came to check up on her. And she asked me not to be mad at her for not being able to do more against our enemies in her life."
"And what did you then say to her, if I may ask you that here, Amilaram?" asked Sierra.
"I soon said to her, 'I know you girls all really tried your very best to fight against them, Callao. I can't fault you and the rest of our other comrades that our enemies have just attacked here, Callao. I'll remember the sacrifices that you and our other fallen comrades have likely just made for our people, whether they're Monitors or not. And I'll make as sure as I can that the rest of us who still remain alive and awake do the same, for as long as I can in my life, at the very least.' She then asked me, no more than a few seconds later, 'Amilaram, how are the Monitors from Buenos Aires and Guayaquil? I really want to know, Amilaram. That's if you can tell me, of course.' I then said that Buenos Aires was somehow unhurt, at least in a physical sense, while Guayaquil had just started to rather suddenly take a turn for the better, for some yet-unknown reason. Before she eventually fell silent, she asked me to do what I could to protect her cousin Inez from our enemies. I agreed to do what I could to protect Monitor Buenos Aires from any future harm caused by our enemies. Then after I said that I'd try to protect her cousin Inez from Buenos Aires to the best of my ability, she spoke no more to anyone else who was still in her chambers with her before she left us behind, for at least the time being, if not forever, girls."
The four Monitors discussed the situation a bit longer with each other, for the obvious reasons. And then Amilaram said, "I really think that all the Scouts who are currently with us need to know about what's just happened to our fallen comrades now."
"If you think it's best, so be it. But I still think that we should discuss the matter with the Emperor and the Empress first, if possible, and see if they feel the same way."
"Sierra, I asked them earlier, while I was heading toward Raquel's chambers to check on her, after I'd done the same with Guayaquil in her own chambers. They thought I should mention the matter to the Scouts who are now with us here in the Cuzco area of our Empire. They've agreed that our people should try to either hide or escape from our land as quickly as possible. And as we speak, the first stages of the evacuation of as many of our people as possible are already in progress, Sierra. I hope that within the next few weeks or months, we'll be able to have most, if not all, of our remaining people safely hidden away or evacuated from our Empire, so that our enemies won't be able to find them as easily, if somehow at all, of course."
"I see. And if you're wrong, Amilaram?"
"Then so be it. But, of course, I really hope that I'm not wrong about something like this at all, Sierra. This war for our Empire's very survival will be like nothing we've likely ever faced before, if I'm not too mistaken about our current situation. And our enemies will need a base to operate from in this solar system of ours, Sierra, no doubt, before they can go full-bore against our Moon Kingdom friends."
"Understood," Sierra finally said, after a few moments of considering such things as Amilaram had just mentioned to her here. This, of course, was for all the obvious reasons, even if Sierra might not actually like those reasons very much, if at all.
Soon enough, then, Amilaram led her current Monitor/Scout companions to where Royal Sailor Serenity and several others now were with each other. Of course, everyone in this part of the Imperial Palace's grounds was in the South Courtyard of those grounds. Royal Sailor Serenity was currently training with Saturn Beta, while her three daughters were training with Uranus Beta, Neptune Beta, and Pluto Beta, at the same time. Mars and Mercury were also currently training with Jupiter and Venus, with Mars mainly taking on Jupiter, while Mercury and Venus practiced with each other then as well. As for Sylvia, she wasn't feeling up to her usual level of activity, at least not at the current time. So she'd been given at least the next few hours off before she'd have to train again with the other Scouts, by Serenity. But she wasn't likely going to be free more than about six to eight hours, in any case, from training again with the other Scouts.
Moon nearly got hit by one of Uranus Beta's attacks, but she was somehow able to duck under it. That meant the attack missed her, of course. The attack ricocheted off a shield behind where Moon had been, and it changed direction right toward where Amilaram was leading her group of Monitors/Scouts toward the other people now present in the necessary courtyard. Amilaram was barely able to get her shields up in time to protect herself from that ricocheting attack from Uranus Beta. When it hit her shields, her shields held well enough against it, and the attack's force soon dissipated itself against her shields.
Then after the Scouts realized that at least four of their Peruvian Monitor friends were now joining them in the South Courtyard, Royal Sailor Serenity soon called at least a temporary halt to their current training session. And after doing so, she let her Scouts power down for a while, if they really wanted to do that at that time. After Moon and the rest of the Scouts powered down for a while, excepting, of course, the Monitors who were also Scouts, Serenity asked Amilaram, "What's wrong, Amilaram?"
"We've lost some of our people in a recent battle against our enemies, Queen Serenity."
"What do you mean, Amilaram?" asked Serenity.
"I think you people might all want to sit down, if you've not already done so here," answered Amilaram, before she continued to speak to her Moon Kingdom friends. She then said, once everyone, except for her and her fellow Monitors, of course, was seated, "Queen Serenity, we've lost several of our more experienced Monitors in combat with our common enemies from the Negaverse. And at least one Monitor who'd already begun to show the signs of being one of the best, if not the best, Monitors that we've ever had or will have, here in the Peruvian Empire, as well."
"Oh? Is that so, Amilaram?"
"Yes. We lost nine of them during a battle in the last day, and one afterward, just a little while ago."
"Tell us about them, if you can, Amilaram." So the Peruvian Monitors did tell the Scouts as much as they possibly could about their fallen comrades. And they told them as much as they could about the battle in which those fallen comrades had been killed, or in which they'd suffered injuries that'd ultimately led to their death or deaths.
It took at least a little while, of course, for Amilaram and her fellow Monitors to communicate with the twins in the required manners. But eventually they did somehow manage to do so, to a sufficient enough degree then. Bethany was quite upset, after that became the case, for she herself had just started to try to develop a bit of a friendly relationship with Raquel, who'd happened to be from Callao, as a matter of fact. She told the Monitors now with her and her fellow Moonites, "We must avenge the loss of your comrades, someday, if it's honestly God's will that we ever do so, our Monitor friends. For if we don't, then all your people, at the very least, may very well be in mortal danger very soon. Whether they're civilian or not, I think that's actually the case for you all here. That is if they're not already in such danger, of course, Amilaram."
"I agree, Bethany. I agree quite a bit with your thoughts about such things here, as a matter of fact," answered Amilaram, a few seconds later.
The Scouts conversed for a short length of time more with their Monitor friends, before Serenity thought that her Scouts had been powered down for a long enough time. After about an hour or two of resting and relaxing in the South Courtyard for herself and her Scouts, Queen Serenity then decided that her Scouts had taken a long enough break from training. At least the ones with her, not counting the girls who were also Monitors, of course, at the current time. She said, "Girls, while I check on Sylvia, Guayaquil, and Buenos Aires, I want you all to train with the Monitors. Amy and Lita, I want you two to make absolutely sure that Raye and Serena don't fight, or practice directly, against each other, in my absence. That's because I've not dampened their attacks here enough yet."
Amy and Lita quite naturally agreed to do as they'd just been ordered to do by Serenity. After they did that, Serenity paired off the girls with each other again. That was so all the girls who were now with each other in the South Courtyard could again train together in her absence. Then, after she did that, she made quite sure that if Serena and Raye tangled with each other, in her absence, they both understood quite well that they might get in even more trouble with her. And even more than they were currently in, of course.
Then, after Serenity had done all of the necessary things with her Scouts who were now present in the South Courtyard, she left her Scouts alone there for at least a little while. And after doing so, she soon hoped that she wouldn't actually have to punish Serena and Raye again. At least not while they were all still in Earth's own Peruvian Empire. She soon checked on Sylvia again, and when she got to her daughters and Sylvia's current chambers, she saw Sylvia moving around at least a little bit in them.
Serenity was the first of the two to speak, after she closed the door of those chambers behind her, and sat down near Sylvia's area in them. Sylvia was currently rummaging in her things for other clothes of her own, when Serenity sat down near Sylvia's current sleeping area in those same chambers. Serenity said, "You seem to be up and about at least a little bit, Sylvia."
"Yes, I am, I guess you could say, Queen Serenity."
"How are you feeling, if I may ask you this here?"
"Not in tip-top shape, if you ask me. I wish I were, for I'd probably prefer to be out there with the rest of the Scouts, if I could be. But I still don't feel like doing much more than to paint or write for a while. I sure don't feel like swimming or riding right now. Must be a flu or something going around here, maybe, Serenity."
"And have you tried to keep hydrated while you've been resting?"
"Of course. But for some reason that I don't understand, at least today, it seems like whenever I ring for help from our Peruvian friends, they don't seem to want to talk much, if at all, to me. I wonder why."
"Something's happened, Sylvia. And it seems to be rather important, as a matter of fact."
"I seemed to get that impression, at least a little bit, from other people here. It seems like they may be mad at us, for some reason. Am I right, by any chance, Queen Serenity?"
"Maybe some of them are, Sylvia. But I don't think a lot of them are, at least not yet. Or at least, that's what I'm hoping here, right now."
"What exactly has gone down, Queen Serenity?"
"Sylvia, at least while we're having this particular chat, let's drop our ranks, if that's all right with you."
"Fine, Serenity. If you want us to drop ranks here, so be it. What's gone wrong for our friends?"
"Well, some Monitors met up with a lot of Negaversers in a scouting party. And what happened after that, it isn't all that pretty, Sylvia," said Serenity.
"Go on, please, Serenity."
"They took out nine of the Monitors in the resulting battle, and gave another serious enough injuries to eventually kill them not too long ago. They lost nine Monitors during the battle, and a tenth left her body sometime earlier today. Two other Monitors were part of the battle, and one of them was hurt. But not serious enough to eventually kill them. The one who wasn't hurt was Monitor Buenos Aires. The other Monitor who'll survive, I believe, will be Monitor Guayaquil, who I'll check on next, after I get done checking on you here. Guayaquil was hurt when our enemies fired on an enterable mirror that she'd entered with the help of one of the lost Monitors I've just told you about here."
"And she'll survive?"
"It looks that way, Sylvia."
"Who left her body today?"
"Monitor Callao. She survived the battle, but not very long, as a matter of fact, Sylvia."
"And what do the rest of our Scouts think of this?"
Serenity soon told Sylvia what her fellow Scouts had said earlier about this matter. And she told her about a whole lot of other things, even about the aforementioned battle between the Monitors and their Negaverser foes. Sylvia talked with Serenity for a while in private, before Sylvia asked for some privacy. That was so she could finally take that shower she'd been preparing for when Serenity had come to check on her a little while earlier.
Serenity soon left Sylvia alone again for a while, of course. But she didn't do so before first saying that she really hoped Sylvia would be able to train with the rest of the Scouts again very soon. Sylvia soon thanked her for her visit, and then she let Serenity out of the necessary chambers, of course. Serenity set off for Guayaquil's chambers, in very short order.
Of course, she followed directions to them that Amilaram had given her a while earlier, just before her most recent parting from the rest of her Scouts, whether Terran or not, in the South Courtyard. On the way there, though, she stopped off at the nearest dining hall in the palace. For she was beginning to get quite hungry and thirsty again. She stayed in that dining hall for a little while, before she left them, and she resumed her trip to Guayaquil's Imperial Palace chambers.
Soon after doing so, she knocked on the door of Guayaquil's chambers, and Guayaquil's Aunt Isabella met her at the door. Serenity spoke briefly with Guayaquil's Aunt Isabella, who let her into Guayaquil's chambers no more than a few moments later. Isabella soon escorted Serenity to her niece's bedside, so that she could visit with Guayaquil for at least a little while.
After her aunt brought Serenity there, Guayaquil soon asked her aunt and her other current companions to leave her chambers for at least ten or so minutes, so that she could talk to Serenity in private for at least that long. Her own mother gave her daughter a slightly skeptical look, of course, but Guayaquil was most insistent about wanting to speak with Queen Serenity in private for a while. So, rather reluctantly, Guayaquil's other current companions left her alone in her chambers with Serenity. And they agreed not to return to them, at least not until either Serenity or Guayaquil herself summoned them. Then Guayaquil had Serenity see them out, and after she did so, to bolt the door to her chambers again, so that she and Serenity wouldn't be bothered while they were chatting in private with each other. That was, of course, if it could possibly be avoided at all, somehow.
When they were both alone with each other, Guayaquil eventually asked Serenity, "Is Buenos Aires still with us, by any chance?"
"Yes, Buenos Aires is still with you, Guayaquil."
"Last I heard, Callao wasn't doing all that well."
"Guayaquil, Callao left for the Celestial City, sometime earlier today," said Serenity.
"What of the others?"
"Their bodies haven't yet been regained, if they'll ever be regained, by us, Guayaquil."
"When you say 'us', Queen Serenity, do you mean your people and my people, by any chance?"
"As a matter of fact, I do mean that."
"I see. And did Callao drop back to Raquel before she left?"
"I believe so, Guayaquil."
"What of my comrades' lockets and Crystals?"
"Recovered by a keen-eyed condor, as a matter of fact."
"Master Hidden Pouch Back?"
"I believe that's what Amilaram and Sierra called him, Guayaquil."
"Figures, I think. I believe he's often done the same when one of our Monitors has fallen in battle before now, Queen Serenity."
"How well do you know of him?"
"Well enough to be able to hunt with him, as a matter of fact."
"He hunts with you? What for?"
"Fish, mainly, whenever we can visit the coast or the Puno area of our Empire, Queen Serenity."
"What's your normal name, when you're not in your Monitor state?"
"Catalina, Queen Serenity."
"And what do people often call you?"
"Mirror-Maker or Mirror Maiden, at least for nicknames. That's if they don't ever call me Crystalia, for I sometimes can find Mirror or Time Crystals anywhere in our Empire. That's whenever people need them for good enough reasons, of course. I don't generally hunt for them, though."
"And do you often try to help monitor the use of either kind or both kinds of those crystals, Guayaquil?"
"Of course, Queen Serenity. That's whenever I can do that somehow, of course. It's not always easy for me to do that, but I do try to do that whenever I can. It's sometimes harder for Monitors like me to do that, especially after a battle. Not all Monitors are like me. There are some of us who can make enterable mirrors such as the one that allowed me to somehow get far enough from the area where I and my comrades just fought our enemies a while ago. Trujillo was another Monitor who was like me. I'll miss her a good deal. But she chose to take the chance that she'd die while trying to buy me, Inez, and Raquel some time to get away. And she was the one who may have been the most responsible for us getting away from the battle's general area, if not its immediate area. I could be wrong about that, of course, but I don't think that I am. Even if she actually happened to fall before Tumbes did, against our enemies' attacks a while ago."
The two of them talked for a while longer, before Guayaquil said, "I think that I'd like to drop back to Catalina, if that's all right with you."
"If it's anything at all like our powering down, then I suppose I can understand what it might be like for you to do so, Guayaquil. Do you want any help in doing that?"
"I'd really like Amilaram and Sierra to come here, if that's all right with you, first, before I answer you about that, Queen Serenity."
"Fair enough, I suppose. I'll summon them both right away."
"How?"
"I'll tap my locket in a certain pattern. If they recognize it, they'll speak to us through our lockets, Guayaquil. I trust your locket is on your person."
"Yes. Very well. Summon them both, then."
Serenity did so, and seconds later, Amilaram answered, as did Sierra. Serenity said, "Guayaquil would like you two, and just you two, to report to her chambers immediately, if at all possible."
Amilaram spoke for them both, about a minute or two later, "On our way, Queen Serenity. The other Scouts here want to know what they should do next, though, first."
"Tell them all to start reporting to their respective chambers five minutes after we end this chat. Have Moon and Mars give you their lockets right after they both power down. Bring their lockets to me two hours after we end this chat. They both are to power down at once when you two end this chat with me and Guayaquil. Is that clear enough to you two?"
"Perfectly, Queen Serenity," answered Amilaram.
"Amilaram, this is Guayaquil."
"Go ahead, Guayaquil."
"I'd like you and Sierra to bring me some ice cream from the main dining hall when you come back here, if at all possible."
"Consider it done. The usual toppings?"
"Yes, if you can find them all, of course. We may be out of peanuts, however, if I'm not mistaken, Amilaram. It seems that the BTO evidently raided a food train while I was unconscious, if what my Aunt Isabella told me's sufficiently accurate."
"It very well might be true, Guayaquil. We'll see if we can find some for you, just the same, though, on our way there. Anything else?"
"If you can find Master Hidden Pouch Back, then I'd hope you can bring him here for a while."
"I don't think he's available at the moment. He's with Ginkya's parents right now, if I'm not mistaken. It seems that they want to check on his physical condition for a while, before they let him hunt again on his own. He was actually flying toward one of his hidden retreats in the trees, if I'm not mistaken, when he saw you and our comrades engaged in battle a little while ago."
"And when he did so, then what?"
"He forgot about that idea, when he realized that he might need to help out our people somehow."
"And then what?"
"He watched you and our comrades fight against our enemies. He wished he could go after them, of course, but he realized that there probably wasn't very much he could do to help you fight against them. So he tried to keep from letting the Negaversers know he was seeing them attack you in battle. He did this, even if he might have preferred to do otherwise. He watched them go after you girls, and only after they eventually left our fallen comrades behind enough did he come out of the trees again to a sufficient enough degree. Our enemies didn't take our comrades' lockets or crystals, for some reason. I don't know why, of course, but I consider it very fortunate indeed that they didn't. However, I don't expect that to be the case if and when we ever face them again in battle, Guayaquil."
"Please try to see if he's available right now, though, Amilaram."
"Agreed. We'll try to see if that's the case or not. Anything else at all, Guayaquil?"
"No. Just get here as soon as you can, please. For I think that Queen Serenity would like to visit with Inez for a while, if at all possible, Amilaram."
"Understood. Queen Serenity, we'll see you very shortly."
"Agreed. Remember, I want you to collect Mars and Moon's lockets right after they power down, and bring them to me as soon as I've just asked you to do, Amilaram. They're to report to their respective chambers right after we close this conversation, and stay in them until further notice. If they give you and the others any trouble, I want you to let me know when you bring me their lockets as I want you to do, Amilaram."
"Will do. Is that all, Queen Serenity?"
"For now, it is, as a matter of fact, Amilaram."
"Then we'll catch you shortly, Queen Serenity. Amilaram out."
"Sierra, same thing for you, of course," said Queen Serenity.
"Of course, Queen Serenity. Sierra out." Then Sierra and Amilaram closed the communications channel on their ends of their just-ended chat. After they did so, Queen Serenity tapped her locket's voice communications circuits off. That was if she'd not already done so, quite naturally.
Queen Serenity only stayed in Guayaquil's chambers about five or so minutes after Amilaram and Sierra entered them as planned, after Guayaquil had dropped back to just being Catalina, and after Catalina said that she could leave them again. Sierra saw Serenity out of Catalina's chambers. After which, Sierra soon closed the door to them again.
Serenity set off for Monitor Buenos Aires's chambers, as she'd earlier planned to do. She spent a little time with Buenos Aires in them, after which Buenos Aires soon dropped back to just being Inez in them. After she left Inez's chambers, she eventually returned to her own again. But she only returned to them after visiting the Imperial Palace's main dining hall again. She got back to them just about ten minutes before Mara brought Serena and Raye's lockets to her there. And when Mara showed up with them, Serenity was talking with Hannah there.
Mara soon gave Serenity the necessary lockets. After which Serenity let her return to her own chambers again, once Mara was wanting to do that. But Mara chose not to do that until after she'd spent a little time talking to Hannah and Serenity for a while about various things that were currently on each of their minds. Eventually, though, of course, Mara did actually want to leave Serenity and Hannah's chambers again. So she did that almost immediately after thinking that she'd been with them for a long enough time. At least as of the current time, anyway, for the obvious enough reasons, if not for any other reasons whatsoever as well.
After Mara left them alone together in their chambers again, Hannah and Queen Serenity soon retired to their own sleeping areas in them. That was if they were tired enough to want to go to sleep again in them, of course. Hannah retired to her area of the chambers first, and then Serenity did so. But neither of them did so before night finally came to the Cuzco area of Peru on Earth. For they both wanted to try to see the Moon again at least once more before either or both of them did so. Supposing conditions were good enough to let them try to do that, for the obvious reasons, quite naturally.
The next chapter of this story will have a little down time for the Scouts and another training session at least, for them, but it won't necessarily involve the Negaverse. But that doesn't necessarily mean that the Negaverse will be idle during the time that it will cover, of course, folks.
To see what happens next in the story, please keep reading and all, if you don't mind, folks. Hopefully you will like at least some of what is coming, even though there's at least a good deal of danger yet ahead here in this story, for sure. You may not like everything that is yet to come in the story. But hopefully, you'll still like at least some of it, and all, in any case.
Until next time, then, I'll close this. TUS out.