Part II: Chapter 26
Return to Mars
The door clicked quietly as Serena pushed it shut. She waited for several moments as silence fell over the room. Her fingers rested along the door handle, lingering for a moment too long as she felt the tension building behind her.
"You didn't even talk to me." Darien's voice floated over to her. "I thought we were a team. You keep making these decisions… decisions to rip us apart."
"You know I don't want that." Serena whispered as she dared to turn to face him. She immediately wished she hadn't. His dark blue eyes were bloodshot, as if he were fighting tears.
"Then tell me…why?" His voice broke as he spoke, cracking as he uttered that final, crushing word.
Serena hesitated as she fought the quiver in her bottom lip. She did her best to hold her tears, knowing that she was on the brink of losing all control and giving in to him as she always eventually did. "We do the same thing during every life Darien. We are born. We find each other. We fall in love… and then tragedy befalls us. We have our ups and downs, our good moments and bad and at the end of the day, we never get our happy ending." She took a moment, turning from him as she faced the window of the study, watching the heavy storm clouds that had rolled over the palace.
"I can't keep living like this. We have to break the cycle. Maybe… just maybe… we can stop being a tragedy." Serena whispered. "Maybe, one of us needs to say goodbye."
"Loving you is not wrong…" Darien replied as she heard his heavy boots cross the polished floor. "Deep down you know it's never been wrong."
She could feel the heat of his body behind her, standing just inches from her back. His breath raised the hairs on the back of her neck and sent a ripple of goosebumps down her shoulders to her arms.
"Don't give up now because you're frustrated." He said as he laid a hand on her forearm. "Don't you love me?"
Serena shut her eyes as she felt a single tear trickle down her cheek. His grasp was warm and comforting, a painful reminder of what she would be leaving behind. In contrast, Nikko's grip was always firm and protective, as if he were keeping a precious item near that could potentially be stolen. "I'm sorry Darien. I just can't keep doing this." The words burned her throat as she uttered them, knowing they weren't genuine. How could she be honest? Darien wouldn't understand. He was always ready to abandon his responsibilities for her, especially since they had returned to the Silver Millennium. Lately, his response had been to fight first, ask questions later. She had the same inclinations, but fate seemed to be pulling her in another direction. No, not fate… Barrick.
"Serena." He spun her around as he gripped her shoulders, bending down to meet her teary gaze. "Answer my question…" He demanded as his voice grew deeper, more desperate.
Serena felt her eyes burn as tears flooded her cheeks. She trembled in his grasp as their eyes met. "You know the answer." She replied shakily. "But I can't be with you…" She took his hand in hers and placed the beautiful engagement ring he had given her into his palm. She watched it for a moment, feeling all her regrets bubbling within her stomach as she let it go for the second time.
"The time I have spent with you Darien, has been the happiest of my life." She whispered to him as she lifted one hand and rested it on his cheek. "I'm changing our path. I'm taking charge of my future, I'm fighting for our lives… I'm doing what has to be done." She whispered and gently brushed her lips against his.
She could feel the warmth of his kiss wash over her, making her fingers tingle, longing to grasp him. Her face flushed, her shoulders tingled and her fingers seemed to grow numb. She could feel him come alive against her, his lips deepening the kiss, pulling her closer to him as his arms wrapped around her waist. She could feel her resolve weakening, her heart urging her to tell him everything, to be with him despite the ramifications.
No.
Serena abruptly pulled from him as she felt a shaky breath escape her lips. She didn't dare meet his gaze again as she turned from him, lifted her heavy skirts and ran to the door, throwing it open. She could hear him shout her name as she fled, her feet light and quick on the polished floor. She could feel her heart pounding against her chest as she ran, pushing herself further and further, past everyone in her way that stopped to stare. She saw no one as she ran outside, her gaze focused on the hall before her. She rushed down the stone steps to the large gardens and collapsed onto a stone bench beside one of the larger fountains. The soothing bubble of the water covered the sound of her sobs, and shielded her from anyone that would stop to inquire about her distress.
"Princess." A cold voice said from before her.
Serena's sobs stopped in an instant as her head snapped up.
There stood Barrick, clad in a rich white coat over a pair of sleek, black pants. His hair was combed back from his face though his dark blue eyes reflected the cruelness that lingered in his voice. "Get yourself together. You're a princess aren't you?"
"This… all of this is your fault!" Serena yelled as she got to her feet. She hastily wiped her tears from her face as she felt her hands shaking with rage. "Is this what you wanted? Aren't you happy Barrick?!"
"Not yet." Barrick replied as he crossed his arms. "Don't forget our deal. I need Nikko to talk. I need to find my brother."
"And why do you want to find him? What benefit would he have from finding you? You're a murderer." Serena sneered.
"I highly doubt he'd care, especially since those I killed were the ones who killed our family." Barrick said with a shrug. "My reasons are my own—"
"No." Serena insisted as she took a step closer, her eyes barreling into him. "You need to tell me. I just lost the man that I love because of you."
"That was your choice." Barrick said simply. "No one told you to go off and marry Nikko, even I know Endymion is the better pick over that sniveling piece of sh—"
"Cut your bull Barrick." Serena cut him off as she shook her head. "You knew what he would do. You knew what he would want!"
Barrick's expression slowly transformed into a cruel smile as he unfolded his arms. "Clever aren't you Serena? Tell me, what do you think I'm trying to do?"
"I think you're trying to keep us divided… and weak. Sticks break but when bound together, they are not so easily bent." Serena whispered as her eyes widened. "You… you wanted this."
"I liked you better in Chicago." Barrick said as his smile melted away. "You weren't as such a pain in my ass." He reached forward and gripped her arm as his eyes turned completely black. "I could end your life with a flick of my hand." He whispered into her ear as he pulled her towards him, stopping her just an inch from his face. "And hunt down your friends one by one, picking them off until there's no one left to fight the Negaverse—"
Serena pulled her arm back, struggling against his tight grasp as she felt his fingers dig into her flesh. "But you haven't. You need me Barrick. You need all of us." Serena replied, holding her head a little higher. "Or we would've been wiped out when you attacked on Neptune."
"I told you we needed each other." Barrick replied as he released his hold on her, his eyes resuming their normal sapphire hue. "We don't have time to fight each other when our mutual enemy has already awoken—"
"Metaria is here? Already?" Serena asked as she glanced around them, as if the evil queen had been creeping up behind her.
"Didn't I tell you? Or Albert?" Barrick asked as he opened a portal behind him, ready to take him back to Jupiter. "Mars is under attack… and since the king and queen are gone… well, the planet won't last long." He stepped through the portal but stopped to face her. "I promised my help and I'll deliver just this once princess… next time, it'll cost you information. Gather your scouts and your princes." He said as he disappeared with a wave of his hand.
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Rhea swung her staff, connecting with a straw filled dummy that quickly split into two pieces. She felt a smile grace her lips as she saw the dummy fall to the ground, nearly obliterated. She didn't linger to watch it get trampled beneath the other soldiers around her as she pressed on to the next one.
Jupiter's training grounds nearly rivaled Earth's. She spent hours upon hours running through one course after another, fighting the soldiers of Jupiter at first, but now resorting to only dummies after her staff gave more than one of them a concussion.
She rushed to the next level of the course, jumping over a large pool of mud and landing gracefully on her feet. She lifted her staff above her head as she ran forward, clobbering a dummy that fell towards her from a tree just above. Another followed and another. Rhea nearly laughed as she obliterated everything in her path, each attack making her grin more and more ferocious.
Nothing gave her more joy than the deathly speed and accuracy of her onyx staff. She didn't need the dark magic that Idra possessed or Fabian. No, all she needed were her hands and the power she generated with each deadly swing of her arms.
"Rhea—"
She paused, ducking out of the way of another dummy as it swung at her. She crouched low to the ground as her eyes scanned her surroundings. There were no guards around her. She had outpaced all of them. The only sound she could hear was a flock of ravens, cawing above her as they flew past.
"Rhea." The voice said again.
Rhea's eyes widened as she recognized the voice. A voice she hadn't heard in weeks.
"Who's there? Show yourself!" She demanded as she got to her feet, fighting the quiver in her voice.
"Turn around." The voice replied.
Rhea felt a ripple of goosebumps cross her arms as she slowly turned, her eyes finally settling on the figure of a woman with long, white blond hair.
"No…" She shook her head as she took a step back. "No… no, no, no, no—"
"It's me." The woman replied as she stepped out of the shadows. Her dark eyes settling on Rhea's. "Femi."
"You're dead." Rhea whispered as she dropped her staff, both hands moving to cover her mouth. "Barrick killed you. I saw your arrow-ridden body. I saw them put you in the ground. You're nothing but flesh and memories…"
"I never said I was alive." Femi replied as she moved into the direct sunlight.
Rhea felt her breath catch in her throat as she saw Femi's body, nearly translucent in the morning sun. "You're a ghost?"
"Something like that." Femi said as she stepped back into the shadows. "Father always said there were restless spirits that lingered everywhere in the galaxy. I never knew what he meant… until now." She took a moment as she saw Rhea's wide eyes still reflecting her disbelief.
"Pluto said I had unfinished business..." She trailed off as she glanced at the sky. "Among other things…Look, I'm not here to tell you about all the things that happen you die. In fact, I guess we never really die. Reincarnation isn't just for the sailor scouts. It's real."
Rhea's eyes filled with tears as Femi spoke. She could hardly concentrate on what she was saying, all she could do was to keep her breathing calm and even. "Are you in pain?" She whispered as her voice cracked.
"Not anymore." Femi whispered as she gave her friend a gentle smile. "But I don't have much time. Like I said, I have unfinished business, but I also have a clock running against me." She returned her attention back to Rhea as she took a step closer. "I know you've been playing all sides. Raven… Barrick… Nikko… dare I even say… Metaria?"
"I'm a survivor." Rhea replied as stooped and gathered her staff back in her hands. "I've lived through the tumultuous reign of Titan. I saw the greed that eventually killed Barrick's family off. I saved myself and my sister from that planet. I saved us from the Negaverse and now we live once more. I don't regret my decisions or the things I've done. Don't you dare judge me for my actions."
"There's no shame in what you've done." Femi said as she drew closer. "But each time you triumphed, a piece of you died. You changed… even before the Negaverse took over."
Rhea's gaze settled on Femi as she spoke, their eyes meeting directly. "Tell me Femi, did death show you everyone's dirty secrets?"
"Just the ones that mattered." Femi said as she came to a stop. "Nikko saved that boy… but you… you…"
"Say it." Rhea whispered as her eyes narrowed.
"You went back and killed him." Femi finally uttered.
"Yes." Rhea admitted. "I killed him. I told you, Barrick isn't the only one from Titan. He lived in a palace, surrounded by servants and tutors and guards. I lived in an abandoned shed at the edge of town. I could see that palace from the door, on top of a mountain, glittering at me while every day I had to watch my parents work themselves to death while my sister and I starved. Our parents died when we were just girls. The orphanage in town wouldn't even take us in. Do you know what we had to do to survive? No, of course not. Like Nikko and Fabian, you also grew up in a palace."
Femi's eyes filled with tears as her friend spoke. "That's why you were so angry… all the time."
"It wasn't fair." Rhea whispered. "The king taxed everything, taking everyone's money. I watched for years as that stone palace grew bigger and grander and did nothing for the people it was supposed to protect."
"But why kill the boy?" Femi asked. "He didn't do those things."
"He was groomed to continue his grandfather's work." Rhea replied almost instantly as her voice grew louder. "It was a chance I wasn't going to take. It was then… or never. I made a choice and I don't regret it."
Femi shook her head. "Barrick is looking for the boy. Serena has agreed to marry Nikko so he can tell her where he is… because of Barrick… and all of it's for naught—"
"What do you want me to do Femi? Confess? Fall to Barrick's wrath? I'm a survivor remember? The truth will cost me my life, and that's a far higher price than I'm willing to pay for people I could care less about." Rhea said with a huff.
"Rhea… you could end it all right now. Your truth could bring together two forces that would be able to defeat the Negaverse. This one act could be what this universe needs to follow the path it was meant to follow all along." Femi pleaded.
"Did Pluto ask you to say that?" Rhea shook her head and turned from her, glancing around at the swinging dummies around them. She could see their empty eyes, lifeless and emotionless, watching her. "You're asking me to sacrifice myself."
"I'm asking you to right a wrong." Femi said as her voice softened. "I'm asking you to take a chance."
"I'm a fighter Femi, you know that. I don't give up and I certainly don't surrender—" Rhea replied as she turned back to face her friend but there was no one there. She glanced around, checking to see if Femi had darted behind a nearby tree but the only sound that remained was the continued caw of the crows.
"Rhea!" Idra called as she approached, jumping over the mud puddle and coming to a stop before her sister. She was dressed in a white dress with a thigh high slit beneath a shiny, silver breast plate. Her silver staff, a near identical match to her sister's in everything but the metal color, was clenched tightly between her hands. "We need to go. Barrick wants us on the ship."
"Where are we going?" Rhea asked as she adjusted her grip on her onyx staff, still fighting the feeling that Femi was close by.
"Mars." Idra said simply as her expression grew sinister. "It's time Raven met her end."
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Lita turned to her side, her eyes taking in the sight of the man she loved.
Nephrite was asleep, nestled against a pillow that one arm hugged while his other was slinked around her, his hand resting lightly on her hip. His bare chest rose and fell evenly, soothing Lita's nerves that were already on edge.
It was nearly dawn.
Daylight would bring the moment they had all been preparing for… and dreading since their rebirth during the Silver Millennium.
Queen Metaria.
The sailor scouts knew she was on Mars. Reports had been filtering in for days that the kingdom was under siege. The Grand Council had dispatched soldiers to help only yesterday… and those soldiers hadn't been heard from since. The galaxy didn't know the horrors that awaited them, or the new foe that lingered on Mars.
But the sailor scouts knew. Darien knew. Kunzite and Nephrite knew. Jadeite remembered. Nikko did too. They knew who it was waiting for them there. They also knew they needed to stop it.
Lita sighed as she shut her eyes, thinking of all the moments in her life that had slowly been coming back to her, like the steady drip of a leaky faucet. She remembered everything now, at least, what seemed to matter.
First, when Nephrite's hand had clutched her own she had seen him dressed in a gray uniform, guiding her around a marble dancefloor. She could feel the swish of her pink satin skirts, feel the warm press of his gloved hand along her waist while the other guided her in a lazy circle. His eyes, a rich amber, settled entirely on hers. She could see the gentle curve of his smile, the feel of his lips on hers and the tenderness of his embrace. After that, the trickle intensified. Memories of a classroom, talking cats, a green sailor uniform, power, death, rebirth. All of it gathered like a flood in her mind, overwhelming her drop by drop.
But Nephrite was still there. His steady hand ready on her waist. His warm touch ready to still her racing heart. His lips, ready to chase away the fears that seeped into her head.
She felt a smile tug on her face as she rested her head against his chest. His steady heartbeat brought her more comfort than any other sound in the world.
"Can't sleep?" He asked as his hand pulled the blanket around her waist up to her shoulder.
"Can you?" Lita asked as she lifted her head just high enough to look at him.
He gently brushed her hair from her face, one hand lingering on her cheek for a moment before it went to her shoulder. "It's just another battle. We've been in dozens of those."
"The old Lita was… Litas." She corrected. "I've only been in one…"
"And you were a badass." He grinned. "It was like riding a bike. You remembered all your training, we relied on each other and we survived. We will do it again."
"It doesn't mean I'm not still nervous." She whispered as she tucked her head under his chin. "Or that I don't worry. We feel invincible until something terrible happens. Look at what happened to Jadeite and Zoisite. What if you're next? I can't lose you… not now." Her voice broke as she spoke as all of her fears remerged, clogging her throat with tears she didn't dare shed.
"I found something." Nephrite said as he reached into his pocket, fumbling for a second before withdrawing a closed fist. He held it before Lita as she sat up, her smile returning.
"Is that what I think it is?" She asked as their eyes met.
"Open my hand." Nephrite said as her fingers closed around his.
Slowly, she peeled back one finger and another until his palm was revealed. There sat her ring, the one he had designed for her in their first life. It was exactly the same as she last pictured it. The band was silver, designed into a serious of vines that circled one yellow diamond flanked by two silver leaves. She felt tears fill her eyes as he took the ring and slipped it onto her left ring finger. It was a perfect fit.
"There's a few constants in our lives Lita… me and you together… and this ring." Nephrite said as he took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "You're all I need."
"I love you." Lita whispered as one tear escaped her eye and trickled down her cheek.
"I love you." Nephrite replied as he wiped away her tear with his thumb. "It's… a yes right?"
Lita chuckled as she drew closer. "Yes… yes, yes, yes… forever, yes." She whispered as the morning sun slowly trickled into their bedroom, illuminating their features.
Their lips met at last.
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Raven descended the long, iron stairway to the Martian palace. Her hand slid over the warm metal, hot still from hours withstanding the sun. Her heels clicked against the steps, clanging with each heavy footfall, echoed by the soldiers behind her. Her gown, a swirl of shiny black silk, swirled around her ankles as she ascended the stairs, rippling like a wave of death.
She reached the landing just before the door of the palace.
The doors were cracked but there was no movement inside.
"Hold my queen." The captain of the guard said from behind her. "It could be a trap."
"Then I suggest we enter together." Raven replied, a hint of annoyance evident in her deep voice.
She pushed forward, the soldiers gathering behind her, their swords at the ready as the doors swung open before them.
It was deserted.
Orange and golden leaves littered the floor before them, blown in from outside. The foyer was empty, each footstep they made echoed in the vast hall bounced off the stone walls and polished floors hauntingly.
"No bodies… no blood… not even a chair out of place." The captain muttered as his men spread out, covering each inch of the foyer and adjacent hallways. "I don't like it."
"You didn't see the destruction Metaria inflicted during the last Silver Millennium." Raven said bitterly as she pressed on. "Nothing was left but heaps of ash and stone. It's amazing the palace still stands."
"She's not finished yet." King Albert remarked as he joined her side. "The village below is devoid of all life too."
"We're too late." The captain said as he knelt by an abandoned shield bearing the royal crest of Mars. "They've all been obliterated."
"Not yet." Albert said as he glanced at the balcony above, as if he expected to see their enemies gazing at them below. "Bring them in." He said to the captain.
The captain bowed to his king and flicked his hand at the soldiers that were filling the foyer of the palace. The crowd parted slowly as two figures emerged, a man and a woman. Their dark eyes scanned the empty palace, neither of them uttering a word as the reality of the Negaverse's destruction.
"What do you sense Alexa?" Albert asked as he crossed his arms.
Queen Alexa pushed past him, moving to an empty spot in the foyer. She gathered her long purple skirts in her hand and went to her knees, placing both hands on the cool marble floor as she shut her eyes, taking several deep breaths.
"Derrick?" Albert asked as he turned to the man who had stood beside Alexa.
"Give her a minute." King Derrick replied as he watched his wife. "There are no fires to read. Our enemy made sure to leave none burning. Her intuition will be dulled but still, she'll pick up something."
Alexa's brow furrowed as Albert, Derrick and Raven formed a half circle behind her, shielding her from the soldiers behind them. She groaned as her closed eyes shut even tighter, her head shaking. "So much anger… so much pain…"
"Where did she take them?" Raven asked.
"The soldiers were brainwashed and taken. They're at the temple on the mountain… waiting for us with their new leader." Alexa said as her eyes popped open.
"New leader?" Albert asked as he glanced at Raven. "Metaria isn't their leader?"
"No." Alexa answered as she stood, smoothing out her skirts. "Metaria has chosen her human conduit… King Fabian of Charon."