Chapter 15: Puzzle Pieces Fit, But Only One By One
"We're still going to the festival then right?" Mina stretched her arms as they walked from the shop.
"I think it would be nice. A nice change from today…" Lita nodded. They all felt guilty about how easily they were swayed.
"You guys going to come?" Rei asked Michelle, Amara and Trista.
"No, actually we were going to look into this Seedling stuff too a bit." Amara said. "We'll come along some other outing."
"Actually I wanted to do some research…all that stuff that guy mentioned today about our past has me curious." Ami nodded to Amara.
"How about you Serena?" Rei asked.
"Well … I might." Serena nodded.
"You never were the type to pass up a festival?" Darien looked at Serena.
"I know. But it's just not the same if-"
Darien looked to Serena. "Well I'm going to go. I'll apologize to Hana tomorrow. I'm pretty sure she's already called off the course. On the other hand, if you'd rather I didn't go-"Darien said realizing he'd done damage.
"No, no I want you to come!" Serena gleamed.
"Good, we all deserve a good night out." Lita smiled. "You guys sure you want to miss it?"
"We need to look into this stuff. You girls go enjoy yourselves. " Michelle smiled kindly at them.
"Alright! Lets go get out the Kimonos!" Mina led them off the other way.
"So Ami what did you guys figure out about them so far?" Pluto asked, sitting down in Amara and Michelle's apartment.
"Luna and Artemis believe they're senshi from other dimensions of our universe. We don't know why they seem to have a grudge or where exactly the seeds come from. Sedna, Varune and Ixion are all-" Ami looked on her computer.
"-derivatives of the minor planets of our universe so far."
"What does Minor entail?"
"Well they were deemed as smaller planets, some orbiting around others. This actually includes your planet too Trista." Ami said surprised.
"I knew I was on the outer edge of the solar system already. That's why my job is to protect the gates of time. My powers are best to control it; I was bestowed one of the gifts." They recognized she was speaking of her jeweled staff.
"Well then what do they want?" Michelle looked out into the nighttime cityscape.
"They referred to us as the "guardian" senshi specifically before. They also seem to be aware of our past and the devastation of the Moon. Also they weren't killed or didn't seem to be by Galaxia." Ami listed off most the facts they knew.
"So they were there in the past, and they may have found a way to hide in the present without bringing attention to themselves." Amara speculated.
"Well it's not through the Time Portal. The lock is untouched. I could sense a presence if there was." Trista shook her head.
"They have a grudge. Maybe there was always an outlying ring of planetary senshi's independent from our own." Michelle thought aloud.
"If that's so, we need to figure out what they're hoping to get out of this. If every time they use the Seeds, we heal the people of the Earth, it seems counter productive." Ami looked at her scan of the Seed.
"We have too many questions." Amara shook her head. "What about the mention of "Charon" today?"
Ami looked at her laptop. "Charon…." She said aloud looking through information.
" Charon is the satellite Moon of …Pluto."
They looked to Trista, who looked wide-eyed at them. "Does this mean …I knew this "Charon" in the past?"
"Well, they could be the animal counterpart guardians like Phobos and Deimos …" Amara mused.
"But Luna and Artemis also told us that they were chosen guardians, often people of the Moon, who took on different forms. That doesn't mean he isn't a Senshi. Anyone could have been a guardian for Pluto's Moons." Michelle reminded.
"Then…why is he against us? Whoever Charon is, he is on our enemy team… and yet that man Ixion seemed to make my arrival sound like a grand event that this Charon would want to know about…there's something more." Trista worried on.
"Then if there is we better be careful. We are more intertwined with these enemies than we think." Amara looked off into the sky above the lights of the city and the festival music. For now it was bliss.
"It's not that easy is it? We women can be heard to tame." Sedna giggled as Ixion looked out over the city through the black glass.
"Not all of you are. Just a precious few." Ixion said rather thoughtfully. "On the other hand don't count yourself as one of the precious dear Sedna, it didn't take long for Varune to hold you down did it?" Ixion looked away from the glass and smirked to Sedna.
"Hmph." She crossed her arms.
"But you didn't have much more luck than we did." Varune entered the room. His icy aura moved through the room.
"It's not luck. Next time, I'll play on their weaknesses. This time I found out who they are…or most of them in their reincarnated human forms." Ixion shrugged. "Actually, where is Charon? Or more so what about Orcus?"
"Orcus has been with Eris for the last while." Charon appeared. His silver hair in its ponytail, bangs covered his left eye partially as he appeared in front of them. The large green hood over his vest made him look reminiscent of the human myths of Charon. But of course he was stoic, and strong. A mage of his type. He was easily as composed as Varune was, but less icy. They all knew his warmer, hidden personality was part of his past – who he used to be.
"Doing what?" Sedna asked.
"Does it matter? Our Lovely Leader's brother died what seems like days not years. Honestly I didn't think Orcus would stand in for him though." Ixion raised his brow. "But if she likes tall, dark, muscular and protective that's it. A little on the intense side but-"
"Her brother was a war leader. If Orcus amuses her, let it be." Varune signed.
"What did you want?" Charon asked Ixion.
"Well… I mean on my own expedition of lust, love and pure amusement, I happened to bump into Sailor Pluto. Funny she didn't seem to remember you…but I mean wouldn't that be fun if you jogged her memory?"
"Leave it alone."
"Oh come on! Sailor Pluto was quite a sight. She hasn't changed. Long dark hair. Red lips. Potent eyes. Tinted skin. She's the epitome of what characterizes the minors like us, and yet you wont even try to get her back? I mean you must be depraved?" Ixion smirked.
"If she hasn't changed, I don't think anything would change." Charon said.
"Ah, but if all we are doing is the trial run for the big Seeding, then why not try to change things now? I know with Psuedia in my grasp, I'm going to have fun with it. Find out which people it works the best on. Find the people I want it to work on. And in the mean time have some fun on this planet. Earth women are quite gullible. Charon you should come out with me and have some fun?"
"I thought you wanted the Moon Princess for yourself? We both failed in that we couldn't sway those we loved or lusted for away from the paths they took." Charon asked.
"I do. But it's a working progress. For now, why not have a little fun in between?" Ixion smiled.
Psuedia. Lies. Deceptions. Illusions.
What better way to have someone question everything then to play with the lies their own mind would create?
The people of this world were having a festival. Let them sit in their lovely splendors, of love, passion, fun and food.
But tomorrow he was in control.