A/N Okay Rekindled readers, I know I usually update it before this one, but my mojo was kicking more along this storyline this week for some reason. But never fear, an update for it will be coming soon. And to anyone who is reading this story but not Bad Boys, I have a poll on my profile to decide the fate of this saga and I could really use your feedback. I have really been struggling with whether or not it should continue or just die gracefully. The support that I have received so far is almost unanimously in favor of it continuing, but the votes are basically neck and neck on how it should continue. So if you get a moment please drop by my profile page and share your opinion.
Okay, so, lots of things happening in this long chapter. We've got the Trinity bearers about to lay their hands on the gods' swords, Jess starts acting strange, and, as the title of this chapter will tell you, things are about to get furry. That's right! All of you Sailor Moon fans out there know about Luna and Artemis, now it's time to find out about my little kitty creations, Nebula and Orion. There are a few flashbacks in this chapter to help fill in the blanks about things, and we also get to meet Queen Serenity's mother, Queen Selenity. So like I said, lots going on. So let me get out those hugs and we'll get to it. BIG HUGS TO:
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Oodles and oodles of thank yous to all of you guys! Now, on with the story!
ENJOY!
The Galactic Trinity
Chapter 32
A Tale of Two Kitties
Jess sat in a lounge chair on the patio just outside the kitchen of the Elysian palace with a sketchbook propped up against her knees as her pencil moved quickly across the page. The light shining from the candle lit lanterns around the patio might not be the best for drawing, but she could see well enough. And besides, the sun would be making its appearance before long.
She smiled as she heard the hum of voices coming through the open doors behind her. When she, Serena, and Trista had returned to the palace after their little foray into the woods they had found the four temporarily alive monarchs, plus Nebula, Aurora, and Helios waiting for them. Conversations had started up immediately and had been going nonstop ever since.
"They sound just like a flock of hens trying to squawk over each other," she giggled to herself as she put the finishing touches on the drawing she was working on, feeling grateful for the hundredth time that she had escaped outside. Listening to all of those voices would probably trigger one of the migraines she used to have.
She tuned out the babble as she studied the drawing that she had just completed. She hadn't known exactly what she was going to draw when she had first sat down, but as she had she had begun, more and more of the dream that she'd had earlier had returned to her, causing this image to take shape.
"That is a very accurate depiction of the queen," a soft voice spoke up directly behind her.
Jess jumped, automatically clutching the book to her chest as her head jerked around swiftly. "Dawn!"
The priestess smiled and ruffled her dark blonde bangs fondly. "I'm sorry, Peanut. I didn't mean to startle you."
Jess huffed a laugh. "You haven't called me Peanut since I was ten. You and mom both stopped about that time. Dad was the only one that refused to give it up."
Aurora giggled lightly. "Kim and I only stopped because you told us that you weren't a baby anymore. But Josh…well, he was stubborn. If he were still with us he would probably still be calling you Peanut. No matter how much you grew and matured, he still saw you as being his little girl."
As always, Jess felt a sting of tears at the thought of her poor parents and how they had been ripped from her life so easily on that rainy night nearly four years before. Life was so fragile, and it could change in the blink of an eye. One moment her parents had been vibrantly alive, and the next they had been dead on the highway thanks to the combination of bad weather and a drunk driver. She had always comforted herself with the knowledge that they had died instantly and hadn't suffered. And they had gone together, so neither one of them had to deal with the loss of the other.
She pushed back the tears and looked down once more at her drawing. "So you think I pretty much nailed her? I just drew her as I saw her in my dream."
Aurora nodded. "That is a very stunning likeness of Neo Queen Serenity, at least when she's dealing with business. Most of the time she doesn't appear to be much different than the Serena you know here." Then she paused for a moment before asking softly, "Your dreams are becoming more vivid, aren't they?"
"Yeah," Jess sighed. "I had one tonight, and it was the clearest one that I've had yet. I don't know if it's because I'm here in Elysian or what, but it was very clear." She trailed her fingers down the lines on the paper that made Neo Queen Serenity's long dress. "I think I'm starting to understand what the dreams are trying to tell me."
"I figured that the time was coming," Aurora answered her carefully. "I can also tell that you have already made your decision. But I'm still sensing some hesitation from you."
Jess leaned her head back to look up at the sky. The stars had faded for the night since the sunrise would soon be approaching, leaving the sky a large dark void. "I'm pretty certain what I need to do. But if what I saw tonight is true, then this doesn't just involve me. It involves everyone."
"That's true," Aurora said softly. "But that will be for them to decide. You are the key though. Your decision will impact the outcome of the future the most."
"Great! No pressure there!" Jess snorted. "Geez! I feel like I'm thirteen years old all over again and having to listen to Nebula preach to me about my scout duties and how the world was depending on me. I've had my day in the spotlight and I'm not the important one anymore. The kids are the main focus now."
"That kind of thinking will be what dooms the future," a haughty voice interrupted as Nebula slipped through the kitchen door to join them. "You seem to have forgotten exactly who you are."
Jess rolled her dark blue eyes at the feline. "I know exactly who I am, thank you very much."
"Don't sass me, young lady!" Nebula snapped. "You may know who you are at this moment, but you have lost sight of who you were. You were once the crown princess of two of the greatest kingdoms in history and you are the mistress of one of the most powerful crystals ever created. Discord is after the children to destroy them so that he will be free to annihilate the Earth, but you are still his primary target. He wants your power, and he will do anything to get it, even if it means leveling Crystal Tokyo to the ground and killing everyone you love to get to your future self."
"I think you've said enough, Nebula," Helios said quietly as he joined them. "Jess needs to figure out her dreams on her own and make her decision based on her interpretation, not yours."
"But I want to know!" Jess insisted. "Please, Helios! I know you know exactly what my dreams are telling me to do. Just be honest with me. Which decision is the right one to make?"
He shook his head. "I can't tell you that. I am bound by laws that prevent me from interfering with free will."
"Free will!" Jess sneered. "Stop it with the bullshit already! This has nothing to do with free will, or fate, or any other mystical force. This has to do with life and death, and I want to know what's going on."
Nebula grumbled something under her breath and looked away while Helios fell completely silent and refused to make eye contact with the irate woman before him.
Jess turned pleading eyes on the woman who had been her second mother. "Dawn, please."
Aurora looked at her sadly. "I can't, Jessie. I am bound by the same rules that Helios is."
Jess's eyes flashed bright blue for a moment as she lunged to her feet, clutching her sketchbook tightly to her. "If none of you want to tell me, that's fine! I have other ways of getting answers. Trista's done her fair share of rule bending for everyone else, and now she's going to do it for me."
She stalked into the kitchen where six people were sitting around the table, laughing and joking. But Jess only had eyes for one.
"Hey! There you are," Serena called out jovially. "I was wondering where you had gotten off to. Why don't you join us?"
"Maybe in a little bit," Jess replied as her sapphire eyes clashed with a pair of garnet ones. "May I speak to you for a minute, Trista…in private?"
The time guardian sighed softly as she set down her teacup and stood. "I knew this was coming. Yes. Let's go to my place where we won't be disturbed." She turned to Serena. "We'll be back soon." Then she walked over to Jess and placed a hand on her shoulder. A few seconds later they both disappeared in a burst of pink light.
"Well!" Serena muttered, slightly miffed. "I wonder what that was all about."
Katie's brow wrinkled as she stared at the gray feline before her. "Orion? Why does that name sound so familiar to me?"
DJ snorted next to her. "Probably from the astronomy lessons we had with Nephrite when we were younger. There's a constellation named Orion, remember."
Her blonde ponytail whipped back and forth as she shook her head. "I know that much, Mr. Know-It-All, but I don't think that's it. There's something else that I'm not remembering."
Alex's face held the same puzzled look as his sister's. "I know what you mean, sis. There's something banging away in the back of my head. I just can't quite put my finger on it."
"No surprise there," DJ muttered. "It takes more than one working brain cell to produce complete thoughts."
Katie elbowed him in the ribs and hissed, "Be nice!"
DJ groaned at the impact. "Damn, Tinkerbell! You need some elbow pads! That freaking hurt!"
"Well stop being such a jerk then!" she snapped back. "I know you're under the illusion that your brain is far superior to ours, but we're not stupid!"
"I never said that you were," DJ grumbled as he rubbed his side. "Geez, Kat! I was just teasing."
She rolled her glowing silver eyes at him. "Well it wasn't funny!"
Alex had been tuning out their bickering, but suddenly he jumped as a memory trickled through his head.
***FLASHBACK***
He slammed his Trigonometry book closed with a sigh before rolling from his stomach so that he could sit up on his bed and rub his eyes.
"Finally done!" he muttered. "Man! That Amy can be a slave driver when it comes to homework."
He glanced at the clock and saw what time it was. Unless there had been an emergency at the palace, his dad should have been home from work some time ago and would probably have dinner just about ready by now. His stomach growled loudly at the thought of food and he sincerely hoped that his dad was there. If he wasn't that meant that he would have to fend for himself and would probably be stuck with a frozen pizza or something. That was about the fanciest thing he could pull off cooking and his mom was just as hopeless as he was in the kitchen. Kat was pretty handy when it came to whipping up an edible meal, but she'd had the same amount of homework that he did, so he was sure that she had been busy with it…if she hadn't snuck out to go train again. She had been doing that a lot since she had been kidnapped almost two months ago.
Well, there was one way to find out. He rolled off the bed and stretched his aching back muscles before reaching for his cell phone. He saw that he had two text messages waiting for him, and he paused to shoot back replies, a smartassed one to DJ and a sickeningly sweet one to Emma, before leaving the sanctuary of his red, orange, and black bedroom that was covered in posters of his favorite movies and bands and heading for the room next door. There was a light shining under it, so he knocked quietly and waited for a response.
After about ten seconds a disgruntled voice growled, "Come in."
He pushed open the door and stepped into his sister's haven, a room that was as calming to the senses as his was stimulating. When they had turned twelve their mom had decided that their rooms needed a makeover to change them from children's rooms to rooms that would reflect the young adults that they were becoming. And while both of the twins had opted for black furniture, their color schemes were completely different.
Alex had gone with the fiery colors of his element, the sun, painting his walls a deep shade of orange and picking out bedcovers and curtains in a flaming red color. Emma adored it while DJ said that he always felt like he was going to spontaneously combust whenever he walked in there.
Katie, on the other hand, had kept things light, airy, and simple. Her walls were the pale, off white color of the moon, but Jess had added silver glitter to the paint that made them shimmer in the light. Her bedcovers and curtains were a slightly darker silvery gray color, but she brightened up the place adding an area rug and throw pillows that had every color of the rainbow in them and had draped colorful scarves over her lamps. It really was a place of soothing tranquility, now that the evidence of her violent attack had been erased.
Of course, the seething, irritated girl laid across the bed in much the same way he had been on his a few minutes ago was a complete antithesis to the room around her. Her hazel eyes snapped angrily as she looked up at him and he could feel the tension crackling around her.
"Hey," he said as nonchalantly as he could as he leaned a shoulder against the doorframe. "Homework getting to you too?"
She growled and slammed the book in front of her shut. "The Trig alone that Amy gave us was bad enough. Then Zoicite had to go and make it worse by giving us that science assignment. Don't they get that not all of us can be geniuses the way they, and some other people who will remain unnamed, are?"
"I know what you mean," he agreed in a carefully neutral tone as he bit back a laugh. How pissed would she be if she knew about the text that DJ had sent him that claimed that he had finished the homework in record time and that it had been as easy as pie? She'd probably storm the palace and rip the prince's spine out through his nostrils if she knew that.
"Anyway," he continued casually. "Why don't you give that a break? I'm sure dad's probably got dinner just about ready by now. I don't know about you, but I could use a recharge."
Katie rolled off the bed to stand. "Yeah, I could go for some brain fuel myself. Let's go."
They left the room and made their way down the elegantly carved staircase to the ground floor before turning down a hall that led to the large kitchen at the back of the house that their mom giggling called 'Andrew's Domain'. They were about to breeze right in, but pulled up short when they heard voices talking.
"I still can't believe you're planning a party with everything that's going on," Nebula was complaining, which was nothing unusual for her. That cat was always griping about something.
A snort, one that could only come from Jess, rang through the air. "Oh please, Bula! You make it sound like I'm planning to put on some fancy, five star ball or something. It's just a simple get together for family and friends. It's not everyday that my kids turn sixteen you know. Drew will fire up the grill and we'll have some cake and ice cream. That's all there is to it. But I can't let such an important day go by and not acknowledge it."
"I'm not saying that you should ignore it," Nebula fired back. "But with the escalating number of attacks happening around the city I would think that you of all people would recognize the importance of using our time wisely to prepare instead kicking back and relaxing."
Jess giggled, "Oh, my wise feline companion! Remember who you're talking to here. I adore a good fight just as much as anyone else does, but I also know the importance of taking a few hours off here and there to relax. One day you'll understand that concept. In fact, I'm willing to bet that by next summer you'll be singing an entirely different tune."
Nebula sniffed disdainfully. "I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about."
Jess's voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "You know exactly who I'm talking about. Orion."
Nebula sputtered angrily.
***END FLASHBACK***
"Now I know where I heard your name before!" Alex said excitedly. "I overheard my mom and Nebula talking about you once."
"Huh?" Katie murmured. "What are you talking about, Lex?"
He smiled mischievously. "Oh come on, Kat! I know you have to remember it too. Remember that night about a week before our birthday when we overheard mom and Nebula in the kitchen talking about our party. Nebula was giving mom a hard time about it until the name Orion was mentioned. Then she shut up real quick after that."
Comprehension sparked in Katie's silver eyes. "Oh yeah! Now I remember! I didn't pay much attention to it at the time, but I do remember that Bula was pissed."
Orion cringed a little as he muttered. "I'm sure she was." Then he shook his head. "Anyway, moving on. I could stand here all day and drone on about the old legends and exactly why you're here, but you look like smart young people and I'm sure you know all of this already. So I won't insult your intelligence or waste both your time and mine by repeating the things you already know. You're here for the swords and I will lead you to them."
DJ arched a brow at the cat's nonchalance. "That's it? It's that easy? You're kidding us, right?"
Storm cloud gray eyes glinted with humor. "I know. I know. After everything that you've been through to get to this point you were probably expecting some kind of a challenge or a test. But the fact that you are here at all was the biggest challenge. It means that the gods have judged you and have deemed you worthy to wield their powers in the fight against evil and that they are willing to grant you complete access to those powers. There is no need for you to be tested any more. You have met their criteria and the swords are now yours."
Katie shivered as a chill raced down her spine. "You make it sound so easy, Orion."
He shook his head. "Putting the swords into your hands is easy, but the road before you is dark and difficult. I have been assured though that you three have endured rigorous training for years to prepare you for the battle ahead that you must face. And if you have been trained by Nebula, then I have no reason to doubt your fighting skills. Now follow me."
The three teens fell into step behind the feline as he led them toward the temple-like building.
"Orion," Katie spoke quietly. "I don't mean to pry or anything, but what is your connection to Nebula? I can tell by your expression and the tone of your voice that you know her quite well. So how come we've never seen or really heard of you before?"
Orion sighed and his steps slowed. "It's a very simple story actually. I was an idiot. I was young and foolish and threw everything away in a fit of selfishness. I guess it would be best to start at the beginning."
Katie, DJ, and Alex all tuned in curiously to hear the tale.
***ORION"S STORY***
"As I'm sure you all are aware, felines of my species originated from the planet Mau that used to reside on the outer rim of this solar system, just past Pluto, until a nearby star collapsed and destroyed it. Luckily my people had plenty of warning and were able to evacuate to the other planets. As a result, they became scattered across the solar system.
My mother's family, along with several others, sought refuge on Venus. My mother went to work in the palace as a companion and advisor to the then crown princess of Venus. It was there that she met my father, who was a bit of an explorer. His family had settled on Venus as well and he visited quite often. They fell in love, and despite my father's absences they decided to marry. My brother and myself were born first and we had two sisters that followed a few years later.
I had a great life growing up on Venus. We lived in the palace as members of the royal family and my mother became the chief advisor when the princess she served took the throne as queen. But for some reason I wanted something more. I wasn't sure what that was until my father invited me to join him on one of his trips. After that I was hooked. Nothing thrilled me more than to travel to different planets and experience different places. I traveled with my father for a while until he unfortunately died of illness, but even after he was gone I continued to explore, even going outside of our solar system to see the planets that lay beyond.
The years passed. I would go home every so often to visit my family, but I never stayed for long. My mother continued to work for the queen, and when the queen had a daughter as well, my brother became the princess's advisor and companion. Queen Serenity had ascended to the moon throne several years before and had united the planets together. Our galaxy was changing, and it was a wondrous thing to see.
When I returned home for one of my visits, I was surprised to find my brother gone. My mother told me that Queen Serenity was building an Imperial Guard of sailor scouts and that the young princess my brother served had been chosen as the scout of Venus and that he had accompanied her to the moon. The moon was one place that I had never visited before, so I decided to travel there and visit with my brother for a while.
The moon was indeed a beautiful place, and I was welcomed by my bother with open arms. He had fallen in love with a young Mauan who lived on the moon and served as Princess Serenity's advisor, and the two of them encouraged me to extend my visit even longer. I had no intentions of staying there as long as I did, but then my brother's intended introduced me to her sister, who was the queen's senior advisor. She was haughty, sharp tongued, and something about her just drew me to her.
My visit that was only going to last a week stretched into a month, then two. It was the longest stretch of time I had spent in one place in a very long time without feeling the need to take off for places unknown, and it scared me. I knew that I had fallen in love with Nebula and that she was in love with me as well. My brother was encouraging me to stay and accept a position as a tactician because I had a knack for it and the moon had been locked in an ongoing battle with some rebels from Earth for a while.
I panicked. I wanted to stay on the moon with Nebula more than anything, but I was afraid that if I did the wanderlust would hit me again at some point and I would break her heart by leaving. So I decided to make another trip. I figured that if I wasn't happy while traveling and felt the need to return to her, then that was where I was supposed to be. And if I discovered that I wasn't ready to give up the life of exploring and adventure yet, then it was better to break things off with her then instead of hurting her worse later on.
She wasn't happy with my decision. She screamed and yelled at me for hours before telling me to go away and that she never wanted to see me again. I tried to explain to her why I was doing it, but she refused to listen. So I left. I was heartsick almost immediately, but I forced myself to push on. I had to make sure for myself that I was ready to settle down in one place.
A week later I'd had enough. I'd made it to a small planet that was just outside our solar system when I decided that the traveling life wasn't for me anymore. All I could think about was getting back to the moon and to Nebula. I was preparing to leave when the word reached me that the moon had fallen under attack and had been defeated. The queen, her daughter, and all of the sailor scouts had been killed along with everyone on the moon. All of the other planets were facing extinction as well as panic and rebellion swept through the galaxy.
I hurried back as fast as I could, unwilling to believe that everyone could be gone. But my fears increased as I reached the outer planets of Pluto, Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn and found them to be nothing more than cold, dead rocks floating in space. All the others were the same, except for Earth. It alone, along with a large part of its population, seemed to have survived, but it was in chaos because of the death of its high king, queen, and crown prince.
I finally made it to the moon to find that nothing remained of the once beautiful kingdom except rubble. Everyone and everything that I had come to love was gone. It was there that Selene found me, grieving among the ruins. She explained to me what had happened and about Queen Serenity's sacrifice to save her friends and family. I have to admit that I felt much better knowing that everyone wasn't gone forever.
Then the goddess offered me a deal. She explained to me about the Galactic Trinity and how the swords had been hidden here from the time that they had been removed from the original bearers. She said that it would be a thousand years before the sailor scouts would return to guard the galaxy once more, and she was concerned about leaving the swords here unprotected with no one to watch over them in case any evil forces ever discovered them, so I agreed to become the guardian for this place until the time came for the power to pass into new hands. And here I have been, all of these centuries."
***END OF STORY***
The three teens gaped at the cat as he finished his tale. They had long reached the temple, but they had paused on the steps as they had been spellbound by his story.
DJ finally broke the silence. "Let me get this straight. You are Artemis's brother?"
Orion nodded. "Guilty as charged."
"Unbelievable!" Alex crowed. "Old Snowball has been holding out on us! He's never even hinted that he had a brother. Luna has never said anything either. It's a total riot!"
"They probably have no idea that I'm even still alive," Orion muttered. "No one knew where I was at the time everything fell apart, so they probably just assume that I was caught up in the destruction on one of the other planets."
Katie tilted her head in thought. "It explains a lot though, about why Nebula's always been so…"
"Psycho," Alex offered.
"Insane," DJ contributed.
Katie rolled her eyes at them. "I was going to be a bit nicer and say mentally unbalanced. But it makes perfect sense. The reason why Nebula always flips out if she thinks we're flirting while we're training and gripes that our time would be better spent on training instead of dating is because she has been disappointed in love. It's no wonder she's so jaded."
"Ouch!" Orion winced. "Do you have to put it quite like that? It's not like I set out to hurt her on purpose."
Katie swooped down and patted the depressed looking feline on the head. "Oh, I'm sorry, Orion! I didn't mean for it to come out sounding like that. I'm sure that you never wanted to hurt her. But women's hearts can be funny things sometimes."
"Tell me about it!" Alex and DJ grumbled together.
Katie's eyes flared for a moment. "I didn't ask for any smartass comment out of either of you! Come on, Orion! Why don't you show me where these all powerful swords are."
Orion snapped back to business. "Of course! Please, right this way." He led them up the last few steps and into the temple. They crossed a wide foyer and then entered a large room that looked as if it were made for royalty.
"Whoa!" DJ barely breathed. "And I thought home was nice. This makes mom and dad's throne room look like a one room shack.
Katie and Alex both nodded in silent agreement as they took in the opulence around them. Their eyes darted around as if they didn't know what to look at first, the snow white marble floor that looked to be grouted in pure silver or the ceiling above that was edged in what appeared to be real gold filigree and was covered in a beautiful painted mural that depicted the sun, moon, and Earth.
Alex looked down at his dirty tennis shoes and mumbled, "I'm almost too afraid to step on this floor. My shoes are filthy from running around in the woods."
DJ and Katie looked down at themselves as well, taking notice for the first time the dirt and leaves that clung to their feet also, courtesy of their middle of the night escapade. The thought of marring that gleaming floor horrified them as well and they started to kick their shoes off.
Orion chuckled and waved a paw at them. "Don't worry about it. This place was created by the gods. I think you will find it quite impervious to trivial things such as dirt. Now follow me."
They followed him, reluctantly at first, until they saw indeed that they weren't leaving a trail of hideous brown footprints behind them. Then they turned their attention back to studying the room.
"Wouldn't mom get a kick out of getting a look at that ceiling?" Katie whispered to her companions. "She would go absolutely gaga over it." Alex nodded eagerly next to her.
"And check out those silks," DJ said, pointing out the swaths of delicate silk that hung on the walls in shades of white, silver, ocean blue, forest green, and blazing red and orange. "My mom is a sucker for anything silk and she would have a squealing fit if she saw these."
"And here we are," Orion announced, pulling the teens from their perusal to find that they had reached a raised dais at the end of the room. One would think to find a pair of thrones there waiting for a king and queen, but instead they saw three altar-like pedestals arranged in a triangle shape. And on top of each of them lay a gleaming sword on a bed of velvet.
Orion bounded up the steps to stand in front of the closest pedestal. Then he inclined his head toward Katie. "Ladies first."
Katie gulped and shook her head. "Unh uh! Let one of the guys go first."
Alex nudged her with his shoulder. "Scaredy-Kat! Don't be such a wimp! It's just a sword, and you know how to handle one well."
That was true enough. Kunzite had overseen their sword training himself, and he was probably one of the best swordsmen ever born. The only person that could actually go toe to toe with him was Endymion. And even then their matches usually ended in stalemates. She had often wondered why the platinum haired general had been so adamant about them perfecting their sword techniques when they usually attacked using energy blasts, and now she had her answer.
So it wasn't that she wasn't familiar with swords, she felt just as comfortable with one in her hand as she did when she transformed into Sailor Eclipse. But remembering what she had seen happen to the original Trinity holders made her very cautious of the swords' powers. The last thing she wanted was for the power to take her and the guys over and turn them into cocky, overconfident asses with a hero complex. They would never be able to defeat Discord if that happened.
She felt fingers twine with hers and looked up to find DJ looking at her encouragingly, his golden eyes glowing softly.
He squeezed her hand lightly and whispered, "Don't be afraid of it. Nothing's going to happen. Alex and I are right here."
She shook her head. "But what if the power tries to overtake me? We've been lucky up until now, but those swords are going to magnify the effects of the god powers. I don't want to end up like Grandma Serenity and the others."
He reached up to cup her face between his palms and forced her slightly panicked silver eyes to meet his calm gold ones. "That's not going to happen. We're different from them, remember. And we know what happened to them in the past, so we know the consequences if we repeat their mistake. That will give us the strength that we need to control the power instead of letting it control us."
Alex came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. "He's right, sis. We're much more informed than they were and we know what to look out for. If one of us starts acting too cocky, then the others will just have to knock them down a peg or two. That's what we're here for, to watch each other's backs."
She grinned at both of them. "I said it earlier, and I'll say it again, 'All for one, and one for all'. Because if you think about it, we really are kinda like the Three Musketeers, banding together to beat the bad guy and all."
DJ snickered. "I think there's a huge difference between Discord and Cardinal Richelieu."
Alex joined his friend. "For real, Kat! And since when did you start paying so much attention to Literature class?"
She wrinkled her nose at them. "Very funny! My scores may not be at the top of the list like some people," she cut her boyfriend a look, "but I'm solidly in the top five of our class. And 'The Three Musketeers' happens to be one of my favorite novels. Now let me go so we can get this show on the road."
The boys let go of her and backed away a few steps as she turned back toward the dais. She took a deep breath before climbing up the few steps to stand beside Orion.
The charcoal cat bowed his head respectfully. "I present to you the silver sword of Selene. May it help protect and guide you on your mission to eradicate the universe of the ultimate evil."
'Well, here goes nothing,' Katie thought to herself as she slowly reached her hand out toward the shining silver sword. Behind her she could feel both DJ and Alex's auras coil with tension as they waited to see what would happen.
Her fingers closed around the hilt, sliding easily into the grooves in the grip as if it were made for her hand alone. She felt a slight humming sensation, as if the sword was feeling her out as much as she was feeling it. Then she lifted it from its bed of white velvet, marveling at how lightweight it was.
She held it up in front of her as admired the workmanship. The sword might be slender and delicate looking with its engravings of crescent moons along the blade and a few pearls and diamonds decorating the hilt, but there was no denying that it was solidly made. It was the true work of a god.
Then she gasped as the sword flashed bright silver for a moment and she felt a heady rush of energy flow through her body. It was exhilarating and borderline intoxicating, a feeling that there wasn't anything in this world that she couldn't accomplish. But knowing the story of the past, she knew that this feeling was dangerous, so she quickly tamped it down.
'Are you okay?' she heard two worried voices ask in her head, and she turned to face them.
"It's amazing!" she told them softly. "Talk about a buzz! I can see how the others were overwhelmed by the power. It's quite intense."
"But you're okay?" DJ persisted.
She nodded. "Yeah. Just to warn you guys though, that first rush is a doozey; so be prepared for it. You'll have to fight it down."
"Ahem!" Orion cleared his throat. "The sword of Selene has recognized you and accepts you as its new mistress. It is now yours until the time that you no longer need its assistance."
The silver belt and scabbard that Serenity had been wearing in the vision of the past appeared around Katie's waist and she carefully slid the sword into it.
"I believe we'll move on to Apollo's next," Orion announced as he moved to stand by the altar where the bronze sword lay on its red velvet cushion.
"I guess that's my cue," Alex quipped as he dashed up the steps with none of his sister's hesitation to scoop up the sword. He grinned as he took in the sun engravings on the blade and the rubies on the hilt. "Hey! This thing is kinda fancy. It almost looks like something more for decoration than it does for fighting."
The blade quivered slightly in his grip before a hot, almost burning sensation shot up his arm to flood his entire body with heat. After seeing Katie's reaction he had been expecting something to happen. But this…this was incredible. It felt like he had just received a central line injection of the world's strongest alcohol…and he loved it.
'Alex!' Katie's voice growled in his head. 'Don't make me have to kick your ass already! And I will if you let that power get the better of you. If I can push it down then so can you!'
Alex luckily paid attention to her words and fought to bring his euphoric feelings under control. Once he felt mostly normal again he grinned sheepishly at his sister. "Sorry. I guess I got caught up there for a moment. You weren't kidding. That was an intense ride."
"The bronze sword of the sun god has been claimed," Orion stated with a chuckle as a black belt and scabbard appeared around Alex's waist. "Now there is only one left." He waved DJ forward with a paw as he turned his attention to the last altar. "Last, but certainly not least, we have the golden sword of Gaia. Her power is probably the most complex of the Trinity in my opinion."
"Why do you say that?" DJ asked curiously as he climbed the steps and approached the altar that held the sword.
Orion shrugged a shoulder. "It's just my opinion, but think about it. The power of the sun and the moon are strictly based on one element, light. And while the silver light of the moon can be sharp and lethal and the blazing light of the sun can be quite…scorching, they are restricted to that one element. The power of Earth, on the other hand, is quite different. It literally holds the ability to both create and destroy life. It controls all the elements of Earth; air, water, even fire to a point, and the very earth itself. The weather, the plant life, all of it is subject to the energy that the Earth creates. You were born with a piece of that power already inside of you. Your crystal allows you to create living plants and to heal the injured, but it can also be used as a weapon to destroy your enemies. Do you see what I mean?"
DJ nodded. "I guess I never thought of it like that."
Katie snorted. "Don't pump up his ego any bigger than it already is, Orion. It's the size of Europe as it is."
Orion bowed his head. "I meant no disrespect. I also do not mean to imply in any way that he is any stronger than you other two. I was merely pointing out the different basis of your powers. You each have your own weaknesses and strengths, but your overall power is evenly matched."
"Ohh!" Katie squealed as she hurried over and dropped to her knees to scoop Orion up in her arms and hug him tightly. "How did such a sweet kitty ever manage to hook up with Nebula? Talk about yin and yang! You two are polar opposites of each other."
Orion let out a startled meow as he found himself encased in slim, but very strong arms. Unlike his mother and brother, he had never formed any attachments with humans. But as he felt the warmth and affection in this girl's embrace he could see why they had been so fond of their human charges. This was nice. He closed his eyes for a moment and purred loudly as he snuggled deeper into her arms.
DJ rolled his eyes. "He's not a stray that you can pick up off the street, Tinkerbell. You can't carry him home and beg mommy to let you keep him."
She stuck her tongue out at him. "Don't pick on me! Now are you going to pick up that sword or not?"
"Yeah, yeah, keep your panties on," he grumbled.
Her eyes sparkled humorously for a moment before he heard in his head, 'Really? Usually you tell me to do the opposite.'
Alex slapped his hands over his ears. "Whoa! Whoa! No telepathic sex allowed between you guys! I can hear everything you guys are saying, remember. And I sure as hell don't want to hear you two getting it on in your minds. That would scar me for the rest of my life."
Katie flushed red in embarrassment while DJ chuckled. "Sorry, man!" Then he picked up the golden sword in front of him.
His fingers molded around the grip just like they were sliding into a comfortable old glove. He had always been fond of the sword that his father had given to him on his twelfth birthday and that he carried with him whenever he was transformed as his alter ego, but this one…it felt like an extension of his arm. He swung it around experimentally a few times before taking a closer look at it. Hephaestus had truly made it a work of art. The gleaming golden blade was engraved with the Earth's symbol and the sapphires and emeralds in the hilt sparkled brilliantly.
And then he felt it, the slight thrumming of the sword as the energy built. And then it crashed over him like a tidal wave. For a moment he was lost in a sea of sensations as he realized that he could feel everything around him. The very ground beneath his feet pulsed like it had a heartbeat and he could feel every molecule in the air around him. They were denser and moved faster in the areas where he sensed Katie and Alex's bodies exerting a slight pressure against the Earth.
It was easy for him to see now how Edward could have gotten so immersed in these powers. It was definitely something that he could have never imagined in his wildest dreams. But the silver and red orange auras that hovered at the edge of his mind kept him grounded enough to know that he had to maintain control of the power and not let it control him. Gradually his heightened senses returned to normal once more. He shook his head to clear it.
"DJ," Katie spoke in a voice that was barely more than whisper. "Are you okay?"
He looked down to see that she was still on the floor next to him and holding Orion cradled against her chest. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him. He grinned his familiar grin at her as he slid the sword into the sheath that had magically appeared at his side and reassured her, "Never better, baby. Don't look so worried."
"Dude!" Alex exclaimed as he came up and clapped him on the shoulder. "There for a moment I was afraid that sword had Medusa's power in it instead of Gaia's. You froze like a statue for about two minutes straight. You didn't even blink. I thought you were about to turn to stone."
"That's not funny!" Katie cried as she buried her face in Orion's fur to hide the tears that sprung to her eyes.
DJ hunkered down in front of her. "Aw, Kat! Don't be so sentimental. I'm fine. I just had a moment of intense sensory overload. But it's all under control now."
She fought back a sniffle and raised her head to glare at him. "It better be, or I will totally kick your ass!"
He laughed as he stood and offered a hand to her. "There's my feisty fairy princess! So what do we do now, Orion?"
The feline in Katie's arms actually managed to look like he was smiling. "Now you go back to wherever you were before you came here. The swords are now in your hands. I just hope that you have a little time to learn more about them before you have to face Discord."
"But what about you, Orion?" Katie asked. "Do you still have to stay here even though the Trinity is no longer here?"
Orion bumped her chin with his head and purred. "Actually, I was hoping that I might be able to catch a ride back with you. My job here is done and I think it's time that I rejoined the real world. Besides, after spending so many centuries here I have become very knowledgeable about those swords and the powers of the gods. I believe that I may be of some assistance to you."
Alex chuckled. "You're one brave kitty. I'll give you that. Nebula is going to eat you alive when she sees you."
The feline shuddered, but said calmly, "I'm sure she will. But I'll have to face her sooner or later. I'm just hoping that Artemis won't hold too much of a grudge against me and will be willing to help me watch my back. That wily female is crafty and cunning, and I don't put anything past her."
Jess watched Pluto as the time guardian checked the river of time that flowed near the time gate. They had both been silent since they had arrived there a few minutes before, and Jess was trying to figure out the best way to start her questioning. She didn't want to come off as being demanding or overbearing, because she knew that Pluto would clam up if she did and refuse to tell her anything. And she desperately needed answers.
Pluto glanced up at the thoughtful young woman before her and then looked back down into the time stream once more. She swirled her hand through it and brought an image of the little princess from the Silver Millennium to the surface so that she could compare the two.
The little Princess Melody, with her tangled golden curls, gap toothed grin, and laughing sapphire eyes had changed so much, but not in a bad way. In this life she had grown into a strong and confident woman with a fierce fighting spirit. She was rabidly loyal to her friends and family and wouldn't take any crap off of anyone. And even though she commanded one of the most sought after and powerful crystals in the universe, she preferred to live as normal and simple life as possible and not use her powers unless she had to.
"Jess," Pluto said softly, finally breaking the silence. "I know what you have on your mind. So why don't you just go ahead and get it out in the open."
Jess sighed as she fiddled with the end of her braid. "Okay. I'm not trying to sound like a bitch or anything, but I need some information. I know you're not supposed to say anything about the future, but I'm having dreams of it and it's driving me crazy. Considering that I already know a nice little chunk about my future, I didn't think it would cause much harm for you to throw me a small bone this time."
Pluto chuckled. "Well that was definitely getting it out in the open. I normally wouldn't do this, but these aren't exactly normal circumstances we're in at the moment. I am willing to help you decipher your dreams, but first I want to hear your take on them."
Jess nodded. "Fair enough. At first I was just seeing Crystal Tokyo, and it looked like something straight out of a war movie. Buildings were destroyed and bodies were everywhere. Discord's monsters were running around everywhere and I could see him in the sky off in the distance. There were flashes of light, so I'm assuming that the kids were fighting him. But as I looked around I realized that the bodies around me were people that I knew. I saw…" She paused to suck in a shaky breath. "…Serena and Darien, all the scouts and generals, and…"
"You saw Andrew and yourself," Pluto finished for her quietly. When Jess nodded she prompted her gently, "So now the dream has changed?"
Jess wiped a few tears from her eyes. "Yes. The one I had earlier was different, and it was so clear. Nobody was dead, but it was weird. It was like there was two of everyone there fighting. And then my future self came up to me and started talking. It was the strangest thing in the world."
"Hmm…" Pluto mused as she searched the time stream for the scenes she was looking for. "So what do you think your dream is trying to tell you?"
Jess huffed a sound that was almost a laugh. "I know it sounds crazy, but I think it's trying to tell me that I'm supposed to go to the future and help with the fight. But that can't be it, right?"
Pluto looked up at her with serious garnet eyes. "That's exactly what it's telling you." Then she motioned her forward. "Come here and look at this."
As Jess stepped forward she pulled a vision to the surface of the time stream. It showed Crystal Tokyo in ruins as Discord's monsters ran rampant.
"This is what you saw in your first dreams," Pluto told her softly. "This is what will happen if you choose to not go to the future. The kids manage to defeat Discord, but the cost is high. Crystal Tokyo is destroyed and you and Andrew, along with the king, queen, and all of the scouts and generals are killed in the battle against Discord's army as you try to protect the city. Rini becomes queen and the city is rebuilt. Your children and the others go on to live fairly productive lives, but none of them ever quite get over the loss of their parents."
Jess clapped a shaky hand over her mouth. Surely fate wouldn't be so cruel as to leave her children orphans at the age of sixteen the same way she had been. Would it?
Pluto waved her hand and another vision appeared. In this one there were two Sailor Shadows, just like in her dream. They were fighting back to back against Discord's monsters and were surrounded by their friends and loved ones.
"This one shows what will happen if you do decide to go," Pluto told her. "When the final battle begins DJ, Katie, Alex, and the others try to lure Discord away from the city to fight. But Discord has amassed an army that includes not just his usual guardians and sentinels, but some new creations as well. He has experimented with larger animals and with growth hormones to create an army of large, tank-like, mutated animals and giants. He sets them loose on the city while he confronts the Trinity in hopes that they will hunt down and kill your future self so that he can get his hands on the Celestial Crystal. He hasn't given up on it, and he knows that if he were to take possession of it and combine it with his powers that he would be able to hold off the Trinity long enough to destroy the world and take out all the threats against him at the same time. Then he would be free to move on to the rest of the universe. And with your power behind him he would be unstoppable."
Jess's brows knit in confusion. "But what difference does it make if I'm there or not? Doesn't that just make me double the target if there are two of me running around?"
Pluto shook her head. "Don't underestimate yourself. And don't think I don't know what you have been up to at night. You may have thought that Nebula, Helios, and Aurora were the only ones in on your little secret, but not much gets past me. You have been preparing for this since the moment you started having these dreams, because I think that deep down you already knew what was coming. You know what you are capable of doing. Now imagine if there were two of you working together."
Jess's eyes began to glow blue as she watched both herself and her future self in the vision as it exploded in blue light. "We could save the city and everybody in it," she murmured.
"That you could," Pluto agreed. "All of the others will have the choice of rather or not to go to Crystal Tokyo as well. The city will need as many protectors as it can get. But your participation will ultimately be what decides the fate of Crystal Tokyo. Your future self is strong, stronger than you even, but she can't do it alone. The choice is yours."
"This is worse than a trip to the dentist!" Serena muttered as she paced back and forth in the kitchen of the Elysian palace, shooting glances out the glass doors every so often to where the sky was growing brighter by the second as the sun reached for the horizon.
"Darling, why don't you sit down?" Serenity tried to cajole her. "You're making me dizzy with all of your pacing."
Serena shook her head. "I can't sit down. I feel like I'm about to jump out of my skin. Something is going to blow soon. I can feel it. This has been a long, unusual night, and I've just got this gut feeling that today is going to be even more hectic."
"Calm down, Meatball Head! Are you trying to carve out a replica of the Grand Canyon in the floor?" Darien mumbled around a yawn as he entered the room.
Serena spun around and shook her fist at him. "How would you like a knuckle sandwich, you jerk? Don't start on me! I'm not in the mood!"
Darien arched a brow at her as he made his way to the coffeepot, ignoring the snorts of laughter coming from the group around the table as he poured himself a cup of the steaming brew. He took a careful first sip before asking calmly, "So what's up with you? I know you get in a bad mood when you don't get your full eight hours in, but you seem to be more pissed than normal this morning. What's wrong?"
She grabbed a handful of her hair and looked like she was about to pull it out. "What isn't wrong seems to be the better question to ask right now! At least the answer would be shorter. While you've been catching up on your beauty sleep, I have been going through the strangest night of my life. There are teenagers disappearing in the woods to god only knows where and people popping out for a visit to the time gate. And to top it all off I've had to put up with enough bad jokes and sexual innuendos from our lovely fathers to fill up a very thick book!"
Darien set down his cup and approached the rampaging blonde carefully. He placed his hands on her shoulders in an attempt to calm her. "Slow down and back up for a minute. You lost me there."
"Morning all!" Andrew greeted cheerfully as he strolled into the room before Serena could answer. Just like Darien had, he made a beeline for the coffee. He glanced around as he poured a cup. "Where's Jess? I figured I'd find her with all of you when I woke up to find her gone."
Serena heaved a sigh. "She took off with Trista a little while ago. Evidently she had something 'important'," she made little quote marks with her fingers, "to talk about that she didn't want anyone else hearing."
Andrew looked toward Aurora, who gave him a tiny nod. That relieved him a lot. "Oh, okay. As long as I know she's not off doing something reckless and impulsive."
"Reckless and impulsive are that girl's middle names," Nebula grumbled where she sat on the kitchen table. Then under her breath where no one but Aurora could hear she continued, "Why I agree to go along with her hare-brained schemes…"
"Shh," the priestess whispered softly as she laid a hand on the feline's head.
Darien shook his head. "All right, that covers Serena's ranting about the time gate and I caught the gist of the part about the fathers that definitely shouldn't quit their day jobs to become stand up comedians. But what was all of that about teenagers and the woods?"
Serena threw her hands in the air. "Hell if I know! Jess sensed something weird going on with the shadows in the woods earlier and then they," she waved a hand toward the four monarchs, "decided to inform us that DJ, Katie, and Alex were out there in the middle of it. So Jess and I went to check on them. Then Trista showed up and told us to leave them alone because it had something to do with those damn swords and made us come back here. But that was a couple of hours ago and they haven't come back yet and I'm getting worried."
Then, several things happened at once. Rini, Skye, Jayden, and Hannah stumbled through the kitchen doorway, yawning, mumbling, and still half asleep. There was a burst of pink smoke in the middle of the room as Sailor Pluto and Jess appeared. And the back door opened to admit the slightly disheveled looking trio of DJ, Katie, and Alex.
"That's it!" Serena screeched. "I can't take any more! My nerves are shot!"
"Whoa! What did we do? We just walked in here," Rini grumbled.
"Not you," Serena growled in frustration at the four wide eyed teens that looked like they were about to duck back out the door they had just come through.
Then she whirled on Jess and pointed a finger at her. "And you! Well…I've given up trying to figure you out. It does nothing but give me a headache."
Then she turned snapping eyes on her last victims, causing Katie and Alex to both squeak and try to hide behind DJ. "But you three…Do you have any idea how worried I've been? You took off into the woods, in the middle of the night, in the dark, and you didn't think to tell somebody first? I know that this is Elysian and that there are no wild animals or anything to worry about, but it was still a dangerous thing to do. You could have fallen out there and broken your necks!"
DJ held his hands up helplessly. "Whoa! Take a chill pill, mom! Nothing bad happened and we're fine."
Serena stomped over to him and grabbed him by the ear. "Don't you dare tell me to take a chill pill, Darien James! You're lucky that I'm not hauling you across my lap and blistering your butt right this minute! You may have super human god powers, but I will be your mother someday and I won't think twice about punishing you. In fact, don't be surprised if Neo Queen Serenity grounds you for the rest of your life when you get home because I'm making a mental note to myself right this minute to do just that!"
"Okay! Okay!" DJ yowled as she yanked on his ear. "I'm sorry! All right!"
"Sere," Darien said gently as he pried her fingers away from their future son and pulled her into a tight hug for her own protection as much as everyone else's. "You do need to calm down. You're almost hyperventilating. Did you get any sleep last night?"
She shook her head as she buried her face in his chest. "No. I couldn't sleep with everything going on around here."
Jess, who had been quiet up until now, smirked and quipped, "Wow! Did someone spike Serena's drink? Because the only time I've ever known her to act like such a lunatic is when she's been drinking."
Although she was joking, which she did on a regular basis, there was something slightly off in the tone of her voice and in her eyes. The others may not have picked up on it, but Andrew did. He was by her side in an instant and putting an arm around her. "Hey, you all right?"
The smile she gave him was almost convincing, but it didn't quite reach her eyes the way it normally did. He was dying to know what was bothering her, and he knew that something was, but he decided to let it slide for now. He knew that pushing her would only cause a fight between them.
She cupped his cheek in her palm. "I'm absolutely fine. I'm a little tired, but I'll bounce back as soon as I get a shower, some caffeine, and some food."
Serenity, Jonathan, Edward, and Althea had gotten up from their seats and had approached their successors, who were still grouped near the back door.
"Well it looks like your little adventure was a success," Edward chuckled as he gestured to the sword hanging at DJ's side.
"I'll say," Jonathan agreed. "Those swords sure are a sight for sore eyes."
Those words had Serena, Darien, Jess, and Andrew's heads whipping around to stare at the teens as they realized that each of them were indeed in possession of the swords they had seen in the visions of the past.
"It is good to see them again," Serenity said softly. "Let's just hope that they have more success this time around."
Althea peered curiously past DJ's arm to where Katie was still half hidden behind him. "Who's your new little friend, Katie?"
Katie jumped. In all of the hubbub that had been going on she had forgotten that she was still holding Orion in her arms. She nudged DJ aside.
"Uh oh," Serenity murmured, shooting a concerned glance toward the table as she saw the dark gray cat. "This won't be good."
Katie stepped out from behind DJ. "Everybody, this is…"
"ORION!" a piercing scream shot through the room.
"KATIE! DON"T LET HER KILL ME, PLEASE!" Orion shrieked as he scrambled up to Katie's shoulder, and then higher still to perch precariously on top of her blonde head.
"What in the hell!" Jess demanded as she turned around to locate both the source of the scream and the hissing and spitting noises she now heard.
Nebula stood on the kitchen table; back arched and her tail sticking straight up in the air, bushed out to three times its normal size. Her hackles were raised in a solid ridge straight down her back and her claws were digging grooves into the wooden tabletop. Amber sparks were practically shooting from her eyes and her chest was heaving like she was having trouble breathing.
"You…you…can't be…" she panted out between gasps. Then suddenly her eyes rolled back into her head and her body fell limply onto the table with a thud.
"Nebula!" Jess and Serenity both exclaimed as they ran to where Aurora had already begun to fan the unconscious feline with a magazine she had been reading.
"Damn, Orion! You sure know how to make an entrance, don't you?" Katie grumbled as she pulled the shaking cat off of her head. "And make sure you keep those claws pulled in. I don't want my scalp pierced. You better not pull my hair either. I hate that."
Orion was still quaking as he was gathered back into Katie's hold, but he managed a shaky chuckle. "Well, she handled it a little bit better than I imagined she would. I'm still alive, for now anyway. I'm dead meat once she wakes up though."
"Nah! Nebula may be all kinds of crazy, but she's not a murderer," Alex cackled, rubbing his hands together evilly. "Besides, it was kinda nice to see her at a disadvantage for once after having her boss us around our whole lives. I say we wake her up and see what happens next." He started for the sink.
"Alexander Andrew Furuhata!" Jess snarled, dark blonde braid flying as she whipped her head around to pin her future son with dangerously glittering eyes. "If you even consider for one second dumping a glass of water on Nebula, I promise that you will regret it severely. I am not as lenient as Serena is, and I will tan your ass so hard that you will be lucky if your butt cheeks have recovered enough to allow you to sit again by the time you're a hundred!"
"Eep!" Alex squeaked, looking a little swirly eyed as an effect of her glare, as he ran back to hide behind his sister. "Mom's scaring me, Kat! Save me!"
"Hmph!" Katie huffed, sticking her nose in the air. "You deserve it, you insensitive ass!" Then she returned to cuddling Orion.
Darien let out a shrill whistle to get everyone's attention. "Okay! Everybody pipe down for a moment and let's figure out what's going on here." He pointed to Orion. "Who is he and what is he doing here?"
"That's what I would like to know," Serena seconded with a nod.
Orion cleared his throat. "Let me see if I can explain…"
There was a blur of silver hair, and then Queen Serenity was standing in front of Katie. Before anyone could blink she had reached out and plucked the stammering cat up by the scruff of the neck.
"Oh you have some explaining to do all right!" she practically growled, her normally calm, lavender eyes flashing angrily. "And you're going to tell me every bit of it, from why you led Nebula on the way you did only to abandon her, to how you survived the fallout that occurred after the Silver Millennium was destroyed, to where you have been all of these centuries. And it better be a good story too, or I will drag you back to the other world with me and let Hades feed your sorry carcass to Cerberus."
As the enraged queen turned and stalked from the room with her prisoner she commanded in her most regal tone, "Sailor Pluto, go and fetch Luna and Artemis for me, please. Nebula may grateful to have her sister at her side at this time and Artemis might wish to see his brother."
Pluto snapped to attention at the order. "Yes, your majesty!" she quickly agreed and then disappeared in another puff of smoke.
"Grandma Serenity!" Katie cried suddenly, giving chase as the former moon queen left the room. "Please don't hurt Orion! It wasn't his fault! He can tell you all about it. Just please, please, please don't take him to Hades…" Her voice faded into the distance.
DJ pinched the bridge of his nose. "What is it with her and that damn cat? It almost like they have been joined at the hip since the moment we met that fur ball."
Alex chuckled. "It's like you said earlier, she's like the little girl that comes home, dragging in a stray off the street and begging to keep it. It's probably because we were never able to have any pets because Nebula always threw a fit at the idea of having any other animals in the house. She said that she had already been there and done that, and she wasn't going to live through that again."
Jess winced as she carefully gathered up her unconscious advisor. "I guess that's my fault. My mom had a pet Chihuahua when I was growing up and she thought she ruled the house. When Nebula first showed up the dog would chase her unmercifully every time she walked into the same room. I was going through such a rebellious stage at the time because I resented all of her bossy ways, so I never tried to help her out. I just sat back and laughed."
"What I don't get is that mother said that Artemis is our mysterious Orion's brother," Serena muttered. "I never knew that Artemis had a brother. And Luna has never mentioned anything about him either."
"We'll tell you the whole story," DJ promised. "Orion told us everything. But can we get some breakfast? I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm starving."
Alex nodded eagerly. "Same here. It's been a long night."
Andrew chuckled. "I think I might be able to whip up something."
"I'll be back soon," Jess told him. "I'm going to go put Nebula someplace where she'll be more comfortable and grab a shower."
He took a moment to study her face and felt like sighing when he saw that the slightly guarded look he had seen earlier was still in her eyes. But he covered it with a smile and gave her a quick peck on the lips. "Hurry back. It won't take me long to get breakfast together, and you don't want it to get cold."
"I will," she promised him before she scurried from the room.
Helios and Aurora excused themselves as well, claiming that there were a few duties that they needed to attend to, leaving Andrew to man the stove while Serena, Darien, Rini, DJ, Alex, Skye, Jayden, Hannah, Edward, and Jonathan to gather either in the sitting area or around the table.
"So what's been going on?" Darien asked DJ and Alex calmly. "And exactly who is that cat you brought back with you?"
The two boys looked at each other for a moment before shrugging. Then DJ began speaking, "Well, I guess I should start from the beginning. It all started when Kat…"
"ALEX!" a slightly hysterical scream interrupted him.
Alex paled beneath his tan. "Oh shit! I am sooo busted!" he groaned and dove under the table just as Emma appeared in the kitchen doorway with her long hair streaming damply down her back. Obviously she had just come from the shower.
The blonde teenage girl appeared to be on the edge of a panic attack as her gray eyes scanned the room. Then her expression hardened as her gaze zeroed in on the table. Her voice trembled slightly, but was as cold as ice as she hissed in a deadly voice that would have done Kunzite proud, "Oh no you don't mister! You're not getting away from me that easily. I want to know why I woke up a little while ago to find that not only were you gone, but that you had dropped off of my mental radar as well. Do you know how nerve-racking that is? Now start talking, Sunboy! You better not have been off doing something stupid!"
Alex peeked out from under the table to take in his secret fiancée's murderous glare.
Oh crap! He was just as dead as Orion would be once Nebula woke up.
"Fine!" she shouted at him. "If you want to leave so badly then go! I don't need you here anyway! I have a job to do."
"Nebula," he pleaded. "Please, just listen to me for a minute and let me tell you why I have to go."
She snorted. "Oh, I already know why you want to leave. I should have listened to Artemis when he tried to tell me. You're just like your father was, always on the lookout for the next great adventure. Your mother might have been content to sit back and wait for your father's sporadic visits, but that's not me, Orion. So go ahead and head off on your next quest. But don't bother ever coming back to the moon again. I'm done with you."
"Nebula, please," he begged.
"Goodbye, Orion," she stated as coldly as she could as she turned her back on him and hurried away before he could see the tears in her eyes…
The dream faded slowly from Nebula's mind as her consciousness gradually returned to her. It had been a long time since she had dreamed of the day that Orion had decided to leave her. It was one of those things that she always tried very hard to not think about. It just hurt too much.
She always equated the day that Luna and Artemis had introduced her to Orion to being the beginning of the end of her life. She'd been happy with her life the way it was. She'd started out working as a messenger in the moon castle, carrying messages between the various members of the court. Then one day she had received the assignment that had changed her career path.
She had been summoned to the home of a high standing Lunarian noblewoman and asked to deliver a message personally to Queen Selenity. She had never been given a task of such importance before and had been quite nervous at the prospect. Despite having lived in the castle for some time she had never even seen the queen close up before, only at a distance. But she had listened to others talking around the castle and had heard them describe the monarch as being a kind and benevolent woman.
So she had accepted the message and had returned to the castle. When she arrived her supervisor had directed her to deliver it to the queen's private sitting room. Her legs had been shaking almost uncontrollably as she had climbed the stairs and entered the wing that housed the personal rooms of the royal family. As she'd approached the door, a uniformed guard had bowed her in…and her life had changed forever.
***FLASHBACK***
She stepped over the threshold and into the queen's inner sanctum, making sure to keep her eyes lowered. No servants were allowed to make eye contact with royalty or members of the nobility until they were give leave to. As the door closed behind her, she bowed.
"Your majesty," she said softly. "I'm dreadfully sorry to disturb you, but I carry a message from Lady Isobella."
She heard the soft clink of a teacup being set on a saucer, and then a beautiful, bell-like voice replied gently, "Please rise, my little messenger. There is no need to stand on ceremony with me. We are alone here."
Nebula heeded the permission to be able to look upon the queen, and as her eyes rose she felt as though her breath had been taken away. She had heard the stories of how the queen was descended from the goddess Selene, but nothing could have prepared her for seeing Queen Selenity close up for the first time. She looked like a goddess herself, and she definitely didn't look like a woman who was approaching the age of ten centuries old.
Selenity rose from where she had been sitting on a settee, her silver dress shimmering around her slender, petite body. Her snow white hair flowed like rippling, living silk all the way to the floor from the traditional royal Lunarian buns and her eyes were such a bright silver that they seemed to glow under the golden crescent that marked her forehead.
Then the queen did the unimaginable. She crossed the room to the still speechless Nebula and stooped down to remove the letter from the harness she wore.
Nebula snapped back to life. "Oh, your majesty! Please forgive my rudeness in making you bend so low. Allow me to move to a higher place so that you're not crawling on the floor."
Selenity only laughed. "Sweet little Mauan! It's just a floor. Contrary to what some people think, I'm not going to shatter into a million pieces if something besides my feet touches it. Now what is your name?"
"Neb-Nebula," the rust colored feline stammered.
"What a beautiful name," the queen replied and patted her on the head as she stood once more. "Come, Nebula. You may keep me company as I see what dear Lady Isobella has in store for me today. I'm certain that I will have to pen a reply to her. Would you carry it to her for me?"
"Of course!" Nebula agreed as she followed Selenity to a dainty writing desk across the room.
Selenity sat in a chair and then patted a stool that sat beside the desk. "Now you just take a seat here so that we'll be on a more even level."
Nebula jumped up onto the seat, still in awe over the turn her day had taken. If someone had told her when she woke up this morning that she would be sitting in the queen's private chamber and actually carrying on a conversation with the lovely monarch, she would have told then that their brains must have crumbled to moon dust. But here she was.
"That's much better," Selenity said as she carefully slit open the letter that had been sent to her. "So Nebula, do you have any family?"
"Oh!" she squeaked at the unexpected question. "Um, yes, your majesty. I have a sister named Luna who is a few years younger than I am. Both of our parents have unfortunately passed on, so I'm all she has. We fled here just before our home planet was destroyed."
The queen nodded as she read. "Yes, the loss of Mau was a tragedy. I thank Selene everyday that there was enough warning so that everyone could be evacuated from the planet safely."
Nebula stayed for an hour, talking with the queen as she read her letter and then composed a reply. After that she left to deliver the message, hoping that the Lady Isobella would ask her to wait so that she could send another message back to the queen, but she was dismissed. So she returned to the castle to resume her work.
She spent the rest of the day feeling a little melancholy. She had greatly enjoyed talking with the queen, but chances were low that she would ever get to do it again. The castle employed a lot of messengers, so the probability of her being chosen for such a high-ranking assignment again any time soon was very slim.
At least that was what she thought until that night. Her shift was over and she was preparing to leave to go to the room that she shared with Luna when her supervisor tracked her down and asked her if she had done something to offend the queen.
"N-no! I didn't! At least, I don't think I did," Nebula stammered.
The gruff, yellow striped Mauan supervisor growled at her. "Well you must have done something. Her majesty just sent me word that you are to report immediately to her private suite. So you must have done something wrong to receive such a summons. You've been a good worker, kid, but your tail is in a knot this time. If her majesty fires you there is nothing I can do about it."
Nebula felt so lightheaded that she thought she was going to faint. She hadn't done anything to offend the queen, had she? She thought hard and could come up with nothing. She had been under the impression that Queen Selenity had enjoyed their chat as much as she had.
Her supervisor nudged her in the shoulder. "Well, get moving! If she is angry with you it will only get worse if you make her wait."
"Right," Nebula mumbled dazedly as she stumbled away. The next few minutes passed in a blur, and the next thing she knew she was standing in front of the doors that led to the queen's private chambers once more. Just like before, a guard opened the door and waved her inside.
Her legs were trembling so much that it was amazing that they were still supporting her body. She felt like falling out right then and there. But she had never considered herself to be cowardly, so she marched in bravely. She would face the consequences of whatever she had done to upset the queen.
The sitting room was empty this time, but within seconds of her arrival another door opened and a lady in waiting entered.
"Ah, Nebula! Her majesty is expecting you," the soft-spoken blonde woman said and motioned to her. "Follow me please."
Nebula did as she was asked and followed the woman into a magnificent bedchamber. While it was no less impressive than the rest of the castle, it was immediately apparent that this room had been decorated for comfort more than style. The color scheme was typical of the moon, white, silver, and pastels, but the few chairs scattered around were soft and cushiony looking and the bedcovers look as light and fluffy as air. Even the rugs that covered the floor looked plush enough for someone to sink their toes into.
She only had a moment to take all of this in, however, because the lady in waiting gestured toward a set of open balcony doors that were covered by gauzy silver curtains. "Queen Selenity is waiting for you on the balcony."
She gulped hard. It was time to face the music. The queen was probably planning on dropping her off the balcony for whatever transgression she had committed. At this point all she could hope for was that Luna wouldn't be punished for her crimes as well. Maybe if she begged on behalf of her sister she would be allowed to stay in the castle.
She passed through the curtains and saw the queen standing near the railing of the large balcony, looking out over the nearby village. She wore a light, pastel pink dressing gown and her pure white hair was down and was dancing lightly in the soft breeze.
Nebula had been careful to not make a sound, but the queen turned as if she had sensed her presence and smiled at her. "Oh, Nebula! I was so hoping that you had received my request. I have been looking forward to speaking with you again."
Well, that didn't sound like she intended to pitch anyone headfirst off the balcony. Nebula felt her tense muscles loosen slightly as she inclined her head respectfully. "I came as soon as I received your summons, your majesty."
Selenity waved a dismissive hand. "Oh pish-posh! I thought we had moved past being so rigid with each other. Now! I have been doing some thinking since our earlier conversation, and there is something that I wish to discuss with you."
Well, the old saying curiosity killed the cat had some merit. Nebula couldn't help but be intrigued. "And would that be, my queen?"
Selenity looked a little apprehensive for a moment, and then she asked, "How do you feel about children, Nebula?"
That question had sure come out of left field! "Um, ch-children," Nebula stammered. "I guess I've never really thought about it before. Why do you ask?"
Selenity walked back inside, motioning for Nebula to follow her. The queen held a silencing finger to her lips as she approached the bed and patted the foot of it to indicate that Nebula should jump up there. She did and then realized that there was a tiny lump under the fluffy covers.
Selenity pulled back the comforter to reveal a sleeping, silver haired girl of around eight. She was curled up on her side with one small hand tucked up under her chin.
"She looks so much like her father," Selenity whispered as she stroked back some of the silver strands of hair. "Nebula, this is my daughter, Serenity."
"The crown princess!" Nebula squeaked before slapping her paws over her mouth. Princess Serenity was rarely ever seen around the palace and this was the first time that Nebula had ever seen the girl in person. The young princess was usually kept busy with her studies and kept under very heavy guard when she was at home in the castle. But she also spent a considerable amount of time staying with the high royal family of Earth since she was betrothed to their crown prince, Edward.
Selenity giggled. "It's probably safe to make noise around her. I doubt a solar storm would wake her right now. She just returned from a visit to Earth today and was extremely tired. She also seemed to be quite agitated as well. It seems that Prince Edward had a friend from the solar kingdom visiting with him as well, Prince Jonathan I believe she said his name was, and it appears that Serenity and he didn't take too well to each other. But the important thing is that she's home again and I get to keep her here for a while."
Nebula was confused. "I beg your pardon, your majesty. But what does this have to do with me?"
Selenity sighed. "I'm sure you know the story of how my husband died a few years ago."
Nebula nodded. It had happened before she and Luna had relocated to the moon, but she was familiar with the tales surrounding the death of the Lunarian king during a skirmish while he was assisting the Solarian king with a bandit issue.
"Serenity has been so lonely since then," Selenity whispered. "She was too young to remember him all that well, but at least while he was here to help me run the kingdom we had more free time to spend with her. But now that I have to run everything I'm forced to leave her alone far more than I would like. That is why I permit her to spend so much time on Earth. Not only does it give her the opportunity to become better acquainted with the boy she will one day wed, but she also has friends there. But she must spend time here at home as well to attend to her studies and learn her kingdom. She does get visitors from some of the other kingdoms from time to time to break the monotony, but the other young royals she is friends with are busy learning about their own kingdoms as well. But I was talking with the queen of Venus a while back, who was facing the same predicament with her own daughter, and she had come up with a solution. I wanted to get your thoughts on it."
Nebula was floored. "Why me, my queen? I'm sure you have many other, well qualified people to consult with."
Selenity shook her head. "But it's your opinion I want, Nebula. You see, the Venusian queen has appointed a Mauan to act as a sort of companion and advisor to her daughter and it seems to be working well. I wasn't sure what I thought about the idea at first, but after speaking with you earlier I did some serious soul searching. You are bright, intelligent, and caring. And I believe that you would make an ideal companion for my Serenity."
"B-but-but!" Nebula stuttered. "Your majesty! Are actually asking me to serve your daughter?"
"Not exactly," Selenity told her. "You would be much more than a mere servant. You would be Serenity's companion and advisor. I want her to feel that she can come to you with anything if I am not available. Your status would be raised to Lady Nebula, and you would be on the same social level as any high-ranking nobleperson. You would become a member of the court, and will receive the respect due your station. Both your sister and yourself will be given rooms in this wing and you will live as members of the royal family."
Nebula's head spun. She had come here expecting to be fired, and instead was being offered the opportunity of a lifetime. It was too good to be true! But she was still slightly hesitant. "What about the princess? She may not wish to have me as her companion."
Selenity smiled. "Well let's find out, shall we?" She stroked the cheek of the sleeping girl and crooned, "Serenity, my darling, wake up. Momma has a surprise for you."
Serenity scrunched her face up and rolled over, but she didn't seem to wake.
The queen giggled and then tickled the girl's ribs. "Come on now, Serenity. You don't have to wake up for long. I just want you to meet someone. Now open your eyes for just a minute, or I will send your surprise away."
"Mooommaa," a high-pitched, muffled voice moaned. "I'm sleepy!"
"I know you are," Selenity replied humorously. "But I think you might want to see this."
"Okay! Okay!" the princess grumbled as she sat up.
Nebula's breath caught, much as it had when she had first laid eyes on the queen, as she got her first real look at Serenity. She was an absolute doll! Her tumbled silver hair framed a tiny pixie face that was dominated by a pair of striking lavender eyes. This girl would grow to be just as much of a beauty as her mother.
"Serenity," Selenity said gently. "Remember how the princess of Venus was given a companion to help keep her from being alone so much? Well I thought you might like one as well to help keep you company while I'm working." She gestured to the rust colored cat at the foot of the bed. "This is Nebula. And if you are both willing, she will become your companion."
Serenity's lavender eyes grew impossibly wider and filled with tears. "Do you mean it, momma? You mean I will have somebody to talk to besides just my tutors? I've tried talking to the maids, but they never say much and they act nervous when I speak to them."
Selenity nodded. "If Nebula wants the job, then it's hers."
Serenity bounced up onto her knees excitedly, now seeming to be wide-awake. She clasped her hands together at her chest and stared at Nebula with pleading eyes. "Oh please, Nebula! Please say that you'll be my companion! It gets soooo boring around here with no one to talk to. Please, please, please!"
Nebula found herself so enchanted by the young princess that she couldn't say no. "I would be honored to be of service to you, your highness."
Less than a second later she found herself locked in a tight hug as Serenity placed a smacking kiss on top of her head.
"This is so wonderful!" the princess squealed. "I just know that we are going to be the best of friends!"
***END FLASHBACK***
Even now, all these centuries later, that memory always made Nebula feel warm inside. She and Serenity had become inseparable after that night. She had overseen the princess's studies and watched her grow from an exuberant child into a graceful young woman. She had stood by her when her engagement to Edward had been broken and when she found love with Jonathan. She had stayed strong and helped her through her years of training with the Galactic Trinity. She had been by her princess's side the day she wed her sun prince and ascended to the throne of the moon kingdom. She had then helped her queen draft the Silver Alliance, which formed the Silver Millennium and united the galaxy. When Queen Serenity had been writhing on her bed during the agony of childbirth and screaming that she was going to die, Nebula's voice had had just as much of a calming effect on her as the king's had. And during the dark days that had followed Jonathan's death she had been the only person that Serenity had shown her tears to. Night after night, for months, Nebula had curled up in the bed with her queen and had allowed her to weep her grief into her fur.
Through thick and thin, she had been there for Serenity. Right up until the very last day when her beloved queen had put her into a suspended state and had sent her to the future to watch over her granddaughter, she had remained firmly by her side. There had only been one time that she had broken down and had depended on Serenity for support. And that had been the night that Orion had left her. For once she had cried in her mistress's arms and had allowed her to comfort her.
"You can stop pretending that you are still asleep, old friend. I know you're awake," a soft voice said as gentle fingers stroked her fur.
Nebula blinked her eyes open to find herself lying on the bed in Jess and Andrew's room in the Elysian palace with her former queen sitting next to her. "You know me too well, Ren."
Serenity giggled. "Of course I do. I spent almost everyday of my entire life with you, Bula. You don't spend that much time with someone and not get to know them as well as you know yourself." Then she sobered. "How do you feel? You had me worried there for a little bit."
"Mad enough to spit nails now that the shock is wearing off!" Nebula hissed as she pushed herself into a sitting position. "I can't believe that good for nothing tomcat had the nerve to show up here the way he did after all this time! I have half a mind to claw those damn gray eyes right out of his skull!"
"Ooo! Someone has turned bloodthirsty over the years. Has living with my granddaughter rubbed off on you," Serenity teased.
"Please!" Nebula scoffed. "I have been accused of having a sharp tongue in the past, but even I can't hold a candle to Jess when she gets a bee up her butt. That girl has the wickedest temper I've ever seen on a person and she's not afraid to voice how she feels. It's amazing that I have survived as long as I have with her. And how Aurora has handled her since birth is beyond me."
Serenity snickered gleefully. "She is a bit of a firecracker, isn't she? And I'm so proud of the woman she has grown to be. You did a wonderful job with her, Bula. I always knew that you would though. That was why I knew I couldn't trust her training to anyone but you. And even though she's grown you are still guiding and teaching her, the same way you did for me. But Melody is not my main concern at the moment. You are."
"I'm fine," Nebula insisted as she jumped down from the bed and stretched. "There is no need for you to worry yourself about me. I admit that I was thrown off balance for a moment, but I'm all right."
"Luna's here," Serenity informed her. "She and Melody both sat with you for a while until I sent them on their way. Melody was almost faint from hunger and Artemis needed a bit of consoling after being confronted with the brother that he had believed to be dead for so long."
"Hmm…" Nebula hummed as she jumped up onto a window seat to look out at the bright, typically sunny, Elysian morning. That was one thing you could always count on here, the weather was always perfect.
Her eyes narrowed, however, when she saw the large number of people that were scattered across the emerald grass of the palace lawns. "There seem to be a lot more people here than there was earlier."
Serenity joined her at the window and looked out with a grin. "It has snowballed into quite a circus, hasn't it? When Pluto went earlier to fetch Luna and Artemis, all of the inner scouts and the generals were present. And when they learned that the Trinity bearers had evolved they insisted on coming here as well. Pluto didn't want the outer scouts to feel left out, so she invited them as well. Then Jon and Ed decided to share their fighting wisdom and impromptu sparring matches broke out everywhere."
A growl rumbled in Nebula's throat as she saw Orion right in the thick of things. The gray feline ran over toward DJ, Katie, and Alex and leapt up to land on the blonde haired girl's shoulder. She could see him speaking into her ear and saw Katie smile and nod at whatever he said.
"What does he think he's doing with my Trinity bearers?" she hissed. "I have been helping them prepare for the upcoming battle, and I don't need him interfering in my work!"
"Bula," Serenity sighed. "I had a nice, long talk with Orion earlier. I was furious on your behalf and I raked him over the coals for all of the pain he caused you."
Nebula looked up at her former mistress and arched a brow at her. "Uh oh! I sense a 'But' about to come into this conversation. Don't tell me that smooth talking devil got to you! Argh! Ren! How could you? You know how he is! He could literally charm a cobra!"
Serenity shrugged. "I will admit that he has a certain…gift of gab, but you also know that I am not a woman that is easily swayed. Of course, what I said to him was fairly mild compared to the verbal abuse Melody heaped on him when she found out a bit of your back-story. I'm sure his ears are still ringing from it. Thank goodness Motoki was able to help bring her under control or Orion would probably be a fireplace rug by now."
"Would have served him right!" Nebula grumbled. "Andrew should have let Jess tear into him. I don't normally condone her temper tantrums, but this time I would have supported her, as long as she me a little piece of his hide to tear into myself."
"Bula," Serenity replied in her most calming voice. "I know he hurt you. Remember, I was there to witness the aftermath of his leaving. My heart wept for you then and continued to weep for you even after I entered the afterlife. I harbored harsh feelings for Orion too for daring to break your heart in such a way, but after speaking with him I have come to understand why he did what he did."
"There is no excuse for what he did!" Nebula spat. "You don't profess your love to someone and then run away and leave them standing there, not knowing if they are ever going to see you again. It's just too cruel!"
Serenity shook her head. "He did it for you. He did love you deeply and wanted to stay with you, but he knew that the wanderlust in him was strong and he was afraid that one day it would rear its head once more and he would be forced to hurt you even worse. So he left that day to test himself and see where his heart truly lay. If he found that his need to travel outweighed his love for you, then he would have left you alone to live your life without the constant upheaval of him coming and going. But he made a discovery on his trip. He found out that being by your side was where he wanted to be most of all. He was on a small planet right outside our solar system when he had this revelation and was preparing to return and beg your forgiveness when he heard that the moon had been attacked. He rushed back, hoping to find you alive, and that was where Selene found him."
Nebula blinked back the tears that were stinging her eyes and looked out the window once more to hide them. "What does the goddess have to do with this?"
"She told him everything that happened," Serenity answered. "She also told him that you and Artemis weren't dead and had been sent to the future to help my family and friends. It gave him hope that he would see you again someday. And then Selene offered him a deal to serve as the sentry guardian of the Trinity swords. She promised him that if he did he would be able to find his way back to you and his brother when they were reclaimed. And today that promise came true."
"That's sounds very noble and all, but it doesn't make up for the past," Nebula grumbled. Then she growled as she saw Katie, who was wielding Selene's silver sword, tilt back her head and laugh at something Orion was saying to her. "And if he thinks that he can just come waltzing in here and take over my job just because he's been sitting his furry butt on those swords all of these centuries, then he's got another thing coming!"
She jumped down from the window seat and streaked from the room in an orange blur.
Serenity bit her lip for a moment in worry before she began to giggle. "Oh my! It looks like things might be about to get a little…furry."
"Like this, Rion?" Katie asked as she held the sword in front of her. Sparkling silver energy danced up and down the blade like a living thing.
"Exactly," Orion said approvingly, feeling a little flushed at the offhand nickname Katie had given him. There was something about this girl that had made him feel connected to her the moment he had laid eyes on her. "Now you have two ways that you can release that energy. If you swing the sword it will release an arc of energy, which is good it you need to take out several enemies at once. But that attack will drain your energy faster. If you are just facing one attacker it would be best to shoot it with an energy blast from your hand or you can point the sword and concentrate its energy into a single beam. Remember, conserving as much energy as possible is the key here."
She nodded. "Right. I get what you're saying." Then she focused on reversing the flow of energy into the sword, slowly pulling it back into the bracelet on her wrist. She was dying to try out popping off a shot from the sword, but there were way too many people around at the moment to take the chance. She would die if she accidentally hurt someone.
She sheathed the sword and then looked around with a grin at all of the people scattered around. Since all of the scouts and generals had arrived Elysian was starting to feel a lot like the picnics they had back home. Some people were sparring while others just sat around talking.
Swords clashed loudly as the generals, Darien, and Andrew took advantage of the opportunity to brush up on their sword skills while the inner scouts and Serena cheered them on from the sidelines. She was used to seeing the generals in their gray uniforms, but when Darien had transformed into a full set of gleaming black and silver armor it had blown her mind. Now she was constantly being bombarded with images of what DJ would look like dressed like a fairytale prince. He was almost Darien's mirror image after all. It was a very yummy thought indeed. No wonder Serenity had fallen so hard for Endymion during the Silver Millennium.
That wasn't to say that her own future father was any less dashing in his full power form with his shining bronze armor and long sweeping cape. Andrew was just as handsome as Darien, just in a totally opposite way. Her mom always claimed that her dad was a major hottie, and she had to agree.
Thinking of her mother had her searching through the crowd, but there was no sign of Jess. She and Trista had been talking under a nearby tree just a little while ago, but they had both disappeared again, making her wonder what in the world they were up to. Now Michelle and Hotaru were sitting in the shade of the tree while Uranus was a short distance away sparring with Sailor Callisto. Jayden and Hannah were acting as cheerleaders for that match as they encouraged Skye to take down the older, more experienced scout.
DJ and Alex had paired off with Edward and Jonathan as the two former kings worked with their successors on learning the secrets of their new swords the same way that Orion had been helping her. Serenity had promised to come back and spend some time with her as well as soon as Nebula woke up. But she kind of hoped that it would be a while before Nebula decided to rejoin the land of the living. Tensions were already running high between Orion, Artemis, and Luna as it was, and adding Nebula to the mix would probably induce mad chaos. Thankfully Rini and Emma had taken Luna and Artemis with them down to the lake, so all was quiet at the moment.
She spotted Althea and Aurora sitting under another shade tree near where DJ, Alex, Edward, and Jonathan were and she headed for them. She wanted to get out of the heat of the sun and sit down for a moment.
Aurora looked up with a smile and patted the spot next to her. "Hey, sweetie! Why don't you come take a load off for a minute. You look tired."
"I am a little tired," Katie sighed as she sat down, transferring Orion from her shoulder to her lap. Then she leaned her head against Aurora's shoulder. "I guess this is what I get for staying up most of the night."
"Poor baby," Aurora cooed as she stroked back some of the slightly damp strands of light blonde hair that had come loose from Katie's ponytail. "You've been working so hard. But it's paying off. Soon you will be ready to go home again. And once you have finally rid the world of Discord you can move on with your life. You can play your music, get married, and have some babies. I could get used to the pitter patter of little feet running around again."
Katie jerked her head up, her face bright red in embarrassment. "Dawn! I'm only sixteen for crying out loud! I haven't even graduated high school yet or gone to college!"
Aurora patted her burning cheek. "I know that, sweetie. I didn't mean right away. But I don't think I'm too far off the mark to say that you and a certain dark haired prince will be tying the knot one day. Anybody with eyes can see how much you two love each other."
Althea sniffed daintily. "I say, why wait? I got married at sixteen and had Endymion not long after I turned seventeen. Serenity waited a tad bit longer, but she was a mother herself at twenty. And let's not forget that Endymion and Serenity were only sixteen and nineteen themselves when Melody was born."
"That may have been fine during the Silver Millennium, but times have changed," Katie grumbled as she looked up through her fringe of bangs to where DJ was standing next to Edward with a glowing golden sword in his hand. She knew that she wanted to marry him someday, but children…she'd never thought that far ahead. She couldn't even imagine herself as a mother. She'd probably be bad at it anyway.
'Note to self. Make sure to get birth control booster shot on time,' she thought to herself. Marriage to DJ was definitely on her list of things she wanted to do in her life, but she had other things on that list she wanted to accomplish before she even entertained any thoughts that traveled down the road to parenthood.
"So, any idea where Jess went?" she chirped, desperate to change the subject.
Aurora's expression turned a little apprehensive. "I'm not exactly sure. There's no telling with that girl. She's always fluttering off and doing her own thing. I'm sure she'll be back soon though, so there's nothing to worry about."
Katie grew suspicious. Aurora was speaking way too fast and smiling just a little too brightly. Something was going on.
"What…?" she began to ask, but cut off her question as a vicious, angry snarl interrupted her.
"O…ri…on!"
"I'm dead!" Orion groaned.
Katie's head snapped up just as a furiously spitting ball of orange fur launched itself at her and Orion. A ball of orange fur that was fully armed with sharp, extended claws and gleaming, gnashing teeth.
Her mind went blank. She could have used her powers to put up a shield around herself and Orion, but all she could see was a deranged looking Nebula sailing through the air toward them. The cat was even foaming at the mouth. Had she finally lost it, or had she contracted rabies?
Katie jerked out of her stupor at the last possible millisecond and did the first thing that popped into her mind. She clenched her eyes shut and screamed as she waited to be shish kabobbed by Nebula's claws. Well at least DJ or Darien would be able to put her back together again, if there was enough left of her when this was all over. But this was going to hurt.
But the pain never came. She heard a loud snapping sound and then light flashed behind her eyelids. After a few seconds she hesitantly opened her eyes to find a wall of blue energy that crackled with silver and gold in front of her and Nebula lying on the ground on the other side.
Katie looked around anxiously. There was only one person that she knew of that could pull off that move, and that was her mother. Nobody, not even the Jess of this time, put off an energy signature like that. She hadn't mastered control of her crystal well enough yet to do that. That could only mean that, somehow, through some fluke, her mother was there.
"Momma," she murmured, looking around hopefully until she finally spotted Jess standing several yards away from her. She was definitely the younger version of her mother, but the glowing blue eyes and the moon and rose symbol shining on her forehead were so reminiscent of the mother she knew that it was creepy.
"Okay! Now I'm definitely freaking out," she muttered to herself.
She wasn't the only one. Her scream and Jess's unexpected appearance had brought everyone running to see what was going on, but they all maintained what they hoped was a safe distance when they took in Jess's agitated state. Even Andrew fell back a few steps when his fiancée gave him a quick glance with her glowing eyes and shook her head sharply.
Aurora scrambled up from her seat and cautiously approached Jess. "Jessie, honey. Why don't you power down now before something happens."
Jess was panting slightly, but the energy wall stayed intact as she gritted out through her teeth, "Don't worry, Dawn. I've got this under control. Nothing's going to blow up."
Nebula roused herself and stumbled to a standing position before turning angry amber eyes on her charge. "Well I never! When I agreed to help you in your suicidal scheme to see how far you could delve into the powers of the Celestial Crystal without causing the apocalypse I never expected you to use your newfound abilities against me, Jessica!"
"Well I never expected to have to use them because you decided to go Psycho-Kitty either!" Jess shot back. "Geez, Bula! You almost attacked my daughter!"
Nebula raised her chin imperiously. "I wasn't aiming for her. I was aiming for him!" She speared Orion with a hot glare.
"I…don't…care!" Jess forced out with a little effort. "If you and lover boy there have a problem, then take it somewhere else." The leaves in the trees rustled even though there was no breeze. "Now I'm going to drop this wall, and when I do you better behave."
"Hmph!" Nebula huffed. "And since when did you become so bossy?"
Surprisingly, Jess smiled. "Consider it payback for all of the times you jumped on me for my temper tantrums. Now the shoe is on the other foot." Her eyes stopped glowing and the symbol faded from her brow as the wall vanished.
Nebula shot Orion one last scathing look before hissing, "I'm not through with you yet!" and stomping off, her tail still bushy and sticking straight up.
Katie let out a shaky giggle as she tightened her arms around Orion and scrambled to her feet. "I guess we dodged the bullet this time, huh Rion?" She hurried over to where DJ and Alex were and leaned over to whisper in her brother's ear, "This is so freaky! There for a second I thought mom was here."
Alex nodded quickly. "Yeah, me too. I didn't know that Jess was this strong already. I've never seen her at this level any of the times that we've been in a fight."
Evidently they weren't the only ones that were thinking the same thing, because Serena marched right up to Jess and demanded, "And just what the hell was that? I've seen you fry light bulbs if someone even looks at you funny. What is going on?"
Jess tried to look contrite, but she couldn't stop the sheepish grin that played around her lips. "I guess my secret is out now. After I started having those wacky dreams about the future I went to Nebula and asked her if she would help me learn how to tap into my powers more. I wanted to find out how far I could push my limits without going overboard, so I've been coming here at night while I sleep and practicing. There have been some close calls, but I think I've found a pretty neutral ground."
Andrew chuckled. "So I guess that explains why you have been spending more time in bed lately instead of being up and down all night. You've been escaping here."
She nodded. "Yeah. I figured it was time to bite the bullet. I mean, what's the use of having a powerful crystal if I'm too afraid to use its power? I know I'll never be able unleash all of it without sacrificing the world, but I figured that I owe it to myself and everyone else to find out what I'm truly capable of."
"Jess, sweetie," Serena sighed. "I've told you before, nobody expects you to be more than who you are. You don't have to prove anything to us. I think it's great that you want to learn your powers, but we sure don't want you putting yourself at risk to do it."
"Serena's right," Darien agreed as he joined them. "Besides, why do you have this sudden urge to delve into the mysteries of your crystal? You were already a formidable fighter with enough of a punch to strike fear into the heart of anyone that crossed you."
Jess shook her head. "It wasn't enough. It was nowhere near enough." She looked to where Trista had come up behind the others and drew courage from the time guardian's small nod of encouragement.
She sucked in a deep breath before saying out loud. "I had to do it. Because when the final battle with Discord happens I will be right there in Crystal Tokyo to watch it happen. That's what my dreams have been telling me. I have to go to the future."
A/N And so we draw a few steps closer to the end. DJ, Katie, and Alex have the swords and are gearing up to fight. It seems that Jess has been doing some secret training of her own and it's paying off big time. She's figured out what her dreams mean and she's made her decision. Now what will the others decide? And let's not forget the two fuzzy stars of this chapter, Nebula and Orion. The fur may fly yet between those two. I'll probably be wrapping up the whole Elysian visit in the next chapter and moving our characters back into the real world. Then the countdown to the end will really begin. So now is the part where I humbly beg for your reviews. Please, please, please let me know what you think by leaving me a review! (Big puppy dog eyes) I depend on you guys to keep my stories alive! Catch ya next update! Lots of love and hugs!
~Sere~