Yay! New Chapter!
The only thing she could hear was her breathing.
Sharp, ragged gasps filled the dark void around Sailor Charon, visible in the cold air for a moment before dissipating. There was nothing else around her, as far as the eye could see she was surrounded by black nothingness. Even the ground below her, though a slightly greyer shade, was barely visible.
But it was the silence that truly bothered her, the unending hush. She slowly rose to her feet, crossing her arms for warmth, and looked around her.
Far off in every direction she could barely make out the haziness of a fog. The more she focused on it, the thicker it seemed to become.
"I suppose this direction is as good as any." She said to herself, and started off in the direction she was facing.
With each step her heels clicked against the ground, echoing in the vastness. The metronome of footsteps was soothing to her; it gave her something to focus on.
What could have been hours passed by, with only the monotonous sound of her heels keeping Charon company. The fog slowly enveloped her, swirling around Charon's ankles and catching on her arms like spider webs. They gave her goose bumps.
Up ahead, something materialized between the folds of the fog. The lone Senshi stopped, squinting at the tall pillars that now flanked either side of her path. They were infinitely tall and simple in their designs, a smooth marble tower with a coil spiraling upwards around it.
"Sailor Charon." A voice called out, snapping Charon's attention away from the columns and to a figure standing four pillars away.
She was tall, with long dark hair brushing past her knees. Her silhouette was framed by what looked like a skirt and long ribbons, the vague shape of a sailor fuku.
"Hello?" Charon hesitantly walked towards the woman, who moved toward her as well. Now that they were closer she could make out the emerald hair, the black and dark red fuku. "Who's there?"
Now close enough to make out her face, Sailor Charon could see that the mysterious Senshi was staring at her with a white-hot intensity. Her stance was foreboding, stiff. She looked like a woman with the weight of the worlds on her shoulders. But she looked as though she were walking a fine line between existing and fading away; what little light existed in the dark void passed through her transparent figure.
Then there was something about her, something about the way she looked down at Charon, which instilled a deep sense of mistrust within the younger Senshi.
"I am Sailor Pluto." She said, "The Keeper of Time"
"Keeper of…?" Charon held her tongue, something telling her that the answer wasn't worth the question. "Where am I?" She asked instead.
Pluto motioned with her chin down the aisle of pillars. "These are the Gates of Time."
Charon stood speechless as the gates themselves came into view. It was as though Sailor Pluto had flicked on a switch- one second they weren't there, and the next she could suddenly see them through the dissipating fog. Large, richly decorated double doors separated by pillars, each one as extravagant and unique as the next.
"Very few people have the ability to travel here." Pluto continued, her voice echoing against invisible walls. "Only timekeepers and those with keys do not become lost in the folds."
"I see…" Charon said slowly, turning her gaze back to the other woman. "So which one am I?"
"You, as my reincarnation, have inherited my responsibilities of the Keeper of Time."
"What? Wait, back up…" She raised her hands towards the other senshi, trying to slow her down.
Pluto continued anyway without missing a beat. "The Garnet Rod is your key through the gates, and acts as an anchor to your timeline."
Charon stared at her for a long moment, her arms frozen in midair. Confusion colored her expression as she glanced to the gates and back. "Garnet… you mean this?" Her right arm extended to her side as the staff from earlier reappeared, cool to the touch.
She noticed Pluto nearly mimic her motions, summoning up a similar staff of her own. The colors were identical, as well as the deep red orb resting at the top. The designs surrounding the rods were different, however; Pluto's in a loose heart design while Charon's was more akin to a spiral lantern.
One striking difference, however, was the lack of any spark in Pluto's orb. It pulled no energy, a dead rock atop a broken staff.
"So I'm a Keeper of Time?" Charon whispered, marveling at the soft glow of her own garnet orb.
"No." Pluto's voice cut sharply into her thoughts. "You have the abilities and responsibilities of one, but that will hopefully be only temporary."
The girl's lips curled into a sort of scowl at the way Pluto emphasized the word 'hopefully', as though she had little faith it would happen. "Only temporary? How can my powers be only temporary?"
"Sailor Charon, you are the senshi of manipulation, not time. The scout of illusions. Those powers will be with you forever."
"Illusions, huh…?" Charon looked down at her gloved hand, remembering her abilities back at the castle.
Sailor Pluto elaborated, a hastiness filling her voice. She sounded suddenly pressed for time. "The only reason you have the abilities of time is because of my passing. Someone needs to have access to and guard the Gates when needed, and it fell to you."
"Because I'm the reincarnation."
"Correct. But as soon as the timeline is fixed, your Garnet Rod will no longer exist, and you will no longer be in that position." She paused a moment, allowing that to sink in. "Do you understand?"
No, no she didn't. The concept of powers being taken away or passed on was completely lost on Charon. But she wouldn't let Pluto know that. She would appear to be as much of a Time Keeper as Sailor Pluto didn't believe she could be.
Speaking of, the older scout seemed even more transparent than before, whatever power enabling her to be here must have been quickly fading. More things Charon didn't understand… the ability for someone who died years ago to appear before her now.
She brushed the thought aside, assuming Pluto's connection to the gates was simply powerful enough to do such things. There was a task ahead of her, and her attention needed to be focused on that.
Charon rose her gaze to meet Pluto's again and forced herself to stand taller.
"How do I fix the timeline?"
"Princess, the boy is awake." A palace maid bowed deeply as she spoke, her pale orange braid hanging over her shoulder. "We've asked him to stay put until you get there, but he is… anxious."
Princess Kakyuu stood facing a large bay window overlooking her rebuilt city, watching as thousands of stars became visible in the growing twilight. She turned and offered the maid a warm smile. "Thank you."
With that the girl nodded and scurried off, leaving Kakyuu alone again. She sighed, staring off at a comet slowly passing through the sky. After a moment she turned too and started down the hall, the back of her pale green dress lightly brushing the ground behind her as she walked.
The medical wing to the palace was small with only five rooms, one bed each, and as capable as the staff was the wing rarely saw more than the occasional training accident.
Passing by the first room on the right, Kakyuu slowed to peek through the open door. Sailor Star Fighter sat sleeping in a chair, looking rather uncomfortable. On the cot next to her Princess Serenity slept as well. Since their unexpected visitors had arrived, Fighter had not left the moon princess's side.
A sad smile playing on her lips, Kakyuu continued onto the next room. A white haired boy, looking perhaps 18 or 19 sat on the edge of the bed, bandages wrapped around his torso. A peculiar golden horn was perched atop his head. He was leaning over his clasped hands, eyes closed, as though he were praying.
The princess watched him for a few moments before softly clearing her throat. The boy jumped slightly, startled, and golden-orange eyes rose to meet hers.
"Are you feeling better?" She smiled to him.
He stared at her for a long second before answering. A pale hand rested on his bandage. "I am, but… Where is Korina?"
"Korina?" Kakyuu thought back to his two companions, one of which had been Serenity. "Is she the one with the purple hair?"
The boy nodded. "Is she okay?"
"She's fine. Still resting, but fine."
A heavy sigh of relief escaped his lips. "And Serenity?"
"Your princess is also resting. Your travels must have been quite exhausting…?" She pointedly looked at his wounded torso. "May I ask what brings you to Kinmoku?"
"Kinmoku?" He spoke each syllable deliberately, "Is that where we are?"
"…You didn't know?" That struck Kakyuu as odd.
"No." He shook his head. "Korina tends to do things without really telling us what's going on…" He paused, thinking over his words carefully, "But she's protected us for a long time, so she must know what she's doing…" Another pause, "Either that or she's very lucky."
A short silence fell over the two of them before he spoke again.
"If I may introduce myself, my name is Helios." He said, bowing his head slightly with the introduction.
"Helios…" Kakyuu repeated, pondering the name for a moment before smiling to him. "Any friend of Usagi's is a friend of ours."
The use of Serenity's informal name, her old name, threw Helios off for a moment. It had been a long time since he had heard that name. He could bet Korina wouldn't even know it if she heard it.
Kakyuu continued. "I'm glad you three made it here safely." She opened her mouth to ask the questions she had been dying to get the answers to, but bit them back. Instead, she introduced herself. "I am Princess Kakyuu, and you are my guests for as long as you need to be."
"Princess?" Now that surprised Helios even more. He mentally chastised himself- how could he not notice her posture, her clothing, her aura enough to even suspect she would be royalty? "My apologies…" He struggled to get on his feet in an attempt to bow or address her with the respect she deserved.
Instead, the Fireball Princess rushed to his side, using her hands to prevent him from getting off the cot. "Sit down! Do not trouble yourself over such trivial things." Her voice was sharp, leaving no room for argument.
Helios reluctantly obliged.
"Now, if I may ask…" The stern tone in her voice remained. "What brings you to my planet, wounded no less?"
A frown tugged at his lips. He didn't want to share all of their troubles with the princess… not that he didn't trust her, but rather because he didn't want to get her or the "we" she had referred to involved in a battle that wasn't theirs to fight. A long silence settled around them before he answered her.
"I couldn't bother you or your people with our problems, Princess. Your hospitality is kind enough."
"Nonsense." An unfamiliar voice cut through the room, drawing Helios's attention to the door. A petite woman with long silver hair tied in a low ponytail stood leaning against the doorframe, as though she had been standing there awhile. "Usagi helped us greatly in the past. We would be honored to return the favor. And Fighter won't take no for an answer."
Kakyuu turned to Helios and smiled. "This is Sailor Star Healer, one of my guardians."
Healer stepped into the room and bowed her head slightly in acknowledgement. Her emerald green eyes silently locked with Helios's, demanding answers to their questions.
"I just…"
"Please, Helios." Princess Kakyuu interrupted him. "Let us help you."
He knew what Korina would say. That they couldn't trust anyone. That they could only rely on each other. That the smaller the group, the easier they could stay under the radar. But even she had to know that they needed help.
Helios let out a heavy sigh and nodded. "We would be grateful."
Both girls in front of him remained silent, waiting for him to begin.
But he hesitated, unsure of where to start. So much had happened and there were so many details, many of which he didn't even know, leaving big gaps in his side of the story. Hopefully, he reasoned, Korina could fill those in later.
"I knew something was wrong far before I was able to help. For years the most I could do was pray, stuck in Elysion." He began, fixing his gaze on the flickering flame of a spiced candle across the room.
"Elysion?" Kakyuu's soft voice interrupted.
Helios nodded. "The former capital of the Golden Kingdom, where Prince Endymion hails from."
Sailor Star Healer spoke up, connecting dots in her head. "The Earth prince."
"Yes. However the city no longer physically exists on Earth. It exists through the power of the golden crystal, and through the beauty of the people's dreams. As it's guardian I am not to leave. But the golden crystal itself is tied to Prince Endymion. When my Prince was killed, and the crystal shattered, Elysion disappeared and I was forced to escape to Earth." Helios spoke quietly, reserved in his story as though he had long forgotten the sadness of it.
Kakyuu and Healer, on the other hand, stared wide-eyed at him in a stunned silence.
He continued. "When I got to Earth and started looking for Princess Serenity things were a lot worse than I had expected. I knew that some of the scouts were dead… I'd either found their graves or obituaries. But the rest are still 'missing'… they were never found. For a while I was hopeful that they were out there, somewhere. But I think that, at this point, it's safe to assume they're gone, too."
The news hung heavily between the three, holding steady in the silence. A long moment passed before either woman was able to speak.
"All your sailor scouts… and your Prince… are dead?" Princess Kakyuu, now white in the face, asked in horror.
She received a slow nod in response. "Korina is the only surviving senshi, and she has only had access to her powers since yesterday." Helios caught himself, "But I think she has always had her powers. Just not the fuku."
"What do you mean?"
Golden eyes turned to meet deep orange ones. "It had been three years since I appeared on Earth, and there was still no sign of Serenity. Admittedly I had lost hope some time before that, but what else was I to do but keep searching? Until one day I felt it. It was the faintest of sparks… but definitely the Silver Crystal. It was the first time I knew for sure the princess was even still alive."
Helios paused a moment, reminded of the overwhelming relief he had felt on that day. In broad daylight, in the middle of a busy sidewalk, he had fallen to his knees in tears. 'She's here somewhere,' he remembered thinking, 'She needs my help.'
He jolted back to the present, aware of his audience, and continued the story. "At the time, however, I was closer to another spark I felt. And as much as I wanted to run to Serenity's side, something was pulling me in this other direction instead. That's when I first found Korina."
"How long ago was that?" Kakyuu asked.
It seemed like a lifetime ago. "Five years. By then she had already been orphaned. No family, no allies and no idea what her mission was or how to complete it, and she was still spitting fire." His chuckle was hollow, remembering the angry, lost girl she was back then. "She made me hopeful again."
"And Serenity? How did you find her?"
Helios nodded to her, but knew that to answer the Princess's question he would need to delve deeper into their story for them to understand. "Soon after I found Korina, people started dying. Important people… political figures and leaders. There was only mass panic for weeks until he took control."
A visible tension settled on the two of them as Sailor Star Healer spoke up. "He?"
"Prince Diamond." Helios watched as the answer relieved the tension, as though they were expecting someone else. He ignored it and kept on. "Almost overnight a crystalline castle was built. It was the start of what was supposed to be Crystal Tokyo. He had tried to recreate it. At that point it was obvious where Serenity was."
"That doesn't explain why she's so weak." Sailor Star Healer crossed her arms, impatient. Princess Kakyuu rested a hand on her scout's arm, silencing her. Helios continued.
"As soon as we were able, we snuck into the castle…"
This time Kakyuu interrupted. "You two snuck into this man's castle? You must have been so young… you're still children as it is!"
Helios chuckled slightly. "Korina was 13 at the time, and I would have been 16." He threw out the last number, deciding not to get into the details of his age. Granted he was hundreds of years old, he had started aging again after the golden crystal shattered. But it had been so long since age meant anything to him he honestly wasn't sure how old he should be.
Healer waved off his response. "Continue what happened!"
With a nod, he obliged. "When we found Serenity in the castle, she was in a coma. We would find out later that it was medically induced by Diamond… it was an attempt to alter all of her memories, to make her forget her loved ones and her friends and her future." His fist trembled with a rage he could barely contain. "His plan was for her to wake up and not question a thing, but to rule by his side."
Kakyuu and Healer watched the anger roll off of him in waves, taken back by the sudden change in demeanor of the calm boy.
"Did it work?" Kakyuu finally asked the question on all of their minds.
Helios shrugged off her question, and with it, the anger. "We haven't been able to talk to her enough to figure it out for sure." But he remembered her protecting him. She threw herself between him and Diamond when he was hurt. "She's definitely… confused."
The two took several minutes to fully digest the story Helios had shared. Things were certainly more complicated than they had originally believed. Countless questions burned on their tongues, but no one was willing to brace more of the truth enough to ask.
Healer paced back and forth in the small room, visibly bothered by Serenity's condition. "So what's the plan? What do we do?"
"That's just it." Helios sighed, a sad smile playing on his lips. "We don't have any plan. Sure we can fight Diamond, but that doesn't bring anyone back. It wouldn't fix anything."
"That's why we have to go back." A new voice filled the room, and all eyes turned to the young woman in the doorframe, her lilac pigtails framing her face.
'Korina…' Helios let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. She was okay.
"Go back?"
Korina nodded to them. "To back before all of this happened, so we can defeat Diamond in the past."
Admittedly not my favorite chapter, but I felt as though some of the backstory was important to finally explain. Hope you guys enjoyed!