Gaia: Heart of the Earth, Soul of the Universe
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The heart of the planet Earth murmured with a deep rumble, almost faint. It could feel it, the darkness coming. Chaos was gathering herself and the spirit of the Earth trembled at the very thought of what that signified. Men would fall, leaves of the forests would wither, and the skies would blacken. Life as Earth knew it was doomed to fall.
Gaia sat in the gardens of Elysian, flowers of bright reds and blues and yellows a riot around her as she contemplated the fate of her beloved planet. She loved her Earthings. She considered them all sons and daughters, wayward as most children were, but always joy to call her own. There was nothing they could do, no wrong, no foul, that would make her love them less. They were hers. And as any mother would, she felt immeasurable sadness for what was to come in the approaching years.
"It matters not that there will be a Rebirth," she whispered to herself. "My children must still suffer…and then die."
In the stillness of her garden she had peace. In the stillness of her garden she could hear the prayers from Earth. Mothers yearning for guidance for their children, farmers hoping for a bountiful crop, hunters asking for patience as they waited for game, even artists praying for inspiration as they honed their craft. From the stillness of her garden Gaia heard them all, and she responded to the best of her abilities. She was, first and foremost, a mother.
It was in the silence of the Elysian garden that Selene found her. The goddess of the Moon descended into the garden in a sparkle of silver and blue, making sure she landed a few ways off so as to approach in a civil manner. This gave her a moment to take in the beauty of the gardens, as well as that of its reigning goddess.
It was an open clearing filled with plants and flowers of only the wildest and most joyous colors, yet there was space enough that it did not feel cluttered or overbearing. Selene adored this garden, almost as much as she admired the goddess who had created it.
Gaia was kneeling in her usual spot, her body resting on her feet. Her mahogany tresses, nearly as long as she was tall, cascaded about her, pooling in a curly mass on the soft earth. Her eyes were closed and her hands clasped in prayer, no doubt tending to the wishes of her people. Or, perhaps, she was praying to whoever the gods themselves prayed to when faced with difficult seasons.
Selene hesitated. Perhaps she was wrong to come here. But before she could make up her mind to leave, a deep, calm voice stopped her.
"I can sense you are there, Selene."
Gaia folded her hands on her lap and opened her eyes, looking directly in Selene's direction. Even after millennia upon millennia of their acquaintance, the moon goddess was unnerved by the earth deity's perceptiveness. But Elysian was her domain, after all. The goddess Gaia was the personification of Earth itself. None could tread on land without her knowing of it.
"I hope I'm not interrupting," Selene said, stepping forward with a graceful blush and a bashful smile. "I wanted to see you."
Gaia patted the grass next to her invitingly. Her olive green eyes sparkled in amusement.
"I find it intriguing that for one whose planet has revolved around mine nearly since birth, you are always rather embarrassed when you meet me in my gardens," she said lightly. She watched Selene perch herself delicately on a cushion of grass and daisies that grew to accommodate her guest and continued, a glint in her eye. "You are not a disturbance, my dear, but a lovely jewel."
Gaia winked slowly for emphasis and chuckled at the full blush that now flooded Selene's face. Among the gods, the goddess of the Moon was known to be reserved yet fiercely compassionate. Gaia, however, was one of few who knew just how scatterbrained and charmingly childish the deity could be.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were coming on to me," Selene grumbled, trying to school her chagrin. She sighed, her shoulders slumping. "But I'm not here for pleasantries, Gaia."
Gaia smirked. "Oh, but how fun it is to watch you squirm as I tease you," she said laughingly, tugging on Selene's long silver hair for effect. The moon goddess playfully smacked her hand away and combed her hair unto her shoulder in a motion that was reminiscent of Mercury.
"Gaia this is serious," she pleaded.
The earth deity then noticed that Selene's eyes, which were more silver than blue, were truly stormy with worry. She sighed. "I already know what this is about, Selene. I want no part of whatever it is you're planning."
Selene blinked in surprise. "Who said I'm planning anything?"
Gaia frowned. "But aren't you?" her voice became sharp as her eyes narrowed. "The earth rumbles. Chaos is plotting. And you, whose avatar holds the most powerful object in the realms, are sitting before me, the one whose planet has to die in order to facilitate Rebirth." She scoffed. "Pardon me for thinking that you have grand designs in the making."
"Yours is not the only planet which must die," Selene said quietly, her frown matching that of Gaia. "The Silver Millennium is fated to fall. But life will begin again. On Earth. On Earth, Gaia," she repeated emphatically. "Only Earth. Don't you get what that means for the rest of us?"
Gaia stilled, olive green eyes darkening to a stormy hue.
"Life may be fated to begin again but that does not mean that the lives to be lost in the process are any less significant," Gaia intoned rigidly. She rose from her kneeling position and paced across to a nearby flower, a rose. "Every life matters," she continued softly, as she gently thumbed at the petals. It was a tragic sort of red.
Selene's expression softened. "I know," she acceded. "Every life does matter. And that's why it's up to us to look to the future. The far future. And protect it."
Gaia turned to her, eyebrows knitted together. "What do you mean?"
Selene took a breath. Here was her moment. "The Fates—"
"Ah, the Fates," Gaia scoffed dismissively. She turned back to her rose. "You know how I feel about them. They do what they will. And irrespective of that, I guide and help my children as best I can. I do not concern myself with the Fates."
"No, you do not meddle with Fate," Selene nodded, leaning forward. "But you do help your children make do with what the Fates have given." Her hands were clasped and her eyes were shining. "Am I right?"
Gaia frowned, taking in Selene's demeanor.
"Yes," she said slowly. "You are correct. You best of all know my beliefs."
Selene nodded. "I do," she replied resolutely. Her eyes hardened. "And that is exactly why you will help me."
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Selene was not so different from other gods. She loved mortals, particularly Earthlings. She loved to frolic with them, play with them, and watched their lives with avid fascination from her perch on the Moon. Mortal lives were so short, ended in what seemed like a blink of an eye for a goddess, and they lived so passionately in the constant presence of Death's door. Selene, like other gods, was fascinated by mortality.
But at this present moment, Selene was very different from other gods. You see, she wanted the Rebirth to occur.
"You are mad," Gaia said, shaking her head. She sat on the grass and looked at the younger goddess levelly. "You propose incarnation? What foolishness…" Gaia tried for a laughing brush off but settled for an uncomfortable chuckle as she regarded Selene's perfectly serious expression. "You're serious," she concluded with some amount of wonder.
"Gaia," Selene began softly, imploringly. Her eyes beheld the vulnerability in them for which Gaia loved her so. "Please just listen."
And Gaia indeed loved her so. "Of course, my dear one," she replied with considerable warmth.
Selene took a breath. "You have heard what the Fates decreed," she started. "The age of the Silver Millennium must fall, and there will be a Rebirth. The powers of the Silver Crystal and the Silent One—Saturn—shall combine to bring about a new order where our current avatars will be reborn into life on Earth."
Gaia nodded. "Yes, love shall be their downfall," she said. "Or so Jove mournfully informed me." She frowned, looking at Selene disapprovingly. "If not for her, and now you, I would not be concerning myself with the affairs of the Fates."
"The cycle of death and life is a natural one on Earth," continued Selene, waving away Gaia's admonishment. "Civilizations rise and fall all the time. You yourself have wiped out multitudes in the face of your displeasure. I remember once when you nearly decimated the planet. A horrendous occasion, even for you."
"My children had not heeded my warnings," Gaia countered matter-of-factly. There was no hint of defensiveness in her voice, though there was a touch of remorse. "But that judgment was mine to make in my dominion."
"Just as how the Fates decree their own judgments," Selene nodded. "And this is why, although you mourn the approaching destruction that Chaos will bring, it does not totally disturb you. Because in your eyes, and perhaps also in the eyes of the Fates, destruction and rebirth are part of the cycle of the universe."
Gaia gazed at Selene for a long moment. Silently. Gently.
"You are so young," she said, shaking her head slightly. "You were not there at Creation. From the very beginning, Saturn, the god of death and rebirth, decided to be silent, preferring to watch how things would occur. The Fates also took their domain early on. And I created children and watched over them as other gods awoke and claimed their dominions."
She looked down and picked a daisy that sprung from the earth beside her. She held it up for Selene to see and watched as it wilted slowly into brown dust. Looking up at moon goddess, she continued. "I assure you, my dear one, that death and rebirth are two halves of the whole to drive the universe forward. Otherwise, there is stagnancy."
"I understand that," Selene said diffidently. Her eyes flickered to the remains of the daisy with remorse. "But Lady Mars has seen the future. The far future. Even if our avatars are reborn and life continues on Earth, Chaos will eventually grow stronger. Earth will be poisoned. And you will fall."
She swallowed, taking caution with her next words. Selene watched Gaia's face carefully as she dropped the bomb. "The power we have bestowed upon our avatars will not be enough to defend the planet in the years after the Rebirth."
She felt a pang in her chest as what she knew to be the truth resonated with her, and rushed to spit out her next words before she could dwell. "And, if all the people of the Silver Millennium are reborn on Earth—and only Earth, remember—and the Earth soon thereafter falls to Chaos…"
"There will be nothing left," Gaia finished. The cold tendrils of dread and horror tingled at her fingertips, spreading quickly up her arms and into her chest. Her heart tightened. "How can Mars be certain?"
Selene smiled grimly. "She is the goddess of fire, war and wrath. Strategy is her domain. It is assuredly the only possible result."
She let that hang in the air.
"I don't know if that is the plan of the Fates—to tell us of something that could potentially kill us all—and then see what we do," Selene shook her head. "They strike me as horrendous puppet masters. But if this is so, then we must do something."
Gaia felt numb. "And what might that be?" she inquired softly.
"There is a plan," Selene began, her eyes shining once again. Gaia recognized the unwavering determination and idly wondered at the cost such determination would demand.
"It's still in its natal state," Selene continued. "But it can work. Mercury has deduced all the ramifications," she paused. "And it is this: the planetary goddesses will incarnate into the bodies of their avatars."
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Selene felt no need to meet Endymion in person. She already knew him. She knew every holder of the Golden Crystal as well as the ones who were soon to inherit the treasured artifact. Perhaps because of her own relationship with the Silver Crystal, she was intrigued by its sister stone. Or brother stone, as it were.
From the Moon, she watched as the young prince spent frequent nights in his garden. She was amused by the fact that his patron goddess, Gaia, also spent an inordinate amount of time in her garden. Idly, she would wonder if it was a thing of Earthlings closest to the source of the heart of Earth. In other moments, her thoughts would be clear as she merely observed the boy. Sometimes he would meditate, other times he would tend to his roses and, more recently, he would other times be accompanied by one of his newly arrived Shitennou.
But most times, and this is what tickled Selene the most, he simply stared up at the Moon. Stared up at her.
Most Earthlings did this at night, especially when the Moon shone in its full. The two planets revolved around each other for millennia upon millennia, and the people of both the Moon and Earth beheld the other with fascination.
Yet Selene could never tell what Endymion was thinking. Sometimes he would look up in wonder. Sometimes it was with yearning. Other times there was something unnamed. His shoulders would be tight and his fists clenched against his sword. It was in those moments that Selene wished to speak with him, to inquire as to his thoughts. Was his day stressful? Was his father still demanding strategies on how to join the Silver Alliance while advancing its defenses to protect itself from Moon power?
Selene knew well that Endymion was not like his father. The King was not unkind, but he held a thirst for power that would be his undoing if left unchecked. She would not be surprised if the Fates had something to do with that. Chaos was yet unformed, but any foothold would do, and exploitation of the King would be ripe.
But that was not her concern. Not entirely. Endymion was a lovely boy, and he gazed at the moon in the same way that Princess Serenity gazed down at the Earth. Very soon the moon child's yearning and curiosity would get the better of her, as it did every moon princess who came before her. And on that day, Selene herself would provide the moonbeam on which the princess would fly down to meet her prince.
The Earth and Moon had a powerful bond. They were two planets, each powerful in their own right, revolving around each other for as long as memory served. It was a pity that Earthlings held such mistrust and fear. It was a pity that the Lunarians, as well as the rest of the Silver Alliance, believed the Earthlings to be ill-suited to join their ranks. More was the pity, as Selene loved Gaia with utter devotion that was beyond corruption. The importance of Gaia's well being, and therefore by extension, that of her beautiful planet, was drummed into the very fiber of Selene's existence.
Gaia was a mother. She took care of all her children—Earthlings and gods and creatures in-between all alike.
But Selene took care of Gaia. Who else would?
It was with this in mind that she had concocted a plan, though it was the Lady Jove she had to thank for raising the right questions for Mars to answer. She would not allow what Mars foresaw to come to pass. And, ironically, the Fates had left enough wiggle room for her to execute her plan.
Whatever the cost, Gaia would not die. And the blue-eyed prince who sat among his roses looking up at the sky, well neither would he, if Selene had anything to say about it. And she had everything to say about it.
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"Incarnation?" Gaia repeated incredulously. "Selene, what on Earth—?"
In her first show of anything close to rudeness, Selene held up her hand.
"It is the only way," the moon goddess said gravely. She inched over to Gaia. Slowly, gently, she took her hands in her own. Taking a moment for herself, Selene felt the warmth in those hands, the love in those hands. The same hands that disciplined children but also nurtured them and raised them up. Looking up into Gaia's green eyes, ever changing as it yielded to her mood, she spoke quietly, lovingly.
"It is the only way," she repeated. "As it stands, our avatars are our agents. They only have a fraction of our magnificent power as goddesses. And for over a millennia that has been enough. They have guarded the galaxy well." She gently squeezed Gaia's hand. "But with what Mars foresees, it will not be enough. What the Fates design…it ends in your death, and the death of us all."
"The Silver Crystal," Gaia started, but Selene gently interrupted.
"The Silver Crystal," she said patiently. "Will not be enough. You know as well as I that the one who wields it is reliant on the love and support of those around her. It is perhaps the one flaw of the Crystal's power. It will give no power if Serenity gives up hope, and that is exactly what will happen when Chaos first consumes her friends before coming for her."
Serenity's tears were a vivid image imprinted in Selene's mind after Mars had shared with her the visions from the Great Fire.
"But if my planetary sisters incarnate themselves into their avatars when they are reborn," Selene said with immense hope in her voice. "The girls will have not just a fraction, but the full abilities of the goddesses at their disposal for when Chaos returns. Earth will be defended, and in time a new global order will reign. 'Crystal Tokyo,' it will be called."
"If your sisters die in the course of this," Gaia murmured. "They cannot come back." She pulled one hand from Selene's grasp and stroked her cheek. "You will be alone."
Selene shook her head, a sad smile gracing her features. "Never alone," she said, glancing down at their hands. "You'll be alive. You'll be defended. And you are all I need." Selene was not as alarmed at her admission as she had expected. "After all, what is the Moon without the Earth?"
Gaia did not reply. Her gaze had drifted off to her flowers. Selene followed her gaze, once again taking in the beauty of the earth deity's creation. The Moon was never this vibrant. She often wished it were. She often wished for many things.
"I would incarnate if I could," she said, so quietly that she wondered if she had even said it aloud. But Gaia's sharp look told her that she had indeed been heard. Selene gave her a half smile, and squeezed the hand that was still holding hers before letting go. She sat back on her earlier perch and clarified.
"If I could, I would incarnate into Serenity," she said. "And why wouldn't I? She will have so much on her shoulders; it would be nice to help more directly than I already do. And Endymion is quite a handsome fellow," she added with a dreamy smirk.
"But," she said more soberly. "In line with my duty as custodian of the Silver Crystal, I can only watch over the one who wields it. I can never deal with it directly." She sighed and shrugged. "It is just as well. You say that I'd be all alone, but in truth I would have you."
Selene gave Gaia a brilliant smile that melted any reservation the earth deity had. She could tell that Selene was sure that this was the best course of action, and that nothing would move her. Most of all, Gaia could clearly see, because the moon goddess displayed her heart on her sleeve, that she held no hesitation in her sacrifice.
"You would sacrifice all that you hold dear," Gaia began, unable to hide her wonder. "For me?"
Selene blinked as if surprised, and then smiled. Her radiance was effortless. She touched Gaia's cheek, before taking her hands in hers once again.
"Gaia, you are all I hold dear," she said. She noted the tears forming in the other woman's eyes, but continued anyway. "The other goddesses have acceded to the plan for the sake of the universe. They refuse to let Chaos win in the end, and they have vowed to do whatever it takes to make sure ours is the winning side." She shrugged. "All of that is well and good, and I thank them for it. The fate of the universe is quite important. But I must confess, I'd put your well being over that of the universe any day."
"Selene…" Gaia began.
"It's okay," Selene interrupted, abruptly pulling away as her smile became sad. "I know your heart lies with another. It always has. But that doesn't make you any less to me. I know you've suspected my feelings for some time now."
Gaia's breath caught in her throat. "Indeed I have," she said after a moment.
Selene nodded, as if that information were natural. "That's okay. I'm not ashamed. Venus tells me that love is about what you do, not about what you receive. And honestly? I believe her."
Gaia did not realize that tears were streaming down her face until Selene gently stroked her forearm.
"I'll take my leave now," the moon goddess said. "I really just came to share this with you. We have some time before everything changes. Until then…"
At some point, Selene departed in a sparkle of silver and blue just as she had arrived. Gaia did not register it. She could not register anything.
The flowers of her garden twisted and slithered toward her, wrapping themselves around their monarch as she wept.
She wept for her belovéd planet.
She wept for the one with whom her heart truly laid.
And she wept for the one who loved her enough to sacrifice for her sake anyway.
Selene's plan, she knew, was already in action. The planetary goddesses would wait for the precise moment. Unfortunately, Gaia herself could not incarnate, as she had already done so eons ago. It was the reason why the Earth's heartbeat was entwined with hers.
She could, however, ensure that her guardians, the Heavenly Kings, would have power worthy of the Senshi. Serenity would need the support of her Senshi, but the Senshi in turn would need the strength of their lovers rather than the pain of their memory.
It was with this in mind that Gaia created four stones, each of distinct and brilliant color. The goddess had been watching the Prince as he trained with his newly appointed guardians. They were not yet Shitennou, but in time and with training they would grow to be.
Gaia could see that the boys were developing and thriving in their bond with each other, and this delighted her. They were devoted to their Prince, just as he was devoted to them. And Gaia prayed, to whoever it was that the gods prayed to in the darkest of times, that when the moment came, the Prince would look to the stones and call forth his guardians.
Gaia would watch over them to ensure this occurrence. For nothing could get in the way of Selene's sacrifice.
Nothing.
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A/N: Do tell me your thoughts. This was written before Oak Evolution, but it was necessary for me to flesh out the world that was simmering in my head. The premise of this story has taken a life of it's own. I'm honestly amazed by it.
Please leave a review! Next up, and very last, our favorite diva, V-chan.