Lingering Threads of Hope, Part 3 - Knowing Your Enemy and Knowing Yourself
The streets of Tokyo had become less and less crowded as time went by. In the wake of the constant demonic attacks, the people no longer felt safe idling about in the streets of the megalopolis. As a result, Tokyo was receiving an emergency summit by the Federal and Royal Governments in conjunction with the United Nations to deal with the strange happenings.
Fréamund, the unassuming God serving Lucifer, could follow a strange, diabolical aura emanating from a conference room in a five-star hotel. He knew all too well that the higher the echelon of power, the more they delved into the dark arts to remain as rulers, monarchs and people of countless riches forevermore. As Fréamund, he knew of it since humanity first emancipated itself from the oppressive yoke of the Gods, but as Naitou Kakusareta, he was formally introduced to its intricacies by his late biological father Kouji, a man of wealth and taste whose soul was sold for short-term success.
He knew all too well that whenever men and women of power and influence gathered, they performed prayers and tributes to the Lord of Light and its Legionnaires. There they were, in an orgy of filth and delicacies of the flesh.
"Are you here to praise the Blood God?" asked one of the attendees while pointing to the statue of some kind of minotaur painted in gold.
"Moloch!?"
"Indeed," the attendee confirmed. "Perhaps the sacrifices in Tokyo are necessary to quell his rage?"
The dark servant shook his head. "You are praying for the wrong demon, you bunch of performative moppets! If you want to sate your greed, you're supposed to seek for Mammon and Plutonium."
"And who in all hells are you?" affirmed a sharp-dressed man with a strange powder residue stuck in his thick mustache.
Fréamund turned to the man who called and recognized him in an instant. "I am a God, and you are not. That's all you need to know, Takashi Hino."
"That's Mayor Hino for you, asswipe!" he snapped back, the effects of whatever he had snorted clouding his judgment. "State your business or-"
Before he could speak any further, the Mayor of Tokyo started feeling something grasping at his throat. Only as he desperately fought for breath did he know it was no ordinary weird assailant he was dealing with.
"You are no stranger to the dark worships," Fréamund affirmed. "Use your authority for the greater good for once in your miserly life."
The Mayor of Tokyo nodded as he felt his breath return, his eyes emitting the red glow of demonic possession. "Yes. I am at your command."
"Good!" the dark servant affirmed while permitting himself a grin. "The biggest threat to the order of the world, right now, are the Sailor Guardians. And one of them, I know... Is your own daughter, Rei."
The politician seemed unfazed at the mention of his daughter. "I see. Where do I go from here?"
"You have five points in your city that need to be purged. Send forth the men under your jurisdiction to block its strange power. And tell the people in the United Nations Summit to prevent themselves as well. That is all."
Takashi Hino silently nodded and left back to wherever he came from, to resume his session of unholy indulgence.
"As for the rest of you... Celebrate! Opiate! Fornicate! Sin to your heart's content! Send your energies to the Underworld, for the fulfillment of the Lord of Light!"
The festivities resumed with even more eagerness and strength. The ultimate plan would go ahead, and all the attendees were none the wiser to their own doom.
(xx)
A Sailor Guardian's duty is never over, as long as she is alive and there is evil to combat. Setsuna Meioh knew of this better than anyone else, for in her previous incarnation she spent millennia as the Guardian of the Time-Space Door. Upon her resurrection, she was relieved of this hard and solitary duty, but still had to hone her skills as a Sailor Guardian for the battles to come.
Even before the fateful battle against Galaxia, she wanted to follow the steps of a good portion of humanity and pursue what is usually called a "normal life," acquiring as much knowledge and expertise as she could. Perhaps even find someone to share her time with.
And she found the company and love she wanted in one Professor Souichi Tomoe. It was so strange - after all, he was once an enemy. Strictly speaking, they were a couple, and a very happy one at that. Sadly, they could not consummate their love for one another, due to Setsuna's unique skill that she retained from her transfiguration. To Tomoe, that didn't matter: He was content with the honest companionship of somebody to whom he could confide what went on in his racing mind.
"My dear, is something the matter?" Tomoe asked as both tucked Hotaru into bed.
"Oh, it's nothing, Soichi," she answered with a timid smile, eyes between him and the crib where the young Guardian slept soundly.
But the professor knew how to read her expressions and evaluate whether she was saying the truth or not. A single suspicious eyebrow raise made it clear. Setsuna had no other choice but to confess her anguish.
"Well, I have been thinking about the repercussions of past events. And how they affect the present."
"I see. Do you feel like telling me what happened?"
His reassuring words made her feel somewhat better, and she began her tale.
(xx)
Hotaru's Dreamscape
Inside her mind, just as whenever she needed to transform into Sailor Saturn, Hotaru was already grown into a teenager and could localize herself just fine. That place did seem strange to her, but at the same time, she was not afraid of walking through the dampened halls of that tunnel.
"Be not afraid, child," she heard a female voice speak. When Hotaru reached the bottom of the grotto, she saw two large, pale-skinned people. The man was the exact image of Hotaru, but with obvious male features such as a full beard upon his face. The woman had long auburn hair and wore a crown of flowers.
"How glad we are to see you once more, Melinoe," the man spoke while drawing a slight smile.
"Melinoe... Is that me?" the Guardian of Death asked.
"It seems you do not remember your true heritage," the woman then said. "I am Persephone, and this is Hades. We were your forebears in the turn between the Age of Gods and the First Age of Humanity."
"Hades and Persephone... I know the legend! You are the Gods of the Underworld! And you are my original parents as well... But why would you speak to me this way, in my dreams?"
"This is the only way we can talk to you, child," Persephone calmly explained. "Due to the actions of the Fallen Angel, there is now an opening between the Universe, the Dreaming and the Underworld. We can speak to you this way from our stasis in the Hades."
"Your role in this Holy War is to take back what is yours by birthright," Hades explained. "The Underworld is your domain, and its denizens are your people. Your role is to guide them for correction and purification, before sending them to the place of origin of all things, the Galaxy Cauldron."
All of that somehow made sense to the young Guardian... Except for one thing. "But if that is true, how come I am also Sailor Saturn?"
"The outer belt of the Galaxy had no natural leaders," Persephone resumed. "The last remaining Gods agreed to give out their scions to become rulers in conjunction with their inherited duties, so long as they remained chaste. You, as our daughter, inherited the Saturn Crystal and thus became the heir to the Throne of Thanatos."
"Chaste..." Hotaru spoke appalled.
"I believe this rule no longer applies in such an age," Persephone calmly intervened. "If Metis and Eos could come to love one another, so can you, at your right time, find the person you wish."
"That's relieving to know, I guess," Hotaru said as she blushed. "I also want to be a scientist, like... My father."
"You are free to pursue that as well, Melinoe," Hades spoke once more while opening a reassuring smile. "Or better yet, Hotaru Tomoe. It is not fair to bind you to a fate you did not ask for or build for yourself. This is also what Grammaton... Or Astar, as he calls himself now, wished to do when he reincarnated as a human being and sought for you and the Sailor Guardians."
"But still, only you can strike down the Fallen Angel," Persephone then continued. "This is why you must act and tap into your true heritage. But for that... Some sacrifices must be made."
"Wait... What sacrifices!?"
(xx)
Baby Hotaru briefly woke up crying. Professor Tomoe and Setsuna promptly barged in her room to see what was wrong.
"There, there, child," her father cradled her and helped her calm down. She did not seem sick or hungry or in need of a diaper change, so the baby calmed down easily in her father's arms.
"A nightmare, most likely," relievedly commented Setsuna.
"There you go," Soichi softly spoke as he put his daughter back on her crib. "I can't imagine what goes inside her head, even if she is just a toddler. Anyway, can you resume what you were telling me of your past?"
"Oh, of course."
When she was reborn as Setsuna Meioh, the Guardian of Time already knew of what was going to happen to certain people, provided she had physical contact with a person on her own will. Why that happened, she couldn't tell.
The first ones were her own biological parents. Her first future vision was that of her father: He was bound to die in a freak accident on October 7th, 1980. In that exact day, a familiar voice called her: "Do not interfere."
Nobumotsu Meioh, aged 44, died after hitting his head on the floor while trying to change a lightbulb in the living room of his home. During the wake, Setsuna did not bring herself to cry. Nobody but herself could tell why - It was because she knew her father would be gone... And there was nothing she could do about it. The tears of grief over her father were already shed long ago.
But afterwards, everybody who she ever touched had the same thing. She would see their end... and not knowing why this happened, she blamed herself as if she was the one hexing peoples' fates. As a result, she slowly became avoidant of direct contact with anybody. Most people just assumed it was some kind of trauma, or phobia of some kind, and even suggested young Setsuna underwent some kind of therapy. Neither her nor her mother Tokiko agreed, since other than that, she acted perfectly normal and actively pursued being next to people.
She eventually reached the age where her body and her mind craved for company, but how could she fill that desire without fulfilling the utmost requirement of physical contact?
In high school, Setsuna somewhat expected at least someone to approach her with romantic intentions, and she didn't mind it - After all, she had a unique aura of attractiveness, with her swarthy skin and her tranquil, welcoming attitude towards everything and everyone, despite her aversion to closeness.
But of all the boys in the school that could try to pass some moves on her, why it had to be him?
It's not that Naitou Kakusareta was ugly, or a terrible person, much on the contrary on both accounts. The son of an acclaimed defense attorney and head of the Japanese Freemasonry House, he was incredibly popular with boys and girls alike. How could she refuse when he asked her out on a date?
On the fateful day, they held hands... And Setsuna inmediatly saw that he was bound to be run over by a speeding bus on the way out of school the following Monday. She spent the weekend mulling seriously about what was going to happen to the only boy she ever came to like thus far, and could barely sleep well.
When that day came, time seemed as if it passed slower than usual. Setsuna could barely concentrate, wondering only if there was something that could be done about Naitou and his untimely death.
The final bell rang. She hastily ran to the front gate.
She heard that female voice once more: Do not interfere! But rather than obey and let Naitou suffer the same early fate of her father, Setsuna would pay it no mind, and would try to save him beforehand. If things worked out, she would never have to see anybody dying because of her ever again.
"DON'T DO IT!" the voice inside her head screamed. Setsuna ignored it, and pulled Naitou out of the careening bus' path, which zoomer past them with terrifying speed until it stopped on its own, several feet away.
Not a single witness of the scene went unamused.
"I knew you'd come for me," Naitou spoke. "Thank you for this... Aeon. You will not regret this in the long run."
Aeon. Why did he call her that? Why did he act like he somehow knew her? Setsuna ignored the praises she was receiving, and promptly ran away back home once more. She had done the right thing, but somehow... She felt an impending sense of doom that still kept her on edge that night.
The next day, when she went back to school, Setsuna saw her deepest fears concretized in the most horrifying way: the walls were completely covered in blood and guts that formed some kind of running river, and the corpses of every single student were spread out all over the school's grounds and corridors. The smell and sight were unbearable, and Setsuna had to hold his gag reflex and the will to run away. Curiosity beat out her fear, so she followed the path of running blood towards the top of the main building... And saw the perpetrator of the massacre in the middle of a circle of blood, arms raised to the sky that shined as red as the flash the pentagram emitted.
"Naitou..."
"The contract with Lucifer needed fresh virgin blood," he calmly explained. "And what better place to find virgin blood than in a school? Other than one or another naughty kid, none have tasted heaven in their loins..."
"But... But why!? WHY!?"
Naitou first laughed, then resumed his explanation. "Humanity has failed once more in prospering and living in harmony with one another. It is time for it to be destroyed, and the Lord of the Underworld is all too happy to comply. From one God to another, thank you once more for saving me. I will make sure that your efforts will not go unrewarded."
A snap of his fingers and everything around them disappeared. No blood or corpses or any traces of the mass murder that took place in that school. And no matter who she told it to, nobody believed in Setsuna's tale. It was as if nothing had happened, and both the school and its students had never existed.
(xx)
"You inadvertently helped out the enemy," the Professor concluded, anguished by Setsuna's tale. "And you blame yourself for all of this."
"How couldn't I?" she with a trembling voice. "If I had simply obeyed the voice, and let him die... I followed my heart for once, and all it brought was an insurmountable tragedy."
"If only I could help you with this," he insisted as he reached his hand to hers. Something snapped all over Setsuna's mind and body at that exact moment. It was all too familiar, all too traumatic for Setsuna - The very same scene as Naitou years before. She tried to back off, but she inevitably felt the contact of her hand's skin on his. Soichi himself released her from his grasp and waited for her answer.
After a few silent moments, Setsuna got up and sprinted toward their shared bedroom. The Professor was unsure if it was because of their touch and felt rather nervous about it. Perhaps I was too eager, he thought. I shouldn't have done that. He heard some noise from inside the bedroom that broke his line of thought, so he went there... And saw Setsuna pushing his single bed together with hers.
"Setsuna..."
"I did not see anything when I touched you," she affirmed with joy in her voice. "This damned curse of mine has been lifted. This may not be the best moment for this, but please, Soichi... For the love you have for me... Let's prove to each other that things aren't as bad as they seem to be, and that there are still lingering threads of hope to hang on to."
The Guardian of Time lifted her arms and made a come-hither motion with her hands. There wasn't anything Soichi could possibly say upon hearing that and seeing their single beds together as one. The implication was crystal-clear.
(xx)
"So, let me get this straight," Shinozaki spoke to Astar as he finished his own story. "Your real name is Grammaton, you're an Angel that got cursed into becoming an incubus, and you exist ever since literally forever? And you were the one who planned for the awakening of the Sailor Guardians, our deaths and rebirths, and the whole thing against Lucifer?"
To that brief summary, Astar nodded in confirmation. "Prior to my rebirth, I had struck a deal with the Heavenly Kings to seek for the men they truly loved in the modern age and gift them the items that would denote them as who the current Kings should aim for, if only so they could be better prepared."
"And that was before either of the Guardians were reborn," reminded Daisuke.
"That is right," Zoisite confirmed. "We knew their Star Seeds were sent to this exact place in time, and we knew our time as Heavenly Kings had already passed, so we didn't try to revive to be with them. We were supposed to come out as temporary wraiths for the ritual slaying of the prospects, but... Beryl revived us and put us under a spell to work for her once more."
"And to make matters worse, I was reborn as a normal human being named Ashitaka Onizuka," resumed Astar. "No memories of who I truly was and what I was supposed to do, and to top it off, I had lived quite a fair share of hardships in this life."
"Chances were that if we had reincarnated like Astar, we'd end up in the same situation," Jadeite chimed in. "Then again, we had to fend off with Lucifer and his cronies, so even if we did want to be reborn, it would give way for the forces of Hell to grow stronger."
"Thankfully, everything is working out, more or less," added Nephrite. "And thankfully, this Fengari kid who passed himself as Tuxedo Mask was conveniently helping us out as well."
"Huh... All this time, I thought I was speaking to Chiba himself," Yuuichirou commented.
Astar resumed once more. "So indeed, I brought over the necessary items for all of you, and they were embedded in my body when I was reborn. To free them from their fates, if they wish so, but to guarantee they'd have the people they love together with them if they went ahead with it anyways. For eons, the Sailor Guardians carried their duty alongside people they never loved... It would not be fair to continue this unfair tradition, even if it was necessary for the equilibrium of the Universe."
The Heavenly Kings all felt somewhat down when the Angel mentioned how they were not chosen by the Guardians as their partners.
"All in all, he was there to undo what was wrong," completed Kunzite. "To sever the last thread the Fates had woven to keep things in a straight path, and to offer a chance at peace and happiness to the women that defend Existence itself."
"Oh, but when Miss Usagi finds out who you truly are... She's gonna freak out like she never did before." reminded Ryo. "And she freaks out over the most minor of things."
"You know what else she will freak out over?" Spoke a deep and ominous voice from afar. In the horizon of the Styx, they could see a large contingent of people, led by a gigantic, crimson-colored demon with four muscular arms and the head of an ox. Astar and the Heavenly Kings knew well who that was: Moloch, the Legionnaire of Envy. All nine men looked in shock as the monsters stepped forward over the waters of the river.
"What... You thought we'd let you go ahead with your cute little plan?"
"Stand back," warned Kunzite to the four prospects. "Not even us stand any chance against them, much less any of you."
"Damned demons... How in all hells are you able to trespass the Styx?" Nephrite snapped.
"The entropy of the gate between Hell and Earth is nullifying whatever holiness this supposed sanctum had," gloated Moloch. "And the energy of the prayers give us enough power to walk on the Styx unharmed."
"The gate to Earth!" the Heavenly Kings exclaimed in unison.
"The gate to Earth!" Moloch repeated in jest. "Thanks in part to your little romp on the surface, you could no longer interfere with Lucifer's plan, as you did since the fall of the Galactic Commonwealth!"
It dawned on the Kings that they were summoned by Dis Pater and Fréamund not to be their allies or to serve the caprices of self-important demons - It was to avoid their recurring interference in the Fallen Angel's plans. Their own search for the prospects came to a large price.
"There is nothing you can do to avoid your fate... I shall start by tearing the Angel apart. He has been a spanner in our engines for far too long."
"No, you won't," the Angel spoke in the tone he usually took when using the power of the Word. It did nothing.
"You have no power here anymore!" the Legionnaire of Envy boasted once more as his lower set of arms grabbed Astar and lifted then, and its upper arms were used to strangle him.
But before he could actually make any damages, yet another contingent appear ... This time, from their side. Animals of all kinds rushed towards the place where
"Bast!" Astar recognized.
Apis, the Ox God, tore violently into Moloch and saved Astar in the nick of time. Several other animals of all kinds appeared in three hosts, all ready to battle.
"I should have known that these beasts would not comply," the Legionnaire of Envy snarked as he was helped get back on his feet by two ghouls.
"We'll hold them back," affirmed Bast to the others while the other animal deities formed a row.
"But-"
"Run away! NOW!"
The regiment led by Moloch advanced and broke into an all-out war with the animal Gods. "Run all you can. It will do you no good. None of you are safe anymore!"
"What are you waiting for?" said Elarairah, the Hare God who led one of the allied hosts. "Away with you now!"
"We better do as they say," Astar suggested.
"Sullied beasts... None of you deserve to be called Gods! Prepare yourselves for oblivion!"
The Kings, the prospects and Astar had no other choice but to leave the onslaught behind. They couldn't stop to look as the animal Gods sacrificed themselves against the hosts led by Moloch. They couldn't even question what would happen to their training. All they knew was that they had to run away, as fast as they could, anywhere they could... And hope that not all was lost.
Whew! Adult life is catching up, but I'm not letting it stop me from completing this fic!
Thanks to everyone who comes by to check, user or anonymous! Especialmente a ti litakino1987, que deja sus detallados aportes muy bienvenidos!
If it doesn't hurt, leave out a review as well. I don't bite.
Next chapter: What happened to the bodies of the prospects, and more Legionnaires make their moves against humanity.
Greetings from the Hospitaller Knight.