Theme Song #1 for Season One: Another Way to Die by Jack White & Alicia Keys from 00:51-01:41

# # #

Sitting alone in a dark room, dimly lit by a circle of candles, a woman with long, dark hair sat in the middle of them. Her eyes closed and her hands folded, she breathed quietly and made no noise, except for an occasional hum.

Without warning, the calmness inside the room and outside was broken with a sudden strong wind blowing through the open window, extinguishing the candles. It was over just as soon as it began, leaving the room dark and her once straight hair strewn into a wild mess.

She just sat there in the silence, blinking.

# # #

The door to the upper deck of the Moon Palace Training Grounds opened and through it came a tall man with messy black hair and gray eyes, wearing a sharp white and grey uniform with black boots and a black shoulder cape. He was followed by a woman of equal height, though with longer brown hair and green eyes.

He stopped at the railing to watch the current crop of newly recruited palace guards train, his eyes resting on a rather large man prowling around inside the main fighting circle as his opponent lunged at him. The man raised his boot and kicked the other in the stomach, stomping and pinning him to the ground.

"Lucinda," he said, making his way to the stairs down while she trailed behind. "Make a note, I want all the trainers to stress agility just as much as they do raw power and bladework."

"Yes sir," replied Lucinda, writing in a small notepad.

"Prince Kazu," came a voice as the two reached the bottom of the stairs. "I'm glad you've come to see how our fresh recruits are doing."

Kazu turned toward the source of the voice to see a short, but brawny and heavily scarred bald man with a goatee and eyepatch walking toward him.

"Hello Max. Seems they need a lot more practice," Kazu said.

"Ah yes," the other responded. "It seems many of my students do not fully understand what it is to wield the blade."

"Who's that slab of beef," he asked pointing to the man in the circle.

"Eh. He says his name is Simon Salaxar. He offered to be first in the sparring circle this morning and he's been dominating ever since."

"Nothing stops the blob, it would seem," Kazu said. He took off his shoulder cape and handed it to Lucinda. "Hand me a practice sword."

"Are you sure?" Max asked. "He's broken one leg, knocked out two others and bruised his fair share of ribs."

"And you're still letting him spar against rookie recruits? Maybe it's less them not understanding swordplay and more you not being a proper head trainer."

"Eh… um…well…" Max stammered.

"Shut up and hand me a practice sword."

"Yes sir," he said, giving him the wooden weapon.

Kazu grabbed it and walked over to the sparring circle. The trainers under Max started gathering their students around to watch Kazu's demonstration. He entered and faced Simon. The two bowed and Kazu moved into a fighting stance.

"Watch and learn," he yelled as Simon started circling. Kazu slowly and patiently kept pace, always remaining directly in front of his opponent. Eventually, Simon broke toward Kazu, swinging his sword with great power.

Kazu dodged and jumped backward. He put one foot on the lower railing of the circle's perimeter and pushed off, backing up to again be on the other side of ring.

Simon ran toward him again. Kazu moved toward him and juked, missing the tip of Simon's sword. The two turned again, a bit closer to each other. Simon swung again, but Kazu jump kicked, knocking the sword out of Simon's hand. He grabbed it in mid-air.

"Take it back," Kazu said, offering it to him. Simon ran toward him but when he got close enough, he ducked and swept his legs out from under him. He swung one sword down onto his neck and with the other he poked him in the back. "Dead."

"Power can only get you so far," Kazu said to the trainees as he handed the swords to one of the trainers outside the circle. "Don't underestimate the usefulness of agility. If you stay one step ahead of your enemy, pay attention to your surroundings, and never allow them to outmaneuver you, it could give you the edge."

Kazu walked toward Max. "As for you," he said. "I want to see you tomorrow morning in my office."

"Tomorrow morning won't work," Lucinda said, walking up to Kazu with a piece of paper. "Message from Queen Serenity," she said handing him the paper and his shoulder cape.

"Fine," Kazu said, sighing, taking both. "Maximillian Gerard, I'm removing you as head trainer for the time being until I can determine whether or not you're fit to remain in your duties." He turned to Lucinda. "Inform Harrison Calta that he's temporarily in charge of the trainees."

"Yes sir," she said, turning and walking away to find Calta.

"But… but… but sir," Max stuttered.

"Are you questioning my decision as Captain of the Guard of the Moon Kingdom and the Prince of Sol?

"No sir," Max said, shrinking away.

Kazu stared at him as he left the training grounds. "Idiot," he muttered to himself, looking at the message Lucinda gave him.

# # #

A tall woman with waist length, red hair in a flowing, purple dress and stone earrings, carrying a scepter strode up the stone steps that leading to a skull, like rock formation, with a giant cylinder of red-orange energy protruding from the mouth. "Metallia," the woman said with creepy reverence as she knelt. "You summoned me?"

"I did, Beryl," replied the energy in a grating, female voice. "You've done well in your initial attempts to foment hostility toward Prince Endymion and his reign. Keep your present course and we shall see remarkable results.

"Thank you," Beryl said, raising her head to look at the formation. "That impertinent prince will soon find rebuffing me in favor of that whelp on the moon to be the worst mistake he ever made. If I cannot have him, then no one can."

"Yes, yes," the energy responded, seemingly relishing Beryl's jealousy. "And once you usurp him as ruler of the earth, we can crush the rest of the Moon Kingdom. The Solar System will be ours and then, the universe."

"A glorious day that will be," Beryl said, smiling widely. "No one will be able to stand in our way."

# # #

In a side room off Queen Serenity's main throne room, a group sat at a circular table. In the middle was Queen Serenity flanked by her chief advisors: a black cat named Luna and a white cat named Artemis, both with crescent moon markings on their foreheads. Next to them were Lord of Coinage Valen Corrigan, Lady of Justice Princess Misaki, princess of Sol and Kazu's twin sister. On the other side were Lord of the Royal Subjects Tagmar Bendix and Keeper of the Asteroids, Prince Hayate Watashita, second prince of Sol and Kazu's younger brother. Behind Serenity stood Kazu.

"Thank you all for being here on such short notice," Queen Serenity started. "The purpose of this emergency Inner Council meeting is that Princess Mars has sensed an ill wind from Earth."

"Her sensations and premonitions usually turn out to be correct," Corrigan said. "Did she say what exactly she felt or what she saw?"

"No," the queen answered. "According to her, it was a rather sudden and violent gust of wind from the direction of the Earth."

"What did she eat before she started meditating?" asked Hayate with a grin on his face.

"Hayate," groaned Misaki, glaring at her brother.

"Well no, he has a point," interjected Bendix. "Remember that time a few years ago when she ate something that didn't agree with her and she had all those weird visions?"

"Yes, that was when we had all those weird sunspots we couldn't explain and thought they were connected even though they weren't," Luna said. "But that was one time."

"And I've never let her forget it," Hayate said.

"You probably should," Artemis said. "But as for this specific instance… there's not much to go on. A gust of wind and some malevolent feelings… It's all very nebulous."

"But if there's a chance it could actually be something, it bears looking into, doesn't it?" asked Luna.

"I agree," said Misaki.

"You want to start investigating what? Weather patterns over the oceans?" Hayate asked. "We literally have nothing to go off of except the wind."

"Kazu, you haven't said anything," Queen Serenity said. "What do you think?"

"Well," he said, slowly starting to walk clockwise around the table. "Valen, Misaki, and Luna all do have a point. Mars senses an ill wind from Earth. It's better to be safe than sorry, especially if there's a chance to stop something small from turning into something big. But I also agree with Hayate, Tagmar, and Artemis. How do we investigate wind, especially wind that's already blown?"

He paused, now on the complete opposite side of Queen Serenity.

"I posit," he said, looking up and rubbing his chin. "That we do nothing."

"What an odd thing for a spymaster to say," said Luna.

"You didn't let me finish, Luna," Kazu said. "We do nothing… for now. We wait and see. But at the same time, I send my Mice scurrying over the surface of the Earth for information. They're bound to find something we can work with."

"That sounds agreeable," Queen Serenity said. "Does anyone have any objections to that?"

"Not an objection, just a question," Misaki said. "Can you increase guard patrols? Just to be on the safe side?"

"Sure," Kazu said. "I'll have Lucinda relay that to my captains."

"If that's it then?" Queen Serenity asked, looking around the table. "Great," she continued, seeing no response. "Meeting adjourned."