Subject: CoT: Infinite Negative rough draft I
Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1999 06:29:42 PDT
From: "His lordship Chaos" <hislordshipchaos@hotmail.com>
To: echo5a@deskmedia.com, tnf927@hotmail.com

Greetings!

His lordship Chaos here.

Well, slowly but steadily a war is actually taking place! ^^ From here on in
everything starts to snowball. What I've got is probably the first half of
CoT: Infinite Negative. As usual let me know if I've strayed from the
straight and plot continuity.

Quick note for Todd: have you written anything in regards to the Venus
computer hack yet? I'm nearing that scene and I don't know if there's a
particular format I need to follow. If you have anything written in regards
to that, let me know ASAP. You'll also need to let me know if anything
between Magellan & Frederic's conversation in the rose garden is a problem
for your side of the story.

Other than that, enjoy!

Ja!

Lord Chaos.

**
**

        The faded and gutted halls of Ilsa Esylin were silent in watching
the dying
magik of Aurora. Night had fallen upon the Earth, and the darkness was now
threatened with incredible rippling lights that covered the skies. Beautiful
in design, elegant in spectacle, and perhaps even romantic in gesture, the
Aurora Borealis remained one last token of the planet's incredible magik.
        Yet as she gazed upon the dancing lights, a different kind of
exhilaration
was coursing through her body. The distant explosion in the skies not so
long before this had marked the end of Aurora.
        Morgana smiled to herself.
        In a way, that had proven to be useful on two counts. Her messiah
had been
found, and at the very least demonstrated a devastating magik; with this
woman leading her armies, the fear alone would make her unstoppable. And at
the same time, Aurora and all its mages and samurai would have become her
greatest obstacle.
        How fitting that now they were gone.
        Sapphire eyes gazed at the ruins of Ilsa Esylin. Death and
stagnation were
all around her...and amidst it was a strange sort of beauty. All was quiet
save for the distant roar of the waves which surrounded this island castle.
Here in her own little empire she was queen.
        Soon Ilsa Esylin would no longer be her home.
        Camelot....
        Her future lied there with the city of the Pendragon.
        She walked between rows of broken columns without a roof to support.
Some
were missing, others cleaved in half or else toppled over. The pathway
before her was clear, and so she continued to walk.
        Moonlight filtered through the Aurora Borealis.
        But this light slowly disappeared as shadows overtook her every
step,
converging in every place where something should have been visible beneath
the stars. Ilsa Esylin's ruins sank into her Shadowspell, and the emptiness
of the fallen castle became her domain.
        Her realm.
        The stone caverns, exquisitely carved and towering high over her
head,
replaced the crumbling walls and broken stairways. Twin moons became her
source of light rather than the lights dancing about the skies. And she
could clearly hear the sound of rushing water flow past her, above her,
below her. The waterfalls were everywhere; aqueducts carved into the rocks
were only part of the design, as thin rivers of water moved through the very
air itself.
        A caduceus slowly appeared in her grip, the ancient sceptre's
diamond
sparkling in the faint light of this world. Morgana held the caduceus before
her eyes, gazing into the facets of the gemstone.
        The messiah...Morgana could sense this woman drawing closer to this
planet.
Very soon the one who called herself Mistress Nine would appear. And then
the true conquest of Earth could begin. She would cleanse it of all
uncertainties, release it of all doubts. The petty bickering between peoples
and planets would end under her power. She would become the law, absolute
and infinite.
        She was the Solis System's future.
        And it was beautiful.
        The shadows watch her, edges of darkness billowing out and
fluttering. And
in the heart of them, something shifted in the darkness behind her. Magik
rustled, quietly but demanding immediate attention regardless.
        "Patience," Morgana soothed, not even turning around to watch the
sifting
shadows. "Everything is falling into place just as I've designed it to. Once
Mistress Nine comes to Earth, I will take control of Arthur's empire...and
then you can be released."
        The shadows seemed displeased.
        They demanded a response to a question.
        A scowl marred Morgana's face. The ones she had sent after Magellan
and
that Venusian girl had failed, just as her Caltain had failed in retrieving
the one whose soul bore that incredible magik. So many unexpected failures,
smaller in scope yet giving her reason to seethe.
        It appeared as if the power she had acquired, this dark magik she
had been
given, was not as potent as once thought. If not that, then she was
underestimating some of her opponents.
        Truth was Morgana remained uncertain as to why she had been
instructed to
attack that Venusian girl's shuttle, and then once more while the child was
in Vlatmere province. It made no sense...to her at least. Her master, the
one within the shadows, however was most specific about ending that girl's
life.
        No matter; in time this girl would either bow to her powers, or else
die
like the others.
        However, while she had patience, her master did not.
        Empress Metalia was eager to enter this world, one way or
another....

                        MUGEN (-¥) INFINITE NEGATIVE

                          (A Circles of Time tale)

        As with a world brimming with life, a story can never be centered on
one
place for very long without the need to reveal another realm standing
alongside it. It is a tapestry, threads intersecting and destinies
colliding. So in journeying to the realm of light, one must also return to
the heart of darkness.
        Aurora.
        A once rich and beautiful world.
        Now gone.
        And here she laid among its remains, her body sprawled out across
one of
the ragged chunks of rock now floating through the darkness of space.
Tresses of long emerald dark hair draped itself over her back as her eyes
fluttered open. Magenta orbs focused on the lifelessness around her.
        The guardress of time stood.
        Setsuna slowly turned, picking up the key-shaped staff that had been
laying
next to her when she awoke. The shard of stone she found herself upon was
floating, rotating until she found herself at an angle which by all rights
should have had her floating off. But gravity was no longer applicable to
this place.
        A void within space.
        "How...how can I be breathing?" she whispered. Magenta eyes widened.
"Masaka!"
        Time had been stopped.
        Chiming rings echoed across a vacuum which should have allowed no
sound to
penetrate. A brief metallic chord reached her ears. Setsuna let the rock
continue its rotation until she felt that she was at last rightside-up.
        She turned her head to the one she knew to be lurking here
somewhere. And
from another piece of lifeless rock, the Raithe was quietly watching her.
        Both of them should have been dead.
        The magik of Death Reborn Revolution had consumed Aurora entirely.
First
the Silence had swept across the face of the planet, annihilating everything
it touched. People and palaces were blown apart like leaves as the hellish
onslaught made its course across the surface. The Silence collided with
itself at the southern pole, detonating into a pillar of pure destructive
magik that tore through the very core of Aurora. It burst through the
northern pole, ripping the planet from inside out.
        Nothing could have held the planet together.
        And Aurora had exploded into millions of fragments of rock.
        "You...." she whispered, not daring to have her voice become any
louder.
Any more volume and it would have been a vicious hiss.
        Eyes of the midnight skies never faultered, an even stare taking in
every
image of betrayal that shone through her face. The bitterness in her
quivering lips. The tears brimming at the edges of her trembling magenta
eyes. The pale colour to otherwise tanned skin.
        And yet all he did was watch, motionless.
        A spectre amidst it all.
        The Raithe pivoted, making a sweeping gesture with his shakujyo. The
garnet
orb flickered to life, a windfall of magik escaping the crystal sphere atop
his staff. Shades of grey faded to reveal colours. The darkness was alive,
sparkling lights all around her in the aftermath of annihilation. The black
rock became earthen mud, and she could see the texture that had once existed
at the heart of Aurora's core. Rays from the distant sun were scattered,
most of the golden warmth lost by the immense debris field all around them,
blocking out the light.
        Setsuna pushed off the rock she was upon, floating through space and
slowly
if not gracefully twisting her body so that she could land upon the piece of
earth where the Raithe stood. In the vacuum, despite time having been
stopped for the most part, rapid actions were slowed down to elegantly
delayed movements.
        Nothing was said between them.
        He opened his hand.
        Inside was a flower, dripping in shadow hues with a curving stem
adorned in
thorns. Petals of darkest night opened up, blossoming to reveal a flower
that should never have been. Seconds later a wind swept past the two of
them, tearing the petals from the fragile blossom.
        A black rose.
        "Sacrifice is a part of duty," the Raithe stated. "Aurora's
destruction had
to occur, or else the continuum would have been torn apart...by the very
paradox you created in sending Hotaru here."
        The silence was shattered.
        Whatever solitude was held between them in mourning for the death of
a
planet was lost.
        Setsuna's grip in her time staff tightened. "Their deaths meant
nothing to
you," she stated angrily. "You watched with a distant expression, as if
their pain never existed. You're watching me with that same face even now."
        "I have had centuries to build up a thick skin," the Raithe replied.
"I do
what needs to be done; it is my duty to help create the future that will be,
no matter what the cost."
        "What about the lives of others?" she shot back. "What about your
own
life?"
        The Raithe's eyes narrowed. Something that might have been a growl
escaped
his lips, a glare from his eyes causing her to step back. "You would be wise
to watch what you say, Setsuna. Guarding time is a duty you still have much
to learn about. In the heat of this moment, I will let your rude words
pass."
        She had managed to find a nerve.
        That almost surprised her.
        But it didn't end the pain and frustration that was within her. So
many of
those on Aurora she had talked with, walked alongside, even shared quiet
moments with. And now it was gone, torn from her by a cruel knife of fate.
        She couldn't hold it back.
        And now all her anger had found a focus: him.
        With an engraged cry she swung the time staff over her head,
smashing it
down upon the Raithe. His shakujyo was already raised to counter her attack.
She didn't relent, trying to forcibly have him lower his defenses.
        "You brought Mistress Nine into being!" she exclaimed, the tears no
longer
able to be held back. They flowed down her cheeks, falling from her chin
onto his face. "It's all because of you they died!"
        "Don't get sanctimonious with me, Setsuna!" the Raithe snapped. "I
know
what duty means. I have been following it through for centuries upon
centuries before you were even conceived. I have done what I have done for
the sake of the future, for a dream you yourself once lived in!"
        He suddenly pushed her back, both of them putting distance between
the
other. She shook her head, unwilling to let the Raithe justify his actions.
The future could be created without such a loss of life. It was all she had
left to believe in now, as she stood amidst the remains of Aurora.
        Magenta eyes closed. Her own garnet orb started to glow as her magik
began
to manifest. The key-shaped staff was raised, aimed directly at the Raithe.
Her attack came in but a whisper:
        "Dead Scream."
        The blast of light filled the waste-laiden heavens, engulfing them
both.
And then it was suddenly cut in half, the Raithe's shakujyo ripping her
magik in two. He landed right in front of her.
        Both of them were panting, gasping for air.
        Neither one moved.
        "I cannot make amends for what has already come to pass, Setsuna,"
he said.
"You know just as I that the past cannot be changed. Call it what you wish:
destiny, fate, kismet. It is our duty to be both its instigators and its
slaves. She can be a cruel mistress sometimes, Setsuna, but it will not
change the fact that we now find ourselves in an asteroid belt where Aurora
once was."
        "We should be dead," she stated. "Hotaru as well. Death Reborn
Revolution
should have killed her in the process."
        The Raithe shook his head. "That fatal magik would end the life of
the
invoker if she were Sailor Saturn. Mistress Nine is not a Sailor Senshi; the
daemon energy inside of her is feeding her magik."
        "But that means she could use it again."
        "True...but she won't. Aurora was just venting off steam; Earth is
her true
target, one that she has little intention of destroying."
        Setsuna gravely watched the cosmos above and beyond what her magenta
eyes
could see. She knew well enough what the Raithe meant. "Pharaoh Ninety.
She's going to try and bring the alien entity to our solar system. All
because you had to show it the way here."
        He looked to the vast shards of rock floating all around, above and
beneath
them. One day perhaps, a queen would establish a quartet of soldiers to
guard over this place. A memorium for the souls who had perished here in a
war that existed only for the sake of a future yet to be discovered.
        "Believe me when I tell you that this was the only way to stop the
paradox," he said, his voice in but a whisper.
        "How can I trust you after what you have done?" she asked.
        The Raithe turned to stare at her, midnight eyes of sadness
betraying the
cool demeanour he usually showed. "You don't. You can't. But the war has
only just begun, Setsuna. Nothing ever truly ends. And nothing ever truly
dies so long as time continues to move full circle."
        The tears had stopped flowing.
        Her own grief and anger had subsided.
        Setsuna let her gaze sweep across the vast desolation of Aurora. A
large
fragment of rock leisurely spun through the empty space over their heads,
momentarily eclipsing the starlights and forcing them to dwell in darkness.
"Hotaru...iie, Mistress Nine was able to do this to a planet. The rest of
the solar system doesn't stand a chance against a Messiah of Silence."
        The Raithe's eyes closed. "Then your future is already lost."
        She turned to him, more frustration than anything else rising in her
expression. Every time with him it was like this; despite even Aurora's
destruction, he continued to play with these cryptic games. "What is there
that I can do, that any of us can do?" she demanded.
        His eyes slowly opened, watching her.
        Studying her.
        Appraising her as if to see whether she could truly be the guardress
of
time. "Mistress Nine will not destroy another planet," he said. "Destiny has
seen to that. However, there is a greater power she now seeks as the Messiah
of Silence. And if she claims this magik as her own, then what has happened
to Aurora will pale in comparison."
        Winds unseen yet very much felt blew past them. The pleated folds of
her
sailor fuku danced around her waist, and the long edges of his raven-dark
robes billowed out before him. They stood at a new edge of heaven, on the
crossroads of a new destiny being forged.
        The Raithe leaned on his shakujyo. "I have almost fulfilled my own
duties,
followed through with my own choices. My actions have set this in motion,
and only your actions can help it come to a close. Setsuna, if you indeed
wish for Crystal Tokyo to appear, then you must go to Earth. The
future--yours and everyone else's--is waiting for you there."
        He straighened, moved ever so much closer to the precipace where
lifeless
rock became darkest space. Midnight eyes reflected the midnight heavens, and
for a moment he was respectfully silent. Though out of respect for what she
remained uncertain.
        "You are never truly alone in your journeys, Setsuna," he said.
"Very soon
others like you will come to Earth, to fight for the future. I have already
ensured they hold the magik and the Talismans necessary to continue the
battle against the Dark Messiah."
        Her eyes widened, already understanding his hidden words. "Sailor
Senshi,"
she said.
        The Raithe nodded. "Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune will need your
guidance if they are to help locate the Grail. Only with the Grail's powers
can you find the one soul destined to stop Mistress Nine, and restore peace
to this solar system."
        Holy...Grail.
        It was a word that seemed vaguely familiar in her distant memories,
echoing
of a lesson or life once lived. But while she could only guess at its
origins, what she felt within determined how pressing the urgency was to
find this chalice.
        "You will find your own battles to fight, but I cannot give to you
what you
have already made for yourself," the Raithe said further, motioning to her
key-shaped staff. "Besides, Uranus and Neptune's Talismans are items that
Dante was able to forge with his magik. The garnet orb in your staff is not
a weapon or a Talisman...but a key."
        She gave him a puzzled look.
        And it seemed to amuse him, the way a teacher is amused by the
confusion of
a student learning the ways of the world. The Raithe smiled, raising his
shakujyo towards her.
        Abruptly the garnet orb atop his staff started to sing, chiming a
strange
yet beautiful melody that she recognized. The song he used to play on the
ringed piano. The crystal glowed with magik.
        And then the garnet orb atop her own key-shaped staff echoed a
reply.
Setsuna leaned back, letting the garnet orb sing a melody that matched the
one sung by the Raithe's.
        Both crystals were synchronizing with each other.
        Both crystals were of the same magik.
        She stared at the Raithe, unable to conceal the surprise on her
face.
"Masaka," she whispered.
        Suddenly the orbs exploded in a fierce light, swallowing them both
up.
Setsuna shielded her eyes as she felt the magik stealing her away from the
graveyard of Aurora. But before she was engulfed entirely, she saw the
Raithe's enigmatic smile directed towards her.
        And then he was gone.

        It was still dark out beneath the skies of Neptune.
        Starlight was caught by the glassy surface of the near-eternal
oceans,
rippling with the movements of the water. The midnight tides were receeding,
waves gently splashing against the beach shores of the surface city still
occupied by Uranus' forces. No one but the usual guards were up at this
hour; no one had reason to be.
        However, a reason quickly gave itself life.
        Arthur squinted his copper eyes as the door to his chambers were
opened. A
hand went in front of his face, the shadow cast over his eyes easing the
strain from such exposure. The Golden Empire's king dug his way out of the
blankets, blinking wearily at the silhouette standing before him.
        "What is it?" he asked groggily, pushing aside a stray thin braid of
his
greying blonde hair.
    "Milord," the one in the doorway stated. "I didn't wish to intrude on
your rest...but this is urgent."
        It was Lancelot.
        Arthur groaned, pulling himself even further out of bed. He ruefully
asked
himself what quandary the Neptuni and Uranian delegations had gotten arguing
over now.
        No rest for the wicked.
        "Go ahead, Lancelot," he sighed, slipping his coin-sized lenses over
the
bridge of his nose.
        The Knight Commander uneasily looked around the room, as if refusing
to
step inside. Whatever he had to say, he didn't want to at all, let alone
accept what the message itself offered. "We just received an emergency
distress from 'The Dragon's Eye,'" Lancelot said finally, grimly.
        Arthur searched his memory for the name of the interstellar vessel.
One of
Earth's finest battleships, probably the sole one that could even hope to
compete with anything Uranus' military created. Some the soldiers who had
cut their teeth under his command during the wars which preceeded the Golden
Empire's formation were posted as the bridge crew on that ship.
        Lancelot glanced around the room, not staring at anything. His
throat was
tense, his very expression unwilling to believe what was on his mind.
        "Lancelot," Arthur pressed. "What did The Dragon's Eye report?"
        "The ship was orbitting Aurora, overseeing a trade convoy bound for
Pluto.
Halfway through, the transmission was abruptly cut off. We haven't been able
to regain contact with them since. We haven't been able to regain contact
with any ship from this system that was orbitting or docking on Aurora."
        The king slowly rose from his bed, tossing the covers behind him.
Already
he could read the signs of war. But Aurora? Of all the places in the Solis
System, that planet would have been the least of all for battle to erupt.
The idea that Aurora itself might have declared war on the other planets was
absurd.
        Something wasn't right.
        "A passing merchantship from Jupiter managed to contact us a few
minutes
ago," Lancelot continued. "It had sustained heavy damage from an unexplained
energy wave whose origins put the wave around Aurora's orbit. Soon
afterwards the ship confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt...that Aurora
itself was destroyed."
        Arthur's expression was one of pure shock, his thoughts and senses
reeling
from the implications behind the words. "D-Destroyed?"
        The Knight Commander nodded. "It was blown apart, inside out,
reduced to
nothing more than asteroids floating in space. Anything that was in close
orbit was taken out by the shockwave. I have some reports from Earth
detailing the residual light of the explosion. It's being called the Aurora
Borealis."
        But those words were falling on deaf ears.
        Aurora's destruction was still failing to fully register within the
king's
mind. He stumbled backwards, collasping onto the edge of his bed, horrified
by the visions his imagination conjured up. Of the vibrant life being
snuffed out.
        "Rivend...." he whispered hoarsely.
        "I'm sorry," Lancelot said, trying to sound as gentle as possible.
Yet the
news itself could not be delivered without sounding morbid or callous. They
were far from the devastation, would never have noticed it save for the
emergency communications the dozens of disabled ships in the area were
sending out.
        "How many?"
        Arthur's voice was quiet. Not subdued, and not mournful.
        Just quiet, hushed and in whispers.
        Lancelot looked up at the elegant ceiling, beautiful Neptuni murals
painted
upon them. Of mermaids and beautiful ocean palaces, of a creature they
called the Suravi'ka. Everything seemed real, dancing over their heads and
enticing them to join in the joys of life this planet had to offer.
        "Everyone," he answered.
        Faded copper eyes closed, a deep breath being sucked into Arthur's
lungs.
It was better that he said nothing; what could one say to the shine of
millions of lives suddenly and savagely being extinguished?
        So many questions amidst the grief.
        How could this have happened?
        What had the power to annihilate an entire planet?
        Lancelot turned away, pausing as he place a hand on the doorpost.
"I'll be
waiting outside."
        The Knight Commander left, the door sliding shut behind him. And
leaving
Arthur alone in the dark to gather his thoughts and fears.

        Her eyes fluttered open.
        It was strange to think that a dreamless sleep would be so welcome.
        The room was dark despite the morning light trying to creep through
the
paper screens. One of the sliding screens was left half-open; the hallway
beyond it seemed as dark as her room. Crystal blue focused on the shadows,
on her solitude. Her Elven prince was not in the chambers; this was the
first time she had been alone. Alone with her thoughts and emotions, alone
with her dreams and fears.
        Her soul...and her magik.
        Something was causing her nerves to tingle as she awoke. It was
unlike the
Elven magik she felt long after Kakkyou would kiss her. This radiated out
from her heart and soul. It was a part of her, like being in front of a warm
fire on a cold winter's night. A shining glimmer in the darkness.
        Tresses of long blonde hair shimmered in the glow of the two
enchanted
candles placed within her room, enfolding her in a soft and golden bed all
its own. She lifted her head, sat up from beneath the covers. Her hair
trailed down over her shoulders. One of her hands reached up and traced its
way down the flow of blonde hair, from the base of her neck down to where it
all cascaded into a golden pool in her lap.
        "What is happening to me?" she asked quietly.
        There was no response.
        She didn't expect there to be one.
        Both Kakkyou and Halefyne were at a loss to explain the nightmares
she
suffered whenever she slept, unable to protect her within those haunted
dreams. Those violet eyes still taunted her whenever she gazed into a
shadow, that savage blade causing her to jump whenever she heard the wind
cut through the air.
        And now there had been a new vision.
        One that gave answers yet left so many new questions unanswered. She
had
seen that innocent girl with the ravendark hair cut down by the one called
Mistress Nine. It was that woman, beautiful and deadly all in one alluring
face, who commanded the blade she recognized, whose eyes she saw chasing
after her. That glaive had been stained with the raven-haired girl's blood.
        She had screamed, cried out, begged the harbinger woman to stop. But
that
had done nothing except feed the woman's lust for destruction. She was
helpless to save that little girl, just as she had nearly been helpless to
save Maya from that reptilian demon. Ever since it had attacked, she had
dreams she wished to never remember.
        What had happened in that battle?
        Kakkyou and Halefyne had stood their ground against the demon,
fought it
and destroyed it. They had to...for it was dead when she woke up.
        Woke up from what?
        Serenity's eyes widened as she realized her memory was lost between
awakening in Kakkyou's arms, and watching the reptile beast lunge for her
and Maya.
        Awaken....
        The candle flames abruptly flickered, though she felt no winds that
might
disrupted them. Red and orange fires danced wildly before being sucked into
the tip of the candle. And she was plunged into momentary darkness.
        Light arose with a sudden start once more, though now the candlefire
was
silver. Shimmering grey hues, majestic and beautiful, swayed to the song of
an unseen wind.
        Awaken....
        Serenity felt her stomach seize up, her heart suddenly pumping
faster.
Those voices had echoed across her dreams, and now defied the borders the
two realms of asleep and awake held. She lifted her hand before her face,
crystal blue eyes looking at her open palm. Something was awakening from
deep within her.
        A magik.
        Unlike anything she had ever felt before.
        Such warmth inside her body; why was this frightening her?
        "Serenity?"
        A timid face appeared from around the corner of the fusama. A young
girl
stood at the edge of the open doorway, long auburne hair braided and
dangling over her shoulder.
        Serenity smiled, nodding for the little girl to join her. "It's
alright,
Maya. I'm awake."
        The child quickly skittered across the floor separating them and
knelt down
next to her. The candles still burned like moonlight, and the shadows in the
room were possessed of a strangely peaceful dance. She could feel Maya
trembling without even touching the little girl.
        Serenity wrapped her arms around the child, pulling Maya closer.
Maya
buried her face hard into Serenity's breast, the tears starting to fall.
"Serenity...I'm scared."
        She nodded, stroking Maya's hair. "I know, Maya. I am too."
        Crystal blue eyes suddenly widened as she saw GlenHawke explode into
her
memories. Except now it was in shades of greb, drab and lifeless. As if time
had stopped, and all that was vibrant and alive with it. Maya was there,
frozen with a terrified scream on her lips.
        But she...she was still moving.
        She held colour where there should have been none. Her gown had
changed,
become a dress of long and flowing white that billowed out in a wind that
could not be felt nor seen. The demon crashed down into the rain-soaked mud,
rearing up instantly afterwards.
        Suddenly she knew its name.
        Reptilius.
        Serenity saw herself bearing the mark of a crescent moon upon her
forehead,
standing there before the snarling beast. The air was crackling, alive with
a fierce and rampant magik that was coming from her body. Her heart...it was
on fire, being consumed with a purity that she could not describe.
        Abruptly the Serenity within her memory turned away from Reptilius.
And
looked directly at her. The one within her memory knew of being watched.
        "Awaken me," the memory whispered.
        Serenity blinked, her memories crashing down as she found herself
cradling
Maya in her arms once more. She looked down at the crying child.
        That youma...it had come for her.
        For this magik hiding inside of her soul.
        Her body felt chilled, and Serenity held onto Maya tighter, fearing
for the
little girl's life. Maya had nearly been killed it the attack. What if those
youma came back?
        What if they came back?

        He couldn't cry.
        Why couldn't he cry, shed a single tear for a lost world?
        The Pendragon had never moved from the edge of his bed, slumped over
in
utter defeat, his eyes focused upon nothing. He couldn't even recall if he
had been thinking clearly, or thinking of anything. His breathing was no
longer erratic; the shock had either worn off or taken full control.
        Everything about him was unusually calm.
        Unusually still.
        The only thing that had changed was that the coin-sized lenses once
over
his eyes were now on the floor, ignored and forgotten. His hands were
cradling his temples, but there was no headache he suffered from.
        The lights were still off, darkness abounding off every wall and
object in
his guest quarters. Ghostly reflections rippled across a part of the upper
walls, a thin shaft of moonlight striking the waves and bouncing through the
window was upon the ceiling. Another night might have found him awake,
looking up from where he laid in bed and silently in awe of the Neptuni art.
        Yet there was nothing but regret.
        A cold, empty maw left open within his soul. And it echoed of the
darkness
now where Aurora once was. He had shut down, unable or refusing to think, to
act, to be human.
        It was all coming to an end.
        Something shifted within the shadows, darkness parting the way for a
new
spectre that defied all barriers and securities. Arthur's inner sanctum was
penetrated, though he did very little to acknowledge the presence of
another. He never stirred, shifted or turned his head. The fact that it had
suddenly appeared did not startle him.
        Intuitively, he already knew who it was.
        "Was it my fault, Merlin?" he asked, his voice low and calm. Yet all
life
had been drained from it, an echo of the shell he now seemed to be. "Was it
because of me that Aurora was destroyed?"
        The spectre took another step into the pale light cast within the
room. An
ancient stood there, the flickering image of a wizened old mage watching the
king with a look of pity and pathos.
        "Yes and no," the projection answered. "What destroyed Aurora was
something
not even I could have prevented; I learned only too late of the planet's
extinguished life."
        An end of existence.
        Cruel and twisted.
        Even moreso, this could be only the beginning.
        If there was an instigator, one powerful enough to deliver death
unto an
entire planet, then this was merely a prelude to something darker. And, as
impossible as it seemed, he already knew who was behind all this.
        Morgana....
        "You said I was partly responsible for it," Arthur spoke up again.
"She...she orchestrated this, didn't she?"
        The spectre looked away. "I do not know for certain, but I trust my
instincts. She is the only one who could have gained from such an atrocity."
        Faded copper eyes were slowly squeezed shut.
        He was taking in every word, each one hitting him like a hammer, the
accusations and implications but a numb pain in the back of his mind.
        Perhaps this was what Merlin had been warning him about for so long.
For so
long he had refused to believe the words, to do anything about them. And now
his hesitation had culminated in a horrific holocaust that was more blood on
his hands. All because of her lust for Camelot, for all the city stood for.
        "It should have been me, Merlin. I should have died with that
planet."
        "But you didn't," the spectre stated. "You are still alive. Be
grateful you
breathe."
        "How can I be grateful?!" Arthur snapped, showing a true emotion
since
first learning the news. He lifted his head, glared at the projection.
"Billions of lives were just wiped out--and I could have prevented that! If
Morgana is to be damned for this...then I am damned too for letting her
succeed."
        Merlin seemed to take no adverse reaction. The spectre merely nodded
and
stepped closer. "I can understand your grief and fury, Arthur. But what has
been done cannot be undone. If you let your past regrets remain here in the
present, they shall consume your entire future."
        A bitter expression was on the Pendragon's face as he slowly rose to
his
feet, standing face to face with the shadow image of the Ancient. Moonlight
rippled across his face, passed through Merlin's.
        "Morgana's not done yet, is she?" Arthur said.
        The spectre glanced out one of the windows, to the ever-stretching
coastal
waters sprawled out far beyond the horizon line. From moonlit blue to ocean
darkness.
        "If you remain on Neptune," Merlin stated. "there will not be a
Golden
Empire to come home to, Arthur. Return to Earth...and I will be there to
fight alongside you."
        He found himself looking out at the same waves as the projection.
Aurora
once had seas and waves like this. But now they were gone. But Earth...Earth
still had oceans like this.
        Numbing grief was put into the fire. It screamed, echoed, writhed
beneath a
new emotion that was slowly burning its light into his copper eyes. His
memories would keep Aurora alive. And right now, his vendetta against the
Shadows would keep him awake until Aurora's destruction had been avenged.
        Arthur turned to Merlin. "Give me some time to organize things over
here,"
he said. "I'll take Neptune's StarChamber back to Earth in a few hours."
        The spectre bowed, fading out of being. "As you wish."

        The wait was only for a few minutes, five to ten at most. Yet they
seemed
to take forever, an eternity of standing and pacing and nervously wondering
what was happening.
        The doors slid open next to Lancelot and he snapped to attention,
more out
of sub-consciousness reflex than anything else. Arthur stood there in the
doorway, face pale and eyes red, but otherwise collected.
        "Arthur?" Lancelot asked cautiously.
        There was something about the Pendragon, something different.
Something
that seemed of possession. Arthur was already walking briskly down the
corridor, clothed in formal armour rather than fighting armour. Yet such
formal armour itself was only worn on occassions when battle was either
remembered, or expected.
        Excalibur was sheathed over his back.
        That alone captured the Knight Commander's attention; ever since
that final
duel upon Aurora's inverted arena, the king had never brought the legendary
sword out into the open. Let alone be seen visibly wearing it.
        Lancelot immediately took up the pace with the king.
        "I want you to notify all the major planetary authorities about this
if
they haven't been so already," Arthur ordered, not even glancing back. The
edge had returned to his voice, sharp and exacting. "Tell them exactly what
you've told me; leave nothing out. I want the entire system on a full
military alert until we can ascertain what the hell happened on Aurora. And
I want a dozen emergency teams deployed within the hour to the explosion
site; we need to rescue any survivors that we can."
        "Yes, Sir."
        The Pendragon abruptly stopped, pivoting around and staring directly
at
Lancelot. His eyes were focused, a fire burning within them. "I didn't spill
blood, including my own, to see our fragile worlds be dashed to pieces like
this," he stated. "We've worked so hard for peace; I'm not about to stand by
and let it be lost. Not this easily. If we don't take control now, the
entire Golden Empire could fall apart into chaos."
        Lancelot motioned down the corridor. "The Uranus colony's tactical
centre
is this way. We can use it as our base of operations for the time being."
        The two began to move through the halls again.
        "Do we know what did this?" Arthur asked.
        The Knight Commander shook his head. "No. But we're tracking an
energy
signature that left Aurora around the time of its destruction. Whatever it
is, its power is stable but off the charts. And it's on a direct course
for--"
        "Earth," the king finished. "Lancelot?"
        "Yes, your Majesty?"
        The king turned to his Knight, eyes already revealing what he was
about to
say. "What I feared the most has finally happened. We're about to go to war
again. Pray that it ends quickly."

        Haruka watched the undersea empire of Neptune on the other side of
the
curving glass window. And in turn Michiru watched Haruka from the edge of
the bed. The tall, sandy-blonde held and expression that to others would
have been mistaken for a scowl. She knew better.
        It might have been solemn, even grim to a certain extent. But it was
not a
scowl. Haruka was the type who became determined quiet easily, the mission
becoming the obsession. Partially due to her upbringing amidst Uranus'
military order, and partially due to the person she was.
        Michiru's eyes momentarily darted over to the fading glow of the
viewscreen. Not so long ago, their quiet slumber had been interrupted by an
urgent word from her mother; Aurora had been torn apart beyond belief, all
life upon it wiped out. As the unexpected transmission returned into the
obscurity of darkness, they were both left to question what would happen
now.
        It was doubtful the Uranian delegations would remain. Not when an
unnamed
apocalypse had annihilated an entire planet. And that meant they would have
to be separated once more--though this time they might be apart longer than
ever before. And there were still the other complications of their hidden
romance....
        "Neither your family nor mine knows that you are here in my
chambers," she
said to Haruka. "You don't have to worry about what your father will say; he
will just assume you've disappeared somewhere in the middle of the
confusion."
        "My father's reactions to learning about us doesn't concern me,"
Haruka
stated. Her hand brushed against the edge of the glass, and her reflection
showed the dark expression on her face. She could still see that haunting
shadow lurking in the background, of someone whose eyes were like stars.
        The Uranian princess turned around, looking at Michiru. "What does
concern
me is Aurora. There's no telling what this will do to the rest of the Solis
System. My planet's agitated enough to go to war over this; everything could
fall apart in a few hours."
        An enigmatic smile appeared on Michiru's face as she leisurely
leaned back
on the bed. "Ara ara, and you would rather not be in my arms when the the
world ends?"
        Haruka shook her head, smirking at that remark. "While there's no
place I'd
rather be, Michiru, I was never raised to be complacent. I just can't sit by
and let this happen."
        She watched the tall, sandy-blonde pick up the sheathed sabre. "So
you
would go to war?"
        A pause.
        "I don't know."
        Haruka walked across the floor, sitting down next to the Neptuni
princess.
Her fingers gently ran through Michiru's wavy aqua-green hair. They were so
close to each other, listening only to their quiet breathing and the
rhythmic beating of their hearts.
        "I have to do something," Haruka said, leaning her forehead against
Michiru's. Her blue eyes closed.
        "But you don't know what that is," Michiru countered, hauntingly
majestic
eyes watching her. "You don't know which side to take, which destiny to
follow."
        Haruka's eyes opened, staring at the Neptuni princess. Her lover.
Her
passion. Her obssession. "I would defy the very stars to be with you,
Michiru," she said.
        She meant it.
        Every word.
        Michiru let her lips steal a kiss from Haruka's mouth. "You don't
need to
defy them, love. I'm right here."
        A hushed laugh from Haruka.
        "Hai hai."
        Michiru let the scent of her lover flood her senses. Only in
Haruka's arms
did she feel complete. And only with Haruka alongside her would her destiny
be fulfilled. "You brought it with you, ne?" she asked.
        "Brought what?" Haruka asked in return, her voice quiet and still
unwilling
to disturb the mood between them.
        "Your henshin."
        The Uranian princess abruptly drew away from her, almost ready to
stand up
from the mattress. "H-How did you know about that?" Haruka asked cautiously,
that guarding wall which had taken so long for Michiru to break down
suddenly up in a brief instant.
        Michiru brought out her own, one with the planetary rune of Neptune
engraved on the tip. Sparkles like the depths of the oceans trailed down her
hand as she placed the henshin next to her on the bed.
        And then she slowly leaned forward, letting her lips caress Haruka's
ear
with her breaths. "You are just like me, Haruka," she whispered. "We are
Sailor Senshi.
        "I wouldn't know that," Haruka said, pulling away again. "I've never
tried
to summon anything from the henshin."
        Her demeanour towards Michiru had grown distant, questioning who her
lover
was. Questioning who she was. It was one thing to defy family and protocol,
to romance another princess, one whose family was on unfriendly terms with
hers. But now Haruka was looking destiny in the eye.
        "Can't you feel it calling you?" Michiru asked. "The magik we hold
within
us, the power that was meant to be harnessed by these henshins; can't you
feel it calling out to you?"
        Haruka's hand slowly reached behind her back, and then drew out an
artefact
bearing the rune of Uranus. "Ever since I first received it, I've ignored
the voices," she said. "It was given to me in a secret ceremony when I
became sixteen; this henshin has been passed down to the firstborne daughter
of every royal generation. My father told me about the legends, and then
gave it to me. He had hopes, but did not fully expect me to be the true
wielder of the henshin. But the instant it was placed in my hand...I knew I
was a Senshi."
        The Neptuni princess placed a hand on Haruka's shoulder. "You cannot
escape
destiny, love."
        Haruka placed her hand over Michiru's. "But at the very least, I'll
be
close to you."
        They both looked out to the reaches of undersea realms hidden
beneath
Neptune's surface. On the other side of the glass was wind and water and
flowing tides. Neither one could return to their lives as princesses;
everything would be thrown away for their cause and battle. A call to arms
had been raised. Sacrifices would be inevitable.
        Such was the harsh reality facing them.
        "Whatever destroyed Aurora has origins outside of our solar system,"
Michiru stated. "That is why we Sailor Senshi of the outer planets have been
called back into duty."
        Haruka nodded. "We'll find it, and fight it on Earth."
        To save this world, they would descend into hell.
        Yet hell would not be so bad.
        For they would descend into the fires together....

        His hands idly played with an amber rose, spinning the flawless stem
between his fingers before bringing the blooming flower to rest within his
cupped palm. Strange to think of how something so seemingly alien to him
would become such a natural act so quickly.
        This rose...he had thrown it at a creature he had never before seen.
A
shadow that had a hellish face and no doubt a hellish name. He didn't want
to consider what it would or could have been called. But this rose...he had
summoned it from the very nothingness.
        Magellan turned his gaze away from the rest of the rose garden
sprawled out
before him. He had to be honest with himself; this entire act of playing
with the rose was merely something to calm his nerves. Everyone who had seen
the explosion in the skies was curious; the handful of others, like him, who
knew what that explosion was were worried.
        Already intelligence transmissions were cluttering up the skies.
Reports
and rumors were coming in from not just places around Earth, but from
interstellar vessels and outposts, and other planets as well. Mercury was
incredibly agitated about losing its trade envoy bound for Pluto. Camelot
didn't seem impressed either that their flagship, The Dragon's Eye, had also
been destroyed with Aurora.
        But no one had any certainty as to what had reduced a planet to a
belt of
lifeless asteroids floating in space. Rumour control was having enough of a
problem trying to to cause mass hysteria across Arthur's realms; some people
feared this as an omen. The Shadows were going to attack soon.
        However all the concerns and commotion about Aurora were growing
distant in
his mind. It was easier to be numb to such a tragedy when it was so far
away; he was still trying to live down the adrenaline rush from the
morning's attack. Those reptilian youma had been rather insistent on
dispatching not only him, but Myung as well.
        Through that he had discovered a magik of the roses.
        And through that, he had also learned of Myung's secret. Somehow
despite
the initial chaos that reigned after witnessing the explosion in the skies,
she had managed to pull him aside. And everything was laid out.
        It hadn't shocked him too much to discover she was princess from
Venus.
That actually explained a lot of things. But it was the addition to her
royal lineage that was disturbing him. He learned of the Senshi Wars, of the
soldiers destined to appear to protect the Solis System in a time of deadly
crisis. And then came what seemed the hardest shock of all. Myung had not
merely told him; she had shown him that she was one of those prophecied
Senshi.
        "Sailor...Venus," he mulled to himself.
        In truth he had not the slightest idea where that put his
relationship with
Myung. He still cared for her, laughed in her company, felt alive in seeing
her smile.
        Dammit, he still loved her.
        But now he knew she was a princess. Not only that, but some sort of
soldier
now too. Should he feel insignificant? Should he beg for her help, for her
to go or to stay here in Vlatmere?
        "Why does life have to be so complicated?" he lamented, leaning back
and
sprawling himself across the bench.
        "At least it's not boring," Frederic spoke up, walking into the rose
garden.
        Magellan gave a beleaguered laugh. "As much as I hate to say it,
you're
right," he said. "Anything new?"
        Frederic shook his head. "Not really. More than anything we've got
sketchy
rumours and an onslaught of rescue operation updates. However, you will be
pleased to know that Arthur has just sent word to all the major commanders:
he's returning to Earth immediately."
        That managed to catch Magellan's attention.
        "Has he called an emergency meeting?" the prince asked.
        "Not yet. The transmission said he will be though, once he arrives.
Magellan, your name's on the guest list." Frederic noted the near scowl
appearing on Magellan's face. "You don't look thrilled to be called to
Camelot."
        Magellan gave his friend and incredulous look. "After what we saw,
would
you?"
        "Touche," Frederic sighed. "I assume you're still worried about
her."
        The prince nodded. "I keep thinking about that document she
mentioned, the
manuscript telling of the Sailor Senshi. If they are as powerful as its says
they are, then that means--"
        "Whatever we're up against is just as bad if not worse," Frederic
finished.
"I hear you. So, is the fact that she wears a strange skirt going to put a
cramp on your dating plans?"
        He received a punch in the shoulder for that.
        But Magellan didn't deny that his friend had a point; what was going
to
happen between him and Myung now? Would their duties pull them apart? What
he disliked the most was thinking of Myung going into battle. Could he allow
himself to let her walk into a war and risk being injured--or killed?
        Something on Frederic's wrist abruptly beeped.
        "Yeah?" he said, lifting the comm link to where it could pick up his
voice.
        "Sir," the reply came. "The modifications you requested have been
finished.
You can begin upon your arrival."
        Magellan and Frederic shared a common glance.
        "We'll be there shortly," Frederic answered.
        The prince was already standing up from the bench, heading for the
nearest
exit from the rose garden. His trusted commander was not two steps behind
him. Myung would no doubt meet them in the chambers--provided she wasn't
already there.
        "You ready for this?" he inquired.
        Frederic grinned. "Hey, I've always wanted to hack into Venus'
protected
mainframe."

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