Redemption: The Past – Chapter 07 – Ripples and Waves

By

Aurora Eos Rose

The rings of Saturn sparkled like diamonds in the dim light of space. Aria stared out the window of the ship. The surface of the planet swirled gently, clouds of gas making patterns of color, constantly moving. Aria shifted slightly, the chains on her hands and feet rattling loudly. They were no longer a delicate gold, but heavy iron. She leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes tightly. The trip to Saturn was fairly short in the modern shuttle style ships. They were built for speed, not comfort. She glanced out the window again, admiring the colorful canvas of Saturn’s storms.

Aria turned her head slightly. She couldn’t seem to sit still. The usually full cabin was almost deserted. Athan had commandeered the commercial craft for his little trip. Aria stared down at the dull gray floor for a moment. She could feel his eyes on her, boring into her soul. Athan stood across the cabin, dressed in steel gray a shade darker than the flooring. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he was staring at her. He had been staring at her during the entire trip. Aria turned her head back toward the window. Saturn. She had never visited the planet. This was Hotaru’s home world…the planet of silence, the planet of death. Aphrodite had always said that love and death often go hand in hand. Or was it love and destruction? Aria couldn’t remember.

Aria stood up and moved to a different view. The craft was moving towards the plane where the rings were located. Aria held her breath for a moment. It looked like they were going to smash into the band of rock and ice. The ship looped underneath the rings and headed for the city of Titan. The rings receded from view quickly. Aria knew it was just an illusion, but the ship seemed to be approaching much more rapidly as it grew closer to the planet’s atmosphere. As the craft entered the clouds, they swirled around the ship, obscuring the view. For a moment there was nothing to see but thick clouds.

The graceful curves and spires of Titan slowly came into view, peeking from their thick cloud coating. Aria leaned forward, her mouth opening in astonishment. She rested her hands against the window. Titan was constructed completely of black tinted crystal. It looked like a flat platter with millions of towers reaching for the heavens. The towers glittered under a light shining from the topmost spire. It was a brilliant crystalline structure, just like the ones Diane would grow in her lab at the palace.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Warm breath trickled down the back of Aria’s neck. She resisted the urge to flinch away. Athan had moved to stand behind her. She didn’t turn her head. He took a step closer and placed an arm on either side of her body. She felt his lips brush her ear and a shiver ran up her spine. “The tallest tower is the temple of Saturn. The light shines from there, and cycles through night and day. Only Hotaru ever saw the source of that light. No one else who climbed the tower has ever returned.” Aria lowered her head at the heavy tone and the ominous words. Athan grasped her chin in his hand and turned her face towards him. “And will you mourn, wife, if I do not return?” Aria stubbornly closed her eyes, refusing to meet his gaze or answer his question. Athan sighed loudly. “Ariadne, somehow I will get you to break this silence.” He let go of her chin. She jerked her head back towards the window. Athan pressed his lips against her cheek. Then he turned his gaze back toward the city.



Nestor stared at the gates of time for several long moments. The intricate carvings never failed to stir his soul. He laid a hand against their warm wooden surface. They were like nothing on any planet anywhere. So alien yet so beautiful. Nestor had always wondered who had created the gates. But then they never could have been made by mortal hands. He glanced around the dark chamber. The temple of time on Pluto was a maze, and few could find its center. Even fewer could say they had managed to enter the gates. In fact, many had tried, only to become lost in time. Nestor wondered briefly what his fate would be. He stared up at the ceiling for a moment.

The central room of the temple of time was dark and silent, the metal walls smooth and cool. He was searching for the answers and forgiveness he needed, but all he could see was darkness. Setsuna was no longer here to guide his path. He turned his gaze to the floor, almost expecting to see the dark pool of blood where her body had fallen. He had felt a rush of power as her life seeped onto the metal. Nestor blocked the image of her broken body from his mind. His time debating was at an end. Now was the time to move forward. He pushed the gates opened slowly, the broken staff gripped tightly in his hand.

Pluto was a tiny world, with very few inhabitants. In fact, except for the miners, the only inhabitants were students in the great university . Pluto had only the city of Charon. Nestor laughed softly. How insane to name your only city after your moon. There was no Charon to row him over this river of Styx. This was his path to tread, his mountain to climb, his river of death to cross. Or maybe it was only a river of forgetfulness. Those who were lost here were lost to time eternally, forgotten and alone in the nothing between times. He gazed into the dark depths behind the gates.

“Have I learned enough, Setsuna? Dare I enter and not suffer the fate of the lost?” His words echoed in the chamber. But there was no reply. Nestor stepped through the gates.



Aria ran a hand over the cool surface of the wall. Like the rest of Titan, it was made of the strange transparent, black crystal. The room she was in overlooked the entire city. It felt as though she was in a glass cage. Spires reached high into space from the ground, disappearing into the swirling clouds. Aria had a sickening feeling that a break in one of the clear walls would expose the occupants to the extreme pressures and noxious gases of the planet. She turned around slowly. Athan had left a short time ago. He was still mad at her refusal to speak. But he had gotten even, in his own way. He had removed the chains, but sealed the door behind him. Aria was trapped. She looked at the crystal floor, watching gases swirl in the space below. The only exit was a retracting tube that moved from the spire directly across from the one she was in. She clasped her stuffed cat against her chest tightly.

“Artemis, what am I doing here?” She leaned back against the wall, her eyes scanning the gorgeous room. She knotted one hand in the silk of her robe. The sheets were still rumpled and warm. Aria felt a blush rise to her face. She’d tried to lay impassive under Athan’s hands, but he was much more determined. He had made her break her silence, made her beg for his body. Aria felt a blush rise to her face. She hadn’t known that a body could betray. But hers had been used as a tool against her. And she hated herself for it. Almost as much as she hated him. And yet she could still feel him touching her, still he the words he had whispered to her in the darkness of Saturn’s night. She brushed a handful of hair over her shoulder. A bright light began to filter through the window behind her, throwing a purple cast over the room. The temple controlled the city’s light, like a miniature sun. Aria slumped slowly to the floor. If it was dawn here, she and Athan had spent much longer in bed than she had originally thought. She glanced down at the stuffed cat again. Sere’s teasing echoed in her mind. Aria sniffled loudly. “I hope everyone else is all right.” She lay her head on her bent knees and let the tears escape. “I pray everyone is safe. Oh goddess, let them be safe.”



The encouraging screams from the stands were enough to make even the weakest heart feel brave. Tory let the voices seep into her mind, preparing her for the battle ahead. She pushed aside all tender emotion, steeling herself for the killing to come. She glanced through her ridged mask at the crowd. The old stadium was packed full of people. Tory swung her sword lightly from side to side. She paid close attention to the balance and weight. She knew that very soon she would need every fighting skill she’d ever learned, or her story would end here on the sand. A loud cheer made her look up. The Viceroy had arrived. Tory couldn’t seem to get a good look at him, but at that moment she cared more about staying focused. The viceroy took his seat, and she and the other gladiators saluted.

Tory marched across the dusty field. She remembered coming here once, as a child. Then the games had been merely contests of skill. Tory remembered her mother fighting friends there. She even vaguely remembered the match between Aphrodite and Hera. That had ended in her mother’s only defeat. Tory smiled briefly. Her mother had griped for weeks. She pushed the memories from her head. Distractions could get her killed. The friendly matches waged several times a year to entertain the crowds had been expanded to much more bloodthirsty sport. The wide metal gates at the other end flew open and several large creatures emerged, hissing and growling. Tory squared her shoulders. These were the brutal games of legend. Kill or be killed. She stared at the three beasts gleaned from all over the solar system. Since this was her first battle, she was being pitted against creatures. If she survived enough battles, her foes would be human.

There were three fighters in the ring, all women, dressed in light armor with short swords. Later the men would fight, and finally those who had won the honor of the title gladiator. Those who killed each other to survive. Tory had once asked her mother about the heavy helmets all combatants wore. Her mother had said they dehumanized, allowing one to forget that your opponent was alive.

A whimper sounded from the right. Tory had paid little attention to her companions, for she knew that only one would be allowed to leave the ring alive. If any were allowed to leave. She might have hated Diane’s history lessons, but Tory had listened. The viceroy held all their lives in his hands. That is, if she could survive the beasts.

The first animal crouched low and pounced. Tory pushed all other thoughts from her mind. She had to survive.



Sere couldn’t breath, couldn’t think. The sensation was completely astonishing. She’d never been kissed like this. The few kisses she’d received had been pecks on the mouth or cheek from the young men who visited the moon palace in hopes to win her hand, and one sloppy kiss from an overzealous prince of some visiting galaxy at her first ball. But no one had ever made her feel like she was the center of the universe, like she was the only thing that mattered.

Endymion knew something was different from the moment he touched the girl’s lips. She responded to him perfectly, returned his kiss with great enthusiasm but not much skill. Endymion pulled away for a moment. He stared down at the temptress in his arms. She opened her eyes slowly. They were slightly clouded.

“Wow.” She didn’t say anything else. She didn’t have to say anything else. Endymion scooped her into his arms and carried her toward the bed. And Serenity didn’t complain.



“We have to act now, Zavier. You know as well as I do that at least one of the outer planets is being used as a base. And I also know that they will be involved in the impending attack on Jupiter.” Zavier spun his chair around slowly, facing the angry young man. Zavier shook his head. If Jason would slow down and think logically, he wouldn’t run into so many problems.

“You can’t just rush into things Jason. I know that you’re as anxious as I am to try out our new ‘skills’ but this is a well organized opponent. Rushing around trying to find them will only make them burrow deeper underground. We need a plan.” Jason pushed himself off of the desk he’d been leaning on and started pacing the room. Zavier could almost see the frustration seeping off Jason. Jason stopped and leaned over the desk again.

“I’m not very good at coming up with plans. But we have to make them think they’re safe, that nothing will happen. Then we can close the noose.” Zavier pressed his hands against each other. His brow furrowed in concentration. For once, Jason had actually made an accurate assessment. However, Zavier was also intelligent enough not to comment on it.

“I know that the recent crash on Jupiter derailed the resistance timetable. They’ll need to either train new leaders on planet or smuggle in new ones from off planet. Either way the spy has managed to buy us time. I think we need to use that time wisely. The first order of business is to close their information conduits. That means stopping the factions on any planet that can be controlled. The gas giants are simply too large. Earth and the moon have been locked down, that leaves the inner three. I’ll travel to Mercury.” Zavier cringed a bit inside. The trip to Mercury would not be very pleasant. Although Diane didn’t resist his attentions, she had yet to return his affection. And Zavier knew that the trip to Mercury would mean an even greater distance between them. Jason’s eyes lit up.

“You’re sending me to Mars, aren’t you?” Jason started pacing again. He looked like he was contemplating something. Then he stopped suddenly. He closed his eyes. “She’s right there, on the edge of my mind. If I try hard enough, I can tell what she’s feeling now. Anger, sadness, frustration. It’s like an addiction.” His eyes snapped open. Zavier felt a shiver run down his spine. He wasn’t sure what had forged the strange link between Jason and the princess, but he was a bit jealous of it. Zavier closed his eyes for a moment. Jason’s voice was rising with excitement. “And what about Venus?” Zavier snorted loudly.

“They’re clamoring for their little tradition to be upheld. I’ll let Athan take care of that. And they call earth barbaric.” Jason shook his head.

“Where’s Endymion?”

“He’s on the moon right now, but I think he’ll be heading to earth shortly. He’s getting ready for his coronation on the sun, and Artemis will be worried. Earth is rather low on soldiers, with most of them spread out across the system. A trip to earth will calm the masses.”

“And Nestor?” Zavier looked pensive for a moment.

“The last anyone knew, he had just entered the gates of time.” Both men were silent for several long moments.

“Do you think…” Jason’s voice trailed off into silence. Zavier didn’t say anything.



“He’ll be coming here though, Grandfather. I can’t stay. I’ll be a liability to you.” The old man smiled at the young woman who was currently throwing things into a bag.

“You give him too much credit, child. It’s not like this prince can read your mind.” Cassie mumbled something under her breath. “What was that?” She threw the bag across the room and headed toward her grandfather with eyes blazing.

“I said I can read his!” She sat down on the edge of the bed, a trace of tears in her voice. “I can feel him, like this … I don’t know. He hovers on the edge of my consciousness. If I try hard enough, I can tell where he is, like a built in compass. And he’s so determined, grandfather. So determined. You didn’t see the look in his eyes; you didn’t hear his voice when he promised to return. For some reason he’s decided that I’m the next place to conquer. You’ve heard the stories. He doesn’t stop. There is no possible way to escape him, unless I kill him.” Her voice rose slowly, growing higher and more frantic with every word. Her grandfather wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Cassie felt some of the tension fade.

“But can you kill him?” Cassie stood up and resumed her packing.

“I don’t know, and that’s why I’m so scared. I don’t know if I can kill him. I don’t know if I WANT to kill him. He’s like a part of me now. I don’t know why or how…but he’s a part of me. And what if I’m not strong enough grandpa? I feel almost like he’s calling to me. And there’s a part of me that wants to give up and go. A part of me that keeps growing louder and louder.” Her voice shook with the words. The old man sighed. Cassandra couldn’t let herself give in to emotions.

“You’re going about this the wrong way, Cassie. You must defeat him, for your freedom, for the freedom of this planet, of this system. You cannot give up, or give in. There’s your princess to rescue, and several worlds to save.” Cassie sighed loudly. She dropped her head into her hands.

“Sometimes I just don’t think I can do this, grandpa. Sometimes I wish I were just a peasant without the problems of duty. Sometimes I wish that you’d been defeated during those seven days you fought. Then you never would have been king, my mother would never have been queen. She wouldn’t have died so horribly…” Cassie’s voice trailed off. Her grandpa stroked her hair gently.

“Whether I was king or chief cook and bottle-washer, your mother would have been Sailor Mars. She was born to be Sailor Mars, just as you were. That fire inside comes from your heart, your soul. And no matter what you think, you cannot escape destiny.” He stood up and his voice became brisk. “What did your little book say about getting more powerful? That there were five steps?” Cassie pulled a torn page from her pocket.

“The symbol of office is the first step. I’m pretty sure that was the bracelet that lets me transform. If I remember right, Tuxedo Sol had a ring. The second item is the proof of inheritance.  That must be the necklace of my mothers. The bracelet gave me the power to transform, throwing my now flaming ofuda scrolls and one attack spell. The necklace gave me a more powerful transformation, a new attack spell, and the wall of fire thing. The next thing on the list is the talisman. I know the outers had talismans. I never knew the inner senshi did.”

“They did, they just tended to not be as powerful as the outer’s. Your mother used her talisman often. Think hard.” Cassie rolled her eyes at her grandfather’s condescending tone. Then she stopped for a moment.

“The bow, the one that she shot flaming arrows from, right? I have no idea where it is now, though. And even if I could find her bow, I still need the protection of the guardian, and the echo of the heart.” She stood up and threw her hands into the air. “Riddles. Who decided to put everything into riddles.”

“I suspect that the ability to use your head is something every good senshi should learn to do. Maybe the prophetess just wanted to test your intelligence.” Cassie grabbed her bag.

“That’s nice grandpa, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m going to be trapped like a deer if I don’t get somewhere far away from here.” Her grandfather tilted his head.

“If he can sense you all the time, what’s the use of running away?” Cassie swore.

“I’m hoping that distance will lessen the link. Or maybe if I don’t transform for a while or…” Her excuses trailed off into the dust. Cassie gave up and sat down on the bed. “All right, all right. I can’t run away. But where am I supposed to find my mother’s bow? And how do I stay away from the Prince.” Her grandfather smiled.

“I happen to know where the bow is, and I have an idea.”



Blackness. Not the inky dark of eternal night in space, or the singularity of a black hole. This was absolute emptiness. Nothing present, a complete lack of existence. Not even time existed here. Nestor felt that he too was nothing.

“Why have you come to my domain?” Nestor turned so quickly he almost collapsed. A man, with a long white beard and a white robe, stood in the nothingness. And yet he was the nothingness. Nestor could find neither voice nor thought.

“Father.” The second voice rippled across the nothingness, and it was at that moment that Nestor began to breathe again. “This is my son. Child of the blood of Chronos. Blood of my blood, flesh of my flesh, bearer of my soul. He has come for your blessing as guardian.” The old man snorted a bit. He stared at Nestor with narrowed eyes.

“Very well. I see you have grown up, little man. Are the dead not enough for you to command? I suppose that time is more appealing to the young. I approve my child, but he had better live up to his potential.” The woman chuckled softly.

“Go to sleep, father. You’re grumpy.” The man grunted and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Setsuna.” Nestor faced the woman. She was dressed in a garnet robe, and looked as beautiful as she had in life. “How…” Nestor’s voice trailed into silence. Setsuna smiled sadly.

“Here I am know as Jana, keeper of the gates.” Nestor stared at the staff in his hand. He finally found his voice.

“I thought that was the burden of the Senshi of Pluto?” The woman laughed softly.

“A mere mortal can only help with that task. The true guardian of time is time himself, my father Chronos.” Nestor turned around quickly, but the white haired man was gone. “Yes, you spoke to him. Now I leave the task of the guarding the mortal side of the gates to you. I entrust you to guard them well, and to guard the planet on which then stand.” She lifted one hand, and her familiar wand appeared. “Take it. It is your destiny.” Nestor reached forward and grasped the wand. It dissolved into a puddle in his hand, and reformed into a ring. He slipped the ring on his hand.

“Setsuna…” She smiled sadly.

“I knew what would happen, son. I knew from the instant you were born. And I loved you anyway. The stars will guide you, and I will always be watching.” Images began to flash around them. Images of Nestor’s life. His battles at Metallia’s side, his short time on earth with his family, times spent at the university with Setsuna. “I love you, my son. Remember, you now carry my soul. I will never be far.” Setsuna seemed to dissolve. Nestor felt his eyes fill with tears.

“And I love you…mother.”



The gates closed silently behind him. Nestor stared at the staff in his hand for several long moments. No longer the broken one used by Setsuna, it was now a plain metal staff with the garnet orb affixed to the tip. He glanced at the ring on his finger. He felt the currents of time in the room, the paths that had been, the ones that might be. They thrummed through his body like a thousand bees. The planet called out to him, seeking its new master.

“Pluto Power”



The last monster went down in a sea of blood. The wound across its neck gushed wildly, spraying Tory from head to toe. The smell almost made Tory vomit. The creature fell forward, gurgling its death. Tory jumped wildly, losing her sword in the process. She rolled, but the body still fell partway across her. For a moment there was total silence. Tory listened for the door, expecting another wave of creatures, but there was nothing. She grunted loudly and pushed the body away. The adrenaline drained slowly from her, leaving her various wounds screaming for attention. She pulled herself to her feet and stared around the ring. There had been ten beasts in all. One of her fighting mates had not even survived one encounter. The other had fought hard, but the third wave of creatures had a monster capable of turning things to stone. Tory felt the tears gathering in her eyes, but she knew she wasn’t finished yet. She retrieved her fallen sword. The silence of the crowd was beginning to worry her. If those in the ring didn’t please the crowd…Tory didn’t want to think of the consequences. She slowly forced herself forward toward the Viceroy’s box. She reached for her mask.

The power hit her like a great pool of blackness. It was as though she were drowning in an inky sea of nothing. She dropped to one knee, leaning on her sword to keep from falling on her face. The darkness swept through her, filling every inch of her soul, reaching into the inner recesses of her heart. Time stopped. It was as if the entire world had been frozen. She felt him, across the void. A presence in her mind, reaching for her. Then the power faded, leaving her even weaker than before. She took several deep breaths, praying that her fall to her knees looked like an act of subservience. She glanced upward and gasped. Then she thanked whatever god had stopped her from removing her helmet. The viceroy would have recognized her in an instant.

Ken had been her childhood playmate, her first boyfriend, and the man whom she compared all others to. In fact, the other girls had often teased her about how every man in the universe reminded her of Ken. Now he stood in his robes, his hand outstretched. Tory forced herself to her feet. She saluted valiantly, but didn’t remove her helmet. The thumb turned upward. Finally the oppressive silence was broken. The crowd cheered wildly. Tory resisted the urge to crow in triumph. Instead she turned on her heel and marched briskly toward the prisoners’ chambers, satisfaction and pride flowing through her veins like a drug. And she desperately tried to pretend she couldn’t feel the shadow now whispering its presence in the back of her mind.



Diane stared at the gentle glow of the docking bay dome. Mercury fried under the sunlight and froze on the far side, wobbling just outside of the sun’s gravity well. The people of mercury had tunneled underground long ago in an attempt to find balance between the two extremes. They’d become a people of science. Constantly striving to improve the machinery and magic of the Kingdoms of the solar system. Nothing was more prized on Mercury than intelligence. The ship entered the docking area slowly. Diane felt a gentle hand drop on her shoulder.

“We’re here, sweetheart. Are you happy to be home again?” Diane nodded slowly, but felt her stomach twist inside. She was being torn apart inside, between the love of the man beside her and her loyalty to the Moon Kingdom and Serenity. At night she melted in his arms and wished for nothing more than to forget the past. But every time he issued an order to a soldier she saw the coldness in his eyes, and she remembered her mother’s limp body. She was caught between too many emotions, too many things were happening inside. And now she felt him in her mind, like a blip on a radar screen, or a compass needle, always pointing north. It was distracting, and it scared her. Diane pushed her thoughts aside as they left the ship.

She ignored the hand on her waist. Zavier didn’t ever stray far from her side. He was constantly touching her. In another life, she might have been free to enjoy the attention. Instead she occupied herself with examining every inch of the vessel. She inspected the walkway as they left. She had gone over every inch of the ship since she’d been put aboard. Besides not having much else to do, Diane knew that it was always wise to plan ahead. And she had to escape before she sacrificed her honor and loyalty.



“This is a really stupid idea.” Cassandra glared at the roof of the temple again from her hiding place in the alley. “This is a really, really stupid idea. And why the HELL did mom put that bow up there? The weathervane on the top of the temple of Mars. What kind of a stupid idiot came up with that?” Her grandfather looked a bit sheepish, and then chuckled.

“It seemed like a good idea at the time?” Cassie glared at the earth soldiers swarming around the capital, and the entire army parked in the temple courtyard. The place was incredibly busy, and the new ‘door’ carved into the wall of the temple was always bottlenecked with people scurrying in and out. No one dared try the real gates to the temple. The noise was setting Cassie’s teeth on edge.

“We should have done this BEFORE the soldiers took over the temple. Why didn’t we do this earlier?” Another laugh came from the old man.

“You were too busy trying to hassle the soldiers to hear about logical planning. You simply wanted revenge, a chance to strike at the enemy. Now you see that true victory is sometimes obtained through careful planning. Now, I’m sure you’ll do just fine. You remember the plan?” Cassie nodded.

“I’m not ten years old anymore, I remember. And I still don’t think it’s going to work. But dammit, I have to get off planet, and fast. And having a talisman would be nice.” Suddenly something brushed against her mind. Cassie stiffened.

“What’s wrong?” Cassie closed her eyes.

“He just landed on Mars.” She could feel him in her mind. He was far too close for comfort. And if he could track her even better… Cassie shuddered at the thought. Now was the time to concentrate.

“Then we need to move fast. I love you, granddaughter.” He caught in a fierce hug, and then raced down the alleyway. Cassie watched him go, fear in her heart.

“I hope this works grandpa.”



Jason knew something was about to happen the moment he stepped off the ship. He could feel it in the dusty air, and he could sense it through his link to Cassandra. She was extremely agitated over something. Jason didn’t bother with the preliminaries of an official planetary visit. He simply brushed by the dignitaries and flunkies clustered around the ship. He grabbed three of the soldiers waiting near the gate and sent them to gather reinforcements. Cassandra was up to something. Her emotions were screaming in his mind. She was so full of fear and doubt that he was almost overwhelmed. He stopped for a moment to get his bearings. He heard shouts coming from the temple. Jason already knew who was behind the commotion. He had to get to the temple, and he had to get there fast.

“You won’t escape me this time, firebrand.”



Athan stood for a long time at the entrance to the Temple of Saturn. The doors were solid gold, with the symbol of Saturn in relief. No other ornamentation, just the heavy metal polished to a brilliant shine, the symbol, and a shallow indentation on the left hand side of the door. Athan gripped the glaive tightly in his hand. He pressed it into the indentation. The doors swung open, yet made no sound. He removed the glaive and entered the blackness.

Inside was a single stairway. It would upwards into what looked like eternal blackness. The crystal walls were opaque here, not the transparent crystal of the rest of the city. Athan took a deep breath and began climbing. He tried to clear his mind of all distractions, but one thought kept invading the others. The last time he had climbed these stairs, he had been searching for Hotaru with murder in his heart. He stared down with each footfall, certain he could see blood that had dripped from the glaive during his return trip.

Her quiet acceptance was what had bothered him so much. She hadn’t even lifted a finger. Her glaive had been left in the doorway below. She had simply stared at him with those dark eyes. And she had wanted death. She had longed for death. Athan had often wondered why. And yet he always knew she wanted to escape her destiny. The stairs seemed endless, stretching for all eternity.

Then the doorway appeared. The top room of the tower contained only a crystal throne. Athan stared at it for several moments, as if the occupant would suddenly appear. And then Hotaru was there.

“I’ve been waiting for you.” Athan resisted the urge to jump backwards. Her sudden appearance and familiar voice were both welcome and repulsive.

“You know what I seek.” His tone was terse, unrelenting. Hotaru nodded slowly.

“Even in death, I cannot escape the curse until I pass it to another. And yet you must willingly receive the title of messiah of death. Do you take the mantle of destroyer?” Athan nodded slowly. Hotaru pointed to a spot at Athan’s feet. “Take it then. And know that I always dreaded this day. For the burden is more than you can ever imagine.” Hotaru slowly flickered away into nothingness. Athan slowly leaned over and picked up the wand at his feet. His eyes grew wide as it puddled and reformed into a ring. He slipped it on his hand slowly. He glanced at the throne one last time.

“I’m sorry, Hotaru. I only ever wanted to find happiness. And yet it seems I can give only misery. Maybe the curse of the destroyer is from within.” He turned and started down the winding stairway, each step echoing in the darkness, bringing him closer to his fate.



Endymion desperately tried to slow himself down, but the gorgeous woman in his arms was driving him crazy. She was obviously an innocent, but returned his kisses with a fervor that was sending his blood to the lower half of his body, leaving his brain unable to cope. He knew he should try to get to know her first, send flowers, take her somewhere. But all he could think about was how soft her skin was and how soft she’d be everywhere else.

Serenity couldn’t think. She couldn’t breathe. All she could do was feel. The man lying on top of her…she felt like he was consuming her soul. Drawing every ounce of energy from her body and pouring it back into her. His hands were gentle and skimmed over her skin, making her feel like she was wrapped in a cloud of sensation. She arched against his body, rubbing skin against skin. The shock of the contact cleared away the haze for a moment.

He saw the shock in her eyes as skin touched skin. He bent her head backwards, burying his lips against her throat. Any protest died on a moan. He was trying desperately to slow down, but she was burning him alive. Her hands fluttered over his body, stroking and patting. They floated lower and he almost laughed at her muffled squeak of surprise.

“Find something?” His voice echoed through her mind. Sere shook her head. She didn’t want to think too much. If she let her mind take control, she’d stop.

“Just kiss me.” Endymion complied. Then he was slipping inside her. She cried, first in pain and shock, then in pleasure, and finally in astonishment and shame. Endymion held her close and wondered why her tears didn’t send him scurrying away. Instead he only wanted to comfort her. So he held her tightly against him and it was then he realized he didn’t even know her name.



“You who defile this ancient temple. Leave this place and seek your own planet.” The old man’s voice rippled across the stone. The soldiers turned and stared at the old man. No one moved for several long moments. Suddenly the courtyard of the temple was swarming with resistance members. They set fire to anything in site and screamed their war cry. And the old man’s voice echoed above them all.

“Freedom to Mars.” Cassie watched the melee from her spot in the alley. She slowly worked her way to the edge of the temple and flipped herself up onto the lower roof. And the climb began. In the courtyard below, the distraction was turning into a slaughter. The wounded lay bleeding, screaming, dying, turning the stones black with their blood. Their groans echoed in the dry Martian air.

Jason arrived just in time to see the last few resistance members fall. But his mind was on only one thing. He felt her fire. This close to her was like being next to a furnace. He looked upward in time to see her climbing over the roof. He started forward, until one man blocked his path.

“I cannot let you stop her.” The man’s voice was sad. Jason sneered a bit, until he noticed the single ring on the man’s finger. It was the signet of mars. And Jason knew then who he faced. This was her grandfather, the old King of Mars, who had fought all comers for seven days to receive his throne. The only one who had ever beaten him in combat was his daughter.

“I thought you were dead, deposed one.” The man smiled slowly.

“Dead is but another path we take. Now is the time to take yours.” The two men faced each other, bowing low. And then the fighting began.

Cassie lost her footing. She dangled from the edge of the window with the wind whipping around her. And what she saw made her let go. She hit the slate tiles below with a crash, her entire body protesting. She forced herself to her feet.

The two men circled like wild animals, kicking and punching, trading blows without seeming to feel them. Cassie felt the bile rise in her throat. Her grandfather had once beaten hundreds of opponents to take the throne of mars, but now he was an old man. She watched the two in breathless silence, praying that the prince would be defeated. But even as she prayed to the eternal fire, in her heart she knew what would happen.

It was obvious that the old man was losing ground. His breathing came in shorter gasps, his movements became slower. Jason moved in for the kill. He smashed the old man across the gut, and then slammed him against the ground, snapping his spine at mid-back. A scream echoed across the sky. Jason looked upward. A figure stood silently on roof, almost inhumanly still. Jason looked down at the dying man. He took a tortured breath.

“Know this, weakling. Today I have given her a reason. A reason to fight, a reason to hate. A reason to oppose you until the end of time.” With that the last King of Mars left to the paths of the underworld. Jason looked upward again, just in time to see the silent figure erupt in flame. He howled in outrage, for now he knew what the old man had done.



Diane gritted her teeth. The procession through the streets of Mercury to the temple was something she wasn’t enjoying. The cheering crowds seemed forced, as though every noise were made with a gun to their backs. From the number of Earth soldiers that wouldn’t be too far from the truth. Diane refused acknowledge Zavier. She was being carried on a litter, a tradition of the queens of Mercury, but Zavier was defying tradition. Instead of walking behind her he was seated with her. In fact, she was practically in his lap. She closed her eyes for a moment and wondered if his hand would ever stop roaming underneath her dress.

The litter came to a stop outside the temple. The great temple stood at the heart of Marina, in the heart of Mercury, on a great sheet of ice. Zavier let go and swung himself onto the slippery surface. A perverse little voice in Diane’s head wished for a nasty tumble, but Zavier reached upwards and helped her down. He took her hand and started forward across the ice with a smooth and steady stride. Diane clung to his arm, forcing herself to keep her temper in check.

For over one thousand years Mercury had been ruled by women. It was the perfect Matriarchy, with allegiance given to the great goddess Athena. Diane felt her heart dropping lower and lower. No man had entered the temple in all that time. She had the suspicion, however, that because of her one thousand years of tradition was about to be irrevocably changed. She didn’t think Zavier would take any suggestions from her, much less orders. But she really didn’t want him inside. It was her duty to light the torch of wisdom, her duty to take the twin crowns from their pedestals at Athena’s feet.

The doors to the temple loomed closer. Zavier stopped suddenly. He put a hand out, pushing the doors inward. And then Diane did something she had never thought herself capable of. She dashed inside and slammed the doors closed, throwing the bar in place across the door. And then she prayed as Zoisite’s angry tirade began.

“Oh, Athena. Please let those doors hold.” Diane headed for the center of the temple, ignoring the ever increasing pounded on the barred doors.