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"Saturn?! Saturn?! Where are you, Hotaru?"
A resonate echo followed by a crystalline silence was all that greeted
Michiru Kaioh as she entered the East Wing of Titan Castle upon the face of
the planet Saturn.
Everything seemed crystalline and marbleise nowadays. Everything from the
sacred Moon Palace to the far and isolated Castle upon the face of Pluto.
It seemed to capture the idea of futurism and the delicate reflections
suggested purity and the naked representation of truth.
Especially, thought Michiru, when one looks into one's own eyes.
Perhaps it was the twinkling and tinkling noises that sang when you walked
down the halls and corridors in smart boots. They seemed as fragile and as
delicate as the balance in the universe.
It is beautiful.
Despite the concern rising like a terrible morning in her chest, Michiru
finally understood what she never had before.
I love my life. I love my world.
She stopped running as raised a gloved hand to her transformation brooch.
She smoothed the cool, heart-shaped crystal with her fingers.
And that is why I must fight to the end. No matter how frightened I am.
Michiru straightened her stance and glided forward. She paused at the door
leading to the command central of Titan Castle.
She raised a clenched fist to the heavy, mahogany door and knocked twice.
Rapidly and in succession. She glanced nervously over her shoulder. Her only
company was silence. Michiru flicked a silky wave of marine-green hair over
her shoulder. Being forced to wait was not one of her strong points, it was
aggravating and the star of dread was shining brighter and brighter all the
time.
She bit her lower lip and pushed the door open. The darkness inside Sailor
Saturn's Control Room was cool and calm.
The only type of darkness that should exist Thought Michiru.
Erratic, electronic lights twinkled across the Command Board. They seemed to
mirror the cosmos that gleamed through the window that spanned the entire
north wall.
The heavens. That's what it used to be called. It was easy to see why. The
unreachable, glistening kingdom. The iridescent comets, the billowing clouds
of stars that spiralled outwards like angels, and the heavenly planets. The
masters of time and space. The pearls that orbited the sun, protected and
lightened.
"Sailor Neptune! You are here!"
Sailor Neptune gasped and span around on her heels. Her fuku shone like
fractured glass by the light of the stars. She reached out her arms in a
motherly embrace.
"Saturn!"
Sailor Saturn smiled joyfully. A rare sight for the Scout of silence. Her
Silence Glaive dropped to the floor and clattered noisily against the
marble.
She ran forwards, arms outstretched, the heels on her knee high boots
clicked upon the tiles and the shimmering silk of her fuku swirled around
her.
"Neptune! Michiru-mama!"
They embraced firmly. Saturn crouched down and picked up her gleaming blade,
shards of reflected light sliding across her alabaster-white skin and
illuminating her penetrative sapphire eyes. Once again, the joy had
dissolved from her face. She became saturnine. gloomy and forbidding.
"Sailor Neptune. What have you discovered?"
Michiru, Haruka and Setsuna had known Hotaru since she had been reborn, well
over 14 years ago, yet Michiru herself still remained in awe of the young
woman.
Hotaru, at the best of times, was a loving and warm-hearted girl. Yet, at
times, she became as the planet Saturn, cheerless and sorrowful. A soul
encased in ice.
"Neptune? Do you feel well?"
Sailor Neptune broke her intense gaze and smiled faintly.
"Sorry. Yes... I..." she shook her head as if to clear it.
"We've found something. But we need your help. We can't identify the
intruder."
Sailor Saturn replied only by shaking her glossy head. She brushed past her
fellow Scout and made her way out of the Centre and began to walk towards
the Portal Room. Neptune followed silently, like a spectre.
Yet, despite the silence, there was a requited comfort. They apprieciated
each other, shown through the bond they shared. It was strong enough exist
without words and petty conversations of false comfort. Both women knew a
storm was on the horizon, and both women knew words would not change that,
only action.
All the Outer Senshi knew that, and they were prepared to lay their lives
down, not just for the Moon Kingdom, but for each other. They were not just
Senshi, soldiers for battle.
They were a family.
Neptune stealthily wiped away a tear from her cheek
Sailor Neptune and Saturn entered the Portal room. The floor was black,
polished marble. Spilling from the walls were velvet curtains of
midnight-blue. Each pair of curtains framed a giant arching window, giving
birth to a view as spectacular as the last.
In the centre of the room was an immense silver mirror. It stood the size of
three men put together and six times as wide. The frame was sensuous and
curving, like a long forgotten art. Neptune smiled at this and traced the
frame of her talisman hand mirror. Both had similar patterns.
The glass itself was serene and shone like the moon. It lacked smudges and
smears and glittered like a pool of ice water in the sun.
They approached the mirror together. Saturn turned to gaze at Neptune
through her thick eyelashes.
"Neptune, there are only two of the four required scouts here necessary for
transportation." She thumbed her Glaive thoughtfully.
"Normally, it wouldn't be a problem. However, your powers may be lacking."
Neptune opened her mouth at the cold remark. Her blue eyes flashed in
offence. Saturn raised her hand.
"Please. I did not mean it in that respect. What I should of said was that
you have already transported today. Do you not feel drained?"
Hotaru sounded far older than she was. The aura of wisdom was disconcerting.
"I can take it, Saturn. I feel fine"
Saturn stared darkly at Neptune, as if in doubt. "Trust me"
"Very well," replied Saturn. "We don't have much time to enter the portal.
Hurry. Lets open it."
The scouts faced each other. Saturn's charcoal gaze met the eyes of Michiru.
With their eyes locked into silent communication, they joined hands, fingers
entwined.
Neptune smiled briefly.
"NEPTUNE PLANET POWER, MAKE UP!!"
"SATURN PLANET POWER, MAKE UP!! Take us to Charon Castle on Planet Pluto!!"
The water-like mirror became turbulent. It rippled, swirling and curving.
Reflections became distorted.
Still grasping each others hands. They watched the portal. The fluid-like
surface span like a centrifuge. No longer a flat surface, it formed an
extended tunnel, reaching through the frame. Yet the tunnel was not visible
from the side.
Like the tunnels found in the ocean. The one produced by a strong whirlpool.
"Hurry, Neptune"
Saturn lightly moved towards the tunnel.
Neptune cleared her throat.
"Saturn!"
Hotaru faltered and glanced over her shoulder. She looked quizzically at
Neptune and continued walking.
"Hotaru. I'm glad your here."
Saturn smiled gently and the Scout of the Tides and the Scout of Silence
disappeared into the portal with a flash of aqua-marine and lilac.
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