This story is but one part of many. In this story you may find clues and
hints that will connect it and make it part of a whole. The whole is a
creation of many authors known as the Circles of Time. A series of
stories that will span many lifetimes, many people. This one takes place
relatively early in the course of the events that Circles of Time
encompasses. A story about birth and death, beginnings and endings. The
shape of things to come.
Sailor Moon and the Sailor Senshi are from the mind of Naoko
Takeuchi and as such are hers. You will encounter many other characters
who are from the imagination of the authors taking part in the series as
time progresses and the creation known as Circles of Time unfolds. They
tell of the events that shape the world and its people. It is through the
eyes of the characters and ultimately the authors that you will see the
world we have all helped make. And without the inspiration of Naoko
Takeuchi and the universe she created none of this would have been
possible.
You can find the stories that make up the Circles of Time series
here; http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/9897/ct.htm At this place will you
find the universe that the authors have created.
Sailor Moon
Circles of Time
The Coming Darkness
By Todd Foster
PROLOGUE
The fog swirled around Magellan as he stood in the middle of the huge
room. He moved his hand through the air and watched as the fog flowed
around it. Looking down at himself he saw that he was dressed in a
highly stylized black armour with gold and silver trim. At his side hung
a large double-edged sword that was made of a highly polished metal.
Then he noticed the black cloak around his shoulders.
Where am I, he thought.
He looked around the room and could just make out the walls
which seemed to be made out of some sort of crystal. He followed the
walls up to the ceiling but they were so high that they were lost in the
fog.
"What is this place?" he asked aloud.
He looked around the room again hoping to see something,
anything that might give him some idea of where he was.
"You must find the Messiah," a voice said from the fog.
"Who's there!" Magellan called out as he drew the sword at his
side. It's polished surface glinted in the soft light that filled the room. He
spun around hoping to see who had spoken and took comfort in the
weight of the sword in his hands. The sword felt alien and familiar at the
same time. Some how he knew that it had always been his, yet he had
never seen it before in his life. "Come out and show yourself!" he called
out to the fog again.
"If you do not find the Messiah, your world will be destroyed and
ours will never be," the voice said.
"Show your face!" Magellan once again called out.
As he watched two forms began to take shape in the fog. Neither
one came far enough forward for Magellan to see them clearly. The taller
was almost definitely a man as his hair seemed to be cut short and he was
dressed in some sort of armour. The other was a women dressed in a
flowing gown that he could just make out. Her hair was made into two
pony-tails that went down to her calves with a ball of hair on top of each.
"Find the Messiah," they told him.
"What do you mean?" Magellan asked, "Who is the Messiah?"
"Find the Messiah," they said again as they disappeared back into
the fog.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!" he yelled.
"Find the Messiah," their voices seeming to come from
everywhere at once.
"WHO ARE YOU?!"
* * *
Magellan sat up in bed with a start. It's that dream again, he thought. He
spent several minutes sitting there in his bed before he decided to get up
and look out his window. Throwing back the covers he climbed out and
winced as his bare feet landed on the cold stone of Vlatmere Castle. The
castle had been in the family for many generations and he had never
known what it was like to live outside its walls. He looked out over the
land that his father, Lord Endymion, presided over for their King. He
then looked up at the moon that shown brightly in the night sky. Some
how he felt that he was connected to it, as though it was a part of his
being.
There was a gentile knock on his door before it opened. Magellan
turned to see his mother standing in the doorway, a concerned expression
on her face.
"Magellan, are you alright?" she asked him, "I thought I heard you
call out."
"I'm alright, Mother," the ten-year-old boy assured her, "I just had
a bad dream, that's all."
"Are you sure you're alright?"
"Yes, Mother, I'm fine. Why don't you go back to bed," he assured
her.
She looked at him for a moment and realized that she was no
longer seeing the carefree ten-year-old son that she had known. He had
matured much in the last few months and she was now seeing a young
man who was destined for greatness. She felt both joy and sorrow at the
same time. Joy that he was turning into the man that his father had
always hoped he would, and sorrow because he was no longer the
innocent boy that she had raised. Yes, he was destined for greatness.
Perhaps more than any Endymion who had come before. Even more than
their ancestors who had made this castle and helped create the Golden
Empire.
"Very well. Try to get some sleep. You have a busy day
tomorrow," she said.
"I will, Mother," he replied, "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, my child," his mother said as she closed the door.
Magellan turned back to the window and looked up at the stars.
The dream coming back to him in full. It had been the same dream that
he had been having for as long as he could remember. It had started with
just their voices, and over the years it had become somewhat clearer. He
could at least see their outline now. But, what does it mean? he
wondered.
He could only guess at the dream's meaning.
CHAPTER 1
A NEW LORD
Magellan brought his arm down hard toward his opponent, the polished
sword arching through the air. His opponent moved gracefully out of the
way as the sword whistled through the space he had just vacated.
"You're going to have to do better than that if you plan on
bringing me down, my friend," Magellan's opponent said as he moved
into position for a strike of his own.
"Frederic, that was just to get you to move toward that bucket at
your feet," Magellan said to his friend since birth.
Frederic glanced down and didn't see anything at his feet. That's
when he realized he had made a mistake. Quickly reversing the grip on
his own sword he brought it up in an attempt at a weak block. Magellan's
blade struck his own and then glanced off the armour on his forearm. It
missed hitting his unprotected head by a scant few inches.
"Easy there!" Frederic called out, "I would like to keep my head
if that's alright with you. I've grown rather attached to it."
"I don't know why," Magellan laughed as he deflected Frederic's
counter strike, "There's nothing in there that would be of any use to
you."
"Too bad your own head is so thick your brain is only half the
size it should be!" Frederic remarked as he made a slash at Magellan's
legs. His blade struck the armour protecting Magellan's legs and knocked
them out from under him.
Magellan cried out as he went crashing to the ground, his arms
failing about. He inadvertently let go of his sword and it went sailing in
a wide arch through the air. It landed next to a young woman who was
drawing some water from the well. The point pierced her skirt and drove
itself into the ground at her feet. Her high pitched scream got the
attention of several onlookers who were watching Magellan and Frederic
practice.
"Oh, Christ," Frederic remarked as he turned to help the
distressed girl, "Now look what you've done."
"What I've done?!" Magellan called out as he struggled to his
feet, it wasn't easy in full armour, "You're the one who knocked my legs
out from under me!"
Frederic ignored him as he came up next to the girl and pulled the
sword from next to her feet. "Sorry about that," he apologized to her,
"My friend can't seem to hold on to anything of his."
"I-Its okay," the girl responded, still shaken from nearly being
skewered, "I was just startled is all."
"Sorry about that," Magellan said to the girl as he came up next
to the two.
"There is nothing to apologize for, My Lord," she replied shyly.
She was not used to being addressed to by royalty. "It didn't do any
harm."
Although Magellan was now twenty-one he still was
uncomfortable with every one referring to him as Lord. After all, his
father was still alive even though he spent his days in bed due to a
sickness that the Healers couldn't cure. He wasn't the Lord of King
Arthur's eastern provinces, yet.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Magellan asked.
"Yes, thank you, My Lord," the girl replied, her eyes downcast.
"Here, let me fill this for you since I was the reason you dropped
it in the first place," Magellan said as he reached down and picked up the
pale she had dropped. He put it on the hook and let it down into the well.
When it was full he hoisted it back up and handed it to the girl.
"Thank you, My Lord," she said again as she took the pale of
water.
"It's the least I could do after startling you like that," Magellan
said to her. She nodded her thanks and scurried off into the village. He
watched the girl run off and then turned to face his friend.
"You really have a way with women, making them run off like
that," Frederic said to him with a smile.
"And this coming from someone who has probably bedded every
woman in the province that didn't out right slap him," Magellan
commented.
"Is it my fault that women flock from miles around to my
bedside?" Frederic asked in mock indignation.
Magellan gave him a sideways glance and looked him up and
down. Frederic's shock of red hair came down to the point that it nearly
hid his dark eyes although at the moment it was plastered to his head
from their practicing. He was a little taller than Magellan himself, but
was some what thinner. It was a wonder he was as thin as he was
considering how much drink he put down. He had a reputation
throughout the province as being able to drink anyone under the table,
and still bed a women afterwards. He was also known as one of the best
archers in the army by his men as well as one of the more outspoken
commanders. Even with his at times immature behavior, he was
considered one of the best soldiers to have ever lived. His own
swordsmanship was second to only Magellan himself, and he lead a team
of archers who had no equal in the whole Empire. Sword fighting wasn't
even his main skill!
Magellan on the other hand had been groomed to be the best
swordsman the Empire had ever seen as well as the best military mind to
ever lead men into battle. He had been trained by the greatest minds in
the military and was well versed in the art of war. It was said that never
had there been a leader as proficient in the ways of war as he. In the few
battles he had partaken in he had lead his men to a swift and one sided
victory in every instance. He was already a legend among the royalty and
peasants of the province. His name had even been spoken among the
halls of Camelot on more than one occasion. He was expected to become
a great warrior and leader when he took command of King Arthur's
Eastern Armies.
While he waited for Magellan to make a response, Frederic took
a moment to look over the mighty warrior and friend. Almost six feet in
height with a lean muscular frame, dark hair, and blue eyes, Magellan
was considered to be one of handsomest men in all the province. He
would have had women coming from all over to see him if it weren't for
the fact that he was royalty, and therefore off limits. His armour was
polished to the point that it glistened in even the weakest of light.
Frederic had to admit that his friend was by far greater than he himself
was. Pure in heart and mind Frederic found himself often looking up to
him.
Both men were brought out of their reveries by one of Magellan's
father's servants running up to them.
"My Lord," the servant said as he bowed to Magellan, "I bring
word from Lord Endymion. Your father wishes you to see him in his
quarters at once."
"Thank you," Magellan replied, "I'll be there as soon as I get out
of this armour."
"As you wish," the servant replied before turning and heading
back to the castle.
"Well," Frederic sighed, "I guess that means the end of today's
practice."
"If you're that depressed about it why don't you go sharpen your
archery skills?" Magellan suggested, "Or get an early start in the tavern?
We can't have the women deprived of your presence now can we?"
"True," Frederic replied somewhat arrogantly, "Anyway, you had
better not keep your father waiting. I'll see you over at the tavern when
you're done."
"Very well, I'll see you then," Magellan said and headed off to
the castle.
* * *
Magellan took a deep breath before knocking on the door to his father's
chambers. His father had been very ill for some months now and the
Healers did not expect him to make it another month. The disease that
was ravaging his body completely baffled the Healers and they had no
idea what it was or how to treat it. Some had even come to conclude that
it was witchcraft or sorcery. And Magellan had to believe that they might
be right. There had been a growing faction of people who didn't follow
his father's ideals.
Although they had never done anything to call attention to
themselves before, they might have slipped a poison into Lord
Endymion's drink or they might have a witch or sorcerer among them. If
they did, then their potential threat increased greatly. Fore if they were
going to strike at the Royal House than this would be the time to do it.
Magellan heard a faint order for him to enter and he opened the
door. He saw his father laying on his great bed under the covers. The
drapes had been pulled and the only light in the room was coming from
the fire and some candles placed about the room. He finally moved
forward and looked his father in the face. Magellan's father looked like
he was on the edge of the abyss and Magellan suddenly felt as though he
was about to see his father move on. His face was withered and pale from
the disease. His eyes came to rest on Magellan as he came closer but they
didn't seem to focus on anything. Magellan came up next to his father
and knelt at his bedside, taking his father's frail hand in his own.
"You sent for me, Father?" Magellan asked politely. He was very
proud of his father, even when he was confined to his bed with this
disease. There was a determination about the man that inspired Magellan
to no end. He only wished that he would look upon his own death with
such strength and courage.
"I am glad you came, fore I have a matter of great importance to
discuss with you," Lord Endymion said in a rasping voice.
"Father, you are much too weak to talk. You shouldn't be
exerting yourself like this. You need your strength to fight this disease
that plagues your body," Magellan cautioned his father. He still had hope
that his father would pull through.
"You and I both know that I can't fight this vile disease," his
father replied, "It was born of the blackest magic and I do not posses the
power needed to defeat it. My time here is short and there are things you
need to know before I go."
"Father, don't say such things. You can defeat this disease. You
know it as well as I do," Magellan pleaded.
"That is completely false. I have known for some time that this
was how it would end, just as I have known that the destiny pressed upon
you will lead you into great darkness. But if you prevail you will become
one of the greatest leaders to lead men to battle, possibly greater than
King Arthur himself."
"Father! How dare you speak against our King in such a way! I
can only hope to be half the man King Arthur is," Magellan scolded him.
"King Arthur's empire was doomed from the beginning. I know
since I helped him build it. Evil was laid into the very foundation of his
empire because some would not want him to be the man he is. His
empire will fall, and that day is fast approaching. You must prepare
yourself to lead men into the coming darkness in the hopes that you will
be victorious. Fore if you are not, this entire planet will be consumed.
But the Evil will not stop there. It will spread to the other planets of our
solar system, and from there spread across the galaxy. If it is not stopped
here, there will be no hope of ever stopping it until it has consumed all
life."
"Father, you are delirious. You're speaking of myths and legends.
There is no life other than that which is here. And the Golden Empire
will stand for thousands of generations. There has never been an empire
that has ever united people the way the Golden Empire has. It will still
stand long after my descendants are gone."
"You are wrong. The evil that has undermined the Golden Empire
grows stronger with each passing day. You have been given the strength
needed to defeat it, but you can't do it alone. You must find allies that
will aid you. Only when you find them will you be able to defeat the
darkness that will destroy our world and the worlds of countless others.
You must rise up to the challenge and excel. I have long known what
your destiny has set for you. I wish that I had been the one chosen to
carry such a burden, but it was intended for a far greater man than I. And
that man is you , Magellan. You must harness the power that you have
been blessed with and use it to destroy those who would destroy worlds."
"Please, Father, you are exerting yourself more than you should.
You need to rest."
"There is no time for me to rest! My time here has almost
expired, and I must impress upon you that which you will need to know
to face the challenges set before you before I go. You must understand
your importance to the survival of all living things. You must not let this
evil succeed! You must crush it before it can rise to its fullest power. All
our survival depends on it!"
"Please, Father, don't do this," Magellan was close to tears, "You
must preserve what little strength you have."
Magellan watched as his father relaxed back into the bed. This
time when he spoke it was no louder than a whisper and Magellan had to
lean closer to hear his words.
"I can only pray that you will understand what it is you must do.
It is time for me to go. I now pass on command of Arthur's Eastern
Armies on to you. Remember what you must do. Goodbye, my son," and
with a last breath he closed his eyes and let himself go.
Magellan just stared at his dead father for several moments, not
believing that he was truly gone. He looked over to the night stand next
to his father's bed and saw a single red rose in a vase. He watched as it
slowly turned black and wilted before his eyes.
It was with this last dying rose that he realized his father was truly
dead. The title of Lord Endymion now lay upon his own head.
CHAPTER 2
THE SENSHI OF VENUS AWAKES
"Myung! It's time to go to the banquet!"
Myung let out a sigh when she heard her big sister, Jeseme, call
out from down the hall of the palace. She despised these social functions
that she was forced to attend. It was nothing more than a bunch of people
full of their own importance. Most of them did practically nothing and
were complete fools as far as she was concerned. She wished she had
been born into some other family instead of being born into the Royal
Family of Venus. She let out another sigh before getting up off her bed.
"I'll be down in a second, Onee-san!" Myung called down.
Myung looked up to her sister and loved her dearly. She just couldn't
figure out what it was her onee-san saw in these stupid parties. She did
admire her inner strength and stamina though. She was glad her sister
wasn't like the rest of those idiots who attended the parties. Maybe she
liked the attention she received. Myung just didn't know. As hard as she
tried to be like her sister she just couldn't do it. Where her sister gladly
went to all the social functions and enjoyed them, Myung would rather
be someplace else.
Myung took one last look in the mirror to make sure nothing was
so far out of place that it would cause her mother to have conniptions.
Her long blond hair was tied back with a yellow ribbon that matched her
full length gown perfectly. She would have preferred something more
comfortable but her mother would have none of it. Myung was royalty
and expected to dress and act the part. At times Myung felt her mother
was keeping her under lock and key.
Satisfied with her appearance, Myung went out of her room and
headed down to the end of the hall where her sister was waiting. She
looked at her sister and marveled at how beautiful she was. Others often
made the comment that the two of them would have looked like twins if
not for the fact that Jeseme was three years older. Since Jeseme was now
nineteen she would soon be looking to take a husband.
Jeseme was dressed in a beautiful white gown that flowed around
her and made her look like she was a princess out of a fairy tale. Her blue
eyes sparkled with a smile that radiated strait from her heart and it never
failed to lighten up a room, no matter the mood. She was loved by all
who knew her and was often the center of attention wherever she went.
"What do you think?" Myung asked as she did a slow turn for her
sister.
"Not bad. Come here a second," Jeseme said and adjusted the
straps on Myung's gown. She took a step back and nodded in
satisfaction. "Perfect. You should have no shortage of men asking you to
dance tonight."
Myung blushed a bit at Jeseme's comment. "Thank you," she
replied.
"You're welcome," Jeseme said. Myung noticed a hint of
mischief in her eyes. "Shall we go and be the envy of every girl at the
party?"
"Sure," Myung smiled and walked with her sister over to the
West Wing Ball Room which was where the "social function" was being
held. She didn't know how but her sister had once again managed to raise
her spirits out of the gloom that they had been in.
They both stopped and waited just out of view of the stairs that
lead down into the ball room with their parents. All there was to do now
was wait to be announced. Their mother heard them come up and turned
to them, looking them over.
"Are you two ready?" she asked.
"Yes," the two young women answered.
"Good," their mother stated, "It is about time to join the ball."
When her mother turned back around Myung stuck her tongue out
at her back. She felt Jeseme hit her arm and she spun her head around to
look at her sister. Instead she noticed her father looking at her with a
small smile on his face. Myung blushed in embarrassment and looked
down at her feet.
Just then she heard the herald call out from the bottom of the
stairs. "Their royal majesties, the King and Queen of Venus!"
With that Myung's parents headed down the stairs carrying the air
of authority and dignity that being the King and Queen entailed. Myung
couldn't see them descend the stairs and stood there waiting for herself
to be announced.
The next one to be announced was Jeseme. Just before heading
down the stairs she turned and gave Myung a wink. Then she heard her
name introduced.
"Her royal highness, Princess Myung!"
With that Myung straitened her back and moved down the stairs
as regally as she could. She took a look around the room as she glided
down to see who she recognized and who she didn't. She totally ignored
the room as she had seen it so many times with it's finely crafted
decorations and ornaments. Even the carpeting was plush and looked to
be new, bearing false witness to the fact that it was as old as the palace
itself.
She recognized about half of the two hundred in attendance. She
noticed several who were from the upper echelons of Venus society as
well as several foreign dignities. She loathed almost all of them with the
exception of a few who she deemed to be better than the rest of the
socialites. Surprisingly both of the people she actually looked up too
were high ranking military officials. They were Admiral Simon Donovan
of the Jupiter Military Wing and General Ryo Acruz of the Venus
Military Reserve.
Both men were well into their fifties and carried an air of
authority that was justly deserved. They had risen to their positions on
shear character and power of will rather than inheriting their power like
so many others. And the part Myung liked best about the two was the fact
that they treated her as though she was a close friend, not the daughter of
royalty, and they detested most of the people in the room even more than
Myung herself did.
She saw the two of them over in a corner talking to each other
and only acknowledging anyone else if they were spoken to directly. She
slowly made her way over to them, stopping to exchange pleasantries
with a few of the guests. She may have despised them but she still needed
to say "good evening" to them if she liked it or not. She hated rude
people and made sure she was never so to others.
When Myung came up to the two men they stopped their
conversation and greeted her, each bowing and giving her hand a kiss as
the gentlemen that they were.
"Good evening, Princess," Admiral Donovan's deep voice said
pleasantly. He was in full dress uniform and had what little of his gray
hair was left tucked neatly under a red beret that seemed to be a key
identifier of Jupiter Military personnel. Some even suspected they slept
with their berets on.
General Acruz on the other hand was in far better physical shape
than his counter part and had managed to maintain his full head of dark
brown hair. His greeting was no less courteous but done with just a bit
more style. It was common knowledge that the two of them frequently
behaved as though they were in a personal contest to see who was better.
"And what thrilling discussion did I interrupt this evening?"
Myung asked with a mischievous smile.
"We were just debating the accuracy of the latest intel on Baron
Minstrovich," Donovan said, "Word from the grape vine is that he has
recently come into a acquisition of some rather incriminating material on
one Carlos Domingo of the Montel Cartel."
"Hardly a credible source," Acruz exasperated as he rolled his
eyes to the ceiling.
"Too bad I get more reliable information from them than I do
from Central Intelligence," Donovan stated.
"That," Acruz remarked, "I find hard to believe."
"Do you know what I heard?" Myung asked the two.
"What's that?" Donovan asked in genuine curiosity.
"My people say that Domingo has been pushing more than just
illicit material," Myung stated, "It appears that he has been dipping into
the slave trade as well."
"What?!" both men exclaimed. Slave trading was an offense
punishable by death on every planet in the system. Not to mention that
the information that Myung just stated was known to both but was of the
highest security clearance.
"Where did you hear that?!" Acruz wanted to know, fearing a
major security leak.
"Oh," Myung said with a mischievous grin, "I have my sources."
"And might I ask if you could get me in touch with your
sources?" Donovan asked, being a bit more subtle.
"Sorry, gentlemen. But you know I can't divulge that kind of
information," Myung said, "I wouldn't have anything to hold over you
guys if I did. And just to assure you two that you don't have a leak in
your security, it did not come from any one with connections to your
offices."
Both men let out a sigh. She had done it again. Myung had just
proven that she was far more crafty than the two of them gave her credit
for. She had known just what they were worried about. Not to mention
that her own sources often proved to be more reliable than the official
info coming from Central Intel.
"I keep on telling your father that you should put your talents to
use in the intel community . . ." Donovan trailed off.
"But Mother would have none of it," Myung finished for him.
Donovan looked like he was going to add something but shut his
mouth while a grin broke out on Acruz's face.
"I thought for sure you would speak your mind, Donovan," Acruz
jibed.
"Stuff it, Acruz," Donovan shot back.
"Look," Myung broke in, "I know you both detest my mother as
much as I do so just speak your minds. I don't offend easily."
"That'll be the day I die," Acruz commented. He received a slap
on his arm for that one and it was Donovan's turn to smile.
"As much as I would like to while away the evening in your
company, gentlemen, I have other duties that I must attend to." Myung
stated formally, as though she had rehearsed the line many times over,
"Have a good evening."
"Very well," Donovan said as he bent down and kissed her hand,
"Goodbye, my Princess."
"Goodbye, as well, Princess," Acruz said as he too took her hand
and kissed it.
Myung was perplexed by their behavior but took it in stride.
"Goodbye," she replied simply and turned away. Her mind filled with
warnings as to their odd behavior. Could they possibly know what I'm
going to do? she wondered. For the last several weeks she had become
restless with her life in the palace. She often found herself looking up at
the stars at night, especially the point of blue light that was Earth.
Somehow she was drawn to it and she knew she had to go there. For what
reason, she did not know. All she knew was that the answers lie there.
She knew that her mother would never let her leave and had made
arrangements to sneak out of the palace and jump onto a transport
heading for Earth using a set of false ID's that she had obtained. She
moved quickly through the crowd of people in the Ball Room without
seeming to be in any kind of hurry. She pushed the nagging thoughts
about Acruz and Donovan to the back burner and concentrated on her
plan of attack on slipping past the guards unnoticed. She didn't look
back.
"Do you think His Highness is correct in that she may be the
one?" Donovan asked his friend as he watched Myung walk off.
"I don't know," Acruz replied honestly, "You know I don't put
much stock in those old legends. But in light of these shadows closing in
on us from all sides, I don't think I have a choice. Everything we try fails.
If the legends are not true than I don't know if we have any hope of
surviving."
The two friends were talking of an old legend, possible as old as
time itself, about a Queen who would come and deliver everyone from
a darkness that would sweep the land. And by her side would be a group
of female warriors who possessed unheard of powers. They were known
as the Sailor Senshi and would act as the guardians of peace for all
eternity. For the first time in his life Acruz found himself praying that the
legend of the Sailor Senshi was more than just a child's bedtime story.
* * *
Myung moved through the people before ducking down one of the side
corridors that led to the bathrooms. She was confident that no one had
really noticed her as she passed the bathrooms and headed toward a
service entrance further down the hall. She stepped through the door and
headed over to the closet that was in the corner. Going into the closet she
closed the door behind her and turned on the overhead light. She pulled
out some nondescript clothes that she had hidden back among the
tablecloths as well as a backpack with some other items. She quickly
changed and made sure no one was outside the door before opening it
and continuing down the hall.
She ducked into another hallway that led out to the gardens and
servant's quarters when she found someone blocking her way. For her
credit she did not let the fear show on her face.
"Walk with me, Myung," her father said calmly.
He led them out into the garden as Myung meekly followed by his
side. Thoughts of what punishment she was going to get for trying to run
away filled her every thought. She realized her father was addressing her
with a start.
"I have known for quite some time that this day would come," he
said softly. There was no anger in his voice. Only a touch of sadness that
Myung almost missed. "Your destiny does not lay here in the palace. I
think you are destined for something greater, and if I'm right you will
save not only Venus but all of us in this little solar system we call home.
You know the legend of the Sailor Senshi, right?"
"Of course," Myung stammered as she slowly began to realize
that her father was not going to punish her, "Mother used to tell it to
Jeseme and I when we were little children."
"Yes," her father said with a smile, "Yes she did. It was your
favorite story too."
"What does the legend have to do with me?" Myung asked.
"There is a great deal more to the legend than has been told as a
bedtime story for little children. You see, over a thousand years ago an
ancient manuscript was found along with a small artifact. On the
manuscript was writing from a long dead civilization that was believed
to have come from another part of our galaxy. No one was able to read
it except for an old magi who was able to translate it. The manuscript had
been created by the use of magic as well as the artifact found with it.
After the magi translated it he came before the royal house and read it to
them. It was a detailed prophecy telling of the Sailor Senshi. It told of a
powerful and devastating war that occurred long ago when the Sailor
Senshi were numerous and spread among the stars. It ended with the evil
being sealed away at the expense of all the Senshi being destroyed. But
it also said that the Senshi would rise again to take their place as
guardians of the galaxy.
"It went on to tell of a darkness that would consume everything
in it's path. And to defeat it nine Sailor Senshi would rise from the ashes
of their past to combat the darkness. Those Senshi would come from this
solar system and become the defenders of a great Empire that would last
for an eternity. From each planet someone would be picked to become
those Senshi and fulfill their destinies as the guardians of peace. When
that person was found there would be a sign that they were to become the
Sailor Senshi once prophesied."
"But what sign would there be to let that person know who they
were to become?" Myung asked.
"That is where the artifact comes in," and he reached into his
pocket and pulled out a short stick. It was gold in color with the mark of
Venus inside an oval on the top. "This is the artifact found with the
manuscript. There is supposed to be one for each planet, but as far as I
know this is the only one that has been found."
"Then do you know who the Sailor Senshi whom that belongs to
is?" Myung asked.
"Yes, I do," her father stated, "That person is you, Myung."
Myung stopped walking and looked at her father in shock. She
didn't notice her bag fall off her shoulders and hit the ground. "How do
you know that?" she asked, not believing him.
"The night after you were born while your mother rested I sat
beside your crib and watched you. This artifact had long been locked
away in a vault that had not been opened in hundreds of years. As I sat
there next to your crib a strange light filled the room. When it faded
somewhat this was hovering over your sleeping body and glowing
brightly. When I looked down at you the mark of Venus was also glowing
brightly on your forehead. It was at that moment that I realized the
prophecy was true and that you were to be one of the Sailor Senshi. This
now belongs to you," he said as he handed her the artifact.
Once Myung had it fully in her grasp it began to glow and soon
enveloped her in light. When it vanished she stood there as she felt raw
power surge through her body. When she opened her eyes she looked
down and saw herself dressed in a fuku with an orange skirt and trim.
She also wore a pair of white gloves with orange trim that came up to her
elbows. She looked up to see her father staring at her in shock.
"You really are the Senshi of Venus," he breathed.
"Yes," Myung, now Sailor Venus, said. Her destiny and what she
must do were suddenly clear to her. "I am Sailor Venus."
She looked her father in the eye before continuing. "I appreciate
everything you have done for me, but now I must go. I must find the
other eight and put a stop to the coming darkness. Fore if I don't,
everything will be wiped away like so much sand. Goodbye, my father."
"Yes, I know," he replied, "Acruz and Donovan have prepared a
special transport for you to take to Earth. And may the Goddess watch
over you on your journey."
"Thank you," Sailor Venus said and turned to find Acruz and
Donovan standing near the end of the garden waiting to escort her to her
transport. She was half way to them when her father called out to her.
"I will always love you, Myung," he called out to her.
Sailor Venus turned to see her father watching her with great
sadness. She even noticed a tear running down his cheek. "As I you," she
replied and then turned to follow her destiny.
CHAPTER 3
GHOSTS IN THE SHADOWS
When Frederic walked into the tavern he knew just where he would find
Magellan. Over in a corner with a mug of ale in his hands, with four
empty ones next to his arm. Frederic moved through the milling people
and sat down across from his friend who looked like he was passed out
on the table even though he wasn't.
"Get your head up out of your dinner, Magellan," Frederic said
after looking at Magellan for a moment, "You're a disgrace to your title
looking like that you know."
Magellan lifted his head, clearly well on his way to getting
plastered. "And who asked you?" Magellan demanded.
"If you must know, it was the barkeep," Frederic informed him.
"He can mind his own business," Magellan growled.
Frederic leaned across the table and looked Magellan in the eyes.
"Look, your father has been dead for three months and you're still
dragging yourself through the mud on this. You have got to pull yourself
together."
"This has nothing to do with my father," Magellan scowled in
defense.
"If it doesn't, then what the hell is going on with you?" Frederic
demanded.
Magellan looked down into his mug before looking back at
Frederic. "Do you really want to know?" he asked.
"Of course I do," Frederic replied, "How else am I going to help
you if I don't know what's wrong?"
"Very well," Magellan breathed before starting, "I'm not ready
Frederic. I'm not ready to be the commander of the Eastern Armies. I
can't do it."
"Is that it!" Frederic let out a laugh, "Oh, man, I thought it was
something really serious."
"I'm glad you find all of this funny," Magellan grumbled.
"Look, Magellan," Frederic said seriously, "You have effectively
been commanding the Eastern Armies for over a year now. The only
thing that has changed since your father died is that the responsibilities
for your actions now weigh fully on your head. Other than that there has
been no change. Everyone respects and admires you. Heck, some even
say you are possibly the best commander to ever lead the Eastern Armies.
No one has any doubt in you capabilities so I don't see why you should
either. You have always made sound judgement calls in the past and I
have no doubt you will continue to do so in the future."
Magellan looked down into his drink again before looking up
with a smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right. This whole mess is pretty
stupid. You want anything to drink?"
"I'll pass," Frederic said, "In fact, I think you're done as well. I
need you sober for what I came in here to find you for."
"And what might that be?" Magellan asked.
"Another transport was shot down. It crashed just West of us,"
Frederic told him, "That makes the fourth one this month. The recovery
team will be leaving in an hour to find it."
When Magellan heard Frederic mention the downed transport his
head jerked up, all evidence of his drinking gone.
"Get me out there," Magellan said in a commanding tone.
Frederic gave Magellan a blank look. "Why? You don't need to
go out there. And besides, they need you more here to oversee things."
Magellan stood up and glared at Frederic. "I don't care what you
think," Magellan scowled, "I have to get out there and you're going to do
it."
"What," Frederic said completely puzzled, "All there's going to
be is bunch of wreckage. Survivors are highly unlikely. So why are you
in such a hurry to get out there?"
"Just do it Frederic," Magellan commanded.
Frederic stood up and gave his friend a salute. "Yes, sir," he
snapped and turned for the door, confusion running rampant in his mind.
Magellan watched his friend leave and understood his confusion.
The truth was he didn't know why he had to get out there either. All he
knew was that something was out there and he had to find it.
* * *
The wreckage from the transport was relatively easy to find since it was
scattered over a wide area. The first evidence that they had found it was
when they saw the smoke rising from several isolated fires. And when
everyone had seen what was left of the transport they were certain that
there couldn't be any survivors. The largest piece of wreckage found was
only four feet square.
"How the hell could this thing have been destroyed so
completely?" Magellan wondered allowed.
"Easy," one of the recovery team members replied from next to
him, "The power core exploded."
"What!" Frederic cried out while Magellan stared at the man in
shock, "That's impossible! That core was powered and protected by
magic. We don't have anything powerful enough to get through. And this
sure as hell was not an accident!" Several of the pieces recovered had
scorch marks on them from some sort of weapon or energy blast.
"I know it sounds impossible," the man replied, "That's why we
called in a mage to inspect what's left of the core to determine what was
used to take this thing down. We don't know of any non-magic weapon
that could destabilize the field surrounding the core."
"When does the mage get here?" Magellan asked.
"He should be here in . . ." the man started to say before spotting
someone moving through the wreckage, "There he is now."
The Mage noticed the group and headed over to them to introduce
himself. "Good day, Lord Endymion," the Mage said in greeting. He
noticed that Magellan flinched at the use of his title.
"Good day to you as well, Mage," Magellan replied as he looked
the Mage over. Fairly tall and dressed in a robe that hid his slight frame,
the Mage appeared to be in his fifties judging by the weathering of his
face. His robe was unadorned and he wore no jewelry that would give
anyone any indication as to who he was. With the hood pulled over his
head he would have been impossible to pick out of a crowd in a market.
"Just out a curiosity, what rank are you?" Magellan asked.
"I am a third level magician," the Mage responded as though it
was nothing of great importance.
"What?!" the man from the recovery team exclaimed, "I didn't
think we sought the services of magi with your level of mastery!" Magi
fell into one of three levels, or ranks. The first one being the least
powerful of the magi, one who need the use of spoken words and
artifacts to practice their craft. The second level contained those who had
mastered the use of magic to the point that they only had to use their
hands to cast spells. The most powerful of the magi were in the third
rank. They cast their spells be mere thought alone. There were only a few
known magicians of this level of mastery in the whole of the Golden
Empire.
"We are honored to be in the presence of someone of such great
stature," Magellan said as he bowed his head in respect.
"No," the mage replied, "It is I who am honored to be in your
presence, Lord Endymion. In fact it was your presence that drew me here
in the first place. I sensed the crash of this transport as I have others. But
when I felt you come to this site I knew that something was here that was
of great importance. When I got to the site I immediately knew why you
had been drawn here."
Magellan listened with interest to what the old Mage had to say.
It was entirely possible that what the Mage was about to tell him was true
and he still didn't know what had drawn him here. "And what might that
be?" Magellan asked honestly.
"You sensed that this attack was different from the others. You
have known that many of the others had been taken down by the use of
black magic and you have yet to determine who is responsible," the mage
said, "This one was different in that someone of considerable power
brought this one down. So powerful in fact, that the power core and its
shield were destabilized leading to an explosion."
"That all seems reasonable," Magellan replied, "But I have no
idea if what you are saying is the truth. I will only know if it is when I
learn the reason I had to come here."
"You are most right, Lord Endymion," the mage confirmed,
"Only when you come to learn the reason will you be able to make any
sense of the meaning."
"Don't you guys think we should look around the wreckage to see
what we can find?" Frederic asked. He still opposed the fact that
Magellan was here in the first place. With all the attacks that had
occurred in this area of late, there was no real way to guarantee his
safety.
"Yes," the mage replied, "The power core is over here, or what's
left of it at any rate."
As the group headed over to where the wreckage from the power
core, Magellan sensed something and came to a stop. He stood still and
turned in slow circles to try to figure out what it was that he was sensing.
It wasn't danger, of that he was certain. But it still held a sense of
urgency. He continued to circle as Frederic came up next to him.
"You circling for a reason?" he asked his friend.
"Quiet," Magellan waved at him, "There's something out here.
I'm just not sure what, or where."
Frederic looked around him. "I see wreckage, trashed trees,
people searching for God knows what. Nothing that would catch your
attention at any rate," he said as Magellan continued to turn in circles.
Suddenly Magellan stopped dead in his tracks facing a trashed
piece of hull plating that had felled a tree.
"What is it?" Frederic asked at seeing him stop dead.
"I don't know," Magellan replied as he made his way over to the
fallen tree with Frederic on his heals. He began to move around the tree
looking for anything that would grab his attention.
"Find anything?" Frederic asked. That was when Magellan saw
it. Just peaking out from under the fallen tree and the plate of metal was
a hand. He dropped to his knees and pushed away some of the branches
to get a better look at who was under there. All he was able to see was
the arm up to the elbow before it vanished under the rest of the tree.
"Give me a hand here!" Magellan called out as he reached down
to get a handle on the tree so that he could move it. His muscles
tightened as he strained to lift the heavy tree. Frederic saw what he was
doing and dived in to help while calling out for several others to help.
Soon there were nearly twenty men working to move the tree off of the
person underneath it.
It took nearly ten minutes for them to move the tree enough to
pull the person from under it and out of the way. Once they had the
person clear there was a great sigh from the twenty men as they let the
tree fall back to the ground. Without even pausing to get his breath back
Magellan moved over to small group of people standing over the form
they had pulled out. Magellan pushed all of them back and then leaned
over the prone girl on the ground. She looked to be about sixteen and
wore a simple robe that was torn in several places from the crash.
Magellan wondered if she was on the transport when it crashed or just
happened to be unlucky enough to have been standing here when it did.
He looked her over to get an idea of how badly she was hurt. She
seemed to be breathing and aside from a few cuts and scrapes he couldn't
find anything else seriously wrong with her. "Will someone get a Healer
over here?" Magellan called out.
"No need," came the reply from next to him and he looked over
to see the mage.
Magellan watched as he reached over and placed an aged hand on
the girls forehead for what seemed an eternity but was in reality only a
few seconds. "She will be fine," the mage said as he pulled his hand
away, "You will need to let her rest for several days until she regains
enough strength to move again."
The mage stood up and waived a pair of men carrying a stretcher
on through the growing crowd of recovery people. "I believe you have
found what it is that brought you here," the mage said to Magellan before
turning to leave.
Magellan watched the mage leave before turning to the girl as
they headed back toward a shuttle that would take them back to Vlatmere
Castle.
* * *
Flames, smoke, and noise assaulted Myung's senses as she sat in her seat
in terror. Spinning, falling out of control. And there was nothing she
could do.
Suddenly she sat upright in her bed, sweat poring from her as the
last images of the nightmare fled to be replaced by confusion. Then her
head exploded in pain and she brought her hands to her head.
"It's all right," a soothing voice was saying to her, "It's all right.
It was only a dream."
The voice continued on until the pain in her head subsided and
she was able to look around her. She didn't recognize anything in the
room. She was sitting on a large bed in the middle of a lavishly
decorated bedroom.
"Where am I?" Myung asked out loud.
"You're at Vlatmere Castle," the soothing voice said.
Myung looked in the direction of the voice and noticed the
woman leaning over the side of the bed for the first time.
"Who are you?" she asked the woman.
"My name's Katherine Endymion," she replied with a warm
smile.
Myung looked around some more before she spoke again. "How
did I get here?"
"You were in an accident," the woman said as she placed a hand
on Myung's shoulder and gently pushed her back so that she was laying
down again, "You should get some rest, child. You have gone through
a lot and need to rest so that you can regain your strength."
Myung looked at the woman and took a moment to look her over.
She appeared to be in her early-forties with just a hint of lines beginning
to form around her eyes. She was still very beautiful and wore a white
gown that said she was someone of great importance. Then Myung
notice her dark loving eyes and dark brown hair that was braided into a
long pony tail that hung over her shoulder.
Myung let out a sigh and relaxed back into the bed. Her body was
sore in several spots and her joints ached.
"Would you like something to eat?" Katherine asked her.
"Yes," Myung replied realizing just how hungry she was, "That
would be nice."
"Very well," Katherine said as she stood up, "Just relax and
someone will bring you some food shortly."
Katherine quietly closed the door leaving Myung to her thoughts.
"How is she doing, Mother?" Magellan asked Katherine in the
hall outside Myung's room.
"She woke up from a nightmare," she replied to her son, "But
other than moving too quickly when she woke up she seems to be holding
up fine. Do you know who she is yet?"
Magellan shook his head. "We just found the data recorder an
hour ago and it hasn't arrived here yet. We don't even know if she was
on the transport or happened to be near it when it crashed. I doubt we
will find out either way until we get a chance to ask her. We are hoping
the recorder can at least tell us something about the attack made on it.
We already ran a check in the system to see if we could find out where
the transport was coming from and where it was going but came up with
nothing."
"Have you found either of the pilots?"
"Yes. Or at least what was left of them. We didn't find enough to
make a physical identification so we are going to run a DNA screen on
what we did find. They're not sure if they will be able to make an ID that
way unless the pilots were hospitalized in the past or part of the military
at one time. They are pretty sure it wasn't military because if it was there
would have been a flight plan for it in the system somewhere."
"Very strange. Any leads on who's responsible?"
"Again, no. All we even know is from what the mage told us. It
was done by someone who was extremely powerful in the black magics.
Possibly a third level mage."
"You do realize what this could mean."
"Yes, the Shadows are far more powerful than we ever thought
possible. And with Merlin missing it makes them all the more
dangerous."
Katherine stopped just before entering the kitchen and turned to
Magellan. "Prepare yourself, Magellan. What lays ahead will be the most
trying period of you life. I just pray that you will be able to stop the
Shadows before everything falls apart."
Magellan just stared at her back as she went into the kitchen and
ordered the cooks to make something for their guest. On her way out she
asked Magellan if he wouldn't mind taking it to their guest when it was
prepared. Magellan just nodded in reply, his mind still going over what
she had said. As he waited for the cooks the weight of his position began
to bear on his shoulders again and he found himself thinking he wasn't
up to the task.
I can't do this, he thought, I'm not ready.
A few minutes later the cook telling him that the food was ready
pulled him out of his depressing thoughts. At least for awhile.
Taking the food he made his way through the castle until he was
at the door to the girl's room. He knocked and heard a voice say he could
come in. Taking a breath to steady himself he pushed open the door and
stepped inside.
Myung was standing beside the window looking out over the
castle. Magellan found himself taking a moment to look her over since
he hadn't seen her since they pulled her out from under the tree the day
before. She was dressed in a simple white gown that one of the Lady's
court had found in her closet. She had a yellow ribbon in her long hair
that pulled it back from her shoulders. He couldn't see much else since
she was facing away from him.
"I brought you some food," Magellan said quietly.
"Thank you," she replied when she turned to face him. They
stood there for a moment looking each other over. Magellan saw that her
blue eyes seemed to give the impression that she was far older that her
body said she was. She only looked to be sixteen or so but the eyes said
she was more like someone in their forties and had seen more sorrow
than they should have. Magellan was sure that his own eyes looked the
same, with his father's death and the stress of his position bearing on him
like they were.
After a few more moments she started to come over to where
Magellan had placed the food he had brought on a small table in the
room. She moved with a grace that was absolutely stunning and Magellan
found himself wondering if she was perhaps royalty or from some other
powerful family. He pulled out the chair and offered the seat before he
himself sat down in the chair on the opposite side.
He just sat and watched her eat for several minutes. He found
himself studying the lines of her face, the way her hands moved, how she
held herself in her chair. Even the way she ate her food. Everything she
did was refined, elegant. Magellan found himself getting lost in her
beauty.
"What's your name?" he asked after the two had sat in silence for
several minutes.
"Myung," she replied simply, her voice sounding like crystal
chimes.
"My name's Magellan Endymion," he said with a smile, "Nice to
make your acquaintance."
"Are you the Lord of the manor?" Myung asked him. She noticed
that he flinched when she said that.
"Yes," he replied solemnly, "I preside over this castle and the
surrounding province."
Myung looked down at her plate unsure of what to say next. If he
found out that she was the princess of Venus then it was more than likely
that he would tell someone and her mother would find out where she had
gone. Her mother would then send someone out to get her and she would
not be able to do what it was she had to do, whatever that was. She still
did not know whom she was looking for.
"What is it like here?" she asked, deciding that she would try to
steer the conversation away from herself as much as possible.
Magellan caught the question and confirmed that she was not
from around here, possibly not from Earth itself. She was definitely on
the shuttle when it went down. Filing the thought away he began to tell
her about Vlatmere Province with its sights and people. The two began
to talk and before they knew it more than two hours had passed. They
had spent the time mainly talking about Magellan and the province but
Magellan had found out some things about Myung along the way. Mostly
what type of person she was. He still had no idea where she came from,
although he knew that she wasn't from Earth by some of the questions
she asked.
They were interrupted by the comlink sounding on Magellan's
belt.
"Sorry," Magellan apologized as he pulled it from his belt.
"Magellan here," he said.
"It's Frederic," a voice replied, "Could you come down to
Diagnostics? We have something here you will want to see."
Magellan looked over at the clock on the wall and realized how
late it was. "Can it wait till morning?" he asked.
"It can, but I think you are really going to want to see this."
"Alright," Magellan sighed, "I'll be there in about ten minutes."
Magellan replaced the comlink and stood up. "Sorry about having
to take off, but it is late and you should rest. If you're up to it I can give
you a tour of the castle tomorrow if you would like."
"I would like that very much," Myung said with smile as she too
stood up.
"Great, I'll come by at about ten or so," Magellan responded with
a smile of his own. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek then made his
way out the door.
Myung just stood there and watched him go as her face flushed
from the brief contact.
* * *
"What do you have that couldn't wait till morning?" Magellan asked as
he walked into Diagnostics.
"It could have waited," Frederic replied, "But when you see what
we have you would have hung me for not bringing it up to you now."
"This had better be good is all I have to say," Magellan said as he
crashed into one of the empty technician's seats, "I really want to get to
bed."
Diagnostics was a large room in the basement of Vlatmere Castle
that was used to keep watch over all of the systems in use by the castle
and surrounding defense systems. The front of the room was dominated
by a huge display that was used to keep watch over the various systems.
It could be divided if needed. Diagnostics was also used to analyze all
things electronic. This included flight data recorders. One of the three
night technicians had the data recorder from the crashed transport sitting
on the bench next to him with multiple leads and wires hooked up to it.
"You get her name yet?" Frederic asked.
"All she gave me was 'Myung'," Magellan replied tiredly, "No
idea if that's her real name or not."
Suddenly he sat upright and glared at Frederic. "How the hell did
you know I was with her?" Magellan demanded.
Frederic turned away with a sly grin on his face. "Lucky guess,"
he replied, "How far did you get?"
"None of your damned business!" Magellan shot back, "Now
what did you call me down here for anyway?"
"We just finished decoding the data recorder," Frederic said, all
business now, "We are starting an analysis of the readings it took before
the crash. What we did find interesting was the flight plan. It had a
departure location but no destination."
"What was the departure point?"
"Haifeng Spaceport, Venus."
"Haifeng?!" Magellan said in shock, "That's the military
spaceport out of the capital!"
"That's the one," Frederic confirmed, "Give you one guess on
who our guest is."
"Oh, Christ," Magellan groaned. This had just gotten a lot more
complicated than he had hoped it would.
"You think we should notify someone?" Frederic asked.
Magellan sat back for a second to think. He remembered his
conversation with Myung and how vague she had been about where she
came from and who she was.
"Hold off on that until I say so," Magellan said, "I want to know
what she's doing here first. This whole thing sits wrong in my stomach.
There's something we're missing here and I want to know what it is
before I do anything."
"You sure on that?" Frederic asked. He didn't think sitting on this
was that hot an idea.
Magellan stood to leave. "I want to know immediately if an alert
about a missing transport gets put out on the wire. And not one of you is
talk about this to anyone. Got it?"
"Yes, sir!" came four responses.
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