Chapter 20: A Strange Ally
Chapter 20: A Strange Ally
Sol walked with great caution down the murky passage. The dark, black stonewalls surrounding her seemed to swallow light, even the faint glow of the Sun Staff. Rounding a corner, she stopped mid-stride.

“You don’t look happy to see me,” Gypsum stated in a mock hurt tone.

Sol twirled her staff. “No, I can’t say that I am, Gypsum. Where’s Jonathan?”

“You had your chance, Sol, to get your friend back. You were just too stupid to take it.”

Sol studied the other woman dispassionately for a moment. “The defeat of Negaverse really weakened you, Gypsum. Why didn’t you take your rightful place at Beryl’s feet when she returned?”

Her taunt was rewarded with an attack of black energy, which Sol dodged easily. However, Gypsum released her fury as blow after blow came at the Senshi. However, one blow found its target and Sol stumbled.

She had gotten back to her feet in time to dodge a kick to the ribs by Gypsum. Using the Sun Staff, she retaliated with a strike of her own. The two women battled with amazing speed and strength, but gradually Gypsum began to get the upper hand.

An elbow to the stomach forced the air out of Sol’s lungs, and Gypsum capitalized on her opponent’s weakness. Blow after blow landed, slowing driving the Sailor Soldier to the floor. When Sol finally did fall to her knees, Gypsum stepped back and viewed the fallen enemy with a sense of triumph.

“The defeat of the Negaverse may have weakened me so that I have to depend on Charon,” she told Sol, “but I still have enough power to capture your soul.”

Sol struggled to her feet as black vapors began to swirl around her. She couldn’t let it end like this. She would not leave Jonathan in the hands of these people.

Suddenly, Gypsum’s maniacal laughter turned into a cry of pain. The tunnel of swirling mists vanished. Sol blinked several times as she tried to comprehend the situation before her.

Galena stared at Gypsum’s limp form, her face filled with hatred. She let the body drop to the floor and stepped away. Only then did she glance at Sol.

“Why?” Sol asked shakily.

“We had an old score to settle,” Galena replied dispassionately. “Come on. I will take you to your friend.”

Sol eyed the retreating form warily. She really didn’t have very many choices at this point. Clutching the Sun Staff with both hands, she followed the other woman through the gloomy, winding passages.

* * * * *


Galena stopped in front of a heavy ebony door, searching her pockets of her white dress for something. Sol was still unsure about why Galena had turned on Gypsum and helped her. A slight jangle caught Sol’s attention. With a satisfied smile, Galena pulled out a large ring of keys. Selecting the appropriate one, she slid it into the lock. It turned silently and the door opened.

Taking a nearby torch, Galena entered the room. Sol followed, her unease increasing as Galena closed the door behind them. The room was so large that its size prevented them for seeing the other side. Grudgingly, she followed Galena.

Gradually Sol could detect another source of light. Forgetting about Galena, Sol ran to Jonathan. She hugged him, crying when he moaned and opened his eyes.

“Celeste,” he whispered hoarsely, “what are you doing here?”

Sol laughed, already helping him to his feet. “Staging your rescue. What does it look like?”

However, her joking died as she met Galena’s eyes. Now she remembered exactly who Galena was.

* * * * *


The breeze carried the fragrance of flowers through the open window. However, the young woman found no pleasure in the wind that sent her papers dancing around the room. Tossing one of her dark purple braids over her shoulder with a sigh, she rose from her desk. She crisscrossed the room, picking up the paper.

The door of her office opened, causing Elena to look over her shoulder. She gasped as she recognized the figure in the doorway. Absently dropping the papers she held, she rose to her feet.

“Prince Charon?”

“She’s gone, Elena,” he said in a soft voice. “She’s left for another mission.”

Wordlessly, she gave him a hug, the intensity of his grip telling her that this was no ordinary mission. Gradually he released his hold and stepped back. He appeared a great deal more settled than a few minutes earlier.

“Thank you, Elena. Other than Tennyo and Setsuna, you seem to understand me best.”

She smiled, desperately hoping that her jealousy didn’t surface in her eyes. “Are you going to close the door or are we going to stand here all day?”

He closed the door, but she could tell by his posture that he was slightly embarrassed. Charon was taking on increasing responsibilities as the Prince of Pluto. Those responsibilities and his concern for Shinsei Tennyo, or Sailor Sol, sometimes threatened to overwhelm him. Yet, only to her did he seem to confide his fears.

“She will be okay,” Elena said as they picked up her scattered papers. “I pity anyone who would tangle with the Celestial Phoenix.”

“The Celestial Phoenix,” he repeated thoughtfully, handing her his pile of papers as he took a seat. “That’s why I worry about her so much, Elena. It is her duty to fight to her death for this system. I fear that someday she will not return.”

Elena sighed, studying the prince for a moment. She would never win Charon’s heart from Shinsei Tennyo in life or from her memory after her death, the purple haired woman realized. She, as his friend and confidante, was required to give him the comfort he was seeking.

“You and Sol love each other very much,” she said softly. “She will come back to you as long as she can, but her duty as Sailor Sol is very important to her as well. But I believe that love is the greatest force of the universe. Try to find comfort in the hope that if the two of you are not destined to be together in this life, that it is possible in a future one.”

He studied her a moment. “Do you honestly believe that?”

“With all my heart.”

He rose from the chair with a grateful smile, giving her an affectionate kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, Elena, for the pep talk.”

“You are welcome, Prince Charon,” she said, forcing a smile. “I value our time together.”

His smile grew. “As do I. Well, I have some matters to attend to this afternoon. However, will you join me for a friendly dinner?”

“Of course.”

* * * * *


Sol noticed the tears in Galena's eyes and desperately searched for the appropriate words to say to the woman who had continually sacrificed her happiness for others, particularly hers. She said the only appropriate words she found. “Thank you.”

Galena blinked and the threatening tears vanished. She nodded and turned back to the entrance. “You will need to leave here quickly. I will show you the quickest way.”

“Come with us.”

Galena shook her head but as she glanced over her shoulder, she meet Sol’s determined glare. “We can’t waste time arguing here. We’ll see. I will decide when the time comes.”

The other woman nodded, shifting Jonathan’s unconscious form to better support his weight. “Lead the way.”

* * * * *


“We only have a few more passages before we reached one of the outer entrances,” stated Galena quietly.

Sol nodded. “I think I remember this hallway.”

The other woman smiled weakly. “I doubt it. It is a trick of this fortress. It would be months before you would learn all of this place.”

“Will you come with us, Elena?” Sol asked softly. “There can’t be anything to keep you here.”

“There is nothing waiting for me out there,” came the reply. “I have no family, no friends, no home. I'm a living ghost. You don’t know how many times I wished that I had been killed during the attack.”

“But you're alive,” Sol countered. “You have me and Jonathan. You can make a new life for yourself.”

Galena shook her head. “Too many memories, too many regrets.”

“You're not the Elena I remember,” Sol said, her frustration growing.

“I'm no longer Elena, as you are no longer Shinsei Tennyo,” she replied, her calm, distant tone frustrating Sol. “We can’t go back to who we were, no matter how much we desire it.” Her eyes focused on Jonathan, the man who was so much like and yet so different from Charon.

“I've been Galena so a long time now, and I 've done many things during my service to Scorpios. Hopefully, the rest of my life will be spent trying to atone for those things I have done. This is but a small step.”

“But, Elena!”

The other woman’s raised hand cut off the rest of the protest. “At the next junction, take a left. That passage will end by forming a T with another. Take a right and the large wooden door will lead you out.”

Her yellow-green eyes grew wide for a moment. “Scorpios is calling for me. If you want to leave, you have to go now.”

“I can’t leave you here!”

“You have no choice. Now, go.”

Without another glance back, Galena turned and disappeared into the murky shadows. Sol stared down the hallway for a moment, guilt tearing at her. With a sigh, she readjusted Jonathan’s weight and headed to the next junction of passages.