Chapter 8: Resurrections

As Celod left the room, the king turned once more to his attendant. “Summon Captain Essou. I have her next assignment.”

“As you wish, Your Highness,” the attendant replied, bowing and exiting quickly to complete the task.

He heard the doors close, signaling the servant’s departure. With a smug smile, he peered into a dark corner of the room. “You have been fairly quiet today,” he remarked.

A woman emerged from the shadows, removing the hood of the dark robe she wore. Her hair fell in thick, dark blue waves to her shoulders. Although there was a sense of great maturity about her, she appeared no older than late thirties.

“I have been silent, Your Highness, because you have been making wise decisions.”

“Really?” he asked, beckoning her forward. “Including Captain Essou? Jaten doesn’t seem to think so.”

“Jaten is a fool, Your Highness,” the woman stated, her contempt for the man evident in her tone. “On the other hand, Captain Essou has shown great promise and greater loyalty. She will do her best not to fail you again, especially with the proper persuasion.”

“High praise coming from you,” he remarked.

He leaned against the back of his throne, absently drumming his fingers. “I must tell you that I am losing patience with these trouble-makers. The time has come to take greater action for them. My mother was too gentle with them. I will resurrect the Shadow Moon Empire and lead it to even greater glory. I shall be its emperor.”

She knelt by the throne and covered one of his hands with both of hers. “Then, you must realize all the obstacles that lay in your path. You must destroy them all, my king.”

He stared down at her, the gaze of his blue eyes intense. “I will be emperor. I will overcome all obstacles: the rebels, Jaten, and the Princess of Jupiter. Believe me, Werla, I will overcome them all.”

The sage bowed her head, her dark hair hiding her triumphant smile.

* * * * *

Sailor Jupiter Moon gasped as she saw the hole in the middle of the deserted street. “Are you sure?” she whispered, her grip tightening on her cloak.

“They are safe,” the Guardian of Compassion replied. “In fact, they’re very close by.”

Dido cautiously approached the fissure, motioning for Jupiter Moon to stay back. Holding her hand out in an order to wait, the Guardian peered into the darkness and then studied the sturdiness of the surrounding portion of the street. Finally, she motioned for Jupiter to come forward.

As Jupiter approached the hole, the Guardian placed a finger against her lips, signaling the need for silence. Then, without further warning, Dido clutched her glaive and jumped into the fissure. With a breathless gasp, Jupiter peered over the edge and was relieved to find Dido motioning for her to do the same. Without any hesitation she did.

“Follow me,” the Guardian mouthed silently, “and keep your guard up.” At Jupiter’s nod, Dido turned around and began to lead them down a hallway. They had passed several doors, straining to detect any sign of habitation but finding none.

‘Where are they?’ Jupiter wondered, as she and the Guardian continued their search.

The sound of a door scraping across the floor behind them made both women turn, poised for battle. A man and a woman left a room a few doors down. Seeing the two women, the pair took defensive stances.

“It looks like you have more visitors,” the man quipped.

The woman gave him a dirty look before turning her violet eyes to the two intruders.

“Who are you,” she demanded, “ and why are you here?”

* * * * *

Cassandra paused mid-sentence and glanced at the door. Ganymede listened intently for a moment but he couldn’t hear anything. However, Cassandra was staring intently at the door.

“Surely,” she whispered.

“Guardian? Is there something wrong?”

Then they heard Monea’s voice in the hallway. “Who are you,” she was demanding, “and why are you here?”

“I’m a Guardian of Cignus,” a voice replied. “Who are you?”

“Dido,” Cassandra murmured and ran for the door, followed immediately by Ganymede. They entered the hallway behind Dido and Jupiter as they faced Monea and a man.

“Stop!” Cassandra ordered, drawing four pairs of eyes.

“Cassandra, I hope you have an explanation,” Dido muttered, lowering her glaive slightly.

“We’re all friends here, Dido,” Cassandra replied, the look in her eyes ordering the other Guardian to relax. “Monea, I would like for you to meet Dido, the Guardian of Compassion, and Sailor Jupiter Moon.”

Jupiter raised an eyebrow at her introduction but extended her hand to the other woman. “I’m Sailor Jupiter Moon, the Guardian of Jupiter and its satellites.” Monea shook it, studying Jupiter intently.

“You may call me Monea,” she replied, releasing Jupiter’s hand. “This is Ren. I’m sorry, but I’m not familiar with Jupiter.”

Jupiter shook Ren’s hand. “It’s quite a bit away. I see that you have met my husband.”

“Your husband?” Monea repeated.

Ren ran a hand through his hair. “I’m confused.”

Cassandra rolled her eyes and heaved a long-suffering sigh. “I will try to explain everything, okay?”

Five heads nodded. The Guardian of Hope studied the group, trying to decide where to begin and how much to reveal. While she had a feeling she could trust Monea, this was not the Cignus she knew.

“There was a cave-in, and Ganymede and I were caught in it,” Cassandra began, gesturing to the red-haired man. “Ganymede is Jupiter Moon’s husband. Monea found us and has been taking care of us, particularly Ganymede.”

“Just a few bruised ribs, love,” Ganymede stated, reassuring his wife and stemming a possible outburst.

Cassandra nodded and then continued. “Dido is another Guardian of Cignus, the Guardian of Compassion. Sailor Jupiter Moon is a the protector of her home planet and its moons.”

Everyone glanced around at each other, but most of the stares centered on Monea and Ren. The two looked at each other. Finally, Monea nodded and Ren stepped forward.

“I’m Ren,” he stated, nodding toward the others. “Monea and I are part of a resistance movement against the Shadow Moon. There are others, but not enough.”

“However, we do what we can,” Monea interjected. “It’s good to see that the Guardians have returned to Cignus.”

“So the Shadow Moon still exists? Even after I defeated Hecate?” Jupiter Moon asked, turning from Monea to Cassandra and back to Monea.

“You defeated the Empress?” Monea and Ren asked at the same time.

“Over twenty years ago,” Ganymede answered quietly. “How could you not know?”

“Are you kidding?” Ren exclaimed. “Do you know how much hope that you give the people of Cignus to know that the Empress had been defeated? Of course, the Shadow Moon wouldn’t let that kind of information out!”

“Ren,” Monea said, touching his arm, “do you know what this means?”

He looked at her speculatively.

“Think about it. If the Empress has been defeated, that leaves Hadrian to lead the Shadow Moon.”

Jupiter stepped closer to the pair. “Who’s Hadrian?”

“Hecate’s son.”

With a defeated sigh, Jupiter leaned against the wall as Dido muttered, “By the House of Light.”

“It never seems to end,” Ganymede said emotionlessly.

“What?” Ren asked.

Jupiter looked up at him and Monea. “The cycle of Light and Darkness.”

* * * * *

The scraping of the door pulled Scylla from a fitful sleep. Her head throbbed in pain as the room was mercilessly flooded with light. Biting back a groan, the Guardian forced her eyes to open.

“I hope I didn’t wake you,” a familiar voice mocked, sending chills down Scylla’s spine.

“It can’t be,” the Guardian rasped. “You disappeared. You’re supposed to be dead.”

“Well, Guardian,” Werla stated with an evil smile, “I’m far from dead. In fact, I would say that I am in far better health than you are at the moment. You look awfully pale, my dear.”

Scylla pulled herself away from the other woman’s touch. “What do you want?”

“The king has decided that Celod has had enough fun with you, that it’s time that you been allowed to do something useful. I’m here to ensure that you do that, Guardian. Now we can do this the hard way or the easy way.”

Scylla’s eyes narrowed into slits. “How many times will you make me hurt my friends?! When will you give up?!”

“Until the Shadow Moon rules the universe,” Werla replied. “Now, Guardian, which way shall it be?”

Scylla shook her head. “You know that I will never willingly join you.”

“And you know that it will be much easier to turn you this time,” she stated, enjoying the shocked look on the Guardian’s face. “You forget that there’s a part of you that enjoyed your service to the Shadow Moon.”

Scylla desperately wished that she was free or at least had her pendent to help her fight back. As she watched the dark magic swirled around the sage, she wished that she had told Iphigenia about Duthbert sooner. The black mist began to envelope her as she silently asked her friends for forgiveness.


Resurrections As Celod left the room, the king turned once more to his attendant. “Summon Captain Essou. I have her next assignment.” “As you wish, Your Highness,” the attendant replied, bowing and exiting quickly to complete the task. He heard the doors close, signaling the servant’s departure. With a smug smile, he peered into a dark corner of the room. “You have been fairly quiet today,” he remarked. A woman emerged from the shadows, removing the hood of the dark robe she wore. Her hair fell in thick, dark blue waves to her shoulders. Although there was a sense of great maturity about her, she appeared no older than late thirties. “I have been silent, Your Highness, because you have been making wise decisions.” “Really?” he asked, beckoning her forward. “Including Captain Essou? Jaten doesn’t seem to think so.” “Jaten is a fool, Your Highness,” the woman stated, her contempt for the man evident in her tone. “On the other hand, Captain Essou has shown great promise and greater loyalty. She will do her best not to fail you again, especially with the proper persuasion.” “High praise coming from you,” he remarked. He leaned against the back of his throne, absently drumming his fingers. “I must tell you that I am losing patience with these trouble-makers. The time has come to take greater action for them. My mother was too gentle with them. I will resurrect the Shadow Moon Empire and lead it to even greater glory. I shall be its emperor.” She knelt by the throne and covered one of his hands with both of hers. “Then, you must realize all the obstacles that lay in your path. You must destroy them all, my king.” He stared down at her, the gaze of his blue eyes intense. “I will be emperor. I will overcome all obstacles: the rebels, Jaten, and the Princess of Jupiter. Believe me, Werla, I will overcome them all.” The sage bowed her head, her dark hair hiding her triumphant smile. * * * * * Sailor Jupiter Moon gasped as she saw the hole in the middle of the deserted street. “Are you sure?” she whispered, her grip tightening on her cloak. “They are safe,” the Guardian of Compassion replied. “In fact, they’re very close by.” Dido cautiously approached the fissure, motioning for Jupiter Moon to stay back. Holding her hand out in an order to wait, the Guardian peered into the darkness and then studied the sturdiness of the surrounding portion of the street. Finally, she motioned for Jupiter to come forward. As Jupiter approached the hole, the Guardian placed a finger against her lips, signaling the need for silence. Then, without further warning, Dido clutched her glaive and jumped into the fissure. With a breathless gasp, Jupiter peered over the edge and was relieved to find Dido motioning for her to do the same. Without any hesitation she did. “Follow me,” the Guardian mouthed silently, “and keep your guard up.” At Jupiter’s nod, Dido turned around and began to lead them down a hallway. They had passed several doors, straining to detect any sign of habitation but finding none. ‘Where are they?’ Jupiter wondered, as she and the Guardian continued their search. The sound of a door scraping across the floor behind them made both women turn, poised for battle. A man and a woman left a room a few doors down. Seeing the two women, the pair took defensive stances. “It looks like you have more visitors,” the man quipped. The woman gave him a dirty look before turning her violet eyes to the two intruders. “Who are you,” she demanded, “ and why are you here?” * * * * * Cassandra paused mid-sentence and glanced at the door. Ganymede listened intently for a moment but he couldn’t hear anything. However, Cassandra was staring intently at the door. “Surely,” she whispered. “Guardian? Is there something wrong?” Then they heard Monea’s voice in the hallway. “Who are you,” she was demanding, “and why are you here?” “I’m a Guardian of Cignus,” a voice replied. “Who are you?” “Dido,” Cassandra murmured and ran for the door, followed immediately by Ganymede. They entered the hallway behind Dido and Jupiter as they faced Monea and a man. “Stop!” Cassandra ordered, drawing four pairs of eyes. “Cassandra, I hope you have an explanation,” Dido muttered, lowering her glaive slightly. “We’re all friends here, Dido,” Cassandra replied, the look in her eyes ordering the other Guardian to relax. “Monea, I would like for you to meet Dido, the Guardian of Compassion, and Sailor Jupiter Moon.” Jupiter raised an eyebrow at her introduction but extended her hand to the other woman. “I’m Sailor Jupiter Moon, the Guardian of Jupiter and its satellites.” Monea shook it, studying Jupiter intently. “You may call me Monea,” she replied, releasing Jupiter’s hand. “This is Ren. I’m sorry, but I’m not familiar with Jupiter.” Jupiter shook Ren’s hand. “It’s quite a bit away. I see that you have met my husband.” “Your husband?” Monea repeated. Ren ran a hand through his hair. “I’m confused.” Cassandra rolled her eyes and heaved a long-suffering sigh. “I will try to explain everything, okay?” Five heads nodded. The Guardian of Hope studied the group, trying to decide where to begin and how much to reveal. While she had a feeling she could trust Monea, this was not the Cignus she knew. “There was a cave-in, and Ganymede and I were caught in it,” Cassandra began, gesturing to the red-haired man. “Ganymede is Jupiter Moon’s husband. Monea found us and has been taking care of us, particularly Ganymede.” “Just a few bruised ribs, love,” Ganymede stated, reassuring his wife and stemming a possible outburst. Cassandra nodded and then continued. “Dido is another Guardian of Cignus, the Guardian of Compassion. Sailor Jupiter Moon is a the protector of her home planet and its moons.” Everyone glanced around at each other, but most of the stares centered on Monea and Ren. The two looked at each other. Finally, Monea nodded and Ren stepped forward. “I’m Ren,” he stated, nodding toward the others. “Monea and I are part of a resistance movement against the Shadow Moon. There are others, but not enough.” “However, we do what we can,” Monea interjected. “It’s good to see that the Guardians have returned to Cignus.” “So the Shadow Moon still exists? Even after I defeated Hecate?” Jupiter Moon asked, turning from Monea to Cassandra and back to Monea. “You defeated the Empress?” Monea and Ren asked at the same time. “Over twenty years ago,” Ganymede answered quietly. “How could you not know?” “Are you kidding?” Ren exclaimed. “Do you know how much hope that you give the people of Cignus to know that the Empress had been defeated? Of course, the Shadow Moon wouldn’t let that kind of information out!” “Ren,” Monea said, touching his arm, “do you know what this means?” He looked at her speculatively. “Think about it. If the Empress has been defeated, that leaves Hadrian to lead the Shadow Moon.” Jupiter stepped closer to the pair. “Who’s Hadrian?” “Hecate’s son.” With a defeated sigh, Jupiter leaned against the wall as Dido muttered, “By the House of Light.” “It never seems to end,” Ganymede said emotionlessly. “What?” Ren asked. Jupiter looked up at him and Monea. “The cycle of Light and Darkness.” * * * * * The scraping of the door pulled Scylla from a fitful sleep. Her head throbbed in pain as the room was mercilessly flooded with light. Biting back a groan, the Guardian forced her eyes to open. “I hope I didn’t wake you,” a familiar voice mocked, sending chills down Scylla’s spine. “It can’t be,” the Guardian rasped. “You disappeared. You’re supposed to be dead.” “Well, Guardian,” Werla stated with an evil smile, “I’m far from dead. In fact, I would say that I am in far better health than you are at the moment. You look awfully pale, my dear.” Scylla pulled herself away from the other woman’s touch. “What do you want?” “The king has decided that Celod has had enough fun with you, that it’s time that you been allowed to do something useful. I’m here to ensure that you do that, Guardian. Now we can do this the hard way or the easy way.” Scylla’s eyes narrowed into slits. “How many times will you make me hurt my friends?! When will you give up?!” “Until the Shadow Moon rules the universe,” Werla replied. “Now, Guardian, which way shall it be?” Scylla shook her head. “You know that I will never willingly join you.” “And you know that it will be much easier to turn you this time,” she stated, enjoying the shocked look on the Guardian’s face. “You forget that there’s a part of you that enjoyed your service to the Shadow Moon.” Scylla desperately wished that she was free or at least had her pendent to help her fight back. As she watched the dark magic swirled around the sage, she wished that she had told Iphigenia about Duthbert sooner. The black mist began to envelope her as she silently asked her friends for forgiveness.


Chapter 9: Insurrections Jupiter's Gone