Chapter 3: The Arrival of Dawn

“And you let her go?” Sofia hissed, trying to keep her voice low. “Jonathan, how could you?”

“Celeste didn’t exactly ask for my permission.”

Gripping the phone tighter, the girl muttered something coarse in Spanish. He gathered that Sofia wasn’t exactly complimenting Celeste’s mother or her recreational activities. As quickly as it came, the tirade subsided and the girl sighed.

“I’ll try to go after her,” she said. “I don’t know how quickly I will find her, but I’ll try.”

“That’s all I ask, Sofia.”

“Good, because that’s maybe all I can do,” she replied with uncharacteristic pessimism. “Where’s Mara? All we need is for Boreas to find her while Celeste is out doing who knows what.”

“She’s here with me and Selene. I won’t leave until Celeste gets back. Just keep your communicator with you and keep trying Sol. Maybe she’ll listen to you.”

“I will. Bye.”

With another weary sigh, Sofia hung up the phone. Her schoolbooks were spread across her desk, indicating that she was in the middle of completing her homework. It looked like her history report would have to wait until later.

“Who was on the phone?”

“Diego, you scared me!” the girl exclaimed, glaring at the older brother. “A friend from school. She needs me to meet her at the library.”

“Now? At this time of night?”

Brushing past him, Sofia shoved some books into her bags. “The library is opened all night and there’s a security guard. There’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“Nothing to worry about it? Apparently you missed the news tonight, hermanita, because there’s a sicko out there killing young girls. You’re not going to the library now.”

“You’re not my father, Diego. Don’t order me around.”

“Fine, maybe you’ll listen to Mama.”

Sofia narrowed the distance between them with two long strides. “Don’t bring Mama into this, Diego. She has enough to worry about. If you want to do something, fine, drive me to the library. If not, get out of my way.”

As she moved toward the door, Diego grabbed her by her shoulders and gave her a good shake. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, Sofia, but I don’t like it at all.”

“I’m not a little girl anymore.” Without waiting for her brother’s reply, she grabbed her bag and stalked out of the room.

* * * * *

“So, do like me better with black hair than with blonde?” Emily asked, twirling so the short, black strands of the wig danced around her face. “Do you think it’s true that blondes have more fun?”

Bryan studied her carefully for a moment. “Sorry, but the wig’s creeping me out. You don’t look like you.”

“That’s the point, silly,” she laughed. “I’m not supposed to look like me. I’m supposed to be in character.”

He shook his head. “The play’s over now, Emily. You can take it off now.”

“I'm going to wear it just a little bit longer. Tomorrow, I’ll be back to my normal self. I promise.” Emily gave him a quick kiss.

“Oh, okay.”

As they continued their walk through the park, neither noticed the woman watching them from the distant fountain. When they entered a more secluded part of the path, she followed, her curly gray hair fluttering in the wind.

* * * * *

Sol leaned against her staff. ‘This is pointless,’ she realized. ‘I’m not going to find Boreas by running through the city like this.’

Without an attack, she probably wouldn't find her enemy. Despite her need to strike back, Sol couldn’t wish for an attack. She didn’t want any more innocent people to suffer. Sighing, she just stood there and watched the people in the street below her.

Then the shivers ran down her spine. Sol headed in the direction of the local park.

* * * * *

“Hecate, I’ve had enough!”

Emily clung to Bryan as she turned to face the women. “Excuse me?”

“Don’t play games with me!”

Bryan shoved Emily behind of him. “That’s not her name. Now leave her alone.”

“You don’t know anything, boy.” With an angry wave of her hand, a gust of wind slung him into a tree.

“Bryan!” Emily screamed.

Boreas gave the young man a dismissive glance. “I don’t he’s in a position to help you now. Now, I’ve had enough of this foolishness. You'll be a good girl and come with me.”

Emily shrank away from the woman’s outstretched hand. “I’m not her. My name is Emily. I’m not the one you’re looking for.”

Once more, the wind roared. Emily was knocked off her feet and hit the ground. Her wig had been blown off and her real blonde hair now whipped around her face. As quickly as the wind came, it vanished.

“This can’t be!” Boreas shouted at her. “You’re Hecate. You have to be!”

“Sol Celestial Wind!”

With surprising quickness, Boreas dodged the attack. However, the move backed her away from Emily, who used the opportunity to run to Bryan. The other woman smiled as she glanced around her, searching for the source of the voice. “Won’t you come out and join us, Sol?”

“I had really hoped that you had given up on this search,” Sol stated, coming out from behind a tree. “Did you honestly think I would leave the girl out on the streets for you to find?”

“Well, if you’re keeping her locked up in a dungeon somewhere, Sol, then you’re really no better than I am.”

“I am nothing like you, Boreas.”

The other woman grinned. “We shall see.”

Boreas attacked, intending to punch her opponent. Stepping and leaning back, Sol dodged. She used the Sun Staff to give Boreas a hard blow to the ribs. Groaning, Boreas clutched her side and panted for breath.

Seeing an opportunity, Sol swung the Sun Staff again. However, Boreas grabbed the staff before it hit. With a jerk, she brought Sol to her, trying to pry the staff from the other woman. For several moments, they fought over it, neither seeming to gain an upper hand.

Then Boreas pivoted, using her body to pull the staff from Sol’s hands but unable to maintain a good grip on it. The staff flew free and headed straight toward Emily and Bryan. The girl looked up just in time to realize there was no way for her to dodge it.

“Vanish!” Sol commanded, hand outstretched. The Sun Staff flickered for a moment before it dissolved. But Sol’s sigh of relief was short-lived.

Boreas grabbed Sol’s outstretched arm and used it to throw the Senshi over her shoulder. Caught off guard, Sol hit the ground with a resounding thud. With a smile, Boreas twisted the arm she still held.

“Stop it!” Emily screamed.

Boreas glanced over at the girl and Sol used the distraction to pull herself free. She had just gotten to her feet when Boreas pounced again. With her good arm, Sol backhanded the other woman, following with a kick to the jaw. Dazed, Boreas stumbled back.

She shook her head, trying to clear it before she glared back at her enemy. She charged again. Sol tried a punch but missed, her fist grazing the other woman’s cheek. Boreas grabbed the outstretched arm with one hand and then pivoted, driving the elbow of her free arm in between Sol’s shoulder blades. She made a funny gasp and stumbled forward, landing on her knees.

“Leave her alone!” Emily screamed, once more drawing attention to herself.

Boreas marched toward the girl. “I’ve had enough of this,” she growled, her eyes glowing. “It’s time I took care of you.”

* * * * *

Sailor Athene cursed under her breath as she entered the secluded area of the park path. Boreas was about to attack a girl who was holding an unconscious boy. A short distance away, a battered Sol was slowly laboring to her feet.

“It’s time I took care of you,” Boreas growled, now just a few feet away from the girl. The wind picked up its velocity. Athene was dodging debris as she raced toward the girl.

A bright yellow, enclosed semicircle appeared on the girl’s forehead. Her blue eyes were vacant, pupils nearly gone, as she rose to her feet. Then the light blazed.

A Sailor now stood in the girl's place. Her skirt was rainbowed in pinks, oranges, and purples. Her bow and glove tops were pink, while her collar, choker, and ankle boots were lavender.

“Aurora Sunbeam Entangle!”

Rainbowed ribbons shot out from the girl’s hands and wrapped around Boreas. The enemy struggled to get free, but the ribbons held. Now was Athene's chance.

“Athene Sudden Revelation!”

“Sol Nemesis Nova!”

The two attacks hit their targets and exploded. As the light faded, there was no sign of Boreas. She was gone.

The girl stared down at her outfit in confusion. “Why am I dressed like this!”

Sol smiled. “It’s a long story but it looks like you’re Sailor Aurora.”

The girl glared at Sol. “And just what does that mean?”

"Like I said, it’s a long story, but I’ll be glad to explain everything after we get your friend home.”

From the treetops, Zephyr watched the women leave. The boss would not be happy that Boreas was defeated. And he knew he would not be foolish enough to repeat his comrade’s mistakes.

* * * * *

Sol noted that all the lights were out in her apartment as she made the leap to her balcony. With a weary sigh, she detransformed. Her arm still hurt from Boreas’ twisting, but she was pretty sure that no serious damage was done. Right now all Celeste cared about was bed.

As she opened the doors, she was surprised to find Jonathan asleep in a chair. She thought that he would have gone home hours ago. Silently she crossed the living room to Mara’s room, peeked inside, and found the girl and Selene asleep.

She closed the door quietly and went back to the living room. For a moment she studied Jonathan. She didn’t have the heart to send him home and his back would hurt in the morning if he continued to sleep like that. “Jonathan, wake up.”

He mumbled something incoherent before opening his eyes. “Hey, you’re home.”

“Yeah, I’m home. Come, it’s time for bed.”

He shook his head as he got to his feet. “I’ll go home.”

“No, you’re not,” she said adamantly. “Turn-about is fair play, Jonathan.”

With a faint grin, he relented and followed her into her room. Neither bothered to undress except to kick off their shoes. As the sun broke over the horizon, she snuggled closer to Jonathan and fell asleep.


The Arrival of Dawn “And you let her go?” Sofia hissed, trying to keep her voice low. “Jonathan, how could you?” “Celeste didn’t exactly ask for my permission.” Gripping the phone tighter, the girl muttered something coarse in Spanish. He gathered that Sofia wasn’t exactly complimenting Celeste’s mother or her recreational activities. As quickly as it came, the tirade subsided and the girl sighed. “I’ll try to go after her,” she said. “I don’t know how quickly I will find her, but I’ll try.” “That’s all I ask, Sofia.” “Good, because that’s maybe all I can do,” she replied with uncharacteristic pessimism. “Where’s Mara? All we need is for Boreas to find her while Celeste is out doing who knows what.” “She’s here with me and Selene. I won’t leave until Celeste gets back. Just keep your communicator with you and keep trying Sol. Maybe she’ll listen to you.” “I will. Bye.” With another weary sigh, Sofia hung up the phone. Her schoolbooks were spread across her desk, indicating that she was in the middle of completing her homework. It looked like her history report would have to wait until later. “Who was on the phone?” “Diego, you scared me!” the girl exclaimed, glaring at the older brother. “A friend from school. She needs me to meet her at the library.” “Now? At this time of night?” Brushing past him, Sofia shoved some books into her bags. “The library is opened all night and there’s a security guard. There’s nothing for you to worry about.” “Nothing to worry about it? Apparently you missed the news tonight, hermanita, because there’s a sicko out there killing young girls. You’re not going to the library now.” “You’re not my father, Diego. Don’t order me around.” “Fine, maybe you’ll listen to Mama.” Sofia narrowed the distance between them with two long strides. “Don’t bring Mama into this, Diego. She has enough to worry about. If you want to do something, fine, drive me to the library. If not, get out of my way.” As she moved toward the door, Diego grabbed her by her shoulders and gave her a good shake. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, Sofia, but I don’t like it at all.” “I’m not a little girl anymore.” Without waiting for her brother’s reply, she grabbed her bag and stalked out of the room. * * * * * “So, do like me better with black hair than with blonde?” Emily asked, twirling so the short, black strands of the wig danced around her face. “Do you think it’s true that blondes have more fun?” Bryan studied her carefully for a moment. “Sorry, but the wig’s creeping me out. You don’t look like you.” “That’s the point, silly,” she laughed. “I’m not supposed to look like me. I’m supposed to be in character.” He shook his head. “The play’s over now, Emily. You can take it off now.” “I'm going to wear it just a little bit longer. Tomorrow, I’ll be back to my normal self. I promise.” Emily gave him a quick kiss. “Oh, okay.” As they continued their walk through the park, neither noticed the woman watching them from the distant fountain. When they entered a more secluded part of the path, she followed, her curly gray hair fluttering in the wind. * * * * * Sol leaned against her staff. ‘This is pointless,’ she realized. ‘I’m not going to find Boreas by running through the city like this.’ Without an attack, she probably wouldn't find her enemy. Despite her need to strike back, Sol couldn’t wish for an attack. She didn’t want any more innocent people to suffer. Sighing, she just stood there and watched the people in the street below her. Then the shivers ran down her spine. Sol headed in the direction of the local park. * * * * * “Hecate, I’ve had enough!” Emily clung to Bryan as she turned to face the women. “Excuse me?” “Don’t play games with me!” Bryan shoved Emily behind of him. “That’s not her name. Now leave her alone.” “You don’t know anything, boy.” With an angry wave of her hand, a gust of wind slung him into a tree. “Bryan!” Emily screamed. Boreas gave the young man a dismissive glance. “I don’t he’s in a position to help you now. Now, I’ve had enough of this foolishness. You'll be a good girl and come with me.” Emily shrank away from the woman’s outstretched hand. “I’m not her. My name is Emily. I’m not the one you’re looking for.” Once more, the wind roared. Emily was knocked off her feet and hit the ground. Her wig had been blown off and her real blonde hair now whipped around her face. As quickly as the wind came, it vanished. “This can’t be!” Boreas shouted at her. “You’re Hecate. You have to be!” “Sol Celestial Wind!” With surprising quickness, Boreas dodged the attack. However, the move backed her away from Emily, who used the opportunity to run to Bryan. The other woman smiled as she glanced around her, searching for the source of the voice. “Won’t you come out and join us, Sol?” “I had really hoped that you had given up on this search,” Sol stated, coming out from behind a tree. “Did you honestly think I would leave the girl out on the streets for you to find?” “Well, if you’re keeping her locked up in a dungeon somewhere, Sol, then you’re really no better than I am.” “I am nothing like you, Boreas.” The other woman grinned. “We shall see.” Boreas attacked, intending to punch her opponent. Stepping and leaning back, Sol dodged. She used the Sun Staff to give Boreas a hard blow to the ribs. Groaning, Boreas clutched her side and panted for breath. Seeing an opportunity, Sol swung the Sun Staff again. However, Boreas grabbed the staff before it hit. With a jerk, she brought Sol to her, trying to pry the staff from the other woman. For several moments, they fought over it, neither seeming to gain an upper hand. Then Boreas pivoted, using her body to pull the staff from Sol’s hands but unable to maintain a good grip on it. The staff flew free and headed straight toward Emily and Bryan. The girl looked up just in time to realize there was no way for her to dodge it. “Vanish!” Sol commanded, hand outstretched. The Sun Staff flickered for a moment before it dissolved. But Sol’s sigh of relief was short-lived. Boreas grabbed Sol’s outstretched arm and used it to throw the Senshi over her shoulder. Caught off guard, Sol hit the ground with a resounding thud. With a smile, Boreas twisted the arm she still held. “Stop it!” Emily screamed. Boreas glanced over at the girl and Sol used the distraction to pull herself free. She had just gotten to her feet when Boreas pounced again. With her good arm, Sol backhanded the other woman, following with a kick to the jaw. Dazed, Boreas stumbled back. She shook her head, trying to clear it before she glared back at her enemy. She charged again. Sol tried a punch but missed, her fist grazing the other woman’s cheek. Boreas grabbed the outstretched arm with one hand and then pivoted, driving the elbow of her free arm in between Sol’s shoulder blades. She made a funny gasp and stumbled forward, landing on her knees. “Leave her alone!” Emily screamed, once more drawing attention to herself. Boreas marched toward the girl. “I’ve had enough of this,” she growled, her eyes glowing. “It’s time I took care of you.” * * * * * Sailor Athene cursed under her breath as she entered the secluded area of the park path. Boreas was about to attack a girl who was holding an unconscious boy. A short distance away, a battered Sol was slowly laboring to her feet. “It’s time I took care of you,” Boreas growled, now just a few feet away from the girl. The wind picked up its velocity. Athene was dodging debris as she raced toward the girl. A bright yellow, enclosed semicircle appeared on the girl’s forehead. Her blue eyes were vacant, pupils nearly gone, as she rose to her feet. Then the light blazed. A Sailor now stood in the girl's place. Her skirt was rainbowed in pinks, oranges, and purples. Her bow and glove tops were pink, while her collar, choker, and ankle boots were lavender. “Aurora Sunbeam Entangle!” Rainbowed ribbons shot out from the girl’s hands and wrapped around Boreas. The enemy struggled to get free, but the ribbons held. Now was Athene's chance. “Athene Sudden Revelation!” “Sol Nemesis Nova!” The two attacks hit their targets and exploded. As the light faded, there was no sign of Boreas. She was gone. The girl stared down at her outfit in confusion. “Why am I dressed like this!” Sol smiled. “It’s a long story but it looks like you’re Sailor Aurora.” The girl glared at Sol. “And just what does that mean?” "Like I said, it’s a long story, but I’ll be glad to explain everything after we get your friend home.” From the treetops, Zephyr watched the women leave. The boss would not be happy that Boreas was defeated. And he knew he would not be foolish enough to repeat his comrade’s mistakes. * * * * * Sol noted that all the lights were out in her apartment as she made the leap to her balcony. With a weary sigh, she detransformed. Her arm still hurt from Boreas’ twisting, but she was pretty sure that no serious damage was done. Right now all Celeste cared about was bed. As she opened the doors, she was surprised to find Jonathan asleep in a chair. She thought that he would have gone home hours ago. Silently she crossed the living room to Mara’s room, peeked inside, and found the girl and Selene asleep. She closed the door quietly and went back to the living room. For a moment she studied Jonathan. She didn’t have the heart to send him home and his back would hurt in the morning if he continued to sleep like that. “Jonathan, wake up.” He mumbled something incoherent before opening his eyes. “Hey, you’re home.” “Yeah, I’m home. Come, it’s time for bed.” He shook his head as he got to his feet. “I’ll go home.” “No, you’re not,” she said adamantly. “Turn-about is fair play, Jonathan.” With a faint grin, he relented and followed her into her room. Neither bothered to undress except to kick off their shoes. As the sun broke over the horizon, she snuggled closer to Jonathan and fell asleep.


Chapter 4: In the Light of Day Sailor Sol: Battle Against the Winds