Chapter 3: Answers with More Questions

Paul cast a disinterested glance at the skyline of Crystal Tokyo. Sighing, he turned away and pulled the curtains closed, enveloping himself in semi-darkness. Somehow, he felt more comfortable in the darkness of the room. Realizing the direction of his thoughts, he shook his head, trying to clear out the ill mood. ‘What am I doing?’ he asked himself.

‘Hiding,’ came the unwelcome reply. His jaw tightened as he recalled the few moments before Leda and the others had departed. She had seemed so apathetic, but he knew that she was unsure of what to do. Reluctantly, he understood that his actions had a lot to do with the undermining of her confidence.

“Oh, Leda,” he whispered, collapsing into a chair. Suddenly, his head exploded with pain. In a desperate attempt to halt his agony, Paul pressed his hands against his temples, but the pain continued.

He ‘saw’ Sailor Jupiter Moon in a field not far from the outskirts of the Jovian capital. Shadowy figures surrounded her as she tried to protect Sailor Boreas. With a flash, Paul’s attention was turned to a growing sphere. Then there was another flash. Now, he saw Sailor Jupiter Moon’s arms were bound by a whip. Viciously, she was jerked to a man.

‘Wait, Nadomus!’ Paul thought. The smirking man was about to fling an attack, but Jupiter pushed him back, throwing them both into the sphere. Before it closed, she cried, “Ganymede!” Then, the pain stopped.

Panting, Paul leaned back into the chair. ‘What did it mean?’ Then he remembered the part of her dream that Leda had omitted from Endymion and Serenity. ‘Had it come true?’

He rose from the chair and ran to the door. He had to find out. And if something had happened to Leda, he would never forgive himself.

* * * * *

Paul ran into the throne room, startling everyone with his unceremonious entrance. With a hasty bow, he stood before Endymion and Serenity. They stare at him, wondering about the reason for his hasty arrival.

“Is there any news from Jupiter?” Paul asked, trying to keep a semblance of being calm. It didn’t matter, he realized. All that matter was making sure that Leda was safe.

“No,” Serenity replied, perplexed.

“Is there something you know, Paul?” Endymion asked.

Paul’s stomach churned, making him feel nauseated. ‘Should I tell the king what Leda didn’t tell him the first time?’ He was saved by a sudden wind in the chamber.

In the center of the room, several auras began to glow, growing larger until Sailors Uranus, Neptune, Boreas, and Europa appeared. Paul’s heart fell when he realized that Leda wasn’t with them and that Boreas and Europa were injured. The glow faded and the Sailors ran to the throne.

“Where’s Leda?” Paul demanded before the Sailors had a chance to address the monarchs.

“She’s gone,” Europa replied, looking at Paul with eyes filled with despair.

“Gone?!”

“She was captured by Nadomus during an attack on Jupiter. She could have escaped but she protected me,” Europa said, her eyes filling with tears.

“We have to save her!” Boreas cried. “We, I, owe her that much.”

“We don’t know where she has been taken,” Sailor Neptune said. “How can we save her?”

“How can we save her without compromising Jupiter’s defenses, as we already have?” Sailor Uranus asked, looking at each person in the room in turn.

“I know where she is,” Paul said, closing his eyes in defeat. “She’s at Charon, in the remains of the palace.”

“How do you know that?” Endymion asked, looking at Paul with questioning eyes.

Paul sighed. “Leda didn’t tell you all of her vision, Your Majesty. In the last part, she said that she was pulled through a void and found herself back in Charon. If Nadomus has taken her, he would have taken her back to the palace.”

“Why didn’t she tell us that part?”

Paul shook his head. “She didn’t think it was part of the vision. She hoped that it wouldn’t happen.”

“We have to save her,” Europa interjected. “Nadomus was the one who captured her. He tried to attack me, but Leda knocked him back, pushing both of them into the portal.”

“But we can’t leave Jupiter without defenses,” Sailor Neptune protested.

A series of knocks on the doors of the chamber halted any further arguments. As soon as the knocking had stopped, the doors opened revealing Cassandra and two other women. This time, instead of casual clothes, Cassandra and her companions were dressed in some kind of uniform, consisting of a white tank top, black pants, black boots, and a sash, each woman wearing a different color.

The trio walked with purpose to the where the others were standing. With a short bow to the monarchs, Cassandra began to speak.

“Sailor Jupiter Moon is in danger,” she said. “You have to protect her.”

“You’re too late,” Paul said, looking away. “She’s already captured.”

Cassandra sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. “That was what I was afraid of,” she said softly. “She must be rescued. She cannot be left in the hands of Nadomus and the Empress.”

“How do you know about Nadomus?” Europa asked.

“Who’s the Empress?” Boreas asked.

“I had a vision of the princess’s capture,” Cassandra replied, looking at Europa. “In regards to Nadomus, he is an old enemy.”

“And the Empress?” Boreas asked again.

“Empress Hecate is the ruler of the Shadow Moon Empire. Princess Leda cannot be left in her control.”

“Why are you telling us this?” Paul asked.

“We,” Cassandra said, gesturing to her companions, “have been fighting the Shadow Moon Empire for a long time. Princess Leda is valuable to its defeat.”

“How?!” Paul demanded.

Cassandra shook her head. “I cannot explain everything that you want to know at this time. But, I and the other guardians will help you. Iphigenia and I will stay in Crystal Tokyo while the Sailors Neptune, Uranus, and Boreas with the addition of Sailor Mars return to Jupiter. Dido will help Europa and Ganymede rescue the princess.”

Paul glared at Cassandra, wondering whether to trust her. Europa placed an uncertain hand on his shoulder.

“She told me to find you before she disappeared,” Europa said softly.

“Me?” Paul asked, not trusting his ears. ‘Leda had asked for him?’

“She knew that you were the one to help her,” Europa continued, tears welling in her eyes. “Please help me get her back, Paul.”

Paul gave the young woman a bear hug, fighting back tears of his own. “Of course, I’m going, Elara. What gave the idea I wouldn’t?”

Elara pulled away. “You had been fighting with Leda and you stayed in Crystal Tokyo when we went back to Jupiter.”

Paul groaned. “I was wrong, Elara. Leda and I had a fight, and I stayed in Crystal Tokyo to relieve the tension. But instead of helping, it let Leda get captured. We are going to get her back, or I will die in the process.”

The room was quieted by his seriousness. Boreas finally cleared her throat and turned to Cassandra.

“Who are the other guardians?”

With a slight smile, Cassandra gestured for her two companions to step forward. “Please allow me to introduce Guardians Dido and Iphigenia.”

“Forgive me,” Boreas began, “but who’s who?”

The green-haired guardian with the sugar pink sash giggled softly. “I am Iphigenia, Guardian of Memory, keeper of the past.”

“I am Dido, Guardian of Compassion, entrusted with the portals of space,” the other guardian said softly. She was the tallest with wavy, sandy-blonde hair. Her sash was blue and she held a staff topped with a double blade in the shape of a tear.

Serenity’s eyes noticed Iphigenia’s pink bracelet with the large heart charm and then Dido’s tear drop locket. “You’re the ones that we saw in the sacred fire,” she gasped.

Cassandra turned to the queen with the faintest of smiles. “That is correct, Your Highness. I need to formally introduce myself. I, Cassandra, am the Guardian of Hope, gifted with foresight and prophecy. I am the leader of the Guardians of Cignus, vowed to destroy the Shadow Moon Empire. For this reason and others to be revealed, we have come to aid in your struggle.”

She turned to address all in the room. “Now that the introductions are completed,” she said, “plans need to be made, Your Majesties.”

* * * * *

Sailor Jupiter Moon woke up, first noticing the coldness of the gray stone floor. ‘Had I been asleep? For how long?’ she thought groggily. Still disoriented, she slowly moved to sit up but noticed that her arms were still bound at the wrists by a heavy black whip.

Suddenly images began to flood her mind. Yulis, the sphere, the attack on Boreas, and the appearance of Nadomus were slowly being put together. Looking around the dead room, she realized that the vision had come true; she was back on Charon.

‘I have to free my hands,’ she thought. Carefully, she rose to her feet and stood up. Using all the strength she could muster, she tried to break the whip as she had done in the previous encounter with Nadomus. Yet, she couldn’t do it.

Panting, she studied her bound hands. If strength would not work, perhaps intelligence would. “It’s worth a try,” she muttered, beginning to evaluate different strategies.

“I wouldn’t waste my time, Leda.”

Jupiter looked up to find Nadomus beside her, his eyes gleaming with amusement. Her gray eyes steeled; her face revealing her disgust with him. His eyes gleamed brighter.

“I thought you were dead,” she said, her voice acid.

Nadomus chuckled. “Is that anyway to greet an old friend, Princess?” He snapped his fingers, enveloping her in pain.

‘He’s so much stronger,’ she thought, slowly sinking to her knees. ‘What’s happened?’

Due to her pain, Jupiter did not noticed the snap that ended the torture. Nadomus casually stepped over to her, using her bound wrists to jerk her to her feet. His arm went possessively around her waist as his other hand brought her face within inches of his.

“You are fortunate, my dear Leda. The Empress herself wants to meet you. It is a great honor.”

“Sorry, not interested.” Jupiter yelped in pain as Nadomus yanked her hair savagely.

“You better be respectful to the Empress for your own sake. If you don’t give her what she wants, it will very bad for you, my dear.”

“And what do you get out of it?”

“You. Either way you are mine to do whatever I want with.”

He smiled, pushing her closer to him. “I am going to have so much fun, Leda,” he whispered in her ear. “The Empress revived me and gave me greater powers as reward for killing your mother.”

Jupiter’s face became even more cold. “She should have done the math. By killing my mother, you brought out five Scouts in her place.”

The slap knocked Jupiter to the ground, stunning her senses. When the ringing stopped, she heard Nadomus cry out and fly against a hard wall.

“I ordered you not to harm her!” a voice boomed.

Looking up, Jupiter saw a beautiful, white-haired woman tower over her. Waving a delicate hand over Sailor Jupiter Moon, the woman caused the whip to disappear. Jupiter stood up and faced the woman, noticing a look of approval in the woman’s eyes.

“Well, niece, it looks like we have some business to discuss,” the woman said. She waved her hand over Jupiter’s face, as Jupiter felt her entire being, body and mind, grow numb.


Answers with More Questions Paul cast a disinterested glance at the skyline of Crystal Tokyo. Sighing, he turned away and pulled the curtains closed, enveloping himself in semi-darkness. Somehow, he felt more comfortable in the darkness of the room. Realizing the direction of his thoughts, he shook his head, trying to clear out the ill mood. ‘What am I doing?’ he asked himself. ‘Hiding,’ came the unwelcome reply. His jaw tightened as he recalled the few moments before Leda and the others had departed. She had seemed so apathetic, but he knew that she was unsure of what to do. Reluctantly, he understood that his actions had a lot to do with the undermining of her confidence. “Oh, Leda,” he whispered, collapsing into a chair. Suddenly, his head exploded with pain. In a desperate attempt to halt his agony, Paul pressed his hands against his temples, but the pain continued. He ‘saw’ Sailor Jupiter Moon in a field not far from the outskirts of the Jovian capital. Shadowy figures surrounded her as she tried to protect Sailor Boreas. With a flash, Paul’s attention was turned to a growing sphere. Then there was another flash. Now, he saw Sailor Jupiter Moon’s arms were bound by a whip. Viciously, she was jerked to a man. ‘Wait, Nadomus!’ Paul thought. The smirking man was about to fling an attack, but Jupiter pushed him back, throwing them both into the sphere. Before it closed, she cried, “Ganymede!” Then, the pain stopped. Panting, Paul leaned back into the chair. ‘What did it mean?’ Then he remembered the part of her dream that Leda had omitted from Endymion and Serenity. ‘Had it come true?’ He rose from the chair and ran to the door. He had to find out. And if something had happened to Leda, he would never forgive himself. * * * * * Paul ran into the throne room, startling everyone with his unceremonious entrance. With a hasty bow, he stood before Endymion and Serenity. They stare at him, wondering about the reason for his hasty arrival. “Is there any news from Jupiter?” Paul asked, trying to keep a semblance of being calm. It didn’t matter, he realized. All that matter was making sure that Leda was safe. “No,” Serenity replied, perplexed. “Is there something you know, Paul?” Endymion asked. Paul’s stomach churned, making him feel nauseated. ‘Should I tell the king what Leda didn’t tell him the first time?’ He was saved by a sudden wind in the chamber. In the center of the room, several auras began to glow, growing larger until Sailors Uranus, Neptune, Boreas, and Europa appeared. Paul’s heart fell when he realized that Leda wasn’t with them and that Boreas and Europa were injured. The glow faded and the Sailors ran to the throne. “Where’s Leda?” Paul demanded before the Sailors had a chance to address the monarchs. “She’s gone,” Europa replied, looking at Paul with eyes filled with despair. “Gone?!” “She was captured by Nadomus during an attack on Jupiter. She could have escaped but she protected me,” Europa said, her eyes filling with tears. “We have to save her!” Boreas cried. “We, I, owe her that much.” “We don’t know where she has been taken,” Sailor Neptune said. “How can we save her?” “How can we save her without compromising Jupiter’s defenses, as we already have?” Sailor Uranus asked, looking at each person in the room in turn. “I know where she is,” Paul said, closing his eyes in defeat. “She’s at Charon, in the remains of the palace.” “How do you know that?” Endymion asked, looking at Paul with questioning eyes. Paul sighed. “Leda didn’t tell you all of her vision, Your Majesty. In the last part, she said that she was pulled through a void and found herself back in Charon. If Nadomus has taken her, he would have taken her back to the palace.” “Why didn’t she tell us that part?” Paul shook his head. “She didn’t think it was part of the vision. She hoped that it wouldn’t happen.” “We have to save her,” Europa interjected. “Nadomus was the one who captured her. He tried to attack me, but Leda knocked him back, pushing both of them into the portal.” “But we can’t leave Jupiter without defenses,” Sailor Neptune protested. A series of knocks on the doors of the chamber halted any further arguments. As soon as the knocking had stopped, the doors opened revealing Cassandra and two other women. This time, instead of casual clothes, Cassandra and her companions were dressed in some kind of uniform, consisting of a white tank top, black pants, black boots, and a sash, each woman wearing a different color. The trio walked with purpose to the where the others were standing. With a short bow to the monarchs, Cassandra began to speak. “Sailor Jupiter Moon is in danger,” she said. “You have to protect her.” “You’re too late,” Paul said, looking away. “She’s already captured.” Cassandra sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. “That was what I was afraid of,” she said softly. “She must be rescued. She cannot be left in the hands of Nadomus and the Empress.” “How do you know about Nadomus?” Europa asked. “Who’s the Empress?” Boreas asked. “I had a vision of the princess’s capture,” Cassandra replied, looking at Europa. “In regards to Nadomus, he is an old enemy.” “And the Empress?” Boreas asked again. “Empress Hecate is the ruler of the Shadow Moon Empire. Princess Leda cannot be left in her control.” “Why are you telling us this?” Paul asked. “We,” Cassandra said, gesturing to her companions, “have been fighting the Shadow Moon Empire for a long time. Princess Leda is valuable to its defeat.” “How?!” Paul demanded. Cassandra shook her head. “I cannot explain everything that you want to know at this time. But, I and the other guardians will help you. Iphigenia and I will stay in Crystal Tokyo while the Sailors Neptune, Uranus, and Boreas with the addition of Sailor Mars return to Jupiter. Dido will help Europa and Ganymede rescue the princess.” Paul glared at Cassandra, wondering whether to trust her. Europa placed an uncertain hand on his shoulder. “She told me to find you before she disappeared,” Europa said softly. “Me?” Paul asked, not trusting his ears. ‘Leda had asked for him?’ “She knew that you were the one to help her,” Europa continued, tears welling in her eyes. “Please help me get her back, Paul.” Paul gave the young woman a bear hug, fighting back tears of his own. “Of course, I’m going, Elara. What gave the idea I wouldn’t?” Elara pulled away. “You had been fighting with Leda and you stayed in Crystal Tokyo when we went back to Jupiter.” Paul groaned. “I was wrong, Elara. Leda and I had a fight, and I stayed in Crystal Tokyo to relieve the tension. But instead of helping, it let Leda get captured. We are going to get her back, or I will die in the process.” The room was quieted by his seriousness. Boreas finally cleared her throat and turned to Cassandra. “Who are the other guardians?” With a slight smile, Cassandra gestured for her two companions to step forward. “Please allow me to introduce Guardians Dido and Iphigenia.” “Forgive me,” Boreas began, “but who’s who?” The green-haired guardian with the sugar pink sash giggled softly. “I am Iphigenia, Guardian of Memory, keeper of the past.” “I am Dido, Guardian of Compassion, entrusted with the portals of space,” the other guardian said softly. She was the tallest with wavy, sandy-blonde hair. Her sash was blue and she held a staff topped with a double blade in the shape of a tear. Serenity’s eyes noticed Iphigenia’s pink bracelet with the large heart charm and then Dido’s tear drop locket. “You’re the ones that we saw in the sacred fire,” she gasped. Cassandra turned to the queen with the faintest of smiles. “That is correct, Your Highness. I need to formally introduce myself. I, Cassandra, am the Guardian of Hope, gifted with foresight and prophecy. I am the leader of the Guardians of Cignus, vowed to destroy the Shadow Moon Empire. For this reason and others to be revealed, we have come to aid in your struggle.” She turned to address all in the room. “Now that the introductions are completed,” she said, “plans need to be made, Your Majesties.” * * * * * Sailor Jupiter Moon woke up, first noticing the coldness of the gray stone floor. ‘Had I been asleep? For how long?’ she thought groggily. Still disoriented, she slowly moved to sit up but noticed that her arms were still bound at the wrists by a heavy black whip. Suddenly images began to flood her mind. Yulis, the sphere, the attack on Boreas, and the appearance of Nadomus were slowly being put together. Looking around the dead room, she realized that the vision had come true; she was back on Charon. ‘I have to free my hands,’ she thought. Carefully, she rose to her feet and stood up. Using all the strength she could muster, she tried to break the whip as she had done in the previous encounter with Nadomus. Yet, she couldn’t do it. Panting, she studied her bound hands. If strength would not work, perhaps intelligence would. “It’s worth a try,” she muttered, beginning to evaluate different strategies. “I wouldn’t waste my time, Leda.” Jupiter looked up to find Nadomus beside her, his eyes gleaming with amusement. Her gray eyes steeled; her face revealing her disgust with him. His eyes gleamed brighter. “I thought you were dead,” she said, her voice acid. Nadomus chuckled. “Is that anyway to greet an old friend, Princess?” He snapped his fingers, enveloping her in pain. ‘He’s so much stronger,’ she thought, slowly sinking to her knees. ‘What’s happened?’ Due to her pain, Jupiter did not noticed the snap that ended the torture. Nadomus casually stepped over to her, using her bound wrists to jerk her to her feet. His arm went possessively around her waist as his other hand brought her face within inches of his. “You are fortunate, my dear Leda. The Empress herself wants to meet you. It is a great honor.” “Sorry, not interested.” Jupiter yelped in pain as Nadomus yanked her hair savagely. “You better be respectful to the Empress for your own sake. If you don’t give her what she wants, it will very bad for you, my dear.” “And what do you get out of it?” “You. Either way you are mine to do whatever I want with.” He smiled, pushing her closer to him. “I am going to have so much fun, Leda,” he whispered in her ear. “The Empress revived me and gave me greater powers as reward for killing your mother.” Jupiter’s face became even more cold. “She should have done the math. By killing my mother, you brought out five Scouts in her place.” The slap knocked Jupiter to the ground, stunning her senses. When the ringing stopped, she heard Nadomus cry out and fly against a hard wall. “I ordered you not to harm her!” a voice boomed. Looking up, Jupiter saw a beautiful, white-haired woman tower over her. Waving a delicate hand over Sailor Jupiter Moon, the woman caused the whip to disappear. Jupiter stood up and faced the woman, noticing a look of approval in the woman’s eyes. “Well, niece, it looks like we have some business to discuss,” the woman said. She waved her hand over Jupiter’s face, as Jupiter felt her entire being, body and mind, grow numb.


Chapter 4: The Rescue Jupiter's Gone