W1
Defenders: Sailor Moon
By James
Chapter One: The Third Bearer
"Galaxia..." Mandrake uttered. Saying her name made him quiver a bit.
"Who is she?" Ata inquired.
"One of the last people we want to face." He'd taken the time to educate himself. A part of him wished that he hadn't, though. Galaxia's power was frightening.
Ata paused a moment. "What do we do?"
He took a slow breath. "We observe the places where she's likely to strike." He tightened a fist. "And we prepare to defend the Earth."
Flash had visited about twenty-two worlds. Maybe twenty-three; he couldn't be sure. In any event, he'd seen all manners of civilizations, spotted great advances in architecture. Among all the places his eyes beheld, few lands compared to the Netherworld. The Golden Realm was incredible, even more so than when he'd viewed it last. Jedda was adding her personal touch, making the kingdom her own domain. Long red banners draped ivory walls - banners displaying the kingdom's crest. Video screens hung above the streets, ones Jedda used when she made an address. The land looked a little like ancient Rome, with the conveniences of Central City.
"So what does a typical day entail?" he asked while walking beside the queen. What did his son's routine involve?
Jedda held her gaze on the long pale road, a number of guards marching up ahead. "The realm is divided into multiple lands. Tensions are arising between a few. We're monitoring shipments. Preaching peace. Making sure the people don't fight for supplies." She paused a moment. "Aside from that, we've stopped radicals who want other lands, villages outside their territories."
Flash couldn't help but feel a little conflicted. Jedda's report made him proud of her. Another part of him felt something else. "J..." He paused, his voice softening. "Do you ever long for a normal life?"
She chuckled a bit. "I've never exactly been a 'normal' girl."
"I know that you haven't. That's my point. I wonder if it's something you still desire." He smiled a tad. "Remember when we talked about this back home?" Flash regretted his choice of word. He shouldn't have labeled the mansion home. That might make Jedda start to long for it — assuming she wasn't longing for it now. He cleared his throat. "Back at Mandrake's place, I mean."
Jedda went quiet for a number of seconds. Her gaze grew firm as she studied the ground, the little tiara shining in her hair. Just as it seemed she was about to speak, the sound of footsteps arrived behind.
"Highness!"
Flash turned and spotted a servant. The guards at the rear looked curious.
The man knelt down a few yards from her. "Raiders have looted your shipment to Alyn."
"Raiders from where?" Jedda was scowling.
"According to footage from Nethernet..." He made a long frown. "They seem to have approached from the village of Oris."
Her fists clenched up. "Blast it," she whispered, turning away.
Flash touched her arm. "I don't understand. What's going on?"
"Those two lands are on the brink of battle." She heaved a sigh. "The leader of Oris wants more supplies. He thinks that Alyn gets a bit too much. As soon as word spreads of what he's done, Alyn will take the goods back by force."
A voice called out. "Not if I can help it."
Flash spun around, seeing his son. Rick was approaching in a suit of armor, a number of troops marching at his back.
"Lend me your cape," Rick said to Jedda.
Jedda flinched a little. "What are you doing?"
"I'm going to head out and retrieve the supplies. A knight wears the colors of his lady in battle."
She scowled again. "Have you lost your mind? I can't have you running into battle, Rick. You're about to sit on the throne with me. I need you here, where you won't be hurt."
"This isn't a risky battle, J. It won't demand any real effort."
"Then why are you going?" She narrowed her eyes. "Why don't you leave this fight to the troops? Why do you need to be out in the field?"
Rick looked down at his boots for a moment. His fists were shaking with anxiety. It seemed he couldn't wait to head out to the fray.
Jedda glanced off. "You don't need to go — you want to go."
Flash felt awkward as he watched them both. He wasn't surprised that it'd come to this. Rick was a Gordon. He longed for thrills. Action and adventure were in his blood. This could be an issue for years to come.
She turned back to Rick. "We're not Defenders. Not anymore. You're supposed to be King Richard now."
Rick sighed a bit. "I'm not on the throne. Not just yet. Until I am, I'm going to go out there and serve our kingdom." He walked to Jedda and gave her a kiss, then he patted Flash on the shoulder and left. All of the soldiers followed him.
Jedda looked on, quietly.
"He'll be okay," Flash murmured to her. "He's the best." The mission didn't sound very dangerous. If it had, he would've gone too.
Jedda kept staring, holding silent.
"I'm going to head back," Flash announced. "I'll call here later."
Jedda made a nod.
Flash stepped away.
You're Reading
Defenders: Sailor Moon
Two Hours Later
"Finally," April exclaimed, seeing Rick's face on her video phone. "What in the world is going on down there? I couldn't get anyone to take my calls." Then she paused, fidgeting. Her brother appeared rather shaken up. He was in a thin suit of tattered plates. "Are you okay?"
Rick heaved a sigh. "We just had a battle."
"Obviously. Everything all right?"
He shook his head. "Jedda was there. She lost the necklace. Everybody's scrambling to get it back. We're trying to chase the two culprits down." Rick punched a wall. "It's all my fault."
April shivered. Not again. She really hoped that she hadn't heard him right. The necklace contained unbelievable power. She didn't like the thought of it being misused, as it had been before Hadea had changed. Her fear became anger as his words sank in. "A queen shouldn't be on the battlefield. Why was she out there anyway?"
Rick looked down. "She came out because she was concerned for me. Jedda never wanted me going there..."
"But you decided to go anyway." April scowled. She knew him well. "You had to go getting your little thrills."
"Don't pretend you never do that too."
"I'm not the head of some royal land."
Rick paused a second, touching his ear, holding what looked like a listening device. "Wait a minute...I just got word that the necklace was found! Both of the raiders have been subdued."
April felt a flutter of intense relief.
"But not by our people...by Minako's."
April squinted. "Minako..." She recalled all of the recent events. Hadea gave Minako a smaller kingdom, letting her replace a very negligent queen. Minako had sounded uncertain at first, but gradually declared that she'd give it a try.
Now she had the Necklace of Oros with her.
Jedda scowled. "What do you mean you can't give it back?" She took another gander at Minako's chest. The Necklace of Oros was glistening there. Jedda intended to retrieve it now, to take it straight home to the Netherworld. Minako had other plans, it seemed.
Jedda eyed Rick, who stood at her side. He seemed every bit as perplexed as her.
"Jedda..." Minako released a moan. "I didn't say I wasn't going to give it back. I said that I can't give it back today. I have to keep it for a little while."
Jedda took a breath. "Why is that?"
"It could help a lot in my kingdom now."
"You think I don't need it in my domain?"
Minako paused. "Honestly no. Can't say that I do. The Netherworld is a prosperous land. Mine is still struggling to find its feet. I need the power that the necklace brings, the power to expedite the growth of crops — crops we can trade in for currency, money that will buy us technology, tech that will help better people's lives."
Jedda resisted the urge to glare. Minako hadn't been a queen for long, yet she was thinking so far ahead. She was moving faster than Jedda had.
"As soon as I've gotten my land in shape, I'll give the necklace right back to you."
Jedda stepped forth. "I need the necklace to protect my home, just in case the raiders attack again."
"We both know it's highly unlikely they will." She quieted a moment, then squinted a tad. "There's more to this than you're letting on."
Jedda twitched a little, trying to hide it. Her fellow ruler was smart indeed. It seemed she recalled a discussion they'd had.
"This is about what you said before." Minako stared. "You think you'll lose Hadea if you lose the land. That's the real reason why you serve as queen. And that's the main reason why you want the jewel. You waited so long to have a mom in your life. You think the Netherworld is the key to that."
Jedda knew this wasn't entirely true. She sensed that it wasn't wholly false either. "Give me the necklace." She stepped in closer.
Rick got between them, extending an arm. "Jedda," he whispered, touching her shoulder. "Let's head home now, and think this through."
Minako eyed them regretfully.
Jedda watched the girl, then walked away, letting Rick lead her to the palace's door.
Minako stared at the video screen, wrapping her call with Hadea up. She rested a hand over one bare foot, curling in her favorite comfort chair. "I'll give it back to Jedda when the time is right. No one will decide when that is but me, if I ever do." She lowered her gaze, adjusting the robe, then glanced at the jewel resting on her breasts. "It's my necklace now."
Hadea paused, then smiled a bit. Was the queen proud of the stance she'd taken? "Goodnight, child," Hadea said. "We'll speak again soon."
Minako nodded. "Goodnight, Hadea." She tapped a remote, ending the call, then took the necklace off and crawled into her bed.
Chapters
Flash visits Rick and Jedda, who have been appointed rulers of the Netherworld. Meanwhile, Queen Minako endeavors to serve her own kingdom, which leads to a brief clash with Jedda.
Rick becomes the target of a complex scheme.
Jedda's forces head out to battle.
Tori guides the Sailors and Defenders in battle. An announcement is made within Jedda's land.
Comments
Post a Comment