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Post by Shuu on Sept 28, 2012 22:16:54 GMT -6
Silence.
The silence was deafening. Cold, eerie, unmoving. No one ever came to this cold and desolate place, no one but the lonely guardian living a lonely life, forever living within the shadows she commanded.
For over a thousand years, Sailor Saturn remained in this place; unchanging, unmoving. It was a large, empty hall in which she was chained to, with massive black columns that spanned nearly as far as the eye could see, many of them crumbling from disuse. She was the only thing in this large space, her and the chains that bound her, and the simple stone alter where her legendary blade, the Kurogami, was also sealed.
The only light that illuminated the desolate chamber were two small torches by the alter, and the energy that held the chains in place, washing the massive hall with an eerie blue color. Even Saturn, herself, was painted in this tone.
She hadn't woken in nearly two decades. Saturn found herself drifting further away into the darkness of her comatose state, forever plagued by the visions of death, by the Song which never ended. Forever alone, chained to her fate for all eternity.
Except as of late.
Someone else had begun to visit Saturn. She noticed the very first day this visitor came; the presence was different from Hyperion, though not too distant. At first, Saturn didn't know who it was nor could she understand them, just feeling the presence. The more this person visited her, the more she began to pay attention. Unlike Hyperion, this person spoke to her more as a friend, then as a duty. It brought comfort to her to know that someone did not fear her and might even consider her a friend, and no matter how many times she tried to wake during their presence, she could not force herself.
<...Charon...> It was only recently that Sailor Saturn had learned the name of her visitor, the Guardian of Pluto. She found her nightmares chased away during these visits, or when she thought of this figure. If only she could wake, just for a moment, and thank this Charon for her kindness...but it seemed not to be.
Not that Saturn was deserving of kindness, nor happiness...
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Post by ree on Sept 28, 2012 22:25:30 GMT -6
It was so easy. Every time.
No matter what excuse she gave, Charon was always able to slip away once she saw her princess safely delivered to the Court of Selenity on the Moon. She hated them. She hated them all. How could they smile and laugh and pretend that Pluto was one of them? Well, she was but she wasn't. Charon had heard the whispers among the servants. They feared the Senshi of Time because of her awesome powers. Just as they feared Charon, in her mist-like cloak, with only her eyes shining through, an apparition of death.
Death. That brought about a small smile as Charon quietly left the Moon Court and made her way to the place she truly wanted to be. The planet Saturn.
Call her crazy, but for years Charon had been visiting this prison. For it was a prison with only one inmate. Sailor Saturn lay chained within and ever since she had learned her story, Charon had felt it was the height of unfairness, ignorance, and stupidity. At least Pluto was able to roam sometimes away from the Door of Time. Saturn was forever chained because of something she might do. Charon made sure Hyperion wasn't about before she slipped into the chamber and approached the chained figure.
"Hello Saturn. It's Charon again. I've come to see you," she set her oar down near the altar where the Kurogami rested. "Hyperion didn't see me this time so hopefully I can stay a little longer. You know, your guardian can be very stupid sometimes."
She settled herself on the edge of the altar, careful not to touch the Kurogami's wrappings, and lowered her hood. Beyond Pluto, Saturn was the only other person she would remove her hood for. She didn't even remove it for Selenity. She brushed a lock of black hair away from her eyes and smiled.
"So...today when I went with Pluto to the Moon..."
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Post by Shuu on Sept 28, 2012 22:31:14 GMT -6
Ahh, there it was.
If Saturn could stir, she would have. If she could have said something, told Charon that she could hear her voice, she would. But she was still as death, with only her low, shallow breathing displaying that she still lived. Oh, if she could only smile...but her face, too, was frozen in stillness.
Charon talked about everything and nothing, and for some reason today, Saturn could comprehend every word she said. It was odd; usually she slipped between being fully aware to only know that presence in her chamber.
But then, the Song started singing.
It wasn't how it usually sounded, though. It wasn't full of mourning, of sadness nor of urgency. It seemed almost...hopeful. Saturn had never heard it sound like this before.
< Strange...what is Melusina trying to tell me? What could be good, in this life so filled with tragedy and sorrow...? >
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Post by ree on Sept 28, 2012 22:36:53 GMT -6
"I really didn't want to stay and try to make nice with Earth. She keeps trying to convince me to remove my hood," Charon made a face. "I only remove my hood for my princess...and for you. I don't know why she keeps persisting."
Charon's eyes never left Saturn's features. For every visit, she hoped she would see something from the silent figure. But it was always nothing. Still, Charon held out in hope. it was said that with enough willpower, one could even reach someone lost in their own minds. That's what she intended to do, someday. She wanted to be able to see those eyes. To hear the voice she'd often imagined went with such a stoic soldier.
To finally hear the truth.
Charon had always been endlessly curious about why Saturn had been locked away. She hadn't believed for an instant that it was for "her own good" or that "she will destroy everything". Power like that required discipline and the morality to know when and how to use it. Saturn wouldn't have been a Sailor Senshi if she didn't have control over her powers. Charon was certain of it. She reached up a hand to try and make contact with Saturn but just as every time before, her fingers bounced back. She sighed and rubbed the knuckles.
"Once. Just once I wish I could touch you. Just to know you're real. Some days I feel as if I've gone mad, longing to see you and knowing you won't be able to respond to me," she looked up. "perhaps I have gone mad...but it's a pleasant kind of madness."
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Post by Shuu on Sept 28, 2012 22:55:55 GMT -6
"...Then...perhaps we are both mad..."
A low rasp rumbled out, echoing off of the large, bare tomb.
Saturn wasn't even aware that she had spoken. To her, it was just her voice in her head again. But...something felt different. Her throat hurt, and the numb, tingling feeling that often coursed through her veins had begun to lift. She could feel the strain on her body from being chained for so long, felt the dull ache of never moving.
The chains clanked as Saturn became aware of her body again. She shifted slightly, though wasn't fully awake yet. Just stirring, just shifting her body to the best of her ability.
She knew what the song meant, now. It meant it was time for her to finally see Charon, and voice her thanks to her for her endless loyalty...
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Post by ree on Sept 28, 2012 22:59:19 GMT -6
Charon almost fell off the altar.
Never...not in all her years...did she expect to actually be answered. Although the voice was rusty from disuse, it was still a voice. And it was so sweet. Then she heard the shifting of the chains and she knew she wasn't dreaming. Saturn was actually awake. Awake and speaking to her. For some reason her heart started to speed up and her palms were getting sweaty. She absently rubbed them on her pants and stood on the altar to try and be closer.
"Saturn? Is it...is it really...?"
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Post by Shuu on Sept 28, 2012 23:07:53 GMT -6
The dull ache that spread throughout her body began to multiply, the tingling feeling beginning to leave her fingers and toes. Slowly, almost painfully so, Saturn's head lifted from where it dropped, those usually closed eyes opening for the first time in 18 years.
It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to seeing again, the dark blurs of the hall solidifying and taking form. Saturn's unusually pale eyes seemed to glow in the darkness of the chamber, drifting downwards to see a mass of black standing upon the alter of the Kurogami.
She couldn't make out features yet, but she could tell a young woman stood before her. Her eyes would adjust soon enough, but it was nice to know that it wasn't just a voice in her head.
"Ah...Charon..." Saturn's voice was deep and would have been strong, if it weren't for how hoarse it sounded from so many years of disuse. "...I am glad...I got the chance to speak to you, if only this once."
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Post by ree on Sept 28, 2012 23:16:31 GMT -6
Charon didn't know what to do. What she'd been thinking about, hoping for, had finally happened. Saturn woke up. She was awake. And...talking. To her. Her knees wobbled but she managed to keep herself from falling. Oh I am going to be in so much trouble if they ever hear about this. Still, it gave her an almost vindictive pleasure that she'd been the one to stir Saturn from her coma. That the seal couldn't stop kindness and caring from reaching through to the older woman.
"All these years I'd hoped that someday I would hear your voice," she said, struggling to keep her voice from cracking. "And now I have."
Those eyes, so unusual in color but so captivating, Charon found it hard to look away. And for once she understood what some people felt when they looked at her eyes. It was hypnotic. More than that, really. It was a force that tugged at you and made it so you couldn't look away. Not that she wanted to. She wanted to drink in every bit of this moment, for who knew how long it would last?
"So you know who I am," she was strangely happy about that. "I'm glad. I hoped that, even in your seal, you could still hear me. Even if you couldn't see me."
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Post by Shuu on Sept 28, 2012 23:24:46 GMT -6
"I've always known you were here, Charon." Saturn explained softly, the raspy quality of her voice beginning to fade with each word. "Always." She said the last word in a soft, almost breathless whisper; meaning every letter of that word.
Her vision began to clear up, the features of Charon becoming more clear to her. Ah...now she could put a face to the name, the voice...the presence. Those dark eyes, too, were captivating, and she could not look away either. Now Saturn understood why Charon was also misunderstood; a bringer of death, swathed in robes that turned into mist.
They were so alike, in their own ways.
"I have...always wanted to thank you for your visits, Charon," Saturn explained, gaining strength to her deep voice. "You brought solace to my uneasy sleep. Even just by being here, even when I could not understand the words you were saying...it was comfort to know that I am not so hated or feared...or as alone as I originally thought."
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Post by ree on Sept 29, 2012 11:30:31 GMT -6
The quality of Saturn's voice made a blush rise in Charon's cheeks. It was...powerful. It sent a powerful reaction through her. A small thrill down her spine, the blush, and she actually had to wipe her palms on her tunic again. She smiled as she listened to Saturn speak. Of comfort. Of solace. She'd never brought solace to anyone before. Not even Pluto. She twisted her fingers into her tunic.
"I...I couldn't hate you. Or fear you. Not when my own princess is someone shunned for a power she might use. It just never made sense to me. You never would have been chosen as a Senshi if you didn't have the wisdom and discipline to know how and when to use your powers. I mean, look at Solaris," she wrinkled her nose. "She has three older sisters who could have been chosen but for some reason they were all passed over in favor of her."
Charon still didn't understand that. She didn't really understand why some were chosen as Senshi while others were not. Still, if they were chosen, that meant they had something special there. Something that made them worthy of the title.
"So I decided to come and see you. I know how lonely it can be, being chained. I'm chained to my duty as my princess is chained to the Door of Time. Only, unlike you, she can actually leave. I thought it was cruel, so...I came to see you," she shifted on the altar. "I thought that, even though you are the Soldier of Destruction, you weren't undeserving of comfort..."
Like others seem to believe.
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Post by Shuu on Sept 29, 2012 11:38:53 GMT -6
Ah, so that was why. Saturn always wondered why Charon had such an interest in her, always visiting her no matter what. Listening to Charon speak to her, a ghost of a smile tugged at the corners of her lips, noticing the body language of the other woman.
Her sweaty palms, the red on her face, the look in those deep eyes...it spread far deeper then mere companionship. It puzzled Saturn; how could someone care so deeply for her if they've never even spoken face to face before? Was it just an idea, or...something else?
Something the Song was trying to tell her?
"The universe is full of ignorance," Saturn sighed, shaking her head slowly. "There are those that fear people with power, no matter how responsible they are with it. They will think that we will abuse the powers we have...but you do not see Selenity abusing the Ginzuishou, do you?" She gave a hollow laugh at this, "The Ginzuishou is just as powerful as I am, yet it is not locked up...merely because it is associated with life, not death. Mortals always fear death, when there are far more dangerous things in this world..."
Giving another shake of her head, she looked back down at Charon, "But, I digress. I do not know how long I have in this waking moment before sleep will claim me once again. Let us speak of more...pleasant things then the woes of my imprisonment...and yours as well."
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Post by ree on Sept 29, 2012 21:47:42 GMT -6
"yes," Charon smiled. "Something a bit more pleasant does seem like a good idea."
Saturn had made many points that Charon had also been considering over the years. Like about Selenity and the Ginzuishou. She'd often thought it was hypocritical that it wasn't locked up like Pluto and Saturn. But she hadn't associated the different connections the two powers had. One to life and one to death. And fear of death was something she could understand.
"I don't know how long you've been here but I doubt much has changed since your time. Selenity, Earth, Uranus, and Solaris are still as close as ever. Mercury is still aloof while I believe Mars has some sort of relationship with one of the other Court Senshi. It's strange, how relationships like that can crop up in the most unexpected of places," she mused.
It seemed strange, talking about mundane things as she always had to Saturn, but now Saturn could answer back. She wondered if she sounded too inane, too simple, talking about such trivial things. But it felt...nice. Familiar. Something to balance out the strange emotions that had crept in upon realizing Saturn was awake.
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Post by Shuu on Sept 29, 2012 22:31:28 GMT -6
This felt...nice.
Saturn hadn't felt this kind of familiarity, this comfort within her presence in a very, very long time. No other Hyperion was so open and free with her as Charon was right now. How the Guardian could speak of these kinds of things, to feel so relaxed in Saturn's presence. It made her feel relaxed as well, the ache of her body disappearing as she relaxed within her bonds.
"Heh...perhaps it is good that I am chained up," She commented with a low chuckle, shaking her head slowly. "I was never one for politics. It sounds as if the Kingdom has more of it then ever."
In truth, she didn't mind the mundane talk. It was better then listening to information presented to her impersonally; and it made her feel more at ease in Charon's presence. She smiled faintly down at Charon - perhaps the furthest she ever came to a true smile - to display that she didn't mind it, not in the least.
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Post by ree on Sept 30, 2012 13:04:21 GMT -6
"Oh believe me, sometimes I've wished I could stay away from all of the politics myself. I'm not even sure my princess cares for them. She simply goes to the Moon Kingdom when summoned and, naturally, I must go with her," Charon made a face. "I swear though, if Earth tries one more time to get me to take off my hood, I will hurt her, princess or not."
Charon's cloak was her protection from the world. It was a way to keep herself hidden, make herself seem more mysterious, so that way no one could get close to her. She'd always thought: if her princess and Saturn were going to be isolated, then she would be as well. She didn't want any part of the kingdom who would do such things to such good women.
"Although I think Kunzite might object," she muttered. "I swear, he's another one I'd like to challenge to a duel. Then again, I do enjoy toying with him. A warrior he might be but he often loses to me when it comes to verbal sparring." She chuckled softly. "Ah, but I digress. So...if I may...how long have you been here? All I ever heard were stories and you know how reliable, or not, those can be."
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Post by Shuu on Sept 30, 2012 20:07:54 GMT -6
Sailor Saturn didn't know any of these people, only by what Charon relayed to her in her moments of understanding in her sleep. All of the Senshi and Guardians she knew were long since dead, though she didn't even know what number Selenity was ruling.
And, quite honestly, she liked it that way.
Another faint smile crossed her pale face at the notion that Charon could out-wit Sailor Earth's guardian, Kunzite. "Of that I have no doubt," Saturn said quietly, "You are intelligent, independent and powerful in your own right - something men either fear or despise in a woman." She paused, her faint smile turning into more of a smirk, "Much like me."
At the question of how long she had been imprisoned, Saturn lifted her eyes up towards the ceiling and thought. How long had she been in here? The days and weeks melded together into one giant glob, and she had lost all perception of time in her comatose state. Unable to figure it out for herself, she sighed and shook her head, meeting Charon's gaze once more.
"I am...not entirely sure." She admitted with a soft sigh, "I have lost track of the days and months, as there are many times where I am not even aware of where I am. I am not even sure how many Hyperion's I have gone through. But..." Saturn's face became more grim, "...I remember the day I was sealed, in vivid detail, right down to the day and the year in Earth terms. If you tell me what year it is now, I should be able to calculate how long I have been sealed."
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