Ever since she had recovered from that battle, Ellie Spectre had felt a yearning. She had felt it before, though many times it was dulled, something she could ignore. In comparison to any time prior, this yearning was almost to the point of hurting. One night, she was unable to resist the calling any longer. With the aid of her phone, she arrived back to her home world. To Iris.
The moment she set foot in the sands, she felt at ease. She stepped forward a couple steps, as if testing to see if her own legs were working. As she moved, her fuku seemed to glow dimly of the colors of the rainbow, fluttering out until the outfit had shifted into a floor-length gown. Those were not the only things to grow, for the messy strands of hair that framed her face grew out, whipping back, and from her back two glorious pale wings sprouted. With her eyes closed, she could tell this was exactly what she needed. She had so many questions as an eternal senshi as to everything of her home world of the past. Some were answered, but many were never even touched briefly in memory. Yet now, the Princess of this asteroid had returned. And the asteroid was willing to relinquish its secrets to her.
For a brief period of time, the royal senshi remained standing in place, eyes closed as she let the memories wash over her like the water that never came to this sandy rock.
She was no longer as tall as she was now. No, she was much shorter with the world looming up above her. Somewhere in her stomach, butterflies seemed to be flapping their wings in an effort to escape, but the child was not letting such happen. Where many felt butterflies lingering in their belly and assumed it was a bad sign, the child could not help but embrace her stomach. She was giddy, but she didn’t know why. The child glanced up, towards the side to find a dark-skinned man with dark hair and a neatly trimmed beard. Next to him was a lady of paler skin and pale hair. This woman’s hair was even paler than her own blonde hair, on the verge of being a cream color. The woman wore gold jewelry and a circlet adorned with copper coins upon her head. Though they both wore robes, much like the others of the rest of this world, theirs seemed different, nearly regal. Before the trio was a gathering of various people, all dressed in their usual nomadic garb.
In a booming voice, the man beside her called out "Marjah, step forward!"
Many of the nomads bowed down on one knee, some merely backed away. Only one stepped forward. It was a gnarled figure of a woman who was leaning heavily upon a strange walking stick which was nearly as gnarled as herself with a large twist at the bottom to cover a wider area of ground. The few strands of hair that could be seen from the cloak that covered her head were white as snow (something the child knew nothing about). In a raspy voice, she uttered out "What is it I can do for your majesties?" Her head leaned forward as an attempt to bow that would not jeopardize any sense of balance she felt at the moment.
"By royal decree, you will take our daughter, the Princess of Iris, as a member of your clan. She is expected to learn to survive and become a valued member of your society. She is expected to remain in your care until her powers awaken."
Marjah let out a sound that was similar to a cough, but it kept going as if her throat was too dry to produce the actual sound of laughter. "I had heard rumors of the Princess. Pray tell... what use is my clan to the next senshi of our world?"
The man looked sharply to the child, then back to the woman. "As a Princess, her duties would remain here. As a Senshi, she has much more potential. If she was forced to remain in this city, she would never learn a thing about duty. As a Senshi, she needs to learn to live for her people. To understand that, she needs to live with her people. She may be a princess, but she is also just a person."
The young princess did not seem at all bothered by what seemed like a stern tone from her father. All of her life, she had been told how important it was to understand the world. And today would be the start of such an understanding.
"My daughter is to remain as a member of your clan until the day her powers awaken as a Senshi. Once she is a Senshi, she will no longer be a part of your clan. You will return her here. Until then, you do not treat her any different than any of the other members of your clan."
Marjah’s head bobbed up and down slowly, as if trying to pace such a simple movement. "You have my word, your Majesties." Once again, that rasping sound that was meant to be laughter escaped her. "Shall I take her now?"
The woman, the queen stepped forward. In a kind voice, she offered a simple "We will send her to meet you outside."
The elderly woman nodded, then began to hobble her way into facing the opposite direction so she could begin to leave. All of the others stood and began to make their exit as well. A couple individuals went to Marjah's side to steady her in what seemed like an almost painful journey back outside.
"...my parents..." Iris' voice uttered out. She remembered them clearly now, the Iridian King and Queen. They were not the stereotypical image of royalty, their duties far different from the commonplace "rule." The asteroid was simply a ball of sand with no water. It was not the sort of place where a King’s "rule" was needed. It was a King and Queen's compassion that was needed here. Her eyes opened up slowly, looking straight ahead to the dunes of dark sand. She knew where she must go.
Experimentally, she spread her wings out wide, flapping them one time. There was a brief amount of lift, and the motion caused a small cloud of sand to rise into the air. The girl had never had wings in any lifetime, so it still took a bit of getting used to. Not to mention in the very pit of her stomach, the idea of going high into the air made her woozy. So in a cautious manner, she attempted to get airborne, flapping the wings several times until she got some altitude. Birds made it look so easy in comparison, for Iris couldn’t help but feel a bit winded by getting up to approximately ten feet in the air. The feeling in the pit of her stomach did seem to subside, perhaps due to the amount of control the princess had over the height-situation. Leaning forward, she allow herself to glide forward. If anything, this would make it so she could get to her destination a bit quicker. Despite actively making her way towards an unseen destination, the memories still continued to almost whisper in her ears.
She remembered working hard, yet never feeling any sort of resentment for having to work. It was the way of her people. She could hear Marjah's raspy voice encouraging her, explaining how things worked. The child might have been away from her parents, but there was never a lack of love. The elderly woman was always willing to extend her thin arms to the child for a hug. She was willing to lend her nearly deaf ears to the child should she need someone to listen to her. She was a woman who smiled plenty, even if she had nearly no teeth left.
The Princess remembered being in the dimly lit wagon, her hands wrapped about the elderly woman's bony hands. There were others present, all of them familiar to her now. There was even Babba standing nearby with a dutiful expression upon her face, despite all of the sad expressions upon the other faces.
Marjah's eyes closed as that well known smile spread upon her face for a last time. The young princess had only known this woman for about two years, but had loved the old woman with all of her heart. She never wanted to let go of Marjah's hands. Even though the tears wouldn’t stop falling from her eyes, the child forced herself to keep a smile upon her face. Marjah had lived her life with a smile upon her face, and if she could have scolded them all for being so sad, she would have.
It was Babba who was left with the duty of prying the young princess’ hands off of the newly passed Marjah. "We cannot send her to rest if you insist upon clinging to her, child." Reluctant fingers let go, and the child was led away to gather her things. The Princess would no longer live with Marjah, for the deceased could not lead the clan. The burden now belonged to Babba, the next eldest of the clan. With the new role came a new responsibility in the form of a blonde child. Once all of the previous elder's possessions had been sorted out, the deceased and her whole cart were doused in oil, and then lit by flame. A young girl with deep green hair danced for Marjah as the flames engulfed her former home.
It was the first time the princess had ever witnessed the dance to bid farewell to the deceased, though eventually she would grow quite familiar with it due to her own duties later on. One wrong step and it did not have the same meaning anymore.
Iris' feet stumbled against the sand as she glided back to the ground. Flight was definitely much more difficult to pull off than she would have ever expected, but it was still a better mode of transportation for her to get where she was going. To go by foot would have taken far too long. Once more, she flapped her wings so she could gain altitude, and then once more glided forward. The longer she stayed, the more she remembered.
Once more, she stood within the walls of the Grand Hall, her parents' home. She did not stand there next to them as a Princess, but rather, in front of them as a senshi. Both the queen and the king had aged, the queen's hair seeming even paler than before due to the streaks of white that had managed to find their way into her cream colored hair, and the king's beard seeming to turn slightly gray. She, herself, stood taller than she had the last time she had been there, but she no longer stood there as a princess. The short skirt she wore symbolized her new status. She was a senshi, and nothing could ever change such a fate.
As he had done years before, the King stepped forward, speaking in the loud booming voice of authority to greet their guest.
"Sailor Iris! You stand here before your King and Queen as the Senshi of our Asteroid! Tell your King and your Queen what it is you are here to do!"
She was only 12 years old, and though she knew her father should not treat her any differently just because of their blood ties, she still couldn't help but feel a bit put off by his tone. There was a lump that found a way to her throat, but she swallowed it down before replying in as strong a voice as she could muster up.
"I am here to serve my people! I no longer live for just myself, but I live for the King, the Queen, and every clan upon this asteroid! My duty is to the world itself!" Her eyes were upon her father’s eyes, as if challenging him to say she was wrong. Perhaps it was because she was so intent upon looking the man in the eyes that she missed the presence of yet another.
"You speak as if your duty was the same of that of the King and Queen, yet we all know that despite using such similar words, your duty is even more important to the wellbeing of this asteroid." The voice was familiar, though at the time it was foreign. With a light airy laugh, a small animal stepped forward.
"...********* tailless creature found herself a place next to the senshi before offering a humble bow towards the royalty. With a smile, she apologized quite simply. "Sorry if I spoke out of turn, but I couldn't help but notice the irony in the Princess' words."
The Queen smiled and shook her head at the cat. "It is quite alright, Guardian."
The King cleared his throat, then proceeded with a short explanation. "Sailor Iris, to better serve your people and your world, we have accepted the assistance of the Mauvian, *********. She will be the one to train you for your duties and she will be your advisor!"
The senshi glanced down to the small animal. There was some sort of doubt that lingered in the back of her mind about such a creature. In all of her years, Sailor Iris had never encountered a single Mauvian, though she had heard of them upon rare occasion when she was a younger child. Of course, as she looked down, ********* looked up with a cheery smile. "Pleasure to meet you! I look forward to working with you!"
The child looked back to the man and woman before her. It was not her place to question them. With a small salute, she bellowed out "Understood!"
Her feet only briefly touched the sands again before she thrust her body back into the air with a few sharp flaps of the pale wings upon her back. She still had a while before she actually made it to where she was going. A bit of sand got kicked up and attempted to blow into her face, causing the new princess to close her eyes in an effort to protect her vision from those grains of dirt.
It felt as if when she opened her eyes, she had just been opening them after a long rest. Upon her lap she could feel a small warm spot from where a small round animal was curled up. The young teenager wore a loose robe upon her body, though the last she had remembered, she had been wearing her fuku, finally managing to stumble her way back down from the Sacred Lands.
"You certainly did a number on yourself, child." To her side, the familiar face of Babba was there to greet her with a kind smile.
"...what happened?" the blonde-haired child asked in a rather hoarse tone.
The woman laughed and shook her head a bit before reaching for an old pottery bowl that was filled with some sort of herbal drink. "Drink this... it will help your voice." Obediently, the child took the bowl and began to drink from it. As the child did as told, Babba proceeded to explain. "You had tended to your duties at the Sacred Lands, child. It was quite a bit for someone of your age to handle all by herself, but these are the ways of our people. We cannot argue against it." She sighed as she dipped a rag into a nearby barrel of water. "When you returned, from what the guardian had told us, you almost seemed like a husk of a person left. She told us you collapsed before you could even make it into the wagon to hide in some shade. The worst sort of dehydration, one would have almost thought you were a foreigner with how dried out you had become."
With that, the woman wiped the rag over the young teen’s forehead. "When we found you... you were without your uniform with two animals practically crying over your body. It took us about two weeks to get you to this point, child."
Gold eyes glanced to Babba’s as the rag went across her brow. "...two weeks... I don’t know if I’d ever be able to handle something like that ever again."
The woman merely laughed at her as she pulled the rag away. "Your voice still needs much of that drink... keep drinking." It was almost as if she was dismissing the young senshi’s point, but then she added her opinion. "You can and you will do that again. I taught you better... so if you did not tend to your duty, it would look poorly on me, child." Flattening the rag slightly, she lay it out across the edge of the barrel. "There's nothing in this world that isn't worth working for. I would be willing to bet my finest mirror that what you did up there will bring you respect from all of the people on this world."
"...that's a bet I wouldn't ever challenge..." From her spot on the young teenager's lap, the manx cat stretched her limbs out. "Otherwise I would probably lose."
Babba laughed before pointing at the cat. "She's a smart one! You should keep her!"
A half smile crept upon the Princess' face. "Yeah... I should probably keep ********* around for a bit longer." Though every so often, her feet would still touch the sand, Iris didn't seem to notice it anymore. She'd never truly be able to fly like a bird, like how so many people dreamed of doing, but this was close enough. There were no complaints at being able to glide through the air upon her wings. Babba had been right in the past. There was nothing in the world that wasn’t work working for. There was no sense of pride to be had if something had been handed to you upon a silver platter. Back then as a new senshi, she didn’t understand such a lesson completely, but now she understood it completely.
"...you want to do what?"
Her past voice rang through her ears a bit.
"You heard me... let's make a show!" The cat was looking up to Iris as the pair walked down a dirt road. The senshi was actually walking on her hands, but ********* did not seem to make an issue about it.
"Okay... now the next question is why do you think this is a good idea?" The senshi wasn't quite certain as to where any of this could go.
"Well... you keep complaining about how bored you get. I mean, you do your fair share of travel each year now. You know, I think you've gotten quite spoiled, since most Iridians would give their right leg to actually get to see all the places you have visited." The cat paused in step to see how well the senshi took her words.
"That still doesn’t explain why a show though..."
The manx's usual airy laughter escaped into the air. "I'm getting there, I'm getting there! Well, the other senshi from the allied asteroids are actually quite talented."
The senshi stopped walking on her hands and lowered her legs back to the ground before picking the guardian up so it would be easier to talk. "Where I agree that they are quite talented, do you really think it would be a good idea?"
"I believe it would be beneficial to everyone. However, we would need to talk to each of them." ********* was as cheery as ever. "I think the next time we visit the other asteroids, we should run these ideas past each senshi."
The blonde senshi patted the guardian on the head. Rather than give a confirmation, she instead gave a less committed response. "I'll think about it."
The half-smile upon her face had spread into a full smile. "********* definitely got her way on that one."
From her place in the air, she was able to see something that was starting to come into view. In contrast to the dark sand that covered the world, at first it just looked like snow sprinkled upon the landscape (though snow would have been impossible in this environment). The closer she got, the more she could make out. The pale shapes seemed to gain more detail until she could finally figure out what it was she was seeing. Many simple buildings made of pale stone speckled a small section of the world, forming a rather simple looking city.
Rather than fly over the city, the girl carefully allow herself to glide down to the sands, landing close by. She folded her wings back against her shoulders, the appendages practically trembling after the long journey through the air. In an effort to prevent herself from falling flat on her face by tripping on her own dress, the girl lifted the edges of her gown as she walked. The back of the dress seemed to drag a path out behind her in the sand as she approached the edge of the empty city. A part of her was curious, wanting to look into each of the short pale structures, but a wiser part of her silently reminded herself that the remains of a person she might have known could be hiding there.
It was a city of no people, but at one point the alleyways had been filled with traders, both native and foreign. Everyday the narrow walkways were flooded like it was a Sunday morning farmer's market, the traders calling out about how their wares were the best. This place had been important, even if most of the natives were not fond of it.
The Port, a place where any foreigner started and ended their visit to the desert world. A place where foreigners would try to find the best barters, and pretty much every time got played like suckers. It was the place where water was brought and where the Clans would come to restock on such a simple necessity.
The blonde's eyes wandered about the alleys, her eyes seeming to recall in ghostly images the individuals that found this place to be their home. Her feet led the way, having never walked through this city in this lifetime, but walking the same path many times in another. She just knew where to turn and when to go straight. Eventually she came upon one building that was larger than the rest. None of the buildings were all that tall, most averaging 1 story at tallest. Yet this one seemed to have two stories and took a wider plot of land. Though this building was still relatively plain, it seemed as if it had been painted in gold along some rough carvings.
"...the Grand Hall..." Cautiously, the new princess stepped through the entrance, glancing about the interior. It was aptly named, seeing as the interior definitely was spacious and long as a Grand Hall should. The interior was not much different from the exterior, save for the fact the ground was no longer covered in sand. It had once been polished, but now it was covered in a thick layer of dust. Towards the edges of the Grand Hall, there were various openings which served as the entrances for different rooms. A couple were sleeping chambers, and others were strictly used for inventory.
The princess walked in a small circle, her dress dragging up some of the dust, revealing the pale stone surface beneath it. This was the place where she had started her own life once, a place where she had lived, a place she had played, and a place she eventually ended up protecting. It wasn't a standard castle, but nobody could call Iridian culture to be standard. It was the home to the King and Queen, and had belonged to her parents. It was a place where foreign affairs took place.
It once had belonged to her parents, but now she was the only Iridian left.
"...I guess that means this place is mine now..." The words felt hollow to her, since in her mind, the Grand Hall would always belong to her parents. Iris' castle had always been that humble cart she had built. She had never truly inherited the responsibility of the Royals, so she never had truly claimed this Hall.
Well, at least, until today.
Releasing the edges of her dress, the girl sighed as she looked over the long empty hall. In a humbled, resigned tone, she spoke to the invisible audience.
"...I know this might be a few years too late..." The blonde took in a deep, seemingly dutiful breath before speaking again. "...but you all deserve to be sent to rest at last..."
Just like the green haired girl in the princess' memory had done for Marjah many years before, the last Iridian danced, her movements careful, yet momentarily fluid as she sincerely wished for peace to soothe all of the souls who had passed away prematurely as a circumstance of war.
The girl had remembered everything of a past lost to many. Things that her teammates had yet to remember. Things which even the loyal guardian, *********, had yet to remember. And now, those memories would remain her secret with the sandy rock she once had called home until the time was right for everyone else. She'd wait another life time if she had to, though at the bottom of her heart, she genuinely hoped as she danced that she would not have to wait that long.
The moment she set foot in the sands, she felt at ease. She stepped forward a couple steps, as if testing to see if her own legs were working. As she moved, her fuku seemed to glow dimly of the colors of the rainbow, fluttering out until the outfit had shifted into a floor-length gown. Those were not the only things to grow, for the messy strands of hair that framed her face grew out, whipping back, and from her back two glorious pale wings sprouted. With her eyes closed, she could tell this was exactly what she needed. She had so many questions as an eternal senshi as to everything of her home world of the past. Some were answered, but many were never even touched briefly in memory. Yet now, the Princess of this asteroid had returned. And the asteroid was willing to relinquish its secrets to her.
For a brief period of time, the royal senshi remained standing in place, eyes closed as she let the memories wash over her like the water that never came to this sandy rock.
She was no longer as tall as she was now. No, she was much shorter with the world looming up above her. Somewhere in her stomach, butterflies seemed to be flapping their wings in an effort to escape, but the child was not letting such happen. Where many felt butterflies lingering in their belly and assumed it was a bad sign, the child could not help but embrace her stomach. She was giddy, but she didn’t know why. The child glanced up, towards the side to find a dark-skinned man with dark hair and a neatly trimmed beard. Next to him was a lady of paler skin and pale hair. This woman’s hair was even paler than her own blonde hair, on the verge of being a cream color. The woman wore gold jewelry and a circlet adorned with copper coins upon her head. Though they both wore robes, much like the others of the rest of this world, theirs seemed different, nearly regal. Before the trio was a gathering of various people, all dressed in their usual nomadic garb.
In a booming voice, the man beside her called out "Marjah, step forward!"
Many of the nomads bowed down on one knee, some merely backed away. Only one stepped forward. It was a gnarled figure of a woman who was leaning heavily upon a strange walking stick which was nearly as gnarled as herself with a large twist at the bottom to cover a wider area of ground. The few strands of hair that could be seen from the cloak that covered her head were white as snow (something the child knew nothing about). In a raspy voice, she uttered out "What is it I can do for your majesties?" Her head leaned forward as an attempt to bow that would not jeopardize any sense of balance she felt at the moment.
"By royal decree, you will take our daughter, the Princess of Iris, as a member of your clan. She is expected to learn to survive and become a valued member of your society. She is expected to remain in your care until her powers awaken."
Marjah let out a sound that was similar to a cough, but it kept going as if her throat was too dry to produce the actual sound of laughter. "I had heard rumors of the Princess. Pray tell... what use is my clan to the next senshi of our world?"
The man looked sharply to the child, then back to the woman. "As a Princess, her duties would remain here. As a Senshi, she has much more potential. If she was forced to remain in this city, she would never learn a thing about duty. As a Senshi, she needs to learn to live for her people. To understand that, she needs to live with her people. She may be a princess, but she is also just a person."
The young princess did not seem at all bothered by what seemed like a stern tone from her father. All of her life, she had been told how important it was to understand the world. And today would be the start of such an understanding.
"My daughter is to remain as a member of your clan until the day her powers awaken as a Senshi. Once she is a Senshi, she will no longer be a part of your clan. You will return her here. Until then, you do not treat her any different than any of the other members of your clan."
Marjah’s head bobbed up and down slowly, as if trying to pace such a simple movement. "You have my word, your Majesties." Once again, that rasping sound that was meant to be laughter escaped her. "Shall I take her now?"
The woman, the queen stepped forward. In a kind voice, she offered a simple "We will send her to meet you outside."
The elderly woman nodded, then began to hobble her way into facing the opposite direction so she could begin to leave. All of the others stood and began to make their exit as well. A couple individuals went to Marjah's side to steady her in what seemed like an almost painful journey back outside.
"...my parents..." Iris' voice uttered out. She remembered them clearly now, the Iridian King and Queen. They were not the stereotypical image of royalty, their duties far different from the commonplace "rule." The asteroid was simply a ball of sand with no water. It was not the sort of place where a King’s "rule" was needed. It was a King and Queen's compassion that was needed here. Her eyes opened up slowly, looking straight ahead to the dunes of dark sand. She knew where she must go.
Experimentally, she spread her wings out wide, flapping them one time. There was a brief amount of lift, and the motion caused a small cloud of sand to rise into the air. The girl had never had wings in any lifetime, so it still took a bit of getting used to. Not to mention in the very pit of her stomach, the idea of going high into the air made her woozy. So in a cautious manner, she attempted to get airborne, flapping the wings several times until she got some altitude. Birds made it look so easy in comparison, for Iris couldn’t help but feel a bit winded by getting up to approximately ten feet in the air. The feeling in the pit of her stomach did seem to subside, perhaps due to the amount of control the princess had over the height-situation. Leaning forward, she allow herself to glide forward. If anything, this would make it so she could get to her destination a bit quicker. Despite actively making her way towards an unseen destination, the memories still continued to almost whisper in her ears.
She remembered working hard, yet never feeling any sort of resentment for having to work. It was the way of her people. She could hear Marjah's raspy voice encouraging her, explaining how things worked. The child might have been away from her parents, but there was never a lack of love. The elderly woman was always willing to extend her thin arms to the child for a hug. She was willing to lend her nearly deaf ears to the child should she need someone to listen to her. She was a woman who smiled plenty, even if she had nearly no teeth left.
The Princess remembered being in the dimly lit wagon, her hands wrapped about the elderly woman's bony hands. There were others present, all of them familiar to her now. There was even Babba standing nearby with a dutiful expression upon her face, despite all of the sad expressions upon the other faces.
Marjah's eyes closed as that well known smile spread upon her face for a last time. The young princess had only known this woman for about two years, but had loved the old woman with all of her heart. She never wanted to let go of Marjah's hands. Even though the tears wouldn’t stop falling from her eyes, the child forced herself to keep a smile upon her face. Marjah had lived her life with a smile upon her face, and if she could have scolded them all for being so sad, she would have.
It was Babba who was left with the duty of prying the young princess’ hands off of the newly passed Marjah. "We cannot send her to rest if you insist upon clinging to her, child." Reluctant fingers let go, and the child was led away to gather her things. The Princess would no longer live with Marjah, for the deceased could not lead the clan. The burden now belonged to Babba, the next eldest of the clan. With the new role came a new responsibility in the form of a blonde child. Once all of the previous elder's possessions had been sorted out, the deceased and her whole cart were doused in oil, and then lit by flame. A young girl with deep green hair danced for Marjah as the flames engulfed her former home.
It was the first time the princess had ever witnessed the dance to bid farewell to the deceased, though eventually she would grow quite familiar with it due to her own duties later on. One wrong step and it did not have the same meaning anymore.
Iris' feet stumbled against the sand as she glided back to the ground. Flight was definitely much more difficult to pull off than she would have ever expected, but it was still a better mode of transportation for her to get where she was going. To go by foot would have taken far too long. Once more, she flapped her wings so she could gain altitude, and then once more glided forward. The longer she stayed, the more she remembered.
Once more, she stood within the walls of the Grand Hall, her parents' home. She did not stand there next to them as a Princess, but rather, in front of them as a senshi. Both the queen and the king had aged, the queen's hair seeming even paler than before due to the streaks of white that had managed to find their way into her cream colored hair, and the king's beard seeming to turn slightly gray. She, herself, stood taller than she had the last time she had been there, but she no longer stood there as a princess. The short skirt she wore symbolized her new status. She was a senshi, and nothing could ever change such a fate.
As he had done years before, the King stepped forward, speaking in the loud booming voice of authority to greet their guest.
"Sailor Iris! You stand here before your King and Queen as the Senshi of our Asteroid! Tell your King and your Queen what it is you are here to do!"
She was only 12 years old, and though she knew her father should not treat her any differently just because of their blood ties, she still couldn't help but feel a bit put off by his tone. There was a lump that found a way to her throat, but she swallowed it down before replying in as strong a voice as she could muster up.
"I am here to serve my people! I no longer live for just myself, but I live for the King, the Queen, and every clan upon this asteroid! My duty is to the world itself!" Her eyes were upon her father’s eyes, as if challenging him to say she was wrong. Perhaps it was because she was so intent upon looking the man in the eyes that she missed the presence of yet another.
"You speak as if your duty was the same of that of the King and Queen, yet we all know that despite using such similar words, your duty is even more important to the wellbeing of this asteroid." The voice was familiar, though at the time it was foreign. With a light airy laugh, a small animal stepped forward.
"...********* tailless creature found herself a place next to the senshi before offering a humble bow towards the royalty. With a smile, she apologized quite simply. "Sorry if I spoke out of turn, but I couldn't help but notice the irony in the Princess' words."
The Queen smiled and shook her head at the cat. "It is quite alright, Guardian."
The King cleared his throat, then proceeded with a short explanation. "Sailor Iris, to better serve your people and your world, we have accepted the assistance of the Mauvian, *********. She will be the one to train you for your duties and she will be your advisor!"
The senshi glanced down to the small animal. There was some sort of doubt that lingered in the back of her mind about such a creature. In all of her years, Sailor Iris had never encountered a single Mauvian, though she had heard of them upon rare occasion when she was a younger child. Of course, as she looked down, ********* looked up with a cheery smile. "Pleasure to meet you! I look forward to working with you!"
The child looked back to the man and woman before her. It was not her place to question them. With a small salute, she bellowed out "Understood!"
Her feet only briefly touched the sands again before she thrust her body back into the air with a few sharp flaps of the pale wings upon her back. She still had a while before she actually made it to where she was going. A bit of sand got kicked up and attempted to blow into her face, causing the new princess to close her eyes in an effort to protect her vision from those grains of dirt.
It felt as if when she opened her eyes, she had just been opening them after a long rest. Upon her lap she could feel a small warm spot from where a small round animal was curled up. The young teenager wore a loose robe upon her body, though the last she had remembered, she had been wearing her fuku, finally managing to stumble her way back down from the Sacred Lands.
"You certainly did a number on yourself, child." To her side, the familiar face of Babba was there to greet her with a kind smile.
"...what happened?" the blonde-haired child asked in a rather hoarse tone.
The woman laughed and shook her head a bit before reaching for an old pottery bowl that was filled with some sort of herbal drink. "Drink this... it will help your voice." Obediently, the child took the bowl and began to drink from it. As the child did as told, Babba proceeded to explain. "You had tended to your duties at the Sacred Lands, child. It was quite a bit for someone of your age to handle all by herself, but these are the ways of our people. We cannot argue against it." She sighed as she dipped a rag into a nearby barrel of water. "When you returned, from what the guardian had told us, you almost seemed like a husk of a person left. She told us you collapsed before you could even make it into the wagon to hide in some shade. The worst sort of dehydration, one would have almost thought you were a foreigner with how dried out you had become."
With that, the woman wiped the rag over the young teen’s forehead. "When we found you... you were without your uniform with two animals practically crying over your body. It took us about two weeks to get you to this point, child."
Gold eyes glanced to Babba’s as the rag went across her brow. "...two weeks... I don’t know if I’d ever be able to handle something like that ever again."
The woman merely laughed at her as she pulled the rag away. "Your voice still needs much of that drink... keep drinking." It was almost as if she was dismissing the young senshi’s point, but then she added her opinion. "You can and you will do that again. I taught you better... so if you did not tend to your duty, it would look poorly on me, child." Flattening the rag slightly, she lay it out across the edge of the barrel. "There's nothing in this world that isn't worth working for. I would be willing to bet my finest mirror that what you did up there will bring you respect from all of the people on this world."
"...that's a bet I wouldn't ever challenge..." From her spot on the young teenager's lap, the manx cat stretched her limbs out. "Otherwise I would probably lose."
Babba laughed before pointing at the cat. "She's a smart one! You should keep her!"
A half smile crept upon the Princess' face. "Yeah... I should probably keep ********* around for a bit longer." Though every so often, her feet would still touch the sand, Iris didn't seem to notice it anymore. She'd never truly be able to fly like a bird, like how so many people dreamed of doing, but this was close enough. There were no complaints at being able to glide through the air upon her wings. Babba had been right in the past. There was nothing in the world that wasn’t work working for. There was no sense of pride to be had if something had been handed to you upon a silver platter. Back then as a new senshi, she didn’t understand such a lesson completely, but now she understood it completely.
"...you want to do what?"
Her past voice rang through her ears a bit.
"You heard me... let's make a show!" The cat was looking up to Iris as the pair walked down a dirt road. The senshi was actually walking on her hands, but ********* did not seem to make an issue about it.
"Okay... now the next question is why do you think this is a good idea?" The senshi wasn't quite certain as to where any of this could go.
"Well... you keep complaining about how bored you get. I mean, you do your fair share of travel each year now. You know, I think you've gotten quite spoiled, since most Iridians would give their right leg to actually get to see all the places you have visited." The cat paused in step to see how well the senshi took her words.
"That still doesn’t explain why a show though..."
The manx's usual airy laughter escaped into the air. "I'm getting there, I'm getting there! Well, the other senshi from the allied asteroids are actually quite talented."
The senshi stopped walking on her hands and lowered her legs back to the ground before picking the guardian up so it would be easier to talk. "Where I agree that they are quite talented, do you really think it would be a good idea?"
"I believe it would be beneficial to everyone. However, we would need to talk to each of them." ********* was as cheery as ever. "I think the next time we visit the other asteroids, we should run these ideas past each senshi."
The blonde senshi patted the guardian on the head. Rather than give a confirmation, she instead gave a less committed response. "I'll think about it."
The half-smile upon her face had spread into a full smile. "********* definitely got her way on that one."
From her place in the air, she was able to see something that was starting to come into view. In contrast to the dark sand that covered the world, at first it just looked like snow sprinkled upon the landscape (though snow would have been impossible in this environment). The closer she got, the more she could make out. The pale shapes seemed to gain more detail until she could finally figure out what it was she was seeing. Many simple buildings made of pale stone speckled a small section of the world, forming a rather simple looking city.
Rather than fly over the city, the girl carefully allow herself to glide down to the sands, landing close by. She folded her wings back against her shoulders, the appendages practically trembling after the long journey through the air. In an effort to prevent herself from falling flat on her face by tripping on her own dress, the girl lifted the edges of her gown as she walked. The back of the dress seemed to drag a path out behind her in the sand as she approached the edge of the empty city. A part of her was curious, wanting to look into each of the short pale structures, but a wiser part of her silently reminded herself that the remains of a person she might have known could be hiding there.
It was a city of no people, but at one point the alleyways had been filled with traders, both native and foreign. Everyday the narrow walkways were flooded like it was a Sunday morning farmer's market, the traders calling out about how their wares were the best. This place had been important, even if most of the natives were not fond of it.
The Port, a place where any foreigner started and ended their visit to the desert world. A place where foreigners would try to find the best barters, and pretty much every time got played like suckers. It was the place where water was brought and where the Clans would come to restock on such a simple necessity.
The blonde's eyes wandered about the alleys, her eyes seeming to recall in ghostly images the individuals that found this place to be their home. Her feet led the way, having never walked through this city in this lifetime, but walking the same path many times in another. She just knew where to turn and when to go straight. Eventually she came upon one building that was larger than the rest. None of the buildings were all that tall, most averaging 1 story at tallest. Yet this one seemed to have two stories and took a wider plot of land. Though this building was still relatively plain, it seemed as if it had been painted in gold along some rough carvings.
"...the Grand Hall..." Cautiously, the new princess stepped through the entrance, glancing about the interior. It was aptly named, seeing as the interior definitely was spacious and long as a Grand Hall should. The interior was not much different from the exterior, save for the fact the ground was no longer covered in sand. It had once been polished, but now it was covered in a thick layer of dust. Towards the edges of the Grand Hall, there were various openings which served as the entrances for different rooms. A couple were sleeping chambers, and others were strictly used for inventory.
The princess walked in a small circle, her dress dragging up some of the dust, revealing the pale stone surface beneath it. This was the place where she had started her own life once, a place where she had lived, a place she had played, and a place she eventually ended up protecting. It wasn't a standard castle, but nobody could call Iridian culture to be standard. It was the home to the King and Queen, and had belonged to her parents. It was a place where foreign affairs took place.
It once had belonged to her parents, but now she was the only Iridian left.
"...I guess that means this place is mine now..." The words felt hollow to her, since in her mind, the Grand Hall would always belong to her parents. Iris' castle had always been that humble cart she had built. She had never truly inherited the responsibility of the Royals, so she never had truly claimed this Hall.
Well, at least, until today.
Releasing the edges of her dress, the girl sighed as she looked over the long empty hall. In a humbled, resigned tone, she spoke to the invisible audience.
"...I know this might be a few years too late..." The blonde took in a deep, seemingly dutiful breath before speaking again. "...but you all deserve to be sent to rest at last..."
Just like the green haired girl in the princess' memory had done for Marjah many years before, the last Iridian danced, her movements careful, yet momentarily fluid as she sincerely wished for peace to soothe all of the souls who had passed away prematurely as a circumstance of war.
The girl had remembered everything of a past lost to many. Things that her teammates had yet to remember. Things which even the loyal guardian, *********, had yet to remember. And now, those memories would remain her secret with the sandy rock she once had called home until the time was right for everyone else. She'd wait another life time if she had to, though at the bottom of her heart, she genuinely hoped as she danced that she would not have to wait that long.
